Vision Church Podcast | Christian Church in Canberra

Andrew Baker | John 10:10; John 8:31-32, 43-45 — John’s Gospel paints a picture of contrasts: In Jesus we find the truth that leads us to life, and in ‘the thief’ we find lies that lead only to destruction. As followers of Christ, we must be aware of the world’s lies that would seek to surround and deceive us; instead holding fast to Him - our Good Shepherd, whose power keeps us to eternity.

Andrew Baker | Matthew 6:19-24; Psalm 1 — In Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus challenges His listeners to store up ‘treasures in heaven’ rather than on earth. Living in a culture that idolises affluence, this is a real challenge for us today. But ultimately this is about much more than our bank balance or number of possessions; it’s about the heart. Will our love and desire be for the trophies of this world? Or will it be for Him - the One who calls us to a life of eternal abundance.

Andrew Baker | Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6 — Anxiety is far from a modern concept or diagnosis - it reaches right back to the very core of our fallen human nature in the Garden of Eden. But does this make all-consuming anxiety an inescapable fact of human existence? Jesus doesn’t think so. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus calls us to a higher way: a life of assurance; freed from worry as we learn to trust in the God of all power, provision, and peace.

Kathryn Hartley | 2 Corinthians 2:4; 6:11; 7:2-3 — Opposing the city’s indulgent culture, Paul’s instruction caused many in the Corinthian church to close their hearts toward him. But as Paul’s response demonstrated, open-heartedness is not an optional extra for wholehearted followers of Christ. As we rely upon God and generously love those around us, so too shall our lives bear witness to He who first loved us.

Andrew Baker | Luke 18:1-8 — In a parable, Jesus tells of an unjust judge who reluctantly gave justice to a widow only due to her persistent asking. For both Jesus’ disciples and us today, the knowledge that our heavenly Father is nothing like this judge should propel us from passivity to a life of persistent, hope-filled, passionate prayer; seeking His kingdom here on earth with every breath.

Adam Ritchard | 1 Thes 5:16-18; Phil 2:14-16 — In his Epistles, the Apostle Paul repeatedly instructs his readers to give thanks in all circumstances. Far easier said than done, this instruction could not be more relevant to us today: like the world around us, discontentment can easily become our default setting. But as believers, we ought to to be marked by a gratitude unaffected by circumstance, that we might ‘shine as lights in the world’ for Christ.

Andrew Baker | Revelation 2:1-7 — In John’s vision of Christ, Jesus commends the church of Ephesus for its endurance, but calls it to repent for abandoning its ‘first love’. As Christians, we cannot afford to forsake our love for Christ. And in a restless world such as ours, it has never been more important (and challenging!) to put aside distraction that we might live in wholehearted devotion to Him.

Andrew Baker | Jonah 4:1-11 — In a surprising and confronting ending, the Lord’s sparing of Nineveh caused Jonah to become so angry that he wished for his own death. Full of twists and turns, Jonah’s account causes us to consider a God whose grace is greater than our failings; whose ways are much higher than ours; and who radically moves our hearts to contend for those around us: The Saving, Sovereign, Sending God.

Andrew Baker | Jonah 3:1-10 — At the second time of asking, Jonah obeyed the Lord and went to the great city of Nineveh, where his message was met with mass repentance. As it was for Jonah and the Ninevites, so it is for us: no one is beyond saving by the God of second chances. As we respond to Him with childlike faith, it is His nature to transform us by His glorious mercy and grace.

Adam Ritchard | Jonah 2:1-10 — Expecting to drown in the depths of the ocean, Jonah instead found himself in the stomach of a whale. And here, crying out to the Lord, Jonah’s heart was renewed from rebellion to repentance. While God’s provision of grace may not always look the way we expect, He is faithful. When we don’t deserve it, and could never earn it, we are transformed by God’s (truly) amazing grace.