Update No. 431
Good Afternoon, Redeemer Family
Sermon Recordings
This week, Sean explored Hebrews 11:11–16, looking at the deeply relatable, often imperfect faith of Abraham and Sarah. Even though they both initially laughed in disbelief at God's promise of a child in their old age, their story didn't end in doubt. Sean reminded us that God doesn't require massive, flawless faith; He simply asks us to take the next faithful step with what is right in front of us, trusting that the One who promised is faithful. Just as Abraham and Sarah lived as temporary residents looking forward to a heavenly homeland, we are called to view our current struggles and the brokenness of this world through the lens of eternity. Because Jesus has paid the ultimate penalty for our sin and promised to completely crush the enemy's work, we don't have to turn back or give up when our circumstances seem impossible. Instead, Sean challenged us to bring our small faith to Christ, allowing His grace to empower us to live in godliness and peace as we eagerly await the new heavens and new earth.
If you weren’t able to make it on Sunday or if you’d like to listen to this sermon or any previous sermons, they’re all available here… or you can just listen below.
Can’t wait until Wednesday to listen to our latest sermon? Good news, you don’t have to! Our sermons are now (generally) uploaded by 8pm every Sunday.
ReMemer Church
Wednesday In The Word - Tonight!
Wednesday in the Word is on tonight, from 7:15pm at the Rogers (68 Fernleigh Street)! This is open to anyone and everyone (13+), and if you’ve got younger kids that need to come along, they’re welcome to hang out too!
Be sure to reflect on these questions as you read the passage so that you can come prepared to share!
What did you find interesting about this passage? Why?
What questions come to mind when reading this passage?
What do we learn about people from this passage?
What do we learn about God (or Jesus) from this passage?
In light of this passage and what we’ve discussed, how will you practically apply it this week?
Our discussions will be based around Luke 11:14–23, but feel free to engage with the rest of the context reading as well.
Context Reading: Luke 11
Focus Passage: Luke 11:14–23
Monthly Men’s Breakfast
Our next Monthly Men’s Breakfast is coming up in just under two weeks, on Saturday, July 11th. It’s once again at Fraser’s place (107 Alfred Road, Egmont Village), from 8am to 9.30am. As per usual, all the men of the church are invited and encouraged to come along!
Prayer & Fasting Weekend
Our Prayer and Fasting Weekend is coming up this weekend (July 4th–5th). Everyone at Redeemer is encouraged to take part in fasting over the weekend in whatever way is appropriate for you and your family.
The idea is that, as a church, we seek the Lord’s direction, asking that He would shape us both as individual members of His body and as a church community. We are praying that we would grow a deeper appreciation and love for God, and that He would sanctify us so we can be useful for the good work He has for us. We want to grow in our Christlikeness, look beyond ourselves, and discern how we, as individuals and as a church, can make Him known throughout New Plymouth, New Zealand, and beyond.
The times set aside on Saturday are for us to come together for an hour of dedicated prayer. We don’t expect everyone to make it to every gathering, but if you could make it to at least one, I’m sure it will be a great encouragement and benefit to you and to everyone gathered.
Session times and locations:
Saturday
7AM-8AM: The Moratti’s - 1/21 Paynters Ave, Strandon
12PM-1PM: The Isbister’s - 17 Waiwera Place, Merrilands
5PM-6PM: The Fleming’s - 146A South Road, Spotswood
Sunday
9AM-9.30AM: Church
What is fasting?
If you aren't super familiar with the practice of Biblical fasting, hopefully the following excerpt helps. It comes from an article called 'The Biblical Rationale For Embodied Spiritual Practices' by Dr. Michael Emlet in The Journal of Biblical Soul Care. It’s definitely worth a read!
Is fasting Biblical?
Though not a sacrament, the practice of fasting appears throughout Scripture. God instituted fasting from food and drink as a spiritual practice long before anyone was talking about the health benefits of it! It was a regular part of individual and communal life for God’s people in the Old Testament, often associated with prayer or mourning over sin. For example, consider that, in 2 Samuel 12, David fasted for his son’s life; in 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah when faced with a great enemy army; and in Joel 2:12 the Lord called Judah to “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
The New Testament assumes the regular practice of fasting, and Jesus gives the only instructions related to it: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your father who is in secret. And your father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16–18)
We see examples of the early church fasting before important decisions, such as the appointing of Paul and Barnabas for missionary work (Acts 13:2– 3) or the appointing of elders in the new churches (Acts 14:23). It’s important to note that both eating and refraining from eating throughout Scripture are to be done with God in mind (1 Corinthians 10:31).
How is the physical practice of fasting helpful spiritually?
First, the time you would have spent preparing and consuming food is spent in prayer or reading of Scripture.
Second, physical hunger serves as a reminder of our spiritual hunger (or lack thereof ). Do we have the attitude of David in Psalm 63:1: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water”? Too often, when I fast, I am reminded that I don’t hunger and thirst after righteousness. An empty stomach reminds me of what I try to fill my life with apart from God. My physical experience makes me more attuned to my spiritual state.
