We all sound like the people we belong to. But the voices that spoke over us didn't just shape how we sound; they shaped who we are. Some of us walk in confidence because someone spoke a gift into us. Some of us still carry words that were said, or words that were never said.

In this episode, Mike opens James 3:1-12 to explore the power of the tongue and why no human being can tame it on their own. You'll be challenged to move from communicating to creating, from speaking to showing, and from struggling to surrendering.

Three simple takeaways to help you say the right thing:

Because if your tongue can create when it speaks to others, it can create when it speaks to you, too.

The question is simple: whose voice are you echoing?

Scripture: James 3:1-12 (CSB)

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Favouritism is the sin we've all committed, and rarely confessed. We call it being friendly. We call it being practical. We call it knowing the right people. But James gives it its real name.

In this message from James 2:1–4, Pastor Mike unpacks the selfishness hiding behind our smiles: the way we use people while telling ourselves we're loving them, the way our kindness to the poor can quietly become a performance, and the way the church can start ranking people the same way the world does.

You'll hear:

- Why not every stereotype is sin, and where the line gets crossed

- What favouritism actually is (a working definition that cuts both ways)

- Why the cure isn't reversal, it's equal opportunity

- A hard word for those tempted to play the victim

- How the cross levels the ground for every person who comes to it "The church of Jesus Christ must be the one place on earth where a person is not measured by their clothing, their colour, their accent, their gender, or their wealth, but welcomed as a person Christ died for."

Scripture: James 2:1–4 (CSB)

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#Favouritism #MikeandChristelle #James2 #TheChapelGunnedah #Sermon

Have you ever wondered if God is actually hearing your prayers?

You've been praying. Nothing's changed. And quietly, you've started asking, "God, do You even see me?" This message is for anyone stuck in the silence between the prayer and the provision. Because God isn't ignoring you, He's preparing you.

In this message, Pastor Mike walks through the three stages we often experience before we see God move: the prayer, the process, and the provision. Grounded in Exodus 3, the story of Hannah, and the moment God opened Hagar's eyes in the wilderness, this is a message for anyone in a waiting season.

You'll hear:

- Why God hears every prayer, even the ones you can't put into words

- The difference between an unanswered prayer and an unseen answer

- Why God often changes you before He changes your situation - How Hannah left the temple with peace before she left with a promise

- What to do when the answer feels delayed.

Scriptures referenced (CSB): Exodus 3:7-8, Psalm 56:8, Revelation 8:3-4, 1 Peter 3:12, 1 John 5:14-15, Jeremiah 29:11-13, 2 Chronicles 7:14, John 9:31, 1 Samuel 1:15-18, Genesis 21:15-19.

🌐 Website: becomedisciples.com.au 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeandchristelle/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandchristelle/

If this message encouraged you, share it with someone who needs it, and follow the podcast so you don't miss the next one.

What does Jesus really think about women?

In a world that has often ignored, dismissed, or undervalued women, Jesus did something radically different. Everywhere He went, He valued women, defended women, healed women, and honoured women.

In this Mother's Day message from The Chapel Gunnedah, we explore three powerful encounters Jesus had with women that reveal exactly how He views them, and how He views you.

POINT 1. Jesus Stopped For Women

POINT 2. Jesus Stood For Women

POINT 3. Jesus Sent Women

The Takeaway:

You are not invisible. You are not insignificant. You are not disqualified.

Scriptures covered in this episode:

This episode is for:

#WomenOfGod #MothersDay #HowJesusViewsWomen #SeenProtectedSent #BibleWomen #MikeandChristelle #ChristianSermon#JohnChapter4 #JohnChapter8 #JohnChapter20 #TheChapelGunnedah #AustralianChurch #FaithPodcast

Jesus asked over 300 questions. He was asked around 180. And He gave very few direct answers.

That wasn't an accident. He wasn't making small talk. He was changing people.

In this episode, we look at three ways Jesus used questions to bring Clarity, Correction, and Calling, and what happens when He turns the question toward you.

Before Jesus heals you, He reveals you. And today, He's still asking.

Scriptures: Matthew 16:15 | Mark 4:40 | John 5:6 | Mark 10:51 | John 21:15–17

Have you ever wanted to ask God a question… but were afraid to? Maybe you grew up being told that questioning God shows a lack of faith. Maybe you've been ridiculed for asking. Or maybe you're afraid of what He might answer.

