When Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich was asked about the most revolutionary way to change society, he answered, "Neither revolution nor reformation can ultimately change a society, rather you must tell a new powerful tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story, one so inclusive that it gathers all the …

We all have a story. And we each have the opportunity to align our story to God's greater story. In this sermon we'll hear from three of our people as they share their stories of God at work in their lives. God is doing great things in our midst! Are we taking the time to notice? If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subscribing. CONNECT WITH …

There are many religious traditions, even Christian Church denominations, where God is not represented as friendly. He’s stern, angry, or just plain mean. Jesus came to help people like you and me know God – he came to show us a God we would want to know. Jesus lived amongst people as the complete, perfect representation of God. And he also told st…

The phrase “one another” appears in the New Testament over 100 times, so it’s clearly a phrase we should take note of and learn how to put into practice. In this sermon Duncan Brown looks at what Paul’s letter to the Philippians can teach us about encountering God through serving others. ABOUT DUNCAN: Duncan is a former Senior Pastor at New Peninsu…

How does the Word of God make us the people He intends us to be? As we look at the children of Israel on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God gloriously delivered his people and provided for their needs. But for many of them, the stubbornness and hardness of their own hearts meant that they did not receive all that God was offering th…

“Scripture makes it clear that God collects two things - prayers and tears. This world in its current form is passing away, but our prayers and tears are eternal.” - Tyler Staton In this sermon we will explore this amazing thing called prayer as we continue on in our series 'Encountering God'. Ross speaks again, and we hope that it may be time that…

This sermon is the second in our series, Encountering God. In Revelation 2 we read a letter from Jesus to the Church in Ephesus. It starts well, sounds like a great Church, but the tone changes quite dramatically as the Church is reminded to consider how far it has drifted, how far it has fallen. They are reminded that they don’t love Jesus or each…

There are times when our awareness of God’s presence is heightened. It brings to our attention the reality and closeness of a spiritual realm. We were created for connection with our Creator, so how do we make the most of those opportunities to draw near to God? In this sermon Brendon Walmsley explores the ancient Celtic Christian concept of ‘Thin …

As humans, we will all experience grief or suffer loss; a job, a relationship, a loved one. When we grieve we have a Saviour who understands our pain and walks with us through it. In this sermon Jenny Savill reminds us that as we care for others, we have Jesus’ perfect example to follow. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort oth…

How do you see God? Do you think that he is angry or unfair or distant? Do you think he holds himself aloof from us? This week Chris Bullock will be preaching on Psalm 36, and its invitation to invite God to give us his light so that we see God and ourselves truly, and live in his abundance.If you enjoyed this sermon please consider liking and subs…

Unity is one of those things in Churches that is so easy to take for granted – and yet we quickly realise how vitally important it is when it's not there. Jesus knew how unity makes a difference in the lives of his followers and the witness of his Church. He prayed about it and we have a record of that prayer in John 17. He prayed for us, us who in…

American cartoonist Bil Keane said “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” What we do with our time matters to God so we should use it wisely. In this sermon we welcome back Simon Ward from Compassion who speaks about handling the gift of time with care, as well as giving an update on …

This sermon was part of our Family Service, where we heard updates from our children and youth about all that has been happening in their programs. Jackson goes on to explore how we should handle children with care, and God's warning on how we mustn't lead them to sin. He also encourages us to take inspiration from the children in our lives, as we …

James the half brother of Jesus made some strong statements about the importance of taking care of how we use our words. In chapter one of his letter, he says "If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless". In this sermon we will take some time to examine the importance of hand…

Our opinions have been shaped throughout our lifetime. Some are deeply ingrained, others we hold less tightly. When it comes to matters of faith, which opinions matter? And how are we to deal with those who hold an opinion different to our own? In this sermon Brendon Walmsley points to the distinctions made by the apostle Paul and to the one respon…

There’s a recurring pattern that comes out of recent research: Bible engagement is directly related to spiritual growth. However, Bible Society Research recently showed that only 2 in 10 Aussie Christians read their Bible daily. As we get busier, our attention span gets shorter, and communication must happen within the span of a text message, a Fac…

Despite the dramatic turn of events throughout the book of Esther, nothing catches God by surprise. All along, He remains in control - guiding, blocking, prompting, delaying and empowering in order to have His plan carried out. His providence and sovereignty is evident in every tiny detail. In this sermon, Brendon Walmsley shines a light on the sim…

