Willowburn Church Podcast

"Darker, Closer, I Shall Not Be In Want..." Willowburn's first Covid sermon from 22 March 2020 (when it all got real). Plus some rocks in our shoe (LAMTs - Light and Momentary Troubles), some WB conversational cameos, some prayers (which you can enter into), relief versus restoration, some cool quotes from ancient Christianity (eg when the shadow gets darker the Lord gets closer...) and even communion that you can share.... Readings: Psalm 23, I shall not be in want. John 15: Dwell... And, 2 Corinthians 4: Light and Momentary Troubles...

The world is a troubled place. The story of the road to Emmaus forms a framework we can work within as Christians; who are called to to be a passage of hope to those we walk beside in this hope-less world.

How do we see the true Jesus when our vision of him is corrupted by so many cultural lenses? Come for a journey along the road to Emmaus as Jesus helps two of his followers through the same difficulty in the days after the Resurrection.

Well Lit. That's the call for 2020. The 'unhide the light' call. But what is light in the spiritual sense from Jesus teaching? Find out why it matters and why it matters to you and yours in this session. Hope it brings light to your life :)

In the 2020's it's time to unhide the light. Especially now. More than ever now...

The last sermon of the decade and one thing is necessary... 'Stay a while'

Christmas: God's Timing by Willowburn Church

Teen Challenge PNG: Peter & Freda by Willowburn Church

In the fifth part of the journey to understand the Kingdom through Matthew 13, Ben looks at the growth of a one off exquisite pearl worth giving up everything to have.

In the fourth instalment of the Matthew 13 kingdom parables, Ben take's a look at the man who buys a whole field to secure the treasure hidden within it. What is the treasure?

"Faithful. Hyphen Faith-full. Faith-fullness: Allegiance, dependence, trust…” We wondered this morning what “every act prompted by our faith” might look like as we enter our new circles rhythm… Have a listen and help us find out... This is part 4. You might also like to listen to parts 1-3 to give you the back story. Hope it encourages you. A

In this session seven words that summarise the faith-fullness of a church of nobodies from nowhere 2000 years ago. Seven words that take faith-minus to faith-plus. Seven words that beg for connectedness to Jesus and to each other. And from these seven words we ask (actually God asks) what is lacking in our own faith? The answers are in these seven faith-full words that summarise the embodied faith-fullness of the church of nobodies from nowhere: work, word, worth, wound, warmth, want and wonder. And it's these words that set a new rhythm and rule for Willowburn in our new circles vocational pattern. Hope it encourages your own faith-fullness.

Sometimes it's just the simplest phrase in the bible that gets your attention (and your heart): 'Was With Us'. That got my attention (and my heart). This phrase 'was with us' described a nobody from nowhere who, whenever Paul the apostle turned around, 'was with us'. Beatings, plots, prison, shipwrecks, traumas, terrors... Yep, everytime Paul turned around there was a wingman, a companion, a coworker and his name was [nobody from nowhere]. Have a listen to this rethink session and see if you can guess who it was. You will be underwhelmed and yet it was nobodies from nowhere like this that saw the church thrive. Rethink what it means to be a faithful 'nobody from nowhere' in today's 'Rethinking Willowburn' session (Session 2)

Time to rethink our church. Rethink (reconsider, reassess. Re- ‘again, anew’). Rethinking Commitment. Rethinking Willowburn so we can transition to a completely new rule and rhythm for our little church. Using the lessons of Apollo 13 and Philippians 2 we hold up 'church' to scripture and ask: Can we rethink our commitment? Session 1 in our Rethink Series. Hope it encourages you to think (rethink) deeply how we see our little church.

Starting out through snot and tears because of an anxiety attack suffered by his wife Camille five minutes earlier, Ben explores the mystery of great kingdom growth coming out of small things in hidden places. This is the third part of the Matthew 13 parables of the kingdom.