In this message, we look at the tension between two passages, Habakkuk crying out "How long, Lord?" and Paul writing "Who are you to talk back to God?"

We'll explore:

Why people stop asking God questions.

-The difference between doubt and unbelief.

-Three kinds of wrong questions (accusation, unbelief, deflection)

-How Gideon, Mary, Nicodemus, Job, David, and even Jesus, brought their questions to God

-Why the right question can become a seed for power and revelation

"The answer you need may be on the other side of the question you're afraid to ask God."

If you've been carrying questions about your life, your pain, or your situation, this message is for you.

If this message spoke to you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it today.

#QuestioningGod #mikeandchristelle #FaithAndDoubt #ChristianSermon #BibleTeaching #FaithJourney

Have you ever felt a thought you couldn't shake? A conviction you kept pushing down? That might be God asking you a question.

In this message, we explore why God asks questions and what He's really after when He does.

From Adam hiding in the garden to Moses doubting at the burning bush, God's questions have always been invitations to honesty, to trust, and to the next step.

If you've been hiding, doubting, or avoiding something, this message is for you.

📖 Key Scriptures: Genesis 3:9 | Job 38:4 | 1 Kings 19:9 | Exodus 4:2 | Isaiah 6:8 | Ezekiel 37:3

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👇 Drop your response in the comments: What question has God been asking you?

What do you do when life feels unbearable? When you've tried everything and the situation still refuses to change?

In this message, we look at the story of Esther, a woman who faced a desperate, lose-lose situation and chose to fast before stepping out in faith.

Her words, "If I perish, I perish," weren't drama. They were holy resolve.

But fasting isn't only about the courage to start. It's also about the wisdom to know when to stop. Through the stories of Esther and David, we explore what fasting actually accomplishes in seasons of desperation, why fasting doesn't manipulate God, and how to discern when a broken fast is wisdom rather than weakness.

Whether you're carrying an unbearable burden, preparing for a season of prayer and fasting, or wondering when it's right to stop, this message is for you.

📖 Scriptures referenced: Esther 4:14, 16 (CSB) 2 Samuel 12:16–23 (CSB) In this message: Why desperate situations call for desperate measures The courage to begin a fast Your desire to quit vs. your burden to finish When to break a fast, and why David stopped Fasting changes you, not God

🙏 Prayer points: For those going through unbearable situations, for the grace to start a fast, the grace to stay in it, and the wisdom to stop when necessary.

If this message encouraged you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs it today. #Fasting #MikeandChristelle #Esther #PrayerAndFasting #Faith #ChristianTeaching #BibleStudy

Most marriages don't fail from a lack of love. They fail due to a lack of initiative.

In this episode, Mike and Christelle unpack what romance really is and why so many couples have quietly settled for the "bare minimum marriage" of marriage without ever realising it. If you've ever felt like you're the only one trying, or you're tired of waiting to be asked before anything happens, this conversation is for you.

We talk about why romance isn't about grand gestures, but about noticing first. We get into the three habits that quietly kill marriages, the "50/50" myth and why fairness is the wrong target, and what to do when one of you always initiates, and the other rarely does. And we share one small thing you can do this week to shift the dynamic, without keeping score.

In this episode:

"Romance begins the moment you stop waiting to be asked."

Chapters:

If this episode resonated with you, the kindest thing you can do is share it with one couple who needs to hear it.

🎧 Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation

Who is shaping your life?

The people around you are not neutral; they are forming your thinking, your decisions, and ultimately your future. In this message, Pastor Mike Matumaini explores Cross Connections, a simple, biblical framework for understanding the relationships every believer needs to grow in their faith.

You were never meant to follow Jesus alone. God uses people to shape people.

Discover the four key relationships that define a healthy spiritual life:

Ahead of You: A Disciple Maker (guidance you trust)

Behind You: A Disciple (a life you invest in)

To your left: Family (community you are rooted in)

To your right: Invitation (people you are called to reach)

If you want to grow spiritually, you must be intentional in your relationships.

Proverbs 13:20 “Walk with the wise and become wise.”

Next Steps: Who is speaking into your life? Who are you investing in? Who are you inviting to Jesus?

If you want help building these connections, reach out to us or visit one of our services.

Subscribe to our Podcast, Our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MikeandChristelle and Connect With Us on Socials: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandchristelle/ https://www.instagram.com/mikeandchristelle/