Anchor Church City

In this sermon on Philippians 1:1–11, we explore how the apostle Paul models a life of defiant, subversive joy even while facing trial and imprisonment. Discover how Paul's deep affection for the believers and his unshakable confidence—knowing that God faithfully carries to completion the good work He begins—allow him to remain centered on the gospel regardless of his circumstances. Tune in to be encouraged by a rich, optimistic approach to prayer that shifts our focus from asking for trials to be removed to experiencing an unshakeable joy anchored in Jesus Christ.

Whose plans do you think are better? Yours or God's? In Acts 16, Paul’s plans changed dramatically. The Holy Spirit kept shutting doors and steering him somewhere completely unexpected: Philippi. Paul’s story is a reminder to let go of control and to respond to God with trust and obedience, and to wait and see what he will do. Paul’s obedience led to the planting of the church in Philippi and the gospel going into Europe for the first time. What could the fruit of your obedience be?

This mornings panel of messages are linked by the idea, ‘What God Taught me…’

Gina’s sharing on what it means to Wear Christ, Jocelyn on our Imperishable Crown & Ollie on Beyond Faithful. Sharing from Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 9 and Jeremiah 29.

Join us this week as guest speaker Hugie from Anchor Northern Beaches explores Philippians 4:10-13, and what it means to live with contentment. In our lives, we are often guilty of always chasing more, never satisfied with what we have. But if we pause and reflect - where is God inviting you to be content with circumstances you would never have chosen? How can we learn contentment and look for an eternity minded purpose?

Deuteronomy ends in a way not many stories do; with a grave, an unfinished promise, and a leader who spent forty years walking toward a land he would only ever see from a distance. In this final message of our Choose Life series, Matt asks what it means to be remembered well, and why the death of the Bible's greatest prophet is not the end of the story but the point at which God's faithfulness comes most clearly into view.

Every day we are faced with thousands of decisions, but the ultimate choice set before us is between life and death. In Deuteronomy 30, Moses calls God's people to a decision that goes far deeper than human willpower, it requires a complete transformation of the heart. Discover how God provides the new heart we need through Jesus Christ, empowering us to choose life, hope, and faithful obedience every single day.

Deuteronomy's long stretch of law lands on one declaration: Israel is the LORD's, and the LORD is Israel's; a treasured, holy people. But holiness was never meant to be private; it was meant to be seen by the watching world. Matt looks at what it means to be set apart not for our own sake, but as witness to everyone around us.

We spend a lot of energy trying to feel "clean", chasing quick fixes like digital breaks and fresh starts. Yet Deuteronomy 12 challenges us to look deeper at what our lives are truly consecrated for. Our Lead Pastor, Matt Sparks, connects the dots between Israel's altars and Christ's ultimate sacrifice, inviting us into a candid reflection: what baggage do we need to drop, and what do we need to devote ourselves too?

It's easy to feel like you need God when you've got nothing left. Deuteronomy 8 asks a harder question: do you still need him when you've got everything? Moses looks back at Israel's wilderness and ahead to their promised land, and finds the same test of dependence in both.

What do we do when we want to love God, but keep forgetting him? Deuteronomy 6 speaks to that very human problem. In this sermon, we look at why our attention drifts, why other things so easily take God’s place, and how listening, remembering and retelling the story of God’s love can shape the way we actually live.