Parramatta Christian Church Podcast

Acts 8. Andrew Mihaleff closes our Unstoppable series by looking at the church under fire with the rise of a wider persecution. In response, the church displayed great faithfulness to the gospel and to a God who faithfully led them through. Following their example, the challenge for us is to be faithful in all things - for better or worse - to a God who is unwavering in faithfulness to us.

Acts 6-7. Joshua Lau continues our Unstoppable series looking at the testimony of Stephen. This man whose life was cut short, has two chapters devoted to his boldness while on trial. We observe a young man who is full of the Holy Spirit, by whose power he boldly spoke the gospel. We must approach humbly - both to be filled, and to be led by the Spirit - but we can know that Jesus will be with us as we represent Him boldly.

Acts 5:12-32, 40-42. Ps Hilary Williams continues our Unstoppable series looking at the latter part of Acts 5. Again, we see the apostles facing persecution, and yet again, they respond without compromise. We might be tempted to de-emphasise the gospel or holiness, as these tend to be unpopular in a hostile and pluralistic age. We must respond similarly to the disciples, and honour Christ before men.

Acts 4:36-5:11. Susan Moore continues our Acts series by considering unity and the threats that come against it. We see a budding community of believers that cared deeply for one another, and that unity being threatened by pride and dishonesty. The challenge for us in our day is be sure of what motivates our hearts - the pride of life, or the love of Christ.

Acts 4. Ps Hilary Williams continues our Unstoppable series looking at Acts 4. We find Peter and John on trial for healing in Jesus' name - and their emboldened response. We may not have the exact situation as in Acts 4, but like Peter - the opportunities to share Christ's love are before us. Even in the face of an increasingly hostile culture, we may never know just how we might impact others for Jesus, by the power of the Spirit.

Luke 24:36-49. Hitting pause on our Unstoppable series, Andrew Mihaleff takes a look at the lead up to Acts 1, from Luke 24. Jesus' final words remind us that He was always the plan, His death and resurrection was always God's way for our redemption. He calls us to respond by living our lives for Him. This mission leads His followers in every age to wait for the power of the Spirit to fulfil His plan for our lives.

Acts 3. Anoj Joseph continues our series on Acts looking at the healing of the cripple at the Gate Beautiful. As Peter was quick to point out, this was not by his doing, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of Christ. Like the cripple, we must be open for Jesus to meet our deepest needs - and like Peter and John, be ready to be used to meet the needs of those around us.

Acts 2. Ps Hilary Williams continues our series on Acts, looking at the day of Pentecost. This day marks the turning point for God's people - His church is born! God's very presence comes upon a church which serves as a reminder that God no longer just gives His spirit to the elite or the corporate, but God allows us to know Him personally. Furthermore, knowing Him personally is the key to being transformed and enabled to be and do all that God has for us.

Acts 1. On Pentecost Sunday, Ps Hilary Williams kicks off our new series on the book of Acts. A book that poses many challenges to us, we should see Acts as assurance of how the Holy Spirit empowers His people. In Acts 1, we observe Jesus laying the groundwork for His church. One lesson we would do well to observe, is to not only enjoy encounter with Jesus, but to let that worship translate to obedience to His mission.

Matthew 11:28-29. Ps Christian Kahnt wraps up our series on Jesus' promises with this well-known passage. Religion gives us rules; self-help gives us programs - but Christ invites us to Himself, and His rest. The invitation is not for those who have it together, but for those who are needy and tired. The challenge for us is to resist the world's rhythm and need to keep up appearances, and instead, recognise our continuing need of Him.

Matthew 28:18-20. Dharsh Williams continues our series on Jesus' promises looking at His last words in Matthew's gospel. Our Saviour promises to be with us in the context of the Great Commission. As His disciples, and in us going out to reach people for His kingdom - while ever we are on mission, we can be assured we will not do this alone, but ministry always takes place hand in hand with Christ.

Luke 9:18-26. Andrew Mihaleff continues our series on the promises of Jesus. We are promised here that our lives can and will be saved through Christ. Although this has the appearance of a command, Jesus is really telling us that those who are truly His, will be obedient to the point of surrendering our will to Him. As Jesus alludes to, walking this way is only possible when we are in right relationship with our loving God.

Revelation 3:14-22. Ps Hilary Williams continues our promises series by considering Jesus' famous words to Laodicea. This church had a false sense of itself; the "Faithful and True Witness" tells them that they have compromised and become ineffective. Yet in the context of required discipline, we see the loving heart of God, inviting us to share in His love. We can be assured that God's mercy continues to be available to us when we need it most.