This sermon continues our series from the book of Esther looking at the antagonist, or the villain, of this account, a man named Haman. Tim Keller stated that, “Haman is the most vivid and sustained case study in the Bible of everything the Bible says about pride and humility and what happens to people who let pride rage unchecked.” In this sermon …

Not a lot is said of Mordecai in the story of Esther, but what we can surmise from his actions are that he was a humble and obedient follower of Yahweh, despite living in a society that did not honour God. How can we as New Testament believers live as humble and obedient followers of Jesus in our 21st Century secular society? In this sermon Rachel …

Why are you reading this post? Do you usually read HumeRidge’s posts? Did you stumble onto this? Is it by accident? I don’t believe that it is an accident. God knew you would read this post and God knows what is going on in your life. He has a plan for your life and wants you to know that he is faithful and He keeps His promises. You may not see it…

The rise of social media has seen a significant increase in the number of voices influencing our decision-making. The wide range of directions can cause confusion, anxiety and destructive behaviour, especially when it comes to decisions about who we are. In this sermon guest speaker Paul Colman invites us to live our lives guided by the Holy Spirit…

Have you ever been given a gift so generous that you aren't sure if you can accept it? This sermon will look at Paul's message to the Galatian Church, who have been misled to believing that they needed to add to the gift of the Gospel by proving themselves righteous through the law. In this passage we see our natural tendency towards trying to be j…

What is the purpose of the untainted Gospel that Ross and Brendon have spoken about the last two sermons?Where do we end up when we believe that we’re made right with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus?What happens when we abandon all effort at impressing God with religious effort and self-righteous moralism, and simply trust?There are…

English writer Samuel Johnson once stated that “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed”. In our journey of faith, we too can easily be distracted from the important things we already know. Such was the case with the Galatians who’d been led astray from the Good News of Jesus that Paul had preached. In this sermon Bren…

This sermon begins our new series on Galatians. Galatians is the book in the Bible that reminds us that believers need to continually learn and apply the Gospel. Paul emphasises that any insistence on 'Christ Plus...' goes against the Gospel. In this sermon Ross will look at this amazing message of Rescue. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider…

Throughout this series we have explored the way that the Christian faith has shaped our Australian nation. In this message we wrap up this series by looking a little closer to home - Faith Runs Deep at HumeRidge. The message includes input and faith stories from several members of our congregation, as we seek to explore the importance of each indiv…

In this series we have heard great stories of faith throughout our history - how God has used broken and flawed individuals in our history, to achieve His purposes in bringing his Kingdom near. And now it is our turn. But how do we go about being a part of what God is doing in our nation today? In this sermon Jackson discuses this, and Jesus' clear…

As we look at Australia, we see a rich mosaic of cultures, each with its own unique customs, languages, and ways of life. This cultural diversity has had profound impacts on Australian society influencing everything including the Christian Church. It’s influence has been significant, shaping the Church’s practices, traditions and services. Yet, ami…

When the topic of faith is brought up, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to steer towards religion - those “things we do” that highlight what we believe. In this sermon Brendon Walmsley looks beneath the hood of religion to find out what drives people to engage in religious practices. There’s a common element in every Australian, in fact, e…

"We may imagine the gospel is simply the good news that we go to heaven when we die. That is true (and beautiful!), but the gospel includes more than our personal futures" - Rich Villodas. In this sermon Ross continues our series ‘Faith Runs Deep’, looking at what it means to embrace and develop a robust definition of the Gospel – one that has vert…

Join us for this message as we delve deeper into our series, 'Faith Runs Deep,' with Ross leading us in a reflection on 'The God of the Second Chance.' It's a profound exploration of divine grace and mercy. Together, we'll explore the miracle of forgiveness, seeking to grasp its transformative power and the profound promise encapsulated in 1 John 1…

This sermon begins a new series called 'Faith Runs Deep' exploring the ways in which our faith shapes the way we’re to live our lives. Throughout the series, which is further discussed in our LifeGroups, we look back on stories of faith from our country’s history, and hear how faith continues to influence every day Australians today. In this sermon…

When life throws us a curveball, our faith can come under serious pressure can’t it? Is God really there? Does God really care? Will God do something about my situation? The faith stories of Job, Hannah and Daniel can bring us insight, encouragement and reassurance as we face challenging times. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subscribing…

