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We all want a pain free and pleasure filled life. The second letter to Corinthians flies in the face of our unrealistic expectations by showing both the grit and glory of life under God. Life will always be messy because the world is messy or more precisely we are messy. Yet by God’s design, it is in the midst of this madness, we learn to be confident in the power of God through our weakness.

Ezra-Nehemiah is a story about the return and reformation of God’s people. Wrapped around the return of Jews from exile is the restoration of the temple, rebuilding of Jerusalem, reformation of community life and ultimately, revival of their faith. God’s faithfulness will finally prevail in Christ who will return and reform his church fully to God.

what love is this?

We all want a pain free and pleasure filled life. The second letter to Corinthians flies in the face of our unrealistic expectations by showing both the grit and glory of life under God. Life will always be messy because the world is messy or more precisely we are messy. Yet by God’s design, it is in the midst of this madness, we learn to be confident in the power of God through our weakness.

In 2020, we are focusing on our ‘M’inistry value. Ministry is just a fancy word for service. At Captivate Church, we place a strong value on mobilising every member into Christian service. We serve, not just to keep things running at church, or because it’s nice to have a part to play. Ministry runs deeper through our veins. Serving is essential to the Christian life because Christ himself came to serve. 

The gospel of Matthew is here to show the world that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ. Through the history, the narrative, the teaching, the theology in the gospels, we first come to know God. We are introduced to his plans and his purposes and behind all that his person. The story begins with the awe of Emmanuel, ‘God with us’. It finishes with a call for us to be wrapped in this very story ourselves as we follow a God who is “with you always to the end of the age”.

This Christmas season we will consider the incredible event that is God become man, creator taking on creatureliness. Let us remember that when we look upon Jesus of Nazareth, we see God himself. Many say ‘go to God’, but Jesus says ‘come to me’, for to come to him is to come to God.

The gospel of Matthew is here to show the world that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ. Through the history, the narrative, the teaching, the theology in the gospels, we first come to know God. We are introduced to his plans and his purposes and behind all that his person. The story begins with the awe of Emmanuel, ‘God with us’. It finishes with a call for us to be wrapped in this very story ourselves as we follow a God who is “with you always to the end of the age”.

three prayers for the mess of life

the son of God

We have constantly asked, ‘Who am I?’ throughout history. But it has become a modern obsession. How do decide or discover who we really are in a culture that is so preoccupied with feeling good about ourselves.

No matter where you are from or what you believe, loving relationships are almost universally prized in our world. Without functioning relationships all sorts of things start to fall apart. Without flourishing relationships it is hard to imagine a life of joy and satisfaction.  

Christians reflect Jesus in showing his love to the world. Our spiritual maturity is not simply a function of our relationship with God. It is also reflected and expressed in relation to God’s most precious thing in all his creation, his people.

‘Jonah and the Whale’ is a familiar and spectacular story for many people who have grown up with a Christian background. Yet the real message of Jonah is far more shocking than him being stuck in a big fish. Jonah presents to us the challenge of God’s surpassing mercy. Rediscovering this will help us see the shocking and scandalous nature of a gospel.

Over the history of the church, whenever people have tried to summarise the overarching goal of the Christian life, they have not referred not to any specific activity but rather the affections of the Christian. The journey of maturing as a Christian is founded on and fuelled by a heart that loves and glorifies God. Men and women who have been given this new heart are those who will strive to know God in his fullness and faithfulness, learn to love him with our whole being and serve him in his power. 

The gospel of Matthew is here to show the world that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ. Through the history, the narrative, the teaching, the theology in the gospels, we first come to know God. We are introduced to his plans and his purposes and behind all that his person. The story begins with the awe of Emmanuel, ‘God with us’. It finishes with a call for us to be wrapped in this very story ourselves as we follow a God who is “with you always to the end of the age”.

teach us to pray 

We have a strange relationship with freedom. On one hand, freedom is one of Australia’s most treasured values, on the other, freedom brings about tension and mistrust. We say things like “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” and at the same time we deeply believe things like education or healthcare should be free and helps us to be free. We want to be as free as we can be but we start to get insecure when everyone gets to do whatever they want. So what do we think about freedom?

Giving is in the DNA of being a Christian. Why? Because giving is what God does. Our God is generous beyond our imagination! It is God’s surprising grace is the key captivating and compelling factor for Christian generosity. As we think about our generosity, we must first be recipients of God’s generosity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only then, might we be able to live and give as his glad image bearers.

The kingdom of God has slipped out of the everyday language of Christians over the years. For many people the idea of kingdom doesn’t seem to relate to their faith or their life in tangible and significant ways. Yet the Scriptures it packed with the idea of kingdom.
This is God’s story. It is not a story about a far off land with an obscure ruler. It is about the king who came to save us and reestablish his rule. We long to worship the true king of heaven and earth who saves us.

The resurrection radically turns our hopes and dreams on its head. The Chrsitian message "is not fundamentally about us and our needs, but about Jesus and his status. The Gospel is not a suggestion (“have you ever considered Jesus?”), not is it advice (“You know, things really would be better if you included Jesus”), not is it a plea (“Hey, everyone, vote for Jesus”). It is, at heart, news. It is gospel. And the news is that Jesus is Lord." 

mission unstoppable

What does it mean to live as God's people after you have been saved? Follow the Israelites as they wander through their years discovering what the promise of God truly means. 

What does it mean to be saved by God?

As we come to understand what it receive God's grace, we come to appreciate its great glory. Not will we marvel at what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. We will see how this undeserved gift is applied to our lives in all it's transforming power. 

What is real spirituality? 

Almost everyone has their own idea of what spirituality looks like. Is it found in self expression? special activities? serving the community?

The Corinthian church also faced this confusion and contention. The message of 1 Corinthians 12-14 is that living out the love of God in Jesus Christ is the hallmark of real men and women of the Holy Spirit.   

Belief undergirds much of what we do whether implicitly or explicitly. What we believe plays strongly into how we behave. We unpack some assumptions and misconceptions about believing and ultimately faith in Jesus Christ.