While scheduling prevented us from giving a message on the place of John 7"53-8:11 in John's gospel, a link to a sermon from John Piper/Desiring God is provided as a resource...

A link to a daily prayer from the Valley of Vision (via Banner of Truth)...

This week's W-W gives thanks for the gathered church, warns against overfamiliarity with God, challenges those who make people bigger than God, or themselves as more worthy of worship....

In this week's W-W there is a classic gospel illustration, a word on singing together, a summary of marriage truth, and a reminder of an important reason we gather together as a church....

Unpacking John's teaching in 1 John 3:22-23, where he speaks of the necessary interrelationship between our belief in Christ Jesus and our love for others....

This week's W-W includes a free audiobook well worth listening to, a challenge to our perceptions on persecution, and good advice on how to better butt-heads... ...

Though genuine believers will struggle with sin, the work of the Spirit of Christ in us prevails such that we cannot live in ongoing, unrepentant sin....

In this week's W-W, we have a sensible productivity tip, an observation about discipleship, a word on God's will and prayer, and a reformation history doco to watch....

In this week's W-W, there is a discipleship encouragement, a family encouragement, a prayer encouragement, and a tempo of life encouragement... ...

This week's W-W has an illustration from marriage, encouragement from gospel conversations, a word on church divisions, a lesson from Afghanistan, and a prompt to pray for those living in pain....

As the fall of Jerusalem becomes apparent, Ezekiel suffers the loss of his wife. God's insistence that Ezekiel is not to outwardly grieve teaches us that there are even more significant reasons for mourning....

Ezekiel 33 marks a transition in the book, as we move from oracles of judgement against Israel and then the nations, to oracles of restoration and renewal for God's people. Throughout the remaining chapters of the book, there are many words of prophecy that speak of the Lord regenerating and restoring Israel to the land He promised to them (cf. Leviticus 26:113 and Deutero...

The vision given to Ezekiel of the 'Valley of Dry Bones' is confronting on many levels. Can these bones live? God alone knows! (Ezekiel 37:3). This raises the reality of God's utter sovereignty and humanity's total inability when it comes to life-giving salvation. This truth was as true for the house of Israel as it is for people today. All people are bone-dry dead in a sp...

Some of the faithless Israelites are hoping that the righteousness of others might be enough to save them. The Lord responds with a cryptic reference to three men- Noah, Job and Daniel- saying that even their presence in the city would not be enough to spare Jerusalem from judgment. What is significant about these men and what can we learn from this allusion?...

In the calamity and woe of judgement in Ezekiel 9, many see the grace of the Lord Jesus in the man who marks the repentant for salvation....

In what way will God's people "know that He is the Lord" in the midst of His judgement? Is this knowledge that leads to repentance and hope, or despair and devastation? ...

Given the amount of material we are covering in our Ezekiel series, we will occasionally post additional devotions to accompany and expand on the sermons each week. Here we think some more on Ezekiel's opening vision where he tries to describe the glory of God....

In this week's W-W there is encouragement to fight, to pray, to trust, and to run... all in God's strength!...

In this week's W-W there is more on discipleship, a meditation on Psalm 103, a call for gospel-centred services, an important word on anxiety... and the final pointer to free e-books!...

In this week's W-W there is an encouragement for grandparents (present and future!), help for the sin-battle, focus from the Psalms in times of crisis... and does anyone want another free e-book? (this one looks timely!)...

In this week's W-W, we have a claim to the central point of the Psalms (and the church!), a call to true holiness (not apparent holiness), a diagnosis on prayerlessness, and if you want another e-book... yep!...

In this week's W-W the light shines on our sanctification, we have an encouragement to broaden our friendships, a challenge to study the classic creeds, and (as expected!) another e-book to download. There is also a visual treat at the end!...

This week's W-W helps us learn Jesus, encourages us to share Jesus, and to love like Jesus. Oh, and there is another free e-book to download too....

This week's W-W gives counsel for those struggling with faith, looking for signs, overfilling their lives, as well as another TGC free e-book....

In this weeks W-W includes reflections in the midst of suffering, duel encouragements to both bring the Gospel to bear and to listen well in conversation, and another free e-book to check out. ...

In this week's W-W, there is an encouragement for those in midlife, a call to an eternal perspective, a challenge to cherish church gatherings, and another free e-book to add to your e-library (if you have one!)...

For this weeks W-W, there is another audiobook well worth a listen, an encouragement for older saints, a good word on prayer and a discussion about the plethora of Bible versions....

In this week's W-W, we are given helpful guidance for studying the Bible, a free e-book to read, a devilish challenge, and a brief encouragement to give our all to the Lord....

In this week's W-W, we have help in times of trouble, a guide to reading the Word with others, a challenge to prayerlessness, and a literary observation on loving actual people....

In this new weekly post, I will collate and curate a shortlist of links to various resources intended to inform and encourage your Christian worldview and walk. Check back each Wednesday for a new collection....

Starting from today, I will collate and curate a shortlist of links to various resources intended to inform and encourage your Christian worldview and walk. I will aim to limit these to topics that tie in with what we are learning and facing particularly as a church. Check back each Wednesday for a new collection....

