Grace Church Geelong Family-friendly church located in Geelong. We exist to transform communities through a message of Grace across the Geelong Region, Victoria, the nation and the globe. https://gracechurch.com.au Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:34:16 +0000 Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:34:16 +0000 hourly 1 3600 SnapPages.com Sharpened Together - Week 5 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/04/01/sharpened-together-week-5 Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/04/01/sharpened-together-week-5

Working towards a generational legacy

Key Scripture: 
Judges 6:24
 Gideon built an alter there to the LORD and called it "The LORD is Peace". 
Growing up I lived through seeing a bad side to debt. That it started out as manageable but changed to be restrictive and then oppressive. I ended up wanting a stable, peaceful life. I could see that lack has a burden, doing nothing gets nothing and that chasing wealth has its own risks and they could result in real damage. Now, in retrospect, I can better see God’s hand in my life. Back then - what I had was hope! As I became an adult, the things I wanted to get sorted out were marriage, money and a place to call home.

The Bible says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10). I wanted to be trustworthy. I had little! I came into the workforce in the depths of the 1990s recession. I had low income, a difficult employment market, no prospect of handouts, no inheritance to look forward to. What I did have was a strong drive to provide for my family. Progress came slowly, often through mistakes, but always through learning.

I found debt a necessity to get a home. Paying down debt brought increasing peace - not just financially, but emotionally. “The borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). I did go through that cycle several times, but it was always with less risk overall.

My intent was good, but I was untrained and largely unguided. My learning came over time. Often, I worked at implementing just one learning really well. For a long time, it seemed I was not making any great progress. Small, consistent habits compounded over time. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance” (Proverbs 21:5). The opportunities change with the times, but consistent good habits are always useful.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is contentment. It provides freedom. Learning to live on less is not easy, but it brought me peace and clarity. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). I came to understand choosing a life simpler than I could afford was empowering. That helped me make better decisions for the longer‑term.

How to transfer on those things that made the difference was the challenge. I’d seen that wealth could spoil people. That people with little could have great joy and be generous with little. I arrived at the conclusion that the best thing I could do was hand on the tools and knowledge I’d learnt, so they could have it to draw upon as appropriate… and that everyone needs to find their own peace - the true peace - the peace for all circumstances and all times.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/04/01/sharpened-together-week-5#comments 0 Sunday Recap - March 22nd and March 29th - Acts Chapter 3, Does God heal today? https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/26/sunday-recap-march-22nd-and-march-29th-acts-chapter-3-does-god-heal-today Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:35:17 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/26/sunday-recap-march-22nd-and-march-29th-acts-chapter-3-does-god-heal-today

Anointed: Acts Chapter 3, Does God heal today?

Message Overview:

Acts Chapter 3 opens up with the first detailed recording of a supernatural healing through The Apostles by the power of The Holy Spirit. What an incredible event! Jonny preached a message helping us understand if God still heals today like He did in The Bible.

To understand why their is healing, we must first understand why their is suffering and sickness. God created a good and perfect world which has been corrupted by sin. All suffering and sickness is a result of sin, which can be explained in three different ways:

-General Sin
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned

-Personal Sin
1 Corinthians 11:30
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

-Demonic Sin
See the story of Job 

Despite suffering and sickness, The New Testament teaches us that God can and does still heal today. Does this mean everyone Christian will be healed? In this life no. In eternity, yes. Whilst their are so many accounts of people being healed in the scriptures and even today, not every person did receive healing in the scriptures and we know this to be true today also. 

The truth about healing is this, God will heal every Christian in one of 3 ways:
-Immediately in a Miracle
-Gradually through Medicine
-Eventually in Glory  

We are called to pray and ask God to heal because He is able to. But whatever His answer maybe, we are to trust in His nature and character which is good and faithful. 

Jonny finished by sharing a prayer written by Ps Josh Howerton to help those who may feel disillusioned or disappointed that God hasn’t answered their prayer for healing the way they thought He would, see below:

Father I know you are God and that you never lie or abandon your children, but it sure feels like you did in this situation. It looks like you didn’t keep your promises to me and it feels like your love failed me. I know my perception is wrong because you are always good. I need you to help me trust your heart when I can’t understand your actions. Please heal my heart and deliver me from this disappointment.

Take some time to discuss this topic with your group, what has encouraged you and what challenges you. 

Key Scriptures:

Acts Chapter 3:1-10;16

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birthwas being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God,10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

James 5:14-15
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

2 Timothy 4:20
Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.

Matthew 11:2-6
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/26/sunday-recap-march-22nd-and-march-29th-acts-chapter-3-does-god-heal-today#comments 0 Sharpened Together - Week 4 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/25/sharpened-together-week-4 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/25/sharpened-together-week-4

Avoiding Egypt

Key Scripture: 
Genesis 12:10
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
Hi Gents,

Let me take you back in time.

Abram has been called by God to leave his father's house, leave his nation and go to the land God had for him. Like a boss, Abram gets up, gathers his family and follows God’s voice. He’s the prototypical man of faith.

On the way, he meets with God and things are going great. After some time, at end of his journey, Abram arrives in the promised land. He looks around and it’s not a land of plenty. Due to factors outside of Abrams control the outlook is really grim.

