Alexandra Baptist Church

Jesus threw a wobbly in public? Yep, because He cared that the foreigners, the poor and the marginalised were obstructed from approaching God. Do we have a blind spot which causes us to overlook people? If so, then maybe we need to ask God to open our eyes.

Jesus' miraculous stilling the storm evoked reverence and holy fear amongst His disciples as they grappled with concept that the incarnate Jesus was far more than a man. If we approach Jesus as a member of the holy godhead, we too can expect dramatic, divine intervention our own lives.

We need to prepare our hearts to receive the seed of God's word. Not only will we bear fruit but our harvest will include seeds that we have the responsibility to scatter. Not all of the seeds we sow will immediately bear fruit but we should persevere.

Despite being depicted as a "nice guy" throughout the last few centuries, the gospels reveal that Jesus was not afraid to challenge people to repent in order to enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy times of refreshing.

As more and more people turn to AI for friendship and support we need to remember that God has designed us to be part of a human community and the best community is the church, despite its imperfections.

In chapter 4 of the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar recounts how God humbled him. It reminds us that that we should not become arrogant about our accomplishments and realise that our aim should be to humbly serve God with the gifts he has given us.

God calls us to partner with Him in building the kingdom of God here on Earth. One way to do that is to support mission and aid agencies including Arotahi Build, which is a national Baptist initiative to build social housing in Christchurch. Some of the rental income from it will then be used to refurbish hostel accommodation in Bangladesh.

Mary said "Yes" when an angel announced that she was to bear Jesus. As a result of saying "Yes" she witnessed  Jesus first miracle at Cana as well as the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. If we say "Yes" to what God asks us to do  we too, can partner with God in building His kingdom

Jacob's life mirrors ours. We too, try to control our lives and are tempted to lie, manipulate and deceive but we need to be honest as we wrestle with God. And if we are tempted to fall back into sinful patterns of behaviour we need to stop wrestling and cling to God.

Will we stand up to peer pressure and refuse to bend the knee to the idols in our culture?

Tune in to hear Craig and James, two of the Teaching Team at ABC, unpack the final main chapter in the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.  They'll outline how the future promise of eternal life for all who follow Jesus is shaped by the everyday decisions we make to live a life of love.

True  freedom can only be accomplished in love, the love of God and the love of others.

No matter how we have been treated in the past by other people, God sees us as persons of worth, deserving dignity.

Authenticity is being true to your Christian self. You are created by God who desires that you follow His truth. Often things in our life break down and we need to turn to God admitting that we can't fix things ourselves. We need to surrender the keys of our live to God, the divine mechanic, who is able to fix us and get us up and running again.

When the church acts as it is supposed to act it is the best expression of a loving, caring community you could ever find. The challenge to us is to work together to be that kind of church.

True love is much more than romantic love. It is the kind of love which puts others first.

Daniel interprets king Nebuchadnezzar's dream and we are living in the time represented by the feet made of iron and clay.

Athaliah followed the evil example of her parents and even tried to wipe out all the descendants of David's line. But since God had promised David that descendants would rule He protected  Athaliah's grandson Joash, until he was able to ascend to the throne. And under the guidance of Jehoiada he restored the worship of Yahweh.

Amaziah started well but was not wholehearted in his worship of God. He stopped listening to God and became obsessed with his own selfish ambition which led to his downfall. We too, are at risk losing our relationship with God if we think that we know better than He does. We need a deep cleansing of hearts so that we can serve Him wholeheartedly and to know the joy of the salvation that God offers us through the Holy Spirit.

When Hezekiah was faced with a huge, bloodthirsty Assyrian army on his doorstep he turned to God for help. And God supernaturally destroyed the invading army. We too, can receive God's help when we humbly turn to Him in a crisis.

The word 'Nazi' is still being used to describe someone who is cruel, evil, dominating and murderous. Yet, even some of them will be in heaven because they genuinely repented before they were executed at Nuremberg. And their last words were to admit their status as sinners and call on God's mercy.

Daniel was taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon but early one chose to obey God rather than man.  As a result God blessed him and Daniel was able to positively influence several rulers during the next 70 years. If we put our faith in God, we too can positively influence those around us, despite the tough times we might find ourselves in.

Craig interacts with the congregation regarding the presentation and suggests helpful resources to encourage Bible reading.

