Brett explores how Christians can return to the joy, passion, and devotion they experienced when they first encountered Christ — the love that fuels our faith, restores our hope, and transforms our daily walk with God.

Richard van Lieshout explores the depth, nature, and transformative power of God’s love for us. Whether you are feeling distant from faith or seeking a deeper understanding of the Gospel, this message serves as a powerful reminder that God’s love is not just a sentiment, but a life-changing reality revealed through Jesus Christ.

Richard explores the biblical practice of lament, using the Psalms to demonstrate how believers can bring their deepest pain, confusion, and frustration to God.

The message centers on the reality that prayer does not always have to be polished or joyful; instead, Scripture invites an honest "wrestle" when our theology of a good God clashes with our painful circumstances.

Richard van Lieshout explores the essential elements of prayer as we seek God’s hand in our daily lives. Drawing from scripture, we dive into the three pillars of a balanced prayer life: asking for God’s Provision for our needs, seeking His Pardon for our shortcomings, and calling for His Protection against the challenges of the world.

Richard teaches from Matthew 6:9–13, focusing on what it means to pray to “Our Father.” This message explores the heart of the Lord’s Prayer and how Jesus teaches us to approach God in prayer.

Richard encourages us to start the year grounded in grace, embracing its power to rescue, train, and infuse hope, and to trust in its ongoing work in our lives. Grace is not a one-time event but a continuous reality that shapes identity, growth, and purpose.

In this sermon titled "Navigating the Storms of Life," Ndaba Mazabane delivers a powerful and encouraging message centered on Matthew 14:22–27. As 2025 draws to a close, he reflects on the inevitable challenges we face and provides a biblical framework for finding hope and stability in Jesus Christ.

Key Themes and Insights

Jesus in Command: Mazabane emphasizes that the focus of the story is not the storm, the boat, or even the disciples' fear, but the sovereignty of Jesus. He highlights how Jesus "compelled" the disciples to get into the boat, demonstrating that he is in full control of our circumstances even before the storm begins.

The Reality of Storms: The sermon acknowledges that storms—whether they be health crises, marital failures, or grief—are an inevitable part of the Christian walk. Mazabane notes that being in a storm does not mean you are outside of God’s will; in fact, the disciples were in the storm precisely because they were obeying Jesus.

A "Sanctified Imagination": To bridge the 2,000-year gap between the text and modern life, the speaker encourages the use of a "sanctified imagination" to truly appreciate the weight of the disciples' experience and the magnitude of Christ's power.

Clinging to Promises, Not Explanations: A central takeaway is that believers must live by God’s promises rather than seeking human explanations for their suffering. Jesus’ command to "go ahead to the other side" was a promise that they would arrive safely, regardless of the winds against them.

Practical Lessons for the New Year

Expect Storms: Do not resent trials as intruders, but welcome them as opportunities for growth and maturity .

Trust the Creator: The one who created the sea is the same one who commands the waves. If He says you will make it to the other side, you will.

Jesus Sees You: Even when the disciples felt alone in the middle of the lake, Jesus was watching and praying, eventually coming to them in their moment of greatest fear.

In this Christmas sermon Richard Van Lieshout provides a deep theological reflection on John 1:14, exploring the mystery of the Incarnation and the significance of God dwelling among humanity.

Summary of Key Points

The Word Pitched a Tent: Van Lieshout explains that the word "dwelt" in John 1:14 literally means "to pitch a tent" or "tabernacle" [07:45]. This highlights that in Jesus, God is not building a fortress to wall Himself off, but is deliberately making Himself accessible and relatable to humanity [11:00].

Connection to the Tabernacle: The sermon draws parallels to the Old Testament Tabernacle—a portable tent where God’s presence resided [13:58]. While the Old Testament access to God was complex and limited to rituals and a physical holy place, Jesus becomes the "True Tabernacle" where God's holiness is made visible and accessible to all [18:19].

Seeing the Glory of God: The speaker discusses how God’s glory (the "weightiness" of His presence) was revealed through Jesus’ miracles, such as turning water into wine [22:11]. However, he emphasizes that it takes "eyes of faith" to perceive this glory, as it is often hidden in acts of service and ultimately in the cross [23:53].

Grace and Truth: The fullness of God's character is summed up in "grace and truth" [26:10]. The truth reveals our inability to reach God on our own, while grace is God coming to us in human flesh to suffer the punishment for our rebellion, thereby opening the way for us [26:17].

The Ultimate Trajectory: The message concludes by looking forward to Revelation 21, where the "dwelling place of God" will finally be with man in a new heaven and earth [29:12]. This future hope provides light for the current darkness of the world [30:45].

Reflection

The sermon encourages listeners to look closely at Jesus this Christmas—not just as a historical figure, but as the living Word who brings the light of God's glory into our lives today [28:02].

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For the month of December, 2025 we have just one service at 10am. We start three services at 8am 10am & 5pm again on Jan 11, 2026.

In this sermon titled "The Word At The Beginning | The True Light," Joshua Soal explores the profound continuity of God’s grace from Genesis through the life of Jesus Christ. Using the prologue of John’s Gospel as a foundation, the message challenges believers to see the Bible not as two disconnected stories, but as one unified plan of salvation.

Key Themes and Insights

Grace Upon Grace: Soal explains that the phrase "grace upon grace" from John 1:16 does not mean Jesus replaces the Old Testament. Instead, it suggests that the grace revealed through Moses was a precursor to the "fullness" of grace found in Jesus. Like an ocean, new waves of grace follow those already bestowed.

The Law vs. The Light: The sermon addresses the common misconception that the Old Testament (the Law) is "angry" or "redundant." Soal uses the analogy of Peter Pan’s shadow—the Old Testament is the shadow that stretches back through history, but Jesus is the reality (the person) that gives that shadow its form.

Jesus as the Greater Moses: Drawing parallels between the two figures, Soal highlights how Moses was a mediator who brought God’s word, while Jesus is the Word of God. Just as Moses lifted a serpent in the wilderness to heal the people, Jesus was lifted on the cross to provide eternal life to all who believe.

The Christmas Story in Genesis: The message emphasizes that Christmas didn't start in a stable; it began "in the beginning" with the Word. All of history’s promises and prophecies find their culmination in the person of Jesus.

Practical Application

Don't "Con" the Text: Soal warns that "if you don't pay attention to the context, you will be conned by the text". He encourages the congregation to read the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus to see the full picture of God's character.

A Call to Respond: Using Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, Soal points out that God is fully outstretched toward humanity, but Adam must "twitch his finger" to respond. The sermon concludes with an invitation to move beyond "head knowledge" and enter into a lived reality with God, which Jesus defines in John 17:3 as eternal life.

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Join us on Christmas Day at 8am & 10am https://ruc.org.za/visit

For the month of December, 2025 we have just one service at 10am. We start three services at 8am 10am & 5pm again on Jan 11, 2026.