Encounter Henley Welcomes Senior Pastor of Encounter Church Adelaide: Mike Wardrop

In this message, Pastor Mike kicks off our Christmas series, "The Gift That Keeps On Giving," using the framework of the classic novel, "A Christmas Carol."

Drawing parallels to the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, Mike explores how our perception of hope is impacted by the hurts of our past, the comparisons of our present, and our view of the future.

The Ghost of Christmas Past (Hopes Gone By): Discover why we are often haunted by past trauma and broken promises, and how a modern culture's embrace of "victimhood as sainthood" can prevent us from moving forward. Mike challenges listeners to acknowledge the pain but embrace the responsibility of choosing hope, much like the promise of a "green shoot" growing from the "stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11).

The Problem: Why do we get trapped by the hurts of the past?

The Solution: The choice of what to do next is your responsibility. God can turn past pain to eternal goodness.

The Ghost of Christmas Present (Alternatives That Haunt Us): Mike discusses the challenges of FOMO, comparison, and a seemingly hopeless culture (housing crises, political polarization, etc.). He reminds us that if our hope is placed in temporary, tactile things, it’s not hope at all. Drawing from Isaiah's message to King Ahaz, he asserts that Christians, as ambassadors of hope, must trust in God's faithfulness, not political or economic circumstances.

The Context: Why do the challenges of the present feel overwhelming?

The Anchor: Hope assumes that God is faithful and is able to bring about His good purpose.

Tune in to be inspired, challenged, and equipped to find lasting hope in Jesus Christ, the Messiah—the ultimate anointed one!

Encounter Henley Welcomes Lead Pastor: Tim Littleford

In this message, Pastor Tim Littleford dives into Jesus' parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44-46).

Drawing from his own "nerdy" joy of finding valuable secondhand books, Tim explores the dynamic joy of discovering something of immense value—specifically, the Kingdom of God.

Discover two main ways people encounter the Kingdom:

Stumbling Upon It: Like the man who accidentally finds treasure in a field.

Searching for It: Like the merchant hunting for the perfect pearl.

No matter how you find it, the response is the same: joyful, complete surrender.

Tim challenges the tendency to barter and negotiate with God, seeking the "minimum requirement" for surrender. He emphasizes that the cost of the Kingdom is everything, but the transaction is one of net gain, not loss.

Drawing on the illustration of floating in water, you'll learn that surrender isn't about striving or beating yourself up with shame, but about trusting the grace of God to hold you and letting go of control.

Ultimately, this message reveals a God who sees you as the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price—and in his joy, gave up everything (His Son) to possess you!

Choose to surrender in joy. What is Jesus inviting you to let go of today to possess the ultimate gain?

Encounter Henley Welcomes Pastor: Tex Horner

In this message, Pastor Tex Horner unpacks Jesus's parable of the Midnight Bread, challenging us on the nature of our prayer life. Drawing on a relatable, humorous family anecdote about his daughter's persistent (and expensive!) requests at the Royal Adelaide Show, Tex reveals a profound truth about God's heart.

Discover the shamelessness, persistence, and bold audacity that Jesus encourages when we come to Him in prayer. Just as a loving father gives good things to his child, our Heavenly Father wants us to bring everything to Him—regardless of whether we think the need is too small or too big.

Key takeaways include:

• Why the parables are designed to reveal truths about Jesus Himself, not just to give life lessons.
• The clear pattern Jesus lays out for us in the Lord's Prayer—a foundation for bold asking.
• Understanding the parable of the Midnight Bread as an encouragement to a persistent, never-tiring prayer life.
• How persistent prayer isn't about changing God's will, but about changing us and uniting our will with His.

Learn to pray with the confidence and shamelessness of a toddler at the show—because Jesus is not a reluctant friend, but a loving Father who wants to respond to your requests.

Encounter Henley Welcomes Lead Pastor: Tim Littleford

Do you ever worry that you're wasting your life? We make choices with consequences every day, but sometimes we live as if our decisions don't really matter in the end.