John 4:1-30. Anoj Joseph continues our series on Jesus' promises by looking at the promise of living water. Meeting the Samaritan woman at the well, we see that Jesus can offer something more than meeting physical thirst. We look to satiate our souls with relationships, prestige or material things. However Jesus shows us that we will only truly be satisfied by knowing Him through His grace.

Matthew 16: 13-20. Ps Hilary Williams continues our series on Jesus' promises by sharing this timely word. Our Saviour promises that His church would be built and prevail against the gates of Hades. This is not to say that challenges and attack will not come, but rather Jesus will preserve His church through the storms. Even death itself will not stop His church, because it is built upon the One who rose from death.

On Resurrection Sunday, Ps Hilary Williams continues our series by considering Jesus' promise of eternal life. Many faiths claim there is life beyond the grave, but Christ stand alone. It is He alone that provides a way by His own death -and His work is confirmed forever by an empty grave! We can be confident that we will likewise rise again because the same Spirit that raised Him from death is within us.

Luke 23:39-43. On Good Friday, Ps Hilary Williams continues our series looking at one of Jesus' final words. While He was goaded to come down from the cross, the fact Christ did not is the best news for us! The penitent thief, crying out to the Saviour, receives this incredible promise from Jesus. Similarly, we find ourselves deserving of wrath, but Jesus paying our price means that when we cry out in desperation, can receive the promise of eternity with Him.

Matthew 1:1-17. As we turn the corner to Passion Week, Josh Lau shares a timely word on the coming of Jesus. Like many in this list in Matthew, we might feel like God has forgotten us. There are stories of triumph and tragedy which we might miss, and they could not see the end from the beginning. The good news for them and for us, is that our God continues to work through everyone's story for His

John 14:12-14. Ps Hilary Williams continues our series on Jesus' promises, by looking at one of Christ's final words before the cross. This promise - that we might do "greater things than these" - is often misapplied to simply be saying that Jesus is focused on the spectacular. While we should indeed expect His Holy Spirit to move, Jesus' prime objective appears to be calling us to deeper, obedient service - wherever we find ourselves.

Matthew 6:25-34. Ps Chris Smith continues our series looking at Jesus' charge not to worry. In the midst of our chaos, we can lose heart and hope. Jesus reminds us that He will look after and provide for us, because we are valuable to Him. Knowing this, our Saviour invites us to seek Him first. We can be confident that the promise to care for us was given by a God who is unfailing.

John 14:15-17. Rohan Arudselvam continues our series on the promises Jesus made. This time, we find ourselves in one of Jesus' final discourses, when He promises the Holy Spirit. The promise unfolds in other scriptures that we would be sealed, restored and gifted - all through the power of the Spirit.

Revelation 22. Anoj Joseph starts our new series by considering Jesus' promised return. The triumphs and tragedies of this life can leave us feeling this is all there is. The return of Christ and our ultimate union with Him is the antidote to being earthbound. When we see eternity in its proper focus - we will neither be beaten in our trials, nor too attached to our possessions or position.

Deuteronomy 6:10-19. Ps Hilary Williams concludes our Attitudes series by looking at guarding our hearts. This message begins with a refresher of our vision and why we value transformation. Following that, we consider that the gods of this age - power, autonomy, comfort - continue to bombard us. To guard our hearts against these passing treasures, we must continue to keep God firmly in our focus.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Ps Hilary Williams begins a two-part conclusion to our Attitudes series by looking at love. Our culture defines love as pure freedom, but this is not a Biblical concept. Over and over again, God defines love as a delight in God that is devoted and obedient. If ever we wonder why we should respond to God with love and delight, we would do well to hear Moses' address on God's goodness, which saw its ultimate fulfilment at Calvary.

Susan Moore continues our New Year's Attitudes series by looking at confidence. While God commands holiness in his presence, we must remind ourselves that through Jesus, we can boldly approach Him. Condemnation is replaced with the mercy of Christ. While we often gloss over this, we need to recognise the wonderful truth that we have unrestricted access to our loving Father.

Ps Hilary Williams continues our series on New Year's Attitudes by looking at peace. The world tends to think peace is peaceful circumstances, when the reality is God's peace sustains us regardless of circumstances. As with all these attitudes, the key for us is not pursuing peace as an end, but to reorient our values so that He becomes our joy and treasure. Peace with God always preceded the peace of God.

