31/08/2025 - Matt Destry

Big idea: God is mobilising an army… mobilised not stationary, co-ordinated not chaotic, surprising not sodden, gifted and broken.

God is mobilising an army:

1/ Where the battle is not against people

Ephesians 6:10–18 (NIV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

2/ Where the mission is the great commission

Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV)

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

3/ Where sanctification is the training

To be sanctified: The word comes from the Latin sanctus (“holy”) and the verb facere (“to make”). In biblical terms, it carries two layers:

1. Positional Sanctification (Set Apart)

2. Ongoing Sanctification (Being Made Holy)

4/ Where no one walks alone

5/ Where worship is warfare

“God is mobilising an army, but it’s a broken army that marches on it’s knees” – Pete Greig

24/08/2025 - Jody Destry

Overflowing with Healing and Hope

Key Scriptures

Mark 2:17 – “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Luke 5:17–26 – Jesus heals the paralytic (forgiveness + physical healing).

John 8:1–11 – Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (freedom from condemnation + new life).

Mark 5:1–20 – Jesus heals the demon-possessed man (restoration of mind, community, and mission).

John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

James 5:16 – “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

1 Corinthians 12:26 – “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.”

Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.”

Key Points

1. Jesus the Great Physician

His ministry was marked by healing: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

He addresses not just symptoms but root causes.

1. Stories of Healing

Paralytic man → forgiveness + healing.

Woman caught in adultery → mercy + transformation.

The demon-possessed man → restored mind + sent on mission.

Healing as a Sign of the Kingdom

Every healing points to God’s reign breaking in with renewal, hope, and restoration.

John 10:10 – life to the full.

3.The Church as a Hospital

Jesus is the Great Physician, we are all patients, and together we form a community of mutual care.

Different “wards” of the Church: emergency (crisis), surgical (transformation), maternity (new life), children’s (discipleship), aged care (honour and wisdom), recovery (rest and restoration), rehabilitation (strength and equipping).

1. Healing in Community

Healing isn’t just private; it’s experienced in relationships (1 Cor. 12:26; Gal. 6:2).

Confession and prayer bring healing (James 5:16).

Reflection Questions:

f the Church is like a hospital with many wards, which “ward” do you see yourself in right now (emergency, recovery, rehabilitation, etc.)?

How can we better live out 1 Corinthians 12:26 and Galatians 6:2 as a group — carrying each other’s burdens and celebrating healing together?

James 5:16 speaks about confession and prayer. Why do you think honesty and vulnerability are so important for healing?

17/08/2025 - Matthew Destry

Psalm 68:5–6: Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

1. Adopted into God’s Family — Romans 8:15–17

Romans 8:15–17 (ESV): For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

1. The Household of God — Ephesians 2:19–22

Ephesians 2:19–22 (ESV): So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

III. Spiritual Friendships — John 15:15

John 15:15 (ESV): No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Four markers of healthy friendship:

1. No Power Imbalance
2. No Money Changing Hands
3. No Hidden Expectations
4. No Triangulation or Control
5. Recognising Leadership and Voices in the Family

Acts 18:24–26 (ESV): Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

1. Protecting the Unity of the Family — Ephesians 4:29–32

Ephesians 4:29–32 (ESV): Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

10/08/2025 - Zeke Murley

• Paul assumes everyone has a gift.
• The problem is not inactive gifts, but disobedient
• Gifts are for the common good (v.7), empowered by one Spirit.

“Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body.”

• More concerned with visibility over faithfulness.
• Tells God He got it wrong.
• Turns partners in ministry into competitors in calling.
• Worships self over God.
• Robs the church of purpose
• Jealousy leaves the body lame.

“I have no need of you.”

• Independence isn’t strength — it’s sabotage.
• You can’t build the body if you think you don’t need
• You are not the point of this place — just a part of it.
• When the gift becomes god, the church becomes a casualty.

Heart Check

• This isn’t a team recruitment drive.
• No sign-up sheet. No QR code.
• It’s about the Spirit of God and believing He meant what He said: You are part of the Body.

When jealousy and pride go uncorrected:

• Celebration dies.
• Honour becomes foreign.
• Resentment and self-sufficiency suffocate the Spirit’s work.

