Send us a text This Advent and Christmas we have been hearing two voices shedding different light on the stunning reality that Christians hold in their hearts – God is in the Manger. Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflects on this good news of which Isaiah speaks hundreds of years before it came to be. They are the voices. Isaiah is the speaker of God’s truth long before it comes to be and Bonhoeffer is a Christian in extreme circumstances in which he would eventually lose his life for his faith in WWII...

Send us a text We are hearing two voices to hopefully see and hear God speaking in a way that helps us receive the glory and splendour of what he did in being in that manger. Isaiah breaks into a glorious and splendid, good news word this morning. In his words that paint many pictures, he will try and break through our normal Christmas expectations to show us the glory and splendour of Jesus. Like the sun rising for another day, we shall know that in Jesus, we are OK and will be OK, no matter...

Send us a text We are hearing two voices to help us see something new in this God in the manger this Christmas. We are hearing the prophet Isaiah speak of this world-shifting event of “The Servant” arriving to serve the world in love some seven hundred years prior to it happening. We are hearing a Lutheran pastor and eventual martyr under national Socialist regime in WWII speak from his two Advents and Christmases in Tegel prison, Berlin, in 1943 and 44. Today we hear that God is mysterious. ...

Send us a text How do we cope with waiting? This week we hear that there is great value in our waiting. It is in waiting that we hear the invitation to let this Jesus in the manger into our lives. Will we let him into our various questions and troubles and needs? If we can and when we do, we can find the joy in believing in Jesus again. Pastor Adrian

Send us a text As the year’s end comes up you might find yourself beginning to think over your year. How has the year gone? How did I do when it comes to our plans, retirement, goals we set, things we did and if we are doing paid work - how is my work going? Paul speaks into this area of our life in Christ. He speaks of work today. There seems to have been a bit of a ‘work’ problem in the Christian community in Thessalonica. It does not seem to be an unemployment problem, but a heart problem ...

Send us a text We come to the Last Sunday of the church year before we switch to that season of waiting and watching for the celebration of the coming of the Saviour. We hear one of those parables Jesus tells to address a particular issue. In this case, it is the issue of how we Christians deal with the end of the world as we know it – the day that all the world and all the church will finally be fulfilled; or completed. In other words, ‘the end of the world’. Some around Jesus are thinking t...

Send us a text It is strange how the people around Jesus who seemed to have the most trouble receiving his authority over their life were the people who were very religious. We hear from the Sadducees, who were a group of experts in theology, driven by the law. They try to trap Jesus in their conversation. Jesus responds briefly and clearly, and we get to be re-affirmed in this sure hope of resurrection that we share. Listen for the hope and allow the One who has authority over you to power y...

Send us a text It is All Saints Day. This is the day to remember and give thanks for who we have lost. It is also a day to remember and give thanks for whose we are and who we are – saints. Hard to believe that we are saints. Often, we hear that word ‘saint’ and think “that’s not me!”. Saints are good people, extra humble people, people who can pray all the time and be so kind all the time, aren’t they? That title, ‘saint’ is something you earn, don’t you? You need to display kindness, humili...

Send us a text “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17) Bishop Paul says: Martin Luther’s great reformation discovery was “the big arrow down” of God acting gracious “down” to us. Not humankind climbing a ladder of good works up to God. For Martin Luther, this good news of the grace of God changed our day-to-day living. Rather than being afraid that God was angry with us and striving to appease God, we were “free” to serve as we have been served. Our daily life was a vacation wherever we...

Send us a text There is a lot in a name and no matter what name calling you might hear from others or even what name you may give yourself, God has a name for you. He gives us all names - his names: names like he gave Jacob - true, affirming, future-filled, hopeful. Pastor Adrian Kitson

Send us a text We come across a familiar account of a 1 in 10 chance today. Ten very unwell and isolated people receive way more than they bargained for from Jesus but only one of them really ‘sees’ Jesus and responds wholeheartedly. It is the story of the 10 lepers. Even though it is a miraculous moment, Luke tells it in a way that at first seems fairly ‘standard’ for those around Jesus. They had seen this before. Person cries out to Jesus for healing a disease. Jesus responds positively. He...

Send us a text We often take love, kindness, and relationships for granted, letting them lose their joy and passion. The same can happen in our Christian life when faith becomes routine. True growth means striving to be more like Jesus through love, care, and quiet acts of service. While we can’t always live on emotional highs, we must keep nurturing our faith daily, not just on Sundays. Pastor Robert Voigt

Send us a text Every human heart is on a treasure hunt. Some chase wealth, others chase security, others chase recognition or comfort. Paul, in this closing chapter of 1 Timothy, draws our eyes away from false treasures to the true riches found only in Christ. And this is not just a ‘down in the city’ problem. Here in the Barossa, surrounded by vines, wineries, businesses, and land passed down through generations, there’s no shortage of opportunities to trust wealth, reputation, or property a...

Send us a text After several short stints which have seen us journey through the Letter to the Galatians over twelve Sundays, we complete the journey today. We hear Paul signing off to the people he loves and wants the best. He has tried to convince them to stick to what they first believed about Jesus and not cave in to the old nature within them or the surrounding pagan culture or those wanting them to adopt Jewish ceremony and Law to be assured that they are safe and secure in God’s grace...

Send us a text How do we cope with that struggle within? Our earthly longings and desires and the internal desire of the Holy Spirit within us to bring the glory, beauty and love of Jesus to our hearts day by day. This tussle with human wayward attitudes and behaviours can be a place where Holy Spirit can grow good fruit! Pastor Adrian

Send us a text Who are the people of God's promise? What is the gift of "living in freedom" and how do we keep being "free"? Pastor Adrian shares some insights as to how we can stand in that freedom for all that we are facing. Pastor Adrian

Send us a text Family is important. I think we all know this and spend a lot of time supporting our family in a lot of different ways. This is good. God has put us in families for our wellbeing and for the good of the world. Paul takes up his strong encouragement to these Christians in the Galatians churches to resist going down the road of keeping the Jewish Old Testament Law of God to try and earn God’s favour and blessing and return to how they began with him in the good news, that they ar...

Send us a text We work hard to achieve and to be very good and strive to perform well and live life under our own steam, maybe trying to earn blessing and hope and identity in our lives. Whilst this can be good, we can also become slaves to this. Pastor Adrian shares a message of gospel freedom. Freedom to be free from people pleasing, having to perform and achieve. Free to enjoy lasting peace and joy in our hearts through our all-loving God and his saving work throug...

Send us a text Did you know that together we're part of a story? It's a baton-race that is being written right now. And now we are running a leg of that faith relay right here in Nuriootpa. We're here with a purpose. Backed by a great cloud of Christian witnesses and by grace through faith, we can now finish our race with our eyes fixed on Jesus. Paul Ridley

Send us a text Millions, maybe billions, have died for the cause of “freedom”. Every year, we remember those who fought and died for the civil freedom we have today. And rightly so. There are examples of non-Christians making great sacrifices and doing wonderful acts of service to others. But when we are controlled by the Spirit, our service takes on a unique meaning. Because you are not your own; you were bought at a price, we now see that serving others is actu...