Christ-like Character, Part 3 – by Justin Louw

June 21, 2026

Sermon summary:

The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 reveals the heart of God as the perfect Father and challenges us to reflect His character in our relationships. When the younger son demanded his inheritance (Luke 15:11–12), the father did not rebuke him or force him to stay. Likewise, the older brother failed to help or pursue his younger brother. In different ways, neither son reflected their father’s heart. Yet the father remained intentional about his relationship with both sons, even as he allowed them the freedom to learn from life’s lessons.

Jesus demonstrated the perfect relationship with the Father. Hebrews 5:7–8 shows that His relationship was built on vulnerability, persistence, suffering, and obedience. Through this deep and intentional connection, Jesus perfectly reflected His Father’s character.

God’s nature is love (1 John 4:8), and love is the clearest reflection of our heavenly Father. Jesus taught that this love must be practised and demonstrated in our relationships. The father in Luke 15 modelled this beautifully. When the younger son returned, the father ran to meet him (Luke 15:20), showing compassion rather than condemnation. He was more concerned with restoring connection than enforcing correction. Instead of saying, “I told you so,” he celebrated repentance and restoration.

The father also dealt gently with the older son, offering loving counsel and reminding him that he was always cherished (Luke 15:31). This reflects God’s way of handling tension—with mercy and grace. As Psalm 40 describes, God lifts us from the mud and places our feet on solid ground.

The Pharisees in Luke 15:2 could not recognise the Father’s heart reflected in Jesus. Christlike character, however, is revealed when we intentionally pursue loving relationships, extend mercy, celebrate restoration, and reflect the perfect Father to those around us.

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 52 mins).

Jesus the Reconciler, Part 2 – by Erick and Vida Li Sik

September 13, 2026
Because Jesus reconciled us to God through the cross, we are called to pursue reconciliation with God, one another, and the world around us.

Jesus the Reconciler, Part 1 – by Danie and Adri Vos

September 6, 2026
Jesus reconciles us to the Father and teaches us to extend his grace, helping us forgive one another, heal relationships, and walk together in peace.

Embracing Divine Tension: Pendulum Swings (Part 10)

By Justin Renton • September 2, 2026
The physics of the pendulum Picture an old grandfather clock in a quiet hallway. Its long brass pendulum swings steadily: tick, tock, tick, tock. Now give that pendulum a hard shove to the right. It does not simply glide back to the center and stop. It races right past the middle and sways just as far to the left. Left to its own momentum, a pendulum never rests at either extreme; it finds peace only when it hangs still at the center, held by gravity and its fixed point. The church behaves in much the same way. Push her too far toward one side of a truth and she does not gently settle into balance, she swings. Often for a whole generation toward the opposite error, and then back again, wounding people at both ends of the arc. And here is the crucial thing the clock teaches us: the pendulum comes to rest not by being frozen in place, but by being held. Balance is not the absence of force; it is the fixed point that keeps opposing pulls in tension so that the weight can finally hang still.
Show More