Gundagai Baptist Church

How deep is your love?

2009-09-17T12:05:00.011+10:00

September 13th was the beginning of marriage week in Australia,
a time to celebrate the God given gift of marriage.
We need to remember what marriage is, what it's not,
who set it in place, & how we are called to love & live together as wife & husband.
That word "LOVE" seems to mean so many different things to people doesn't it?
I mean, ask 10 different people & you'll probably get 10 different answers!
So we need to go back to God's Word to find a good, practical description of love.
What it is & just as importantly, what it isn't!
1 Corinthians chapter 13 gives us this description.
"Love is patient & kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable,
& it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, & endues every circumstance.
Love will last forever."
How committed are you to your marriage?
How faithful are you?
How forgiving are you?
How do you express love to your spouse?
Can I encourage you to spend some time reviewing your marriage
& recommitting yourselves to each other!
Listen along to "How deep is your love?"

Jesus is all about life!

2009-09-07T21:21:00.022+10:00

Very soon we will see this logo right across NSW, on Churches, Christian schools, book shops, bus stops & billboards.
So what's it all about? Why "Jesus. All about life?"
Jesus said "I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full." (John's gospel, chapter 10 verse 10)
Now that's a big claim isn't it?
Well over the next few weeks we'll investigate this claim to see if it stacks up to scrutiny.
So make sure you stay tuned!

World Vision morning tea

2009-08-29T19:48:00.007+10:00

Wednesday 26th saw our Church ladies doing an incredible job of running our annual m/tea to raise funds & awareness of World Visions work among the poor of the world.
Each year they help over 20 million people with short & long term needs, food, water, health & education. So it's great we are able to do something to help them reach out with hands of compassion.
Often when we think about the huge problem of poverty around the world, we come to the conclusion that "it's just too hard!"
But when we get together with a shared passion, a shared vision of what can be, we can & do make a difference!
Well done everybody, we raised over $700 & that will help 90 kids for a whole month!

Steve the bird man!!

2009-08-24T11:52:00.009+10:00

Home again after a couple of weeks away travelling up the coast to Coolangatta in Queensland.
Leonie & I got to catch up with some good friends & both my sisters as well!
God blessed us with some great weather as we travelled around checking out some truly beautiful parts of His creation, Diamond Beach, Coffs Harbour, Lake Macquarie, Lamington National Park, Tugan, & Forster.
Got to feed parrots, & rosellas at Lamington, an interesting experience having them landing on your arms, shoulders & head!
Anyway, it was a great time away from home responsibilities for a while!

2009-08-24T11:51:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone!
Sorry it's been so long since I updated, but things have been just so busy!
We live in a fast paced world don't we?
Each day seems to bring so many things that can consume our every waking moment & still demand even more of our time!
But, we all need to spend time relaxing, resting our over active minds!
We need to spend time quietly reflecting on our God & His Word, the Bible.
In Psalm 46 verse 10 it says "Be still, and know that I am God."
Thankfully I was able to do that while we were away on hols, but this must continue now we're back!
We must make a conscience decision to set time aside to be still, to relax, to reflect on God's goodness & grace. I pray you'll make whatever changes in your life that you need to to make this possible!

Love one another! part 2 MP3

2009-05-24T18:04:00.008+10:00

Love one another as Christ loved you.
These words should resound through the very being of the Christian Church, here in Australia & all around the world!
With all the tragedy, brokenness, violence & relational breakdown that is rappidly increasing in society, there is a great need for people to see true Christian love being lived out in Christ's body, the Church.
Jesus said to his followers these words "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John chapter 13 verse 35
Just what would happen if each of Christ's Churches started living that way, loving that way?
If each & every Christian loved their brothers & sisters authentically, compassionately, patiently, sacrificially. Don't tell me that the world would not notice. Don't tell me broken people wouldn't find that attractive.
Don't tell me that lives would not be changed, transformed, saved.
What an incredible impact the Church would have if we all followed Jesus' command to "Love one another."
What do you think?

