Happy Father’s Day to all fathers in the congregation and community! May God bless your day with family, smiles and the richness of His presence. May He guide and protect you as you shepherd your family and enjoy your children.
 This week’s sermon considers our stewardship of our time. God gives us each day of our lives, and He calls us to follow Him. What does it mean to make sure we use our time well, and celebrate God’s gift of each day? How might it look in your life to live out the knowledge that ‘by God’s grace’ you wake each morning to a day full of possibilities to walk beside Jesus and be His hands and feet in the world?

Presented by Pr. Fin Klein

Support the show

One of the things we learn very quickly in life is that food is powerful. Over the centuries, food has been a political tool used as an effective means of power and control. Revolutions have been drafted and policies written on napkins at the table. Negotiations have been conducted, deals brokered, and lives affected by what has been agreed to at the table.  The table is not only the place where relationships are built, but where power games are played, influence is exercised and socioeconomic hierarchy is kept in balance. Jesus is confronted by some of these power games at the table today and flips them on their head as he teaches us what it means to sit in a place of humility. When it comes to living our lives on mission, it’s also a lesson that will serve the Gospel well.

Presented b7 Pr. Mark Schultz, Mission Assistant to LCA Bishop.

Support the show

It is a pleasure to return to St Pauls this week to lead you in worship and explore something that is foundation to the Christian faith and life: Generous Living.
 Generosity can have a huge impact on people.  
 As I watched Spotlight last Sunday with the story of Danny Abdallah not just meeting Samuel Davidson, the man who killed his children in gaol, but also sharing forgiveness and prayers together. You could see how Danny’s intentional forgiveness had an impact on not just Samuel but also the reporter Michael Usher.  
 And the truth is generosity is foundational to our Christian life. It begins with God’s generosity to you, me and everyone we know.   
 And as part of our service on Sunday we will also explore why being generous towards others is so helpful in our lives.  
 
Bishop Richard Schwedes

Support the show

This week we are blessed by the service of Pastor Peter Bean. Pastor Bean is preaching on compassion, drawing from Luke 10. He reminds us that the life of a Christian is one that reflects Jesus- we are to live as a ‘walking, talking, breathing, acting image of God.’ The word ‘acting’ in this case does not mean ‘pretending’, or ‘making believe’, but fully engaging in the struggles of this world and each other to bring God’s love and peace into our communities.
 May we be present this week for someone who needs care and step willingly into service beside them, in the name of our loving and compassionate Lord, Jesus. 

Support the show

This week’s Gospel reading Luke 12:32-40  reminds us that we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for Jesus is our true treasure. Jesus’ words to us are compelling- we do not know when He will return, and when He does we must not be found distracted, or wandering away from His love.
As humans we are often tempted to worry more about the things we have, or wish to accumulate, than about the goodness of eternal life that awaits us in Jesus. Let’s take time this week to re-focus and simplify our thoughts, knowing that if we have Jesus at the center of our lives we will always be upheld and strengthened in living. Amen.

The sermon was presented by Pr. Christian Hohl of The German Lutheran Church Sydney.

Support the show

Our sermon this week reflects the message of our Ecclesiastes reading- Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23  that true wealth cannot be found in the work and struggles of this life, but only in the joy of knowing Jesus.
 Many recent world events show us clearly that humanity is ‘out of alignment’ with God’s visions of peace, hope and love. We continue to strive but find no lasting peace in our possessions; in fact, even our ‘toil’ is buying us less than it once did. What a clear indication that we are ‘off track’!
 May we, this week, focus our ‘striving’ on spending time in God’s Word- quietening our hearts and finding true rest with Jesus. Amen.

The message was presented by Pr. Ray Pace

Support the show

When reading through this week’s Scriptures I noted the explanation below our Luke passage in my bible. The author writes beautifully about Jesus teaching us to pray. “The pattern for prayer that Jesus gives his disciples is short on our wants and big on God’s wants. Half of what Jesus tells us to do in prayer is worship God, keep him holy, and ask that his kingdom and his will take shape, not ours. God the Father looms large. For us, it is enough that we get what we need for spiritual and physical sustenance, and that we ground our days in asking for and receiving forgiveness, as well as calling for freedom from evil and all that pulls us towards wrong. It is a very bare-bones sort of prayer compared to many of the ways we pray today.” (Murray Andrew Pura, in ‘The Life With God Bible’ NRSV-Haper Collins 2005) Let’s keep our prayers simple this week- more about God and less about ourselves. God is indeed the Holy One. Amen

his message was written and presented by Pr. Havard Osland of the Norwegian Lutheran Church Aust. 

Support the show

This week we hear the story of Mary and Martha, and their different approaches to having Jesus visit. This is a familiar story to many of us, and at times I’m sure we have seen ourselves as either the frustrated Martha or the quiet, listening Mary. Linking this story with the second reading from Colossians, Colossians 1:15- 28   Pastor Mike Semmler gives us a message of hope: reminding us that whether we think we are doing the ‘right’ thing, or whether we are aware we are not a peace with others and ourselves- God is with us. From the moment of the world’s creation God is and has been at the centre of that creation. As a part of God’s creation we have the fullness of God living in us. Go this week into God’s world, knowing that God is within you. Allow God to bring joy and thankfulness to and through you. Amen.

The message was presented by Rev. Dr. Mike Semmler past bishop of LCA.

Support the show

“Go and do likewise.” These are the final words of our Gospel reading this week (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus is speaking about the Samaritan’s actions in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He could also say this of his own actions. This week God reminds us that we have received mercy from God through Jesus so that we can pass this mercy and love on to others. Sometimes that’s easy, isn’t it? When your child does well at school and comes home with an award it’s easy to shower them with love. But life’s not always joyful, and we’re not always surrounded by those we already care about. This is where Jesus’ words become the truest expression of ‘Go and do likewise.’ Jesus asks us to be HIS love, and HIS mercy all through our lives- with those we meet as strangers and with those we spend most of our time around. Just as Jesus gave everything he had to shower us with God’s mercy and love, so should we truly reflect God’s gifts to those we meet. This week, take time to ask yourself- “How can I do likewise?”

The sermon was prepared by LCA and read by John Mickin.

Support the show

This week our second reading is Galatians 6:1-16. Paul’s words to the church invite attention- ‘So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.’ (v9) There is a lot around us currently that might make us ‘grow weary’; laying heavy burdens on our hearts, family lives, community and culture- even before we start thinking about ‘doing what is right’. We may be tempted to give up. However, we also know of Jesus’ great invitation to ‘come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28) This week, let’s step into the peace, rest and deep delight for our soul that Jesus offers. May the words of Isaiah (40:31) be your companion- ‘…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ Amen
 
The sermon was written for LCA and read by Bridgitte Willshire.

Support the show