Abram drives past his local petrol station and things have gone crazy. Abram checks the news and things are seemingly out of control.

So what Abram does next is he takes his family down to Egypt. He moves away from the good place, the good things that God has for him and seeks to find provision and safety and sustenance in the wrong place – Egypt.

Nothing good comes from Egypt.

For us, when we look around at the moment things look like famine.
It’s genuinely stressful.

Because of this, there’s a temptation for us to head to Egypt.

Binging TV.
Shutting off from our families.
Scrolling our phones.
Extra beers.
Porn.

There’s heaps of seemingly good ways to escape the famine that don't work.

What’s the temptation for you when you’re under stress?

I think God has a running invitation for us to sit with him through this season.
To stay where he wants us, doing the things that grow us.
To stay in the word.
To stay worshipping.
To stay doing the things that bring life to our families.
Holding onto the things that bring life to our souls.
We’re in it together.
]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/25/sharpened-together-week-4#comments 0 Sharpened Together - Week 3 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/18/sharpened-together-week-3 Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/18/sharpened-together-week-3

Sharpened Together - Week 3

Key Scripture: 
Luke 6:12-19
12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
The ‘Lone Ranger’ is as model of manhood that a lot of guys aspire to. He is a rugged individual who embodies fierce independence and resolute self-reliance.

Sometimes, being a lone ranger appeals to me. But Jesus is no lone ranger. Jesus is a rugged leader and community-member who embodies fierce dependence on his heavenly Father. Also, Jesus demonstrates resolute reliance on the work of the Holy Spirit in his life.

An example of this is Luke 6:12-19, where Jesus prays with his Heavenly Father, calls together a community of disciples and takes them to join with God’s mission. Who should we follow? The lone ranger or Jesus?

Practically, what could it look like for you to cultivate a life where the first thing you do is seek God’s voice of love, forgiveness, correction and guidance?

Before all else, may we be men who pray. Who are the fellow disciples God has called you to walk with, be sharpened by and sharpen in this season?

If you haven’t already, join a small group. What is the mission that, anointed by the Holy Spirit and together with other believers, God is calling you to participate in? Who are the people of peace (Luke 10:6) God has placed in your life?

Let’s not be lone rangers. Their foolish self-reliance means that God’s guidance is not sought. Their arrogant individualism causes them to believe that they’re better off alone. Their selfish independence leads to self-appointed mission.

“Follow me!” is Jesus’ invitation to us all. May we be men who follow Jesus’ example of prayer, being in community, and going on mission together.

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/18/sharpened-together-week-3#comments 1 Sunday Recap - Let’s Talk Relationships https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/15/sunday-recap-let-s-talk-relationships Sun, 15 Mar 2026 19:13:13 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/15/sunday-recap-let-s-talk-relationships

Let’s Talk Relationships with Ps Nick and Meredith Resce

Message Overview:

We have been created for relationship with God and with people. Our relationships can be broad and wide: family, marriage, parenting, friends, work colleagues, church community. The reality is that relationships can be both beautiful and painful. Ps Nick and Meredith shared with us that we each carry insecurity, immaturity and brokenness whether we realise it or not and we each bring these into our relationships with one another.

Becoming aware of our insecurity, immaturity and brokenness is the first step. Working through them is a life time journey of discipleship which we are all on. The good news is that Jesus desires for us to be whole and healthy. This happens through the work of the Holy Spirit, healthy Church community and taking some intentional and practical steps.  

Ps Nick and Meredith shared that Gods desire is not that we would be just be healthy spiritually, but we would be healthy across all areas of our lives. They introduced some practical and holistic ‘pillars’ to help us become self aware and grow in our wholeness. These are Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Relational and Financial. We were encouraged to pause once per month and mark out of 10 how you are going in each of these areas, find someone who you can chat to about how you are going and consider practical steps to address areas which may be on the lower side. 

Some questions for you to consider are below:
1. Physical 
- Am I treating my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit in how I use my body and what I consume?
- Am I am able to serve God well physically?
- Mark out of 10 how you are feeling physically. If it is below a 7, what changes do you need to make?

2. Emotional 
- Am I experiencing any extreme emotions often such as anxiety, anger, sadness. If so, why do you think this is?
- Am I able to process the emotions I am experiencing appropriately?
- Do my emotions negatively impact the lives of those around me?
- Mark out of 10 how you are feeling emotionally. If it is below a 7, what do you need to do?

3. Spiritual 
- Am I in a regular rhythm of connecting with God through prayer, Bible reading and worship?
- Am I in a regular rhythm of connecting with other believers to encourage and be encouraged in my faith e.g Sunday Church and mid-week Small Group 
- Am I confident and secure in my identity as a Child of God?
- Mark out of 10 how you are feeling spiritually. If it is below a 7, what do you need to do?

4. Relational 
- Am I enjoying the relationships I have in my life?
- Do I have clear and appropriate boundaries where needed?
- Am I am experiencing a good balance in being able to contribute as well as receive in the relationships I have?
- Mark out of 10 how you are feeling relationally. If it is below a 7, what do you need to do?

5. Financial 
- Am I stewarding well what God has given to me through budgeting?
- Am I able to enjoy the finances in my life through giving, saving and spending?
-  Mark out of 10 how you are feeling financially. If it is below a 7, what do you need to do?