Love one another! MP3

2009-05-18T19:19:00.009+10:00

Gidday everyone!
In this weeks message we read about the Apostle John blasting out this message "Love one another!"
I wonder how many times we have heard those words? But hearing & doing are two different things aren't they?
Type "Church conflict' into your search engine & see how many pages come up! (I got 3,620,000!!!)
As Christians we have an obligation to show true genuine love towards our brothers & sister. Even more than that, we are commanded to love each other.
Love that is sacrificial, love that is kind, love that is forgiving, love that's generous. the list goes on.
John list 4 different heart attitudes we can have toward each other.
1. Murder
2. Hate
3. Indifference
4 True Christian love.
So, what's your attitude?

The great love of God! MP3

2009-03-29T16:33:00.006+11:00

How great is God's love?
That's a big question isn't it?
This week we look at a passage of Scripture which says;
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God." 1 john 3:1

As we consider this statement, we need to see who John is refering to as the "children of God."
Isn't that everyone on earth? Aren't we all the children of God?
Well, no we aren't!
Why do I say that?
Look at the previous verses. "And now, dear children, continue in him (Jesus) so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming...you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him."
John reminds us of Jesus words to Nicodemus (John chapter3) when He told Nic that he needed to be born again, not in a physical sense, but born again spiritually.
When we call on Jesus Christ to save us from a lost and hopeless existence, when we surrender our will to His will, we are born again into the family of God!
Then we can claim the title of "children of God."
Then we can start to understand the greatness of God's love for us.
A love that sent Jesus to the cross, to die there for your sins and mine.
"Amazing love, how can it be? That You my God should die for me! (Charles Wesley)
As God's children, we are not only saved, but we have the hope of heaven place securely in our hearts. How should this change us?
How should this impact how we live our lives on this earth?
Listen along as we look at "The greatness of God!"

"Destruction. Why does it happen?" MP3

2009-02-25T15:34:00.004+11:00

As we all come to grips with the tragic loss of both life & property brought about by the horrific bushfires in Victoria, we need to reflect upon God's Word.
For it is in God's Word that we can find comfort & hope, even in the most desperate of times.
In it we read "I consider that the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
No matter what we find ourselves facing, or what terrible burden we have thrust upon us, we can rest securely in the promises of God.

Our hearts go out to everyone who has suffered due to the fires, & we pray you are granted the strength you need to face another day.

In today's talk, Ian Willersdorf shares some thoughts about the destruction, & the solid hope we can hold onto no matter what.
Grace & peace to you all.

"Jesus is the Word of Life." MP3

2009-02-02T17:34:00.007+11:00

Does it really matter what we believe about Jesus?
Isn't it more important that we just accept each others beliefs so that we can get along with each other?
After all, isn't it intolerant not to accept all points of view?
Shouldn't the "Church" embrace everyone, no matter what they believe?
The simple answer is no!
The Christian Church must stand firm on the apostolic teachings of the Bible.
The Apostle John wrote 3 short letters that we find near the end of the New Testament,
& in them he clearly states again & again that Jesus is the Christ, the living Word of God,
the Eternal Life of God, God in human flesh.
John reminds us that this is at the very core of the Christian faith, & when we stray away from that truth, we find ourselves in deep trouble!
Today, the Church is under constant attack from those who see the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ as offensive & intolerant.
But Jesus clearly stated that "I am the way, the truth & the life.
No one comes to the Father (God) except through me."
(John chapter 14 verse 6)
While we are to respect everyone's right to believe something different, we cannot allow false teachings & beliefs to become part of the Church.
Is that intolerant? Offensive?
Read 1 John to find out!

Saved to Grow and Go! MP3

2009-01-11T15:43:00.007+11:00

Hi everyone!
Happy new year to you all as well!
Last year flew by didn't it?
As we start into this new year we need to remind ourselves of our purpose as Christians.
Here at Gundagai Baptist Church we display the statement
"We are Saved to Grow & Go!"
on our bulletins & on our big screen.
So I thought it was timely to once again
explain the truths behind this statement.
Through God's amazing grace we are saved,
then we are called to grow in our knowledge of Jesus Christ,
so we can go into the world around us & live our lives in such a way
that others will come to know Jesus as their Saviour!
So as we start this new year, let's live our lives as God planned!
Blessings.