In this message, Pastor Tim Littleford dives into the complex, layered parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), a story so impactful it literally gave us our modern word for "skill" or "ability." More than just a moral lesson, Jesus' parables illuminate His identity and the nature of His Kingdom.

The Immense Trust: Discover the true value of the "talent"—a massive fortune worth millions today. When Jesus, the Master, went away, he didn't entrust his followers with small trinkets, but with His entire Kingdom Trust Fund—His grace, the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, the Gospel, and a mission. If you can waste your life, you must have something incredibly valuable to waste!

Faithfulness, Not Comparison: Learn the liberating truth that God requires nothing from us but what He has sown in us. The master rewards the two faithful servants equally for their faithfulness in stewarding what they were individually given, not for comparing their output to others. You are running your own race.

The Danger of Doing Nothing: Why was the third servant condemned? Not for losing the money, but for burying it out of fear, rationalizing his inaction by misrepresenting his generous master. This is a powerful warning: The Kingdom grows—unless it is intentionally buried. Our faith is not meant to be rested on or rationalized; it's meant to be multiplied.

The Final Audit, Covered by Grace: Pastor Tim grapples with the sobering reality of the coming audit, where we will be held accountable for how we lived. But for followers of Jesus, this accountability is met with grace—the gift of God where the eternal consequences for our failings are already poured out on Christ on the cross. Grace doesn't mean there is no audit; it means the charges have been cancelled.

This message is a crisis of decision: What will you do with the immense, valuable Kingdom of God you've been entrusted with?

Encounter Henley Welcomes Pastor: Ashlee Littlfeford

In this challenging and empathetic message, Pastor Ashlee confronts the common misinterpretation of the Good Samaritan, suggesting it's not a to-do list for moral improvement, but a radical wake-up call to the very grace of God.

Tired and Avoidant: Pastor Ashlee shares a personal, honest reflection on avoiding someone in need because she was "drowning" herself. She highlights a crucial truth: we often pass by pain not because we hate people, but because we are hurting too, tired, and running on fumes.

The Radical Truth: Discover the core of the Gospel hidden in Jesus' parable: You are not the hero. Before we can be the Samaritan who helps, we must first admit we are the man in the ditch, rescued by Christ. Jesus meets us in our deepest need.

Crossing the Road: The story is a "bomb" against religious tribalism, revealing that "racist categories of society do not exist in the Kingdom of God." Hear how Jesus' work on the cross—crossing eternity to carry us and pay for us—is the ultimate act of Samaritanship.

Grace-Filled Mercy: Learn that the call to "go and do likewise" is not "grit your teeth Christianity," but a call to love others because you have been carried first.

Imagine mercy becoming your instinct instead of avoidance. Tune in to be reminded that your capacity to love flows not from effort, but from the unending, undeserved help you've already received.

Encounter Henley Welcomes Lead Pastor: Tim Littleford

In this episode, Pastor Tim Littleford dives into the complex and often painful story of King David and his son, Absalom, from 2 Samuel 18.

• A Familiar Struggle: The tragic failure of David's family serves as a powerful, ancient reflection of the complexity and difficulty of loving our own families—especially when they are messy, broken, or hard to forgive.
• An Unpleasant Reality: David, the "man after God's own heart," ultimately faces the death of his son after years of familial conflict. Pastor Tim explores three catastrophic failures in David's parenting—or "family sins"—that led to this heartbreaking end.
• Learning from Mistakes: Discover how David's errors—the sin of doing nothing (tolerating destructive behavior) and the sin of pulling away (estranging his son)—teach us to cultivate love, accountability, and connection, rather than bitterness and contempt, in our own relationships.
• A Better Way: Learn how to bring family patterns of brokenness into the grace of Jesus and choose a better, more loving way forward.

Tune in to discover how to navigate the complexities of your own family with grace and intentionality.

Encounter Henley Welcomes Pastor: Ashlee Littleford

Do you ever find yourself running "scripts" or repeating patterns from your family of origin when life gets stressful? You are not alone. In this powerful message, Pastor Ashlee Littleford tackles the complex reality of generational inheritance—the good and the bad "emotional DNA" we carry from our past.

