The people of God are devoted – a sermon on Acts 2:42-47 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. It was just after Pentecost. The disciples had been filled with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit rested on them and filled them. And then, filled with the Holy Spirit and with words anointed by Him, Peter started preaching. It […]
Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever – a sermon on 1 Chronicles 16:8-34 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Just up the road from here you’ll find Moore Pocket’s road. Some of you know the road well, because that’s where you live! If you drive down it, you’ll […]
The last words of Moses give us peace – a sermon on Deuteronomy 33:27a by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Let me start this morning by telling you the story of a soldier who was captured and was sentenced to death by firing squad. […]
We are living in the last days! – a sermon on 2 Timothy 3:1-9 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. What would you do if you found out tomorrow that you had just a short time to live? What advice would you give your kids or your husband or your wife? Would you just remind them of […]
Three types of faith – A sermon on Luke 7:1-10 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. So often, when sermons are preached on the healing miracles of Jesus, His healing of the centurion’s slave is used as an example of how Jesus could heal at a distance. He doesn’t have to see you or touch you, and […]
Jesus is the Good Shepherd – a sermon on John 10:11-21 by Rev. Colin Pretorius If you’ve ever been to one of those massive farms or stations we have here in Australia, you’ll have seen how farmers herd their sheep. They get on motorbikes or even utes and drive the sheep ahead of them. It’s […]
The Lord reigns! – a sermon on Psalm 93 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. If you drive a couple of hours south from Auckland you get to the Waitomo district. The most famous attraction of the area is the Waitomo caves. In addition to its soaring limestone caverns and rock formations, there’s also an underwater lake. […]
From Passover to Lord’s Supper – a sermon on Luke 22:1-23 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Symbols and signs are important things in our lives. They’re used to tell us things – such as to stop at an intersection. There are also status symbols – such as a luxury German car or a Rolex watch. But […]
It is finished! – a sermon on Good Friday on John 19:16b-30 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. It is the Day of Preparation – the day before the Sabbath – almost 2000 years ago. Across Judea, life goes on as normal. People eat and drink as they would any other day. In the marketplaces people barter […]
Come and kiss the Son – a sermon on Psalm 2 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. In the early part of the 20th century, a young Russian peasant boy was dutifully taught the Word of God by his parents and grandparents.[1] This young man later recalled how he was taught to kneel and pray and it […]
Four unexpected blessings – a sermon on Luke 6:17-26 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. What a world it is that we live in! Yes, there are wonderful people out there involved in fighting for things like justice for the poor or for refugees or for the rights of children. But in general that’s not what the […]
God is Good! – a sermon on James 1:16-18 by Rev Colin Pretorius In the church-based TV show “Greenleaf” the characters greet each other with “God is good” and the response is “All the time”. Despite the fact that almost all of the people in this show are so “plastic”, so superficial, this customary greeting […]
Scatterlings live and serve in humility – a sermon on 1 Peter 5:1-11 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The sermon today, as you may have guessed from the sermon title, has to do with humility. And as we look at what humility means and how it plays out in the life of believers, I’d like you […]
Only those who submit to God will be lifted up – a sermon on James 4:7-10 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The theme of our verses in James is submission to God, or humility before God. When you read through the book of James, you cannot help but to be struck by its intensely practical nature. […]
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord – a sermon on Joshua 24:1-15 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. What do you see as your main task as someone who belongs to God? What is each one of us called to do? Throughout God’s Word we are called to “fear” the Lord, aren’t […]
Seek ye first the kingdom of God – a sermon on James 4:1-3 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. This passage has different titles in our various English translations: submit yourself to God, drawing close to God, warning against worldliness, friendship with the world, or things to avoid.[1] The first 12 verses comprise all of those things […]
Scatterlings entrust their souls to God while doing good – a sermon on 1 Peter 4:12-19 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. In the South-western part of Russia lies the town Saratov. It’s about 4 times the size of Ipswich, and prior to 1991 it was perhaps best known for being a city that was closed to […]
Christ came to set us free – a sermon on John 8:31-38 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. “I want to break free,” the group Queen famously sang. But what does “free” mean? It can of course refer to something that doesn’t cost you anything – perhaps like the gifts you may receive at Christmas. But it […]
Scatterlings are made for this. A sermon on 1 Peter 4:7-11 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. I know some of you like camping and doing all sorts of outdoorsy things, so you may appreciate the brief story I’d like to share with you.[1] Some years ago a young family went on a camping trip to a […]
Scatterlings live for the will of God – a sermon on 1 Peter 4 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. What do you live for? What’s your aim in life? What do you want to achieve? Is it to pass your final year in school so you can get out of the house into the big wide […]
Living out our faith in the crucible of life – a sermon on James 1 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. So far 2020 has been a year of challenges, hasn’t it! Some said that this year we just had three months – January, February and Covid. And that third month has been one drawn out challenge […]
Be Still and know – a sermon on Psalm 46 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Martin Luther is perhaps best known today for his “rediscovery” of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, which of course was a cornerstone of the Reformation. But what is perhaps less well-known is that he loved the psalms and found […]
Genesis 15:1-4, Deuteronomy 3:23-26 Take it to the Lord in prayer – a sermon by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Before the Covid crisis, going on a cruise was a favourite way to take a holiday. For some reason people really seem to enjoy bobbing up and down in a big ship. But if you’re prone to […]
1 Peter 3:8-12 – Scatterlings live in the the light of the cross. A sermon by Rev. Colin Pretorius. I once read that life is like an elevator ride – it not only has a lot of ups and downs, but it’s also filled with people who push all the wrong buttons. And if we’re […]
1 Peter 2:13-25 – Scatterlings show their love for God by submitting to authority. A sermon by Rev. Colin Pretorius. If you’ve ever watched cage-fighting in what is called mixed martial arts, you’ll have seen how the fighters try to beat up their opponents. This often happens by knockout. Very seldom the fight is determined […]
1 Peter 2:9-12 – Scatterlings are God’s people, who live to glorify Him. A sermon by Rev. Colin Pretorius. About halfway into the first act of the stage production of the musical Les Miserables, the paroled convict Jean Valjean confesses his identity in the song “Who am I?”[1] If you’ve seen the show or perhaps […]
Psalm 150 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. A sermon by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Psalm 150 tells us to worship the God who has given us life, and to worship Him with our praises. The previous 4 psalms are praise psalms too but there’s something special about the last psalm – it […]
From Lament to praise – a sermon on Psalm 13 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Some say there’s a Chinese curse that goes something like “may you live in interesting times” … and the past couple of months have certainly been interesting, haven’t they! The country as a whole has been hit by the bombshell of […]
Jesus,the Living stone, is rejected by man but is chosen and precious in the sight of God. A sermon on 1 Peter 2:4 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Surfer’s Paradise: when we hear those two words, we tend to think of holidays, sandy beaches and schoolies, don’t we. But Surfers is also home to the tallest […]
1 Peter 2:1-3 – God’s chosen scatterlings desire His Word, by Rev. Colin Pretorius. How important is the Bible to you? As Christians we believe that it is the Word of God, don’t we, but how important is it really to us? How much time do we spend in it? How much time have you […]