The gifts of Christmas. Peace. MP3

2008-12-15T11:03:00.003+11:00

Christmas is nearly upon us once again, & as we prepare, we need to be careful our focus is actually on the "Reason for the season."

There are so many things that pull our focus away from Christ's birth & all that means for us!

Christmas is a time to celebrate, a time to give & recieve gifts, but I'd like to remind you of the great gifts that God wants to give each of us this Christmas.

Today we look at the incredible gift of PEACE.

We all recieve cards that wish us "may the peace of Christmas be yours"

Well, we need to understand what the peace of Christmas actually is before we can recieve it.

Listen along as I talk about;

"The peace of Christmas."

"Are you ready for Christmas?" MP3

2008-11-30T14:59:00.008+11:00

Can you believe it's nearly Christmas again?
And where did this year go?
So, it's time to prepare for Christmas,
the question is 'how will you prepare?'
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah lived
700 years before Jesus Christ was born.
But in his book of the Bible, Isaiah speaks volumes about Jesus.
His birth, his life & his death on the cross.
In chapter 40 we read "prepare the way for the Lord.
...And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
& all mankind together will see it."
Here in these words we see the call for us to prepare this Christmas.
Prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ the Messiah.
Don't get caught up in all the decorations, food, presents & parties
& all the preparation that goes into them.
Get yourself caught up in the true meaning of Christmas,
celebrate the birth of Jesus, God in flesh!
Listen along as I ask the question;
"Are you ready for Christmas?"

"The man who ran." MP3

2008-11-23T14:31:00.003+11:00

In the gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke,
Jesus comes face to face with a man who seems to have it all.
He's young.
He's rich.
He's influential.
Yet there's something he doesn't have,
something that he knows he needs.
We read how this man ran to Jesus, fell on his knees & asks
"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Great question isn't it.
But Jesus' answer leaves him sad & discouraged.
Why?
Listen along to find out!
(Mark 10:17-27)

"Why Baptism?" MP3

2008-11-09T16:59:00.005+11:00

In this weeks talk we look fairly & squarely at the topic of Baptism.

Depending on which denomination you're involved in,

baptism will bring different thoughts & images to your mind.

So to understand what baptism is, & what it's purpose is,

we need to understand what the word means & what the Bible says about it!

Sadly some of our Church practices have more to do with man made tradition than clear Biblical teaching.

So why not listen along as we answer the question "Why Baptism."

Blessings.

The need to keep sowing! MP3

2008-11-04T18:25:00.006+11:00

It was great to have the President of the Baptist Union of NSW, Rev Norm Nix & his lovely wife Marjorie visit Gundagai as part of their tour of the Riverina.

Norm has been in ministry for many years.

In fact he 1st started in 1962, the year I was born!

It was good to spend some time with both of them.

Norm shared an inspiring message with us as a Church, speaking from the parable of the sower, chapter 13 of Matthews gospel.

A message of persistence & endurance as we spread the seed of the good news around.

Listen along to Norms message, & keep on sowing!

"Trusting the Word of God." MP3

2008-10-26T15:50:00.010+11:00

Is there a difference between reading & trusting the Word of God?
Can the Bible truly be 'God's Word for man'? (Mankind)
Or, as some like to think, is the Bible only
'Words about God written by man'?
Can we believe what the Bible says?

Can we really trust what it says?
Psalm 119 reminds us over & over again that God's Word is eternal,
faithful, righteous, trustworthy & true!
Why not start each day by reading a passage of the Bible,
then meditate on it throughout the day, (mull it over, dwell on it)
God will speak to you through the pages of His Word!

