Syndal Baptist Church Audio

KINGDOM STORIES Jesus came to proclaim that there is a new king in town. He then proceeds to declare that if you want to participate in his kingdom then there is some unlearning and some new learning to take place. To help in this process, Jesus tells many stories about what the kingdom is like and what it means to participate in it.Each week we will look at one of these stories and explore the key messages of Jesus.Key ScriptureMatthew 13:1-23

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Wk 10: Pray Like You Need ItIt is interesting to note whenever a tragedy or national emergency happens, that politicians and news readers of every persuasion seem call people to pray. Jesus prayed and taught those who follow him to do the same. Why is it that so many of us seem treat prayer as a last resort? And what would it look like if we began to integrate prayer into every day life?Join us this week as we look at the final words of James to his people on prayer. Not only as an emergency measure, but as a way to reframe everyday life.Key ScriptureJames 5:13-20

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Wk 9: Stay the CourseWhat is it about tough times that brings the best out in some and the worst out in others? For some people adversity is the very thing that is instrumental in the growth and flourishing of their character. For others adversity is a destructive force that is ruinous to life and character. What makes the difference?Join us this week as Bill Brown revisits the teaching of James to a group of people who were doing it tough in life, and empowers them to find courage and hope in the midst of adversity.Preacher note… Patience and perseverance as character traits rather than what to do is more the focus of this week (see Week 1)Key ScriptureJames 5:7-12

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Wk 8: The Cost of Luxury “What did you pay for it?” seems to be the number one criterion on which we judge a purchase in our times. From hotels, to fuel, from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, there is a price, and someone is paying it. As consumers we are trained to look at cost only in terms of how it affects us. What if Jesus holds us to a different standard? What are the implications of loving our neighbour when it comes to our spending and saving? Join us this week as Chris takes a look at what James has to say about considering others in what and how we consume. Key ScriptureJames 5:1-6

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Wk 7: The best laid plans “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” (Allen Saunders, Readers Digest 1957) It seems that no matter how carefully you plan, and no matter how diligently you apply yourself, there is no guarantee that any plan on any given day will succeed. Does that mean we should not plan at all? Or is there a road to walk between great planning and flexible living? Join us this week as Mandy explores the ancient wisdom of James in how to keep our planning on track, and our forward thinking in perspective. Key Scripture James 4:13-17

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Wk 6: Changing your mindIf people had access to your mind what might they say about what you think? Whether you are an elite athlete preparing for an event, or an everyday person trying to make your life count. There appears to be plenty of evidence to suggest that most success begins in back blocks of our mind. Not only what you think, but also the way you think about it, is a critical part of doing life well. How can we learn to direct our thinking in a way that takes us forward rather than backward?Join us this week as we take a look at what James has to say about the use of our minds and how it impacts the world around us.Key ScriptureJames 3:12-4:10

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Wk 5: Talk Ain't CheapWith our words we can build up. With our words we can tear down. Even though many of us have experienced both the pain and the joy of words used badly and words used well, we often fail to learn from the experience. Whether it is on Facebook or email, whether it is in person or behind someone’s back, our words have an impact. How can we learn the art of using them well?Join us this week as Chris explores with James the idea of making your words count. Both in what you do say, and also in what you don’t!Key ScriptureJames 3:1-12 & 4:11-12

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH No-one likes favouritism, but somehow it seems to be part of our humanity. We naturally seem to gravitate towards those who are attractive to us, and seem to avoid those who are not. Whether it is social status, economic status, or even general interpersonal skills, many of us apply filters to those we embrace and those we do not. Both in his example and word, Jesus had called us to a different way. Join us this week as James reminds his audience of the Jesus Way and gives us a timely reminder of our natural bent toward favouritism and the benefits of overcoming it. Key Scripture James 2:1-13

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH OverviewThe single greatest criticism of the church in western society seems to be that there is a huge gap between what the church says and what the church does. A little under two thousand years ago, James the Brother of Jesus, calls the Christians of his time to account for the massive divide between their words and their actions. From their treatment of the poor to their dealing with trials and temptation. From emotional resilience to the content of their conversations. James calls the people of God back to living their message in both word and action.Join us as we take a look at the most practical book in the New Testament and seek clarity on what it might look like to live life to the full in 2018.Wk 3: Just Do It“I must get round to it!” For many of us procrastination is what happens when there is a gap between what we know we should do, and what we actually do. John Maxwell suggests that many of us have uphill hopes and downhill habits. Our hopes require effort, but

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH Overview The single greatest criticism of the church in western society seems to be that there is a huge gap between what the church says and what the church does. A little under two thousand years ago, James the Brother of Jesus, calls the Christians of his time to account for the massive divide between their words and their actions. From their treatment of the poor to their dealing with trials and temptation. From emotional resilience to the content of their conversations. James calls the people of God back to living their message in both word and action. Join us as we take a look at the most practical book in the New Testament and seek clarity on what it might look like to live life to the full in 2018. Wk2: Tempted “The devil made me do it!” One of the greatest difficulties for most people of temptation is the issue of ownership. Whether we blame our family of origin, a work colleague, the devil, or even God. Often our sense of shame around temptation is enough to cause us to hide

