Merri Creek Anglican

If secularism is really, as Charles Taylor put it, an era where there is a supernova of belief systems, all bouncing around the 'imminent frame' then how do get people to notice the gospel more than the other beliefs? In this sermon Peter looks at Paul in Athens, and looks at how Paul did it, and how creatives have a special role to point people to Jesus.

[Rob Miller] The Purpose Of Jesus (Matthew 8:1 - 17) 13.3.16 by Merri Creek Anglican

Jesus has just fed the five-thousand with the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. So the crowd are pretty excited about his power to fill their bellies. But Jesus challenges them to stop worrying about temporary food, and to pursue eternal food - the bread from Heaven. What do you spend your life consuming? Temporary food that will go mouldy and waste away? Wouldn't you rather have a diet that lasts into eternity?

In this second of the 2016 vision series, Peter talks about how we need to do more than believe in community service and relationship building. In fact, as James 2:14-26 says, we need to get up off our feet and do something! Christian faith without corresponding good deeds is dead: it will not save.

[corrected-upload] [Peter Carolane] Training Day 2016 - What Kind Of Sunday Service Do We Want? by Merri Creek Anglican

In this second talk from the 2016 training day, Peter talks about his big picture strategic plans for Merri Creek Anglican.

Peter begins the 2016 vision series looking at how Merri Creek Anglican can have an open and charitable dialogue about Jesus with the no-religion tribes of Melbourne's Inner-North – in the context of outrage culture. What does Jesus show us in his encounter with the woman caught in adultery?

In this sermon Rob completes the Discipleship in Luke series, by looking at the parable of the rich fool. Are you putting your faith in wealth or God? How are you going to make your life count?

Peter talks about the seemingly enigmatic parable of the Dishonest Manager. Jesus makes a contrast between the economic values and behaviour of the people of this world, and the people of the next world (the people of light). Which master will you serve? God or Money?

In this sermon, Scott Buchanan looks at this striking parable about the Master and his slaves. Scott discusses how seriously Jesus takes our response of obedience to God. When the Master returns, how is he going to respond to you?

Kieran Carr is our guest speaker for this talk about the importance of reading and applying the Word of God to our lives. Don't be a dumb carpenter! Be a smart carpenter. Build your house on the rock.

Jesus tells a riddle about good and bad trees and their respective fruit. This he uses as a way to explain the human heart and its need for transformation. In this talk Peter explains our fundamental human problem and need for heart renewal.

Christmas day 2015, Peter looks at the contrasting stories of Herod and The Magi. These strange religious scholars from Babylon make their way across 900 km of desert, following astrological and astronomical cues in the night-sky, all to find this newborn baby Jewish King. Meanwhile the Machiavellian King Herod is plotting to send them on a manhunt so that he can ultimately kill the baby. What does this mean for us today?

Have you every wondered what the virgin birth is about? Well, the first thing you'll learn is that really, we should be looking at the virgin conception (because that's the miracle). In this sermon, Peter explains four reasons why the virgin conception is important.

In this, the last of the Monarchy series, Peter teaches on the final distraction of Judah by the Babylonians. This national experience of political, geographical, relational and spiritual disorientation shook Judah. They had to bandy together and stay obedient. While we may not experience national exile like this, we do experience extreme disorientation at different times in our lives. Listen to how to survive, grow and look out for God's grace in those times.

In this sermon, Peter talks about Jeroboam - the first King of the North. Jeroboam started off as a great liberator who provided leadership to the majority 10 tribes (or 11 depending on your maths). However, Jeroboam's desire to rule caused him to lead Israel into apostasy. He became the King of Sin - the worst kind of king - the one that all other bad Israelite kings would be compared to. Instead of being a type of King Jesus (like David and Solomon), Jeroboam is the opposite 'type' of Jesus.

In this sermon, Peter discusses the concept of God's desire to bring harmony to human relationships: harmony between people and God, people and each other, and people and the creation. King Solomon was a ruler who began understanding this idea. He desire to lead Israel into God's good order. He desired to be a servant King who pursued Godly character. He prioritised God's kingdom over his own kingdom. In fact, God said that while Solomon's Kingly dynasty was secure (because David's was secure), his long life was dependant on his obedience under God's holy law. In the same way: the salvation of Christians is secure because of Jesus' faithfulness, but the blessings in the rest of our life is dependant on the extent to which we pursue the Kingdom of God: "seek first the Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you as well...."

In the second of our series 'Monarchy,' Peter Carolane speaks about the central passage from the Samuel corpus, 2 Samuel 7. Here, the triumphant David plans to serve God by building the first Temple in Jerusalem. But God says "No Thanks!" This sermon look at a King who God humbled and then showed grace to with an extraordinary counter promise.

In this first talk from the sermon series 'Monarchy,' Peter Carolane talks about King Saul and what went wrong? Given that he sinned and repented equally to David, why did he fail? The story of Saul prompts us to check if we are like Israel of old, looking to kings after our own heart, rather than the true King of Kings, after God's own heart.

Anthea McCall preaches on how to pray for others, using the great opening passage from Ephesians 1:15-23.