Lifeway CRC Church

The Kingdom of Heaven is a term preferred by Matthew in his gospel. Scholars believe this is a cultural sensitivity to the Jewish people who reverenced the name of God so much they would not speak it or write it, but used other synonyms. Even so, Matthew quotes Jesus using both phrases to demonstrate their equivalence (Matt. 19:23-24). So we can see that God’s kingdom is of heaven, but in Jesus and through his ministry God’s kingdom is becoming manifest on the earth. To illustrate this, Jesus told a story of how God’s kingdom is like the planting of a tiny seed that grows (initially in secret) and becomes something far greater that changes the environment around it, creating blessing and benefit where it flourishes. Matthew 13:31-32 (NKJV) Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” The post The Kingdom of God (Part 3) – From the smallest seed first appeared on Lifeway Church.

In this series on the Kingdom of God, we delve into the expansive and pervasive characteristics of His kingdom that changes the environment wherever it is proclaimed by “King carriers”, those who bear witness by words and deeds that the King has been crowned and now reigns with heavenly authority. In Jesus, we are now under a new government, one that is marked by shalom (the peace and blessing of God’s righteous rule), a kingdom that continues to grow and will never end.  He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” MATTHEW 13:31-33 The post The Kingdom of God – the King Has Been Crowned (Part 2) first appeared on Lifeway Church.

The New Testament talks a lot about the Kingdom of God. It is a key theme in the gospels (especially Matthew and Luke) and numerous times in other NT letters. In many occurrences in the New Testament, the Kingdom of God is referred to as a present reality under the reign of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, who has now ascended to the right hand of the Father. Scripture declares that Christ has conquered sin and death and that his Kingdom has been inaugurated, but there is no denying that the Kingdom of God is not yet seen or expressed in its fullness and completeness. We still experience suffering, sickness and death in our bodies. This is a part of our still being physically located in the ‘present age’. Many of us might have a hard time digesting all that the bible says about the Kingdom of God and then being able to articulate just how His kingdom outworks in day-to-day life, whether that be a on personal level at home or work, or more corporately in church life and ministry. If the kingdom is “here and now” then why is the world in such a mess and appears to be getting worse?If it is future then why does scripture announce it so often in present terms? In this series we begin (perhaps only to scratch the surface?) of these questions and what it means for us today. The post The Kingdom of God – Now and Not Yet (Part 1) first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Every Easter Sunday we take time to focus specifically on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes about the centrality of Christ’s resurrection to the Christian faith – that without the resurrection, the rest of Jesus’ life and death would be rendered meaningless (see 1 Corinthians 15). So what IS the meaning of Christ’s resurrection and what is the point of it all? More specifically, what does it mean for US and what are the implications for our lives? The post Resurrection – the Son of God in power first appeared on Lifeway Church.

What is the meaning of the cross? Why is it so central to everything God wants to give us? How does this event of 2000 years ago transform us now? In this message, Chris makes three points: – the cross is the basis of everything God wants to do in us and through us.– the cross was always Gods design and plan. – Jesus is the representative for all of humanity and the true humanity. The post Lent (Part 4) – A season that brings us to the cross first appeared on Lifeway Church.

What can we observe and learn from Jesus’ time in the wilderness, fasting and praying for 40 days after his baptism? There are several lessons that can help shape our expectations of what times of focussed fasting and prayer might be like. The Bible tells us that it was the Holy Spirit that instructed Jesus to go into the wilderness for this 40-day fast. But that doesn’t mean it was easy for Jesus, or that it was a pleasant time. On the contrary, it was a time of physical discomfort and no doubt emotional and mental testing as well. On top of that, the time of fasting became a place of spiritual attack. And yet, it was part of God’s plan, and Christ came out of that time of difficult obedience anointed with power by the Holy Spirit and ready to take on the challenges of his earthly ministry. The post Lent (Part 3) – Fasting and Inner Stillness first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Today in this second week of lent we take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ desert experience, the temptation he went through, and the fact that He came out clothed in the power of the Spirit! Jesus is fully able to empathise with all the human struggles we face (even ‘parenting’ an unruly mob of immature disciples). The writer of Hebrews captures it: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 PRAYER – is conversation with the One who knows us better than anyone. Not a shopping list, but time spent listening and seeking, asking and wondering. HUMILITY – Prayer is an expression of humility because it acknowledges that we cannot manage our lives on our own and that we need God’s help and guidance. Humility removes pride from our prayers. It prevents us from treating God casually or focusing only on our own desires, and instead leads us to approach Him with reverence, sincerity, and a genuine awareness of our need for Him. TRANSFORMATION – Prayer and humility bring us to the place of transformation of the way we live, walk, talk. Transformation is the way of the Kingdom. Spiritual Practice of ‘Examen’ The ‘Examen’ is adapted from a spiritual practice developed by St Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556). It can serve to guide us in how to posture ourselves during Lent. Summarised in 5 “R”s: Relish the moments that went well and all of the gifts I have today. Request the Spirit to lead me through my review of the day. Review the day. Repent of any mistakes or failures. Resolve, in concrete ways, to live tomorrow well. You can also download the ‘Examen’ handout that was given out on Sunday. The post Lent (Part 2) – Prayer, Humility, and Transformation first appeared on Lifeway Church.

