Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis.37:1–4, 12–28, Romans 10:4–15 & Matthew 14: 22–36 The image of the sea during a violent storm, is one that captures the uncontrollable power of Mother Nature. Massive waves, being churned up by hurricane force winds, tossing aside anything in their path. The Old Testament writers recognised the power of the sea, and they…

Sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 32:22–31, Romans 9:1–8 & Matthew 14:13–21  The photo above is a 5th century mosaic from the floor of the ‘Church of the Multiplication’, a Roman Catholic church located alongside the Sea of Galilee at a place called Tabgha, which is believed to be the site of the miracle we’ve come to know as…

Sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 29:15–28; Romans 8:26–39 & Matthew 13:44–58 Human beings have always had a fascination with lost or hidden treasure. We need only look to popular culture for examples, with famous books such as Treasure Island and King Solomon’s Mines, and in more recent years movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Romancing the Stone…

Sermon for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost  Readings: Genesis 28:10–19a; Romans 8:12–25 & Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 In today’s gospel reading, Jesus uses a parable to illustrate, both to the crowd and his disciples, what the kingdom of heaven is like. He likens it to the owner of a field who sowed wheat in his field, and who wakes the next day to…

Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 25:19–34; Romans 8:1–11 & Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 Those who believe in God, are called to love God with every fibre of their being. Jesus himself said, that the most important commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” As believers, we are called to make…

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Romans 7:14–25 & Matthew 11:15-19, 25-30 In my sermon last Sunday, I talked about the Apostle Paul’s understanding of human nature, which was that men and women can’t help but be enslaved to someone or something—whether that be to a slave owner, to cosmic forces of evil, to powerful passions…

Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 22:1–14; Romans 6:12–23 & Matthew 10:40–42 In recent times there has been much debate and discussion, both here in Australia and in countries such as the US and UK, on the topic of “white privilege.” A lot of this debate and discussion comes on the back of the “Black Lives Matter” campaign. One…

Sermon for Third Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 18:1–15, Romans 5:1–11 & Matthew 9:35–10:8 As I began to prepare my sermon for today, I looked back at the sermon I had written for the third Sunday after Pentecost in 2020, when the readings were the same as they are for today. That’s because the lectionary we follow is based on a three…

Sermon for Second Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Genesis 12:1–9; Romans 4:13–25 & Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26 “Take heart daughter, your faith has made you well.” With these words, Jesus confirms the healing of a woman who has been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years.  The woman is healed after she touches the fringe of the cloak that Jesus is wearing. She has no…