Take some time to discuss this with your group or someone you trust to support you in these areas. 

Key Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 5:23
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/15/sunday-recap-let-s-talk-relationships#comments 0 Sharpened Together - Week 2 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/11/sharpened-together-week-2 Wed, 11 Mar 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/11/sharpened-together-week-2

Sharpened Together - Week 2

Key Scripture: 
Proverbs 27:6 - 'Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses'
"I will make this confession, although is hurts me to do so; I am a very skilled self-swindler...All too often, I argue for righteousness that simply is not there" - Paul David Tripp

We all have skills. Some can juggle. Some can touch their toes. Some can cook a steak or a mean spag bog. Some can hit a 5 iron 150 metres. One skill that we all possess in our fallen state is the skill of self swindling.

Essentially it means we are fraudulent to ourselves. The word says in Jeremiah that “the heart is deceitful above all things”. In the spiritual life our inner man, our inner drive is actively impairing and deceiving us. The “self-swindler” is imbedded if you like into our internal organisation. A “spy” among our internal, personal workings. To achieve the life God has for us, facing this type of inner betrayal we need a tag team of help - the Holy Spirit and faithful friends.

Through the Anointed series currently as a church we are pressing into the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our Christian walk and His work is crucial to convict us in the areas where we fall short. Practically though, surrounding ourselves with the right relationships is also huge.

Proverbs 27 verse 6 says that “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”. The wounds that are faithful are the ones that shine a light on our blindspots that could stop us fulfilling the promises of God in our life.

If we are serious about living the calling God has for each of us as men, husbands, fathers and mates we need to ask the Holy Spirit and ourselves these two questions:
1. What blind spots do I have in my life?
2. Who am I being accountable to and giving permission to speak into my life hard truths?
]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/11/sharpened-together-week-2#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Anointed: Acts Chapter 2:14-41 - Sunday March 1st 2026 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/01/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-2-14-41-sunday-march-1st-2026 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 20:44:41 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/01/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-2-14-41-sunday-march-1st-2026

Anointed: Acts Chapter 2:14-41 - Sunday March 1st 2026

Message Overview:

After The Holy Spirit came, holy chaos breaks out as The Disciples began to speak in tongues of other languages, declaring the wonders of God. People from other nations are now hearing about Jesus and what He has done for them.

The crowd ask a key question ‘What does this mean?’.

Peter, anointed by The Holy Spirit stands up and addresses the crowd. He delivers His address in 3 parts:

1. Explanation
- Peter explains to the crowd that what they are witnessing is a promise which was prophesied 800 years earlier by Joel found in Joel Chapter 2:28-32. God in this moment had poured out His Spirit upon all flesh!
- The world we live in today is changing at a rapid rate and people today are asking a similar question - ‘what does this mean?’. Jonny encouraged us that whilst the world around us is changing, we need to be ready to meet people where they are at and provide explanation to our hope and security found in Jesus who is never changing.

2. Gospel
- Peter then shares The Gospel explaining that Jesus who they crucified was God, He was put to death on the cross for our sins but this all happened according to Gods plan to save and rescue the world from sin!
- Peter then explains that Jesus wasn’t just resurrected but He was also exalted. To be exalted means to be put in a position of high power or authority.
- Jonny encouraged us that Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth and as His sons and daughters we live under that authority. Therefore be bold and confident when you are faced with spiritual challenges as they all come under the dominion of Jesus. 

3. Response
- The scripture says that after hearing all of this the people were cut to the heart and ask ‘what shall we do?’. 
- Peter gives clear direction on what their next steps should be - repent and be baptised. 
- To repent means to change your direction 180 degrees - turn away from doing life your way and instead choose to do life according to the way of Jesus’ Kingdom. This is a decision we make when we first put our trust in Jesus as saviour and lord and a decision we make daily afterwards, empowered by The Holy Spirit. 
- Water Baptism is a public declaration of what God has done in your life, a physical sign of a spiritual reality. Your old life which has now been crucified and your new, resurrected life which has began in Christ. 

Jonny encouraged the whole church that if you have put your faith in Jesus but haven’t been baptised, our next baptism service will be on Easter Sunday, April 5th. Is there anybody in your small group who can take this next step in their faith and be baptised on Easter Sunday?

Key Scriptures:

Acts 2:14-21
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[a]

1 Peter 3:16
And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way

Acts 2:17
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Acts 2:22-36
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[b] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[c]
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’[d]
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Romans 3:23-26
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

John 3:16
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Acts 2:37-41
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/03/01/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-2-14-41-sunday-march-1st-2026#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Anointed: Acts Chapter 1 and 2, Sunday February 22nd 2026 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/28/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-1-and-2-sunday-february-22nd-2026 Sat, 28 Feb 2026 01:22:15 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/28/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-1-and-2-sunday-february-22nd-2026

Anointed: Acts Chapter 1 and 2 - Sunday Feb 22nd 2026 

Message Overview:

Jesus has ascended back to the right hand of The Father and His last words to The Disciples were to wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come. The Disciples response was to gather and pray. Jonny encouraged us around the importance of prayer individually and corporately, that prayer is the engine room of our faith and there is power when we gather to pray.

