Syndal Baptist Church Audio

ALL IN Overview All In As we enter 2018, many of us will be looking at the year ahead and figuring out where we will choose to invest our time, energy and resources. We might ask, ‘Where does church fit?’, ‘Is it worth my time and energy?’, or even ‘Why Syndal?’ As we ponder these questions, we want to pose another great question – ‘What could we achieve together if we went ‘all in’ as Jesus’ church this year?’ Over these three Sundays, we hope to bring clarity and vision about who we are as a faith community, what our priorities are in 2018, and how we might move forward together as we go ‘all in’.Living Our Values What is the heartbeat of Syndal Baptist? What do we care most about and prioritise most highly? How do these things shape who we are and how will they impact you in 2018? We hope you can join us as we talk about the values we hold most dear as a community, and dream a little about how God might work through a community which is ‘All In’ for Jesus this year!

THE JOY FILLED LIFE At any given moment, a person’s life can be turned upside down by loss, by pain, by change and any number of other unwelcome circumstances. These events and experiences can leave us feeling like a darkness has blanketed our life. Can joy exist in such times? If so, how? Today, Chris Danes will be confronting this very difficult reality which most of us face at some point. We hope that you can join us today as we seek answers together.Key ScriptureHebrews 12:1-3 and John 16:16-33

THE JOY FILLED LIFE Is joy all about knowing Jesus and having a certain attitude? Or are there practices and behaviours which we can adopt to help stimulate joy in ourselves? But then again, does joy itself stimulate certain practices and behaviours? What are the outwards signs of inward joy? While possibly confusing, these questions may be crucial in our pursuit of ‘the joy-filled life’. We hope you can join us as Mandy Stark helps us seek some answers! Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

THE JOY FILLED LIFE “If only I could take more holidays”. “If only we had a nicer house.” “If only.” Whether we mean to or not, it’s easy to believe that a more joyous life is just out of our reach because we are lacking in one area or nother. We can feel like our life would be more enjoyable if our circumstances were different. But is this the case? Is it possible to experience more joy in our life without our circumstances changing at all? If so, how? Join us at church today as Mike Riddell tackles these very questions.

THE JOY FILLED LIFE In a world of sleek advertising campaigns and lustrous images of ‘the good life’, there are a lot of things promising to bring us joy; we need only pay the right price, or sign the right contract. Yet many of us find that once the contract has been signed and money has been paid, we are little better off than we were before. So where can joy really be found? Where does it come from and what keeps it alive day after day, year after year? Today, Bill Brown will be sharing the answers he’s found to these very questions.

ADVENT: CHRISTMAS JOY TO THE WORLD! New Year Eve Service.

ADVENT: CHRISTMAS JOY TO THE WORLD! Christmas Day Combined Service.

ADVENT: CHRISTMAS JOY TO THE WORLD! Christmas Eve Combined Service.

ADVENT: CHRISTMAS JOY TO THE WORLD! Carols Service

ADVENT: CHRISTMAS JOY TO THE WORLD! Have you ever been given a gift at Christmas which you immediately plan to sell on Ebay in January? Something so bad you wonder what the giver was thinking when they gave it to you? If there was ever a person who could have questioned the gift they were given, it was Mary, Mother of Jesus. As she was told of her mysterious pregnancy, she could have looked ahead only to see trouble and pain and responded less than gratefully. Yet she didn’t. Why? What did she see that most of us would have missed? What can we learn from her as we reflect on Jesus’ arrival at the first Christmas? Join us on Sunday as we consider these questions together.

ADVENT: CHRISTMAS JOY TO THE WORLD! In the age of Instagram and Facebook, we can tend to edit information about ourselves to make things look better than they might in reality. We can hide the skeletons in the closet, the moments of embarrassment and failure and slap up a smiling picture of ourselves. In Jesus’ time, people tended to do the same with their family trees – leave out the people who didn’t bring honour to the family name. Yet when we read the list of people in Jesus’ family tree, even those with messiest stories are included. Why? What does that have to tell us about Jesus? And as we approach Christmas, what might it reveal about Jesus ultimate purpose in our world? We hope you can join us this Sunday as we explore these questions.

