In this final letter from John, we are going to see a straightforward comparison of what to do and what not to do. It’s a very short, simple, and to-the-point letter that encourages us to always be hospitable to our neighbours. But the question is, how do we imitate this?
Today’s special episode features Miwa Chan who works for International Justice Mission, which is an organisation that seeks to end slavery in our lifetimes by strengthening justice systems around the world. Join her, Kevin and Tim as they discuss the topic of biblical justice, and what that means for the church.
The letter of 2 John was written by the beloved elder to a community struggling to hold on to the earlier established truths of faith in the midst of deceivers. John proclaims a simple, direct message about the need to walk in love and protect the essential truths of Christ.
Jesus commissioned us to make disciples of all nations, but over the course of recent church history, “making disciples” has become synonymous with classes and programs. What exactly is discipleship? How can we reconceive discipleship in order to do it better? Join Kevin, Albert, and special guest James Tang as they explore this topic.
Towards the end of his life, John pastorally and affectionately speaks hard truth to fellow believers. After personally watching love personified in Jesus, John claims that God is love itself, and anyone who knows Him will live a life that reflects that in the way they treat others. Love for God and love for others is inseparable.
In our third installment of Shift Talk we venture into the world of missions. Join Kevin, Danielle, and Ps Sherman as they discuss the tension between local outreach and global missions. Can the two coexist? Is one more important than the other? And what exactly is "missions"?
This message centres around 1 John 3 where the Apostle John explains we are loved by God as His children.
Join Kevin, Tim, and Martin Radford as they talk about the gift of prophesy. What was it like in the age of the prophets? What was it like for the New Testament church? And what does it look like in our modern day context?
God is the light that shines into every area of our lives if we allow Him. John reminds us that it’s impossible for us to say we’re following the light while we still harbour darkness in our lives.
Join Kevin, Ps Albert, and Ps Tim as they discuss the recent phenomenon of locals attending international churches. Is this an overblown trend, or do the statistics tell a different story? How can both the local church and international church learn from the results of this study, and also make use of the opportunities that are presented?
Jesus, the Word of Life, is central to our faith. He is here not to give us more information about God, but for the transformation of our lives! We will look at three things that the Apostle John wants us to know about Jesus and three things he wants us to do.
Life can be a little monotonous. We can get into routines and feel like things are boring. That’s why we escape into movies, books, and video games! Walter Mitty had his vivid imagination and wild daydreams. He wanted more to life, and I think we all do. Today, we’re going to see an amazing adventure that we can all go on together by trusting in God’s leading.
If you’re reading this, then you’re not blind, but you still might have a blind spot. We often have a blind spot for people. We pass by several people a day - but do we notice them? Do we see them? The Blind Side is a heart-warming movie about learning to see people as Jesus does.
Today’s feature presentation is “Frozen 2.” One of the beautiful sides of films, even animated films, is the opportunity to watch characters navigate universal struggles that mirror our own. In Frozen 2, Anna finds herself in a helpless state that many of us can relate to, and the wisdom that draws her out of it captures the way God asks us to trust and follow Him.
Today’s feature presentation is “The Pursuit of Happyness”. It’s the true story of Christ Gardner and his son trying to make it through life together while overcoming tremendous challenges. We all face challenges and this year seems to be overwhelming. But even in the midst of these tough times, we can still find contentment by pursuing God.
Welcome to the Island Summer Movie Festival! Movies can be exciting, funny, serious, and heartwarming; and they can move us by telling amazing stories. Our hope is that we can look at movies and see themes of the Bible coming through the screen. This sermon dives into the film, Lion, and explores the extraordinary story of Saroo and how his search for his family relates to our connection and position with God.
Samson is divinely conceived, divinely dedicated, divinely blessed and divinely endowed with the Spirit. He had every capability of doing great things for God; however his insistence on doing what is right in his own eyes and neglecting his Nazirite regulations results in conflict and loss. In this sermon, we examine how to live up to our potential and how to live a life that is not wasted.
The story of Jephthah, with his heroic yet tragic life, provides another example of Israel's cycle from wrongdoing to oppression to repentance to deliverance to peace. As we look at his fascinating account in Judges 11, we will find four key principles for our lives, including how cultural pride can lead to undesired devastation.
With examples all around us of power gone bad, sometimes the most dangerous is the appetite for power within us all.
Gideon started well. He was a man of humble origins who obeyed God to help orchestrate one of the most incredible victories in Jewish history. However, as he sought to glorify himself in the aftermath of the victory, he became the very evil God sought to deliver Israel from. In this sermon, we look at what the dangers of taking credit for the accomplishments of God are, and how we can keep ourselves from doing the same thing.
In this sermon, we study the narrative of Barak, Deborah and Jael. In a time of great distress, two unlikely heroes stepped up to take on the responsibility of leadership. How were they so brave? And how can we learn from them so that we can have a fearless faith?
In the longest recorded prayer in the Bible, we see the entire human experience. Our successes are often followed by failures, which is always met with God's inexhaustible goodness.
Rebuilding the city walls was only part of the story. Nehemiah knew that externals were not enough and that there would also need to be a rebuilding of the heart.
Rebuilding requires a strong vision and the ability to stay focused until completion. Chapters 5 and 6 of Nehemiah recount fascinating details of how he persevered in his passionate calling. Four key insights are lifted from this account.
In the face of opposition, Nehemiah demonstrates a brilliant strategy that each of us can take heart in as we face the battles in our own lives.
Understanding and walking in the will of God is perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of a Christian journey. Nehemiah shows us that when we take the time to seek God, He will show us His plan and we will be able to discern His fingerprint. Walking in the will of God is a beautiful human partnership with the divine!
We are living in a new normal; and before we simply leap into our former rhythms of life, we now have an opportunity to evaluate what the new normal should be. Nehemiah offers practical approaches to rebuilding a nation that transfer to our own personal rebuilding project.
Jesus's last week on Earth is the most important week in our history. So much happened and the Gospel of John gives us great detail about it. In Jesus's final words to His disciples, He helps them understand that things are going to be tough for them, but that they are not to lose hope.
Perhaps the greatest battle Jesus ever fought in His earthly ministry was the battle of Gethsemane, where He battled His sorrow. We currently live in a broken and hurting world that causes us to feel immense sorrow, and the problem is that we don't know how to handle that sorrow. This sermon explores what we can learn from Jesus and how we can find hope in prayer.
If we misunderstand or misapply the message of the gospel, we will find ourselves distant from God. Like Peter, who shocked himself by not even admitting he knew Jesus, we too can be overconfident and underestimate our own weakness.