This is the first in a series of messages embracing Lent in the lead-up to Easter 2026. The practice of Lent has ancient roots in early Christianity. From the earliest practices of fasting in preparation for Easter, Lent has developed as a recognition of the significance of the “40 days” pattern that occurs in many places in the Bible. In particular, we focus on Jesus’ 40 days spent in prayer and fasting in the Judean wilderness in preparation for his public ministry (Matthew 4:1-11). Sometimes in the Pentecostal church we don’t give much attention to older church traditions, but there are some beautiful things about giving time and space to look at ancient pathways to connect with God in deeper ways. The purpose of Lent is to bring us on a journey to the cross of Jesus Christ, and to help us be prepared to pick up and carry our own cross and die to ourselves as we live for Jesus. Jesus said, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.  If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.  Matthew 10:38-39 (NLT) Serious words. Are we ready to lay down the ownership and control of our own life, so that we may trust Jesus, follow him in all things and in so doing, receive the eternal and blessed life that God wants for us? The post Lent (Part 1) – The Journey to the Cross first appeared on Lifeway Church.

In Ephesians 4:1 Paul urges believers to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (NIV). He goes on to unpack what a life lived for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit looks like. Elsewhere in scripture (Hebrews 12:1, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27) the perseverance of a runner or an athlete is used as a picture of the single-mindedness and focus that exemplifies what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Casting off distractions and getting rid of anything that “slows us down” in our journey of life with God. From such focus and dedication comes great reward – everlasting life and joy in God’s presence! The post Run with perseverance a life that is worthy of the calling first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Ephesians 2:22 says, “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”This verse contains a wealth of understanding about God’s plan for His people (both the universal Body of Christ and its expression as the local church). That in Christ, we are the visible expression of who he is; that God is creating and building a dwelling place for Himself, made of interdependent ‘living stones’ that are designed to fit and function together as one, a unified community, a single entity in whom the Holy Spirit of the living God lives and is made visible through his people. The post Ephesians 2:22 – A dwelling place for God first appeared on Lifeway Church.

David shares how the Lord gave him a conviction to learn the Letter to the Ephesians by heart – to commit it to memory and deliver it as a word spoken from the heart. It started from a ‘gentle whisper’ of an idea, to speak the word of God without embellishment and see how the Spirit can use it. Having that idea confirmed from God by other means, David took up the challenge and spent the best part of a year learning Ephesians off by heart1. And that is the real point – to know God’s Word in your heart (not just your memory). God used a gift from his sister as a way of confirming the whisper he’d heard (very specifically it turns out!). This gift was the short book by Andrew M. Davis, How to Memorize Scripture for Life: From One Verse to Entire Books (available from Koorong or Amazon). Memorising Ephesians while continue to read and study other parts of the Bible. Memorising Ephesians while continuing to read and study other parts of the Bible. ︎ The post Ephesians (and getting God’s Word in your heart) first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Aran and Emily share the wonderful report of what happened at the “SURGE” Youth Camp (for CRC youth in NSW, ACT, QLD) that was held in Stanwell Tops from January 16-19. The Holy Spirit is moving in power amongst our youth! The post January Youth Camp stories first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Zechariah 12:10–13:9 A messianic prophecy Zechariah 12:10 begins a messianic prophecy that describes how God will pour out “a spirit of grace and supplication” (prayer) that will cause his people to mourn because of how they treated Him – “the one they have pierced”. It goes on in chapter 13 to describe how on that day God will open a “fountain” that will cleanse them from idolatry and set them free from sin. It is easy to see how this was fulfilled through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God’s answer to set us free from sin and bring us into a place of right relationship with God. The post A spirit of grace and supplication, and a fountain that cleanses and purifies first appeared on Lifeway Church.

A short message from our Christmas Family Gathering. The post Christmas – a time to draw near and worship first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Isaiah 55 teaches us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways and that He will always accomplish what He desires and achieve His purposes. No word from God will ever fail. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” In the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2 we see very much that the unseen realm of angels, and Holy Spirit play a big part in not only Jesus’s birth but also in announcing His birth and then bringing people to bless and prophesy into Him not long after His birth. We see both the natural and spiritual realm partnering together to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy and promises of God. The shepherds, Simeon, and Anna all had encounters with God, angels and Holy Spirit in some way prior to Jesus’ birth that then led them to encounter Him and then to worship God and expand His Kingdom. How are you postured and positioned to receive from God and what will you do with what He reveals? The post The Christmas message – partnering with the Kingdom of Heaven first appeared on Lifeway Church.