SHOW ME YOUR FAITH OverviewThe single greatest criticism of the church in western society seems to be that there is a huge gap between what the church says and what the church does. A little under two thousand years ago, James the Brother of Jesus, calls the Christians of his time to account for the massive divide between their words and their actions. From their treatment of the poor to their dealing with trials and temptation. From emotional resilience to the content of their conversations. James calls the people of God back to living their message in both word and action.Join us as we take a look at the most practical book in the New Testament and seek clarity on what it might look like to live life to the full in 2018.Wk 1: When the going gets toughWe all know how the sentence is supposed to finish, but many times “…the tough get going!” are not words that we could readily use to describe ourselves. When life takes an unexpected turn for the worse, how can we increase our resilience, and g

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS Easter Sunday Service.

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS Good Friday combined service.

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS 'People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!' is the famous quote by Theodore Roosevelt.I reckon he is right. Taking an interest in others, developing a rapport with them, hearing their stories, responding wisely and compassionately to their needs can be life changing for them.Such care has opened conversations about life and meaning.Never have we seen this more clearly than in the life of Jesus.His care for people was life changing and every person he cared for and blessed became a living, breathing advertisement of what an encounter with a caring person can do.Here we are talking about the expression of care that doesn’t require anything in return.It is love in action.Those for whom Jesus changed their games often became channels of that grace and care to others. How about a practical assignment for the week?What about letting God know at the start of each day this week that you are available to extend his care and grace to others through the day and

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS “Equality” or something else? Equality is a rather rubbery word, much bandied about in recent years. It may surprise you to learn that the New Testament rarely uses the term. Andrew Wilson writes — “A man rang me out of the blue the other day to ask if the New Testament teaches anything on ‘Equality’. “Not really,” I replied.“The New Testament mentions equality once or twice, but when it comes to social relationships, it is far more interested in concepts like oneness, commonness, partnership, union, and joint inheritance.If you could make all those passages mean equality, you flatten their meanings. And, in any case, it has become a blunderbuss word that means everything and nothing.”

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS The Radical Jesus It is difficult for us today, separated from the times of Jesus by 2000 years, to even partly grasp the radical nature to not only what he said but what he did. Author Philip Yancey comments, “For women and other oppressed people, Jeus turned upside down the accepted wisdom of is day.According to biblical scholar Walter Wink, Jesus violated the values of his time in every single encounter with women recorded in the four Gospels.” And what about children who had no rights and were in the “seen and not heard” category?Two of the few recorded contacts of Jesus with children result in amazing and revolutionary statements. When the disciples asked Jesus – “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” – his answer was very unexpected.He called a child to him and said to his disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:1-3). The other recorded contact is in Mark 10:13-16 – look it up when you get ho

​ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS Crucial questions need thoughtful responses.On of themost crucial questions ever asked was by Jesus to his disciples when he said, "Who do you say that I am?" Whether we have followed Jesus all our lives or whether we know very little about him, ouor answer to the question, 'Who do you say I am?' will have a huge impact on both our present and our future and can help us deal with our past.Many people have declared that, for them, Jesus has been a game changer.Today in our world, more than 2 billion people claim that they are followers of Jesus.For a person who never wrote a book, who never travelled much, who never had many devotees, who never owned property, Jesus has had an amazing impact! Have you got to know him?We would love to introduce you to him.

ALL IN Church Membership with Syndal Baptist Church.These days people choose to be members of all sorts of things – sports clubs, retail chains, and all sorts of arts and charity organisations. Yet the idea of becoming a member of a church can seem somewhat…awkwardly official. Some might wonder whether there is a point to church membership when you can be thoroughly involved in church life without it. What does membership at Syndal Baptist even involve? In this podcast Bill Brown tackles these very important questions. It was part of a series preached early in 2018 as we asked what it might mean for us to be ‘All In’ as a faith community this year. This message functioned as a ‘Membership Orientation’. If you would like to apply for Church Membership return to https://www.sb.org.au/baptism-church-membership and click the link Church Membership.

ALL IN When Jesus walked the earth he quite literally invited his followers to go ‘all in’ for him by being baptised as a sign and symbol of their faith. It’s a step of faith people still take today. But does everybody have to do it? Is it just an ‘additional extra’ to faith?In this podcast Chris Danes tackles these very important questions. The message was part of a series preached early in 2018 as we asked what it might mean for us to be ‘All In’ as a faith community. This message functioned as a ‘Baptism Class’ and explores why baptism is central to the life of a Baptist Church. If after listening to it you would like to be baptised then return to https://www.sb.org.au/baptism-church-membership and click the link to Baptism Registration.