Philippians 4:10-13. Anoj Joseph continues our New Year's Attitudes series with a look at contentment. We often confuse contentment with asceticism or a bunch of "dos and don'ts". Perhaps the reason is because of this world's gravitational pull of discontent. True contentment begins from within, and will only be found as we rest in God's fatherly care and the finished work of Christ.

Ps Hilary Williams continues our New Year's Attitudes series by considering humility. In a day when we are told to have pride in ourselves, we must remind ourselves that pride is the root of all sin. Humility rightly recognises His greatness and power. We need this humility to accept and embrace our desperate need of the grace of Christ.

Dharsh Williams continues our New Year's Attitudes by looking at hope. Rather than blind optimism, hope is faith looking forward to what God has promised. Hope in God requires us to die to self so that we can walk in the way God has ordained for us, and ultimately see our hope fulfilled. Because we tend to seek hope in times of battle and despair, the challenge for us is to see God as our hope in all seasons.

Andrew Mihaleff continues our New Year's Attitudes series with a study on joy. While the world is wired to pursue pleasure, joy is a state of being that springs from right relationship with God. This joy is often elusive for Christians because we have failed to treasure the gospel. When we pursue Christ we should see His joy sustain us - no matter what life throws at us.

Ps Hilary Williams kicks off 2022 looking at New Year's Attitudes. Rather than certain resolutions we strive for, we pray this series might cause us to cultivate these attitudes by the shaping of God's Word and by the Holy Spirit. We begin by considering the fear of the Lord - which may sound strange as we are know we do not need to fear God's wrath because of Christ. However, we need to remember that fearing God in reverence and worship is not only healthy, but helps to cultivate Christlikeness in us.

Luke 2:8-20. Anoj Joseph continues our Advent series looking at the night of Jesus' birth. We see the shepherds left in awe - first by the angels proclaiming the Messiah has come, followed by meeting Jesus Himself. We often miss the wonder of Christmas because we miss the details - but the shepherds didn't miss them, and were left awestruck. We must recognise the significance of the long awaited coming of Christ, in order that we might likewise come to Him in wonder.

Matthew 2:1-12. Ps Hilary Williams continues our Advent series by comparing the Magi and Herod. While the "king" was but a few kilometres away from Bethlehem, the Magi travelled for months to worship Jesus. Christmas can lead us to identify with the complacent, arrogant king rather than the curious and reverential Magi. We must be sure we come humbly to Christ our King - as He has come to save us not only from sin, but from the corrupt rule of self.

Luke 2:22-40. Ps Hilary Williams kicks off our Advent series looking at Israel's wait for the Messiah. 400 years of darkness were finally broken that first Christmas night. We meet Anna and Simeon who waited and longed - and in wonder realise God has fulfilled His word. The lesson for us even in our own longing for answered prayer or help from God, is to likewise trust that our waiting in darkness will soon meet the light of God's fulfilment.

Esther 2:5-7. Anoj Joseph concludes our unlikely heroes series by looking at Mordecai. Introduced as the uncle of Queen Esther, Mordecai stepped in when his niece was orphaned and cared for he as his own daughter. In addition, we also see Mordecai was a brave advocate. Similarly, God is looking to ordinary people like us, to represent His mercy and justice. When we faithfully obey, we will never know just how we impact those around us.

Judges 16:21-31. Ps Hilary Williams continues our heroes series by looking at Samson. This man set apart for God from birth, was soon a fallen hero left with nothing. A controversial example for some, his story of redemption ought to give us hope and make us see God's grace afresh. No matter what we have done - when we come humbly, we are never too far from the goodness and redemptive power of God.

1 Kings 17. Ps Hilary Williams continues our series looking at Elijah meeting the widow. In the midst of a crippling drought, our unlikely hero is desperate. In our own lives, we can similarly feel like all we have is a handful of flour and oil. We would do well to emulate our unlikely hero - who Jesus Himself refers to in Luke. Rather that focus not on our inadequacies, we must have utter dependence on our abundant God.

2 Kings 5. Ps Hilary Williams kicks off a new series which will zero in on unlikely heroes - characters we might gloss over that have significant impact in His word. Today we look at a nameless slave girl who served Naaman, a valiant soldier battling leprosy. Although culturally she had every reason to feel insignificant, it was her advice that led Naaman to Elisha, and ultimately, a life-changing encounter with God.

2 Chronicles 20. Ps Hilary Williams concludes our Firm series looking at the example of Jehoshaphat under attack. Judah's King faced down a very real threat to his kingdom, but God lovingly leads him into battle and victory. It is tempting for us, even when we seek God, to pray in fear and make the issues in front of us our focus. Instead, we must learn from Jehoshaphat, and let our prayer be more about the faithfulness of God, who we can trust to be our champion.