I preached this sermon on mental health after many years of reflection and with at least two of those years hanging out with my Psychologist friends who I have come to love and appreciate so much. I hope this encourages, strengthens and brings hope as the Christian story often does when it is at its best and we are not. During the church service we were also blessed with a song of lament from Tim B and a little share from Kat about flying - awesome segues as you will see. If you would like prayer please contact us via our email at [email protected]. For those who are prompted to seek professional help Beyond Blue is an awesome place to start at https://www.beyondblue.org.au

In this special session Luke reminds us of the main thing and asks whether we will make it the main thing.

Pastor Fidele (and his daughter) bring a distinctly fresh perspective from the scriptures on stress, worry and our commitment to Jesus.

Why is there evil in this place where Jesus says his kingdom is? Discover Jesus' teaching on this and how are we as Jesus' followers are to live in light of the coming weeding and wheat harvest.

A look at the four soil types of Matthew 13 and how they relate to our lives and expose our hearing posture of whether we are willing to lean in and listen to Jesus' teaching.

Why do you think you would remain faithful? And how long? A year? Ten? What about a few hundred? Session 44 in our Meet God Almighty (MeGA) Series: "A long faithfulness in the same direction" I pray it directs your heart to the love of God, the fellowship of the Spirit and the grace of the Lord Jesus. Grace and Peace as we end our kingdom phase and meet a slightly weird bunch called the Recabites. Adrian P takes us through MeGA 44; that is, session 44 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series.

Merv W takes us through MeGA 43; that is, session 43 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series and the cracks in the beautiful kingdom are wedged still further apart by a new king called Jeroboam. All seems well in the new divided arrangement but is it? Nope.

Ben M takes us through MeGA 42; that is, session 42 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series and the cracks in the beautiful kingdom widen into irrevocable chasms. Rehoboam why oh why wouldn't you listen?

Luke A takes us through MeGA 41; that is, session 41 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series and introduces us to the beautiful kingdom. But is it really? After all is said and done what happened to turn beautiful into futile and meaningless?

While King David's military is away conquering foreign cities, his own heart walls are crumbling to temptation and sin. Come follow his journey and look into the mystery of how it is still possible that he can be called a man after God's heart.

Luke A takes us through MeGA 42; that is, session 42 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series and here we meet David the Brave, the Pursued, the Chosen.

Remembrances, conceptions, understandings, that's what our realities are made of. That's what our relationship with God could be shaped by. So what on earth (or in heaven) would the remembrances, conceptions, understandings of Notre Dame have to do with a Galilean breakfast 2000 years ago. This Resurrection Sunday, dive in, go deeper... Hope this little sermonic effort of mine encourages and blesses you. A

Ben M takes us through MeGA 38; that is, session 38 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series and Saul goes from zero to hero to hero with a bad attitude, a really bad attitude....

In this sermon I was really astounded by how it was a little baby called Samuel could turn out the way he did when he was born and bred in such a vile time. I was even more astounded to see not only how he turned out but how the world around him was changed because of him and the work God did through him. And then, to notice something else, something we all need so badly and something which has been promised. Hope my efforts encourage you in your experience of abiding, walking, living, presencing with the Living God. A

What would you be willing to get to give? Hannah shows us, big time, what a 'get to give' sacrifice looks like. Another meGA series special this time with our own LA.

Imagine if Jesus said to you 'Come away with me for a while, get some rest...' Would you then expect to spend the first day 'away getting some rest' in intense service to 15,000 people, the first night rowing for nine hours and not getting anywhere (as well as a nearly drowning) and then the day after that in more intense ministry and service? Seems Jesus' idea of rest is quite different to ours. Seems his idea of how to 'recharge' is radically different to ours. I wonder why? I really do...

Sometimes a bible passage is just so vile all you can do is call it for what it is. So here it is, MeGA 35: Vile. Can anything good come from the vileness of Judges 17-21?

Ben M takes us through MeGA 34; that is, session 34 in the 'Burn's Meet God Almighty Series and here we see Samson the chosen go rogue in all the wrong kind of ways. And yet God...

Faith isn’t just mental assent, or a profession. Of course it’s never less than this, but it’s also way more. Faith and faithfulness are exactly the same word in scriptures which has massive implications. The question of faith in a Deepwater Storm, like the one in today’s passage (Matthew 8:23-27), isn’t just will you doubt. It’s will you follow?

