MESSAGES

The Familiar Stranger Dan Sheed The Familiar Stranger Dan Sheed

The Familiar Stranger - pt 2: The Spirit who speaks

Life has become so loudβ€”notifications, headlines, conversations, distractionsβ€”that tuning in to God's voice can feel impossible. In this message, Dan gets personal about his own hearing loss, the noise that surrounds us, and the quiet whisper of the Spirit that we’re so often missing. Drawing from Elijah’s encounter on Mount Horeb and Jesus’ words as the Good Shepherd, we explore what it means to move beyond just hearingβ€”to truly listening, recognising, and knowing the voice of God. This sermon is a gentle invitation to step away from the noise and into stillness, where the Spirit speaks in the whisper.

Read More
The Familiar Stranger Dan Sheed The Familiar Stranger Dan Sheed

The Familiar Stranger - pt 1: The Spirit we hardly know

Have we settled for knowing about God instead of truly knowing Him? In this Pentecost series opener, we explore how the Holy Spiritβ€”often the most ignored member of the Trinityβ€”isn't a force to harness, but a Person to know. Drawing from John 14 and Tyler Staton's The Familiar Stranger, we ask why the Spirit feels like a stranger to so many, and how we can begin to walk with Him as a friend. If you've ever felt distant from the Holy Spirit or unsure how to relate to Him, this first talk of the series is a gentle but powerful invitation to start again.

Read More
Stories Dan Sheed Stories Dan Sheed

Stories Sunday β€” An intergenerational whānau

This Stories Sunday, we're taking a moment between series to name something beautiful God is doing in our midst: forming us more and more into an intergenerational whānau. Drawing from Joseph Hellerman’s When the Church Was a Family and Jesus’ redefinition of family in Mark 3, we explore the vision of church as a spiritual household β€” where we belong to one another across every age and stage. Alongside this reflection, we hear a collection of stories from within our community that show this vision coming to life in real and inspiring ways.

Read More
Love returned Alisha Wiseman Love returned Alisha Wiseman

Love, returned - pt 6: Worship as a Sacrifice

What does worship really cost usβ€”and what does it say about who we love most? In this sermon Alisha dives into the unforgettable story of Mary and the alabaster jar, where a year’s wages are poured out in a single act of extravagant devotion. She takes us through the tension between image and surrender, we explore how real worship isn’t polishedβ€”it’s costly. This isn’t about emotional hype. It’s about devotion that dares to let go of control, reputation, and safety for the sake of love.

Read More
Love returned Dan Sheed Love returned Dan Sheed

Love, returned - pt 5: Worship as a call to tend

1 Peter 2:5 offers two powerful images: we are called to be living stones and holy priests. In this message, Dan unpacks the confronting challenge in this passageβ€”the difference between simply attending worship and actively tending to it, like a priest caring for the presence of God. In a culture steeped in consumerism, we’re invited out of passive Christianity and into a participatory life of worship, where we minister, create, serve, and handle. Worship isn’t something we watchβ€”it’s something we do.

Read More
Love returned Dan Sheed Love returned Dan Sheed

Love, returned - pt 4: Worship with Kingdom Expectation

Worship is both structured and spontaneousβ€”like a classical quartet following a set score and a jazz trio freely improvising together. In this episode, we explore what it means to worship with Kingdom expectation, embracing both the known and the unknown, the planned and the Spirit-led. Through scripture, including Colossians 3:16 and the Lord’s Prayer, we uncover the deep connection between worship, prayer, and expectancy. What happens when we make space for the Spirit to lead? How do we prepare for the spontaneous? Join us as we lean into a posture of faith-filled anticipation, longing for God’s Kingdom to break in among us.

Read More
Love returned Dan Sheed Love returned Dan Sheed

Love, returned - pt 3: Worship that is transformative (Psalm 115)

Worship holds a hidden power: what we behold, we become. This week, we explore the transformative nature of worshipβ€”not as a call to conformity, but to true transformation. Worship reveals the direction of our hearts and offers a space for reorientation. Join us as Donald Goodhall unpacks this theme through Psalm 115 and the lives of three menβ€”St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and Amosβ€”exploring what it means to behold and become.

Read More
Love returned Dan Sheed Love returned Dan Sheed

Love, returned - pt 2: Worship expressed and embodied (Psalm 95)

Worship is more than just thoughts in our headsβ€”it’s love expressed through our whole selves. This week, we explore embodied worship and how our physical actionsβ€”singing, kneeling, clapping, lifting handsβ€”are vital expressions of our love for God. Just like we naturally respond with our bodies at a concert or when holding a newborn, true worship invites us to respond fully to God’s love. Join us as Rob Wiseman unpacks Psalm 95 and what it means to offer our whole selves in worship.

Read More
Love returned Dan Sheed Love returned Dan Sheed

Love, returned - pt 1: Worship begins with love (1 John 4:7-21)

Worship isn’t something we manufactureβ€”it’s our response to God’s love. Love, Returned explores how true worship flows from 1 John 4:19: β€œWe love because He first loved us.” We don’t initiate worship; we step into what God has already begun. It’s about intimacy, not performanceβ€”opening our hearts, not striving.

Join us as we rediscover worship as a love story, not a task.

Read More
Pursuing Jesus Dan Sheed Pursuing Jesus Dan Sheed

Pursuing Jesus: β€œI’ll show you how”, the Master who takes us to who we can become

We conclude our "Pursuing Jesus" series, focusing on discipleship as apprenticeship. Like Peter, we are invited to come, follow, and then be shown by Jesus how to live in His Kingdom. Apprenticeship is about living towards a future-orientation of who we are becoming, requires scaffolding and curiosity. It is ultimately for joining Jesus in His work of restoring all things, becoming fruitful for others and the world.

Read More
Pursuing Jesus Alisha Wiseman Pursuing Jesus Alisha Wiseman

Pursuing Jesus: β€œFollow me”, make Christ your vine

Jesus’ invitationβ€”β€œFollow me”—sounds simple, but like Peter, we often don’t realise what we’re signing up for. In this episode, we explore what it truly means to abide in Jesus, trust Him as Saviour, and walk in friendship with Him. What are you attached to? What’s shaping you? And is it producing the life you long for? Join us as we dive into John 15 and the call to a life well connected to Christ.

Read More
Pursuing Jesus Dan Sheed Pursuing Jesus Dan Sheed

Pursuing Jesus: A journey of apprenticeship

Jesus invites us into His Kingdom like a host inviting guests to a great feastβ€”abundant, joyful, and open to all. But the choice to accept is ours; excuses can keep us from the table. God won’t force us in, but His invitation remains: Come, I want you here. How will you respond?

Read More
Dan Sheed Dan Sheed

How will you enter the arena?

Walking in the way of Jesus isn’t just about beliefβ€”it’s about living it out with integrity and courage. Perpetua and Felicitas embodied this, stepping into the arena with joy, unity, and unwavering faith, leaving a lasting impact on those who witnessed their sacrifice. The early church prepared for moments like these through mentors, daily habits, and deep formation. Today, we face our own arenas, and the question remains: will we walk the way of Jesus?

Note: Our apologies, but the final several minutes of this sermon did not record.

Read More