10 days after Jesus ascended, The Disciples were gathered once again when suddenly The Holy Spirit comes, appearing as tongues of fire on their heads. God has often shown up as fire throughout the scriptures. Each time He has appeared as fire it was to confirm His presence and affirm His ministry. Appearing again as fire was confirming His presence and affirming the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Baptised in The Holy Spirit, The Disciples were given the ability to speak in tongues. The scriptures tell us that their are two expressions of speaking in tongues:

1. Unknown human language - the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to speak in other human languages for the purpose of preaching The Gospel as seen in Acts Chapter 2. In this way we are speaking tongues to communicate with other people.

2. Heavenly language - the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to pray and sing in a Heavenly Language, for the purpose of communicating with God.

Scriptures teaches us that speaking in tongues can be done both in private and public. However, Paul encourages us that if we are to speak in tongues in public, it should be done with an interpretation.

Jonny encouraged us that the gift of speaking in tongues is for everyone and available today to empower The Church for ministry and an intimate relationship with God.

Do you have a heavenly language? If yes, don’t neglect this and take time everyday to pray and sing in your heavenly language. If no, continue to pray and ask God to give you this. 

Key Scriptures:

John 20:22
22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:12-14
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[a] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:5-13
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygiaand Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels

1 Corinthians 14:22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers

1 Corinthians 14:18
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/28/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-1-and-2-sunday-february-22nd-2026#comments 0 Sharpened Together - Week 1 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/24/sharpened-together-week-1 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:09:27 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/24/sharpened-together-week-1

As Iron Sharpens Iron

Key Scripture: 
Proverbs 27:17 - 'As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another'
Are you a fixer? I'm not just talking about your car, or a renovation, but problems in general. God has wired men to be fixers. We love to find a problem, and fix it. A broken car, an old bathroom, a broken process, coding an application or even a business. Most business ideas are born out of "there must be a better way".

I'm a chronic renovator. I'm always doing something and think "this will take a couple of weeks" only to fall in a heap years later when it is finally complete.

Because we fix the car, or the thing, this often leads to any issues we have in our lives, we will try to just fix it. We fixed the car, so we can fix our dysfunction marriage (or insert problem here). Do we allow space to get around others? Or let them be in our lives, and build with us?

As iron sharpens iron, it isn't about us trying to fix others, but about allowing space for you to do life on life. For some of us, that means we need to be the first to open up. We need to allow others to ask the questions in our life, pray with us, and continue to strengthen each other as we grow in our journey of being a disciple of Jesus.

Ask yourself today, who is allowed to speak into my life?
]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/24/sharpened-together-week-1#comments 1 Sunday Recap - Anointed: Acts Chapter 1 - Sunday 15th Feb 2026 Copy https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/15/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-1-sunday-15th-feb-2026-copy Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:04:07 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/15/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-1-sunday-15th-feb-2026-copy

Anointed: Acts Chapter 1 - Sunday Feb 15th 2026 

Message Overview:

Jonny started our journey through the book of Acts focussing on Acts 1:1-8. Jesus appeared after His resurrection for 40 days to remind The Disciples what lay ahead for them - to go and preach The Gospel, Make Disciples and advance The Kingdom of God.  

Before He ascends back to the right hand of The Father, Jesus tells the disciples to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Waiting for the Holy Spirit was imperative, because without it they could not do what God was calling them to do.

This is the same for us. We to need the person and presence of The Holy Spirit in our lives. We cannot follow Jesus faithfully or push back the Kingdom of darkness in this world in our own strength, wisdom and power. When we accept Jesus as our saviour and lord we become the temple of The Holy Spirit and He indwells us. However scripture indicates that there is a secondary experience after an initial infilling which we are baptised in The Holy Spirit. Jesus said this encounter with The Holy Spirit will give us power to preach the gospel, perform miracles and persevere amongst trials and challenges to be witnesses to the very end of our journey, until we see Jesus face to face.  

The baptism in the Holy Spirit and ongoing infilling of the Holy Spirit is something we can ask and desire for in our relationship with God. We need this to operate in the anointing and do all God has asked us to do as His followers.


Key Scriptures:

Acts 1:1-8
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Luke 8:46
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

1 Corinthians 4:20
20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Romans 15:18-19
I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

Acts 19:11-12
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

1 Corinthians 12:10
To another the working of miracles (miraculous power)

Acts 1: 9-12
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/15/sunday-recap-anointed-acts-chapter-1-sunday-15th-feb-2026-copy#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Focus Sunday 2026 - Sunday 8th Feb 2026 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/15/sunday-recap-focus-sunday-2026-sunday-8th-feb-2026 Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:02:34 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/15/sunday-recap-focus-sunday-2026-sunday-8th-feb-2026

Focus Sunday: Anointed - Sunday Feb 8th 2026 

Message Overview:

Each year at Grace we have a focus which unites us as a church community. This year our word and focus is ‘Anointed’. Our focus for 2026 is to step into the authority we have as followers of Jesus to push darkness in our world back and see The Kingdom of God advance through the power of The Holy Spirit. 

The anointing is the power of God upon display - in us, through us, around us and upon us through the person and presence of The Holy Spirit. This has been displayed all the way through the scriptures. The first account of this is found in Exodus 31:1-5 when The Holy Spirit came upon Bezalel to create and craft The Tabernacle.