In the closing thoughts of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he summaries all his previous arguments and insights in this way, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation” (Gal. 6:15). This is a key to understanding what happens when someone puts their hope and trust in Jesus Christ, in the power of his cross, his death in our place and the resurrection in which we are included by faith. The old markers of identity are gone—race, religious rituals, circumcision, Torah law, the traditions of men—are not what matter. They no longer carry any significance. What truly counts is being made new in Christ. The new creation message is about transformation by the blood of Christ and through the power of His Spirit—not just a change in behaviour, but a new life at the very core of our being. The post Galatians Part 7: What counts is the new creation first appeared on Lifeway Church.

We are called to a life that is lived by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), be led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18), and keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). But we face an ongoing choice to reject the ways of the flesh and make room for the Spirit’s work in our life – Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8 Living by the Spirit is also a Christ-centred life. The apostle Paul urges us that the cross of Jesus Christ is the only thing worth boasting about. Nothing of our own works or attempts at righteousness has any value, only “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). In Christ now what really counts is that in him we are a new creation (Gal. 6:15). The post Galatians Part 6 – Walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Galatians 5:13-26 What does stewarding our freedom look like? What does the law look like with ‘flesh’ on it? Paul answers these two questions by reminding us we are called to freedom and taking us back to Leviticus 19 to show us how love is the fullness of both the written and oral law. Through two actions: crucifying the sinful nature and learning to order our lives in the Spirit day by day, we fulfill the second greater commandment “love your neighbour as yourself.” The post Galatians Part 5 – Called to Freedom first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Paul’s language in the letter to the Galatian churches can get pretty intense at times. When the letter begins, he is “astonished”, downright angry even you might say. He wasn’t just being alarmist; it really matters so much that we understand the gospel message and don’t dilute it, confuse it or add to it in any way. The “Judaizers” were bringing confusion into the gentile churches by teaching a legalistic message that demanded obedience to certain Jewish customs (typified by circumcision). Paul saw this as a direct attack on the meaning of Christ’s death and the essence of the gospel. Paul’s own deep understanding of the Law and his background in intense religious practices gave him a unique perspective – one in which he realised that the only way to get right with God (“righteous”) was through faith in Jesus and trusting in the power of His cross. We can’t do anything of ourselves to attain righteousness. It’s all because of Jesus! This is the only gospel that brings freedom in Christ. The post Galatians Part 4 – Freedom through Christ (or not at all)! first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Galatians 4:8-31 Saint Augustine said “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed”. So it is no surprise that Paul in his letter to the Galatians uses the story of Hagar and Sarah from the Old Testament (Genesis 12-21) to draw out our identity as sons of God’s promise through faith in Jesus rather than sons who live as slaves under the Old Covenant Law. Jesus made the way for our freedom, so don’t let the Law and the ‘shoulds’ steal our joy. The post Galatians Part 3 – Hagar and Sarah: son of slavery versus son of promise first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Galatians 3:23- 4:7 The Law (Old Testament commandments from Moses) was our “guardian” until Christ came – we learnt from the Law, we remember our lessons from the Law, but we no longer live UNDER the Law.  The main goal of the Law is to lead us to Jesus and show us why we need him.  Jesus seeks to transform our hearts, guiding us to change our heart posture from one of slavery and fear to one of freedom and maturity.  Under the Law, our standing before God was measured by our obedience to the Law (i.e. not good…). But Paul says we can be considered children of God in a completely different way – we can have right standing before God through faith in Christ Jesus. So, we are baptised INTO Christ, and we put ON Christ.  When we live as followers of Christ, fully immersed in Him, our individual selves fade into the background, allowing Jesus Christ  to shine through. We “put on Christ” and we have His identity. And because of Jesus, the separating lines between all believers are gone… Jesus died on the cross to erase those lines; and we should not be putting them back in place!  In our standing before God, we are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are part of Abraham’s promise…. you have been adopted, you are now heirs with Christ and everything in God’s kingdom has been made available to you.   The post Galatians Part 2 – Freedom and Maturity, Belonging and Inheritance, Position and Promises first appeared on Lifeway Church.

