News

The Freedom of Saying No - by Guy Hammond

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:02:13 GMT

Sermon recap:

Saying “yes” often comes naturally—but without boundaries, it can lead us into places we never intended to go. Following Jesus Christ calls for something deeper: the courage to say “no” to what falls outside of God’s will.

True freedom isn’t found in doing whatever we feel like; it’s found in surrender. As Luke 9:23 reminds us, denying ourselves is neither easy nor popular—but it is essential to discipleship. Faith doesn’t remove life’s storms; it sustains us through them. This journey isn’t a cruise ship—it’s a battleship, requiring discipline, training, and daily choices.

Scripture is clear: we become slaves to what we obey (Romans 6:16). But every “no” to sin is a “yes” to freedom. Holiness—being set apart for God—is not optional (1 Peter 3:13–21). Through intentional discipline (1 Corinthians 9:27), time in the Word, prayer, and honesty about our struggles, we grow stronger. Each act of resistance becomes training, shaping us for a life that honours God.

Yet this call is not about perfection. God’s grace teaches and sustains us (Titus 2:11). When we stumble, we don’t stay down—we rise again, knowing that failure does not erase faithfulness. Jesus Christ values mercy and compassion over empty sacrifice (Matthew 9:13).

Practical Response:
Recognise sin quickly and bring it to God in prayer. Seek support. Be faithful, not flawless. Extend grace to yourself as God does, and keep moving forward with courage.

Reflection:
What have you been saying “yes” to that leads you away from God’s best? Identify it. Choose to say “no.” Each small act of obedience is a step toward lasting freedom.

If you missed the sermon, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 52 mins.)

Jesus the Good Shepherd, Part - by Danie Vos & Jake Graham

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:36:47 GMT

Sermon recap:

The goal for all followers of Jesus is to find someone who can help them become more like Jesus and to become a shepherd to others. Your own walk with God helps you become more like Jesus. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to do so is a command from Jesus, not a suggestion. Helping someone "to obey everything" is the hardest part.

What it means to be a good sheep (being vulnerable, humble, asking for help, being open about your struggles, and chasing after wisdom.)

If you missed the service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 49 mins.

Jesus the Good Shepherd, Part 2 – by Dr Marc and Keri Aguirre

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:44:20 GMT

Sermon recap:

Watch the replay of the service on our YouTube channel . The lesson starts at 46 mins.

Jesus The Good Shepherd - By Erick & Vida Li Sik

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:58:32 GMT

Sermon recap:

David wrote Psalm 23, describing God as a shepherd who lovingly cares for his flock—His people. With God leading us, we can live with contentment even when the world around us feels like it’s falling apart. He provides, protects, and guides.

In the New Testament, that same role is fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who calls himself the Good Shepherd in John 10. So the question is: do you desire godly companionship and guidance in your life, or are you trying to go it alone like a stubborn sheep that refuses to be led?

God also places people in our lives as spiritual mentors—shepherds who lead by example, helping us grow in faith, mature, and eventually help others. This often means laying down our lives for our friends, just as Jesus did.

We’re in a spiritual battle, and we need God’s protection and direction. At the same time, we’re called to reflect that same care for others. The invitation is simple but challenging: be with Jesus, become like him, and do what he did.

You can watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 50 mins).

The Bread of Life - by Justin Renton

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 11:14:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

In the wilderness, Jesus Christ faced three temptations that still speak to us today. First, the lure of riches, fame, and power—things that never last. Second, the twisting of Scripture (like in Psalms 91), where doubt creeps in and false beliefs take root. Third, the urge to satisfy physical needs before spiritual ones—turning stones to bread instead of trusting God.

We don’t always recognise spiritual hunger. It shows up as emptiness, frustration, even quiet anger. Instead of feeding our souls, we try to fill the gap with distractions like endless scrolling.

But we need real nourishment—a steady diet of scripture, worship, and truth. Jesus is the Bread of Life (Gospel of John 6:25–36). Only he truly satisfies. Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Make him the centre of your life.

Challenge: Don’t eat physical food before feeding on spiritual food—start your day with God’s Word. You can watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel; the lesson starts at 39 minutes.

Go Make Disciples of All Nations – by Mfundo Nondala

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:27:36 GMT

Sermon recap:

Living like Jesus is not easy. It requires denying ourselves and reflecting His kindness, humility, grace, and hatred of sin. Jesus reached all kinds of people, always seeking reconciliation, unity, justice, and the lost—both outside and within the church. His call remains: “Follow me” and “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18–20). We must prepare our hearts and lives as a place where others can encounter Him.

Following Jesus is not dependent on circumstances. When he said, “I will make you fishers of men,” He didn’t promise ideal conditions. In Acts 8:1–3, believers preached even through persecution because they understood their mission and had seen lives transformed. We cannot stop now, despite challenges or the “Herods” in our lives. God desires all people to be saved (2 Timothy 2:1–4), and we are called to keep going.

In difficult moments, instead of assigning blame, we should look for God’s work to be revealed in us (John 9:1–12). If we see problems, our response should be to fast, pray, and humble ourselves, trusting God to correct and restore. This is his work, not ours. We plant and water, but he brings the growth—so we must surrender everything to him.

God’s mission is for us to go into our communities and bring him glory. We cannot become comfortable or silent. Share what God has done in your life, speak to those he places before you, and don’t judge or give up on people. Be a fisher of men, embracing your season and trusting that God is always at work.

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 46 mins).

Divine Tension: Embracing the Fullness of God’s Truth (Part 4)

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:29:38 GMT

In aviation, there is a phenomenon known as “drift.” If a pilot wants to fly directly from Point A to Point B, they cannot simply point the nose of the plane at the destination and fly. Why? Because of the wind. An invisible crosswind will push the aircraft sideways, carrying it miles off course without the pilot even feeling the turn.

To fly straight, the pilot must establish a crab angle, turning the nose of the plane into the wind to counteract the drift. The tension here is between the intended path and the environmental drift. To the untrained eye, the plane looks like it is flying crooked, but it is the only way to arrive at the correct destination.

This aerodynamic reality illustrates a profound spiritual principle. We are all designed with a specific trajectory: a divine mission. Yet, we live in a world with a constant spiritual crosswind, a shadow mission, that tirelessly pushes us to drift off course.

Your mission vs. your shadow mission

Every human being has a divine mission. We are not accidents of the universe or mere assemblages of atoms; we are God’s masterpieces, created in Christ Jesus to do good things planned long ago (Ephesians 2:10). We were made to make a difference.

However, the tension arises because we also possess a shadow mission. A shadow mission is where we drift from God’s original design and start pursuing something else, often something more selfish in nature.

The term was popularized by John Ortberg and was illustrated in the Gulf War movie Three Kings. While the US army was tasked with the liberation of Kuwait, George Clooney leads a rogue unit pursuing Iraqi treasure. The unit ate in the same mess halls and attended the same briefings, but when the army marched into battle, they went off in search of gold. Their fellow soldiers were completely unaware that the unit was on a whole other mission.

Satan works hard to “sell” us on these shadow missions because he knows if he can distract or divert us, he can shipwreck God’s purpose for our lives.

Biblical case studies of the drift

When we look at Scripture through this lens, we see the tension between the divine mission and the shadow mission playing out in the lives of major figures.

1. Adam and Eve: Stewardship vs. “more” (Genesis 3)

Mission: Take care of the garden.
Shadow: Satan convinced them that what they had in Eden wasn’t enough and that they needed to be like God. They needed “more.”
Result: They lost their place in the garden because they couldn’t manage the tension of contentment and enough.

2. Samson: Liberation vs. validation (Judges 14-16)

Mission: Free Israel from captivity. He was given abundant talent to achieve this.
Shadow: Showmanship and worldly relationships.
Result: Instead of leading, he squandered his gift, tearing lions apart (Judges 14:6), catching 300 foxes (Judges 15:4), and lifting city gates for sport (Judges 16:3).
His pursuit of the wrong women (Philistine prostitutes and Delilah) proved that while he had the strength of a giant, he had the drift of a lost child.

3. Jesus: The suffering servant vs. the celebrity messiah (Luke 4:1-13)

Even Jesus had to wrestle with this tension. In the wilderness, Satan offered him a corrupted version of the messiahship.

The shadow offer: A mission without hunger (“turn stones to bread” – Luke 4:3) , without pain (“you won’t strike your foot” – Luke 4:11), and without sacrifice (“bow down… I will give you the kingdoms” – Luke 4:6-7).
The reality: Satan was whispering, “You don’t have to do this God’s way. There is an alternative to the cross.”

Jesus stared this shadow in the face and rejected it. He knew that a mission without a cross was not a mission from God.

The danger: Morphing from servant to consumer

How do we recognize if we are drifting? One of the most common signs is a shift in our attitude toward the church.

We often join the church grateful for salvation, saying, “Here I am, send me”. But slowly, the crosswind hits.

We stop wanting to serve and start demanding to be served.
We ask, “Why isn’t the music to my taste?” or “Why doesn’t the church meet my needs?”
We become experts at avoidance of service.

We morph from servants of Christ into religious consumers. This is the shadow mission of comfort: seeking a life without the inconvenience of the cross.

Overcoming the shadow

We cannot simply ignore the crosswind; we must actively correct for it.

1. Identify and name it

You cannot defeat a shadow you refuse to see. For some, it is selfish adventurism (an “adrenaline junkie” lifestyle without boundaries). For others, it is wealth, status or simply comfort. Shadow missions are often subtle—they aren’t necessarily “bad” things, but they become destructive when they have no boundaries.

Ask yourself: If you were Satan, what distraction would you use to sidetrack you?

2. Get conviction through prayer

Jesus fought his shadow mission all the way to Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46). The reality of the cross hit him hard, and he prayed, “Take this cup from me.” He had to beg God for strength to stay on the divine mission.

Prayer is the key to surrendering our flesh. When Jesus struggled, he didn’t quit; he prayed until his will aligned with the Father’s (“Not my will, but yours be done” – Luke 22:42).

Conclusion

There is always a voice whispering, “Save yourself! Come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). It whispered to Jesus, and it whispers to us. But we must be like Esther, who overcame the shadow of self-preservation (“Use your blessing for yourself”) with the conviction of her divine mission (“If I perish, I perish” – Esther 4:16).

To live in divine tension is to acknowledge the drift but refuse to let it determine your destination. Name your shadow. Stare it in the face. And choose the mission.

For reflection:

What is the specific “shadow mission” that competes for your time and energy?
Have you drifted from “Here I am, send me” to “Here I am, serve me”?
What practical step can you take this week to “turn the nose of the plane” back into the wind?

Click here for my sermon on this topic.

I am With You Always — by Solly Kganyago

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:01:37 GMT

Sermon recap:

“I am with you always” is both a promise and a commission. Jesus (John 6:38–40) shows that obedience is alignment with God’s will. The church is called to be holy and prepared for his return (Ephesians 5:22–32), living daily as his body, shaped by the Holy Spirit.

There is a battle over this calling. Satan seeks to destroy our relationship with God (John 10:10; 1 John 3:8), and our will either aligns with God or drifts toward self-focus. When the church prioritises itself over mission, disciple-making stops and the Great Commission is neglected.

Matthew 28:18–20 calls us back: go, make disciples, baptise, and teach obedience. It is hard, but we go with his authority and power (Luke 9–10). Stay aligned with God’s will—he is with us always.

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 46 mins).

Evangelising like Jesus – Jake Graham

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:59:23 GMT

Sermon recap:

We’re excited about heaven — but sometimes not as excited about helping others get there.

In Genesis 3:6–8 , when Adam and Eve felt shame, they tried to cover it and hide. We do the same. But instead of running from God in guilt, we can let discomfort draw us closer to him. When God asks, “Where are you?” it’s not condemnation — it’s invitation. Let that question move you toward him.

The Eyes — Seeing God’s Vision

Throughout Genesis (6; 9; 15; 47; 48) and into Exodus 1 and Leviticus 26 , we see God’s heart for people: be fruitful, multiply, flourish. Even after betrayal, his vision for humanity doesn’t fade. He desires generations to know him.

We’re invited to partner with that vision — to see people the way he does.

The Heart — Feeling What Jesus Feels

In Matthew 9:35–38 , Jesus looks at the crowds and feels deep compassion. His heart breaks for the lost.

Paul echoes this in Romans 9:1–4a , expressing such love for his people that he would give up everything to secure their salvation. And in Jeremiah 20:8–9 , God’s Word burns like fire in the prophet’s bones — he can’t stay silent.

When we spend time with Jesus, his heart becomes ours.

The Hands — Living It Out

In Mark 1:16–20 , Jesus calls ordinary people to follow him and promises to make them fishers of men.

If Jesus were living your life, what might change?
Would he pray differently? Spend differently? Speak up more?

A fisher of men doesn’t just believe — they act. They learn from Jesus and trust him to do the transforming work.

A Simple Challenge

Ask someone to hold you accountable for one act of evangelism this week. Push through the awkwardness. Don’t let rejection stop you. Keep going.

Jesus calls us to follow him — and he will make us fishers of men.

Jesus is the Greatest – by Justin Renton

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:42:56 GMT

Sermon recap:

Imagine learning about Jesus for the first time. He is the sole mediator, the great high priest who surpasses Moses. He's the radiance of God's glory, greater than the angels, and he holds the universe together. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is the greatest. What happens when you lose that allegiance to Jesus? You cannot renegotiate the terms of peace to have a relationship with him. We need to reaffirm Jesus as Lord and King, build accountability and a community and walk in the power of the Spirit. Jesus is waiting for honest surrender. If you missed the service, you can watch it in full on our YouTube channel. The sermon starts at 1:02.

Jesus is Lord - by Jake Graham

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:28:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

Jesus loves you so much and desires to have a relationship with you. He came to seek and save the lost; he gives peace and eternal life. If we remain in his love, our joy will be complete. He is our Saviour and our Lord. If you missed the service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 55 mins.

Divine Tension: Embracing the Fullness of God’s Truth (Part 3)

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:06:41 GMT

In the physical world, dynamic forces must work in opposition to create environments where life can flourish. Consider a mighty river: it requires two opposing realities to exist. It needs the kinetic energy of flow to move water forward, providing life and hydration downstream. Yet it equally requires the static resistance of banks to contain that energy. Without the flow, the river becomes a stagnant swamp; without the banks, it becomes a destructive flood.

We see a similar tension in the plant kingdom. A tree requires a root system that digs deep into the dark earth for stability and nutrients, contrasting with branches that reach high into the sunlight for photosynthesis. The downward grounding and the upward reaching are not contradictions; they are the combined, necessary mechanics of growth. It is not one or the other, it’s both/and. In the same way, the church thrives when we recognize and embrace the divine tensions God built into its design.

In Part 1 we established that the fullness of God’s truth is held in tension, rather than in simplistic either–or categories. We must apply this lens to a topic that often causes confusion and conflict: church culture.

The ecclesiological tension: many models, one church

When we ask, “What is the church supposed to be like?” we often look for a single, simple definition. But Scripture does not offer us one static image. Instead, it presents a kaleidoscope of metaphors, each holding the others in check. The church is described most frequently as a family, a body, an army, a flock, a bride, and a building.

Each of these models carries a unique culture and set of expectations. The tension arises because these archetypes describe realities that, on the surface, seem to pull in opposite directions.

The static and the living: the building and the flock

A tension exists between the stability of the building and the movement of the flock. These two images present a necessary contrast between established structure and organic care.

The church as a building:

Scripture describes the church as “God’s household” (1 Timothy 3:15) and a structure built on a foundation (Ephesians 2:19-22). 1 Corinthians 3:9 tells Christians, “we are…God’s building.” A building represents permanence, shelter, and order. It requires a strong foundation and structural integrity to stand. Jesus fulfils that as the chief cornerstone. See also 1 Peter 2:5, Hebrews 3:6.

In this mode, the focus is on structure and truth. It provides the walls that define what we believe and the roof that covers us. Without this structure, the church has no location or definition; it becomes formless and lacks conviction.

The church as a flock:

In contrast, the church is also called a flock (Acts 20:28). A flock is a living, breathing entity that needs guidance, food, and protection. It is defined not by walls, but by movement and the voice of the Shepherd. (Luke 12:32, John 10:11-16, 1 Peter 5:2-4)

In this mode, the focus is on guidance and care. A flock wanders; it gets hungry; it gets scared. It needs a shepherd to lead it to green pastures, not just a foundation to stand on.

The tension:

The divine tension here lies between structure and Spirit.

If we emphasize the building to the exclusion of the flock, the church risks becoming rigid or institutional—a museum rather than a home. We may have perfect doctrine (foundation), but no life inside the walls.
Conversely, if we view ourselves only as a flock without the structure of the building, we risk chaos and vulnerability. A flock without a pen is exposed to predators; a movement without a structure eventually dissipates.

We need the solid “walls” of truth and structure (building) to protect the vulnerable, wandering life of the sheep (flock). We must be grounded enough to stand firm, yet mobile enough to follow the Shepherd’s leading. Pauls sums it up in 1 Timothy 4:16 “Watch your life and doctrine closely,” re-enforcing the both/and nature of divine tension.

The warmth of the family vs. the discipline of the army

One of the most profound tensions in church culture exists between the concept of the family and the army.

The church as a family:

Scripture is clear that we are God’s household. Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” In a healthy family, the dominant culture is one of love, acceptance, and unconditional care. We are called to “do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10).

In this mode, the church focuses on warmth and empathy. It is the place where we ask, “Are you feeling sick? Let us take care of you.” It is a culture of celebrations, acceptance, friendships, and safety. (See also, 1 Timothy 3:14-15, Hebrews 2:11.)

The church as an army:

Yet, the New Testament also describes the church as a military force engaged in spiritual warfare. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us that “we do not wage war as the world does,” but we are waging war nonetheless. We are also commanded to endure hardship like “a good soldier of Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). This then extends to the communal mission of the spiritual battle, as seen in Philippians 2:25, where believers are called “fellow soldiers” who are told to put on the “full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17). Furthermore, Revelation 12 depicts the devil making war against the collective offspring of the woman, the people of God. All these military metaphors affirm this as a biblical motif; the warfare is corporate; therefore, the martial reality must also be corporate. (See also, Philemon 1:2 and 1 Peter 2:11.)

In an army, the culture is defined by commitment, courage, discipline, obedience, and sacrifice. The songs we sing in church often reflect this reality: “Soldiers of Christ arise” or “You’re a hard-fighting soldier on the battlefield.”

The tension:

Here is where the divine tension lies. An army without the love of a family becomes a harsh, demanding regime. Many can attest to the wounds this type of environment, if unbalanced, can afflict. Conversely, a family without the mission of an army becomes an inward-focused social club, with little impact or influence on a lost world. We need to care deeply for the family of believers, but also care deeply about the mission of the church to reach the lost. We need the acceptance of the family and the discipline of the army to be the church God designed.

The organic and the intimate: the body and the bride

Another tension also exists between viewing the church as a functioning body and a cherished bride. These two images, found in Ephesians 4 and 5, present us with a duality of function and identity.

The church as a body:

Scripture emphasizes that we are the body of Christ, where “each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). This metaphor is driven by functional necessity and interdependence. In a body, there is cooperation, sharing, and specific roles. The tension here is that parts cannot exist in isolation; the “Boston body” cannot say it doesn’t need the “Chicago body,” nor can “Cape Town” claim independence from “Johannesburg.” In a physical body, when parts go rogue and refuse to submit to the head or work with one another, this is a disease we know as “cancer,” a disease that threatens the whole. In the spiritual body, isolation is not freedom; it is illness. The body is designed for cooperation—to act and achieve the instructions of the Head.

The church as a bride:

Yet, Ephesians and Corinthians also describe the church as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27, 2 Corinthians 11:2). While the body speaks to how we work together, the bride speaks to who we are to Jesus. This image is not about mechanics, but about intimacy, covenant, and devotion.

The tension:

The divine tension here lies between industry and intimacy.

If we emphasize the body to the exclusion of the bride, the church becomes a biological machine—efficient, busy, and structured, but devoid of passion and romance for Jesus. We become “hands and feet” that have forgotten the “heart.”
Conversely, if we view ourselves only as a bride without the mechanics of the body, we risk becoming sentimental and static. We may enjoy the feeling of closeness to God but lack the coordinated movement required to serve the world and each other effectively.

We must live in the tension of being functionally connected to one another (body) while remaining relationally devoted to Christ (bride). We need the structure of the skeleton and the muscles of the army, but we also need the beating heart of the beloved.

The source of conflict: our bias

Why is this balance so hard to maintain? The challenge lies in our own internal preferences. Depending on our wiring, we are dominantly drawn toward one or two of these archetypes over the others. These tensions become difficult not because Scripture is unclear, but because we are biased.

For example, let’s take the family/army tension.

Some of us love the family model: we crave love, care, and a judgment-free environment.
Others are drawn to the army model: we value mission, radical sacrifice, and “getting stuff done.”
When we enter a church community, we subconsciously try to pull or push the culture toward our preference. The “army” people get frustrated when the church seems too soft or slow. The “family” people get hurt when the church seems too demanding or structured. We find ourselves arguing over culture because we want the church to look like the model we prefer.

We have to understand our own bias before we can embrace the divine tension. Socrates said it like this, “know thyself.” Carl Jung tells us, “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart. He who looks outside – dreams, the one who looks inside, awakens.” God simply tells us to “examine ourselves” (1 Corinthians 11:28). Our biases are formed by numerous things, from our personality types to lived experiences, to the echo chamber of our news sources (liberal or conservative). A key measure of spiritual maturity is self-awareness.

Embracing the tension: unity through acceptance

Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” To embrace divine tension is to accept that the church will never fully match our personal ideal, and that’s a good thing. A healthy church requires every metaphor God gives us.

If a church becomes exclusively a building, it loses its heart. If it becomes exclusively a family, it loses its mission. True unity requires us to admit that the Bible gives us multiple models, not just one. This means giving up our insistence on getting everything our way so the whole body can flourish.

The person who loves action and efficiency may need to slow down to care for the wounded (family).
The person who loves care, comfort and stability will need to concede that flexibility and change are necessary for the growth of the church (flock).

The ultimate question we must ask ourselves is: Is the unity of the body precious enough for you to give up some of your personal preferences?