Matthew Chapter 3 records Jesus baptism, during which it says The Holy Spirit descended upon Him. From this moment forward, Jesus operated in the anointing of The Holy Spirit to preach about The Kingdom of God, perform signs, wonders and miracles for The Kingdom of God.

By putting our trust and faith in Him as saviour and lord of our lives, we are now anointed by the same Holy Spirit to do what Jesus did.

Jonny encouraged us to live by the following principles in order to see the anointing activated in our lives:

- Believe and trust the word of God
- Live in intimacy with Jesus 
- Pursue holiness


Key Scriptures:

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s

Exodus 31:1-5
Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.


1 Samuel 16:13
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Acts 10:37-38
You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

1 John 2:20-22
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.

John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/15/sunday-recap-focus-sunday-2026-sunday-8th-feb-2026#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Vision Sunday 2026 - Sunday 1st Feb 2026 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/01/sunday-recap-vision-sunday-2026-sunday-1st-feb-2026 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 17:58:29 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/01/sunday-recap-vision-sunday-2026-sunday-1st-feb-2026

Vision Sunday 2026 - Sunday Feb 1st 2026 

Message Overview:

At Grace we have a simple and clear vision and mission:

Our Vision is ‘a Church devoted to Jesus and Making Disciples’

Our Mission is to ‘Reach, Grow and Multiply Disciples of Jesus’.

Our vision and mission are a response to what Jesus taught and the framework He established for making disciples. Our vision and mission is for everyone to be part of and contribute too.

Jonny shared some questions to reflect upon relating to our vision and mission at Grace:

- Are you living a devoted life to Jesus?
-Who are you reaching to disciple?
-How are you growing as a disciple?
-How are you multiplying disciples of Jesus?

If you are in a Small Group - use these questions to frame your conversation. 

Key Scriptures:

Matthew 22:37
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind


Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.


Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.


Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Luke 7:36-38
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/02/01/sunday-recap-vision-sunday-2026-sunday-1st-feb-2026#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Unfamiliar Stranger - Sunday 18th January 2026 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/01/18/sunday-recap-unfamiliar-stranger-sunday-18th-january-2026 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/01/18/sunday-recap-unfamiliar-stranger-sunday-18th-january-2026

Unfamiliar Stranger - Part 3

Message Overview:

God is the God of the Sufferer: The world at the time of Christ was a brutal place where suffering was seen as necessary and expected for the weak and powerless. Yahweh in the Hebrew scriptures is described to be very different from this. He is described as Compassionate in Exodus 34 and prioritises the wellbeing of the Orphan, the Widow and the Alien.

God meets us in our suffering: Jesus demonstrated this compassion by connecting directly with those who suffer. Healing the sick, releasing the demonized, spending time with the oppressed, the disliked and those living in shame.
He connected with the suffering people emotionally like at Lazarus’ tomb and even joined in the suffering of Humanity on the Cross.

Holy Spirit Works through suffering: When Christians suffer God ‘s glory is revealed. As Christians suffer the kingdom of God often advances by the Holy Spirit’s power.

We are invited to pray 2 things when we suffer, 1. God please save us from our suffering. 2. God please reveal your glory through this suffering.

Key Scriptures:

Exodus 34 4-6 NIV
6And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

John 11:35 NIV 
"Jesus wept."

Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  

Romans 8:26-28 ESV
26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, becauseg the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,h for those who are called according to his purpose.

1 Peter 4:12-13: 12 ESV
12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2026/01/18/sunday-recap-unfamiliar-stranger-sunday-18th-january-2026#comments 0 Sunday Recap - The Harvest is Plentiful - Pastor Georgie Kettle https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/30/sunday-recap-the-harvest-is-plentiful-pastor-georgie-kettle Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:33:22 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/30/sunday-recap-the-harvest-is-plentiful-pastor-georgie-kettle

The Harvest is Plentiful - Pastor Georgie Kettle

Message Overview:

In Matthew 9, Jesus tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful and to pray that the Lord would send out labourers. Right now, we see a plentiful harvest in our World too - people ready to hear and receive the gospel message. We are now the labourers - given the task of sharing the gospel with those who don't yet know Christ.
Key points:
1. Jesus SAW the people. Who do you SEE in your world?
2. Jesus had compassion for them. Is your heart soft towards the lost in our world?
3. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10). We are called to go out and point people towards the Good Shepherd.

Key Scriptures:

Matt 9:35-38
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Ezekiel 34: 2-6
‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

Matthew 10: 1-8
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

John 10: 14-18
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 20: 21-22
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.


YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/30/sunday-recap-the-harvest-is-plentiful-pastor-georgie-kettle#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Joy: Paul’s letter to The Philippians - Chapter 3 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/16/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-3 Sun, 16 Nov 2025 18:44:27 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/16/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-3

Joy: Paul’s letter to The Philippians - Chapter 3 - Dan Powell

Message Overview:

To find true joy, we need a foundation that’s secure; and the only sure place to put our faith is in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Anything else slides into a works-based salvation that breeds uncertainty and instability. Every day, we’re called to surrender to Jesus and let Him transform us from the inside out.