Ashlee explores:

The Myth of the "Self-Made" Person: Why our modern culture's idea of total independence crumbles under the pressure of real life, revealing deep-seated family patterns.

Inheritance of Brokenness: Examining the repeated sin of Abraham and Isaac (lying out of fear for self-preservation) to understand how unresolved fear and sinful coping mechanisms become ingrained generational habits.

Inheritance of Grace: Highlighting Lois and Eunice (Timothy's mother and grandmother) to show how emotional resilience, authentic connection, and intentional discipleship can pass down a pattern of peace.

Repatterning in Christ: Ashlee provides practical, Gospel-centered steps for discerning the patterns, engaging in lament and repentance, and choosing the new secure identity in Christ, which frees us to stop relying on fearful family patterns for survival.

The patterns of your past do not define the promises of your future! You have a radical opportunity to be a healing agent in your lineage and let the patterns of sin stop with you.

Encounter Henley Welcomes Pastor: Tex Horner

What does it truly mean to belong? In this inspiring message, Pastor Tex Horner explores the profound concept of family—both in a Hawaiian sense with a nod to Disney's Lilo & Stitch and, most importantly, in a biblical context.

Drawing from Acts 4:32-37 and Galatians 3:26-29, Tex delves into:

The DNA of Family: Discover what defines family for people today (hint: it's not primarily bloodlines) and why the church uses family language like "brothers and sisters."

Unity in Action: Explore the early church's radical generosity, where "all the believers were united in heart and mind," sharing everything to ensure no one was needy.

The Example of Barnabas: Learn how "the Son of Encouragement" sacrificially sold land and gave the substantial proceeds to support his new family in Christ, demonstrating that love sacrifices preference.

Adopted by God: Understand that through faith and baptism, we are adopted into God's family, transcending old identities and earthly divisions—you are an heir to God's promises!

Tex reminds us that our ability to live out sacrificial love for our church community flows directly from the fact that "He himself has been sacrificially loved." Get ready to be challenged and encouraged to move beyond "family words" into "family action."

Encounter Henley Welcomes Lead Pastor: Tim Littleford

We all have something we cling to for security, value, or happiness that isn't God. In this powerful message, lead pastor Tim Littleford shares his personal struggle with making money an "ultimate thing" and explores what the Bible calls idolatry.

Drawing from the story of Gideon tearing down his father's altar to Baal in Judges 6, Tim helps us diagnose the modern, subtle idols in our own lives—from career and approval to relationships and comfort. If you've ever thought, "If only I had that, then I'd be secure," this message is for you.

Tim provides a clear, three-part framework for "idol breaking" today:

Identify the idol in your own backyard.

Dismantle the structures of dependence.

Use the idol as fuel for worship, intentionally going in the opposite direction by making costly and sacrificial decisions to prioritize God.

Discover why idols always over-promise and under-deliver, and learn how to replace the treadmill of striving with the lasting security and peace found only in Jesus.

Encounter Henley Welcomes Preacher: Emma Petrie

Have you ever started something with more energy than sense, only to have the mundane, difficult reality force you to quit? In this message, preacher Emma Petrie challenges us to swap the cultural obsession with "the quick sprint" for a commitment to a long obedience in the same direction.

Drawing on her experience as a Scottish Highland dancer, Emma illustrates how two minutes of "effortless" performance are built on hidden hours of gruelling, unglamorous training. This is the essence of discipleship: not a flash of spiritual excitement, but a life of constant, consistent faithfulness.

Emma explores Paul's journey to Rome in Acts 28 where his movement was restricted by chains and delays. Yet, the Gospel remained "without hindrance." His house arrest became a platform for an unhurried, two-year ministry, proving that God's power is perfected in our weakness and that His mission is never bound by our circumstances.

This sermon is a powerful call to resist the pressure of urgency and instant gratification. Learn how to cultivate the slow, patient rhythms of faith, finding peace not in productivity, but in prioritizing presence over performance. It’s about trusting God to work in the quiet, unseen moments of your life, making your "long haul" a testimony to His unstoppable kingdom.