Third, experiencing the absence of food points toward the generous provision of our heavenly Father. Much of the time in the affluent West, fasting is a chosen discipline, and not one forced upon us by food insecurity. Our temporary, freely chosen abstention especially prompts thankfulness for God’s care and bountiful provision and reminds us to pray for others who lack basic food and nutrition.
Fourth, put another way, fasting reminds us of our creatureliness. Psalm 104 is a song to God, the Creator and Sustainer of life. Addressing God, the psalmist says in verses 27–28, “These [that is, all your creatures] look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”
Fifth, practising this form of physical self-denial and restraint helps set a pattern wherein bodily appetites (for food, entertainment, sex, etc.) are submitted to God.
These [bodily] aspects of life in Christ are important to recognize because they have been neglected at times. But nothing I have written here bypasses the soul, as if our bodies allow unmediated access to our Father in heaven or bodily practices automatically result in sanctification. New life in Christ comes through the renewal and cleansing of our hearts by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are new creatures because we have new hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). And yet, engaging the bodily context in which we live is critical for our spiritual formation even as we trust that God the Holy Spirit is working in us “both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
What should we conclude from this biblical survey of embodied practices associated with worship? Both the Old and New Testaments provide biblical warrant and directives for the use of our bodies in relationship with God in everyday discipleship. Discipleship is sensual, linking the mind with eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands. Regular bodily practices tutor the hearts of God’s people toward Him and His kingdom. Through our bodies, we literally “taste and see” that He is good.
SGA NZ e-Good News Report Jul-Aug 2026
God is working.
Many young lives are being changed as boys and girls hear about Jesus, respond in faith, and begin growing through connection with local churches. Some who first encountered the Gospel at camp in past years are now serving in ministry—helping reach the next generation with that same hope.
What often begins through an outreach like Summer Bible Camps continues through the faithful, ongoing ministry of the local church. As pastors open God’s Word, build relationships, and walk alongside families or children in orphanages, lives are being transformed across the former Soviet nations.
Term 3 Rosters
Term 3 Rosters are now up on the church website. Be sure to take a look and let me know if you have any clashes that need to be resolved. You can simply search your name, and all the dates that you are serving will come up (just be sure that the roster has loaded before you search). An “Add All to Calendar” will appear, and if you click it, a file will be generated that, when opened, will add each item to your calendar on your iPhone or Android device.
What Are Our Kids Learning?
On Sunday, the children learned a less famous but incredibly important story from the Bible: the daughters of Zelophehad. When their father died without any sons, it looked like their family was going to lose their share of the Promised Land. But these five brave daughters knew how important God's promises were, so they went to Moses and asked to inherit their father's land. Moses didn't know what to do, so he wisely went straight to God for help. God declared that the daughters were absolutely right, changing the rules to ensure that no family in Israel would miss out on His blessings!
We learned that this story is ultimately about inheriting God's promises, which points us beautifully to Jesus. Just as God made sure Zelophehad's daughters received their inheritance, God wants us to receive an inheritance, too! When we trust in Jesus, we are adopted into God's family. Because of what Jesus did for us, we get to share in His inheritance, not just a piece of land on earth, but a perfect, eternal home in heaven that will never be ruined or fade away.
Their memory verse is:
“He [God] has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” - 1 Peter 1:3–4
North Island Biblical Counselling Conference
We would love to encourage our church family to attend the upcoming North Island Biblical Counselling Conference! Hosted by the New Zealand Biblical Counselling Association (NZBCA), this event is a fantastic opportunity to be equipped to faithfully care for one another using the Word of God.
Conference Details
Speaker: Dr. Stuart Scott (Professor of Biblical Counselling at The Master’s University and Director of Member Care with ACBC)
Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church, 77 Rogers Road, Manuwera, Auckland
What to Expect
The weekend is split into two connected themes, focusing on how genuine heart-change naturally leads to better care for our church family.
Pre-Conference: A Christlike Mindset
Friday, 18th September 2026 The pre-conference addresses the central battleground of personal change: pride versus humility. Dr. Scott will expose how pride resists change and how cultivating a humble heart opens the way for genuine transformation.
Main Conference: Christlike Love
Saturday, 19th September 2026 Saturday shifts focus to the "one another" passages of the New Testament. You will learn what it looks like to rely on the sufficiency of Scripture to build up the body of Christ and how biblical counselling is simply a natural extension of normal Christian living.
Want a preview? If you want to get a feel for the teaching before signing up, the NZBCA has recently uploaded the video recordings and session notes from this year's South Island conference to their YouTube Channel.
You can also follow NBCA on Facebook and Instagram
Reflection
"See then, dear friend, that the weakness of your faith will not destroy you. A trembling hand may receive a golden gift. The Lord's salvation can come to us though we have only faith as a grain of mustard seed. The power lies in the grace of God, and not in our faith."
- Charles H. Spurgeon