UNCOMMON SENSE Everybody loves a good bargain, right? Get as much as you can for as little as possible. It’s almost a sport these days! It makes sense, doesn’t it? Why would you pay full price for something when you can get it cheaper or free somewhere else? It’s just smart. But is that always the case? Does the rule always hold up? Are there times where it’s not true that the lower the cost, the greater the deal? This Sunday Bill Brown will be taking a look at a story from the life of David which seems to throw a spanner in the works of common sense. We hope you can join us to see what we might be able to learn from it!

UNCOMMON SENSE “Should I say something?” “Somebody really should say something.” We’ve all been there – knowing something isn’t right, wondering whether it’s our place to speak up, but feeling like there are a million reasons why it makes more sense to stay silent. What do you do when common sense tells you there are so many good reasons to keep your mouth shut, and so few reasons to open it? This Sunday Mike Riddell will be taking a look at a powerful story from the life of King David to see what answers we might find. We hope to see you there!

UNCOMMON SENSE It’s great when you have a decision to make and everything seems right about it. It makes sense, other people think it’s a great idea, and you even feel like God will love it. So what do we do when God says ‘no’? Why would he say no? Did we hear him wrong? Surely if everything seems to point to ‘yes’, then him saying ‘no’ must be a mistake. David found himself in this very dilemma, and thousands of years later there is still much to be learned from his experience. We hope you can join us this Sunday as Chris Danes helps us figure out what that is.

UNCOMMON SENSE Success. Prestige. Respect. Wealth. They are appealing notions, and ones which many of us strive to achieve within our lifetimes. All around us are messages which tell us to aim higher, reach further, do better, gain more; after all, that is where true purpose is found…isn’t it? It sounds like solid advice, but how solid is it? David’s best friend Jonathan was on the fast track to power and glory - he could have had it all - but he made a different choice. Why? Was it worth it? What can we learn from his story as we make our own choices today? Join us this Sunday as we explore what wisdom this amazing story has to offer.

UNCOMMON SENSE Have you ever found yourself facing a situation so uncomfortable and difficult that you would do just about anything to change it? What if the chance to change it was sitting right there, within reach? Everyone is telling you to grab it with both hands, and it seems like the obvious choice. Yet something holds you back. Something doesn’t feel quite right. David found himself at a similar crossroads with a choice to make. How did he make that choice? What can we learn from his decision? Join us this Sunday as Bill Brown takes a look at this challenging story from the life of David.

UNCOMMON SENSE Sometimes in life we find ourselves in situations which make us feel like a child who is facing down a giant. Logic and reason might tell us to run in the other direction, yet we have a sense that God might desire a different response. How do we know when to stay and when to run? How do we stand our ground when the odds are against us? Join us this Sunday as Chris Danes takes a look at the story of David and Goliath to see what it might have to teach us.

We hear all the time that Christianity is ultimately about having a relationship with Jesus, and any good relationship requires an investment of time and energy. Many of us would love to feel closer to Jesus - to know him better, to hear him more clearly, to sense his presence in our world - yet we don't know where to start and it's even harder to continue once we have. Join us today as Mandy Stark shares some thoughts about how we can spend meaningful time connecting with Jesus on a daily basis.

WALK WITH PURPOSE Our walk through life is rarely undertaken without the company of others. How we interact with those around us shapes our experience of life, and impacts on theirs. How do we best walk the journey with others? How do we make sure we don't waste the opportunity to fill our relationships with a sense of purpose every day? This Sunday, Bill Brown will be looking at what advice the Apostle Paul offers in his letter to the Thessalonians. We hope you can join us!

WALK WITH PURPOSE Purpose. It's something most of us seek as we navigate the ups and downs of life. To know where we're heading and why. For those of us following Jesus, we might have a vague sense of the direction we're heading, but struggle to know how we're meant to live day-to-day. How does our sense of purpose shape not just our destination, but the manner of our walk towards it? Join us as we seek answers from some of Paul's wise words to the Thessalonian church in our five-week series 'Walk with Purpose'.