FLBC Sermons

“Do not steal” sounds like one of the simplest of the Ten Commandments, but guest speaker Alissa shows it has layers, like an ogre. In this message on the eighth commandment, she takes us to a hypothetical café and follows a cup of coffee and a t-shirt around the world. Along the way we meet five people connected by what they buy and sell: a head-office executive, a café owner, an aspiring influencer, a garment worker in Bangladesh and an 11-year-old coffee picker in Vietnam. Alissa asks who benefits, who bears the cost, and how Jesus sees the world. We explore the hidden ways we can take from other people and from creation. We also see that the opposite of stealing is generosity, and that Jesus gave when we took, and shares his inheritance with us. Whether you’re part of our church family or exploring faith for the first time, you’ll hear practical ideas for responding with gratitude, grace and generosity, from ethical shopping to giving through Baptist World Aid.

Want to respond to what you’ve heard? Visit flbc.org.au/respond to take your next step.

What does “You shall not murder” really ask of us? In this Ten Commandments sermon on the sixth commandment (Exodus 20), Pastor Mark invites us to come to a familiar passage with an open mind, just as he had to when he was proven wrong about frozen yogurt. He unpacks the Hebrew word behind “murder”, showing that it means far more than premeditated killing. It points to a God who gives life and to the imago Dei, the truth that every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1–2). Drawing on the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the example of early Christians rescuing unwanted babies from the Roman rubbish dump, and Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, this message challenges us to stop dehumanising others, online and in person, and to speak life instead. Along the way, Mark shares practical ways to honour the sanctity of life, from Breakfast Club and Angel Tree to simply asking, “Can I pray for you?” Whether you’re new to faith or have read these words many times, there are fresh pearls waiting to be found.

Has this message spoken to you? Take your next step today at flbc.org.au/respond. We’d love to hear from you and help you honour life and follow Jesus, the giver of life.

Feeling exhausted, overworked or burnt out? In this message from our Ten Commandments series, Children & Families Pastor Mel Wetzel unpacks the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11). Pastor Mel shares research showing that 1 in 4 Australians display compulsive work addiction traits, and half have experienced burnout in the last year. Yet God’s commandments are not harsh rules. They are covenant words from a loving, patient and forgiving God, who designed us as image bearers (Imago Dei) to work and to rest. Looking at two Hebrew words for rest, Shabbat (to cease) and Nuach (to dwell), Pastor Mel explains why simply stopping work or scrolling on the couch isn’t true rest, and why we need to dwell in God’s presence. Along the way, she shares practical ideas for building a rhythm of Sabbath: prepare for it, start small, rest with your hands if you work with your head, stay accountable and rest in community. Above all, Sabbath is an invitation, not another item on the to-do list. As Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

What does it really mean to “honour your father and your mother”? In this episode, Pastor Mark continues our Ten Commandments series from Exodus 20 with the fifth commandment, often called the “bridge” commandment because it links how we relate to God with how we relate to people, starting in the home. Pastor Mark unpacks what honour is and is not: it isn’t just for children, it isn’t blind obedience, and it never requires anyone to stay in a toxic or abusive relationship. Instead, the Hebrew word for honour carries the idea of weight and significance, the same word used for the glory of God. For listeners with difficult or absent parents, he shares a moving wedding story about finding just one true thing to honour. Along the way, you’ll hear about a visit to Noosa National Park with a French guest named Valerie, a Nana who raised three children as a single parent in post-war Brisbane, and a church lady named Anna with a prayer list of every young person’s name. Pastor Mark also looks at Jesus’ challenge to the Pharisees over “Corban” in Mark 7, and gives three reasons why society flourishes when the elderly are honoured and included: we learn authority at home, we gain wisdom from experience, and families and churches thrive when they are intergenerational.

Whether you’re young or old, a parent, a child, or somewhere in between, this message on honour, family, community, and the church as a place for every generation will encourage you to take one practical step to honour someone older than you today.

Is God prompting you to take your next step in honouring someone older, serving your church family, or following Jesus for the first time? We’d love to hear from you. Head to flbc.org.au/respond today and let us know how we can pray for you and walk with you.

In this episode of our Ten Commandments series, Pastor Seb unpacks the third commandment in Exodus 20:7, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Does this commandment only cover what comes out of our mouths? Seb looks at the NIV and ESV wording and the Hebrew word nasa, which is better translated “bear” or “carry”, and shows that misusing God’s name is also about how we live and represent him. From a story about a woman in Papua New Guinea named Chainsaw, to Moses, Abraham and Jacob, Seb explains why names carry so much meaning in the Bible. He then turns to the name Yahweh, “I am who I am”, the God who sent the plagues, split the Red Sea and fed his people in the wilderness. We see Aaron bearing the names of Israel on his priestly garment, and Israel’s failure to represent God faithfully, as in Ezekiel 36. Then comes the good news: God promises a new heart and a new spirit, fulfilled in Jesus, the one faithful Israelite who perfectly bore the Father’s name and gives us his righteousness. Seb also shares how prayer walks and listening to God have helped him abide in Christ (John 15:5), and he leaves us with a challenge from 1 Peter 2:9: what does it look like to carry the name of Jesus well this week?