In his letter to the churches of Galatia (part of modern-day Türkiye), the apostle Paul expresses great alarm at how some of the gentile Christians are being persuaded to obey Jewish religious customs and going back to a kind of Christianity that is based on earning forgiveness by obedience to religious laws and commandments (typified by circumcision as a mark of belonging to God). The result is that the gospel (“good news”) is no longer good news at all! If we try to earn forgiveness by our own efforts at being righteous, we are doomed and destined to failure! It is imperitive that we understand that the gospel is a message of salvation and forgiveness that comes to us as a free gift through Jesus Christ. We can’t add anything of our own efforts to somehow impress God or make our salvation more effective; Jesus has done it all and all we must do is to trust and believe in him! This is the freedom that we have through the true Good News – free from guilt and condemnation because Jesus paid the price for all our sin, and freedom to live in right-standing with God because in Jesus we become God’s children, his heirs. Brian Simmons (author of The Passion Translation) writes in his introduction to Galatians: ‘Heavens freedom! This “grace gospel” brings heaven’s freedom into our lives—freedom to live for God and serve one another, as well as freedom from religious bondage.’ The post Galatians Introduction – the Gospel is Jesus *plus nothing* first appeared on Lifeway Church.

In this message, Luke takes us on a very personal journey of uncovering the ways in which we fall into the trap of believing lies about ourself. Satan is a liar who wants to keep us from living the life that God has for us – the life of peace and joy that Jesus already paid for by his own blood. Instead of believing those lies from the devil, we have God’s Word that gives us the truth that sets us free in Jesus Christ! Instead of living according to the ways of the sinful nature, we can live by faith in Jesus in the freedom that the Holy Spirit gives. The post Believing lies keeps you a prisoner – Jesus’ truth can set you free! first appeared on Lifeway Church.

Jesus offers an invitation to the first disciples to leave their nets and follow him. There is a sense of great risk in exchange for great reward in God’s kingdom. This invitation doesn’t arrive in a ‘vacuum’ but follows a process of revelation, bringing a measure of confidence and faith. Nevertheless, choosing to accept Jesus’ invitation to become his disciples, to leave the livelihood behind and put their trust in Jesus was a costly decision. But they believed it was worth it, worth the risk to leave it all behind and follow Jesus into whatever calling and plans he had for them. They dared to believe that what Jesus had for them was better than the life they could gain for themselves. What are the things in your life that feels like a big risk or a big step of faith to leave behind so that you can follow Jesus and receive the life he has for you? Note: Unfortunately the recording for this week’s message was cut off prematurely due to a technical glitch. The post The risk and reward of following Jesus first appeared on Lifeway Church.

From time to time, prophetic words are spoken in church, sometimes to individuals and sometimes to the whole meeting. In the case of a recent word that was shared, some people were not sure what to think of what was said and few had questions. There are principles given in the New Testament about the healthy use of spiritual gifts and especially prophecy which are important for all Christians to understand. In this short message, Pastor David outlines these principles for embracing a healthy prophetic culture in the church, and goes on to bring clarity to the prophetic word that was spoken the previous week. (Unfortunately, there was a fault in the recording so we do not have a copy of the original word). The backbone of understanding prophecy from a New Testament church context is given in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and especially chapter 14. Every believer receives the gift of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38), and we are encourage to pursue the gifts the Spirit gives, especially to prophesy within the church family (1 Cor. 14:1-4). Alongside this instruction, we must humbly acknowledge the imperfection of our sensitivity and obedience to the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 13:9) and therefore our need for everything to be tested against the written word of God. Every prophetic word given in the church must be “weighed carefully” by mature believers with a sound knowledge of scripture (1 Cor. 14:29). Paul writes again in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 that all prophecies must be tested against the standard of the Bible. Our response ought to be that we hold on to the good, and treat such words as worthy of attention, but let anything else “fall to the ground”. The post Holy Spirit manifestation and a healthy prophetic culture first appeared on Lifeway Church.

The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk has triggered a lot of discussion around the interactions (or intersections?) between politics, faith, freedom (gun ownership rights). It’s been a turbulent time with a lot of media commentary. It is perhaps easy to miss how prominent the word ‘peace’ is in the message of the gospel and throughout the New Testament. A shining moment amongst it all was Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk, publicly declaring forgiveness for the young man who shot and killed her husband. That is really the point to grab hold of – that Jesus came to proclaim peace and forgiveness, not vengeance. The post The Sword and the Gospel of Peace first appeared on Lifeway Church.

In the absence of a clear explanation, it is understandable that some people might think that “Christ” is Jesus’ surname or family name, like his parents were “Mr and Mrs Christ”. The truth is that “Christ” is a title that means “Anointed” (in Greek). It carries the same meaning as “Messiah” (Hebrew). In ancient Israel and Judaism this meant “God’s anointed leader”, which covers a lot of ground from priests, prophets and rulers. Ultimately though it refers to God’s appointed ruler over all things, not just the king but the King of Kings. This is why Jesus is THE Christ – The Anointed One. This stands at the core of the gospel message – that Jesus is King, that his resurrection declares he is “the son of God in power” (Romans 1:2-4) and all people everywhere are called to trust in Him through acceptance of his rule. The question for each of us is, will I accept him as my/your King. The post The Good News (Gospel): Jesus The Christ is King first appeared on Lifeway Church.