Sermon Podcasts at St Thomas' Moonee Ponds

We read about the woman today and we read how she is bent over and bound by Satan. My mind opened an image of how the world is bent over and bound by Satan. We walk down the street and see so many people bent over and bound to a screen, to their finances or to their addicitions in ways that numb us to the gospel. 

Jesus actively works to liberate a woman who has been marginalised. Our mission action plan is our parish way of responding to the the call to liberate people, joining him in helping those that are bent over to stand tall and to removing the shackles that bind us to things that numb our heart, minds and souls to the glorious reality of God’s work and presence in the world around us. 

Our mission can't just be about saving souls with kind word.  It must be about feeding the hungry, advocating for justice, welcoming the outcast. We proclaim freedom in word *and* deed. 

Jesus doesn't call her "that crippled woman." He calls her a "daughter of Abraham." This is a title of honour, covenant, and belonging. He affirms her inherent worth and her place in God's family. Reaching the marginalized isn't about pity from a position of power. It’s about recognizing family. It’s declaring that every person, regardless of their brokenness, is made in God's image and is deeply valued by Him. Jesus died on the cross for all human kind. That’s how Jesus sees creation. What if we had a mindset like Jesus. What if we don't reach out to "the less fortunate.", but instead reach out to our brothers and sisters we haven't met yet and are in need. How does that change the way we think about mission. Does it move your thoughts from seeing people as a project to seeing them as family? And if you see them as family, how does that change the things we do and the way we act as a community that makes room for all.

 Jesus missional success in today’s reading shows how people rejoice when they see God’s redemptive and liberating power, how healing and restoration of people who are seen with dignity and worth leads to immediate praise.  Jesus is still in the synagogue - in our place of worship. He's still looking for the bent-over. He's still asking us, his church, to join his mission of liberation. Pray for God to give you His eyes for the overlooked so you see someone who needs help. Confront and bring to light any hypocrisy that you might have in viewing people as projects that require you to adhere to a rule, or looking down on them in any way. Affirm the identity of others in your minds as the beloved children of God. 

As we continue looking at preparing for the Parish Mission Conference, we will also need to consider the cost of growth and change on the people around us.

Jesus says when the Holy Spirit comes there will be division as the gospel does come to shake things up. As we face the future we need to look at the gospel and consider how we implement it in our parish, not as a means of pleasing people, but as a means of addressing God's missional success in the world.

As we prepare for our Parish Mission Conference, we reflected on the idea of what God wants us to do and the priorities that are spoken about in the bible.

We reflected on how we should think about the priorities before us as we move forward.

Today we continue growing the body of Christ. We remember our journey into these waters not just for a ritual, but it is for a radical reorientation. Baptism declares: 'My life is no longer defined by what I OWN, but by WHOSE I AM.' Jesus’ words in Luke 12 expose the emptiness of chasing wealth—and reveal the eternal riches we receive in Christ.

The rich fool’s story ends in death because he was blinded by greed... but baptism points to RESURRECTION! Like a seed falling to earth (John 12:24), we died to greed our greed and rose to rise bearing eternal fruit. 

 As we rise from these waters of Baptism, we declare our desire to be RICH TOWARD GOD—and that our riches are shared with the world He loves.

Today we had our Christmas in July event. Whilst this is not a usual Anglican event, it is always timely for us to think about the promise of Jesus' second coming in light of the promise fulfilled of the Messiah coming to the earth to be amongst us.

Let us be ready to use our daily bread to do the work of Christ on earth as well as take the time to know Jesus in a deeper way. Let us release things that don't serve our relationship with God and allow our hearts to beat in the rhythm of Jesus eternal beating heart.

Father, thank You for supplying all we need to glorify You. Fill us anew with Your Spirit. Make us bold askers, faithful servers, and joyful givers—until Your Kingdom comes in full. Amen. 

Today we reflected on what it means to abide. This is a testimony of what has been happening in our parish over the last few weeks which culminated in a huge service last week.

Have a listen in to what is happening at the Parish of St Thomas' Moonee Ponds.

Amos speaks about God using a plumbline to see the nation of Israel is fairing in terms of righteousness and holiness. According to God they are falling short. 