Key Scriptures:

Philippians 3:1-14 (NIV)
3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/16/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-3#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Joy: Paul’s letter to The Philippians - Chapter 2 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/10/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-2 Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:55:37 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/10/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-2

Joy: Paul’s letter to The Philippians - Chapter 2 - Ps Jonny Kettle

Message Overview:

In this message, Jonny focussed Paul’s teachings in Philippian’s Chapter 2. At the end of Chapter 1 Paul has encouraged The Church to stand firm amidst the persecution they are experiencing. In Chapter 2 Paul switches the focus from external persecution to internal relationships, encouraging The Church to guard unity in their internal relationships. The reality is that where people gather there will be conflict, even in The Church. The Church is a place where imperfect people have encountered a perfect God and are on the journey of being changed into Christ likeness. We have to intentionally guard unity because the enemy desires to bring division. Jonny encouraged us to guard unity to prevent the affects which division brings:
- Isolation
- Individualism
- Influence

Paul encourages unity by living in humility and service to one another. Paul uses Jesus’ example of humility and service to spur us on to live a life of humility and service to one another.

The world views greatness when we are being served. Jesus views greatness when we humble ourselves in service to others.

This message can be summarised in this sentence:
Humility and service was the way of Jesus, therefore it is the way of His followers. 

Key Scriptures:

Philippians 2:1-8
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Hebrews 12:2
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/10/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-2#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Joy: Paul’s letter to The Philippians - Chapter 1 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/02/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-1 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 18:49:00 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/02/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-1

Joy: Paul’s letter to The Philippians - Chapter 1 - Jared Howlett

Message Overview:

From our creation we were made to have dominion throughout the whole earth. God created us to be stewards over the whole earth.
The Image of God doesn’t just refer to value but it is also a vocation. As God’s perfect imagers we are made to rule the earth as God’s representatives. We were made to be shaped by God and to rule the earth under God’s authority.

As we fell into sin we exchanged worship of God for Idols and chased after other things, wealth, pleasure, status, power. These things became our idols.
We often turn our idolatry into identity and base our identity on things we chase instead of God.

Fallen spiritual beings in rebellion to God seize the authority that we were designed to hold to dire consequences. Evil spiritual beings have influence throughout the world and paul refers to them in the new testament in terms of spiritual powers, principalities and elemental spiritual forces.

Jesus Ministry addresses the dominion we had given over to darkness. He is presented as the king on the cross and is exalted as the man who reclaimed dominion over the earth.

Jesus after reclaiming our authority gives it back to the believer by his holy spirit and us as christians are charged with carrying Jesus kingdom and authority throughout the whole world.

Key Scriptures:

Philippians 1:3-8 ESV 
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:27 ESV
27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Philippians 1: 21: ESV
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

2 Cor 6:8-10 ESV 
10...sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything...

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/11/02/sunday-recap-joy-paul-s-letter-to-the-philippians-chapter-1#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Navigating The Signs of The Times https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/26/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times Sun, 26 Oct 2025 22:51:27 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/26/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times

Navigating The Signs of The Times - Ps Jonny Kettle

Message Overview:

In this message, Jonny focussed on Jesus’ teachings regarding persecution. From the very outset of announcing His Kingdom hear on Earth, Jesus promised that His followers we would be persecuted and that this is very much a sign of the times until His return. True to Jesus’ words, since its inception, The Church has been Persecuted and this is still happening around The Would today. Persecution of Christians is the visible outworking of Satan’s Kingdom of Darkness trying to  discourage and prevent The Kingdom of God advancing in The World. Satan persecutes Christians through people and governments. As a follower of Jesus here in Geelong, Australia we are far removed from the reality of persecution. In our context of following Jesus, we are not yet being persecuted but rather opposed and challenged. This is happening as we live under a government who have established laws which oppose the truth of scripture. How do we navigate this? We follow the example of The Early Church who despite persecution continued to grow, multiply and advance The Kingdom of God. They did this by following the teachings of Jesus:

Rejoice and be glad
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven

Love and Prayer
Matthew 5:44
love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Stand firm
Matthew 24:13
but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved

Living with joy, a love for people, praying for our enemies and not revoking our faith in Jesus in spite of persecution displays the genuineness of faith to those around us, which coupled with the truth of The Gospel message is the formula to see The Kingdom of God advance.

Key Scriptures:

Matthew 24:1-14

Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Mark 8:34-38
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

John 15:20
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

1 Peter 1:3-9
2 Timothy 3:10-12
Matthew 24:10
Matthew 24:13

Key Points:
Rejoice and be glad
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven

Love and Prayer
Matthew 5:44
love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Stand firm
Matthew 24:13
but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved

2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/26/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Navigating The Signs of The Times https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/20/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times Mon, 20 Oct 2025 05:45:03 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/20/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times

Navigating The Signs of The Times - Ps Georgie Kettle

Message Overview:

Since Genesis 3 with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the enemy of God has been attempting to deceive humanity. Throughout the scriptures, we are continually warned to NOT be deceived, to not be led astray by the schemes of the enemy. This can look like the enemy trying to twist the Word of God - through false teachers or prophets, through strange signs and wonders. We will see evil called good and good called evil - and we need to be able to push against the narrative that speaks against the Truth of the gospel revealed in Christ crucified.
We must be on guard against this. How do we do this?
1. We MUST know the Word of God. We must read it, memorise it, repeat it, teach it to our children.
2. We must 'test every spirit' and ask the Spirit to lead us into all truth (John 16). We need DISCERNMENT in these days to be able to identify deceptive spirits/narratives. 
3. We need to look at the 'Fruit' in the lives of those around us that we allow to speak into our lives - whether online or in our own lives. Is it good fruit or bad fruit. 
4. We MUST love those around us. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. We must be a light to the people around us. To communicate the truth, in love, as the Spirit leads us.

"Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the World." Amen! 


Key Scriptures:

Matthew 24:3-5, 10,11, 23-27
1 Peter 5:8
Mark 8:36
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
John 14:6
2 Corinthians 11:2b-4
2 Timothy 4:3
Isaiah 5:20
Romans 1:21-25
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Ephesians 5:6
1 John 4
Ephesians 6:11-12

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/20/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Navigating The Signs of The Times https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/12/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times Sun, 12 Oct 2025 22:14:57 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/12/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times

Navigating The Signs of The Times - Ps Jonny Kettle

Message Overview:

I think we can all agree the world is a crazy place! Daily, we see events happening which can make us ask ‘God what is your plan in all of this?’. The good news is that God does have a plan through it all. Many of the events we see around the world were prophesied about in scripture - in Matthew Chapter 24 Jesus prophesied about wars, famine, earthquakes, Christian’s being persecuted and martyred for their faith, events which must take place before Jesus’ second coming. Whilst what is happening in the world may seem daunting, as followers of Jesus we have the hope and faith that it all points to Jesus’ second coming.  Since Christ ascended back to The Father (Acts 1:9) we have been living in the end times, which is the period of time between Christs ascension and His return. As Christians we can see prophecy being fulfilled in real time. As this happens and we interpret the signs of the times, we know that God is faithful to His promise and at the right time Jesus will return to establish His Kingdom reign on Earth.

How do we navigate the signs of the times? Paul encouraged The Church at Thessalonica to do these 3 things:

1. Turn to God from idols
2. Serve the living and true God
3. Wait for His Son from Heaven

Key Scriptures:

Matthew 16:1-4
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a] 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

Matthew Chapter 24:4-11
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10
The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/10/12/sunday-recap-navigating-the-signs-of-the-times#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Here as in Heaven - Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭ https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/09/30/sunday-recap-here-as-in-heaven-matthew-7-24-27 Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:38:12 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/09/30/sunday-recap-here-as-in-heaven-matthew-7-24-27

Here as in Heaven - Matthew 7:24-27

Message Overview:

As Christ followers we called to do more than simply declare Jesus as our saviour; we must also declare him as Lord, pick up our cross and follow him. To build our house upon the rock we must know the truth of Christ and then actively apply it to our lives every day.

Key Scriptures:

Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” ‭‭

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What do you feel God saying to you?
  • What can you do about it?
  • What is an actionable plan you can put in place to help yourself respond to God?
  • Who can keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/09/30/sunday-recap-here-as-in-heaven-matthew-7-24-27#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Pastor Jonny Kettle - 7 September 2025 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/09/08/sunday-recap-pastor-jonny-kettle-7-september-2025 Mon, 08 Sep 2025 05:09:20 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/09/08/sunday-recap-pastor-jonny-kettle-7-september-2025

Sunday 7 September 2025 – Pastor Jonny Kettle

Message Overview:

Last Sunday, Pastor Jonny finished our 'Living a Life of Worship' series. The message focussed on Joshua, the leader God to chose to lead The Nation of Israel into The Promised Land.

The sermon was focussed on Joshua Chapter 24:14-15. In these verses, Joshua is close to death and so brings the whole nation of Israel including the leaders, priests and judges for a moment of public recommitment to God. Joshua encourages the people reminding them of Gods faithfulness and all He had fulfilled in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and into The Promised Land. Joshua makes a declaration of faith for him and his family that they will serve the lord and encourages The Nation of Israel to choose that day and everyday who they will serve.

Ultimately, Jonny encouraged us that living a life of worship is choosing everyday to serve Jesus and make Him number 1 in our lives. 

Jonny had 3 encouragements from this passage:

1. We have a choice
- God gives us free will and the choice to serve Him. This is a daily choice we have to make.

2. It begins in our home
- We all have influence and we are to use our influence to pray for those under our care and model to them what it is to follow Jesus.
- Jonny encouraged the men around the influence they have in shaping and forming their children’s decision to follow Jesus and continue with this throughout their lives. A key factor in this was a Father modelling attending and engaging in a church community.

3. The power of recommitment
- As followers of Jesus, we can at anytime make a recommitment to God once again affirming Him as number 1 in our lives. This pleases the heart of God.


Key Scriptures:

Joshua 24:14-15
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”


1 Corinthians 11:1
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
 

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What encouraged or challenged you from the message?
  • What do you feel like God is saying to you?
  • What is one action point you can apply to your life?
  • Is there someone you can share this action point with to keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/09/08/sunday-recap-pastor-jonny-kettle-7-september-2025#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Pastor Georgie Kettle - 31 August 2025 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/31/sunday-recap-pastor-georgie-kettle-31-august-2025 Sun, 31 Aug 2025 01:01:22 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/31/sunday-recap-pastor-georgie-kettle-31-august-2025

Sunday 31 August 2025 – Pastor Georgie Kettle

Message Overview:

Last Sunday, Pastor Georgie continued our 'Living a Life of Worship' series. The message focussed on the story of the Israelites creating a golden calf and worshipping it while Moses was on Mt Sinai.

