Sermon Podcasts at St Thomas' Moonee Ponds

What does courage really look like?

We often imagine heroic one‑time acts. But for refugees, courage is quieter – and harder. It’s leaving everything behind. Learning a new language while grieving a lost home. Standing before officials who hold your future in their hands. And somehow, still moving forward.

In this special Refugee Week episode, we open Matthew 9:35–10:23 – a passage where Jesus sees the harassed and helpless, sends his followers out with almost nothing, and commands them to flee when rejected.

We explore:

• the bravery of refugees and hows that speaks to witnesses seeking those that need help or are harassed. 
• what it means for those forced to flee today and what it means for witnesses to go into areas where people flee from.
• How sharing the gospel begins not with words, but with compassion that acts.

Whether you’ve walked a refugee journey yourself or want to stand alongside those who have, this episode will change how you see courage – and the road.

No one travels alone.

🎧 Listen now. Share with a friend. And this Refugee Week, discover the courage that’s already walking beside you.

What does the healing of a bleeding woman and a dead girl have to do with caring for our planet? More than you might think.

In this episode, we dive into Matthew 9:9–13 and 9:18–26 – a passage where Jesus declares, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” On the surface, these verses are about outcasts being restored to community. But when we listen with World Environment Day in mind, a surprising connection emerges.

We explore a simple but profound idea: the natural world is given to us for the fulfillment of our sustenance and need, not as a commodity to be used up. It keeps us connected to God.

From that starting point, we ask:

• How does treating creation as a “sacrifice” damage our own souls?
• What would it mean to offer the earth mercy instead of exploitation?
• Why your home environment – your room, your yard, your local stream – is actually liturgical space that shapes your relationship with God.

Using the vivid images of the bleeding woman touching Jesus’ cloak and the dead girl being raised, we reframe environmental care as an act of restoration, not guilt. 

Whether you’re passionate about creation care or feel overwhelmed by the scale of environmental problems, this episode offers a gentle, spiritually grounded way forward. No politics. No shame. Just a call to touch the “fringe” of God’s presence – starting right where you live.

“She touched the fringe of his cloak – and was healed. Perhaps the earth is that fringe.”

What does it mean to go “All In” – with God, and with the First Peoples of this land?

This Trinity Sunday, we sit at a holy intersection. The church celebrates the God who is community – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and Reconciliation Week calls us to total commitment, not half-hearted gestures.

In this episode, we walk through three powerful scriptures:

• Exodus 34 – The God who cuts new tablets and stays faithful, even after we break covenant.
• Matthew 28 – The risen Jesus with all authority, sending us to all nations with his enduring presence.
• 2 Corinthians 13 – The Spirit’s koinonia (fellowship) that draws us into a dance of mutual giving.

Together, these readings reveal a Triune God who is utterly “All In” – and an invitation for the church to follow suit. No holding back. No Sunday-only faith. Just a deep, covenant-shaped walk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, grounded in truth, presence, and hope.

Whether you’re preaching, praying, or simply listening for a fresh word, this episode offers biblical depth, practical reflection, and a closing prayer to send you out.

🎧 Press play – and come all in.

Today's reading was done in a number of languages including English,Croatian, Bazaar, Spanish, Cantonese, Italian and Mandarin.

Listen in to hear the reading in the languages of the world.

What if the Holy Spirit isn’t primarily interested in making you a better volunteer? What if the real Pentecost moment is when your natural ability gets overtaken by supernatural testimony?

This week on the podcast, we explore a powerful convergence: Pentecost Sunday and Volunteer Sunday. Drawing from Numbers 11:24–30, Acts 2:1–12, and John 20:19–23, we unpack a critical transition:

• Natural capacity = good people doing good things with their own gifts, energy, and training.
• Supernatural testimony = disciples releasing the kingdom of God through the Spirit’s unexpected, uncontainable presence.

You’ll hear how Moses wished for all God’s people to prophesy (even the ones who stayed in the camp), how the first Pentecost turned a language barrier into a witness of “God’s deeds of power,” and how the risen Jesus breathed the Spirit into fearful disciples – not to make them nicer, but to send them as the Father sent Him.

