Philippians 4:4-8a — Worry and anxiety seem to be ever present in our world today. Even in the most affluent and advanced societies many are debilitated by these problems. Thankfully, there is a solution! In the Bible, our Creator has told us how we can live free from the stifling burden of anxiety. This is…
Philippians 4:1-3 — What is Christian unity and why is it so important? These questions come to the fore when we see Paul mention people by name, in the church at Philippi, who had fallen out. He urges them to be reconciled and he asks others in the church to help. As Pastor Brendan takes us…
Philippians 3:17-21 — Every person has a worldview, that is, a framework of beliefs through which they interpret the world. These beliefs and assumptions inform a person’s values and decisions. In this text the Apostle Paul describes two worldviews, one that is self-centred and earthly and another that is Son-centred and eternal. He explains what happens…
Philippians 3:12-14 — From Paul’s frequent use of athletic metaphors it seems as though he possessed an affection for sport. He uses a sporting metaphor in this text to explain how we can live a successful Christian life. He likens the Christian life to a race and he gives us five essentials to help us run…
Ezra 10 — “Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves…from the strange [pagan] wives.” A significant number among the remnant that returned from captivity in Babylon had committed grievous sin by taking wives from the pagan nations that surrounded Judea. When this was discovered,…
Philippians 3:10 — How well do you know Jesus? Do you recognise Him amidst the crowd of Bible characters? Are you somewhat familiar with His teaching? Do you know a lot about Him? Or do you know Him personally? Above all else, the Apostle Paul wanted to know Jesus and that’s what we reflect upon in…
Luke 16:19-31 — An increasing number of people who identify as Christians deny the existence of hell. From a human point of view this is understandable because hell, as it is described in Scripture, is horrific. However, if we affirm the inspiration and authority of Scripture this denial is indefensible. Jesus spoke often and He…
Ezra 9:1-2 — Sixty years had passed since the return from captivity in Babylon and sadly, God’s people had fallen into sin. There was widespread intermarriage with the pagan peoples that surrounded Judah and with these unlawful marriages came the practice of idolatry. As we consider this regrettable set of circumstances we find an important…
Philippians 3:4-8 — In this autobiographical section of the letter, the Apostle Paul gives what is essentially a ‘profit and loss’ statement. After his conversion this statement looked very different! “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” (v.7) As Pastor Brendan takes us carefully through this text, we are challenged…
Philippians 3:1-3 — Can a person be truly saved if they believe they must perform religious works as well as trust in Jesus Christ? What does the Bible say about people who, in their “Gospel” proclamation, add works to faith in Christ for salvation? In the first section of Philippians chapter three the Apostle Paul…