The story demonstrated our tendency towards idolatry and how we can often look to replace God in our lives. This can happen through elevating SELF above the voice and will of God in our lives. It can happen through allowing the ways of the World to influence us or even through peer- pressure - allowing the approval of others to dictate our decisions, life-style and affections. The story also showed how we can often lean towards idolising or worshipping the blessings that God has provided in our lives - rather than the one who gives them. We worship the GIVER not the GIFTS.

God is calling us to cut off these 'idols' in our lives and to trust that HE is enough for us. What is it in your life that you need to let go of. Often the most difficult things to let go of are the ones that have become idols to us. 

Key Scriptures:

Exodus 32: 1 - 8  - Check it out in your Bible or APP. 

Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.
 
Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  
 
John 3:30  He must become greater; I must become less.
 
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
 
1 Corinthians 10:23  “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.  
 
Exodus 32:2-4 
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
 
Exodus 12 35-36
The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
 
 
QUOTE:
“An idol is anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God. Anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
Tim Keller, Author of ‘Counterfeit Gods’ 
 

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What encouraged or challenged you from the message?
  • What do you feel like God is saying to you?
  • What is one action point you can apply to your life?
  • Is there someone you can share this action point with to keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/31/sunday-recap-pastor-georgie-kettle-31-august-2025#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Pastor Georgie Kettle - 17 August 2025 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/17/sunday-recap-pastor-georgie-kettle-17-august-2025 Sun, 17 Aug 2025 19:48:33 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/17/sunday-recap-pastor-georgie-kettle-17-august-2025

Sunday 17 August 2025 – Pastor Georgie Kettle

Message Overview:

This past Sunday, Pastor Georgie continued our 'Living a Life of Worship' series. The story of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem is a great example of doing a 'good thing' the wrong way.

Key points that we can learn from the story:
- Let's not allow familiarity with the presence of God lead to irreverence, complacency or apathy in our lives. We need to honour God with awe and reverence. 
- Knowing the Word of God and inquiring of God about HIS ways is going to help us to live life the right way.
-  We are now a priesthood, called to minister to God and people, and we must consecrate ourselves. We are called to live 'set apart' with clean hands and a pure heart.
- The fact that we carry the presence of God should impact how we live our day to day lives.
- The priests in the OT were to carry the Ark (and God's presence) on their shoulders. For us now, carrying the presence of God with us might feel heavy at times. We need to feel the weight of a life lived for God - and also realise the privilege this is.
- A life carrying the presence of God with us, a life of worship to Him, is not going to be comfortable or convenient.
- Let's remember God is a God of second chances.
- As we worship Him, we have to let go of any ego, pride, agenda.

Key Scriptures:

Romans 12: 1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

2 Samuel 6
The whole chapter

Hebrews 12:28-29
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

1 Chronicles 15:12-15
12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

For Deeper study
Exodus 25:10-22
{Information about the Ark of the Covenant}

Numbers 4:1-20
{Information about how the Ark is to be transported}

1 Samuel 4,5,6
{Tells the account of the Ark being stolen by the Philistines and returned to Israel}
 

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What encouraged or challenged you from the message?
  • What do you feel like God is saying to you?
  • What is one action point you can apply to your life?
  • Is there someone you can share this action point with to keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/17/sunday-recap-pastor-georgie-kettle-17-august-2025#comments 0 Sunday Recap - Pastor Jonny Kettle - 3 August 2025 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/03/sunday-recap-pastor-jonny-kettle-3-august-2025 Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:34:16 +0000 https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/03/sunday-recap-pastor-jonny-kettle-3-august-2025

Sunday 3 August 2025 – Pastor Jonny Kettle

Message Overview:

This past Sunday, we began a new series called ‘Living a life of worship’.
Worship is a central theme of scripture. In God's original design for humanity, the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived their lives as worship in response to God's presence. Sin soon entered the world and not only separated us in our relationship with God but corrupted our worship to Him. God set His plan of redemption into motion to bring us back into relationship with him and also to restore our worship to Him.

Worship is more than the two slow songs we sing together at Church on a Sunday but instead us a way of life, all that we do is worship to God as a response to who He is and what He has done for us.

Jonny encouraged us with these five statements regarding Worship:

- You were made to worship 
- You were made to worship God
- God has made a way for our worship to please Him
- True worship is in the spirit and in the truth 
- Worship is a way of life

Key Scriptures:

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom[a] and forgave our sins.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 19:40
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Revelation 22:9
But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

Isaiah 29:13
These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
 
John 4:19-24
"Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”


Revelation 7:9-12:
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
    and from the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
    and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
    forever and ever! Amen.”

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

YouTube Link for Service: 

Sunday Service

Group Reflection Questions:

  • What encouraged or challenged you from the message?
  • What do you feel like God is saying to you?
  • What is one action point you can apply to your life?
  • Is there someone you can share this action point with to keep you accountable?

Prayer

]]> https://gracechurch.com.au/blog/2025/08/03/sunday-recap-pastor-jonny-kettle-3-august-2025#comments 0