Series: Stand Alone

Date: 12 April 2026

Preacher: Rev Peter Judge-Mears (from Southside Anglican)

Scripture: Luke 24:36-53

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Drawing on Luke 24, we explore the disciples' emotional journey from devastation to understanding — showing that Jesus' death and resurrection weren't unexpected tragedies but the fulfilment of God's eternal plan written across the Old Testament. The Messiah had to suffer, rise, and send his people out to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations. Jesus conquered through suffering, was vindicated through resurrection, and now reigns as King — and his people are called to announce that good news until the whole world has heard.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: Beauty for Ashes

Date: 5 April 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: John 20:1-18

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Three moments of Easter beauty from John 20: beautiful history, beautiful intimacy, and beautiful feet. Christianity is not a myth — it's grounded in verifiable events, supported by Roman historians, Jewish sources, archaeological evidence, and eyewitness testimony. The empty tomb is the central historical claim, and it demands a verdict. The resurrection is also deeply personal — Jesus calls a grieving, fearful Mary Magdalene by name, and he calls ours too. And Easter doesn't end with encounter — it ends with commission. Those who've seen the risen Jesus are sent with beautiful feet and beautiful news: an invitation to trust Christ, and a challenge to make him known.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: Beauty for Ashes

Date: 3 April 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: John 19:23-30

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Good Friday confronts us with the harsh reality of death — and the profound beauty hidden within it. Drawing from John 19, three glimpses of beauty emerge from the ashes of the crucifixion: beautiful affection, as Jesus cares for his mother and beloved disciple until the end; beautiful suffering, as Jesus thirsts so that we never have to thirst again; and beautiful victory, as his cry "It is finished" — tetelestai — declares not defeat but the debt of sin paid in full. Isaiah promised beauty for ashes. The cross is where that promise was paid for.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 29 March 2026

Preacher: Josh Hayward (from Moore College)

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-14

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1 Peter 5 calls believers to persevere by holding tightly to Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, as they journey toward their eternal home. The Christian life is like a difficult road trip — full of noise and distraction — but Peter urges us to stay faithful because glory awaits.

Three anchors for perseverance: cling to the Shepherd who cares with perfect authority; live in humility by casting your anxieties on God; and stay watchful against spiritual attack, trusting that present suffering is brief compared to eternal glory.

The foundation is this: Jesus has already won. Through his death and resurrection, the victory is secured. Believers can trust him completely as they await his return and the unfading crown of glory he will give to all who remain faithful.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email [email protected]

Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 22 March 2026

Preacher: Tim Purdue (from Moore College)

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

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God works through the suffering of his people to establish their faith and transform them for the glory of Christ.

1 Peter 4:12-19 confronts a tension every Christian feels: the promises of God on one hand, and the reality of suffering on the other. Rather than viewing suffering as evidence that something has gone wrong, we are encouraged to see it as proof of our union with Christ and as God's means of preparing us for eternal glory.

Three things happen through suffering: faith is established, disobedience is exposed, and we are transformed into the image of Christ. Suffering for Christ's name is not a sign of God's absence but of his active, gracious work in the lives of his children — deepening faith and conforming us to Christ's likeness.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 15 March 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-11

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How do you live knowing the end is coming?

Peter's answer in 1 Peter 4:1-11 is surprisingly practical. We live between Christ's first and second coming — the same age as the early church — and that changes everything. Not panic. Not apathy. But eyes fixed on Jesus, and an intentional, gospel-shaped community that looks genuinely weird by the world's standards.

Four priorities mark the life of those who believe Jesus is really coming back: prayer, love, hospitality, and service. One another, one another, one another, one another. As Christ gave himself for us, we give ourselves to each other — for the glory of God and the good of a watching world.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 8 March 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-22

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Christians can embrace the blessing of unjust suffering — honouring Christ as holy, doing good, and gently explaining their hope — because of Christ's victory over unjust suffering: his penal, substitutionary, atoning death and victorious resurrection, guaranteeing their final vindication.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email [email protected]

Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 1 March 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-12

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Living as elect exiles in a world obsessed with externals, Christians are called to something beautifully weird — a life shaped by inner godliness rather than outward appearance. From 1 Peter 3:1-12, this message walks through the godly character of Christ, of wives, of husbands, and of all God's people. Along the way, it addresses the misuse of submission texts, calls husbands to honour their wives as co-heirs of grace, and invites every believer to adorn the soul rather than the outward self — with Christ's example and atonement at the centre of everything.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 22 February 2026

Preacher: Rev Tim Baxter

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-25

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In 1 Peter 2:11–25, Peter tackles the tension Christians live in — belonging to God while feeling like outsiders in the world. Three words shape the response: honour, endure, entrust. We're called to live with honour — beautiful conduct in our communities and workplaces — not just keeping out of trouble, but proactively doing good. We're called to endure unjust suffering rather than escape it, showing grace to those who don't deserve it, as God has shown us. And we're called to entrust our identity, our hopes, and our souls to God who judges justly — following the example of Jesus who suffered without retaliating. The anchor for all of this: Jesus is the shepherd and overseer of our souls, keeping us for eternity.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email [email protected]

Series: EMBRACE WEIRD: Reclaim the Genius of the First Christians from First Peter

Date: 15 February 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-10

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In 1 Peter 2:4-10, Peter tells scattered and marginalised Christians that they are living stones being built into God's house — a holy and royal priesthood. Drawing on the Reformation principle that all believers are priests, not just clergy, this passage addresses those who feel they don't fit in or feel inadequate, affirming that everyone who belongs to Jesus has a place and a purpose. Three things define our role as priests: we worship Christ by offering our whole lives as living sacrifices; we stand on Christ as our cornerstone, who takes our shame and gives us honour; and we proclaim Christ's excellencies to the world around us. Church life is messy, and people will let us down, but Jesus hasn't given up on his building project — and neither should we.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email [email protected]