Sermons

As 2025’s floods recede, Psalm 124 roars a New Year’s truth: “If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now say!” From survival against devil’s roar to praise for snares broken and help in our weakness, discover how God’s presence bookends our trials for 2026 hope. Join us Sunday: Self sinks, but the Lord stands—where will you look when waters rise?

As we celebrate 65 years together, how has God shown His faithfulness in the ups and downs, and what blessings might we have missed in the tough seasons? Psalm 28:8–9 urges us to ask boldly: Where is our strength truly found, and who carries us when we can’t walk on our own? What new risks, conversations, and ministries is God calling us to embrace as a church? Are we ready to give Him the credit, pray big prayers, and follow wherever the Shepherd leads next?

Australians are among the wealthiest 20% globally. This week in Psalm 49 we’ll face serious warnings to the rich, and we’ll be challenged to ask where our hearts and trust truly lie.

Theme: All nations are called to sing to the King Points: 1. Called to declare the glory to the King (1-6) 2. Called to bring offerings to the King (7-10) 3. Called to rejoice in the coming of the King (11-13)

Theme: We should call on God as the Righteous Judge that will deal with injustice Points 1. Call out injustice 2. Call on God’s justice 3. Look to the coming of the Judge

Theme: We are invited to taste and see that the Lord is good Point One: He is good because he delivers us Point Two: He is good because he teaches his children Point Three: He is good because we can trust in Him

We live in a world that tells us to smile, keep calm, and carry on. But from the moment we’re born, our lives are marked by tears, sorrow, and questions without neat answers. This morning we come to one of the darkest Psalms in the Bible, Psalm 88. Unlike most Psalms, it ends without resolution: “Darkness is my closest friend.” We reflect on why this Psalm of lament is in God’s Word and how even in our deepest darkness, he has not left us without hope.

The first in a categorical series on the Psalms. Theme: All mankind is called to praise the Lord for his love and care Points: 1. Look Up 2. Look Around 3. Look to Christ

The second part of a two part mini series on Psalms 1 and 2. These two Psalms form a literary unit and frame the introduction to the whole book of Psalms. They are the “Gateway to the Psalms.” In this sermon Brad takes us through Psalm 2. No matter what the world tries, God ensures a Saviour will come and rule over all.

The first part of a two part mini series on Psalms 1 and 2. These two Psalms form a literary unit and frame the introduction to the whole book of Psalms. They are the “Gateway to the Psalms.” In Psalm 1 we learn the Blessed Man is Jesus and it is only through His saving work on the cross we are able to follow Him on the narrow road of the righteous.

Psalm 24 is a Psalm of David. David asks the question – who can go up the hill of the Lord? The answer is only the pure in heart – not David, but Jesus. Jesus enters Jerusalem as the Lord of Hosts. The Host is us!

Colin walks the congregation through Psalm 6. Life is full of suffering, how do you respond? The Bible has the answer, the cure for suffering.

Psalm 130 is a song of ascents, expressing a journey from death to life, from despair to joy, from personal to public. This sermon looks at the three messages of the Psalm: 1. Prayer from the Pit (vs. 1-4) 2. Sermon to Self (vs. 5-6) 3. Declaration of Deliverance (vs. 7-8)

In this well-known passage, Jesus teaches us that as His disciples, we are to bear fruit. It is not optional, or merely a good suggestion. It matters. By our fruit, others will know we are Jesus’ disciples and God himself is glorified. So disciples bear fruit and it is only possible as we are connected to the vine. We need to remain in Christ. As we do, we receive teh Joy of Christ as he lives in and through us.

Have you ever felt sorry for yourself? If so it is likely because you feel hard done by. My life shouldn’t be like this. It can make us sad, or discouraged, we can feel self-pity or perhaps just despondent. Sometimes we might think, why do I bother, or what’s the point. Often at the root of it, there is envy or a lack of contentment. Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, seems to feel this way. He is envious. He’s had enough and is fed up. These feelings can be very dangerous. They can lead us away from God. And thankfully we have here with Asaph his journey and also what he does to turn it around to avoid the danger.

C.S.Lewis said, ”The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game – praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, children, flowers, mountains….’ The question is, do God’s people, his children, resound with praise for him? We consider: Why we Praise, The impact of Praise, The Blockage to Praise and To share our Praise.

Using that metaphor of a deer, the Psalmist is expressing the deep and desperate longing for something and that something or somebody is God. It isn’t just, I really would like to go back to church after COVID is finished but something really far more desperate, something that absolutely consumes the Psalmist. He feels spiritually separated from God, which as it turns out is brought about by his physical separation from the temple. In my opinion most Christians who feel spiritual down, driven there by the circumstances in life, do exactly what they should not do! They do not put themselves in a place to see God! Martyn Lloyd Jones writes this… “It is a case of the mind speaking to the emotions rather than the emotions dictating to the mind: “You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself… You have to say to yourself, “Why are you downcast””.

In this Psalm we find David nailing his colours to the mast. He says God is the one I love, he is the one I follow. I will not surrender, I will not retreat. I will choose to go his way, no matter what battle I face. I will trust him always and I will trust him alone. I will make him my refuge and treasure. And where that is true – when you nail your colours to this mast, to God, he will bring you through life and death to the fullness of joy and pleasures which are everlasting. David petitions for preservation which leads to exultation in God as refuge, treasure, sovereign and counsellor, which leads to unshaken confidence that he will be preserved, which leads to deep and pervasive joy: “My heart is glad. My whole being rejoices.”