But what do we do when certain biblical metaphors, like the church as an army or a family, trigger discomfort or even pain? For some, the word “family” brings up memories of dysfunction and hurt. For others, the imagery of an army recalls experiences of harsh, militant church environments. Yet the solution is not to delete these metaphors from Scripture. As we learned when studying the Bible, “All Scripture is God-breathed,” and we are not free to treat the Bible like a buffet, keeping only the parts that feel comfortable. Any single metaphor, when pushed to an unhealthy extreme, can create distortion. That is precisely why God, in his wisdom, provides multiple images to describe his church. Only by embracing all of them together can we find balance, health, and maturity. And yes, living within that fullness inevitably creates tension.

Conclusion

Just as we learned in Part 1 to ask, “What is the lamb to this lion?”, we must now ask, “What metaphor of the church am I ignoring?” “Am I willing to accept and learn from people that are different from me to maintain the divine tension so the church can be complete?”

Until we appreciate the tension between these opposing images, we will not have a healthy church culture. By embracing the tension, we allow the church to be everything God intended: a disciplined army that fights with the love of a family, a structured building that lives with the organic connection of a body or flock. Everything is motivated by the passion of a bride.

For reflection:

Which church metaphor (building, flock, family, army, body, or bride) do you naturally gravitate toward?
How might your internal biases be creating blind spots in how you view your local church?
Have you “opposed” people who are advocating for a biblical metaphor of the church you personally dislike?
What are you willing to “sacrifice” to help maintain the divine tension in your community?

See also: Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Experiencing Jesus - by Jake Graham

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 11:51:07 GMT

Sermon recap:

In Luke 19:1–9, we learn that Zaccheus was a bad man in the eyes of the Jews, yet Jesus didn’t put him in his place; He went to his place. Instead of rejection, Zacchaeus experienced life-changing love, so how would I feel toward Zacchaeus, and what does it look like for me to truly experience Jesus like that?

In Luke 10:38–43, we learn that only one thing matters—to be next to Jesus. Distractions stop us from experiencing Him; our phones steal our attention, and we are too busy being Martha rather than Mary. Practically, give up screen time to be with Jesus—because in John 15:15 we learn are not servants but friends, called to share life with him. Don’t get comfortable if you’ve been around a long time; as the epistle to the Philippians 3:12 says, press on, you haven’t arrived yet. If you missed this service, you can watch it in full on our YouTube channel ; the lesson starts at 51 mins.

Behold - by Gary Jacques

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 11:25:55 GMT

Sermon recap:

To live like Jesus, you need to fix your attention and affection on Christ, transforming your life to become more like him. What you do must spring out of who you are. If you missed this service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel . The lesson starts at 50 mins.

Divine Tension: Embracing the Fullness of God’s Truth (Part 2)

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:12:24 GMT

In Part 1 we explored how divine tension is woven into the fabric of creation and Scripture, holding opposing truths together to reveal the fullness of God’s wisdom. From the balances in the physical world to core doctrines like faith and deeds, justice and mercy, we saw that embracing these tensions guards us against imbalance and draws us deeper into God’s character. As promised, let’s now apply this lens to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. These books present a striking divine tension that reflects the complexities of life under the sun while pointing us to eternal truths.

At first glance, these books might seem to contradict one another. Proverbs tells us the world we live in operates under a moral divine order, with clear spiritual principles for living wisely, while Ecclesiastes paints a picture of randomness, futility and unpredictability. Job plunges us into the depths of undeserved suffering and chaos. Yet, when held in tension, they provide a balanced, profound understanding of God’s world: orderly yet disrupted, purposeful yet mysterious.

The orderly world of Proverbs

Proverbs stands as a beacon of divine wisdom, guiding us toward a life of blessing through righteous choices and disciplined living. It portrays a world governed by moral laws where actions have predictable consequences. A brief look at just four topics paints a clear picture.

Consider the theme of wealth. Proverbs 13:11 warns, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” This teaches the value of patience and steady effort over get-rich-quick schemes. Similarly, Proverbs 21:20 notes, “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it,” encouraging prudent management and living within one’s means.

In work, diligence is exalted: “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor” – Proverbs 12:24, and “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty” – Proverbs 14:23. Hard work leads to prosperity; laziness to hardship.

Relationships thrive on sharpening and counsel: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” – Proverbs 27:17, acknowledging that growth often involves challenge. Proverbs 15:22 advises, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed,” urging us to seek wise input rather than act impulsively.

Finally, in choices, we’re called to trust God and his wisdom to guide us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” – Proverbs 3:5-6, and “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” – Proverbs 16:3.

The overarching message of Proverbs is clear: Righteous living leads to blessings and success; unrighteous living to failure and pain. The world operates under moral order—obey God’s principles, and life flourishes. Our lives have purpose when aligned with his ways.

The futility of Ecclesiastes

Yet Solomon, the primary author of Proverbs, takes a surprisingly different tone in Ecclesiastes. Here, the same wise teacher observes life “under the sun” and concludes it is often “meaningless—like chasing the wind” – Ecclesiastes 1:14. The moral order in Proverbs now appears random and unpredictable.

Ecclesiastes 1:13-15 describes the human race enduring a “tragic existence,” where “what is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.” Later, in Ecclesiastes 9:11: “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” Efforts don’t always yield expected results. Success isn’t guaranteed by ability or righteousness; randomness and frustration abound.

Have you ever felt that life’s outcomes defy logic? Ecclesiastes captures that cynicism, highlighting the vanity and unpredictability that can overshadow even wise living. How can the writer of Proverbs be the same person who wrote Ecclesiastes?

The chaos agent in Job

Job introduces yet another layer: innocent suffering. Job is described as “blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil” – Job 1:1. He was prosperous and devout. He believed in the moral principles of Proverbs and followed them devoutly. In the book of Job God peels back the curtain and introduces us to the ultimate chaos agent, Satan. He challenges God, accusing Job of serving him only for blessings. God permits testing, and Job’s ordered life shatters, his livestock is stolen, servants are killed, and tragically his children lost in a storm.

How does Job respond? Not with blame, but worship: “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” – Job 1:21. Remarkable faith.

Job’s three friends, steeped in a Proverbs-like worldview, assume he must be at fault. A + B = C. In chapters four through 25 (a full 22 chapters) they argued that his suffering must be punishment for sin, but they were wrong. The book reveals the agent disrupting God’s order. Yet God remains sovereign, ultimately restoring Job’s health, wealth, family, and dignity. As Romans 8:28 echoes, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Integrating the wisdom literature: divine tension in action

Herein lies the profound divine tension of the wisdom books:

Proverbs affirms God’s created order: Moral laws govern life, righteousness brings blessing.
Ecclesiastes and Job acknowledge disruption: Sin and Satan introduce chaos, unpredictability, and suffering, even for the righteous.

But the tension doesn’t end in despair! God, in his sovereignty, restores order over time for those who remain faithful. Justice prevails in the long run; meaning emerges when we fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

This both/and perspective prevents extremes. Overemphasizing Proverbs alone might breed a prosperity mindset, ignoring life’s hardships. Leaning solely on Ecclesiastes could lead to cynicism and resignation. Job reminds us that suffering isn’t always punitive, yet God redeems it.

Embracing this tension brings balance: Live wisely as in Proverbs, endure chaos with Job’s faith, and maintain perspective amid vanity as in Ecclesiastes. The fullness of wisdom, and of God’s truth, emerges only when we hold all three together.

Conclusion and application

The wisdom literature mirrors the divine tensions we’ve seen elsewhere in Scripture: order and disruption, justice delayed yet certain, purpose amid apparent meaninglessness. By integrating these books, we gain borders for navigating life, avoiding naivety on one side and hopelessness on the other. Holding the tension honors God’s multifaceted revelation and equips us for real-world faith.

For reflection:

How have you experienced the tension between an “orderly” expectation of life and its chaotic realities?
In what area might you be overemphasizing one wisdom book’s perspective, leading to imbalance?

May this divine tension draw us closer to the God who designed a world of profound depth, where opposites coexist in perfect harmony under his sovereign hand.

Watch the related sermon for more insights on this series.

Living Like Jesus – by Jake Graham

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 10:59:51 GMT

Sermon recap:

The need for Jesus is seen from Book of Genesis 1:1–2, when light came into the world; we are the image of God, so how we interact reflects him, yet the choice of the two trees shows that independence leads to billions of problems and we need the solution—Jesus (Gospel of Matthew 4; 26; Epistle to the Philippians 4; Epistle to the Colossians 1), who brings healing, peace, victory, and triumph.

The impact of Jesus continues in Acts of the Apostles 4–5:28–39—His ways are still taught, people still gather in His name, and lives are still transformed—so it is important for us to have Jesus, not honour or glory, and to live like Him as the Teacher, the Shepherd, and the Evangelist. If you missed this service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel . The lesson starts at 42 mins.

One Resolution – by Justin Renton

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:41:10 GMT

Sermon recap

I want to know Christ... Make this your resolution for the year. If you missed this service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 42 mins.

Camp-led Service

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:15:00 GMT

Sermon by Remo Tlale

Watch the full service on our YouTube channel . The sermon starts at 1:11.

Divine Tension: Embracing the Fullness of God’s Truth (Part 1)

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:59:38 GMT

Any serious reader of the Bible soon discovers an uncomfortable reality: the fullness of God’s truth is often held in tension. We see this in Scripture and in creation. We live in a world governed by intricate balances, from the vast expanse of the universe to the microscopic dance of atoms. We cannot avoid encountering a profound principle: divine tension. This concept, drawn from the very fabric of creation, reveals how opposing forces coexist to maintain harmony and wholeness.

Consider the solar system, where gravity pulls planets inward while centrifugal force propels them outward, creating stable orbits. Scale it down to the atomic level, and you’ll find protons and electrons held in equilibrium by electromagnetic forces, or nuclei bound by strong and weak nuclear interactions. Even our own bodies embody this tension, requiring a delicate balance of eating, sleeping, and exercising to thrive. Imbalance leads to illness, just as excess or deficiency disrupts the natural order. This echoes Romans 1:20, where God’s invisible qualities are clearly seen in what has been made. This principle isn’t confined to the physical realm; it permeates the spiritual world as well, reflecting the character of God himself. The Bible is rich with examples where truths exist not in isolation but in dynamic tension. Each side complements the other to reveal the fullness of divine wisdom.

Tensions in creation and core doctrines

Faith and deeds, for instance, are like inhaling and exhaling—essential and interdependent. As James 2:26 declares, “Faith without deeds is dead.” Yet deeds performed without faith are equally futile, amounting to mere human effort devoid of spiritual life (cf. Isaiah 64:6, where even our righteous acts are like “filthy rags” apart from God). This does not mean non-believers’ good deeds lack any value under God’s common grace (Matthew 5:45), but they cannot achieve spiritual salvation without faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Similarly, repentance and grace form a sacred tension. Without repentance, grace is spurned—as Hebrews 10:26-31 warns against deliberately continuing in sin. But without grace, repentance becomes an impossible burden, for no one can atone through effort alone.

At its core, the fullness of God’s truth resides in this divine tension. We, as finite beings, often seek to resolve it, craving simplicity and closure. Our discomfort with ambiguity is evident in everyday life. Think of how Hollywood crafts narratives: tension builds with a villain’s threat or a romantic misunderstanding, heroes intervene, and resolution arrives, leaving audiences satisfied. While some appreciate open-ended stories, unresolved narratives often frustrate us, prompting complaints about “cliffhangers” or “poor scripting.” Yet, in reality, embracing tension fosters balance and depth. Resolving it prematurely can lead to distortion, much like favoring one side of a seesaw, which tips everything into imbalance.

Human aversion to tension

This aversion to tension explains why many approach Scripture selectively. We gravitate toward verses that align with personal preferences while ignoring counterpoints. But true biblical understanding demands we hold opposites together. Jesus himself exemplifies this divine tension, portrayed in Scripture as both Lamb and Lion, symbols that could not be more antithetical.

In John 1:29, he is the gentle Lamb of God, sacrificial and meek, taking away the sins of the world. Yet in Revelation 5:5, he is the fierce Lion of the tribe of Judah, triumphant and powerful. Is Jesus submissive or sovereign? Compassionate or conquering? The answer is both/and. This isn’t contradiction but completion, a both/and reality that defies our either/or mindset. This duality reflects the hypostatic union: Jesus as fully God and fully man (John 1:14), avoiding heresies like Docetism (denying His humanity) or Arianism (denying His divinity).

To transform your personal Bible study, adopt this lens: for any topic, you’re not done until you’ve identified what holds it in divine tension. What is the “Lamb” to this “Lion”? These tensions serve as the right and left borders of truth, preventing us from veering into extremes. Without them, we either risk heresy or shallow faith. Emphasizing grace without repentance leads to a permissive license to sin, while stressing deeds without faith breeds legalism and a works-oriented Christianity.

Key Biblical examples

Consider additional biblical examples to illustrate this universality.

Love and truth: As Psalm 85:10 poetically unites them: “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” Love without truth becomes sentimental indulgence, while truth without love turns harsh and judgmental.
Sovereignty of God and human free will: God’s predestined plans (Ephesians 1:11) coexist with our responsibility to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19). While different Christian traditions vary in emphasis, such as Calvinism leaning toward sovereignty and Arminianism toward choice, Scripture holds both in tension as a divine mystery, guarding against fatalism on one hand and self-reliance on the other (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9, God’s ways are higher than ours).
Predestination and evangelism: God’s election (Romans 8:29-30; Acts 13:48) doesn’t negate the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) but energizes it. This also reflects God’s desire for all to repent (2 Peter 3:9).

Other profound tensions include the Trinity, one God in three persons (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19) and the incarnation of Christ (John 1:14). Theologians like A.W. Tozer, in The Knowledge of the Holy, emphasize such divine attributes as paradoxes that deepen our awe of God. Let’s apply this to another pivotal theme: justice.

Justice and mercy illustrated

Scripture resounds with God’s unwavering commitment to justice. Isaiah 61:8 proclaims, “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.” God is impartial, showing no favouritism—what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. Unlike us, who often bend justice for those we favor, excusing misdeeds with rationalizations like “They had a tough day” or “Consider the root causes,” God remains steadfast and is not swayed by bias. Deuteronomy 32:4 affirms, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” This consistency is a rock-solid comfort in an unpredictable world, where relationships can swing from affection to criticism without warning.

God’s justice extends to his role as judge. Psalm 9:7-8 states, “The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.” We, however, judge hypocritically; we are harsh on others’ actions but lenient on our own intentions, pleading “I didn’t mean to.” Yet God judges with true equity, as Nahum 1:3 assures: “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” This slowness to anger counters our misconceptions of a quick-tempered deity, while promising that injustice won’t go unchecked provides solace amid worldly corruption. Still, God’s hatred of sin (Psalm 11:5) underscores his holiness.

But justice alone isn’t the full picture. Its divine counterpart is mercy, forming borders that keep our understanding balanced. Psalm 103:8-10 reveals, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Who among us would demand justice for our own failings? Instead, we echo the tax collector in Luke 18:13, crying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and find justification through humility. Justification declares us righteous in Christ, as if our sins are fully covered and atoned for (Romans 4:7-8; 5:1) which is a forensic declaration where God remembers our sins no more in terms of condemnation (Hebrews 8:12). Micah 7:18-19 exults, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression?… You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”

God doesn’t forgive begrudgingly; he delights in it, casting our sins into the sea’s depths. Lamentations 3:22-23 adds, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Justice and mercy aren’t at odds, but intertwined in God’s nature—his justice demands payment for sin, yet his mercy provides it through Christ (Romans 3:25-26).

Without mercy, justice crushes us; without justice, mercy cheapens grace. A vivid illustration unfolds in John 8:1-11, where a woman caught in adultery faces stoning under the law’s justice. Jesus upholds justice by challenging the accusers (“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”) while extending mercy (“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more”). Here, divine tension resolves not by compromise but by fulfilment in Christ.

Conclusion and application

Embracing divine tension can revolutionize our personal Bible study. It guards against one-sided interpretations that lead us astray and provides borders that define the path of truth. However, remember that “tension” doesn’t justify relativism. God’s truth is absolute, though multifaceted (Proverbs 25:2 encourages searching out such matters). Some tensions may resolve in eternity, when we know fully as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12). Very few topics are standalones—they do exist (e.g., God’s monotheism in Deuteronomy 6:4), but you will be surprised at how few there are. Whether exploring leadership structures, women’s roles, humility and boldness, rest and labor, or any doctrine, always ask: What holds this truth in tension? What is the lamb to this lion? Until we have found the tension, we do not have the fullness of God’s truth on any topic. By embracing the tension, we mirror the balance found is both scripture and in creation that God designed, drawing us closer to his infinite wisdom.

For reflection:

What tension do you see in your current Bible study topic?
How might overemphasizing one side lead to imbalance in your faith?

In part 2 , we’ll explore the wisdom literature in scripture through this lens.

Watch my sermon on this topic below, starting at the 52 minute mark.

Christmas Carols led by the Teens

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:44:39 GMT

New Title

A modern retelling of the story of Jesus's birth by the teen ministry. Watch it on our YouTube channel, it starts at 47 mins.

Why I Left the Church...and Came Back – Jan

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:49:35 GMT

15 years after leaving the ICOC, Jan decided to come back. Hear his powerful story of loss, rebellion, exploration, and why he decided to return.

#internationalchurchesofchrist #icoc #disciplestoday

Experiencing God - by Ivor Botha

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:23:03 GMT

Sermon recap:

God is always at work—inviting us into a real, personal relationship with Him. He still speaks today, often in quiet moments rather than loud events. Like Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1–4), we must slow down, be still (Psalm 46:10), and be ready to notice when He’s calling. Experiencing God isn’t about knowing about Him—it’s about truly knowing Him (John 17:3; Job 42:1–6; Galatians 4:8–9).
Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). Be on the lookout for your “burning bush” moments—He’s waiting for you.

You can watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel (the message starts at 56 mins).

The Greatest Invitation – Kidz Zone

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:31:08 GMT

Sunday sermon

Watch the full sermon by Paseka "and his crew" on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 41 mins).

The Cross-shaped Yoke – By Justin Renton

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:50:27 GMT

Sermon recap:

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 48 mins).

Encounter 2025

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:16:57 GMT

Nearly 200 young people, 160 campus students and 33 teens, for the Saturday, gathered to learn, connect, and worship together!

Our theme for the weekend was “But God”, taken from Ephesians 2:1–5. The passage speaks of how things were going. They were stuck in sin and without hope, "but God" stepped in with mercy and love, changing everything.

We held split classes for men and women under the shared title: “I Would But Jesus…”, encouraging honest reflection on our struggles and the transformation Jesus brings.

The whole weekend invited us to examine our lives, hearts, and circumstances, and to recognize the “But God” moments:

moments where God’s fingerprints, love, and good plans broke through our mess and showed us a better way.

We were especially inspired by the diversity in the room, students representing eight different nations:

South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana.

It was a weekend full of worship, connection, truth, and renewed vision. We can’t wait to see the ripple effects from what God started!

Lessons from the Wilderness—by Justin Renton

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:27:04 GMT

Sermon recap:

The wilderness is a metaphor for us signifying a period of testing, isolation, prepping or transformation we go through. Have you experienced a wilderness season? Ask yourself what it reveals about God, what he is preparing you for and how can you seek him more intentionally. Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 49 mins).

Biblical Parenting— by Dave Ryter

susan.dtoday@gmail.com (Susan Busack) — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 10:35:55 GMT

Sermon recap:

Dave Ryter's lesson starts at 49 mins on our YouTube channel.

Authentic Community—by Neil Trollip

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 10:32:47 GMT

Sermon recap:

True happiness comes from deep, authentic community, meaningful purpose, and a worldview that brings clarity to life and suffering. In a culture marked by hyper-individualism, social media-driven pseudo-connection, and rising loneliness and anxiety, we are called to something deeper. Real community begins with humility, valuing each person’s unique role and gifting, and putting others first. It looks like sincere love, hospitality, shared joys and struggles, and perseverance together. Though no church is perfect, we’re meant to live in committed fellowship, forgiving each other, striving to reflect God’s love, and intentionally resisting the spiritual forces that seek to isolate and divide us.

Watch Neil Trollip's lesson on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 57 mins.

Choices—by Tsepo May

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:17:33 GMT

Sermon recap:

We go through bad days and good days and only have control over your own perspective or how you view your experiences. It is not for us to search for the reasons why things happen based on limited evidence. We are to bring our pain and grief to God, trusting that he knows what he's doing. Are your best days as a follower of Jesus behind or ahead of you The daily choices you make contribute to your general state. Make good choices even during bad days.

Watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel (it starts at 50 mins).

Discern & Decide—Jacques Genis

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 10:35:22 GMT

Sermon recap:

You can watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel (it starts at 38 mins).

Biblical Parenting: Taming the Tongue—by Chris & Luna Rathebe

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 07:47:27 GMT

Sermon recap:

Words have incredible power—they can give life or cause deep hurt. The way we speak reflects who we are, so it’s important to choose our words with care. Gracious, thoughtful speech encourages growth and understanding, while negative or careless words can do lasting harm. As followers of Jesus, we're called to speak in ways that build others up, especially our children. Let’s be mindful, avoid double-speak, and use words that bring hope, healing, and encouragement to those around us.

If you missed the lesson, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (it starts at 52 mins).

Like the Father—by Jake Graham

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 07:29:13 GMT

Sermon recap:

In God's story, he created men and women in his image and invited us to reflect His character and care for his creation. He delights in walking with us—not because we earn his love, but because he freely gives it. Though we often chase false gods, God’s presence remains with us. There’s no image of him because we are meant to represent him. Even when we’re unlovable, the Father still loves us. In Christ, we’re called to live in the freedom and joy of his forgiveness. In case you missed it, you can watch this Father's Day lesson on our YouTube channel, it starts at 43 minutes.

BuildTogether, Part 4—by Werner Reyneke

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 07:19:54 GMT

Sermon recap:

Following Jesus comes with the cost of persecution and rejection. If we face none, it may reveal compromise or conformity to the world. Are we influencing culture—or being influenced by it and compromising our standards? True faith shares Christ boldly, just as the early disciples did. Let’s trust God with courage and live boldly for the One we serve. If you missed the lesson, you can watch it on our YouTube channe l (the lesson starts at 49 mins).