If this message stirred something in you, don’t let it stop at listening. Whether you’d like to begin following Jesus, ask a question about faith, or take a next step, we’d love to hear from you. Just head to flbc.org.au/respond

In week two of our Ten Commandments series, Pastor Mark looks at the second commandment in Exodus 20:4-6. Most of us think we have this one covered, since we don’t keep carved statues at home. But what if idolatry is less about statues and more about trusting money, success, status, or even politicians to save us? Mark takes us to the golden calf in Exodus 32 and the idol-maker in Isaiah 44. He shares a surprising word picture from Ezekiel 6 and asks whether we’ve made God in our own image, with a God who votes how we vote and worships how we worship. We explore why God is rightly “jealous,” and what it means that the consequences of our worship reach the third and fourth generation while God’s faithful love reaches a thousand generations. Mark also tells a moving story of faith passed down through his own family history. Finally, we see that God has already made His image: we are created as image bearers, and Jesus is the image of the invisible God who restores what sin has broken. Whether you’re a long-time churchgoer or someone exploring faith, this message will challenge you to worship the Creator, not the created, and to see every person you meet as someone made in God’s image.

If this message has stirred something in you, don’t let it stop here. Take your next step and let us know how we can pray for you or walk with you by visiting flbc.org.au/respond today.

The Ten Commandments are some of the most famous words in the Bible, but are they also some of the most misunderstood? In this episode, Pastor Mark kicks off a new ten-week Old Testament sermon series on the Ten Commandments with a fresh look at Exodus 20 and the very first commandment: “Do not have any other gods besides me.” Mark explains that the Bible calls the Commandments the “Ten Words” (the Decalogue), and that they weren’t given as a checklist to earn God’s favour. They were given to a people God had already rescued from slavery in Egypt, as a freedom code for how to live. Walk with us through the thunder, lightning and smoke of Mount Sinai, the burning bush and the covenant name Yahweh, and a memorable Bible college debate about the Hebrew word Elohim and what it means that there are “little g” gods. You’ll also hear the dramatic story of the Ark of the Covenant and the fallen idol Dagon in 1 Samuel 5, and why God says “no other gods before my face.” Anything we put ahead of God will ultimately ruin our lives, yet this awesome, all-powerful God invites us into a personal relationship through Jesus. With the words of Thomas, “My Lord and my God,” this message is a challenge to put pride aside, bow the knee, and discover that surrender is where real life and victory begin. Whether you’re a longtime church member, searching for answers, or curious about faith, this episode is for you.

If you want to take a next step, whether that’s bowing the knee to the one true God for the first time, recommitting your life to him, or asking questions about faith, we’d love to hear from you. Just visit flbc.org.au/respond

What can a football club, the FIFA World Cup and a game of “FIFA footballer or IKEA furniture?” teach us about church? In this sermon recorded on Football Sunday (when we hold the awards ceremony for our Football Club), Pastor Mark unpacks 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul’s image of the body of Christ, showing four things that are true of a great team and of a healthy church. Whether you’re exploring faith for the first time, wondering where you fit, or looking for encouragement to serve, this message is a warm invitation to take your place on Jesus’ team. Life is a team sport, and you were never meant to play it alone.

Ready to take the next step? Whether you want to know more about Jesus, say yes to following him, or find your place in the team, we’d love to hear from you. Follow the link now: flbc.org.au/respond

In this Father’s Day message, Pastor Mark takes us to a single powerful verse in Jeremiah, where God calls rebellious Ephraim “my dear son, the child in whom I delight.” Set against the history of ancient Israel, the exile and the long line of prophets who warned the people to turn back, we hear the breaking heart of a Heavenly Father whose love doesn’t depend on performance. Pastor Mark unpacks three things we see in God’s fatherhood: he delights in his children, he disciplines them for their good (Hebrews 12), and he remembers them, drawing them close with a heart that yearns for them, even when they walk away. Along the way, there’s honest and often funny reflection on parenting, from the fear of kids being bored or unhappy to why it’s okay to set healthy boundaries, and a challenge to tell the children in your life that you delight in them and to use words to speak life. This message is for dads, parents, carers, grandparents and anyone who looks out for the next generation, and it holds space for those whose dads were absent, abusive or are no longer here, and for parents estranged from their kids. Whatever your story, discover the good, good Father who never abandons us when we fail, a love seen most fully at the cross of Jesus. Listen in, and share it with someone who needs to hear “you delight me.”

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In this message from Ephesians 6:5–9, Pastor Seb tackles the elephant in the room: why Paul doesn’t openly condemn slavery. He explains the context of Roman slavery in Ephesus and shows how Paul sets out to undermine it from within, by placing the gospel and mutual submission at the heart of the household. Then he brings the passage into everyday life, because most of us know what it is like to work under authority, or to exercise it. You’ll hear why there is no favoritism with God, why there is no divide between sacred and secular work, and how every job can be done for the glory of Christ, whether you’re a cleaner, a student, a nurse, an accountant, or a stay-at-home parent. Pastor Seb shares stories from his years as a special education teacher and a recent conversation at his son’s swimming lesson, and encourages listeners to be on the lookout for the many opportunities to share faith at work and beyond. He also reminds those in leadership that authority equals responsibility, and that Christ leads with love and sacrifice, not fear. This episode is for anyone who has felt less than because of their job, struggled with a difficult boss or team, or wondered how to live out faith in the workplace. It closes with one practical challenge for the week ahead: pray each day for the people you work with, your boss, and those you lead.

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