We prefer spirituality that ‘slants’ in our favour—affirming our politics, lifestyles, and biases. But God’s standard is fixed: justice, holiness, compassion (Micah 6:8). His plumb line doesn’t bend to culture.

Amaziah responds by rejecting truth that disrupts comfort (vv. 10–13). We see this when he calls Amos a "conspirator" (v. 10)—framing truth as a threat, through his dismissal of Amos and the message"Go back to Judah!" (v. 12)—exiling uncomfortable voices, and deflection "This is the king’s sanctuary!" (v. 13)—hiding behind tradition/power. 

We build ‘sanctuaries’ of selective hearing—churches that with selective hearing. We hear the ideas around blessings, but sometimes miss the point when speak about our role in the world as well as the costs that we will need to bear. We live in circles were where truth is filtered.

In baptism, we renounce Amaziah’s way. We reject compartmentalized faith that says, ‘Don’t bring God into my relationships, finances, or justice.’ We embrace full surrender. Like a builder throwing away a bent ruler, baptism is our declaration: ‘I will measure my life by Christ alone.’ 

Baptism isn’t just a ceremony—it’s enlisting in Amos’s tribe! You’re saying: ‘I’ll stand on God’s Word, even when culture calls me a conspirator. I’ll seek His kingdom, not my sanctuary.’

 Today we celebrate that in Christ, we pass the plumb line test! His righteousness is ours. So, candidates - step into the water with joy. Church - live your baptism with holy courage. The world has enough "pick and choose belief" in the world. In our belief and following of the Lord. let's be resolyte in sharing the truth of the resurrection and gospel!

Today we celebrated our patronal feast, the Feast Day of St Thomas. Rachel, who is a member of our congregation, original worshipped in a church that was founded by St Thomas - about 2000 years ago.

Imagine being a church that has been dedicated to Christ for 2000 years. Rachel reflected on some of the experiences of being in this church and shared some local knowledge and practices.

Our exhortation today comes from the life of St Thomas. St Thomas crossed large regions and countries, ministering to people of varied cultures and customs. Thomas was comfortable in being uncomfortable when sharing Christ with the world.

This week we are being asked to simply cross the road and meet up with a neighbour. We are being asked to step out of our comfortable Christian circle of friends and say hi to a new person.

Ministry is not glamorous. It’s not about platforms, comfort, or applause—it’s a call to walk a road of sacrifice. The gospel today strips away illusions of glamour, revealing that true ministry demands total surrender, resilience in rejection, and undivided loyalty to Christ. When Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem, he is on a mission to the cros and suffering, not to be a celebrity. Through His example we see that rejection of those that go in Jesus' name cannot demand honour and are called to endure hostility. Ministry advances through humility and not power displays.

Those who seek to minister go through trials. Ministry trades comfort for dependence on God. The kingdom's urgency trumps even sacred social duties. Minister demands total foucs, not nostalgia and divided loyalties.

In essence, Luke 9:51-62 strips away any illusion of ministry as a path to popularity, comfort, security, or social approval. Instead, it paints a picture of a demanding, often thankless, and sacrificial journey characterised by rejection, hardship, prioritising the Kingdom above all else, and unwavering focus. True ministry, as modelled by Jesus and demanded of His followers, is profoundly unglamorous in worldly terms. Its "glory" is found in obedience, faithfulness, and participation in God's redemptive work, not in external trappings of success or ease.

We have been spending time reflecting on the values that underpin our church. As we change seasons, we are moving into a season of growing which means that we now need to look at how to manifest our values and put them in action.

Today's reading from the gospel speaks about us reaching into the fringes of our society. This is the place where demons, anxiety and worry occupy the hearts minds and souls of many people. We looked at what we need to do to be able reach into those spaces as people of God.

We also looked at when we do this how people might think about another metric - the cost of discipleship. We looked at the mindset of cost, and how we need to respect what people are feeling when we evangelise to them. Evenglism is not about deny people their feelings, but reconciling them with another metric - blessings. There are costs to the things we do, but we also need to be open about the blessings that we get!

As people of God, we are called to share the kingdom. Let's share what a blessing it is to be a Christian with the power of heaven behind us!