Sacrificial Giving, Part 3 —By Justin Renton & Solete Wilke

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 07:01:47 GMT

Sermon recap:

Giving is an act of worship . While God doesn't need our money, there is a heart connection between giving and our wealth. We honour God by giving from the best we have in our income. Worship involves giving. We rob God by not giving what we promised to give. Giving is to God not man . God makes a distinction between giving to him and to people. Are you giving with strings attached? Trust him with your giving.

Giving is an act of gratitude (Solete): We have a deep responsibility to take care of the church for the sake of our families. The church is a place where we can reflect on his goodness and lay a foundation of faith for future generations.

If you missed the lesson, you can watch in on our YouTube channel (the message starts at 52 mins).

Praise & Worship Service

Sun, 25 May 2025 07:32:15 GMT

We enjoyed a fantastic time of praise and worship, and had a communion message by Brendan Devine (it starts at 1:11 mins). If you missed it, you can watch it on our YouTube channel and be uplifted.

Biblical Parenting Part 2—Justin & Irene Renton

Sun, 18 May 2025 08:10:56 GMT

Sermon recap:

We need to learn how to train our children according to the Bible, using resources such as books. Roleplay the kind of behaviour you'd like to see, make it age appropriate, be intentional and never give up. If you missed the service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 50 mins).

Walking Through LIfe With God —Mark & Lin Ottenweller

Sun, 11 May 2025 08:24:34 GMT

Sermon recap:

Learning from at the example of Moses, being humble doesn't mean you don't go through trouble in life. While we build a family and career or face opportunities to lead, fear is not a sign of lack of faith, but of intimidation. We don't want to lead because we don't want to face tough situations, but suffering brings about transformation. Knowing God is the most important thing in life. Our knowledge adn walk with him will help us make good choices. We need to fight for our faith. If you missed the service, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 40 mins).

Sacrificial Giving, Part 2—by Ivor Botha, Erick Li Sik & Bridget Mokoteli

Sun, 04 May 2025 11:30:05 GMT

Sermon recap:

Erick:
We are called to excel in the grace of giving—it’s not just a duty, but a spiritual act of worship. Don’t take what you have for granted. Whatever you do, let it be done in service to Christ.

Bridget:
Many of us struggle with reasons not to give—like saying, “I’ll give when I have more.” But God calls us to be consistent and faithful in our giving. Set it aside intentionally, and don’t delay in fulfilling what you’ve committed to the Lord.

Ivor:
God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. Our giving reflects our view of who God is. Remember, King Jesus will hold us accountable for how we steward the blessings He’s entrusted to us.

You can watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 47 mins.

Biblical Parenting Part 1 —by Justin & Sarah-Jane Louw

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 11:11:04 GMT

Sermon recap:

Changing takes courage—but parenting God’s way means choosing His path, knowing where our help comes from. Righteousness is about healing and strengthening relationships, not achieving perfection. Don’t conform to the world’s ways—seek God’s perspective on parenting. Model the behaviour you want to see, and let His Word draw your heart to your children, and theirs to yours. Be present in their spiritual journey—it's not optional, it's your responsibility.

Watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel (it starts at 49 mins).

Treasure in the Field—by Justin Louw & the Teens

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 10:54:39 GMT

Sermon recap:

We are like broken pieces of pottery. God went looking for us, he found the fragments of our lives discarded by life/shame/disappointment, and put us back with the blood of Jesus. Treat each other not as broken but perfected through Christ.

Watch Justin's lesson on our YouTube channel (it starts at 40 mins).

Build Together (Book of Acts), Part 3—by Justin Renton

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:59:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

The Holy Spirit gives guidance and direction in our missionary work. Are we doing the work the Spirit has set aside for each one of us to do? He knows the time, place and person to reach out to. Are we listening and obeying when he nudges us? The Holy Spirit forms Christ in all of us and it's a lifetime journey. Seek to be filled. Listen to his voice. Step out boldly. You can watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 50 mins.

Sacrificial Giving, Part 1—by Jacques Genis, CJ Roux & Fungai Blake

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 08:35:32 GMT

Sermon recap:

Giving is an act of trust. It is also not an obligation but an act of worship. Give from the heart, not as a duty, but as a way to express gratitude. Giving is about unity n the church, it is motivated by grace, not guilt, and a spiritual act of joyful worship. Jesus demonstrated sacrificial giving through his actions, leaving us an example to follow. You can watch the full service and sermon on our YouTube channel, the lesson starts at 48 mins.

My Story, His Mission & Grace—by Erick Li Sik and Ettienne Wilke

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 15:51:21 GMT

Sermon recap:

Erick Li Sik: To embrace Jesus's mission, I must first clothe myself with Jesus and have his character formed in me. He must become greater, I must become less. Then I"ll be able to do as Jesus did.

Ettienne: By His grace. God's grace is with me. We need each other. Grace is a gift.

Watch the full sermon (it starts at 43 mins) on our YouTube channel.

My Story, His Glory—by Xolani Mthwecu & Danie Vos

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 09:29:37 GMT

Sermon recap:

Xolani: You are exactly where you need to be. God glorifies himself through what happens to us, often when least expected.

Joshua 24:15b As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Isaiah 61:3 God is always there, but it's up to us to recognise him in each situation.

Danie:

Protect the flock. We hurt each other unintentionally.

Ephesians 4:29 Are you building others up? Make sure you don't hurt people through gossip and slander (Proverbs 16:28); 1 Timothy 5:13 Being busybodies.

Matthew 18 teaches how to deal with disagreements in a godly way.

Matthew 12:35-37 Be part of the solution.

2. Do not hurt the weak in the faith. Luke 17:1-2 Jesus has big concern for his flock. Luke 17:3-4 Forgive one another. We will all mess up at one time or another.

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 45 mins).

Thank Goodness—by Dave Ryter

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 10:19:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

The world longs to see our Father, and he wants to use us to show what goodness looks like. Our role is to become more like Jesus and to love him, become more like him, and to intercede for people.

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 43 mins).

Build Together (Book of Acts) Part 2—by Jacques Genis

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:52:33 GMT

Sermon recap: The Centre

In Acts 2 we read two passages of scripture that form the blueprint for our beliefs. The early church was centred, they allowed themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. Is Jesus at the centre of our lives? You can watch the lesson on our YouTube channel (it starts at 48 mins).

My Story, His Glory—by Emy Ngwenya & Dr Marc Aguirre

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:21:36 GMT

Sermon recap:

Emy Ngwenya: God is at work in our lives. Psalm 139:13–16 reminds us that we all start out the same, fearfully and wonderfully made. Do you remember what God has done for you? Decide how you want your life play out? The kingdom of God plays a pivotal role in our lives, shaping our purity, dating, marriage, parenting, friendships, that your career doesn't not drowning your faith, discipling, community.

We have to be united in our vision to see God's kingdom united & grow, rooting out seeds of sin that cause division, forgiveness, serving.

Marc Aguirre: The goodness of God. Psalm 23:6 tells us God's goodness will pursue me. It is not easy to see his goodness when life is hard/when you fail/trials/loss. Everything won't work out just because you pray. The cross is the greatest evidence of God's goodness. What can he do in your life?

If you missed the sermon, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 52 mins)

Experiencing God, Part 2—by Ivor Botha

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 14:44:12 GMT

Sermon recap:

Experiencing God. The Hebrew word "Yada" means to know/ feeling with the heart

How do we get to know God? He makes himself known by displaying his power, his justice, his loving kindness, his word, Holy Spirit and through his forgiveness.

How well do I know God? Our view of God limits us (determined by my relationships, experiences).

Do I have a correct view of God?

*Zephaniah 3:17 God is with us. He delights/rejoices over you with singing.

*Hebrews 2:11 Jeaus is not ashamed of us We make the weak feel dispensable. It's okay to struggle as long as you don't give up.

The cross was his ultimate way to show us his love for us.

If you missed the sermon, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (it starts at 43 mins).

Experiencing God, Part 1 - by Ivor Botha

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 10:28:31 GMT

Sermon recap:

The Hebrew word "yada" means "to know" from the heart or by experience. While the word "relationship" is not in the Bible, it permeates the scriptures. God knows our hearts and our thoughts. We get to know him by being broken, humble, completely open and by making it our goal to know him.

If you missed this lesson (it starts at 41 mins), you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

Build Together - by Mpho Khalo

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 09:59:32 GMT

Sermon recap:

We need to gather together to pray. The first followers of Jesus prayed before big decisions, obstacles they faced and when persecuted. We've been given a foundation for prayer, and it must be our lifestyle.

If you missed this lesson (it starts at 54 mins), you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

Experiencing Jesus—by Mark Baumhardt

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 11:55:26 GMT

Sermon recap:

There is a difference between knowing and experiencing Jesus (he is a person, not a doctrine). He is the lens of God's heart (through the battle lens, the journey in finding him, and the relational lens). We can't see the deep roots of Jesus's love but they are there. Knowledge comes from experieincing Jesus's love.

If you missed the lesson by Mark Baumhardt, one of the original members of the mission team to Johannesburg, then you can watch it on our YouTube channel. The recording is in two parts. This is the second one .

Leaving Egypt - by Edwin Shumba

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:44:09 GMT

Sermon recap:

Leaving Egypt was going to be about more than just the miracles. Forget your plans, God will fight for you. We need to be grateful, humble and still. We need to step out in faith and trust God, not relying on our own experience but to be open to new teaching.

You can watch the replay of the lesson (it starts at 59 mins) on our Y ouTube channel.

Starting Strong - by Justin & Irene Renton

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 13:19:44 GMT

Sermon recap: Finding Your Place in God's Plan for the Year

Tough times refine us to help us change and bring out impurities. During these times, Jesus prays for us. Don't waste your pain: strengthen others. Use what you learned and turn your misery into a ministry. Seek help when spiritually weak and get involved. There are blessings for obedience. If you missed the lesson, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (it starts at 37 mins).

Camp-led Service - by Jake Graham

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 13:06:52 GMT

Sermon recap:

Jake Graham shared the inspirational history behind Camp Swamp and the impact it has had on thousands of children around the world, and especially here in Africa. The lesson starts at 49 mins and you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

Divine Tension, Part 2—by Jacques Genis

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:37:51 GMT

Sermon recap: Step Logic v Block Logic

Part 2 in the series Divine Tension starts at 1:00. From premise to premise to conclusion equals step logic. Thoughts expressed as units or blocks of thought equals block logic. This creates a paradox, reconciling the irreconcilable. Watch it on our YouTube channel.

Divine Tension, Part 1—by Justin Renton

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:24:23 GMT

Sermon recap: Embracing the Fullness of God's Truth

Watch Part 1 in the series on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 52 mins.

Life in Christ—by Solly Kganyago

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 14:12:08 GMT

Sermon recap:

What does life with Christ mean to us? We become a new creation and we need to throw off everything that hinders our relationship with God. Don't normalise sin. Run the race of life with perseverance, it is a marathon not a sprint. Be obedient to God, using your gifts to serve God's family. Time is limited, stop blaming others, and be rooted in the truth to distinguish false teaching, and remain in Christ. You can watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel (it starts at 50 mins).

God's New Covenant People: Part 2 The Kingdom of God - by Werner Reyneke

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:10:41 GMT

Sermon recap:

The word "kingdom" is used over 125 times in the Bible. To know about the kingdom you must know about its king. Do we call Jesus our king, and live out the values of the kingdom?

If you missed the service, you watch it on our YouTube channel. Werner Reyneke's lesson starts at 51 mins .

All Africa Build Conference 2024

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 14:49:12 GMT

The theme of the conference was "BUILDtogether" and the speakers and discussions challenged the Elders, Evangelists, Teachers and lay leaders to love God, love people and allow the Spirit to lead the building of the church.

#disciplestoday #icoc #internationalchurchesofchrist

Let the Fathers Take Their Rightful, Youthful Place - by Chris Rathebe

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:57:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

What do fathers represent? Leaders, defender, authority, providers, warmth, security, belonging and more. Practicals:

Lead by example, stand in the gap, establish customs, identify and meet needs, be a source of hope and willing to pay the ultimate sacrifce.

You can watch the full service on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 34 mins).

This is Your Wall by Jacques Genis

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:51:37 GMT

Sermon recap:

Our best efforts flow from a sense of ownership. What prevents you from using your gifts to build up the church?

You can watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 56 mins).

BUILDTogether, Part 4 - by Solly Kganyago

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 12:40:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

If you missed the lesson, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (starts at 49 mins).

A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break - by David Gongdongwe

Mon, 27 May 2024 12:07:22 GMT

Sermon recap:

Jesus has a heart that desires mercy not sacrifice. The Holy Spirit works to soften our hearts so we can be reconciled to God. He is compassionate and can light up a nation with the spark of a prayer by one lost soul.

If you missed the sermon, you can watch it on our YouTube channel (it starts at 49 mins)/

Following Jesus in a LGBTQ World - by Guy Hammond

Sun, 19 May 2024 12:22:11 GMT

Sermon recap:

Guy Hammond answers the top four questions he gets asked about LGBTQ and Christianity: Are people born gay; how's it possible that a Christian could be attracted to the same sex if they repented; Can a Christian attend a gay wedding or civil ceremony, and how to love a gay person when you don't approve of their lifestyle? f you missed Guy's thoughtful lesson, you can watch it on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 52 mins.

Celebrating Mothers - by Jacques Genis

Sun, 12 May 2024 12:32:25 GMT

Sermon recap:

If you missed the lesson, you can watch it on our Youtube channel (the lesson starts at 54mins).

BUILDTogether, Part 3 - by Ivor Botha

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:11:29 GMT

Sermon recap:

If you missed Part 3 of BuildTogether by Ivor Botha, you can watch on our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 34 mins.

In Haggai 1: 1-4 God challenged the nation about their priorities. He wanted them to rebuild the temple. They agreed but said, "Not now."

Verse 13-14 God promised, "I am with you," when they got distracted by the opposition. What is God saying to us today Wha is stopping us from building his kingdom? We need to seek God, taste how good he is, and trust that he is working behind the scenes.

Love & Respect: The Complete Equation - Nda and Lerato Ncube

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:17:10 GMT

Sunday sermon:

If you missed Sunday's service, you can catch it on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 47 mins):

On to Maturity - by Justin Renton

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:44:16 GMT

Sermon recap:

You know you're spiritually mature when you trust God's plan for salvation. 2. You've moved forward to maturity when others can see your progress. 3. You've moved to maturity when you show patience and diligence to the end.

Watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 45mins).

The Story of the Cross - by Litha Myataza

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 12:40:31 GMT

Sermon recap:

God wants to dwell with his people despite their shortcomings. He came up with a revolutionary way, and the Cross allows us to experience God in our lives. God is forgiveness. God is hope. God is love.

You can watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 46mins).

Hesed, Part 2 - by Ivor Botha

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 12:29:48 GMT

Sermon recap:

Hesed, means "unexpected loving kindness" (one of 170 English words used to try and describe it).It applies to everyone. Jesus came to show us "hesed" in the flesh. God wants us to show hesed in a world that doesn't expect it. Can people see "hesed" in me?

You can watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 41mins)

Hesed, Part 1 - by Ivor Botha

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:10:00 GMT

Sermon recap:

Just like the word "lekker" or "ubuntu" there are some words that cannot be translated into English with just one word. Hesed is a Hebrew word that has 170 English words to describe it. Unexpected loving kindness is one of many phrases used to try and show how much God loves us.

If you missed the service you can watch it in full on our YouTube channel. The sermon starts at 34 mins.

God's Amazing Grace - by Justin Renton

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:33:46 GMT

Sermon recap:

God's grace is our safety net. God wants us to do our best and he'll do the rest. Grace is our superpower.

If you'd like to watch the full service that focused on praising and worship God for his grace, then watch it on our YouTube channel, click here.

BUILDTogether, Part 2 - by Mfundo Nondala

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 11:57:16 GMT

Sermon recap:

You don't build something that's already there, unless it has collapsed.

1. Wake up your faith. Discouragement sets in when we focus on what we see and hear around us. Are you comfortable or involved? Are you connected to God? What do we need to rebuild as a congregation?

2. Lead, don't supervise. There is a time to lead from the front and get your hands dirty. Take it seriously.

3. Stand up to opposition. Opposition brings accountability and commitment, or destruction that hurts, humiliates and causes fighting. Ask why?

If you would like to watch the sermon, go to our YouTube channel. The lesson starts at 53 mins.

Some Perspectives on Grace - by Tsepo May

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 13:24:36 GMT

Sermon recap:

God poured out his kindness on us. Do you still remember the gift of grace and the role it played in your life? What effect has it had on your life? Does it give you confidence? How about relational grace. Be unoffendable in your patience. We are forgiven sinners but we will hurt each other. When we mess up we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. God's grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions.

Watch the full lesson on our YouTube channel, it starts at 41 mins.

BUILDTogether, Part 1 - by Justin Renton

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:19:41 GMT

Sermon recap:

Justin Renton shared the first lesson in our series for the year-BUILDtogether:

God moves in mysterious ways. The return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple came about with the help of a pagan king, Cyrus.
Embrace different perspectives. We can view the same event very differently. Respect one another.
The work stalls when we lose focus.

Watch the full service and sermon on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 53 mins)

Jesus and the Poor, Part 1 by Justin Renton and Gloria Nkosi

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 13:24:20 GMT

Sermon summary:

Proverbs 21:13 if we ignore the poor, we will be ignored un our time of need. It affects God's response to your prayers.

Make a difference to one person.

Ezekiel 16:49 Don't be arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned

Matthew 4:17–25 The Life and Ministry of Jesus involved Preaching (heraliding in the message of the King), teaching (going deeper into the message) and healing (taking care of the whole person).

Luke 16:19–31 The rich man and Lazarus

Earthly wealth doesn't equal heavenly blessing. He judges us in our response to the poor.

Notice and think of the needy around us.

Gloria Nkosi: There are four pillars we will focus on over the next four weeks:

*ECDs

*Drives — e.g. jumble sales, toys

*Skills development. Jobs or micro-businesses

*Disaster Reliefs—e.g. flooding, fires.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 56 minutes).

Family Habits that Nurture Love for Jesus

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 15:33:17 GMT

The difference parents or caregivers can make:

While there's no surefire way to ensure your child's journey toward loving and following Jesus, we've spoken to parents of teens and young adults who've recently found their faith. They graciously shared family habits and spiritual practices that made a difference. Here's what they had to say:

Family habits:

* Read the Bible together . Include reading scriptures as part of younger children's bedtime routine.

* Pray with them . Make it part of your morning routine, such as on the way to school.

* Eat together . Prioritise regular family meals without electronic distractions. Use this time to share daily highs and lows.

* Do life together . Share life experiences together, such as hosting celebrations and serving others in need.

* Commit to consistent and creative devotionals . Allow each family member the opportunity to lead.

Kingdom practices:

* Seek first the Kingdom . Make church and family Bible discussions a priority, showing, through your decisions, the Kingdom is your focus.

* Be part of a spiritual community. Connect with other families, share meals, celebrate, mourn, serve, and build friendships. Create a sense of belonging.

If you are already putting these into practice, we trust you will grow stronger in them. And if they are not yet a part of your life, perhaps they could be a goal to pursue in 2024.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

The 7 People that will Help You to Heaven-by Xolani Mthwecu & Ivor Botha

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 12:12:35 GMT

Sermon summary:

Xolani --The Prophet: We all need someone who calls you back to the Word of God, proclaim the truth, and what you need to do; no matter how difficult it is. In the Old Testament, we have prophets like Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. The best example of someone who had a prophet in his life was David who was rebuked by Nathan (2 Samuel 12).

In the New Testatment, Jesus was the ultimate prophet. In John 8:10–11 Jesus didn't claim the victory, but called the woman caught in adultery to repentance. He rebuke Peter (Mark 8:33)publicly in front of the other disciples so they too could learn. In Galatians 2:11-14 Paul rebuked Peter for his hypocrisy. In practice, we need to evaluate everything we're told against the Bible, like the Bereans did (Acts 17:11).

Ivor--The Learner: We all want to be fed, but don't want to do the same for others.

Philippians 4:9 whatever you have learned, put it into practice.

Matthew 28:20 teach others to obey

2 Tim 3:14 Continue. Philippians 3:17 Imitate.

We are reluctant to teach others because we're not Jesus/ are afraid to make a mistake /or have been hurt in the past. God's plan is to use imperfect people to teach imperfect people.

Hebrews 6:11–12 God desires for us to finish the race by imitating others.

Moses trained Joshua.

How does it help me? Gives you a sense if Godly responsibility and accountability.

Encouragement and joy in their victories; God promises to be with me.

Good students make good teachers.

God is in control of the relationships you're in.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 33 mins).

The 7 People that will Help You to Heaven-by Erick Li Sik & Danie Vos

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:13:52 GMT

Sermon summary:

Erick Li Sik, The Soulmate:

1 Samuel 18:1-4; Proverbs 18:24; and 1 Samuel 20:41 A soulmate is someone with whom you have a special and deep affinity. It is a unique and special relationship. You need someone who will tell you without fear what you need to hear. It requires a deep sense of trust, a willingness to pay the price for friendship, not afraid to show emotion or affection, and someone who will help you find strength in God.

Danie Vos, The Encourager :

While you can have more than one encourager in your life, everyone needs that one person who knows everything about you. That person will encourage you to be more like Jesus. Practically, it means someone who will pitch up, meet, give, reach out when others don't, help you fulfil God's will for your life, and stand with you even when you stumble.

Acts 15: 36-41; Colossians 4:10

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 47 mins)

#StrongerTogether, Part 8 by Ivor Botha

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:13:01 GMT

Sermon summary:

Get God's grace. Titus was appointed by the Apostle Paul to minister to a Gentile audience. God's grace gives us salvation and teaches us to say no to ungodliness. God poured out his grace on us.
Learn to control your character. Grace and conduct go together. Can you control (press the pause or stop button) yourself?

Watch the full service (the sermon starts at 37mins) here .

The 7 People that will Help You to Heaven Part 2—Emy Ngwenya and Dr Marc Aguirre

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:12:10 GMT

Sermon summary:

Emy Ngwenya: An Advisor:

You can convince yourself that your point of view is the correct one when you want something to go your way.

Spiritual advice has an eternal impact. Be humble enough to ask for help.Ask what you need to change.

