Podcast Summary — ANZAC Memorial & Sermon by Ps Ken Harrison (Sunday, 26 April)

Ps Ken Harrison opened the service with a deeply personal and reverent ANZAC commemoration, honouring the sacrifice of New Zealanders who served in World War I, World War II, and later conflicts. Drawing from his own family history — a grandfather wounded at Passchendaele and a father who fought in Egypt and Italy — Ps Ken reflected on the cost of freedom and the responsibility each generation carries to protect peace. He shared vivid stories from the battlefields he has visited, including the trenches of Epes and the Seneo stopbank in Italy, grounding the remembrance in real human courage and loss. As he read Laurence Binyon’s famous lines, “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them,” the congregation stood to honour those who served and those who still carry the scars of war.

Transitioning into his sermon “Seize Life, Seize the Day,” Ps Ken connected the ANZAC legacy of courage to the Christian call to live purposefully. Using his father’s wartime diary — including the entry written the day his father was wounded — he illustrated how moments of crisis can shape a lifetime of conviction. His father’s motto, “You only pass this way once — live it,” became the foundation for a message urging believers to embrace each day with faith, passion, and intentionality.

Drawing from Ephesians 5 and Ecclesiastes 9:10, Ps Ken taught that seizing the day means recognising God’s love, goodness, and guidance in every season. He reminded listeners that faith is not passive; it “holds up” the promises of God and propels us into the future with courage. Using the acronym LIVE — Love God, Invest in His kingdom, Value your time, and be Eager to please Him — he called the church to live fully for Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit and committed to the work of the Kingdom.

The message closed with a challenge: as long as it is day, we must do the works of the One who sent us. Just as past generations fought for our freedom, we are called to honour their legacy — and Christ’s sacrifice — by living boldly, faithfully, and purposefully today.

Ps Shane Willard unpacks the stories of John the Baptist, Moses, Jeremiah, Mary, and Jesus to show that faith isn’t about controlling outcomes but learning to surrender in the middle of struggle. Through their journeys, he highlights that even when we do everything right, life can still feel uncertain — yet God meets us in that place. True freedom comes not from fixing every circumstance, but from releasing control and trusting God’s work in us and in others. The message calls listeners to embrace surrender as the pathway to peace, strength, and deeper faith.

In this powerful message, Ps John Peters calls the church into a fresh awareness of destiny, reminding us that gathering isn’t routine — it’s stepping into a divine encounter. He teaches that while life brings “potholes” and challenges, Christ in us is the shock absorber who strengthens, steadies, and transforms us from the inside out. Drawing from Numbers 13, he urges believers to dream, taste, and be transformed, capturing God’s vision for their lives and refusing to let trouble cloud their calling. This sermon stirs faith to rise again, fight the good fight, and walk boldly into the freedom and purpose God has prepared.

Ps Don McDonell reminds us that even in seasons of uncertainty, restriction, and hardship, we can choose to trust God rather than lean on our own understanding. He teaches that praise is a spiritual weapon that lifts heaviness, breaks chains, and shifts the atmosphere of our lives. Through the examples of Peter, Paul and Silas, and Joseph, we see that prayer, faithfulness, love, and using our God-given gifts bring victory even in difficult places. The message challenges us to put on the garment of praise and become carriers of hope, peace, and encouragement to those around us.

Ps Jesse Kelly teaches that salvation is not the finish line but the starting line of a Spirit‑empowered life.

Drawing from Ephesians 2, he reminds the church that we are saved by grace, shaped by God as His workmanship, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

He emphasizes that God’s love reaches every height and depth of our lives, forming us together into people filled with His fullness.

The message concludes with a call to live sent with purpose, stepping into the good works God has already prepared for each believer.

Summary of the Short Forms of Prayer

He highlights declarative prayers, where believers speak God’s truth over their lives with authority.

He also emphasizes surrender prayers, simple moments of yielding—“Lord, I give this to You”—that realign the heart with God’s will.

Finally, he points to calling prayers, quick cries for help or guidance that invite the Holy Spirit to intervene in real time.

Ps Dave Fuller preached that Jesus’ death and resurrection fully paid for sin, sickness, and every curse, declaring “tetelestai — it is finished, paid in full” . He taught that believers live under a new covenant of grace, made secure by Christ’s blood and His role as our High Priest, and invited people to receive healing and salvation through faith. The service concluded with communion, celebrating Jesus’ finished work and the righteousness, freedom, and new life available to every believer .

In this conversation, Ps Bruce Crozier and Ps Tricia Webb unpack what it means to live with a Kingdom perspective in everyday life. They explore how believers can shift their thinking from the natural to the spiritual, respond to challenges with faith rather than fear, and recognise God’s purpose at work in every season. Through practical insights and real-life reflections, they encourage listeners to align their mindset with Scripture, stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and carry the hope of Christ into their families, workplaces, and communities.

Ps. Don McDonell preaches on living with expectation, urging believers to stay spiritually awake, hungry, and positioned for what God wants to do. He emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit, the importance of continual movement and growth, and the need for New Zealand to experience revival. Through personal stories and Scripture (Philippians 3:12), he calls the church to live passionately, believe for miracles, and embrace the “journey of expectation” as God leads them into greater purpose.

Ps Shane Willard unpacks Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, revealing God’s shift from fence‑based religion to a well‑based, thirst‑driven faith that welcomes all who seek Jesus.