Sermons on Lent
Love Prays (Lent #5)
Lent #5 Love PraysSeries: Lent Love WinsPreacher: Phil Swain Reading: John 17:1, 13-23 We are coming towards the end of our Lenten journey to the cross, and after seeing examples of generous love, love that serves, and love that abides … this Sunday we reflect on how prayer can be an act of love. Our bible reading comes from John 17 – just before Jesus is arrested he pauses and prays … for himself, for his friends and for the Read more
Servant Hearted Love (Lent #3)
Lent #3 – Servant Hearted LoveSeries: Lent Love WinsPreacher: Phil Swain Reading: John 13:1-17 Our Lent journey continues this week as we keep exploring the Easter story through the lens of love. In John 13 we find Jesus kneeling with a towel and basin to wash his disciples’ feet — a powerful picture of servant-hearted love. What does it mean to follow a Lord who shows that love wins not by power, but by serving others? Sermon Text Can everyone Read more
Love Stronger than Death (Lent #1)
Lent #1 – Love stronger than deathSeries: Lent Love WinsPreacher: Phil Swain Reading: John 11:1-45 We begin our Lent journey together and our theme for this year is “Love Wins” or Easter through the lens of Love. We will be using John’s Gospel as our key source and in John’s writing we find that love underpins everything – not a simple or sentimental love but rather John present this love as strong, costly, present and deeply relational. John goes so Read more
A Transformed Heart part 2
Lent #4 – a Transformed Heart Part 2How can understanding the Word of God transform our hearts?Preacher: Daniel Gibb Reading: Luke 16:19-31 As we continue our Lenten journey of transformation, we are confronted with a difficult passage that invites us to continue reflecting on how our hearts might be transformed in the lead up to Easter. This Sunday, Daniel will be looking at the parable that Jesus told about The Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). While this is a Read more
A Transformed Heart
Lent Week #3 – a Transformed HeartTransformation stories about lost, found and communityPreacher: Phil Swain Readings: Luke 15:1-32 Transformation is more than just thinking different … it can also be about a change of heart. This Sunday as we continue our Lenten journey within our “transformation” theme we are looking at three well-known and well-loved parables … the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. These stories will stir our emotions as we rejoice as the lost is found and Read more
A Transformed Perspective
Lent Week #2 – a Transformed perspective How Easter can challenge our views about God and Life Preacher: Phil Swain Readings: Luke 13:1-9 We continue our Lenten journey within our “transformation” theme and how Easter has the power to transform our minds or our thinking … and even perspectives on faith and God and life. This week our narrative reading from Luke 13 is a challenging story where Jesus is being asked to give his take on some tragic current Read more
A Transformed Mind
Lent Week #1 – a Transformed Mind / How Easter can transform our perspective and thinkingPreacher: Phil Swain Luke 10:25-42 We start our six-week Lenten journey towards the cross and resurrection of Easter. This year at TUC, our theme for Lent is “transformation”. Easter is transformative … Easter should transform you. We are going to use Lent to ponder what it means for God to transform our minds or our thinking; how the cross can transform our hearts (or the Read more
Palm Sunday – Listen to your Heart
Lent 6 – Listen to your HeartBible Reading: Mark 11:1-2, 7-11; Mark 11:12-17, 19-24; Mark 14:1-11Preacher: Rev Phil Swain This Sunday is last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy week. This week in the lead up to Easter can stir not only the emotions of those involved, but can stir our heart as well. In a different worship experience, this Sunday we will be having a some different opportunities where we can pause and “listen to our hearts”. Read more
Lent 4 – On the Side of Love
On the Side of LoveBible Reading: Mark 12:28-44Preacher: Rev Phil Swain What side are you on? In our journey towards Easter and the cross using the Gospel of Mark, we find ourselves in the middle of a tense discussion between Jesus and the religious leaders of the time. There was much debate about whether it more right to show honour to God by strict adherence to the law or whether God was more interested in the way we showed our Read more
Lent 3 – Respect or Reject
Respect or Reject? Whose example are you following?Bible Reading: Mark 12:1-17Preacher: Rev Phil Swain We continue to journey through Lent exploring the gospel of Mark and the passages where Jesus is helping people consider their choices and what impact those choices make. In the reading this Sunday we hear a parable about some tenants and a narrative of Jesus being asked about taxes … but as we have seen in the past few weeks, Jesus uses these experiences to help Read more