Areas we need to seek advice on: Practical everyday matters OR spiritual (in your relationship with God; Personality; How you affect others; Reaching out to people; Relationships; How to resolve conflict; Serving; Finding and using your skillset; Godly priorities; Seeking first the kingdom; Finances; Career; Dating and marriage; Parenting.

Who to seek advice from? Proverbs 27:9 Prov 10:31–32 13:20; Romans 15:14

From people with integrity and righteousness, who use the Word of God, and considers the consequences.

Who are your advisors? Starts in your discipling relationships. Greek word for disciple=learner. It's lifelong. Make the effort not to lean on yr own understanding when challenges.

Dr Marc Aguirre—The Mentor

Being with him (Jesus), being like him, and live for him. Your relationship with Jesus determines how your life pans out.

The faith journey was not meant to be walked alone. We can learn from those who've gone before.

A mentor=a friend/who shares their life and experiece/ wisdom with you because they've used the word

Mark 3:13–14 Doing life together.

2 Timothy 3:10; 14–15 being vulnerable and open with each other. Not trying to impress one another. Follow what is Christ-like and use the word. Not controlling/selfish

Parenting–not exasperating

Battle against sin.

Don't under-estimate the power of a mentor in your life.

Catch the full service here (the sermon starts at 51mins)

The 7 People that will Help You to Heaven, Part 1 by Justin Renton

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 12:06:51 GMT

Sermon summary:

Watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 44 mins).

The Water Awaits by Sam Berensohn

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 12:30:04 GMT

Sermon summary:

Leave your boats. Peter left behind security, comfort, what is logical, and made a statement of trust. He left behind physical and emotional safety, and security of people. It's easier to do what's not logical/crazy when you have someone with you/safety in numbers. We have to answer the same questions to follow Jesus. You may be physically/socially isolated when you stand up for your faith. Romans 12:2

Have you left your boats/do you know what they are?

What do you protect in your life? What happens when you leave your boat? You walk on water.

Matthew 14:28–34 How does God work through me, no matter who I am? The potential of what God can do when you get out is greater than staying in the boat.

2. The Son in the storm. The storm distorts what we see when we look at Jesus, the scriptures don't sound the same as they used to; the lack if him answering your prayers.

Maybe we don't need five points to know how to change, but only to see when we call out to Jesus, he is there immediately.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 1:00).

Let the Children Come by Oswell Majengwa

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 12:42:16 GMT

Sermon summary:

Watch kidzZone teacher, Oswell Majengwa and kidzZone graduates share about the role and impact parents play in teaching their children about God.

The sermon starts at 34 mins, watch it here .

Hear His Voice—by Ivor and Anne-Marie Botha

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 10:52:23 GMT

Sermon summary:

You can watch the full service on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 46mins) here.

Taking up the challenge to "Go and Grow"

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:36:30 GMT

Keri Aguirre reflects on the early days of the Joburg campus ministry

In the late 80s, a young Keri Cooper (as she was known then) left her home in the USA and moved to Joburg to lead the campus ministry. Now, years later, Keri (Aguirre) is married, a mother of four, and using her various talents to serve the church family here. As she celebrates her 38 ^th year as a follower of Jesus, she reflects on what brought her to Mzansi and shares her go-to scriptures for tough times:

Early days

“In the 80s it was all about going on mission teams. We had a slogan: ‘You go and grow or stay and pay’. I wasn’t making any money (at that time), so the dream was to go on a mission team. The couple who led our campus ministry in Boston, Ron and Lavonia Drabot, were asked to come to South Africa. They had helped me so much spiritually, and I wanted to continue to learn from them and grow and serve in the ministry.

Upon my arrival, I led the campus ministry and loved it. It was a small group of super-committed students, and I loved having Bible studies on the Wits lawn, walking around, and sharing our faith at RAU (now UJ) and the former Johannesburg College of Education, and having late-night discipling groups on a Friday. Everybody was very focused on sharing their faith and helping people become disciples of Jesus. It was incredible!

Favourite scriptures

In my walk as a Christian, I have two go-to verses that I’ve gone to over and over again. The first is Romans 8:28 ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ Our incredible God, Creator, and Father, works in every single situation—the good and the bad—and he works for our good. That helps me so much no matter what I’m going through.

The other is Isaiah 43:1-7. I loved the whole passage. He created us, he tells us not to fear, he summoned us by name, whatever we go through, whether it is passing through the waters, he is with us, the rivers won’t sweep over us. We’ll walk through the fires, and we won’t be burned; we are precious and honoured in his sight, and because he loves us, he specifically already gave Jesus in exchange for me. And it continues and talks about my purpose. I’m created for his glory. When I think of God’s faithfulness, his presence even when I don’t feel it, it’s inspiring to think he called me all those years ago, and he’s never taken his eyes off me.

These two verses keep me anchored and steady, and just knowing, in light of God’s faithfulness, I have nowhere else to go.”

(For updates and more content like this, like and follow us on Facebook , Instagram and our YouTube channel)

#StrongerTogether, Part 5 by Jacques Genis

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:26:22 GMT

Sermon summary:

Book of 1 Timothy. We are stronger together when we remember who we are. We have family values as part of God's household. We are stronger together when we know who we are and why we are here. We are to represent God's goodness in the world. Our mission unifies us. We are stronger together when we have clear family values. We need to be a praying community, and leadership should be based on having a godly character, not on looks or charisma.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 42 mins).

Central-East Region Sisters Supporting Sisters

Sat, 26 Aug 2023 14:16:33 GMT

Women's Month

The sisters in the Centrl-East region enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and a time of fun and encouragement. Check out more photos on their Facebook group.

My Story: Finding Strength in God—Ellen Mofomme

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:39:10 GMT

#Testimony

How do you react when life throws you a curveball? Do you find your strength in God? Ellen Mofomme is a single mother who became a follower of Jesus in 2000. A former nurse, her life changed drastically in 2013 when she became ill. She lost the majority of her functional abilities and became confined to a wheelchair. But she didn't allow her new disability to hold back her spiritual growth. She shares her story:

"The disease left me in the wheelchair, but what I gained was my soul. When you're bed ridden, there's not much left for you to do or to hide away from God. You are isolated most of the time. I began to have awesome quiet times with God, as I continued reading and praying for God to change my situation, or to heal me, so I could be like I was before the illness. But what I got was to come face-to-face with my Creator.

I questioned who I was, and why God kept me alive. When I realised I couldn't answer those questions, I had no choice but to trust him.

What became obvious was that I was different physically, but not spiritually. Because I am different physically, people treat me with less respect, as If I don’t know anything. I'm under pressure to prove myself all the time. That hurts a lot because I know the truth (of what I'm capable of). This perception helped me to not to think too highly of myself. I learnt to accept my situation, and to allow God to be glorified through my life.

Humility is the fruit of the Spirit I gained after my illness. That's why I agree with Paul when he says in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: ' To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ Therefore I will boast more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10. That is why , for Christ sake, I delight in weaknesses , in insult, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'

It's now been nine years that I live with this condition, and new spiritual opportunities have opened up for me. I got a chance to serve the seniors in the kingdom, to lead and be part of the fabulous single mums; I participate in the Gmama group which equips grandparents to play a significant role in the life of their grandchildren; and I give input to the church about how to help members who are sick. I'm also studying. I'm in my first year of a Bachelor degree in Psychology, with the hope that when I qualify, I'll comfort God’s children with the comfort I received.

My physical condition has allowed me to connected better with my son and duaghter-in-law, and in helping my grandchild to learn about God. The disease taught me not to lean on my own understanding, but to acknowledge God in everything I do. I'm challenged every day to be an example or an ambassador for Christ to people around me.

I'd like to thank the Central region of the church for supporting me and my son when I was unable to carry myself. And a big thank you to the North-west region who continue to uplift and support me in this new journey of my life (being in a wheelchair). It was the best thing that had happened to me. To God be the glory!"

Christ@Work: Bringing Jesus into the Workplace—by Mike Rowell and Dr Lisa Wigfall

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 11:08:40 GMT

Sermon summary:

Is this your attitude: How can God be glorified at my work and in the community?

Quote: "I pray hard, work hard, and leave the rest to God."—Florence Griffith Joyner.

Colossians 3:23–24 Does your job matter to God?

Things can become contentious in the workplace. Jesus needs to be Lord even when you're not being recognised for what you do. Do you wait for recognition from your boss? Who do you want to get praise from?

Lisa—Titus 2:3–5 Your convictions can shine through at work, just by your example, when you don't follow the crowd in their behaviour.

1 Cor 15:58 Give yourself fully to the Lord. Have you allowed your job to move you away from the Lord (staying late, working all the time, etc). It never has a good ending. Being a (wo) man of integrity/trustworthy/not a gossip/ or taking advantage of people. Decide how you'll conduct yourself at work. Do you live out yr faith and do others see it? Is yr work a ministry or just a way to pay bills?

James 1:5 Sometimes you don't know how to deal with yourr colleagues. Ask God for wisdom.

James 1:2–4 Trials are set up by God. E.g. Conflict at work; or you are reprimanded or overlooked.

Philippians 1:27 Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the cross.

Philippians 2:1–4 Recognising others before yrself. Making people feel valued, recognised and respected.

Lisa: Be grateful for having a job/being able work remotely. Be an example, treat others with kindness.

Hebrews 12:1–3 Don't give up or become weary. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Only he can fix all our issues. He must be our target, trust him.

Work as if working for the Lord. How is your week going to be different at work in your conduct? People are watching and in need of God's grace. 2. Have an attitude of gratitude. How's your attitude? 3. Trust Jesus at work when things don't go your way.

You can watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 42mins)

Christ@Work: Bringing Jesus into the Workplace— by Dr Mark Ottenweller

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 10:36:43 GMT

Sermon summary:

We are busy, tired, and find it hard to find balance between marriage/family/work.

It's easy for pple to say no when you invite them to church.

Instead, ask: how are you doing at home? How's your marriage? How are the kids doing? You'll get a very different picture of where they're at.

In the Bible, Abraham, Joseph, Job, Moses, Solomin, fishermen, Paul were all great examples of excellence on the job.

Daniel and his work. He had deep convictions, courage under fire; prayed three times a day; asked for wisdom; was honest and had integrity.

Scriptures to read--Daniel 1:8, 17; He convinced others to do what's right. Daniel 2:23 he ask for wisdom to do what's right.

Daniel 6:4 was trustworthy; Daniel 6:10 when threatened he prayed.

Daniel 6: 14 is it visible that God is with you?

Daniel 9: 20 In the lions' den. God stands up for us when we stand up for him.

Daniel 9: 3–4 humbling ourselves and ask God to help us.

God listened when he prayed. Don't try and do things on your own.

How God helps us if we ask him. Don't use your challenges as an excuse, but an opportunity to serve.

Psalm 139 He gives us talents

Matthew 25 he can multiply your talents to serve others.

Become a learner, find a mentor.

Always understand the 'why'.

Pray for wisdom, strength, and humility, mercy patience

Ecclesiastes 5:18–20 God gives us work, and everything we have. God keeps you occupied with gladness at work.

Work=worship, when we do it God's way.

You can watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 52mins)

The Power of Letting Go—Justin and Irene Renton

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:37:06 GMT

Sermon summary:

Galatians 5:1–6 Jesus came to set us free from sin and burdens. One important component of freedom is letting go of the things that enslave us. Do you spend your time in love-based freedom or fear-based enslavement?

Forgiveness is a universal need. We need to give, and receive it.

How do you know if you've genuinely forgiven someone? You see the big picture, show kindness, and want what is best for the other person.

Forgiveness is not condoning the actions or behaviour of the person who hurt you. It is an intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger.

Colossians 3:13 Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Who wants partial or conditional forgiveness?

Lack of forgiveness ties you to the person emotionally, and it's exhausting.

There is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 44mins).

God Carries and Sustains Us—Rosie Krom

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:08:39 GMT

My story:

#affirmationoftheday God carries and sustains you. " I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue yo u." - Isaiah 46:4

Rosie Krom became a followerof Jesus in 1997 and has not let life's hardship make her lose faith in God. When her husband divorced her, she became a single mum who had to raise two children on her own. Rosie kept on believing that God would see her through.

"It was so hard. I don't know where I would've been without the Wilcott family who I worked for as a domestic worker. They adopted me into their family and helped me with school fees, transport money, and much more. With their help I've been able to raise my kids.

My church family has also been very supportive. What I like about my church is that the Bible is the standard.

I remember when my daughter, Nkele, was four years old and participated in making a Mother's Day video at Sunday school. She said, 'When I grow up I want to build a house for my Mum.' I used to wonder how that could ever come true.

But we have a God who picks us up and carries us all the way through when we can't walk anymore. That's why Isaiah 46:4 is my favourite scripture.

My daughter graduated with a teaching degree, and she saved money for two years for a deposit on a house for me. She kept her promise.

Earlier this year, my son got married and I'm blessed to be a grandmother. God is so good to me!"

#verseoftheday
#bibleverse
#dailyaffirmation
#mondaymotivation
#godlovesme
#testimony

#mystory
#thegoodnessofgod
#johannesburgchurch
#joburgcoc
#icoc

Whoever has Ears, Let Them Hear, Part 4—by Justin Renton

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:22:09 GMT

Sermon summary:

Jesus is establishing a culture of what his church is meant to be.

Revelation 3:7–13 Philadelphia. Jesus only has good things to say about this church.

V8 Our deeds are a reflection of the state of our hearts. While good deeds won't get us into heaven, it shows where we're at. An open door=opportunity for evangelism. 1 Corinthians 16:9, 1 Cor 2:12, Colossians 2: 4. God gives us opportunities to share our faith.

Matthew 12 Do we acknowledge him before others, or shrink back? Satan makes us think it's complicated. Be sincere. Be yourself.

V9 Are you a synagogue of Satan—claiming to be Jews/Christians?

V10 There are years of patient endurance. Don't make big decisions on bad days. When you are hurting it's easy to give in to sin and you make terrible decisions; you feel you are a victim, and get your feelings hurt.

V11 Hold on to what you have (your faith).

Part 2:

Rev 3:14–22 Laodecia. The water from the mountains ran in the aqueducts but was lukewarm by the time it got to the city. It was horrible to drink and people spat it out.

"At least" makes your lukewarm faith sound better. To God it's worst than being an atheist.

The mission should be our priority.

Greek work "Zestos" = hot, to the point of boiling.

V17 You say "I'm rich" – wealth is deceptive. It makes you wretched/poor/pitiful. Spiritually you are in poor state and can't see it. You need someone to point out your spiritual poverty.

*NB: Jesus would rather offend people with strong words than comfort them with lies. He wants you to wake up.

This letter is written to people who slipped into mediocrity and who were about to lose their salvation. Make the decision to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

V21 Jesus was honoured by sitting next to God. He is going to pass on that privilege to us—us crowned with life. It will be worth every sacrifice you made on earth.

Watch the full service here (the message starts at 51mins)

#StrongerTogether, Part 4 by Werner Reyneke

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:24:57 GMT

Sermon summary:

Philippians 1:1-18 Surprised by hope. We are able to offer hope to others even when we face challenges. Do we see trouble in life as opportunities to advance the gospel?

Being united with Christ means we must be unitied with others. We are called to look after the interests of others.

Are we united with others? We need to have humility in all areas of our lives.

Press on towards the goal. How much energy do I spend looking at the past instead of straining towards the future and what's ahead.

You cannot look behind you when you plough.

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 46 mins)

God's Plan—by Michael Masola

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:07:45 GMT

Sermon summary:

God created mankind to have a relationship with them, which we lost through sin. Abraham's faith was the starting point to our journey back to him, while Jesus was the fulfillment of God's solution to restore the relationship. We have been justified through faith in Christ, and are called to live according to the Spirit. Nothing can separate us from Christ and his love.

If you missed the sermon, you can watch it here (starts at 42 mins).

Can You Keep A Secret?—by Jacques Genis

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:09:14 GMT

Sermon summary:

Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18 Secrets to keep are our secret world of righteousness (giving, fasting, praying). Our motivation must be pure and give glory to God, not ourselves.

Ask yourself: Who will be glorified by what I'm doing?

Secrets not to keep include temptation and sin--A secret world of concealment of sin. Psalm 32: 1-5 Don't care more about your repuration than righteousness. Read Psalm 51 together with Psalm 32. Wrestle to keep your keart soft, be honest, vulnerable and radically open with your life.

God sees everything done in secret.

Watch the service in full here (the sermon starts at 41 mins).

Whoever Has Ears, Let Them Hear Part 2—by Justin Renton

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:32:17 GMT

Sermon summary:

Revelation 2:8-11 Jesus had no criticism for the church in Smyrna. He knew their misery and hardship and commended them for being rich spiritually. We freak out when people say horrible things about the church. They were warned about the upcoming challenges they would face, and encouraged to persevere. It is tempting to compromise, but Jesus's sword will cut down all your excuses.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 39 mins)

Show Us the Father—by Tsepo May

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 13:46:04 GMT

Sermon summary:

God has many roles. We are called to give thanks to the Father, to glorify the Father, and to show the Father. Christianity is firstly a relationship. In the parable of the prodigal son we see both sons had a skewed view of the fahter. We too can misunderstand and not have a healthy view of the Father, which will affect our relationship with him. Psalm 103:8-18 tells us God is...

In him, we have absolute safety, compassion-driven anger, and ultimate hope.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 53mins)

Whoever has Ears, Let Them Hear Part 1—by Justin Renton

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:50:43 GMT

Sermon summary:

The Apostle John warns the church in Ephesus who has lost their passion for Christ. Christianity is about a relationship with God, not just things to do.

He encourages them to Remember the height from which they have fallen; To Repent, and to Do the things they did at first.

Watch the full service here (the message starts at 51mins).

#StrongerTogether, Part 3 by Mpho Khalo

Sun, 28 May 2023 14:17:39 GMT

Sermon summary:

Jesus is king. He is all we ever needed but not all we wanted. He rescued us out of darkness into his kingdom (church).

Matthew 16 Jesus built his church, it was created through and for him. The church becomes weak when it loses connection with the head (Jesus).

What else can separate us from the head? Colossians 3:5-10 (sin). You need to match the head with the body.

Colossians 1:22-23 Don't move from the hope in the gospel. Continue in your faith. Nothing should move you if you build your house on the rock.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 46 mins)

Meditation—by Ivor and Anne-Marie Botha

Sun, 21 May 2023 14:05:09 GMT

Sermon summary:

Meditation is mentioned 58 times in the Bible. Psalm 19:14 How is your meditation—is it pleasing in the sight of the Lord?

Do you have time for God and make space for him in your life by stopping, listening, and looking for him?

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. Take time from your busy schedule; stop the noise, and focus on God. Get away to a place where it is quiet and still. Set your mind on things above. What is consuming your mind? Focus on the spiritual rather than the negative. Be receptive to God's prompting.

Watch the full service here (the lesson starts at 33 mins)

Part 4: Whose Money is it Anyway—by Danie Vos and Fungai Blake

Mon, 15 May 2023 11:31:03 GMT

Sermon summary:

God uses money to work on our character.

Proverbs 11:24 Ask guidance about your finances.

Financial pyramid:

*Get a job.

*Give to God.

*Take care of your immediate family.

*Give to the poor.

*Save.

*Honour God with your wealth.

Debt:

*Don't be a slave to the lender. Ask yourself: what is your debt a symptom of? You need margin. Don't conform to the standards of the world where credit is normalised.

*Understand how much debt you have and make it a priority to pay it off.

*Get advice about spending. Have a budget and keep track of your spending. Have goals (e.g. to tithe, become debt-free, give to the poor, and to save).

*Save.

*Honour God with your wealth.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 47 mins)

Favoured by God—by Dr Marc and Keri Aguirre, & Pat Hlophe

Sun, 14 May 2023 14:28:53 GMT

Sermon summary:

What would be your criteria if you had to choose the mother of Jesus? God knew Mary's faith, faithfulness and humility, and that she trusted him.

She praised and glorified him. Whose favour do we seek? God's favour doesn't mean the absence of pain and suffering. Now is the time of God's favour.

Pat: As a single mum, partner with God as the father of your children.

Keri: God seeks godly offspring. We need each other to develop and deepend our convictions, and to find peace in challenging time. Parent with faith not fear. We are blessed to have spiritual formation to help each other.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 50 mins)

Part 3: Whose Money is it Anyway?—by Nda Ncube and Solete Wilke

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 11:51:45 GMT

Sermon summary:

Saving—is God your barn? Are you storing up things for yourself but you are not rich towards God?

Matthew 25: 14-28 Are you growing? God expects us to grow better at what we do, and to grow what he has given us. He is faithful and comes through when we are in need.

Honour God with your wealth. Develop a deep trust in God, and that he will take care of you. The money you have is not yours. Honour God with the firstfruit of your weath.

Tithing is a sign of obedience.

Proverbs 20:7 The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 55 mins)

Part 2: Whose money is it anyway?—by Ivor Botha and Erick Li Sik

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:25:07 GMT

Sermon summary:

Erick:

God warns us to save us from pain, and to make it to heaven His warnings about money include:

#warning1: Weath is deceitful. Mark 4:19. The desire for things is different for all of us.

Proverbs 11:28 Whoever trust in riches will fall.

#warning2: Don't be arrogant and put yr hope in money . 1 Timonthy 6:17, V9–10

Matthew 6:19 It's the love of money that is the root of all evil.

#warning3: You can't love both God and money. Trust God to take care of you. Look in the mirror and answer the question of who you love.

Ivor:

How did the concept of tithing come about?

Genesis 14:18–20 Abraham was the first to give God a tenth of all he had.

Genesis 28:20–22 Jacob asked God to take care of him and his family.

Teach your children to put God first. It's not natural to give, we need to be held accountable.

Malachi 3:6–12 God doesn't change. Return to him. Don't rob God with tithes and offering; when we don't give all we promised, we turn away from him. God gives us everything.

Verse 13–18 Talk to those who serve and fear God.

Proverbs 21:26 The righteous give without sparing.

Watch the service here (the sermon starts at 55 mins)

Part 1: Whose Money is it Anyway?—by Ivor Botha and Bridget Mokoteli

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 13:28:35 GMT

Sermon summary:

Ivor: Whose money is It Anyway? God is in control, and everything belongs to him.

Matthew 25:14-21 So what are we doing with the resources he blessed us with?

Ecclesiastes 2:26 To the person who pleases him, God gives more.