Result: Christ isn’t glorified.

• Dishonour the gift → dishonour the Giver.

v.26 — If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

• Honour one another.
• See one another.
• Need one another.

• Identify your gift — not to compare or compete, but to contribute.
• Confess pride or jealousy that’s kept you from building up the body.
• Celebrate and honour others’ gifts.

Serve the body so Christ is seen and glorified.

Zach Meerkreebs

Key Scripture: Philippians 2; Romans 12; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:14–17

• Guest speaker Zach Meerkreebs shares his firsthand account of the Asbury Revival and what God did in a small Kentucky chapel.
• A powerful reminder that God isn't looking for perfection, power, or performance — He's drawn to humility.
• Explores the difference between pride and consecrated confidence.
• Challenges us to live with open hands and soft hearts — ready to be confronted and consecrated.
• Highlights how even our kids can be spiritual teachers when we’re humble enough to listen.
• “Go lower”: Jesus' model of descent from glory to servanthood becomes the blueprint for our own transformation.
• Addresses cultural misconceptions about humility, ambition, and spiritual passivity.
• Encourages every believer to be a "pothole" where the Spirit can puddle up — a place low enough for God's presence to rest.

27/07/2025 - Jody Destry

Reclaiming a healthy, Christlike vision of submission that leads to freedom, peace, and flourishing.

Key Scriptures:

Isaiah 30:15–18

Ephesians 5:21–25

John 5:19, John 16:13–14, John 5:22–23

Luke 22:42 (“Not my will, but yours be done.”)

James 4:7, Psalm 37:5

Big Idea:

Submission often carries baggage — misunderstood as weakness or misused to justify control – but Scripture reveals a better way.

Submission is woven into the very nature of God: Father, Son, and Spirit live in a divine rhythm of mutual love, honour, and deference. Jesus models submission not as defeat, but as strength — surrendering to the Father’s will for the sake of our redemption.

God’s call to submission is not about losing voice or value. It’s about finding peace and purpose in trusting the One who knows us best and loves us most.

Like Judah in Isaiah 30, we often run to false security and control when we’re afraid — but God calls us back:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”

(Isaiah 30:15)

Submission isn’t passivity. It’s a posture of active trust. When we lay down control, we make space for God’s peace, clarity, and power to work in and through us.

Key Takeaways

1/ Submission is rooted in the Trinity — God models mutual submission in love (John 5:19; 16:13–14).

2/ Submission is a strength, not a weakness — it takes courage to trust and let go.

3/ Submission requires trust — which can feel risky in a world of broken authority.

4/ God’s vision is freedom and flourishing — not control or oppression.

5/ Rebellion isn’t just cultural — it’s spiritual — like Judah, we resist God’s way, often to our own harm. Jesus shows us the way — “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you grasping for control rather than trusting God?
2. Has your understanding of submission been shaped more by culture or by Christ?
3. What would it look like to say “Not my will, but Yours” in this season of your life?
4. How could mutual submission strengthen your relationships?
5. Are there areas where pride or fear has kept you from yielding in love?
6. How does seeing submission in the Trinity reshape your understanding of God’s nature?
7. Why is submission essential to Christian community (Ephesians 5:21)?

Prayer:

God, I confess the places where I’ve held too tightly to control. Help me surrender my way and trust Your wisdom. Teach me the beauty of mutual submission — with You, and with others — so I might walk in peace, strength, and love. Amen.

20/07/2025 - Matthew Destry

Addressing the Elephant in the Room

Suspicion is healthy. But cynicism can harden your heart. Today, I want us to ask: What if giving to God isn’t a scheme, but a spiritual practice?

Main Narrative Text: Genesis 14:17–24

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

 And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

 And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me.”

Key Points – The tithe is not law first—it is worship first.

1. The Tithe is Worship
2. The Tithe is a Heart Shaper
3. The Tithe is a Declaration of Dependence
4. The Tithe Points Beyond Itself
5. Pastoral Note: Tithing on Low Income

It’s not about the size of the gift. It’s about the posture of the heart.