Following on from Sunday's message on the means of grace, here is a helpful excerpt from a biographical message by John Piper on the life and mission of Hudson Taylor where he speaks of trusting effort versus slavish effort...

An interview with Wycliffe mission candidate to PNG, Talitha Follent...

The promises of God are always our strength, especially in uncertain times....

Acknowledging the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we will spend this month reminding ourselves of some of the figureheads that God used to re-establish the gospel in the teaching of the church....

Here are a few web resources to help understand more about the Easter week, the final days of the Lord Jesus on Earth....

A collection of quotes taken from our recent message on the importance of corporate prayer....

Following last Sunday's message on John Newton and the All- Sufficient Grace of Jesus, here is a collection of some of the quotes and hymns referenced during the sermon....

It's not too late to start a Bible reading plan for 2017. Here are some great options....

Having finished our series on the Book of Job last Sunday, we turn the eyes of our hearts back to the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans. In many ways, Job has prepared us well for the 'Big God' theology we will encounter (in Romans 9 especially!). This coming Sunday we will refresh ourselves with the territory we have covered over the first eight chapters (given that it...

Revisiting the overview of the structure of the book of Job via the Bible Project....

God has spoken (Job 38-41), and Job is accepting of what he has heard (Job 42:2). But clearly not everyone is satisfied. I mentioned Virginia Woolf's reaction: "I read the Book of Job the other day and I don't think God comes out well in it!". Such a view is articulated more academically by some commentators, such as this from Norman Habel: "For God to intervene and erase...

This week we are looking at the newcomer to the "let's fix Job" mix- the young and fired-up Elihu. Christopher Ash is right when he says that there are only two ways we can listen to Elihu: either he is a false prophet or he is a true prophet. Ash argues for the latter (as summarised in Tuesday's devotion). For what it's worth, I disagree and take the false-prophet option....

Considering the place of Elihu and his words (Job 32-37): a positive voice?...

Job's interactions with his friends and before God have taken him a long way since the agonised darkness of chapter 3. In spite of his deep and drawn out suffering, he has remained steadfast in his resolve, and even displayed moments of profound hope (as we saw in Job 19:25-27). There is much more ground yet to be travelled, but chapters 27-31 mark a turn in the road. We w...

We return this week to our extended journey through the Book of Job. As we have noted a number of times, Job is not a book to rush through. The themes of God's sovereignty and undeserved suffering cannot be summarised in a few dot points. As we make our way through the various speeches and responses between Job and his 'comforters', we realise that the road of grief and lo...

As we leave Job for a few weeks and return to the Gospel of Luke, we look at some of the parallel themes between Job and Luke 18....

One of the most pressing issues in the book of Job the whole question of "Why". Why is Job hauled through such a harrowing experience? Why is this upright man of integrity and faithfulness suffering so desperately? Why is God allowing this to happen? Why.? And yet this question is not directly answered. At least not in a neat and clearly satisfying way. For many readers o...

I am always so encouraged by the testimony of those who remain faithful in the midst of suffering. Elisabeth Elliot is a wonderful example. Her first husband was Jim was one of the 'Ecuador Five'- missionaries who were murdered by members of the Auca tribe as they sought to bring the gospel into the jungles of Ecuador. This is an amazing story in itself (Jim Elliot wrote t...

As we have continued to work through the book of Job we have listened as even Job's closest friends turn on him. We have considered what they have had to say- the three not-so-comforters, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. We have heard the advice they have tried to give Job- or I should say the abuse they have dumped on poor Job. We tried to summarise their worldview and we real...

How would you describe your deepest longings as you turn the eyes of your heart to eternity?...

We were to work through Job 19 on Sunday. But the extreme weather, an uprooted tree* and fallen power lines meant that we were not able to gather for church. My wife wondered if there was something in the message which I had prepared that God didn't want us to hear this week! And yet, there was much in the events of the weekend- the power in the weather, the devastation of...

Read through Job 16 Job feels "worn out" and "devastated" by God (Job 16:7), "assailed" and "torn" by God (Job 16:9), "shattered" and "crushed" by God (Job 16:12). And yet Job knows that- somehow- God is his only hope: "O earth, do not cover my blood;may my cry never be laid to rest!Even now my witness is in heaven;my advocate is on highMy intercessor is my friendas m...

As we have been listening to Job, we have been looking for marks of genuine faith. One of the most encouraging signs would have to be Job's perseverance. While it seems like he comes perilously close to throwing in the towel, Job does not let up. Deep down his faith holds on in hope that God will turn his face back towards Job and listen to his cries. Where does this pers...

As we listen to Job's words in speech after speech, I wonder if you begin to question his integrity. The raw manner with which he challenges not just his friends, but the Lord God Almighty, seems very presumptuous. It is little wonder that his comforters lose patience with him. Listen to Zophar in Job 11:2-5: "Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vin...

This Sunday we will have a message summarising Job's speeches. In preparation for working through what Job has to say, it is necessary for us to consider what and why we as the readers of the book know more than Job and his friends. We have had Christopher Ash's excellent commentary as our regular guide as we have been working through the book. I include his extended insi...