Bridget: Tithing is an expression of faith. God provides us with everything we need. The only time he asks us to test him is in our giving, and he promises to open the floodgates if we do. It's not the amount that matters, but the heart behind it.

If you missed out on yesterday's sermon by Ivor Botha and Bridget Mokoteli, you can watch it here on our YouTube channel (the sermon starts at 47 mins).

#sermonrecap

Did Jesus say that?—by Tsepo May

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 12:45:07 GMT

Sermon summary:

Did Jesus say, " You don't need to forgive them ?" And, " You won't have bad days ?"

You don't need to forgive them . Matthew 6:9-15 The Bible doesn't say, "forgive us our debt: while we hold on to our own grudges.

Matthew 18: 21-25 We need to forgive others from the heart, otherwise God won't forgive us. We need to forgive as the Lord forgave us (Colossians 3:13).

2. You won't have bad days . John 16:20a-22 Jesus says you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.

In John 16:33, Jesus says in this world you will have many troubles, but that he's overcome the world. Ease and comfort never make you stronger. Jesus set the example of having a bad day—his crucifixion and death, and coming out victorious on the other side.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 3 mins).

Proclaiming Jesus—by Sam Powell at the Vision Conference

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 10:53:59 GMT

Sermon summary:

Proclaiming Jesus: This lesson by Sam Powell was delivered at the Vision Conference (WDS) in Orlando, FL.

Jesus is the answer, our anchor, our advocate.

Pursuing God and helping people know him is the greatest mission on earth. Jesus is the answer to all the problems in the world. He is our anchor. Baptism is the easy part, staying faithful and growing in your faith can only happen if you are anchored in Christ.

He is our advocate. When Satan accuses us, Jesus says, "Not guilty".

Click here for the full sermon (it starts at 45 mins)

#StrongerTogether, Part 1 by Mfundo Nondala

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:01:40 GMT

Sermon summary:

We are stronger together when we respect each other; trust one another's motives; pray together, and more.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians to encourage them. In the book of Revelation, they were commended for working hard to keep unity; they were patient, endured hardship, and didn't tolerant false teaching. But they became lukewarm.

Paul wrote a letter to encourage them. In Ephesians 1, Paul's prayer is for them to be have inner strength through his Spirit. He prayed for them to develop deep roots so they don't get shaken easily. We need to do the same. To understand how deep God's love is for us. Once we understand, then we are able to put into practice, Ephesians 4:1–6.

Make allowances for each other's faults. We will hurt each other, and make mistakes, instead of fighting. Your kids & spouse & leadership & even yourself.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 50 mins)

Whistle While You Work—by Jacques Genis

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:29:37 GMT

Sermon summary:

Titus 2:9–10 How does God want me to conduct myself while I work, and why does it matter?

*God is a worker

Work is meant to be a gift, and is intrinsic to what it means to be fully human. Later, it became toil, and a burden.
Titus taught how workers were to conduct themselves:

Why does our conduct as employees matter? Verse 10 To make the teaching of God attractive. We are called to be image bearers/ ambassadorrs. Bring heaven to work, and see the difference Jesus made in your life.

Would it be a true representatives of God? Or is your life segmented (re you different at work, home, church etc).

Verse 9: Five foundational things—

* Be subject to your master in everything

*Try to please your master.

*Not talk back.

*Don't steal.

*Show you can be fully trusted.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 44 mins)

Freedom in Christ—by Chris Ogbonnaya

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:00:48 GMT

Sermon summary:

Who are the freest people in the world? Those who are free from the world.

Galatians 5: 1 For freedom Christ has set us free—from the circumstances of life, position, title, etc. Don't live as a captive of the world. Live as people who are free to love others and do good to all.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 56 mins)

Trust. Love. Die

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 11:14:19 GMT

Sermon summary:

1. Trust the invisible God. Proverbs 3:5–6 It's not easy to trust. We want to see and feel. It's hard to go by faith.

Free will battles against God's sovereignty. Examples of people who trusted God: Abram; Moses; David; Mary; and Peter. Trusting God brings miracles into our lives.

Proverbs 3:5–6. It's easy to trust when things go your way. When it doesn't, you have to hold onto the fact that God is kind/loving/caring, etc.

Mark 4. Jesus was in a storm. There are three responses you can have during the storms of life (you can jump out of the boat, or ask Jesus, 'Don't you care?', or go find a cushion (reminding yourself who God is: good, just, fair etc) and draw closer to God.

2. Love with extraordinary love . Luke 6:27–30 Do something wonderful for those who mistreat you (MSG). Your physical and spiritual family test you. Live with an extraordinary love. They may not apologise the right way. Everyone believes they're doing the best they can. Whatever is in our toolbox (anger, irritation, lashing out) is what we use to respond to each other. When we live in love, our brains pour serotonin into our lives. Live in a state of love rather than fear.

3. Die to self .

Watch the full service here (the message starts at 50 mins)

Big Dreams, Small Steps-by Jake Graham

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 15:28:57 GMT

Sermon summary:

1 Tim 2:4 God wants all people to be saved.

2 Peter 3:8–9 God doesn't want anyone to perish.

Dreams can turn into complaints; passionate ideas can turn into frustration.

Don't be obsessed with the dream, but rather with the creator. Let your dreams become what is God's dreams.

Genesis 1:27 God's dream. is for us to be a reflection of who he is (loving, gracious, patient; valued, respected, feel like you belong).

Ephesians 1:7–10 Unity under heaven and earth The kingdom is in us. We can experience peace, joy here on earth. Ask: How can I be heaven to the people I meet?

Partner with God's dream.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 50mins)

Healthy Sabbatical Rhythms—by Paul Smith

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:16:58 GMT

Sermon summary:

As followers of Jesus, we need to find our identity in our relationship with God and not in what we do. To develop healthy sabbatical rhythms will take deliberate and intentional action on our part. We need time to find rest (following in Jesus's footsteps to find a solitary place to connect with God), reflect (meditate on his word), remember (the good God has done for us), rejoice (in his presence), and relate (use opportunities to connect with others).

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 42 mins)

A Single Spark—by Jacques Genis

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 18:26:47 GMT

Sermon summary:

Acts 2: 14–21 The incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave the first disciples direction. It was given to everyone for the first time. Everyone can play a role in this community.

Being married was not an issue for the Biblical writers. We need to be careful not to idolise marriage; it doesn't define you as a person.

1 Corinthians 7: 32–33 You have divided devotion when you are married, and single parents have a dual responsibility. While you are single you have an amazing opportunity to serve God free from many responsibilities.

Be in step with the Spirit... a collection of single sparks that ignite in our neighbourhoods, workplaces, and wherever you go. Live undividedly devoted.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 52 mins)

Making Faith Goals—by Justin Renton

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 11:30:28 GMT

Sermon summary:

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it's impossible to please God. Great faith's not about being hopeful.

Verse 3 Faith involves trust.

V4 Faith calls for sacrifice.

V Faith requires reverence.

V8 Faith involves obedience.

V13 Faith brings perspective. When we look at it from an earthly perspective, it doesn't make sense.

Five reasons why you should set faith goals :

It's a spiritual responsibility. Luke 13:32
Philippians 3:12 Paul had goals to win the prize God set before him. Without goals we drift through life. Goals stretch our faith, and make us rely on God.
Goals focus us. Lots of things distract and compete for our attention.
Goals keep you going. Job 6:11 Life can be brutal. If you don't have something to live for, you can get depressed. Your goals don't have to be big (e.g. to serve others).
Faith builds your character. What you become through the process is more important rather than what you achieve.
2 Peter 1:5 Keep growing, never stop. We will never become what God wants us to be without being intentional. Set a goal and have a memory scripture. ( in your marriage, parenting, leadership, or to be more like Christ).
Good goals will be rewarded. 2 Peter 1:5–8 If you add to these things you will never stumble.

Before setting goals, ask yourself:

* Will this goal honour God?

* Is this goal motivated by love? 2 Cor 14.

* Will this goal end up with me relying on God more?

Defined—by Litha Myataza

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 14:23:07 GMT

Sermon summary:

*Something inside us yearns to to understand what it means for us to exist.

God defines who we are. If you don't get this, you'll search endlessly for the meaning of life and existence. When God looks at you he sees (Genesis 1:26–3) a being that is very good. For us to experience it we need to journey towards him. The world doesn't care about us except what we can do or produce. Move away from a world that doesn't see or care about you. Ask yourself: What kind of life can you live with the God who has already defined you?
What are we defined by?
Romans 8:35–39 Nothing can separate you from God's love, and how he defines you. We believe that hardship, persecution, etc make God turn away from us. We do the same to others to define others.
What do you allow yourself or others to be defined by?
Defined with one another .
God defines us together, not separately. So if we want to live fulfilling lives, defined by the wholeness of God, then our only option is to do it together.

Genesis 2:15– "Tov" – something that exists as it's meant to do

God sees on our own we won't fully

You need someone to see yourself as you are.

It's not about being strong enough/ love yourself on your own.

Matthew 18:20 God's plan is about community. You can't figure yourself out by yourself.

Psalm 139: 13–14 God put you together fearfully and wonderfully.

You don't need to give anything else the power to define you.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 41 mins)

The Wilderness Years, and the Power of God—by Mark Ottenweller

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:25:47 GMT

Sermon summary:

God displayed his power by speaking creation into existence. He spoke the word and it happened

He also shows his power in your life and how you were made. He parted the Red Sea, made the sun stop in the middle of the sky. And through Jesus, he showed his power by healing and raising people from the dead. Jesus died for our sins, and can heal us spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Through the Holy Spirit, he raised us to new life. We need to teach our children by proclaiming his power and strength, and use the Spirit to help us deal with sin.

Practical: Thank God every day for saving and healing you. Ask God to pour our his Spirit on you=power to grow.

Watch the full service here :

Graduation Service—by Jacques Genis

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 12:10:50 GMT

Sermon summary:

If you had to summarise your life in six words, it would help you focus on what's most important. There's an open door in front of us, and boundless opportunities to embark on a new adventure. We can choose to walk through the open door instead of longing for the good, old days; ask great questions and be willing to learn, and be willing to endure hardship.

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 1:04.30mins)

Self-Care—by Solly Kganyago

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 13:10:38 GMT

Sermon summary:

What is self-care?

Making sure our needs are met makes us more capable of taking care of others. It is not selfish. You need to make sure your spiritual, physical, mental, psychological, emotional, and social needs are met.

Watch the full sermon here (starts at 42mins)

Supplied to Serve—by Justin Renton

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 11:45:02 GMT

Sermon summary:

Corinthians 9:6–11 Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly; he who sows generously, reaps generously.

Four principles of Godly giving:

1. Sowing and Reaping v6

Job 4:8 The way you live

Matthew 7:2 The way you judge others

Luke 6:38 The way you give.

2. Be a cheerful giver v7b

Our hearts need to be behind our giving. When we do, we imitate God's heart

3. Bless you abundantly v8

Will I fall short if I give to others? God is able to bless you abundantly. Remember who is your supplier—I'll have what I need.

4. Supplied to Serve . v10–11

Benevolence (Gal 6:4).

Deuteronomy 15:10–11 Give generously without grudging, but with compassion, heart, collaboration.

Watch the full sermon here (starts at 36mins)

Shaped to Serve—by Tsepo May

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:38:29 GMT

Sermon summary:

1. Service Delivery Matthew 20:20–28

Jesus redefined greatness. #Lordshedding. V25–26 It's a personal decision to lord it over people, you decide the stages and schedule.

V28 Luke 22:27 Jesus came to serve. How are you doing in following Jesus in terms of service delivery? Are you serving others?

Romans 12:6–8 God shaped us to serve using our different gifts, to benefit others.

2.Return on investment (ROI).

Matthew 25:14–30 Having the right mindset is important. We are like one of these servants. Am I using what God provides to produce a result, or complaining about what a hard taskmaster God is? What's going well, and what could be better?

Be willing to learn, seeing it as a pleasure to serve.

What could be better? Reconsider your position. Fear could be holding you back or feeling inadequate. Judges 6: 13. Go in the strength you have.

3. Call to action.

Ephesians 4:11–16 Equipped to serve. There's an expectation to do your part bec you've been shaped to serve. 1 Peter 4:10–11

John 13:17 You will be blessed if you do them.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 43mins)

Saved to Serve—by Justin Renton

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:02:03 GMT

Sermon summary:

God made us to make a difference and serve.

1. You were uniquely designed

Jeremiah 1:4–5

Exodus 36:1–2 God gave the Israelites skills and abilities. He knew ahead of time what was needed. Verse 35 He filled them with skills because he had a mission for them.

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 All abilities are learnt by practice but come from God. He wants you to use them for a specific purpose.

2. For a specific purpose. Ephesians 2:10

God prepared good work in advance for us to do. "Somebody somewhere is depending on you to do what God intended for you to do."

What are you doing with the talents God gave you? Are you using them for God or yourself?

It is more blessed to give than receive.

I Cor 12:14–27 All the parts of the body has a purpose in his body. If you look only to use your talents outside the kingdom you'll never discover God's purpose for your life. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.

3. Saved to serve. 2 Timothy 1:9 There should be no non-functioning part of the body.

I Corinthians 6:20 Jesus doesn't want us to serve out of duty. A saved heart wants to serve.

*Cancer cells takes from the body and refuses to give back. It convinces the other cells to do the same; eventually they die and the body with it.

*How are you serving and giving back to the body?

Watch the full service here : (the sermon starts at 51 mins)

Trust the Process—by Dr Ben Barnett

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 13:43:44 GMT

Sermon summary:

Dr Ben Barnett, Chief Evangelist for HOPEww, shared a lesson entitled, Trust the Process . The main points were:

1. Great Calling, Matthew 4:18–22

2. Great Commandment. Matthew 22:34–40 Jesus condensed over six hundred commandments into two—Love God and love people. Deuteronomy 6:4—the Shema. Remind yourself to begin and end each day with God. Eventually you'll love him, and the Bible. If you don't love God everything else (making disciples, going to church, praying, reading the Bible, serving, etc) you'll do out of duty and obedience but not because you really believe it or out of love for God.

3. Great Curriculum. Matthew 5:1 to Matthew 7:29 contains all you need to know about being a disciple or follower of Jesus.

4. Great Compassion. Matthew 25:31–46 When I was hungry you gave me food, etc

Jesus wouldn't have sent them out to make disciples without love for God and without compassion.

Matthew 25 (having compassion for people and caring for them) comes before Matthew 28:18–20 (the Great Commission to go make disciples).

Read the gospels and see Jesus talk and watch his interactions with people. Then, imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 13:1).

You can watch the full sermon here (it starts at 1:03:00).

A Few Good Men—by Jacques Genis

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 15:47:25 GMT

Sermon summary:

Romans 15:4 " For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us ."

1 Cor 10:11 "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us ."

1 Kings 15:8 Asa — king of Judah. Son of Abisha. Did right in the eyes of the Lord. He dealt with sin and idolatry. He wasn't sentimental.

It's easy to coexist with sin and idolatry in our lives, ignoring the danger, and treating it like a pet.

Are you a spiritual analyst (thinking you can handle sin in your life—maybe it's an attitude towards someone, coexisting with them but not united)?
Maybe it's an action that you've not dealt with. Mark 9:42–47 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.
Ephesians 5:3–5 There shouldn't even be a hint. Collossians 3:3–5 Put to death what belongs to your earthly nature. These letters were written to disciples of Jesus. We need to have the same attitude as Asa. Repentance is painful. It requires outside help. Don't back out when someone tries to help you; don't give up.
2 Chronicles 14:8–11 Asa fully depended on God. He felt powerless despite what he had going for him. He asked God not to let mere mortals win. Psalm 33 The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him. Remember we are powerless. Let your faith be rooted in humility—before making decisions, and to implore God on behalf of others.
2 Chronicles 16:1–13 It's not about starting well but finishing strong. Past faithfulness doesn't guarantee future faithfulness. If you don't remain humble and hungry nothing is guaranteed.

The warning: It doesn't have to be that way. We canl finish strong.

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 37mins)

A Christ-Centred Life—by Gilbert Kimeng

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 10:43:55 GMT

Sermon summary:

Colossians 2:6–8 Rooted and built up in him

The Christians were tempted to give in cultural and societal pressure. Jesus is not one of many gods. He is the only true God.

Colossians 3:12–16 Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility etc. These qualities do not come to us naturally.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

It is intentional because situations and the world push us to do the opposite. It takes effort, and you need the Holy Spirit to do so.

V18–25 What is the motivation for submission/ love/ obedience to your master?

The Lord=Christ. It is the Lord we are serving. Christ must be at the centre of everything we do.

If you don't worship or think right (Colossians 2:8), you can't live right (Coll 4:5).

It starts with your thoughts.

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 37mins)

When Life Hurts—by Ivor Botha

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 12:16:53 GMT

Sermon summary:

Psalm 23: Even when you walk through the darkest valleys (mental health, depression, anxiety, financial trouble, divorce, infidelity, death of a loved one, physical pain). Whatever your dark valley is, you've got to find Jesus in the midst of it all. God feeds and cares for you as a good shepherd. Listen for his voice and don't turn away from him.

Sipho, Max, and Aunty Joey shared their experiences When Life Hurts.

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 46mins)

Heritage Day Sermon—by Michael Burns

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:27:15 GMT

Sermon summary:

Ephesians 6:12 The battle we face is not against flesh & blood. Sin (our moral failures) is just one part.
The spiritual powers and authorities work together to divide us.
Isaiah 24 God says he'll judge them together. We see the effect of their work when we see division, conflict, hatred among people in the world around us.
Ephesians 1:3–5; 18–21 God has brought us together as his people to be his agents, with a shared identity.
V18–23 Christ has defeated the powers and authorities by the grace of God. We don't see it.
We are evidence that Christ has defeated the powers and authorities. It's hard work. If it was easy the world would be doing it.
V12–15 Christ has done what the world couldn't do.
Ephesians 3:v6, 10 God's intent and wisdom is on display through what we do united as his church. His reputation is on the line.
V14, 15–21 you'll understand and know the love of Christ.
Unity is cosmically important.
Ephesians 5: Follow God's example as his children, imitate him.
Ephesians 6:12–17 Put on the armour of God

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 46mins)

Sticks and Stones—by Jacques Genis

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:17:13 GMT

Sermon summary:

Matthew 12:34–37 We will be condemned or acquitted by our words. We will have to give account for every careless words we speak.

*Words reveal who we are in our hearts and character.

*Life is a string of unguarded moments where what's stored in our hearts.

Why don't we pay more attention?

*We under-estimate the impact of what we say.

James 3:2 We all stumble in our ways. Sometimes we will make mistakes, so don't judge someone else.

Proverbs 17:21 It has the power of life and death. Make an effort to create life in others.

Three things your words need to be:

Cautious . Prov 28:20 not reckless. Think before speaking. We mean well, but sometimes the best form of encouragement is to say nothing at all. Pull up the handbrake (pray first before you speak; ask if it needs to said?).
Honest . We are lied to between 10—200 times a day. Prov 12:17; Prov 16:13 Eph 4:25 Be truthful with who you are. There is a difference between what is true and truthful. Be honest with each other.
Beneficial. Ephesians 4:29 Only what is helpful for building others up. Spur people on towards greater respect/love/good deeds.

Watch the full sermon here (starts at 42mins)

The Power of Relationships in the Spiritual Family—by David Gondongwe

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 12:16:48 GMT

Sermon summary:

Ruth 1:6–8, 11–16 While she didn't do anything spectacular with her life, Ruth's relationship with Naomi was spiritual

Great relationships are product of great commitment

Mark 3:34–35 Jesus said his life revolved around those who loved God. We can forge a bond that's thicker than blood.

2. Our reward is a relationship not religion

v17 Ruth was willing to die where Naomi. It was not possible to determine where it started and where it ended.

John 15: 13–15 Jesus said his disciples were no longer servants but his friends

It takes sacrifice. Naomi was bitter, and it the easiest person to commit to. It can cause us lots of suffering.

Ephesians 4:2–3 be humble, gentle, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Relationships are a labour of love. Our relationships must build each other up.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Encourage one another

Ephesians 4:29

Hebrews 10:25 don't give up meeting together.

Hebrews 3 Exhort each other.

Proverbs 27:17

1 Peter 5:5

Ephesians 4:16

Romans 15:1–11

"Keep going" "You're almost there". Think of how to encourage each other. Appreciate each other's differences.

Remember the Golden Rule.

Consider the depth of your relationships with others.

Watch the sermon here (starts at 42mins)

A Clash of Worlds—by Rodwell Mugochi

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 13:58:12 GMT

Sermon summary:

Matthew 21:1–9 Pontius Pilate marched into Jerusalem as a show of force on a white stallion, with power and intimidation from the western side. From the east came Jesus and his followers. He rode on a donkey–bringing peace, order, shalom. Zechariah 9:9b–10a

Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:28–38; John 12:12–15

The crowd spread their cloaks, receiving Jesus as a king, but they didn't get what it was all about.

Which kingdom do we really want—Pilate's or Jesus? Are you willing to pay the price?

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 38mins)

How Great is Our God, Part 3—by Justin Renton

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 15:08:26 GMT

Sermon summary:

God's justice and mercy

Genesis 19: 10–20 Lot dragged his feet. Yet God was merciful to him and rescued his children from bad situations.

Deuteronomy 4:23–31 Be careful not to forget the Lord. Business and success became their priority If you obey the Lord you will find him. He took them into exile, but still took care of them.

If you've lost your awe for God, or allowed sin to come into your heart; he will forgive you when you confess and repent.

Mercy=A disposition to be compassionate or forgiving to others.

Psalm 69:16 out of his great mercy and love. We don't appeal to God because of our goodness, but his goodness. We all need mercy.

Micah 7:18–19 God delights in showing mercy.

What are the implications?

We need to trust in God's plentiful, and abundant mercy. When Satan reminds you of your past, you go ahead and remind him of his future.
We need to show mercy to others. Luke 6:36 just as our heavenly Father is merciful. We need to act the same by taking on God's. What's my bias/disposition–judgmental & self-righteous or do you treat others with compassion & mercy?

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 34mins)

How Great is Our God, Part 2—by Justin Renton

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:28:28 GMT

Sermon summary:

Job 9: 1–6 Job lost perspective of who God was. He lost all he owned in one day, had his children die in one swoop; his health suffered, his reputation was shot. Yet he kept his view of God pure. He saw how amazing he is.