In this sermon we will hear about what God has been doing and accomplishing in missions. We will look at the persistent long-term obedience of Noah in building the ark and how that applies to us as we follow Jesus’ command to seek and save the lost. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subscribing. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.co…

In this sermon we take some time to consider one of the dangers when everything is going OK. We reflect on an incident involving the Ark of the Covenant from the book of 1 Samuel. It is also an opportunity to be give God thanks for his faithfulness to us. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subscribing. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: www.instagr…

Right now we are closer to the end of all things than ever before. But rather than pedalling panic or heading to our bunkers, followers of Jesus are called to live differently. In this sermon Brendon Walmsley will take a look at the Apostle Peter’s first letter to the Church which outlines three ways to keep our eyes fixed on what God says is most …

In this sermon Bob Hogarth shares the importance of sharing the Good News of Jesus with those that don't yet know Him and how saying Yes can lead to changed lives. Bob also shares how HumeRidge has become the Global Centre for Christianity Explained and how God can use us in reaching the world for His Kingdom. If you enjoyed this sermon please cons…

In this sermon we conclude our series at HumeRidge, “Seriously! I AM”! In John 14:6 we read, “Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. Like the other ‘I AM’ statements Jesus made, these words are absurd if He is an ordinary man. But even more, to believe and preach publicly that Jesus is th…

It was the middle of the day the sun was probably broiling hot— Jesus was tired and thirsty. He had been walking for a couple of days and he was only halfway to his destination. As inconvenient as it seemed and as inhospitable the conditions, Jesus took time to offer a Samaritan woman living water. This offer would change her life and the lives of …

As we continue in the ‘Seriously I am’ series we come to the seventh I am statement of Jesus found in the Gospel of John. Jesus said, I am the True Vine. Jesus’ betrayal, arrest and crucifixion is imminent. Therefore it is significant that Jesus would teach them about “abiding in Him”, knowing that they were to face many difficult times, like we do…

“I am the good shepherd” is the fourth of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. “I am the good shepherd.” It is worth noting that he describes Himself as not only “the shepherd” but the “good shepherd.” In this sermon Ross explores what this means an…

Jesus has been portrayed as a great teacher. People reacted differently to his teaching – some eagerly embraced it, while others rejected it. But in John 8, two little words spoken by Jesus saw an angry crowd eager to stone Him. This was an intense reaction. Those two words were “I Am”. In this sermon Ross Savill begins our new series where we will…

Paul had it figured out. His focus was clear. His inspiring, yet challenging perspective on living as a follower of Jesus was given to the early church and recorded in the book of Acts for us to learn from today in 2024. In this sermon Brendon Walmsley wraps up our “Message to the Church” series. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subscribi…

As we start a new year, we are often prompted to consider a ‘fresh start’. For many, new years resolutions are set, and goals are made. But often the attention is given to our external condition – exercise more, drink less, start a diet, give up smoking… But what about our internal condition? 1 Timothy 4:8,9 says: “Workouts in the gymnasium are use…

Conflict - sometimes subtle, sometimes significant - can be the default for many Christians and churches. The quest for self-fulfilment can blind us to our Christ-given identity and cause us to try fill the validation vacuum, that only relationship with Christ can, elsewhere. The result is inner and external conflict. Come on a journey through Phil…

This sermon kicks off our January series - A Message for the Church, where we welcome guest speakers each week to share a message that HumeRidge needs to hear in 2024. In this sermon we welcome Murray Wright who speaks about following and trusting in Jesus, even in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider sub…

The birth of Jesus, the first Christmas was so keenly anticipated that heaven could not contain its enthusiasm. There was no stopping the joy. There was no holding back the enthusiasm. Like a child’s explosive joy at a gift at Christmas - this birth was the beginning of the promised fulfilment and heaven couldn’t help itself. The skies lit up with …

For many of us, we have become so familiar with the Christmas story that we fail to consider its gravity and implications. So in this sermon Jackson helps us to look through the eyes of someone present at that first Christmas, and who with wonder proclaimed God’s salvation, as he held the baby Christ! If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subs…

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests!’" What an outburst of response to the news of who this baby was and would be! But of all words this army of angels could have chosen to describe the result of the…

This Sunday Ross continues our Songs of Christmas series, taking a look at Zechariah’s Song. After nine months of being quiet, nine months of listening, nine months of paying attention to God in his heart, he burst out in song and the focus of that song is extremely significant. We look forward to you joining us either in-house or online, this Sund…