The Bible teaches that in God’s order it is the parents who have primary responsibility for teaching children the truth about God and his will (Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Ephesians 6:4). As we know from reading Deuteronomy 6, a parent is to teach their children about God during their waking hours, as they observe life, as they walk along the road, as they drive their cars. They are to put reminders of God’s law around about their houses. The Jews taking that literally put little miniature boxes with God’s law on the doorframes of their homes and even on their heads but that wasn’t what God intended. It was just a figurative example of making your house and heart a place where God’s will is being taught. This should be a deliberate strategy by parents and not something they think will happen, by itself.

God is presented immediately in this psalm as ‘our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.’ Amidst a world of difficulty and trial, of violence and war, there is peace and security to be found with God. This is true, yet the challenge remains for Christians to consider whether what is true of God is their experience? Do you know him as your refuge and strength? Have you known his help in your times of trouble? If not, then we do well to be still and to run to our refuge and strength. We do so remembering that he is sovereign, making wars to cease and having his way over every event in the world. When we face our own trials and difficulties then, let us come to the great God above all gods, being still in his presence, certain that he will be exalted and that every plan of his will be fulfilled.

The psalmist writes from the ‘depths.’ His struggle is with sin and yet there is hope. He acknowledges his sin and calls out to God, the only one who can help when sin is our problem. We must learn to do likewise. As the psalmist waits in hope for God to forgive, we come knowing forgiveness is guaranteed and swift for those who look to him as their saviour. Like the psalmist then, we can rise from out of the depths with great Joy and Hope.

As Christians we know that we can sleep well at night because God is in control of all things. God guarded his faithful servants, he granted them security and he can do the same for us. That is why Jesus urges us not to be anxious about tomorrow. Jesus already has tomorrow in his hands. David begins by reflecting on his circumstances and how his enemies try to humiliate him. He then brings them to God in prayer, seeking their salvation. Lastly, he rests in God’s justice.

In this further ‘Song of Ascent’ the pilgrims have arrived in Zion. After the journey to get there, they arrive in the place where they will worship God. The psalmist here rejoices though in ‘dwelling together in unity’ with God’s children. Being with the people of God gives him great joy. Indeed the psalm paints 2 pictures of the Pleasantness of Unity and we consider also both the Pain and Purpose of Unity.

The truth is that there is something is wrong with our world! Something is wrong with us because we too are part of God’s creation. We look at our world filled with devastating hurricanes, cyclones, floods, droughts, bush fires, disease and death. On top of that there is untold misery caused by human beings. Nature, creation can declare the glory of God, but creation cannot reveal to us what has gone wrong in our world. We can observe that things are not right, but Nature can’t tell us what that is! We need another source to find out out the truth we need to live by!

In this second ‘Song of Ascents’ we find a psalm of distress. Without being told the nature of the distress, the psalmist looks back with Joy on former days. His hope is for God to store the fortunes of Israel. Many of us do the same today as we look back on former days with fondness. Many of us would love to have our youth, or health or the joy of those days restored to us. Yet the greatest restoration comes to those who put their faith in Jesus. Restoration of a right relationship with God. For some of us, we may seek restoration of the joy of our relationship with God. To help us do so, let us with the pilgrims consider ‘what great things the Lord has done for us.’ As we wait for restoration today there may be tears and toil, but ultimately there will be a harvest reaped and we can look to the future with hope.

Now, this particular Psalm conveys some really great theology on how we know God. Theologically, we can say that we know God two ways. The first is through general revelation, which is simply creation and the order of the universe. Secondly we know God through Special revelation which is simply God’s Word. If I challenged you to go back through this Psalm you can easily find the division between God’s natural revelation and His Special revelation. This morning we are looking at creation – which we call general revelation – next time the second part of the Psalm – special revelation. Creation speaks into our hearts so that we would praise God.

We envisage pilrgrms making their way to Jerusalem in order to attend one of festivals adn to go to teh temple to worship God. As they make their way on the journey they look for help. None is to be found in the hills. In fact, God alone can help. The pilgrims face Potential Problems, but with God by their side, they have Promised Protection. For the Christian we face the jounrey through this life as we head toward the New Jerusalem where we will go to worship God eternally. On te way, we too face Potential Problems but likewise have Promised Protection.

Poetry and songs come out of the heart and reflect what is important to the person who penned them. This particular Psalm of David, this poem or song, is the last Psalm of David in the Book of the Psalms. It could be because it was the last one penned by the David or it might just have been the fact that when we think about God, we should always conclude in praise. Looking back at life, David for all his ups and downs concluded his life with praise. I want you to think about that for a moment! Every prayer, every interaction with God, every thought about Jesus, should conclude with praise, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the troubles and difficulties.

The thing is that many people might try to hide from God but David doesn’t see this as something to be worried about but something to be celebrated. David sees God’s providentially looking after him. David loves the fact that God is inescapable! For him in means God is ever present with him!

The Christian life is to be a life of praise, glory and adoration and these things should characterise our lives from A to Z. Praise should characterise the years of our lives and every aspect of our lives. In looking at Psalm 145 we note that this is the last of David’s Psalms recorded in the Psalter and that it is also an acrostic Psalm meaning that each verse in the Psalm begins with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This unfortunately is lost in the English translations, which cannot of course be helped. It is fitting that the last of David’s Psalms would be a Psalm of praise because it doesn’t matter how life is, for the Christian, life must be about glorifying God and enjoying him forever.