Look up and see. Examine what he has made.

Sometimes we pray expecting God to come through and he doesn't. How do we respond?

We cannot argue or disrespect him.

Job 36:26 The numbers of His years are infinite. Eternity is hard to grasp.

Isaiah 55:8–9 God's ways are greater than ours.

Hardship make us look up at God. We don't understand why but have to trust him.

Decide to Trust God:

In the good and bad
With the easy and hard scriptures.
With your past and your future.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 42mins)

How Great is Our God—by Justin Renton

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 09:06:42 GMT

Sermon summary:

Genesis 1:1 God—Elohim—created heaven and earth from nothing. Beginning = the start of everything — he is the genesis of everything. Our lives should begin with him.

Our vision for our lives/the church must be God. He looked at the nothing and envisioned something. When we focus on people, instead of Him, we lose our way.

Genesis 1:2 God sees possibilities in the darkness. He saw possibilities. Without God life is depressing. There are solutions with God. It takes faith to see opportunities in the darkness and void.

Genesis 1:3 God's spoken word is powerful. Only the Bible is impressive. "And God said", . As people we have to labour, God only speaks it into existence (v6,9,11,24,26).

Am I still in awe of the Bible? Has the Word lost its impact on our lives? Read it daily, allow it to transform you/bring hope? Recapture the love.

"God said" ends all arguments we might have.

Genesis 1:31 Very good...

God saw all he had made and it was very good. Sunsets, sunrise, flowers, insects etc.

The bride of Christ is beautiful. We are always representing Jesus, and need to be careful how we talk about it.

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 41mins)

Who am I, Lord God... that you brought me this far?—by Noel Honey

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 14:18:36 GMT

Sermon summary:

1 Chronicles 17:16–17 Who am I, Lord, God, that you have brought me this far?

The path of our lives is not a lovely straight road, it has potholes, ditches, etc.

Matthew 13:52; Daniel 3:16–18 Daniel's friends trust God with no guarantee that He would save them.

Luke 6:47–49 You need the right foundation for your house of faith to stand (Your marriage, parenting, work life improves).

Jeremiah 6:31 learning the truth about doctrine.

Ephesians 4:2 be humble and patient with others in love.

Psalm 19:1–2 The heavens declare the glory of God.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 35mins)

Do You Believe?—by Mike Masola

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 10:24:58 GMT

Sermon summary:

John 11: 17–27 Martha believed Jesus had the power to raise Lazarus.

Jesus has the power to act and get involved even though the odds were against it. We matter to Jesus, even though it's hard to believe when we go through hardship.

Sometimes we believe on an intellectual level, but limit him in practice. We believe but don't expect it to really happen. Do I still believe he can do the impossible?

Where is your faith and belief?

What happened to your spiritual dreams? Stretch your faith, renew your belief. God wants to act.

Psalm 78:9–22

V12–16 God did amazing miracles but the people forgot it, and asked: "Can God also do this?" Although we have the physical evidence, we still doubt.

How do we get to a place where we believe?

Choose to believe in the power of God's word before it happens.
Remember what God has done. 1 Samuel 17:34–37.
Be inspired by the word. Jeremiah 15:16 God's word gives great joy. Seek inspiration to renew your faith. Let's not lower the bar of what God can do.

Watch the full sermon here (It starts at 40mins)

Faith to Stand in the Gap—by Jacques Genis

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 18:22:12 GMT

Sermon summary:

Ezekiel 22:30 God is looking for someone who will stand in the gap even if it's uncomfortable, inconvenient.

Where does this faith come from?

The engine room of faith= proximity, closeness, connection and walking closely with Jesus, guided by his Spirit.

Genesis 6:9, 22 Noah walked faithfully with God; he did everything just as God commanded him.

Moses stood in the gap, and was the signpost for the Messiah.

Hebrews 11:25–27 He saw him who is invisible. When we truly see God, his magnificence, wonder.

Small steps of faith=with small consistent actions that seem insignificant, don't despise small beginnings.

Mark 1:40–45 The leper took the first step in faith towards healing.

The future is shaped by everyday decisions we make.

Faith that perseveres. James 1:12 Despite discomfort, perseverance is messy and should not be done alone.

1 Corinthians 15: 38 your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 50mins)

Rooted In Christ—by Rodwell Mugochi

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 13:05:22 GMT

Sermon summary:

As Christians we need to be rooted because it helps us grow in Christ

Colossians 2:7 Then we'll be build up in him; In our convictions, understanding, prayer, devotion and our service in God.

Devotion to God.

Hebrews 11:24–27 By faith, Moses showed courage. Numbers 12:6b–8a. It's a special kind of relationship. It's different from duty "I ought to do it"; discipline says, " I must do this"; Devotion says, "I want to do this". Numbers 31:7 God is the one who tells Moses to go

Psalm 27:4 One thing I seek is to dwell in the house of the Lord... and to see his face.

Is devotion to God something I want or do people need to remind me?

Matthew 22:37–38 Love God with all your heart, mind and strength. Is there anything or anyone that takes away my devotion to God?

How do I become devoted? Spend regular time with him; read your Bible and pray; pray with others. Practice different spiritual disciplines. Find things to be grateful for. Train your heart and mind to be consumed with God. Do it because you want to.

2. Devotion to God's family.

Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbour as yourself.

Acts 2:42 A community who share a common purpose. The group is more important than the individual. They enjoyed fellowship. Sometimes it's uncomfortable. You need to learn to work together. We need each other.

Acts 4:32 They shared everything. Hebrews 3:13 As long as it's today let us encourage one another.

Hebrews 10:19–23 Let us draw near to God, and let us consider (be deliberate/study/mull over, take a step back, put yourself in their shoes, those who are sensitive, uncommitted, sickly) how to spur on one another. Not give up meeting together. We need to do it God's way.

What bad habits have you developed during Covid that show a lack of devotion?

Challenge: Church is not just for Sunday, but consider how to meet more regularly for prayer times and social occasions.

When we are rooted in Christ devotion comes more naturally.

Watch the full sermon here (it starts at 43mins)

Reflections on Campus Encounter 2015

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 13:54:47 GMT

Here's a look back at the difference a Campus Encounter can make...

As Campus Encounter 2022 kicks off after a two-year break because of Covid-19, it's great opportunity to look back at a past event to see the impact it has on those who attend. This weekend, campus students from around Southern African will spend time in the picturesque Magaliesberg for a time of bonding around God's word, fun and fellowship.

In the past, Campus Encounter was blessed by students from around the world, and in 2015, notably from the US and Canada. This is what three of the visitors had to say at the end of their time in South Africa:

Ezekiel Torres from Texas A&M University

My time in Africa was truly life changing. What motivated me to go was the opportunity to make disciples in another country, the opportunity to serve the poor, impoverished communities, to stretch my boundaries spiritually and grow closer to God.

For me, the main highlights of the trip were spending a week at Heronbrige with disciples throughout South Africa, having a Boot Camp before their semester started. Another highlight was our first week on the campus of The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)where we saw God do amazing things. There were over 200 visitors in total who came out to bible talk that week.

We also went to a lion and rhino park which was super cool and I got to pet a lion cub.

There was also a campus lead service, which was a blast.

What I took back home with me was this: I learned the value of really being "all things to all men" and embracing the culture, values, and lifestyles of other places and people. Before my trip to South Africa, I had a very limited view of the world and had a very dogmatic way of living. Going to Africa helped me to live a more peaceful life in my mindset and attitudes towards others. I also learned a lot about myself and how materialistic I can be. Being with the children that lived in impoverished communities, and seeing their love for life and happiness, really convicted me and brought to light the scriptures (1 Tim 6:6-8, Luke 12:23, & John 10:10).

Last but not least thing, I am taking back the fire and dedication to make disciples of all nations that the South African churches have. I will never share my faith the same way or look at sharing God's word the same way. The trip gave me a new vision, heart and attitude of sharing my faith wherever I go.

Ellie Hammond, Saint Mary's University, Halifax

My dad encouraged me to go on the Campus Encounter, to get out of my comfort zone. It was my first trip outside North America and I expected to get lots of training on my trip. The boot camp we had prepared us to go and do many bible studies on the different campuses. It was awesome to see how the students we reached out responded and to I learned how be unified in a way that I've never seen before. That was something I'd like to put into practice in our campus ministry in Halifax.

Being involved in the HOPE Worldwide SA community projects taught me you can't just whine; you need to do something in your own community.

I've learned that change starts with your own heart and lifestyle and that I've got to change my house first.

Michael Emanuel, studied at Southern Oregon University

My time is South Africa has been life changing. The experience has given me a chance to not only have spiritual breakthroughs but it has also given me a chance to build relationships that I will keep for the rest of my life.

In my first week I got to work with impoverished children and learned that no matter where you go, love can be found everywhere.

The children showed me the power of love. They reminded me of why Jesus wants us to serve others. When serving others, it affects the hearts on both sides. Serving can have a huge impact on the people around you. One of the biggest highlights of my trip was reaching out on the University of Pretoria. The students there were very kind and I was able to study the bible with many guys that were wanting to grow closer to God. I can honestly say that after this trip, I will never reach out or study the bible the same. The training and support I received in South Africa gave me the chance to reach new depths in my discipleship. I strongly recommend this trip for students because it can give them a new outlook towards their own campus.

Processing Grief—by Raj and Angie Chandra

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:44:43 GMT

Sermon summary:

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.

We live in a hurting and sinful world. We grief the loss of loved ones/jobs/finances/injustices. The opposite is callousness (when we don't connect with others on an emotional level).

Grief is complex and best done together.

We experience complex & compounding grief.

Meaning-making and Sense-making of death. Acceptance of death (e.g. murder/ suicide/ illness etc).

We hold on to the strength we have in the best way we know how. You have to face yr biggest fear/deepest hurt/ pain.

2 Samuel 21:7–14 Rizpah's grief made people respond.

Job 34:32 Job asked God to help him understand. God sees us.God is not afraid of our questions, he will answer in his time.

Resource: The Grief Journey book —by Dr Tim Sumerlin.

Practicals

*One size doesn't fit all. Pray for discernment to be present (you doesn't have to say anything).

*Don't give theological answer. Don't say "at least".

*Journal.

*Real people.

*Be humble and willing to do better even when we mess up.

John 14:27 Thank God for the gift of peace, and pray to receive it and be a conduit for it to others.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 42mins)

Becoming Resilient—by Justin Renton

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 15:21:11 GMT

Sermon summary:

Resilient = the ability to withstand and recover from difficult experiences and setbacks and come back stronger.

Deuteronomy 31: 8 The Lord himself will go before you. He will never leave nor forsake you.

Life is hard and we need a resilient spirit. Life has many potholes that discourage us. If you win the battle against despondency, you can overcome many other obstacles.

Joshua 1:9 The Israelites had to fight 31 battles to conquer the Promised Land. They lost against the small town of Ai, another against five kings, and faced a potential civil war.

Joshua 10:25 Joshua tells them what was most important—it wasn't about strength but dependency on God.

1 Chronicles 28:20 David told Solomon the same thing. Be strong and courageous. David knew life was not fair, and he'd face many challenges.

As God's children, we are victors not victims. We make bad decisions (dating, career, moral) when we are discouraged, and give in to fear.

2 Chronicles 32:7 There is greater power with us than in the world.

Do not be afraid. To be resilient, you need to deal with fear. Identify it, name it and let it go.

*Write down 3 potential fears you have right now.

How to overcome discouragement?

Remember the Lord goes before you and will not leave you; God is with you on your good days and on your worst days; there is greater power within you than with them. We often think God could create the world but can't take care of our problems.

What stops us from becoming resilient?

*Forgetting God is with us; we stop listening to him – Exodus 6:9 when discouraged by yr circumstances/temptations and no longer believing his promises. We look at life and interpret it wrong. Romans 10:17 faith comes from reading the Bible.

2 Corinthians 1:8–9 Trouble and pressure make you depend on God not yourself.

Trust God is with you.

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 40mins)

My Story: Learning to Love God Again After Abuse

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 11:00:01 GMT

This testimony was published in November 2020

Annemarie Botes – a sister in the Johannesburg Church of Christ (South Africa) – experienced verbal, emotional and financial abuse at the hands of her husband. She shares her journey of learning to love God all over again when she made Jesus Lord of her life:

“I grew up in a Christian home but never really knew or had a meaningful relationship with God. On the other hand, I had a wonderful relationship with my father and three brothers.

I met and fell in love with Mark. We got married and joined a denominational church. I attended a few Christian retreats and courses where I became very aware of God’s grace and mercy.

A miraculous escape

But, early in our marriage, my husband became addicted to all kind of substances such as prescription medication, cough mixture, painkillers, and alcohol. Then the abuse started. Over the span of 10 years I suffered financial, emotional, and verbal abuse. He said terrible things to me and threatened to kill me many times. Mark was admitted to several rehab centres, but he was never strong enough to win the battle over addiction.

The day before my youngest daughter was born we, with our two children, went to buy food. A man walked in and greeted everyone in general. I responded politely. When we got back into the car my husband exploded and shouted that he now had proof that my unborn baby was not his, and that the father was the man who I greeted in the café. He screamed that I’d arranged to meet the man there to give him some sign or message. He said, ‘Now I’m going to kill you!’ He drove to a graveyard which was very dark and scary. He stopped the car and said, ‘Say goodbye to each other, I’m going to kill you now.’

I prayed and asked God to save us. A car pulled up behind us and a man got out and asked: ‘Are you okay? Do you need help?’

I screamed, ‘Help! My husband is going to kill us!’ I can’t remember if the man spoke another word. But, in the next moment, Mark suddenly calmed down and said we were going home. I never saw the man or the car leave, but I believe that God had answered my prayers and sent an angel to save us. We were all traumatised. I decided there and then that I would fight any way I could to save myself and my children. We survived but the trauma and emotional scars remained.

Without help

I asked the doctors and therapists at the various rehab centres to help Mark deal with his childhood trauma and not only to prescribe medication. They shrugged me off as the ‘rude, unfaithful wife who wanted to get rid of her husband’ and continued to prescribe up to 10 different tablets for Mark which inflamed the situation. Dealing with the justice system was a nightmare. It was my word against his. I was labelled a liar because I didn’t have any physical scars to proof abuse. They believed only physical abuse equalled ‘real’ abuse.

I then decided that only I could save myself and my children. So I fought my husband tooth and nail, and became abusive towards him in return. My love for my husband turned into intense hatred. I came up with a sneaky plan to secretly divorce him and succeeded. He ended up living all alone in a caravan park in a different town.

I suffered the consequences of my plan. Mark became even more abusive. He’d turn up at my house and screamed terrible vulgarities and threats at me. At night, he called me constantly and left chilling messages of how he was going to kill me. This continued for two years. Then he passed away due to complications of substance abuse. I was free! I thought I could just continue to live as I’d been living, but God had other plans for me.

A new hope

My son JQ started university. One day he informed me that he’d be attending a church in Joburg. I asked questions that he could not answer and became frantic, worried that he’d be brainwashed and abducted. He was determined to go and I decided to go along to ‘protect’ him.

After about a year of just attending church, a sister, Natasha, asked me to attend her Bible talk. I said no as I had no intention of making friends or joining anything. JQ got baptised and I could see how he had changed and displayed true commitment to God. So I accepted Natasha’s invitation.

That Monday night, I went to the gym and arrived at the Bible discussion looking none too fresh and smelling of chlorine. I hoped this would put them all off. Once again, God was in control. He arranged for me to sit next to Quinnette who raised three boys and the smell of chlorine or my appearance did not put her off. I loved her from the first minute. As the evening wrapped up she asked me to study the Bible with her. Without any hesitation I answered ‘yes’, not realising how God executed His plan for me through these amazing women.

Getting to know God

I was a self-proclaimed rebel and studying the Bible was challenging. I decided that no-one would change me. I questioned a lot of things — about God being male and His treatment of women. I was adamant that a man wouldn’t bully me again. I perceived the guidelines in the Bible as ways to control me, and projected my human husband’s shortcomings onto God. I demanded to see evidence that God loved women as I didn’t believe in unconditional love between a man and a women.

I was, as always, on a quest to prove women are strong, courageous and equal to men. We can look after ourselves; we don’t need God. God is also a man and I for one, could survive without a man! I had to raise my kids alone. I projected my resentment for my late husband unto God. ‘Where were you, God when I was alone, terrified, traumatised and desperate? Nowhere — I had to save myself!’

I was very negative about God (as a male) and stopped the studies. I was confused, scared, tired and unconvinced. I had to take a break.

Amazing grace

But, something amazing happened. God showed me how much He loved and valued me! He showed me that He had chosen me 10 years ago to make a difference in someone’s life and He trusted me to fulfil the task He’d given me. He used a long-winded tale and three women to demonstrate His love for me. I was blown away to realise that God loves me. I wanted to be baptised there and then! I realised that I had closed my heart to God and became convinced that I couldn’t allow any human to love me. Neither could I reciprocate that love, even if that man was God! Studying the scriptures made me realise that God loves women so much that He chose us to do the most amazing work for His Kingdom. I started falling in love with God. My heart opened to see God’s kind words of grace, mercy and compassion. I realised I was the one that had to change. I needed to break down that fortress around my heart and allow God to be my stronghold.

I realised that I needed to forgive myself for turning into a bully who enjoyed making my late husband’s life unbearable. I had to forgive myself for the choices I’d made, evicting Mark from our home and our lives, and making my children miss out on growing up with their father in their lives. I had to forgive myself for the hatred and judgement I bestowed onto males and God. That was a hard but very rewarding process. Forgiving yourself is tough because you have to acknowledge your own wrongdoing and shortcomings.

Then I had to ask God’s forgiveness. That was easier because God loves unconditionally and He was just waiting for me to open my heart to Him to welcome me in His embrace. That was one of the most wonderful and exhilarating moment when I realised God will look after me and my heart. I am now truly free to live and love wholeheartedly.

Reach out

If you are in an abusive situation, I want to encourage you to reach out to someone and tell them the truth. Don’t try and save yourself. We need help, and there are many people willing to help. I now know that God was with me every second. Although I felt totally alone, God was right beside me, protecting and giving me the strength to continue.

Never measure your worth against how someone treats you. Look in the scriptures and discover your worth before God who loves you unconditionally. We abuse ourselves when we don’t allow ourselves to live life wholeheartedly and happy in God’s presence and care. God is love. Nothing can take God’s love from us. I am the perfect example.

God loves me so much and still has plans and tasks for me to complete. He sends people my way daily so I can make a difference in someone else’s life, just as He has made in mine, and is still changing my life daily.

Put your dreams before God and see what He can do!”

I'll Be Back—by Mpho Khalo

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 10:29:51 GMT

Sermon summary:

We look at Jesus' second coming through the eyes of Peter.

Acts 1:9–11 Clouds have a distinctive role in scriptures. Jesus is coming back on a cloud. Peter was there when Jesus said he'll come back.

John 21:18–23 When Peter was given a glimpse of his own death, the disciples were focused on the wrong things. We must simply follow Jesus and not get distracted/ but be disciples who are fishers of men, and "dead" because Jesus lives in you.

2 Peter 3:1–18 Daily life can make you forget about Jesus' coming back. It becomes a pattern. Life has lots of problems, but Jesus came to fix the problems of the heart.

When Jesus comes back it will be an ordinary day.

Scoffers question whether he's coming back.

Psalm 90:4 God's not slow in keeping his promise. He wants everyone to be saved.

While waiting... we need to repent/ grow in our knowledge of him/ be fishers of men.

John 20:6–10 The folded cloth left in the tomb signified that Jesus is coming back.

Watch the full service here . (the message starts at 45 mins)

The Prodigal Father—by Justin Renton

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:16:25 GMT

Sermon summary:

Father's Day sermon:

Prodigal=Using resources freely & extravagantly

God is running through the fields calling your name
The shepherd has a responsibility to defend and look after the sheep who are defenceless. When shepherds go out to look for a sheep you have to come back with something (a hoof or something to prove you have looked for it).
God loves individuals. He sends someone to find you; he's protective; has a rejoicing love.
God is falling to his knees looking for you.
Luke 15:8–10 We are the lost coins. Are you hiding from him? Ignoring the voice whispering to you at night. Escapism-—doing crazy stuff; rationalise him away—does he even exist?
God is throwing out his arms welcoming you home.

Luke 15:11–18 Maybe the younger son left because he wanted freedom/ was encouraged by his friends/ had a fight with his brother/ wanted to have fun.

Are you heading for a pig pen right now? Empty on the inside. Life has no meaning for you.

The younger son finally listened to his soul (came to his senses) v17.

God uses situations to bring us to our senses.

The younger son had his speech ready–was broken and repentant.

His father was waiting and looking out for him.

Most dads would say "I told you so". His father didn't even want to hear his speech.

God simply throws open his arms to welcome him back home. There's no judgement. We are simply beggars showing other beggars where to get food.

V28 The older brother felt self-righteous (counting his sacrifices rather than his blessings), not realising we are all prodigal sons. The heart of love, grace and mercy was gone.

It doesn't matter if we got lost by accident/through no fault of our own/or deliberately.

Watch the full service here . (the sermon starts at 41 mins)

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams—by Jacques Genis

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 14:46:35 GMT

Sermon summary:

1 Samuel 21:1–7 David had dreams as a young man that didn't work out the way he planned.

From anointed to be king; shepherd, to playing music for Saul, to national hero, to running for his life... his dreams broken.

Later in his life, he starts off on the path of deceit; takes matters into his own hands.

V8–9 the sword was an icon of God's promise to David. Ps 33: you're saved by God's unfailing love.

How did he forget God's faithfulness so quickly? He panicked, lied.

What do you do when things don't work out for you?

1 Samuel 18:22–23 The consequence of David's sin. He didn't deal with the sin in his family either.

2 Samuel 15:7–24 David flees from Absalom. The emotions from those broken dreams were strong.

V25–26 There is an alternative option. He decided not to take matters into his own hands.

Watch the full service here . (the sermon starts at 49 mins)

The Lord is Passing By—by Quentin Goodman & Eden McLeod

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 11:34:17 GMT

Sermon summary:

Tell him how you really feel.

1 Kings 19: 1–8 Wherever you are at today, God gives you the option of reaching out to him and to tell him how you feel. Elijah was gut-level honest with God. Tell him where you're really at. God offers strength and rest.