Bonus Section: Is Tithing in the New Testament?

In Matthew 23:23, he critiques the Pharisees for tithing their herbs meticulously while neglecting “the weightier matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” He says: “You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former.”

“They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” (Acts 2:45)

“No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32)

“On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

Jesus is our true Priest

“Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, You gave everything for us. Make us generous like You. Break greed, fear, and pride in our hearts. Teach us to worship You with all we have. Amen.”

13/07/2025 - Zeke Murley

There’s a word in the Bible that some of us wish wasn’t there: **Repent**.

Not whispered – **preached**.

Not optional – **commanded**.

Not hidden – spoken by **Jesus** Himself.

Key Question: Have I actually repented, or have I just learned to **hide**?

• Romans 2:1–6
• • Matthew 3:1–2
• • Mark 1:14–15
• • Acts 2:37–39
• • Acts 5:31
• • John 3:5–8

• Repentance isn’t just feeling bad—it’s a **turning**.
• • It’s a **reorientation** from sin and from self, toward God.
• • In the OT, ‘nāḥam’ = to be deeply sorry; ‘šûḇ’ = to **return**.
• • When we repent, God **relents** (Jer. 18:8).
• • God’s **kindness** leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

• Culture has redefined kindness as **being polite or agreeable**.
• • Biblical kindness is always tied to **moral goodness**.
• • Kindness without goodness is **flattery**.
• • We’ve turned kindness into **permission** instead of invitation.
• • God’s kindness is not avoiding—it’s **confronting**.
• • It’s not coddling—it’s **convicting**.

• The enemy loves the sin you’re **stuck** in.
• • Repentance is not just for the **unbeliever**, it’s for the Church.
• • God won’t share your **soul** with your addiction.
• • God’s kindness is not passive—it’s going to **war** with your sin.
• • He won’t make peace with porn, or **dance** with your drinking.
• • It’s not just a whisper—it’s a **wake-up call**.

• Conviction without **action** just becomes regret.

• Repentance is the **response** that turns conviction into freedom.

• In repentance, you’re not just turning away—you’re turning **toward Someone**.

• When you turn, God turns—not in nature, but in how He **deals** with you.

• He sees not your sin, but **Jesus**.

What is the Holy Spirit calling you to repent of today?

06/07/2025 - Doug Pors

Trajectory Check

• Where is your life heading—towards Jesus or away?
• Small shifts lead to major misalignment over time.

Redefining Judgement

• Modern English skews “judgement” as harsh condemnation.
• Biblical Judgement = Discernment + Restoration (Greek: Krino).
• It’s not the opposite of love—it is love in action, confronting injustice and healing brokenness.

Judgement in Practice

• God’s judgement is corrective, not punitive.
• Meant to restore right relationships, justice, peace.
• Jesus models this: calling out injustice (e.g., Temple cleansing), not to condemn, but to restore worship and justice.

Scripture Highlights

• Isaiah 1:16-18, 58:6-10, Psalm 98:9, Jeremiah 7, John 3:16-17, Luke 6:41-42, Psalm 139:23-24
• Judgement calls us back to God and each other, not away from Him.

God’s Heart in Judgement

• God loves too much to leave the world broken.
• Judgement is love expressed as correction.
• Jesus takes our judgement to bring life, not death.

Living Under Loving Judgement

• Stop hiding. Start confessing.
• Embrace correction—it leads to healing.
• Be a restorer, not a condemner.
• Let God judge us to align our hearts with His.

Final Invitation

• Judgement = Invitation to wholeness.
• “Search me, O God… lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139)

29/06/2025 - Matthew Destry

Isaiah 60:1–5 (ESV):

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will be seen upon you.

3 And nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;

they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from afar,

and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

5 Then you shall see and be radiant;

your heart shall thrill and exult,

because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

Revelation 7:9 (ESV):

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…

The return of God’s people = the return of the nations — not to a city, but to the presence of God himself

Hope // Light // Lamb

A global pilgrimage of worshippers

Reversal

The Lamb is at the centre

1. The Kingdom doesn’t stop at our border

2. The marginalised are not a project — they are the point

3. You’re already in the global Church