It is not easy to get a handle on Job's thoughts when you read his speeches. Like most who are experiencing significant trauma, he is confused and inconsistent. Job is trying to make sense of 'God, life and the universe and everything'- which is not easy to do when you are in the midst of suffering. He is doing his theology on the run, and so he is not a completely reliabl...

What is the ultimate reason for Job's misery? What causes him the most distress? We must not dismiss his considerable grief at the loss of his children, the stress of financial ruin and the agony of his physical suffering, yet there is something deeper still. Something more fundamental. When we come to Job's words in chapter 9, the theme of God's justice is ramped up. It'...

A photo gallery from our Mother's Day service....

In our last devotion, I suggested that Job speaks with the heart of a believer. He is certainly struggling, and he says a great deal of confused words, yet these come from a desire to make sense of his circumstances before a God whom he knows is his only hope, yet seems to be against him at the same time. Read Job 6:1-10 When we read Job's first reply to his friends in J...

One of the big questions when we look at Job is this: can a man be wrong and right at the same time? ...

Job's friends have no place for a dynamic relationship with the Lord. But is it okay to complain to God?...

Exploring further the connection between human sin and suffering in the light of the Cross....

An initial look at the ultimate sovereign control of God as we approach the book of Job...

What do we learn about the man Job from the opening verses?...

Who is "haś•śāṭān", or "the satan" in the book of Job, and what is his role?...

In our last devotion, we considered the place "the satan" in Job 1-2 in functional terms. My reasoning for doing this was to guard against taking our own existing ideas about who the satan is and reading this back into the text. There are two extremes we need to avoid (which is the case in many areas of Christian thought!). We don't want to be overly fixated on our preconc...

What are Christians to make of Satan and his strategies?...

Meeting Job's three friends......

Thoughts on Biblical comfort...

In yesterday's message, we looked at the worldview of Job's friends. It sounds so right when we work through it: God is absolutely in control. God is absolutely just and fair. Therefore God always punishes wickedness and blesses righteousness. Therefore, if I suffer I must have sinned and am being punished justly for my sin, and if I am blessed I must have been good....

As we come to the end of our week of prayer, we are encouraged as God's children to be remaining in prayer- to keep asking of our Heavenly Father and to delight in doing so....

On Day Four of a week of dedicated prayer for the life of our church, an encouragement to use the words of Psalm 86 to give fuel to your prayer....

For Day Three of our church prayer week, we will use Colossians 1:9-11 as we pray these wonderful words for one another....

For Day Two of our dedicated week of prayer we will continue to find encouragement from some of the prayers of the Bible. Today's passage is Ephesians 1:17-19....

We have set aside a week for focused, dedicated prayer for the life of St Ives Community Church. While there are four corporate prayer evenings, the encouragement for us all is to have a mindset of prayer throughout the week. ...

Is Romans 8:28 one of your favourite verses in the Bible? We will unpack this glorious promise this Sunday at St Ives Community Church....

John Piper summarises Romans 8:18ff....

We will continue to work through the glorious news of Romans 5:12-21 this Sunday...

We will start working through the glorious news of Romans 5:12-21 this Sunday...

Bob Mendelsohn, the national director of Jews for Jesus Australia will be speaking on Lessons from the Book of Jonah this Sunday, January 18....

This Sunday Ben will be preaching a message on Gospel intentionality, where we will be encouraged to bring the gospel to bear in one another's lives in community...

Our last church lunch for the year will be held after the service this Sunday. Bring along a salad to share!...

This Sunday, Brad Taylor will give a report of his recent visit to DR Congo to work on the completion of Bethany's home....

This Sunday we will officially farewell Ashley & Charles Cleworth as we give thanks to the Lord for their service to our church and pray for them as they prepare to join Grace City Church in Waterloo next year....

Brad Thornton will be our guest speaker at this week's OASIS ReLoaded service, our second of two youth-led services....

This morning was our first of two youth-led OASIS Services. It was wonderfully encouraging to see our high-schoolers serve the church in music, prayer and drama. Damo Whitington gave a super-clear gospel message (check it out here) from Romans 5. The passage was beautifully presented as an animation created by the very artistic Kiralee Smith. Great work Kiki!...

This Sunday Jasmin Smith and Zac O'Donoghue will be providing a special morning tea to raise funds and support for their upcoming visit to the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community early next year with a Year 10 mission team from Covenant Christian School....

Next Monday November 17, the final Joshua Challenge Men’s event for 2014 will take place at Covenant Christian School. Andy Arthurs will be speaking on marriage: "Kingdom men make better lovers!” Andy is the minister at the Alliance Church at Frenchs Forest....

We advertised last Sunday that two special screenings of the 'Beyond Sight' Christian surf movie are scheduled for this weekend at United Cinemas, Collaroy. Please note that the start time has changed from 3:00pm to 4:00pm for both Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th....

Welcome to the new website and blog for St Ives Community Church...

This Sunday is our first of two Youth-led services run by our OASIS ReLoaded youth group. Damo Whitington, the guest speaker, will bring a message from Romans 5:1-11....