The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord

(Isaiah 11:2, NIV)

This week is the second Sunday of Advent focussing on the promise that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The sermon will focus on the passage from Isaiah, which proclaims Jesus as the promised shoot from Jesse’s stump—the Spirit-filled King who brings justice, peace, and restoration. The focus is on hope rising out of ruins, and on Christ’s power to create life where we see only devastation.

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Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (Revelation 3:20, NIV)

This week’s message continues our look at the letter to Laodicea and concludes our journey through the Jesus’ letters to the church in Revelation. Again, the passage reminds us that Jesus lovingly confronts our comfort and self-reliance through discipline (the refiner’s fire) so that He can restore our zeal, dependence, and intimacy with Him. Laodicea teaches us that true wealth, righteousness, and sight are found only in Christ.

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Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (Revelation 3:20, NIV)

This week’s message reminds us that Jesus lovingly confronts our comfort and self-reliance through discipline (the refiner’s fire) so that He can restore our zeal, dependence, and intimacy with Him. Laodicea teaches us that true wealth, righteousness, and sight are found only in Christ. We respond in worship by re-centering our lives on Jesus our true King and opening the door of our hearts and community to Him again.

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See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8, NIV)

This week’s message focuses on Jesus’ words to the faithful but fragile church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7–13). Though they had little strength, they held fast — and Jesus promises them an open door, an enduring crown, and a place in God’s eternal presence. Worship can celebrate Jesus’s sovereignty, faithfulness, and our secure identity in Him, emphasizing endurance, trust, and hope.

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Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.  (Revelation 3:2, NIV)

This sermon invites the congregation to move from reputation to reality—from the appearance of life to genuine vitality in Christ. We want to emphasize awakening, repentance, renewal, and the breath of the Spirit and Christ’s victorious life.

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You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13, NIV)

This sermon calls us to steadfast loyalty to Jesus in a world of compromise. The Christians in Pergamum lived where “Satan’s throne” was—yet they were urged to cling to Christ’s name and reject idolatry and immorality. The tone is both courageous and cleansing: a call to holiness rooted not in shame, but in love for the One who gives us “hidden manna” and a “new name.”

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“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (Revelation 2:10, NIV)

As we continue on from last week, we are again reminded that that Jesus is sovereign even in suffering. The letter to Smyrna calls believers to endure persecution, knowing the battle is temporary but the victory is eternal. Worship can highlight giving thanks for Christ’s sovereignty, his victory over death, and the hope of eternal life, while also offering songs of trust and courage for today’s trials.

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“I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!  (Revelation 2:9, NIV)

This sermon reminds us that Jesus is sovereign even in suffering. The letter to Smyrna calls believers to endure persecution, knowing the battle is temporary but the victory is eternal. Worship can highlight Christ’s sovereignty, his victory over death, and the hope of eternal life, while also offering songs of trust and courage for today’s trials.

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“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first…” (Revelation 2:4, NIV)

This sermon is a continuation from last week and continues to emphasize Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus: though they were energetic in service, patient in suffering, and orthodox in belief, they had abandoned their first love of Jesus and one another. We’ll explore how love for Christ must be the foundation of all service, endurance, and doctrine. Worship should focus on returning to our first love in Christ, repentance, and renewal of devotion.

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“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first…” (Revelation 2:4, NIV)

This sermon emphasizes Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus: though they were energetic in service, patient in suffering, and orthodox in belief, they had abandoned their first love of Jesus and one another. We’ll explore how love for Christ must be the foundation of all service, endurance, and doctrine. Worship should focus on returning to our first love in Christ, repentance, and renewal of devotion.

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This sermon introduces our sermon series for the next 8 weeks on Revelation Chapters 2-3, letters to seven churches from Jesus.  The introduction frames Revelation not as a codebook for predicting the future but as the unveiling of Jesus Christ. Rather than focusing on fear or speculation, John’s vision reminds us that Jesus is Lord, even in the midst of persecution and chaos. The message points us to hope, worship, and faithful discipleship in the present.  This is seen in the letters to the church.

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Philemon explores Paul’s heartfelt appeal to Philemon, asking him to receive Onesimus no longer as a runaway slave but as a brother in Christ. It challenges us to see reconciliation as costly, transformative, and rooted in the gospel’s power to make the “useless” useful again. 

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In Luke 14:7–14, Jesus challenges our natural desire for recognition and repayment. True greatness in the Kingdom is not about status, but humility—choosing the low seat and opening our lives to those who cannot repay us. This passage calls us to live in a way that reflects God’s radical hospitality, where blessing is not measured by earthly honour but by the reward of heaven.

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This week’s message is a reminder that the gospel spreads not just by pulpits, but by people—ordinary believers sent out with extraordinary news. From Romans 10:14’s call to preach, and Luke 10’s picture of Jesus sending out the seventy-two, we are reminded that every follower of Jesus is called to share the good news. The Spirit sends, the message saves, and we’re invited to be part of the mission.  We will end by re-emphasizing our church’s mission to start praying for one person we can invite to church in the Fall.

Readings:

Romans 10: 5-17

Luke 10: 1-12

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This episode celebrates God’s quiet but powerful work of redemption through ordinary people. Ruth and Boaz’s union doesn’t just restore Naomi — it becomes part of God’s plan for King David and ultimately Jesus. We will be continue to explore in what ways we might be a part of God’s redemptive purposes.

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This week, we explore the radical, sacrificial welcome Boaz extends to Ruth—an outsider, a widow, a foreigner. In this simple act of legal redemption, we glimpse the expansive love of Christ, who welcomes the outcast and calls us to do the same. We’re invited to ask: Are we witnesses to God's grace, or gatekeepers of our own personal comfort?

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This episode focuses on the sometimes unglamorous but deeply godly call to do the right thing—especially in our relationships. Boaz shows us that real love requires responsibility, sacrifice, and a willingness to do hard things for the sake of others. We are called to demonstrate the same love to others and to God through serving them, Him, and the church.

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This week’s sermon explores how God works through seemingly insignificant and unworthy people—like Ruth, a Moabite outsider—to accomplish His redemptive purposes. Though the story is filled with moral ambiguity and human imperfection, it reveals the extravagant grace of God, who welcomes and uses us not because of our worthiness, but because of His. Worship can respond by celebrating God's faithfulness, grace, and the invitation to be part of His unfolding story.

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This passage highlights God's gracious provision and kindness through Boaz's care for Ruth and Naomi. The sermon invites us to reflect on how God meets us in our need—not just with daily bread, but with renewed hope, dignity, and belonging. Ruth and Naomi begin to see that God is not absent, even in hard seasons—He is working behind the scenes to bring restoration and joy.

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We reflect on how Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit doesn't just descend in dramatic moments but ignites personal renewal in ordinary people - people like you and me. We are invited to pray daily for revival, to rekindle the fire in our own hearts, and to boldly share that flame with others. 

What if the next move of God starts not somewhere else, but right here - with you?

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