2 .Listen for God.

1 Kings 19:9–13 God speaks to his people, if you're willing to listen. Whispering is connected with closeness and intimacy. You need to be quiet and still to hear God. It takes work to listen to him .(Elijah had to walk up a mountain).

Think of how to change your schedule so you can have opportunities to hear God.

3. Respond.

1 Kings 19:14–18 God gave Elijah very specific instructions. God speaks to us in the Bible. We can't procrastinate or be selective in your obedience.

You can watch the full service here . (The sermon starts at 39 mins)

It Looks a Lot like Cement—by Dr Bill Moulden

Mon, 30 May 2022 10:56:47 GMT

Sermon summary:

Dr Bill Moulden—It Looks a lot like Cement=Unity (a combination of grace and love).

Acts 15:36–41 The stones are not uniform/are different shapes and sizes. Brought together by love and grace.

Paul had a sharp disagreement with Barnabus

Galatians 2:11–13 Paul disagreement with Peter, and it affected Barnabus too.

If you have stuff you don't deal with, what holds you together can break apart.

Later, the brothers commended Paul to the grace of God.

*Grace comes from God, expressed through Jesus.

1 Corinthians 13:1–13

2 Timothy 4:11 Unity lasts. Decide to be a part of it.

In case you missed it, you can watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 39 mins)

Making the Shift—by Dr Bill & Kristen Moulden

Mon, 23 May 2022 10:42:38 GMT

Summary of sermunion:

There's only one way to change your life, doing it through supernatural strength.

Paul had to make shifts and be reconverted many times.

"To die to" expressions of Paul:

P : Self Romans 6:6 When we are in neutral/park we don't go anywhere.

R : Sin Romans 6:1–4 when we go in reverse, we sin. and ask, "DId God really say...?"

N : World Galatians 6:14. Drifting along, letting whatever comes along take us. Colossians 2. We need to pay attention.

D : Law Galatians 2:19 You trust in the law instead of relying on Jesus and cross. You have to see Jesus and his calling clearly. He took off everything that made him special, and lowered himself to scrub feet.

How do you use your influence to better the people around you?

Watch the full service here (the sermunion starts at 39 mins)

Making Change, Part 4—Tomorrow Matters, by Justin Renton

Tue, 17 May 2022 13:24:06 GMT

Sermon summary:

Justin Renton — Tomorrow Matters

Proverbs 6:6–8 God calls us to learn from the ant. The ant knows tomorrow matters.

Proverbs 21:20 The wise store up, the fools gulp theirs down.

The parable of the talents/money. Matthew 25: 19–21

When God gives you resources he expects you to use it wisely.

Don't invest in things you don't understand. Proverbs 24:3–4 Wisdom, knowledge and understanding is important in investments. Do research, ask questions.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Ecclesiastes 11:2 Diversify your investments. There's no one good thing.
Don't try get rich quick. 1 Timothy 6:9 When greed enters your life it can destroy your soul. Consider using the 10:10:80 principle—Give to God, Save, and Live on the rest. Don't live beyond your means.

Proverbs 13:11 Wealth from get-rich schemes disappear quickly. Wealth from hard work grows over time.

Watch the service in full (the sermon starts at 41 mins) here .

In Search of Treasure

vidalisik@gmail.com (Vida Li Sik) — Mon, 09 May 2022 11:17:31 GMT

#ThrowbackThursday: This testimony was published on 24 May 2020

Ehllené Bekker, a sister in the North-west region of the Joburg church, went all the way to the United States to find her way back to God. She shares her conversion story :

“I had grown up with our dad urging his children to “Maak jou saak reg met God, en laat jou doop!” (Get your case right with God, and get yourself baptised!”) I had received religious instruction, including instruction on false doctrine, from a young age. We were not allowed to visit certain churches because they were not doing things in a biblical manner. So I knew I was lost spiritually, but I needed to walk my own journey first, and not do things based on my dad’s faith.

And then the world called, and I answered. As a teenager on the Cape Flats (in Cape Town, South Africa), I got into a lot of sin, from drinking to seriously contemplating murder. One time, I actually stood with a butcher’s knife in my hand. Fortunately, I could foresee the consequences for my own future, and put the knife down.

In 1996, Henry and I got married shortly after my 21st birthday, before I moved to Johannesburg to join him. Less than a year later, in 1997, we bought our home, which we still live in, in Roodepoort (Gauteng). Then, in 1998, we packed a suitcase each, left our home behind and moved to the USA… in pursuit of money, a good career opportunity for Henry and a life of leisure for me! James 4:13 comes to mind. But before we left, I told an old friend that when we got to the USA, I wanted to find a church. I knew I needed a community of believers if I was to “get right with God!”

Two weeks after arriving in Los Angeles, CA, whilst walking home from a salon on a hot summer’s day, I was approached by two young Hispanic men who invited me to church. They offered to give my number to a South African sister in the church when they knew where I was from. Eugenie called me soon afterwards. We met her and her husband Ken and we soon became friends. Henry and I visited the church and started to study the Bible. But although we attended every meeting that we were invited to, including all the fun activities, we were not ready to commit. Part of it was because we had heard rumours from back home, but mostly it was because of our own hearts were not ready.

As I did not have a work permit, and we did not have any children yet, I had a lot of free time. I only knew a few church members and one other South African couple, so naturally I spent a lot of time with Eugenie.

One afternoon, we were cooking together in our apartment, when completely out of context, I heard Eugenie say, “Uncle Winnie”. I responded by asking, “Uncle Winnie Pienaar?” and she said “Yes!” We were both perplexed and tried to figure out the connection. After further discussions and a phone call home, we pieced the puzzle together. My mom’s reaction on hearing that I am friends with Eugenie: “Oh my word! Eugenie! I have not seen her since she was two years old!” It turned out that, when my late grandmother’s home burnt down, my mom’s younger sister (who married “Uncle Winnie” years later) was taken in and temporarily raised by Eugenie’s parents.

God is amazing! He cared enough about me, to plan every detail of my journey back to Him. He started to put the broken pieces of my life back together, long before I was even born.

On 2 January 1999, we left a relatively warm Los Angeles, to move to a chilly Memphis, TN. We had a phone number, and Kenneth and Rosa Carter, who led the church there, were expecting our call. We delayed deliberately. We wanted to check out some other churches first. It only took one chaotic experience for us to both say, “Let's make the call!” Memphis was like arriving home for me. For the first time ever, I felt like I truly belonged. I quickly made many friends outside the church, but the Memphis church became my family. The one thing I felt from every single member was love. Admittedly, the church was much smaller than the LA Church, and it was easy to get to know everyone and to form deep bonds with them. The unity, the deep love, the true friendships were obvious!

We continued with the Bible studies and God’s love (John 3:16), Jesus’s sacrifice (Isaiah 53:3-7) and the fellowship of the believers (Acts 2:42), which I could see being lived out, made me realise that I had finally arrived home spiritually as well. In May 1999, we decided to make Jesus Lord of our lives, and we were baptised into Christ. The time spent with our brothers and sisters in the Memphis Church, from worship services to baseball games and pizza nights, are some of my dearest memories.

Our situation changed a few months later, and we had to return to South Africa. We did not come back with loads of money as we had hoped, but we had found a treasure far greater—a treasure God took us halfway around the world to find."

#testimony #mystory #nwregioncoc #joburgcoc

Making Change, Part 3—Giving is Good, by Tsepo May

Mon, 09 May 2022 09:30:23 GMT

Summary of sermon:

Giving is Good

1 John 4:8 What does God give? Love. Because he so loved the world, he gave us his Son.

Ephesians 4:16 We have a community/the body/ the church which build itself up in love by giving in service.

Acts 20:35 It is more blessed to give than to receive.

2 Corinthians 9:11 We don't give because we are struggling, have giving fatigue, or because we've been abused in the past. Guard against not wanting to give; we have a scarcity mindset.

Generosity should be a river mentality (fresh, see God as your provider, a feast, gives time, resources away on a daily basis; sees resources

A swamp mentality holds on and doesn't give.

Proverbs 11: 24–25 the world of the giver gets bigger.

2. How much should I give? Plan your generosity.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Give what you've decided to give, not because you must.

Matthew 25 Whatever you've done for the least, you do for Jesus. What have you done for Jesus lately?

James 1:27 Look after the widows and orphans.

2 Corinthians 9:5 Plan your giving. Isaiah 32:8 Generous people plan.

3. Start being generous now.

Philemon 1:6 Put generosity into practice. It doesn't have be huge. Start small.

Luke 6:38 We are called to be a blessing to others; we will be blessed when we give.

Watch the full service here . (The sermon starts at 51 mins)

Making Change: Part 2—by Selepe Phetla

Tue, 03 May 2022 15:07:30 GMT

Summary of sermon

Selepe Phetla—Stress is Bad

Debt=bad

Proverbs 22:7 T he rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender

Debt constrains our choices in life; it causes stress & anxiety

It is something we put on ourselves. What is not okay is not to have a plan to get out of debt.

Three prayers we need to pray:

God give me Self-control.

Proverbs 25:28 Like a city with walls that are broken through is a man who lacks self-control.

Reasons for debt ( 1 John 2: 15–17)

Lack of contentment ( 1Timothy 6: 6–10)

Wrong definition of success (Matthew 16:26)

Current gratification (Psalm 37: 1–7)

Presumption of what the future holds (James 4: 13‐15)

2. God give me understanding.

Hosea 4:6; Isaiah 5:13 get knowledge and understanding to manage your finances.

Resources (books, YouTube–The Ramsey Show (how to get out of debt faster)

3. God give Me a Plan

Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Isaiah 32:7–8

Watch the full service here (the sermon starts at 44 mins)

Making Change Series: Part 1, Less is More, by Ivor Botha

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 13:23:27 GMT

Summary of sermon

Ivor Botha – Less is More

God can change our hearts if we let him. We make the small changes he asks us to make, while he makes the big changes we cannot.

Society believes more is better (more cars, belongings, money etc). We want to grab as much as we can just in case.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 " Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind ". When we grab too much we waste it.

When is less more? Imagine someone who has a short time to live. What will be most important to them?

So much of our time and energy is taken up in the pursuit of things we don't have. We have all kinds of greedy desires.

Practicals:

Cut back . Clothes, etc. Luke 12:15 " Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions ". Try go a day/ week without spending any money. Less stuff and more friends/ time with your family/ a clearer mind.

Say no for a short while so you can say yes for eternity.

Clear out . Luke 12:22 Don't worry about everyday life. Declutter your schedule/ house/ your heart & mind. Don't be sentimental. Make your goal: if you buy one, give one away.

Pay off. Credit cards and debt. Owing money to the bank stresses you out. Pay off your car/ clothes/ house.

Quote: "The richest person is not the one who has the most stuff but the one who needs the least".

Watch the full message (it starts at 39 minutes) here .

Journey to the Cross, Part 4—Justin Renton

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 10:38:42 GMT

Summary of sermon:

Mark 15 :1—15 The Trial, Crucifixion Resurrection

The trial—Where envy triumphed over justice

Jesus's trial broke many rules of the Jewish criminal justice system.

Verse 10 Envy=they coveted/wanted Jesus's position

Envy put Jesus on the cross. Do you envy anybody (their position in life or work; popularity, possessions)?

2. Mark 15:16—32 The Crucifixion —Where love triumphed over pain

Beaten, flogged (many people died just from the flogging), mocked and crucified, Jesus walked to let you and I know he loves us deeply; to make it possible for us to have a relationship with God.

Satan's biggest lie to us is that we don't matter to God, yet God paid the price for us by sending his son, Jesus, to the cross. There was no higher price he could pay.

3.The Resurrection — Where hope triumphed over despair

Mark 16:1–8 The Cross is a message of hope. God can turn darkness into light; he took the worst man could offer, and turned it into victory.

What are you facing today that feels hopeless? For example, conflict in a relationship, a job you hate, a health challenge?

Remember the Cross. He can turn the darkest situation/despair into hope.

Remember Jesus' journey to the Cross and see how much he loves you.

Watch the full service and sermon (it starts at 32 minutes) here .

Easter Services Soweto and Central Regions

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:24:19 GMT

What are you doing this Easter?

The Soweto and Central regions will combine for a bumper Easter celebration from Friday, 15 April to Sunday, 17 April at Athlone Girls High, Frederick St & Louise Street Observatory Ext. Join us in person or YouTube.

Friday: 10am The 7 Sayings from the Cross

YouTube: https://youtu.be/TVigWxBAOnY

Saturday: 13.30pm Special Praise & Worship Service

YouTube: https://youtu.be/rvaKvlA2KXU

Sunday: 10am The Last Moments of Jesus on Earth.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/zXwIUPVmNZU

Journey to the Cross, Part 3—Dave Jacobs

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 18:29:22 GMT

Sermon summary:

The Arrest (Matthew 26:47-56):

Jesus' character and moral toughness in his arrest. It's an aspect of Jesus' character that so many seem to have forgotten.

It is here at the arrest that we begin to see the incredible strength and restraint of our Lord. His righteousness at his arrest is simply amazing. When others disappointed him and let him down, he stood firm. When others turned on him and betrayed him, he was righteous. We all know the pain of being lied to or mistreated. It hurts. Yet Jesus shows us the way in loving our enemies in His response to Judas. He was full of grace in His response to Judas and called Him ‘friend’. Judas treated Jesus so cowardly, and Jesus was still willing to call him his friend. This is grace beyond measure.

Jesus does make a comment to the crowd. He cuts right to the issue at hand. V55 "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me."

His was a simple question that he might ask some of us today. Why do you act one way at the temple and another when you are elsewhere? Are you someone who pays lip service to Jesus at religious services, but betrays him in the darkness later?

But Jesus was going to Calvary voluntarily. His love compelled Him to make the sacrifice that would save our souls. Despite the ability to free himself and punish the offenders, He freely gave himself up for all of us. Jesus walked into this knowing exactly what was in store for him. That's how much he loved us.

Before the High Priest (Matthew 26:57-68)

It must have seemed so simple to Caiaphas before the trial began. False witnesses would testify. A verdict would be reached. Legal traditions would be ignored while Jerusalem slept. Jesus would be hustled off to Pilate for an early morning sentencing. You can sense the frustration building as Caiaphas struggled to find a charge that would stick.

Jesus remained silent. His silence seemed to frustrate the High Priest all the more. V62 "Aren't you going to answer?" Caiaphas asked. "What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"

Silence would have saved Jesus' life at this point, and he knew it. If he had held his tongue, he might possibly have gotten off with a beating or less. Jesus, however, knew exactly what he was doing. His silence, confession, and submission to these hypocrites were crucial to the completion of his mission. He took that step voluntarily. It was a big step on the road to Calvary.

Once you understand that He did this because he loves you personally, then you, too, are ready to take his hand and walk that road to the Cross with Him.

Following at a Distance, Then Denial (Matthew 26:69-75)

Denial: This a familiar passage to most of us. Peter denying Jesus Christ 3 times. Fear took over when Peter was questioned about Him being a follower of Jesus. His boasting of faith and courage was being replaced with a display of cowardice and weakness.

Why did Peter come to a place of weakness and denying Jesus Christ? We’ve seen already how he slept too much and prayed too little in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet There is more…

Peter in the courtyard of Caiaphas’ house was a far different Peter than had eaten the last supper with Jesus. Bold and confident over dinner, Peter was a man who was ready to change the world. By the time he reached the high priest’s home, things had changed. Now he was a spectator. He didn’t try to effect the trial. Instead, he “entered and sat down to see the outcome.” How out of character for Peter. He had stepped off the playing field and sat down in the grandstands to watch. Fear was at work in his heart.

You notice this especially in the way Peter moved around the courtyard. First he tried to fit in with the guards. When his accent gave him away, he slunked over to a dark spot near the gate. He didn’t want to stand out. He wanted to fit in. He felt most comfortable hidden in the darkness. He was keeping his distance. Peter had changed from pro-active to inactive.

Some may be following Jesus at a distance today. This timid and cowardly approach to discipleship often seems safe and comfortable. Yet distance can be dangerous. If we keep our distance from Jesus, it could mean pretty soon you may be really not a follower at all.

Distance means being full of unconfessed sin. It means quiet doubts of God & the Bible.

Do you find yourself following at a distance today? Have you come off the playing field and taken a comfortable seat in the grandstands?

Our aim as disciples is to let our light shine on earth so that people can see who we are.

Conclusion:

*To be tough like Jesus and show strength and restraint as we face the challenges of life. To be full of grace when let down by others and to love our enemies as Jesus Christ showed in His response to Judas.

*To not follow Jesus at a distance.

Watch the full sermon here .

From 'the least likely' to a Faithful Follower

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 14:58:28 GMT

My story: Malindi Mhlungu

Like Zacchaeus in the Bible, Malindi Mhlungu (who is part of the marrieds ministry in the NW region) was believed to be “the most unlikely” person to open up her heart to Jesus and become a follower. But 26 years later, she's more convinced than ever she made the right decision. This is her story:

"I was met by Zandile Mchiza at the University of the Transkei, in Umtata in 1994, but was only baptised in 1996. I came from a traditional denomination and thought it was the church, so it wasn't a case of me looking for a church. The most challenging study, for me, was learning about the kingdom of God, so I stopped and restarted the Bible studies several times. I enjoyed the fellowship at church, but not much of the truth that it came with. I was very stubborn. But the turning point for me was when I realised how lost I was. The Bible was very clear, and I eventually gave up and heeded the call to follow Jesus two years later.

I was never expected to be the one to be “saved” by my friends and even family. I had too many doubts and lots of questions where the Bible was concerned. As a tax specialist; the person I can relate to in the Bible is Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Even today, tax is still not a famous thing, it’s often seen as a necessary evil. The rich understand but hate it, and the poor don’t understand but expect it to take care of them. He was considered the most unlikely to be chosen or even open his house and heart to Jesus. In my case, some people expected me to walk away a long time ago, but 26 years later, I still have no doubts about my decision.

While I don’t have a specific favourite scripture to help me through tough times, the one I come back to all the time is Psalm 23. It speaks directly to me. In my life, I’ve seen a lot of challenges as well as victories, and in each phase, I’m always comforted that God is always with me."

#mystory #testimonial #nwregion #joburgchurch

Journey to the Cross, Part 2—Ndabenhle Ncube

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 13:14:12 GMT

Sermon summary:

What response does the cross inspire in you? Is it a mere symbol or does it move you?

Here is a summary of Nda's sermon:

1 . This is my body .

Matthew 26:26. Jesus was still concerned about his disciples. The bread symbolises our break from sin. He doesn't require anything from us because Jesus made the sacrifice on our behalf.

Psalm 51:17 God requires a broken spirit–a broken and repentant heart. What is your attitude towards sin in your life? (Remind yourself what sin does to God). God won't reject a broken & contrite heart. It's not much that God asks—to be torn/cut to the heart about sin. Are you stubborn and refuse to take it into your heart? Do you make exceptions of things you don't want to do anymore (e.g. serving, purity, etc) Here are two groups who want the same thing–go to heaven–but only those on the narrow road will make it.

Luke 13:24 Are you making every effort to enter through the narrow gate or are you merely trying?

Matthew 21:44 If you are stubborn, the kingdom will be taken away from you. Forget your pride and submit to Jesus. The stone will fall on you.

What is your attitude in following God's plan for your life?

2. This is my blood.

Matthew 26:27–30. On Jesus' blood rested the fate of humanity. We have access to his blood. We live in a society of justice rather than Grace. We deserve the lashings and pain but Jesus took the punishment on our behalf. Grace is like a present under the Christmas tree with your name on it. It's not yours until you open and access the gift ( repent and be baptised because it's at baptism that we access God's grace).

3. When I am weak.

Matthew 26:31–35 Falling away from God is a gradual thing because of the choices you make. Sometimes you realise too late that you've drifted away. Satan's plan is for you to slumber–you lose your fire and feel lonely; you compromise; you don't see the sin that's taking hold of your heart. We need to keep on fighting. In what areas in your life are you drifting? What are you focusing on that keeps you from God; what's taking up your time?

All of us will be weak at one stage; how do you handle those moments?

Don't buy into the lie that if you take time off from God you will come back stronger. Don't put it off (e.g. you'll be urgent to get help if you broke your leg, wouldn't you?). Don't blame others for your own spiritual weakness. Don't leave God on account of someone else.

Talk to someone about how you feel; go back to the scriptures. Peter said he'd never fall away, but when things got difficult, he did. Peter repented and came back.

There is a reward for finishing the race.

Watch the full service and sermon here .

Offering more than only medical help – Dr Elijah Nkosi's story

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 09:54:51 GMT

#ThrowbackThursday: this story was shared in June 2020

In South Africa, a country that has yet to reach the peak of COVID-19 infections, and with a population that has HIV, diabetes and other chronic illnesses to factor in, people sometimes need more than just medical help. Ministering to his patients in a holistic way, is something that this Johannesburg doctor has learned early on in his walk as a disciple of Jesus. This is his story:

My name is Elijah Nkosi. I am 59 years old, a medical doctor in private practice and a member of the Johannesburg Church of Christ (JCOC). My wife Valerie and I have been married since 1992, and we’ve been blessed with three lovely children. We have two other children from previous relationships that I had before we got married.

We were met by Jack Ingle, then a member of the church in Johannesburg, on my wife Valerie’s birthday in December 2004. We were visiting a wine farm while on holiday in Cape Town, when Jack invited us to church, and on our return to Johannesburg, we went and enjoyed the message and the fellowship. I studied the Bible with Dr Mark Ottenweller (during his time in South Africa) and Valerie and I joined his family group. We were subsequently baptized a few months later in 2005. We are very thankful to the late Baba Eugene Malao and his wife Tshidi, who were instrumental in our conversion.

In our family group meetings and my study sessions with Dr Mark, he shared about the period when he was still practising medicine, and how he would counsel patients psychologically and spiritually after he had diagnosed their medical ailment. He said that in a number of instances he would then write two scripts for these patients. One would be for the medicine that they required. The second one would be Bible verses that he shared with them to read at home. He said that seemed to make a difference in how these patients responded to him and they showed appreciation for the spiritual counsel.

I qualified as a medical doctor in 1986 and have been in private practice in Soweto, Johannesburg, since 1990. As part of my training as a General Practitioner, I treat people who have general illnesses, that sometimes include mental challenges. These individuals might also be anxious and depressed. In some instances, they need medication to treat their ailment. But, what I realized, and it has worked quite favorably for me and these patients, is that they also need counseling. This could be psychological and/or spiritual.

