News

The most revolutionary teaching in the Bible | Sermon on Matthew 12:46-50

Posted on by Phill Sacre

What would you say is the most revolutionary teaching in the Bible? In this sermon we explore one of the most revolutionary things that Jesus taught — so much so that many churches today still have yet to grasp it. What is the family of God, and what difference does it make to how we are together as the church?

Note: the sermon is a couple of days early this week due to holiday — I will be away for the next two weeks. The next sermon is due to be released on 15th August.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Share this:

“I’d believe in God IF…” | Sermon on Matthew 12:38-45

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Has anyone ever said to you they’d believe in God if God provides them with evidence that he exists? In this passage, the Pharisees asked Jesus to give them a sign — but Jesus’ reply showed their request up for what it was. We must avoid their attitude of hard-heartedness towards God and be aware of the root of unbelief.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Share this:

The Unforgivable Sin | Sermon on Matthew 12:22-37

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Is there any sin we can commit which is so bad it can’t be forgiven? Jesus says there is only one unforgivable sin — that is, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But, as we discover, it is a different kind of sin to any other. What does it mean for us and how we live?

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Share this:

Should Christians support Israel? – Exploring Genesis 12:1-3?

Posted on by Phill Sacre

A lot of people have got the idea that being a Christian means supporting Israel. Many Christians support this by quoting what God says to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you.” But who are the inheritors of this promise today? Is it really the nation state of Israel? In this video we take a deep dive into the Bible to discover the truth behind God’s promises, and how ultimately all God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Links

  • Should Christians support Israel? – the article on my blog.
  • The books I mentioned were “Allies for Armageddon” by Victoria Clark and “Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide” by Ben White — those can be found wherever you normally buy books.
  • The Al-Jazeera documentary about Christians in Palestine can be found here (link to part 2 is in the comments there):
Share this:

The compassionate heart of Christ | Sermon on Matthew 12:15-21

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Media appearances, self-promotion, meetings with important people… these are all the things we associate with our political leaders today. Jesus is completely different to this. Jesus doesn’t promote himself, he doesn’t separate himself from ordinary people — he came with a heart of compassion towards us. This passage shows us that Jesus will not break a “bruised reed” — but what does that mean?

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Share this:

4 Top Mistakes Christians make (without even knowing)

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Christians get lots of things wrong — you only have to have been a Christian for more than about 5 minutes to realise this! But I believe there are some ways that most Christians today are getting it wrong, without even realising. In this video we go through four different ways that Christians get it wrong:

  1. Living as if God was not there
  2. Living as if God was not good
  3. Not taking holiness seriously
  4. Not taking the Bible seriously

Links

Resources mentioned in the video:

Share this:

Obeying God is not keeping the rules – Sermon on Matthew 12:1-14

Posted on by Phill Sacre

A lot of Christians give the impression that obeying God is simply about ticking off a long list of rules every day. The Pharisees thought that obeying the rules — like the Sabbath — was the most important thing. However, Jesus says they’d forgotten what obeying God was supposed to be about. Jesus turned their concept of obedience on its head and showed us what it really means to obey God.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Share this:

How do I know Jesus has chosen me? – Sermon on Matthew 11:25-30

Posted on by Phill Sacre

If God chooses people, how do we know whether we are ‘chosen’ or not? And what does it mean to be chosen by God anyway? This passage helps us to understand what it means to be chosen by Jesus. In particular, we see that it means not trusting in our own wisdom and strength but God’s, and simply bringing our burdens to Jesus.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Share this:

“Lead us not into temptation” | Learn to Pray with the Lord’s Prayer (Part 7)

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Why do we ask God not to lead us into temptation, when we know God doesn’t want us to enter into temptation? In the final session of the Lord’s Prayer course, we examine the question of temptation and testing. We see why temptation is one of the hardest things in the world to deal with, and why we need to ask for God’s strength to stand.

We look at:

  • Protection from evil – the world, the flesh, and the devil
  • The link between “temptation” and “testing”
  • The part God plays in temptation
  • How we need to face temptation with prayer

If you appreciate this video, please consider becoming a subscriber on Substack.

Share this:

The Consequences of Rejecting Jesus – Sermon on Matthew 11:20-24

Posted on by Phill Sacre

In this short passage, Jesus denounces towns which have rejected him. He shows that rejecting Jesus is a spiritual or moral issue, and that this will have consequences. This shows us that we need to pay careful attention to how we respond to Jesus and make sure that we listen to him every day.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please join us on Substack!

Phill Sacre's avatar

Share this: