Sermons from Pakenham Lakeside Church

Most Christians would like to have a stronger prayer life. When Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, he doesn't give them 'Proven Practical Principles for Powerful Prayer.' He doesn't give them 'Six Super Steps for Speaking to the Supreme Being.'  Explore prayer and learn from Jesus. He prays in the Lord's prayer as if he were us - and invites us to pray as if we were him. What a great gift! This sermon was preached at the gathered worship of Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 12th February, 2017. It can be used together with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!  

When you first get behind the wheel of a car as an L-plate driver you realise there is SO MUCH going on. There is a lot to learn! And you can only learn it by doing it. With a good instructor. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, we are all L-platers. Learners, that is, not losers. We are called to follow Jesus - as Peter, James, John and Andrew were - and to learn from him living by our side. There is so much to learn! And we can only learn it by doing it - living life beside Jesus in the Kingdom of God. This sermon explores the call and equipping of Jesus through the lens of Matthew 4:12-23. It was preached on Sunday February 22nd at Pakenham Lakeside Church. This sermon can be used together with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

When you first get behind the wheel of a car as an L-plate driver you realise there is SO MUCH going on. There is a lot to learn! And you can only learn it by doing it. With a good instructor. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, we are all L-platers. Learners, that is, not losers. We are called to follow Jesus - as Peter, James, John and Andrew were - and to learn from him living by our side. There is so much to learn! And we can only learn it by doing it - living life beside Jesus in the Kingdom of God. This sermon explores the call and equipping of Jesus through the lens of Matthew 4:12-23. It was preached on Sunday February 22nd at Pakenham Lakeside Church. This sermon can be used together with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

Now let's get one thing straight. The Pharisee in this parable was a good guy. And the Tax Collector was a bad bloke. This parable from Jesus exposes the ugly truth about good guys, bad blokes and the reality of sin...the cost of making sin right, and the beautiful truth that comes from God doing that for us through Jesus. It's not a morality play about humility and pride. It's an expose of sin and atonement. The final truth is that as God's people, we are 'at the same time saint and sinner.' Fully and freely justified by God's grace and at the same time, always in need of God's atoning forgiveness. This sermon was preached on Sunday, 23rd October 2016 at Pakenham Lakeside Church. It can be enhanced by the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

Now let's get one thing straight. The Pharisee in this parable was a good guy. And the Tax Collector was a bad bloke. This parable from Jesus exposes the ugly truth about good guys, bad blokes and the reality of sin...the cost of making sin right, and the beautiful truth that comes from God doing that for us through Jesus. It's not a morality play about humility and pride. It's an expose of sin and atonement. The final truth is that as God's people, we are 'at the same time saint and sinner.' Fully and freely justified by God's grace and at the same time, always in need of God's atoning forgiveness. This sermon was preached on Sunday, 23rd October 2016 at Pakenham Lakeside Church. It can be enhanced by the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

It's a well known story - the story of Jesus healing ten men with leprosy. Only one of them comes back to thank him. Do we sometimes miss the activity of God in our lives through Jesus, because we don't give thanks? This sermon talks about two countercultural practices - asking for help and giving public thanks, recognising the work of God through Jesus. In our world of privatised faith, naming Jesus as the place God works in the world is vulnerable - and powerful. This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 9th October 2016. It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found here. Enjoy!

It's a well known story - the story of Jesus healing ten men with leprosy. Only one of them comes back to thank him. Do we sometimes miss the activity of God in our lives through Jesus, because we don't give thanks? This sermon talks about two countercultural practices - asking for help and giving public thanks, recognising the work of God through Jesus. In our world of privatised faith, naming Jesus as the place God works in the world is vulnerable - and powerful. This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 9th October 2016. It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found here. Enjoy!

With the Olympics in Rio, we turn our attention to one of the sporting metaphors of the New Testament, found in Hebrews 12. Are you are spectator or a participant? Will you meet your destiny or face devastation?  What will it take to persevere in the race of faith? This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday August 14th. It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

With the Olympics in Rio, we turn our attention to one of the sporting metaphors of the New Testament, found in Hebrews 12. Are you are spectator or a participant? Will you meet your destiny or face devastation?  What will it take to persevere in the race of faith? This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday August 14th. It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

The parable of the Good Samaritan is so well known that it's even gone down in the English language. But this is not just a 'nice story' Jesus told with an ethical exhortation at the end. Jesus engages in narrative theology - and the story he tells the expert in Jewish law has multiple layers of depth and meaning. It's actually a matter of life and death! This is a fresh take on an old classic. A matter of life and death. This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church by Pastor Nathan Hedt on Sunday July 10th, 2016. Enjoy!

The parable of the Good Samaritan is so well known that it's even gone down in the English language. But this is not just a 'nice story' Jesus told with an ethical exhortation at the end. Jesus engages in narrative theology - and the story he tells the expert in Jewish law has multiple layers of depth and meaning. It's actually a matter of life and death! This is a fresh take on an old classic. A matter of life and death. This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church by Pastor Nathan Hedt on Sunday July 10th, 2016. Enjoy!

Galatians 5 talks about the 'freedom of the Spirit' and the 'fruit of the Spirit.' Both of these are results of the Gospel - the Freedom of the Gospel, and the Fruit of the Gospel - they grow out of the good news of God's loving and saving action for us through what Jesus has done for us. The fruit of the spirit is the fruit of a life that has its roots down deep in God's good news, in God's love. This sermon explores the well known passage of the fruit of the spirit in this passage. It was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 26th June, 2016.It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

Galatians 5 talks about the 'freedom of the Spirit' and the 'fruit of the Spirit.' Both of these are results of the Gospel - the Freedom of the Gospel, and the Fruit of the Gospel - they grow out of the good news of God's loving and saving action for us through what Jesus has done for us. The fruit of the spirit is the fruit of a life that has its roots down deep in God's good news, in God's love. This sermon explores the well known passage of the fruit of the spirit in this passage. It was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 26th June, 2016.It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. Enjoy!

This sermon is in two parts: a paradigm shifting look at Jesus' female disciples from Luke 8:1-3 and an exploration of radical love, sin and grace from Luke 7, where Jesus is anointed by a 'sinful woman' - and declares forgiveness to her - at the house of a 'sinful Pharisee' who thinks he's actually ok. This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 12th June, 2016. It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found here. Enjoy!

This sermon is in two parts: a paradigm shifting look at Jesus' female disciples from Luke 8:1-3 and an exploration of radical love, sin and grace from Luke 7, where Jesus is anointed by a 'sinful woman' - and declares forgiveness to her - at the house of a 'sinful Pharisee' who thinks he's actually ok. This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 12th June, 2016. It can be used with the Prezi zooming visuals found here. Enjoy!