This has led to occasions where I would share scriptures such as Philippians 4: 6–7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”; and Matthew 11: 28–29 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”; and Matthew 6: 21–34 that deals with where your treasure is.

During those discussions and sharing, I would see the mood of these individuals change. Some would smile and open up about their challenges, and show appreciation for the biblical message that I'd be haring. I would then write these scriptures on a piece of paper and give it to them together with their prescription for medicine.

These experiences have made me realize that we can serve God in many different ways. It shows that many people are hurting and require spiritual support; and that we can reach out to them. Most of my patients know that I am a Christian and at times they would come to me and ask for scriptures and spiritual guidance. I thank God for putting me in this position that allows me to serve Him in this particular way. To God be the glory. Amen!

#mystory

Cycling for Team HOPE

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 13:03:01 GMT

Raising awareness and funds for Early Childhood Development

This last weekend, seven members of the Johannesburg church (South Africa) represented HOPE worldwide SA in the 947 Ride Joburg cycle race to raise awareness and funds for Early Childhood Development (ECD).

Here are responses from some of the participants:

Selepe Phetla (top right) competed for the fourth time in the 94.7 km (58.8 miles) event, which is the world’s second-largest timed cycle race that attracts between 20 000 and 30 000 cyclists. He aimed to finish the race in 3hrs30min and exceeded his expectations by clocking 3hrs23min.

“So far I’ve raised over R7 000 ($441) toward HOPEww SA’s ECD programme, and hopefully more donations will roll in. I enjoyed the race, and it was great to meet some sisters on the road when I had 27km to go. They came to support us and brought additional refreshments,” he shares.

Jacques Genis (bottom left), who leads the campus and singles ministries, competed in his first race. “It was an amazing experience; the best part was being able to do it with my brother-in-Christ, Neil Robinson.”

Neil (bottom right) previously raced for a professional team and, this time, he enjoyed doing it for a good cause. “It was great to enjoy the event and have fun, and to take it in for the joy of it. In previous years it was all a blur as I raced,” he says.

Irene Stotko (middle) had good reasons not to compete—her mom recently passed away. She also had a sore throat and limited training after recovering from an injury. Although she wasn’t part of the official team, she still took part. “I decided to just show up and see how it would go, and managed to finish,” she says.

This year, Keith Marais (top left) competed for the fifth time. “It’s been awesome to ride the race for HOPE, raising awareness around early childhood development while doing what I enjoy most, cycling! Ride Joburg is exactly that—the sites, the sounds, the supporters—the hype is awesome and memorable. For 2022, Team HOPE aims to rally together at least 22 riders.”

HOPEww SA serves and supports over 20,000 children every month. If you would like to support their Early Childhood Development work, go to hopeworldwidesa.org for information and to donate, or follow them on Facebook .

#Heroes4HOPE

A kingdom kid's journey to 'falling in love with Jesus'

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 13:40:14 GMT

Abigail Vos grew up as a kingdom kid in the church in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was “content with benefiting from the kingdom without submitting to the king”. She needed a “time-out” to learn it’s about having a personal relationship with God. This is her story:

“I grew up in the church surrounded by amazing people and structures that always attempted to lead me to God, and I’m very grateful for that. At 14, I started pursuing my own relationship with God, but it took me a while to see God for who he was and I was baptised at 16. But, as everyone tells you, baptism is not the end but the start of the journey, and mine didn’t go the way I expected.

In 2017, I started my studies at Wits (the University of the Witwatersrand) and was very excited to be a part of the campus ministry, and spent more time with them than with my own family; I’d even skip class to do Bible studies with people. I built amazing friendships, went on road trips and lived my best life. But the more I threw myself into the kingdom, the more my life was exposed. A close friendship disintegrated and caused pain I never thought I’d experience in the kingdom. I started doubting things I never doubted before, and struggled with things I never had to count the cost on—I never thought they’d be a part of my story.

This weighed down my heart. I became fearful to bring them up, fearful of what others would think of the ‘kingdom kid’ going through these things, fearful of what I’d have to do to deal with them. So I kept them to myself and continued to play the church game.

As time continued, doubt and hurt festered and became bitterness, anger and scepticism. My heart became hard. But, I was so deceived, I believed all was fine, because I studied the Bible with people, raised my hand for every question at Bible talk, and gave what I thought to be solid advice. I spent a lot of time on godly activities but none with God; I didn’t pray, nor did I want to hear from him.

Instead, I was very content with benefiting from the kingdom without submitting to the king. But deceit catches up with you.

At the start of 2019, I went to our campus ministry leader, Laura (Genis), and asked her to help me fix my life; I opened up about what was happening. In all of this, she’d always ask me, ‘Do you want a relationship with God?’ My answer would be ‘I want to want one’. I wanted to be in a place where I wanted a relationship with God. But truthfully, I didn’t want God anymore. I just wanted the things that surrounded him.

So nothing changed because I didn’t see a need for it to change. I still had my close friendships, my comfortable and safe spaces, endless grace, and I knew how to play this game. Or so I thought.

Towards the end of 2019, my mom and sister came into my room and had a very honest conversation with me. Everything I thought I hid so well, was not only evident, but hurt them. My mom shared that people were concerned about me, but she felt hopeless, because she never knew what to tell them. My sister told me she didn’t want her friends to be around me because she didn’t want them to think that this was how a disciple lived. Looking back now, I’m incredibly grateful they loved me enough to be honest with me.

I went back to Laura, hoping she’d justify my feelings and console me but, instead, I found another honest conversation. I no longer wanted, or could get away with reaping the benefits of a supposed godly life without an actual relationship with God.

From 'wanting' to having her own relationship with God

Eventually, I chose to take a step back to hopefully see God. I stepped away from church and Bible studies and everything that had always been my safe space.

I’d never felt so lost. Yet somehow, through ways only God knows, I started to long after Him. I read my Bible again, not for the knowledge I could gain, but because I missed God. I fell in love with Jesus, and for the first time, my heart broke as I realised how much Jesus loved me.

Eventually, in the beginning of 2020, I went back to Laura, desperate again, but this time desperate for God, not for self-preservation, and was restored in March 2020.

Now, I still wrestle with the same doubts, struggles and hurts, but I realise God’s love for me is not conditional. It’s not fickle, it will not fail, and it’s much larger than any of these things.

These past two years have been extremely challenging but rewarding because I re-discovered the love of Christ—a love of offering and sacrifice. This is how Christ loves us. Nothing can diminish the love and grace of the cross.

Finally, as 1 John 4:9 says, ‘ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him .’ (NIV)”

Meet Mfundo and Nobuntu Nondala—leaders of the Central Region

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 13:44:11 GMT

Mfundo and Nobuntu Nondala are married for 17 years and have two children, Thandolwethu and Onothando. They share their story:

What motivated you to become followers of Jesus?

Mfundo: I was invited to a Bibletalk in my neighbourhood in 1994. Since I wasn’t doing anything, I thought ‘let me attend, to hear what it was all about’. I was impacted by the knowledge of the scriptures the disciples possessed, the practical application of the scriptures and their lifestyle (the brother’s household was next to my home). I studied the Bible and got baptised.

Nobuntu: I was invited to a campus Bibletalk at UNITRA (now known as WSU) by a friend from my former church in 1994. I was drawn by the love of disciples in that ministry, although I wasn’t totally comfortable, as I’m an introvert. When introduced to the Bible studies, I knew then that I got what I was missing in my life, as much as I was devoted to my former church. The scriptures made me take a decision to leave my family church. It was a very challenging decision to make as I grew up there.

Manna or locusts and honey? What food mentioned in the Bible would you like to have tried?

Pigeon.

What scripture gives you hope for the future in your Christian walks?

Mfundo: Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Nobuntu: Romans 12:12 (NLT) “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”

Which miracle of Jesus would you have loved to witness, and why?

Mfundo: John 11:43 When he said this, Jesus called in a loud voice," Lazarus, come out!"

I would’ve been interested to see Lazarus coming out of the tomb, as it’s something that has never happened, and that increased the faith of many people, seeing Jesus’s ability to raise the dead.

Nobuntu: John 5: 5-8 The Healing at the Pool—I would’ve loved to see the excitement and joy of this man after being healed from his helplessness. I’m sure that brought hope to others who were sick.

What was the biggest challenge for the Central Region during the pandemic?

Not being able to meet in-person, as we love to stay after church for fellowship. Online services made it difficult for us to feel connected to one another; another challenge was that some members didn’t have compatible devices.

Why should people consider visiting the Central Region?

As a region, we’re blessed to have diverse ethnic groups from all around the African continent. That makes our worship services more edifying and uplifting as we sing in all languages. We are also a youth and family-driven ministry. Our members are very welcoming and hospitable in their homes, irrespective of where you come from, and they extend their love and generosity to bereaved families in their time of need.

Meet Werner and Lize Vos—leaders of the church in Cape Town

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:07:17 GMT

What motivated you to become followers of Jesus?

Werner: Growing up, I had a deep desire to have a relationship with God and try to live it out as best as I knew how. Lize (my wife) and her family had been family friends for all of my life. I heard she got involved in an “interesting” church and got baptised. I went to check up on her as I had some concerns about what exactly she became a part of. She asked me some very thought-provoking questions about what it mean to be a Christian according to the Bible. I wasn’t able to answer her and therefore started studying the Bible. It was crystal clear to me that I was in no way a follower of Jesus and that life needed some radical change. I got baptised six weeks later in January 1993.

Lize: I grew up in a “non-practising” Christian home. I lived for myself and the world. I therefore felt a deep uneasiness with saying I'm a Christian. During my first year as a campus student, I started praying and begging God to help me find Him. After one particular emotional Sunday night crying out to God, I got up the Monday morning, went to campus and was invited by a girl to study the scriptures and get to know God! I obviously said yes and got baptised two weeks later.

What do I love about being a disciple?

Werner: Having a relationship with the Creator of the universe. Having him guide my life and empower me to be formed into his image. Along with so many others, be a part of his plan (the renewal of our world).

Lize: I cannot imagine what my life, marriage, and relationships would have been like without God. He indeed does save me from myself. I am humbled and blown away that after 30 years, He still continues to refine my character. I'm incredibly grateful that I can spend time in His Word to renew my mind. He enables me to overcome my inner demons and help others along the way.

How old is the church in Cape Town, and what is their strength?

The church is 30 years old. It's a wonderfully diverse group of people who love each other deeply. The disciples take ownership for us "being the church." The congregation has a highly generous spirit towards giving and service.

Which person in the Bible do you relate to the most?

Werner: David is definitely someone I would like to emulate! I desire the kind of heart that can say, "The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing!"

Lize: I am drawn to the "sinful woman" in Luke 7 due to her heart. I always feel challenged and inspired by her crystal clear understanding of her sin before God. She understood that she was forgiven of much, which enabled her to love much.

What does your family do for fun?

We love going away as a family, picnics on the beach, sunsets, visiting Hermanus and Yzerfontein, and watching different TV series together.

Why should others visit Cape Town?

We live in such a beautiful city with the ocean, mountains and vineyards. The Cape Town disciples are a hospitable, fun and adventurous bunch of people. We love connecting with other disciples across the world and learning from their experiences and relationship with God.

Meet Paul & Jacqui Smith—leaders of the East Region

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:17:59 GMT

Married for eighteen years, Paul and Jacqui Smith are leading the East Region of the Joburg church since 2016. Paul is also a teacher in the Southern Africa region of churches. They share their story:

How and when did you become followers of Jesus?

Paul: A friend invited me to an informal Bible discussion on campus at RAU University (now UJ) in 1999. I said yes, but never showed up (to my shame). This happened several times until he physically walked me to Bible talk after class one day, and the rest is history. A year later, I took up an internship with the church and have been serving in various capacities ever since. Jacqui and I dated, got engaged and married six months to the day on 3 May 2003. Our eldest daughter Gabriella was born in 2006, followed by our youngest daughter Isabella in 2009.

Jacqui : I went to London in 1998 to earn some pounds and see Europe, but God had other plans for me. I went shopping in a mall and an Irish and a Canadian girl reached out to me. I was blown away, because, while I’ve always loved God, I was wowed that some actually cared about other people’s salvation, and I said ‘yes please’. Someone followed up with me every Saturday at 5pm, and I went to a women’s event where I met Claire Barnard. We travelled home together and just connected. I studied the Bible for three weeks, and I was baptised in the East region of the London church on 19 May 1999. I joined the ministry staff here in Joburg in 2002.

Which person in the Bible do you identify with most and why?

Paul: I identify most with Moses, being predominantly melancholic in temperament. I feel deeply and passionately about things which can be both a strength and a weakness. Over the years, I’ve learnt my emotions are often not an accurate reflection of reality but rather mirror my perception of people and circumstances. I need to constantly bring myself back to the Bible, seeking God’s perspective and will versus mine.

Jacqui : I’m a Moses fan, but also connect with Phinehas the Zealot. I related to the zealous part for God’s honour—I’d like to spend time with him. And, in the New Testament, it definitely would be Peter, who I feel I have more in common with than most. Naturally, I’d love to sit down with him and talk about his life, and walking on water.

Paul (second from right) with the other teachers Neil Trollip, Werner Reyneke, Solly Kganyago and Raj Chandra

Paul, what does being an evangelist and teacher mean to you, and what makes it worthwhile?

I was appointed an evangelist in 2015, and a teacher in 2019. I’m so encouraged by the growth in maturity over the years—in recognising the importance of different roles within our ministry leadership teams. Whilst our evangelists’ team is responsible for moving the church forward, the teachers are constantly thinking about different ways we can deepen, grow and mature the faith of the disciples. I look forward to a time when we can have elders fulfilling the roles of shepherds in our congregations here in Joburg, completing the tripartite leadership dynamic we see in various contexts in the Bible.

What was the biggest challenge for the region during the pandemic?

The biggest challenge the East region faced during the pandemic was being isolated. It’s been challenging for most, even the introverts. We need to have our love tank filled with each other. As wonderful as Zoom is, it’s been hard not to be able to speak to people, not being able to hug, have a laugh, look into each other’s eyes and just have a great conversation.

Why should people consider visiting the East region?

We are the smallest region, and many of the Christians here have been around forever. They became disciples when they were single and now are the married’s ministry and the parents. So we’ve known each other for many years and are a real family. It’s been hard with Covid, but we love to have fun, have great kidzone, our teachers are amazing and we have very passionate songleaders. We need encouragement.

Meet Mpho and Phumla—leaders of the Soweto Region

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 14:28:14 GMT

They are best friends, partners in life and the gospel.

They’ve been married for almost 16 years, have a 14-year-old son, Gomolemo, and twin daughters Oratile and Ofentse, and started leading the Soweto region in February 2019. Let’s get to know Mpho and Phumla Khalo:

How did you become followers of Jesus?

Phumla : My brother introduced me to the church in 1999, when I was 18 years old. I remember being so amazed by the love and attention I received on my first Sunday service; I started studying the Bible soon after. And I knew right away “this is it”, I was found by God. There were some challenges to overcome—breaking away from my previous church, where my aunt (who was my mother figure) was also a member. A deep fear of her gripped me, and I got a bit of persecution for leaving, but got baptised on 28 February 2000.

Mpho: I was met in 2000 during my first week on campus. Before that, another campus ministry at RAU (now UJ) reached out to me. I searched all over for them but couldn’t find them. In my despair, I went to the law faculty to fix some things and Zinhle Pondo reached out to me. I studied the Bible and got baptised six months later on 25 August.

What is the Soweto region’s biggest strength?

Worship, the love of fellowship with one another, togetherness, and resilience through various hardships.

What scripture (s) encourages you to persevere and not give up?

Mpho: Philippians 4:6-8 that talks about not being anxious but praying instead. And Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Phumla: I love Psalm 94:18-19 “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” I also love 1 Corinthians 9:24, Galatians 6:9, James 1:12, Hebrews 12:11 and many others.

Which person in the Bible would you like to invite over for dinner and why?

Mpho: Moses. Moses is one of my favourite characters in the Bible. He was bold, fearful and emotional at times. But what I admire the most is he was real. It would be nice to hear him speak about the plagues and the staff, the parting of the sea, the water from the rock, the manna from the sky, and so much more.

Phumla: the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30. I’ve always been so inspired and amazed by her shameless audacity, even after obvious rejection from Jesus.

What was the biggest challenge for the Soweto region during the pandemic?

Connection with one another. Depending on the virtual space proved a challenge for many as not everyone had compatible devices, especially our elderly, and data remained a constant issue. During the pandemic we lost five sisters. We are a fellowship that loves being there for each other, but the regulations made it difficult for us to the attend the funerals of our dear sisters and we depended on virtual feeds.

Tough and rough winds expose the sailor, the crew and the boat. While that is so, the pandemic asked a lot of questions about one’s relationship with God. Does daily reading stop because of it? Does fellowship stop because of it? Does evangelism stop because of it? I think this was a time to rise up rather than run down. That’s not to undermine the deadly effects of Covid. I mean, I was in hospital for two weeks with Covid pneumonia. However, we all needed to answer tough questions about our own spirituality. Did following Jesus become conditional, or were we determined to nest in with the birds and hole in with the foxes so long as Jesus leads?

Why should other disciples consider visiting the Soweto region?

Soweto boasts of historical landmarks, famous streets and good food. The church in Soweto is a wonderful church with great worship leaders and the song line-up always reaches a point of surrendered reverence to God Almighty. The brothers and sisters are always very encouraging and welcoming.

We thank God for Mpho’s recovery, and look forward to visiting the Soweto region when Covid restrictions are lifted.

Unsung Hero: Sibusiso Mauze

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:38:45 GMT

What it takes to create virtual worship songs

Sibusiso (S’bu) Mauze became a disciple of Jesus 18 years, and joined the worship team in the North-west Region of the Joburg church towards the end of 2004. He shares what it takes for him (and other teams around our fellowship of churches) to put together worship songs for the virtual services:

Did you ever think you’d face a challenge such as last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Whilst virtual worship in 2020 started out as an adventure, which turned out to be a challenge, I never envisaged this type of scenario ever.

How difficult has it been to put together songs during the pandemic?

Putting songs together have been difficult for a few reasons. One major one was not being sure what team is available to take part. That means song choices became a challenge because not all the team members have the technological know-how to record. Sometimes songs have to be redone, and that frustrates everyone. I found it easier if I did the whole song on my own or with my family, because there was more control, but that’s not sustainable and looks exclusive.

Another problem is when singing alone, you cannot align yourself with the rest of your team, and in the end, that becomes a challenge for the sound editor.

What does the sound editor’s work involve?

As the person who does the audio and video edit, I have to wait for people to send me back their files, and that takes long, sometimes too long. After receiving them, the audio edit is first, and then video. Synchronising all the videos is sometimes hard, and one makes tough decisions. The longest a song has taken was four days — from receiving first input to sending out for adding on a service video. Some didn’t make it there because there wasn’t enough usable footage. If I were to count songs where I had to originate the backing track, it’s about a week per song.

What is the biggest challenge in teaching church hymns in the vernacular?

The challenge of teaching venac songs, especially in Gauteng, is the number of languages we have versus the number of speakers in the worship team. We cannot be singing two languages only, so worship leaders have to first learn the song, understand it and present it with feeling. This can be hard if you’re worried about saying the words wrong, then get feedback from the congregation, who have the same challenges. If we focused on fewer languages, it would help, but we currently can’t do that, so we keep going.

Do you have a favourite worship song?

I enjoy worship, and although favourites change all the time, I’d have to say I enjoy leading ‘Sidumisa Wena Nkosi / Jerusalema ikhaya lami’.

We’ve all experienced how hard it is to sing together during a live online meeting —*chuckle*— and we appreciate the hard work put in by the worship teams in all our churches with all our hearts. You guys and gals rock!

Why I left the ICOC and then came back – Pat Hlophe

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:01:54 GMT

Pat grew up in South Africa and has overcome some intense challenges. She tells her story of joining and leaving the church, and then coming back.

Learning To Love God Again After Suffering Abuse

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 14:50:10 GMT

“I grew up in a Christian home but never really knew or had a meaningful relationship with God. On the other hand, I had a wonderful relationship with my father and three brothers.

I met and fell in love with Mark. We got married and joined a denominational church. I attended a few Christian retreats and courses where I became very aware of God’s grace and mercy.

A miraculous escape

I prayed and asked God to save us. A car pulled up behind us and a man got out and asked: ‘Are you okay? Do you need help?’

Without help

A new hope

Getting to know God

I was very negative about God (as a male) and stopped the studies. I was confused, scared, tired and unconvinced. I had to take a break.

Amazing grace

Reach out

Put your dreams before God and see what He can do!”

The Joburg church partners with HOPEww

joburgchurchofchrist@gmail.com (Joburg Church of Christ) — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 11:37:47 GMT

Early Childhood Development is a National Crisis

HOPE worldwide South Africa has been serving vulnerable children, households and communities since 1993. From 2011, we have focused our efforts on the most vulnerable – young children aged 0-6 years, as this is the most critical period in a child’s development. What happens in early childhood will last a lifetime.Through partnerships with various organisations, sponsors and volunteers - we have reached nearly 16 000 vulnerable Children through our Early Childhood Development programmes.

We are investing in young children through: Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre (crèche) support, Community ECD Parenting programmes, Nutritional Support, and through our ‘Adopt a Family’ programme. We are operating in seven provinces in South Africa: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Free State where many challenges face children and families. These include; poverty, hunger and high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.

Each year volunteers from the Joburg church of Christ get on their bicycles and ride to raise money for HOPEww's early childhood development plans. Hundreds of thousands of Rands have been raised so far and we hope to continue doing more each year.

Southern Africa Discipleship Conference

joburgchurchofchrist@gmail.com (Joburg Church of Christ) — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 11:37:47 GMT

For the first time outside of Johannesburg

We are very excited to announce the 2019 Southern Africa Discipleship Conference. It will be held at the Cresta Conference Centre in the suburbs of Harare. Disciples from across the churches in Southern Africa will be converging to hear guest speakers Scott & Theresa Kirkpatrick, from Columbia South Carolina and Mike & Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro from San Antonio Texas.

Registration and accommodation details will be available at all the Joburg church regions soon.

See you all there.