In the message, Jonathan Shanks unpacks the Parable of the Sower from Mark 4:1-20, highlighting the importance of HEARING in order to bear fruit.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e24.

House rules. What were your house rules in the home you grew up in? What are your house rules now?

In tonight's passage, Mark 3:20-35, Jonathan Shanks unpacks three levels of house rules:

The house of the KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD;

The house of the KINGDOM OF GOD;

The house of MY HERITAGE.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e23.

Mark 3:13-19 records the story of Jesus calling the Twelve. In this message, Jonathan Shanks explores the theme of discipleship and what it is to follow Jesus. As disciples of Jesus, we GO TO JESUS; KNOW JESUS; and SHOW JESUS.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e22.

When Jesus hung on the cross, He said "it is finished." The Gospel is final and complete and yet, for followers of Jesus, there is a sense in which the story is GLORIOUSLY INCOMPLETE. In this Easter Sunday 2024 message, Jonathan Shanks explores the glorious incompleteness about the resurrection of Jesus, encouraging us to step up and play our part in the story.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e21.

In this Easter 2024 message, Benjamin Shanks explores the brutal and gruesome nature of the cross. What is it that makes Good Friday good? In other words, what kind of day is Good Friday?

A day of DERISION;

A day of DARKNESS;

A day of DEATH;

Ultimately, the day of DECISION.

What makes Good Friday good for us is that it was bad for Jesus.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e20.

According to psychiatrist Murray Bowen, as anxiety increases in an emotional system, "triangulation" happens as three roles emerge: PERSECUTOR, VICTIM, and RESCUER. In the story of Jesus' trial before Pilate, recorded in Mark 15:1-20, we see triangulation at play, yet with a surprising twist.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e19.

Peter was a guy who learnt a lot through failure. In this message, Jonathan Shanks traces 3 of Peter's failures and the lessons he learnt from them.

1. CHOOSE HUMILITY OVER PRIDE;

2. ABANDON OUTCOMES TO GOD;

3. STAY ALERT AND OF SOBER MIND.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e18.

In tonight's passage, Jesus stands before the Jewish High Court — the Sanhedrin. Even though they find nothing against him, the text says in Mark 14:64, "they all condemned him as worthy of death."

Jesus IS worthy of because he is:

1. The sinless Lamb of God;

2. The Son of God;

3. The Son of Man.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e17.

The Garden of Gethsemane was experienced quite differently by Jesus and his disciples. The disciples, on the one hand, fell asleep three times — their spirit was willing, but their flesh was weak. They all fall away into faithlessness.

Jesus, on the other hand, experienced the agony of the Cup of God's wrath and separation from the Father, yet made it through Gethsemane in faithfulness.

For every follower of Jesus walking through their own Gethsemane experience of temptation, there are two options:

SUCCUMB TO THE FLESH (like the disciples);

SURRENDER TO THE FATHER (like Jesus).

This message will encourage you in the midst of a sleeping world to stay awake, alert and alive to the reality of God.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e16.

In this message, Jonathan Shanks, exploring the Last Supper recorded in Mark 14:12-26, highlights three core aspects of the story: BLOOD, BREAD, and BETRAYAL.

To view the full message, go to ⁠https://www.northernlife.org.au/resources/sermons/gospel-of-new-beginnings-e15.