Whether you serve on a roster, lead a ministry, or are just trying to figure out where you belong, this episode will challenge you to stop asking “Can I do this task?” and start asking “Is God’s reign becoming visible through me?”

Listen in as we move from natural capacity to supernatural testimony – because the Spirit doesn’t fill resumes. The Spirit fills witnesses.

You don’t need a pulpit to release the kingdom – just a kettle, a kind ear, and a willingness to go to the hard places. We unpack two powerful scriptures from our lectionary today:

• John 17 – Jesus prays for you before you’re sent into drought, isolation, or a neighbour’s crisis.
• 1 Peter 5 – The practical how‑to: lead like a shepherd, cast your anxiety, and find joy again.

We particularly kept the CWA members in our thoughts but this is for all people connecting with others in the hard places, and anyone who’s ever felt tired from caring. Pour a tea, press play and put your feet up for a little while. ☕

Bishop Alison spoke at out 10am service today about our desire  and longing to be with God. She spoke about being in a culture that offers us a lot of stimulation, yet fails to satisfactorily fulfil the deeper desire for meaning. Jesus offers that meaning in times that are going well as well as our challenging times.

What does it really mean that God lives in you? And how do you actually stay there? In John 14:15–21, Jesus makes a staggering promise: the Holy Spirit will not just be with you—He will be in you. The Father and the Son will come and make their home inside your life. But this isn’t passive. Jesus ties this indwelling to a clear call: “If you love me, keep my commands.”

In this episode, we explore the beautiful, demanding rhythm of the Christian life: God in us (by the Spirit) and us in God (through the disciplined practices of Scripture and prayer). The cross made the first possible—Jesus died utterly alone so we would never be alone. But experiencing His constant presence requires our intentional response.

We’ll cover:

• Why “God in us” is the central promise of the New Covenant—and what it actually feels like.
• Why discipline (not legalism) is the pathway to remaining in God: regular time in Scripture, prayer, and obedient trust.
• Practical steps to cultivate the “mutual abiding” – God living in you as you live in Him.

Key insight: The same Jesus who cried out alone on the cross now offers to live inside you. But the door of that indwelling swings open on the hinges of love, obedience, and the daily, disciplined choice to be in His Word and in His presence.

If you’ve ever felt spiritually distant or wondered why the presence of God feels inconsistent, this episode will help you see the connection between God’s promise to dwell in you and your discipline to dwell in Him. Let's get disciplined about being with God to have a consistent relationship.

What happens when the Vicar has lived the text before he ever preached it?

Today we looked at Domestic Violence and looked to raise awareness about this in our community.

Karen, our parishioner and boardmember of GenWest, shared her information about what is happening on the front line of those that support domestic violences. She also shares some important statistics which make the information very real.

As well as this, our Vicar does something rare and holy: he steps into the pulpit not as a distant Bible teacher, but as a survivor of domestice violence. Growing up in a home marked by domestic violence, he knows the sound of a slammed door, the terror of unpredictable rage, and the silence that shame demands.

He uses the gospel of the day to speak into this situation. John 14:1-14 are words read at funerals or whisper to anxious hearts: “Do not let your hearts be troubled… In my Father’s house there are many rooms.”

But what if “home” is the very place that troubles you?
What if the only room you know is a prison of control, fear, or fists?

Our Vicar walks through John 14:1–14  — not to offer cheap comfort, but to tell the truth:

• The many rooms of God’s house are a promise of safety — not a cage of false unity.
• Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life — exposing every counterfeit “way” of coercion and gaslighting.
• The “greater works” Jesus promises are not magic tricks; they are a church that stops pretending and starts protecting.

With vulnerability and pastoral wisdom, he shares his own story of childhood survival — not for sympathy, but for freedom. He names the lies that kept him silent. He offers a vision of faith where leaving an abusive home can be an act of discipleship, not betrayal.

And he asks the hard question: What will our church do to become a safe house for the next survivor?

If you know of anyone who is in a domestic violence situation, it might be helpful to listen to this with them in a non-confrontational way. You might start the conversation with "Hey I heard this talk at church. Want to listen to it with me and tell me what you think??"