Seeking the face of Jesus in the face of God and our MeGA (meet God Almighty) series brings us to the atrocity of a man who, in the name of God, fulfils a foolish vow by killing his daughter. Can anything good come from this? Can anything good come when we insist on living in 'my truth' rather than The Truth. See the consequences of an unchallenged confrontation with our greatest enemy. And if you remember nothing else remember this: "Guide us in your truth and teach us for you are God our Saviour and our hope is in you all day long," Psalm 25:5

Seeking the face of Jesus in the face of God and our MeGA (meet God Almighty) series brings us to the mixed bag that is the hero Gideon. There's more to this dude than a fleece... there's a rolling barley loaf. And of course, some important lessons and trajectories towards the Lord Jesus. Hope it encourages...

Seeking the face of God, finding the face of Jesus in number 31 of our MeGA (Meet God Almighty) series. In this session we meet the the Honey Bee and the Thunderbolt… and we also meet the pretensions and the assumptions bloating our so-called solutions. Oh, and along the way we also meet a mother-warrior, a mother-tactician, a mother-judge and a mother-poet. And then we pop out the other side with a pretty terrific encounter with Jesus. Hope it encourages you. Seek His face… And if you remember nothing else remember this: "March on my soul, Be Strong!" Judges 5:21

When is weakness a strength? Find out with a look into the biblical account of the left-handed assassin Ehud. Through Ehud, be drawn into a realisation about the God who himself became weak, to enable his perfect strength to blast out of our weakness.

Luke 5:1-11. This sermon is the first in a series of seven answering a call to go into deepwater. I've been gripped by Peter's deepwater experiences with Jesus - both literal and metaphorical - so I've created this series as a a means of putting that same deepwater call to us as a church. I hope it encourages you to follow Jesus even (especially) into deepwater. In this first sermon a carpenter's son tells a fisherman to put out into deepwater. What happens next changes the world - literally. I hope this story and this sermon encourages you to follow Jesus even (especially) into deepwater. It's in the deepwater where true realisation and true transformation occurs. Blessings. A.

1600 years ago a series of seven latin hymns emerged - one for each day starting on the 17th December and finishing on the 23 December. The O Antiphons. Today, they take us deeper into Christmas. Today they prepare us for the deepest year of the decade. Today the prepare us for the deepwater of 2019.

Explore the strange habit of Joshua building stone memorials that lead us into greater faithfulness toward God.

Caleb was courageous, persistent, didn't hesitate and chose to follow God wholeheartedly, what will you choose?

A meandering epic tale of how Moses entered the promised land... Huh? Moses made it to the promised land? Yes he did...

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may enter into His presence? You? Me? On what basis? What does it take to climb that mountain, to enter in... The answer is better and worse than you could ever imagine...

Today at the 'Burn Meet Moses meet God Almighty. Moses, a man born and raised into an oppressive divide between nations, meets God Almighty, and his life is given sure-footed purpose to navigate the in-between. Today, this same God through the person of Jesus gives us the ultimate example to walk in between our ever-polarising social and political landscapes.

G’day all. I have a message which I believe will serve you really well for future-pain (and current pain), I hope you’ll take the time to hear it. All the best A

Whatever. It. Is. There is grace for that... You know what we noticed as we were driving up the range the other day? The tree’s dying in Redwood Park. Same same around Prince Henry Heights. Trees dying from the drought. From dryness, aridness, barrenness... This drought is death. We’re being told by experts that we may see ever increasing droughts in our part of the world. If our lives are like nature then what are our lives like? Are they like lush green pastures or are they like ever-increasing drought? If ever increasing age is causing ever increasing suffering and ever-increasing loss then our lives are certainly more like ever-increasing droughts. What then is the need? Rain. Soaking Rain. And thankfully there is such rain. Such grace. Whatever drought you face, whatever drought you face...there is grace for that. Just as there’s always been.

A special sermon from our favourite QB Church Planting lead. Thanks for the encouragement Colin!

23. MeGA: Joseph and Promises by Willowburn Church

Joseph. Privileged. Favoured. A hero without portfolio to his dad; but to his brothers a dirty snitch headed for the ditch. And yet, through it all... Immanuel.