St Andrews Church Geraldine‘s Podcast

180: 22-06-2025 Everybody Will/Must Die Twice

How do we respond to this passage?Let's dive into it together.
Revelation 20:11-15
1 Corinthians 15:35-521 Thessalonians 4:13-18John 3:3-8Hebrews 10:15-252 Corinthians 5:14-19Luke 9:23-27Jude 8-9Acts 19:11-16Matthew 7:21-232 Corinthians 10:3-6

180: 15-06-2025 Romans (Part 76) Humble Hearts, Active Hands

In this message, we explore how spiritual gifts, while vital for the church’s flourishing, must be exercised with deep humility and in close community. Paul begins Romans 12 not with a call to action but with a warning: “Don’t think you are better than you really are.” Before serving with our gifts, we need to examine our hearts. Gifts are not achievements, but grace-gifts from God. The church is a body, not a platform, and pride can quickly distort even the most powerful gifts — as illustrated in the tragic fall of Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church. Each gift, whether prophecy, service, teaching, or encouragement, is given “for doing certain things well” — not everything — reminding us that we need one another and must discern our callings in mutual dependence.Romans 12:3-8

178: 08-06-2025 Romans (Part 75) When Calling and Joy Collide

When Calling and Joy CollideRomans 12:2

177: 01-06-2025 Romans (Part 74) What drives your life—your past, or God’s mercy?

What drives your life—your past, or God’s mercy?Romans 12:1 & Romans 8:28

176: 25-05-2025 Two Lies and the Truth That Sets You Free

The Christian faith has always faced two great distortions of the gospel: legalism and lawlessness. Legalism insists that you must earn God's love through strict obedience, turning faith into performance and God into a distant taskmaster. Lawlessness, on the other hand, twists grace into permission to sin, offering cheap affirmation without transformation. Both errors sound convincing, even biblical, but miss the heart of the gospel. Through the story of John Newton and the contrasting voices he might have heard—one of judgment, one of excuse, and one of grace—we’re reminded that neither rigid moralism nor permissive compromise can set us free. Only the gospel can.
Titus 2 tells us that grace not only saves but also trains us to say no to sin and yes to godliness as we await Christ’s return. Grace gives us a new identity, a new power, and a new purpose. It doesn’t demand change to earn love, nor does it eliminate the call to holiness—it changes us because we are already loved. Whether you’re weary from striving or numb from compromise, the good news is this: Jesus meets you with grace that transforms. And it’s my prayer that here at St Andrews, this grace—not the lie of legalism or the lure of lawlessness—will shape lives across the Canterbury Plains.
Galatians 3:1-3, 10-11, Jude  4, 18-21 & Titus 2:11-14

175: 18-05-2025 The Jesus Manifesto (Part 37) What are we really standing on when the storms of life come inevitable

In Matthew 7:24–28, Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with a clear and urgent warning: storms will come—whether through suffering, loss, or final judgment—and only those who build their lives on obedience to his words will stand. He likens the obedient to a wise builder who anchors his house on rock, unshaken by floods or winds. This call to action is not passive admiration but radical trust and daily practice. History echoes Jesus’ words—whether in Hans Heberle’s war-torn Germany, Augustine’s sack of Rome, or the witness of persecuted Christians today, it is only those rooted in Christ who remain firm when all else falls. Jesus’ teaching forms a storm-resistant soul by shaping our character through suffering (Matthew 5:3–12), shifting our hope from temporary treasures to eternal reward (Matthew 6:1–24), and freeing us from anxiety by anchoring us in the Father’s care (Matthew 6:25–34). As C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.” Ultimately, Jesus presents two builders, two foundations, and two destinies—not to alarm, but to invite: build your life on the Rock, and when the storm comes, you will stand.Matthew 7:24-29

174: 11-05-2025 The Jesus Manifesto (Part 36) The grace that saves us changes us

Not everyone who claims the name of Jesus truly belongs to Him. In this striking passage, Jesus warns that outward signs—words, spiritual gifts, even miracles—are not the ultimate test of genuine discipleship. What matters is whether our lives reflect a growing obedience to the will of the Father, shaped by grace and empowered by the Spirit.
As Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount, He draws a sharp line between true and false disciples. This message explores six key truths from the text, showing that mere profession is not the same as possession, and that Christ desires relationship, not performance. The final judgment will reveal the state of every heart—not just what was said or done, but who we truly were.
This is not a call to strive in fear, but an invitation to examine our hearts and cling to Christ. The grace that saves does not leave us unchanged—it reshapes our desires, our character, and our lives.
Matthew 7:21-23

173: 04-05-2025 The Jesus Manifesto (Part 35) The Only Way to Enter God's Kingdom

Jesus proclaimed: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).  God had said that there is only one way for us to gain salvation – hence the description of the narrow gate.  The philosophies and culture of society continue to broaden the wider gate by suggesting new ways that humanity can accept as alternatives to God’s one way of salvation.  Jesus said only a few would find the right way.  Our task in the Missio Dei (God’s mission plan) is to help a few more find Jesus as their way.Matthew 7:13-14 and John 14:1-6