Human beings are afraid of many things - missing out, heights, public speaking etc. But we shouldn't be afraid because Jesus has risen from the dead.

Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter is when we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But, we know from hindsight that the crowd that rejoiced to see Him as the messiah turned against Him a week later. Jesus knew this would happen but chose to go submit Himself to the pain, suffering and humiliation knowing that His death and resurrection would open up a way for us to be reconciled to God.

What happens when we die? Do we just go to heaven, sit on a cloud with a harp or join the heavenly choir? Or is there something more?

In the beginning God created the universe and everything in it in six days and then rested for a day. He didn't need to rest but He was establishing a pattern for us to follow. Craig and Jordan discuss how we can avoid burnout by following the principle of taking time out to honour God and relax in order to be refreshed as a result.

This teaching explains why our work is so hard ('cursed' according to the biblical description recorded in Genesis 3) and why the frustrations and unfulfilment we face can still push us closer to God.

What is the glory of God and what does it mean to work for the glory of God? Includes an interview with Bevan (science teacher)  and Paula (occupational therapist) about how they attempt to glorify God in their work.

The calling of God is not reserved just for ministers. We are all called to various form of paid and unpaid work. Whatever form of work we do, we should do our very best and God will partner with us so that we can contribute to the kingdom of God.

After God had worked to create the universe He took a day off to enjoy His creation which He said was "Very good". We spend a lot of our time doing paid and unpaid work serving others, which is important. And we too, after we have worked , feel satisfaction in a job well done. It's because we are created in His image. We are designed to work creatively.    

There are many calls on our limited time - working, commuting, eating, sleeping etc. But we are exhorted to seek the kingdom of God first. That means setting aside time to read our bibles, pray and serve.

The oil that ran out symbolizes the Holy Spirit. If our relationship with God runs dry we are in danger of missing out. That relationship  will remain strong however, if we read the Bible regularly, pray regularly and forgive those who have hurt us.

Exploring the parable from the perspectives of the prodigal son, the father and the elder brother.

We are supposed to discern between good and evil but we shouldn't write off people who may be still to commence their faith journey

Jesus spoke in parables in order to engage His audience and to reveal aspects of the kingdom of God hidden from those with closed minds. The Good Samaritan parable challenges us to help those who have needs that we come across, even though they may be different from us.

The peace that Jesus offers is more than an absence of war.  It is shalom, the Hebrew word meaning wholeness. Jesus wants to help us repair internal hurts and damaged relationships and to extend that grace to others as well.

Jesus is a member of the trinity and so is the Father but this verse in Isaiah 9:6 is a metaphor. It is saying that Jesus has all the attributes of a good father. He provides, protects, counsels, sustains and even disciplines (His discipline is not punishment but correction). He does all these things because He loves and cares for us.

We might try going to all sorts of people for advice and guidance but Jesus is a far better counselor. He is better than all the people we know and certainly better than AI. He is a wonderful counselor because He is full of power and wisdom and truly cares for us.

What do you rely on in a crisis? What is the anchor that keeps you steady? A dynamic relationship with Jesus is the best anchor. Other anchors fail. Another reliable anchor is to have memorized  a key scripture which can sustain when a crisis hits.

380 million Christians are persecuted every year somewhere on the planet. Which of the 10 most dangerous places for Christians would you like to pray for? It does make a difference!  

The Bible clearly states that the will of God is to know Him, the one who calls us. We need to focus on that relationship first and then He will reveal what He calls us to do. And what He reveals may be different to what we thought it might be but it will use our skills and interests.

What have Jairus, the grieving father and the bleeding woman in common? Jairus was a religious leader who faithfully served God but his daughter was dying. The bleeding woman was a social outcast because she was considered unclean. Both came to Jesus for help. Jairus humbled himself publicly before Jesus while the bleeding woman snuck up behind Jesus' back to touch the hem of His garment. Both received the healing power of Jesus. Regardless of our background, we also can receive the healing power of God if we draw near to Jesus.  

Jesus heals the paralyzed man because of the faith of his friends. Do we have the faith to bring others to Jesus?

Jesus initially responds coolly towards the gentile woman to test how strong her faith is. When He is satisfied that it indeed strong, He instantly grants her request. How can we get our requests answered? Persevere in faith through good times and bad until we stand in His presence.