Update No. 437
Good Morning, Redeemer Family
Sermon Recordings
This week, Sean concluded our journey through Hebrews 11 by looking at verses 32–40, reminding us that true faith is built for endurance. While we often want every obstacle in life to be a "Jericho" where the walls instantly fall, Sean pointed out that most of the Christian walk is taking ground one step at a time, trusting God through the daily grind. Looking at messy, deeply flawed figures like Samson and Jephthah, Sean highlighted an incredibly comforting truth: despite their massive failures, Hebrews records none of their sins. Because of the finished work of Jesus, our moral ledgers are wiped clean. Whether God calls us to experience miraculous victories or to faithfully endure intense suffering, our faith is meant to thrive in weakness. We don't need to frantically control our circumstances; we are called to examine our hearts and keep trusting the Promiser. Just as those ancient saints looked forward to a better resurrection, we can persevere today knowing that our sins are nailed to the cross and our future is perfectly secure in Christ.
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.
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?
*PASSAGE CORRECTION*
I accidentally put our previous gathering’s passage in the newsletter/notices. Our discussions will actually be based around Luke 13:22–30, but feel free to engage with the rest of the context reading as well. Sorry about that!
Context Reading: Luke 13
Focus Passage: Luke 13:22–30
Tea & Testimony
The next Tea & Testimony will be on Saturday, August 22nd from 7pm at Nicola’s place (17 Waiwera Place, Merrilands)! This is a great opportunity to spend some quality time with one another, hearing about what God has been doing in the lives of the women of the church. Come along and be encouraged!
Monthly Men’s Breakfast
Our next Monthly Men’s Breakfast will be on Saturday, September 5th from 8am - 9.30am at Mike’s place (87 Veale Road).
What Are Our Kids Learning?
On Sunday, the children explored the book of Judges, a time when the Israelites kept forgetting God and doing whatever seemed right in their own eyes. They looked at two very different judges to learn what true strength really looks like. First, they met Gideon, a fearful man who viewed himself as the weakest person in the weakest family. God took Gideon's massive army and shrank it down to just 300 men to defeat a huge enemy, proving that God loves to show His amazing power through our weakness!
They then contrasted Gideon with Samson, a man famous for his superhuman muscles. Unlike Gideon, Samson started out incredibly strong, but he often relied on himself and made foolish, selfish choices. He lost his power when his enemies discovered his secret and cut his hair. It was only in his final, weakest moments that Samson humbly called out to God, realizing that true strength comes from faith, not physical power. God answered his prayer, and Samson sacrificed himself to defeat Israel's enemies.
They connected both of these flawed heroes to our one perfect superhero: Jesus! While the judges were imperfect leaders who could only save Israel for a little while, Jesus is our perfect King. Unlike Samson, Jesus was without sin and willingly gave His life to rescue us. And unlike any other hero, Jesus didn't stay dead; He rose again to defeat sin and death forever!
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
"If they, on whom the light of grace had not as yet so brightly shone, displayed so great a constancy in and during evils, what ought the full brightness of the Gospel to produce in us! A small spark of light led them to Heaven; when the Sun of Righteousness shines over us, with what pretense can we excuse ourselves if we still cleave to the earth?"
- John Calvin