Viewing entries by
Catherine De Souza
We are called to do justice in the anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit. We are called to demonstrate the total transformation that Jesus declared: freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and the oppressed to be set free. Taking insights from Jesus’ manifesto in Luke 4, this sermon looks at the how, who and what of the Church’s mission to do justice.
The spiritual mother and bold leader Deborah, who we learn about in Judges chapters 4 and 5, has much to teach us. This Mother’s Day 2019 sermon challenges us to dare to have wisdom, courage and passion like Deborah; it explores how our lives and the lives of those around us could be impacted and the victories that could be won if we dared to be like Deborah.
In a world filled with conflict, God calls Christians to be agents of peace. This sermon describes the true meaning of peace and shows how to not only be filled with God’s peace, but also be a peacemaker to the people around you. Discover that as you make peace, you reflect your heavenly Father and bear the family likeness.
All Christians have access to the supernatural power of God, but not all Christians are walking in it. Walking in God's supernatural power means the power to live godly lives, the power to carry God's presence wherever we go, the power to pray for our needs and the needs of others, the power to pray for healing and for miracles. Drawing from the account of Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14, this sermon gives you principles about living a supernatural kind of life.
God created us body, soul and spirit and His heart is that we are made whole in all areas. This sermon looks at one of Jesus’ healing miracles and shows how Jesus’ concern was with physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Whether we are currently going through struggles or not, we can be confident that in Jesus, we stand on the promise of true restoration and complete wholeness.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow tells us about the importance of persistence in prayer. It shows us that our persistence is not a plea to be heard but is rooted in being daughters and sons of the King, confident that God hears us when we pray. In contrast to the widow approaching the unjust judge, we persist in prayer precisely because we’re praying to God who loves us and cares about us.
The Parable of the Great Banquet shows us God’s amazing generosity in inviting us into His kingdom. But the invitation doesn’t just stop there - there is room at the table and God wants His house full, so we need to let others know that they are welcome, that they are invited to God’s great banquet.
Jesus brings the promise of new wine, but our old lives won't be able to accommodate it; new wine and old wineskins just don't mix - new wine needs new wineskins. The great news is that God is in the business of renewal; He makes all things new. So if we're willing, if we change our taste from old wine to new wine, if we thirst for more of the Holy Spirit, then God promises to make us into new wineskins. His promise is total transformation.
Even before we’ve seen a sign we can put our faith in Jesus, knowing that He is who He says He is and He does what He says He will do. If you’re currently on the journey between hearing the word and seeing the sign, know that you can take Jesus at His word. Listen now to this faith-building sermon: Taking Jesus at His Word.
Jesus arrived into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday coming not in might but in humility, coming not to overthrow but to lay down his life. He came to defeat the power of sin, He came to trample death, He came so we could have a relationship with God and live in eternity with Him. And like those first disciples the only right response can be for us to cry "Hosanna!".
What’s your answer to the question "who are you"? Is our identity in where we’re from or where we live? Is it our job or our relationship status? Is it in something we’ve done or haven't done? And what if something changes - who are we then? Our understanding of who we are impacts how we think and how we act. Drawing inspiring lessons from the life of Gideon, this sermon reminds us that God defines who we are and that, when we truly listen to what He says, we can fully live the life that God has designed for us.
The comparison of Herod and Jesus shows us that we create a lasting legacy through self-sacrifice and servanthood, not through self-glorification or the pursuit of earthly honour. Appreciate afresh the kingship of Jesus as He is contrasted with the wicked king Herod.
The risk of not inviting people is greater than the risk of inviting people. We are called to invite others to come and see, yet we can often come up against barriers to inviting people. This sermon explores the 'why' and the 'how' of the best invitation we can give to someone: the opportunity to encounter Jesus and be part of His family, the Church.
We can often think that mission is only carried out by experts who travel overseas but Jesus calls us all to be disciple-making disciples. Mission isn't an event or programme - it's a lifestyle that has eternal consequences. Wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, we’re on mission. Listen and be reminded that sharing Jesus is the most incredible thing we can do for others.
On the occasion of our one year anniversary since replanting as One Church, this sermon shows the beauty and power of the local church when she is working right. Unpacking Jesus' prayer for oneness in John 17, you will discover afresh the tremendous capacity of the Church to utterly transform lives and culture. As you listen, you will be reminded of our calling as a church to be one in Christ, one in purpose and one in belonging.
Although most people are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan, all too often we’ve sanitised Jesus’ message in it, which results in us missing just how challenging the call to love our neighbour as ourselves is. The Good Samaritan isn’t a story about the kindness of strangers; it’s a radical redefinition of the word 'neighbour' and a picture of crossing divisions to love those who are different to us. This sermon challenges us to ask the questions “who is my neighbour?” and “how can I be a neighbour to them?”.
We live in a culture obsessed with outward appearance but God is more interested in what's under our skin. As Christians we should be growing in the fruit of the Spirit, the 9 traits that reflect the character of Jesus. Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit is essential to us becoming more and more like Jesus - becoming who we were meant to be and showing the world Jesus.
God is speaking but often we are not tuned into His voice; this hinders us from living out God's best in life. This sermon gives practical keys to turn up the volume on God's voice and turn down the volume on the other competing voices that vie for our attention. Listen and be equipped in learning how to recognise God's voice.
This sermon challenges us to think about what we’re expecting this Christmas. Amidst the celebrations of Christmas the expectation of Jesus can get lost. The incredible birth of Jesus into the world changes what we can expect. The wonder of Christmas means we can expect true transformation, in our hearts and in our lives; we can expect God’s presence, God with us in every area; and we can expect overflowing joy, knowing that we have a Saviour who knows us and loves us.
Complaining is a problem: it keeps us stuck in situations rather than having a hope for change; it affects the people around us and ultimately it blocks our relationship with God. If we take our eyes off our problems and instead fix them on the problem-solver, God is able to break the power of complaining and His mechanism for doing that is our gratitude. Looking at the story of Israel in Numbers 13 and 14, this sermon addresses the root causes of our complaints along with the ways in which we can live our lives full of thanks.
