St Paul's Box Hill Podcasts

The fifth in our series of "$0 Days in Community" focuses on how our small groups can be units that serve together, multiplying our efforts. [Organ/choir - Pentecost 12]

It's important that the body of Christ grows together, but this is not always easy. You don't need to be in any group for long to discover people you'd prefer not to get along with! Making this community work requires three things, none of which comes easily: patience, truthfulness, and perhaps above all forgiveness. Fortunately, Christ models each of these for us. [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 11]

In proclaiming God's love for foreigners, the Scriptures encourage us not so much to talk about asylum seekers, but to talk to them, and to welcome them in to our homes. We cannot turn them back from our personal lives, because God has not turned us back from His personal life. For all Christians have no permanent residence, and are pursuing our own citizenship claim in the city that is to come, guaranteed by Christ. [Thomas Place - Pentecost 10]

God has brought his church together, inviting us through the doors into life together. Here is where we can learn to grow in love, and to grow in community -- just as Paul encouraged the Ephesians. [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 10]

Both the Old Testament and Gospel readings today cover miraculous feeding of large crowds with minimal resources. As we consider our lives in community, are there lessons we can take from these stories, and particularly from Jesus feeding the five thousand? [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 9]

What matters most to you? For many people, it is their children; and for Christian parents, the children's faith journey is very important. This is what draws them closer to what really matters most: Jesus, Son of God. Today's epistle emphasises that Jesus tore down the walls that divide people. One of his goals for us is community: places where the love of neighbour is put into practical effect. [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 8]

The prophet Amos was shown a plumb line, a tool for ensuring that buildings are set vertical. God calls us to be plumb lines within society, let God put us right with him, grow us in holiness, and give us his Word to share with those around us. [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 7]

When Jesus took his disciples home to Nazareth, there was no warm welcome. Folks couldn't get past their image of the hometown boy to see the Messiah standing before them. And their unbelief was a real barrier to Jesus' redeeming power. Today's story has much to say to the contemporary church. [Organ - Pentecost 6]

Today's Gospel includes two stunning miracles: the healing of a woman who suffered incurable bleeding for the previous 12 years; and the raising of the daughter of a synagogue leader called Jairus. Do such miracles have anything to say to us today? [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 5]

When a storm swamped their boat, the disciples probably wanted the sleeping Jesus to help bail out the water. What they got was something completely unexpected: a revelation of the Son of God, with them in person then as he is with us now. [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 4]

When someone asks "What's new?", we might struggle to find anything interesting. But for Christians, Paul tells us that God is making all things new. The past, with all its sins, is gone and forgiven. Everything has a new start -- all things are made new for our redemption. [Organ/Choir - Compassion Sunday]

Our Thomas Place series tackles big questions; so what does it mean for us when Jesus says we cannot serve 'money'? Should we be selling all we have, and giving to the poor? What does this mean for Christians in wealthy countries? [Thomas Place - Pentencost 2]

(Pastor Vaughn Spring is Pastor for Grow Ministries.) When Jesus taught us to pray "Your Kingdom come", these were not trite words. They mean that starting from baptism, we live in a beautiful faith union with Christ, here today on earth and forever with him in heaven. But this may not always be comfortable... [Organ/Choir - Pentecost 2]

Today's sermon followed Bach's cantata BWV 68, "God So Loved the World". God is holy, pure, and undefiled; yet he found a way to invite us back into community with him, through his Son. In the words of the cantata, "He did not come only to judge the world, no, no, He wished to mediate for sin and guilt as intercessor between God and man." [Orchestra/Choir - Trinity Sunday]

The Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir enriched our services today, and Pastor Rob Borgas was guest speaker. He spoke about God's amazing reconciliation as shown through the history of the central Australian missions. [Special Choir - Pentecost]

In Acts 1:4 it says "on one occasion, while Jesus was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” What is God's promise for us? [Organ/Choir - Easter 7/Ascension]

Our world is competitive, and encourages us to be the same. We see victory only in terms of beating others. But Christ's victory is of a very different kind, and he calls us to live into this kind of victory, pressing on to win the prize that is available to all. [Organ/Choir - Easter 6]

Jesus was the master of telling spiritual truths through everyday images. One favourite image is the vine and branches: we can bear no spiritual fruit without Christ. [Organ - Easter 5]

Our society lures us with different messages. Have what you want! Everyone's doing it! Be better, smarter, faster! Be yourself! Here, it's an insult to be called a sheep. But Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd, and proves it. So if Jesus is the source of Life, being one of his sheep is the best there is! [Organ/Choir - Easter 4]