St Paul's Box Hill Podcast

Psalm 23 reminds us that God is our shepherd who walks with us through every season of life. God restores us when we are weary, stays beside us in dark valleys, welcomes us to the table of grace, and pursues us with goodness and mercy. We never walk alone. [Pentecost 20]

I remember growing up in the Barossa Valley in South Australia when people who had planted vines in the hope of them producing wine and an income were pulling out those vines because there was no market for them. People had planted in hope but those hopes came to nothing. God describes his people and his gifts for his people to be like a vineyard. He plants them and his gifts for them in hope. Do they produce good fruit? The Old Testament people of Israel and Judah rejected God. The New Testament Pharisees and leaders rejected Jesus. How do we receive him? God has his very best gifts to give us. Will we receive them and grow or do we also reject them? [Pentecost 19]

Philippians 2 calls us to live with the mind of Christ: not through self-denial or unhealthy submission, but by looking beyond ourselves to the needs of others. Jesus reveals a God who gives himself in love, moves towards the vulnerable, and invites us into a life where God is already at work.[Pentecost 18]

In both our Old Testament and Gospel readings today, we hear of Gods amazing generous gift of grace toward sinful people. In the story of Jonah, it is the people of Nineveh, a great city, who are given the grace of Gods Word to call them to repentance. And repent they do! And this makes Jonah both angry and jealous. In a different way, Jesus tells a parable of workers who are called throughout a day to work in a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard is so gracious and generous that he pays those who work just one hour the same that he pays those who worked all day. And those who worked all day are angry and jealous. Like the thief on the cross to whom Jesus says today you will be with me in paradise, God is generous with his gift of saving grace. How do we respond? Are we too, sometimes jealous even though we have received such grace? [Pentecost 17]

In Matthews gospel Jesus calls us to a forgiveness that refuses to keep score, while recognising that forgiveness does not mean ignoring harm or abandoning accountability. As a Christian community, we are called to tell the truth, protect those who are hurt, seek repentance and justice, and extend the abundant mercy we have first received from God. [Pentecost 16]

In the gift of the Lords Supper Jesus calls us to remember. What does he mean by this? Today we unpack the amazing timeless and eternal life gift in the Lords Supper where Jesus gives his body and blood for us.

In today's Gospel reading, Peter rightly confesses Jesus as Messiah yet misunderstands what that means. Jesus calls us beyond a manageable, comfortable faith to follow him through costly love, vulnerability, service and surrender. Taking up our cross means moving towards those who hurt and are excluded, trusting Gods grace and resurrection. [Pentecost 14]

Today we hear Jesus ask who do you say that I am? Just as Jesus asked his disciples who were with him on earth a long time ago, so he asks us who are his disciples on earth today. How do you answer? Today well explore that people have responded to Jesus question in many different ways. Well explore and learn about the shared answer that Christians around the world make when we confess the Nicene Creed. [Pentecost 13]

Jesus moves into Gentile territory where he meets a foreigner, a woman from Canaan, with amazing faith. She asks Jesus for help for her daughter tormented by demons. Jesus tells her he is only sent to the lost sheep of Israel and the disciples plead for Jesus to send her away. But she persists and says even the crumbs from Jesus table which fall for the dogs are enough. Jesus says woman you have great faith and he grants her daughter freedom from the demons. Jesus crumbs are enough but he has so much more in mind to give. He has his feast of victory to give to this woman and her daughter and to you and me who hold on to him in faith. Today we explore the wonders of Gods so much more plan for us. [Pentecost 12]

What happens when we stop listening to God? The apostle Paul addresses this question head on in Romans especially in relation to the Jewish people who first received the promises of God in the Old Testament. They received the promises but stopped listening and rejecting his Son. Paul wants them to know the truth. Jesus is Lord and the good news of his death and resurrection is for everyone, both Jews and Gentiles. God is never silent and never gives up in his speaking the good news to his people. The call for all people is to listen anew to God and to share the good news with everyone. [Pentecost 11]