"May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous!" Psalm 119:172

2008-10-26T15:50:00.001+11:00

"Hope in the Resurrection." MP3

2008-10-12T18:14:00.008+11:00

With all that's going on in the world financial system,
it's good to be reminded of what's important.
When we think about what we place importance in,
or what we place our trust in, our hope in,
we should come back to God's Word for guidance & direction.
The Apostle Paul wrote a great letter to the Christians at Philippi
instructing them where their hope is found & what was important.
All the riches of this world, gold, silver, stock markets & bank deposits just don't come close to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
As the last couple of weeks have reminded us so clearly,
we can't trust the riches of this world to remain constant & sure.
We can't build our faith on them.
So listen along as Steve Wilton explains why.

"Lessons we learn from Moses." Prt 2 MP3

2008-10-05T21:44:00.004+11:00

Exodus chapter 15

After Moses leads God's people through the Red Sea, they stop & praise God for His incredible power displayed right in front of them.

They certainly had plenty to praise Him for!

And so do we!

But as we read the book of Exodus we see God's people turn from praising God, to grumbling, complaining & quarreling amongst themselves! They had let their imediate circumstances control their attitude, their disposition & their thinking.

Whenever we let our circumstances control us, our emotions take a dive don't they?

Suddenly everywhere we turn there are reasons to complain, things to grumble about.

But if we lift our eyes up toward heaven & think once again about the Mighty God who was & is & is to come, we once again have reason to sing out in praise!

Lessons we learn from Moses. MP3

2008-10-02T14:50:00.005+10:00

For a number of weeks, our Kid's Ministry has been learning heaps from the life of Moses & how God used him to free the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.

So, the kids stayed in this week, to help the grown ups learn some lessons from Moses life as well. From his birth, his life as an Egyptian, his encounter with the burning bush, his return to Pharoah, & leading God's people through the Red Sea.

A simple man used in a mighty way for God's purpose! Listen along to hear more.

True wealth

2008-09-24T09:17:00.018+10:00

With all the up's & down's happening on the worlds stock markets,
many people are really, really worried about their assets, their wealth.
None of us want to lose what we have,

but is that what truly defines you?
If you lost it all today, what would you be like?

What would be left?
"The real measure of our wealth
is how much we'd be worth if we lost all our money."
J. H. Howett
"you can't be the slave of two masters!

You will like one more than the other

or be more loyal to one than the other.

You can't serve both God & money."

Jesus Christ

It's worth thinking about isn't it?

Suffering.

2008-09-22T10:40:00.006+10:00

None of us like to suffer & that's a pretty solid fact isn't it?
But, suffering is also a fact, a fact of life.
Whilever we're in this world we will face troubles & situations that bring suffering fairly & squarley into the path we walk along.
Here's a couple of points about suffering we all need to remember.
1. Suffering is actually good for us.
What! that can't be right can it?
Look at what the Apostle Peter wrote: "These (sufferings) have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, .... may be proved genuine & may result in praise, glory & honour when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:7
The Apostle Paul wrote: "..suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; & character, hope.
And hope does not disapoint us.." Romans 5:3
2. You don't suffer alone.
Jesus told his disciples this: "And I will ask the Father, & he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth." John 14:16
God is with you no matter what you're facing or what you're going through! He won't leave you, so hold onto that truth.
And if you are part of a loving Church, you also have a family around you who care what you're going through!
May God grant you the strength to face today,
& bright hope for tomorrow.

"Don't receive God's grace in vain!" MP3

2008-09-21T13:28:00.003+10:00

What do you think of when you think of grace?
The saving grace, the action of grace, that allows us to be saved?
Or maybe you think of the ongoing grace, the daily grace
that as Christians we receive from God.
Well, it's both isn't it.
Look at the old hymn 'Amazing Grace"
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me."

""Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home."
Grace saves & grace leads us on.
Listen along to Luke Padgett from CSU in Wagga
as he shares some thoughts from 2 Corinthians chapter 6

"Sampson, man of faith." MP3

2008-09-14T14:44:00.001+10:00

There are some great characters in the Old Testament
& today we have a look at Sampson, from the book of Judges.
Sampson was given incredible strength by God,
strength that stayed with him while he was in God's will.
But that strength left him when he staryed away from God.
"Sin saps strength" the headline could say!
Listen as Ron Blyth shares the story of "Sampson, man of faith."