Psalm 23. Anoj Joseph continues our Firm series by looking at this familiar psalm. Perhaps the best known passage in the entire Bible, this psalm encourages us that in even in the toughest situations, God is our loving shepherd and provides comfort and leading through these valleys. Like the psalmist, we need to trust in the keeping power and loving leadership of our God - firm in our faith that He will lovingly lead us and equip us in our battles.

Psalm 40. Ps Hilary Williams continues our Firm series by looking at this well known psalm. David tells of a God who is capable of saving and has been faithful in the past - and even as he waits for deliverance, he can lean on God's continued faithfulness. We can learn from David's pattern by likewise waiting in expectation of His power, remembering how faithful God has been. We can also know that Christ has already brought the ultimate deliverance through His cross.

Guest speaker Dr Jacqueline Grey shares with us a timely word on maintaining faith under fire. Dr Grey contrasts two kings in the days of Isaiah - Ahaz and Hezekiah. While Ahaz was an example of faith that was somewhat self-serving, earthly and buckling under pressure, Hezekiah was a king whose faith in God was tested and proven in trial. We need to remember that faith is less about making things we want to happen, and more about complete trust in God even when we cannot be certain of His plans.

1 Peter 5:6-11. Dharsh Williams continues our Firm series by considering Peter's closing remarks in his first letter. We are commended to stand firm in our faith - with the backdrop that all over the world, people are doing this differently but for the same cause. We have a common enemy, and the common battle for us all is to question the goodness of God. As the apostle implores us, we need to counter this by standing firm and completely in the already assured victory of Christ, and thereby, resisting the enemy.

1 Corinthians 15:58. Ps Hilary Williams continues our Vision Sunday message - this time by considering Paul's charge to the Corinthian church. The apostle has encouraged the believers that Christ indeed is risen and He shares the victory over the grave with us - and in light of that, to stand firm in this knowledge and serve Christ from that place. No matter what life brings our way, we can know that our eternity is sure and that our labour for Him is never in vain.

Jeremiah 17:5-8. As we launch into a new ministry year, Ps Hilary Williams shares a timely word on the theme of FIRM - our theme for our church in 2021/22. We are praying that the year ahead would be characterised by being firm in our trust in God and remain planted in Him. This passage paints a vivid picture of a tree securely planted by the water - this is the promise for God's people when we are firm in Him.

Psalm 121. Andrew Mihaleff shares an encouraging word on God being our keeper. We may know this well known Psalm as hope-filled, but it does also acknowledge that problems and pain are real. However we would do well, like the Psalmist, to focus on God as our help, rather than the battles that we know will come. Furthermore, the Psalmist alludes to God's companionship and very presence as the key to navigating all that life may throw at us.

Matthew 14:22-33. Hilary Williams shares an encouraging word about Peter's encounter with Jesus on the water. We may recall that in the midst of a ferocious storm, Jesus walks on water - and Peter does the same. We need to be reminded that in the midst of life's storms, Jesus likewise meets us at our point of need. He promises never to leave, and delights when we respond to Him in trust and faith.

Philippians 4. Susan Moore concludes our Press On series as we close off the book of Philippians. Paul implores us to respond to God with joy, even in seasons of challenge and disappointment. As we know, this does not come naturally. It takes the intentional pursuit of God's peace that gives us both the perspective to even glimpse that God is at work, and the ability to set our minds not on what is lacking, but what is good, noble and true.

Philippians 3. Anoj Joseph continues our Press On series as we enter Chapter 3 of Paul's letter. Our human tendency is to put a lot of weight on our own abilities, achievements or prestige. While there is something to be said for this in the natural world, this is utterly destructive in the spiritual. The apostle implores us that nothing we have comes close to the treasure of knowing Jesus personally - and it is therefore Christ, not our own striving, that needs to be the prize of our lives.

Philippians 2. Ps Hilary Williams continues our Press On series by looking at chapter 2 of Philippians. Paul implores the church at Philippi - and us - to do everything in the manner Christ did. In these famous verses, Jesus came in all humility, without grumbling and embraced the role of a servant. We are to do likewise, in order to be light in the darkness, and make a difference amidst a "warped and crooked generation".

Philippians 1. Ps Hilary Williams opens our new Press On series, looking at Paul's letter to the Philippians. This short book is packed with encouragement to God's people in Philippi to endure hardships with joy as Jesus did. In this opening chapter, the apostle urges us to live lives worthy of the gospel and in light of the call and will of Christ.