First in our Series on 1st Epistle of Peter.  Peter addresses a scattered group of Christians, whom, he declares, has been chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God.  These are exiles, living on the edge of a non-Christian society. They have a living hope, a hope that lives when others fail.  Peter reminds the believers as to their true identity: Chosen yet exiles. This may parallel with what happened to Jesus. There are parallels for us ... Christians may suffer, but that is not a reason to give up hope. Christian hope is not just optimism, but a hoe that is sure, certain and secure in Jesus.

Speaker: Ron Irving

Re Vision Sunday

St Matts Vision: A Place of Grace and a People of Grace.

A Place of Grace: A place where people Love God and Love Others around us. 

A loving community that provides for people, welcomes different people, eats with people of different backgrounds.

A People of Grace:  people who are generous with time, money, attention and gratitude. 

How to become a people of Grace isn’t by just following rules.  To be a person of Grace is to realise our need for Grace, to know God’s Grace for us, that Jesus died for us!!  and to practise Grace. 

Older people, parents, children and young people may have different lessons to learn.  Christians may also need to re-orientate to be people of Grace. 

Know that by Grace, God’s help will change people and do things with people who live in Grace. 

Speakers: Ron Irving, John Batten & Chris Donald.

Final in our current series on the Holy Spirit.

On Harvest Day, a phenomenon occurred that amazed everybody. Teaching about the Holy Spirit confounds and perplexes many and there are different views on the work of the Holy Spirit in the church and in our lives today.  Jesus taught his disciples to pray and to Ask Seek & Knock and God will give his Holy Spirit to those that ASK. 

Speaker: Chris Donald. 

Continuing our series on the Holy Spirit: Spiritual Gifts.

Four questions about spiritual gifts: What are they? What are miraculous gifts? Who gets spiritual gifts and how? and Who are the gifts for? 

And four personal questions: 1. Do you know the gift of life the Jesus is offering you? 

2.  What gifts do you see in others? 

3. What gifts have you been given? 

4.  Are you using your gifts for building God's people?

Second in our series on the Holy Spirit, 

Speaker: John Batten

John encourages us to raise our expectation of the Holy Spirit.  Let the Holy Spirit change us, sanctify us, make us Holy.  God wants us to be Holy, to be in relationship with Him.  Sanctification is being made Holy, being made more like Jesus.  Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.  The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Self-control.  It’s God’s will that you be sanctified, for God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

The Holy Spirit is a person.

He was at work in creation and the writing of the scriptures.  He is at work in the lives of people, bringing them to God.

John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace", was brought through many dangers, trials and snares. Eventually he realised  " ‘twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will bring me home.” 

We are saved by grace.  God has been at work in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

It is by God’s Spirit that we know that sin is sin, and that we are sinners.  We are being transformed by God’s Spirit. 

John 14 is a passage of great comfort to his disciples.  Jesus speaks plainly to his disciples of his death and departure, but also of the Counsellor, the Comforter and helper who will be sent and be with his disciples forever.  The Holy Spirit guides us to heaven when this life is over. 

Speaker: David Tyndall.

This Christmas, again, the world is not at peace.  We often seek to "Make Peace" by various methods, but the things we do, don't resolve the chaos of the world. 

We cannot make peace, but God wants to make Peace with us. We can meet Peace in Jesus, and when Jesus returns, he will bring Peace as the curse is removed.

Speaker: Ron Irving.

Who is this John, this son of Zechariah? 

The third in our advent series of sermons, Whis is this John, the son of Zechariah going to be?  Speaker: Chris Donald.

In this sermon on Vision Sunday our senior minister considers our response when many things are needing to be done. Do we respond by taking on more, and then taking on still more?  He realises now that he is being taught, that Grace will lead us home.  Our language may reveal much, for example, our use of the word “should” implies duty, however it is Grace that will lead us home.  It is God’s grace that helps us in our time of need.

It is not about us "trying" to be a “good Christian”.  We actually can’t do it! Rather is it saying that Grace leads us home.   Jesus takes us to the throne of grace, and we find Grace to help in time of need.  Christians may often wallow in “’dis’-grace”  But followers of Jesus, people of Grace are never “dis-graced’.

The final in our current series on 2 Corinthians: Jesus is enough.

In this sermon, Jesus is our Generous Provider, Chris Donald tells us of his own struggles and experience in being generous, and in trusting God.  He also relates to us, his experience in rock climbing (don’t look down) with belaying equipment (kick out and trust the equipment).   He examines Paul’s words in 2nd Corinthians about “sowing generously or sparingly and reaping generous harvest or reaping sparingly. Chris warns us of two pitfalls in understanding this passage: 1. The “Prosperity gospel” or “get-rich-quick” pitfall, and 2. The “Religion Pitfall” of trying to get God’s attention and favour.  Instead, he reminds us that God has already taken action in our favour by giving us Jesus who died for us, and what we need is, as in rock climbing with belaying equipment, learn to let go and to trust Him.

Speaker: Chris Donald.