BCUC Sunday Sermons

Burnside City Uniting Church
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BCUC Sunday Sermons

BCUC is a community of people of all ages and all stages of faith that God has called from all over the world to prayerfully listen to God, learn the love of Jesus, encourage each other as friends and spread the joy of the Holy Spirit. Celebrating worship together each Sunday at 10 am is important to us, like recharging your phone each night, but much better. We love welcoming new people. As we aim to follow the ways and words of Jesus, we strive to raise children of God because we believe there is nothing better than fully knowing the life-giving identity Jesus gifts us.

Episodes

  1. 5D AGO

    Eating with Jesus - Jesus and the tax gatherers - 16 March 2025

    Dear friends of BCUC,Income tax in Roman times was 1%. Sounds Good? Well, no because that was supplemented by many other burdensome taxes. You had to give a tenth of your produce, and there was a poll tax on every adult up until 65 years. In addition, there were taxes on goods, on roads and bridges, on pack animals and axles of wagons and taxes to enter towns marketplaces and ports. The tax gatherers who were locals were actual criminals who charged the population more than was required and pocketed the rest and even ripped off the Romans by accepting bribes from the rich to reduce their taxes. They were reviled for these practices and for working for the Romans and handling unclean non-Jewish heathen money. The Pharisees had the view that the path to heaven was to obey all of their laws and to remain pure, which included not associating with the unclean. Jesus wanted to change that by saying that obeying the laws was not enough since it was more important that we reflected God’s love and grace, quoting Hosea 6:6 that God required mercy, not burnt offerings. He was also not saying that he is not interested in inviting good people to a meal, but his message was directed towards those people who thought that they were so good that they did not see their own sin and did not see the need for being saved. Those people were more concerned with their own righteousness and with criticising rather than helping others. Jesus changed the lives of the tax gatherers Matthew and Zacchaeus by having a meal with them and their friends and illustrated the absurdity of the Pharisees’ behaviour by giving the example of doctors quarantining themselves from sick people. There are clear messages for us today. Our role is not to judge people but to bring them to God, who will be the judge. We must always reflect God’s love and grace to those who need it most. As Jesus shows us sharing a meal with people is a powerful tool to achieve this. Ian Olver

    26 min

  2. MAR 11

    Eating with Jesus - 9 March 2025

    Dear friends of BCUC,Jesus said, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking.” – Luke 7:34Eating is a big theme in the Bible. All the important Jewish religious festivals instructed by God involved eating food and feasting together. The very first instruction given to Adam in the Garden of Eden—before Eve was even created—was about eating: he was allowed to eat from every tree except two. In Jesus’ time, who you ate with mattered. It showed who you considered your chosen and accepted community.Not much has changed today. Sharing meals is a central part of major celebrations, from weddings to Christmas lunch and beyond. Eating together is important in all cultures.At the table, we share life. We talk about issues, laugh together, debrief the day, make plans for the future, and discuss world events. We learn from each other and even grow in love for one another. My love language is quality time, and there’s nothing better than sharing good food with good company.That’s why I love it when, in the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to John in a vision and says:“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” – Revelation 3:20Jesus chooses to eat with us! Imagine that—we could be the people He enjoys spending time with, the ones He sits down with at the table.I wonder—do you have a spare chair at your dinner table? Can you picture Jesus sitting there, eating with you? What would you talk about? Would it be a joyful conversation or a heavy one?This Sunday, we begin our new Lenten series in preparation for Easter, “Eating with Jesus.” We will explore some of the many stories where Jesus used a mealtime to teach a lesson.As we start this journey together, could we open the Gospels during our mealtimes and allow Jesus’ words to be part of our conversations?I look forward to walking this path with you.Your friend in Christ,Benji

    21 min

  3. MAR 3

    BCUC values week 4 : Spreading Joy - 2 March 2025

    Dear Friends of BCUC,Our final church value to explore more deeply is "Spreading Joy."When we were praying, discussing, and forming our church values, we talked together as a congregation and as a council, and even the children of the church contributed. This value comes straight from the kids. When asked what they want the church to be, they spoke about a church that spreads the Gospel—the good news of Jesus—to everyone, bringing the joy of knowing Him to those who don’t yet. The adults seemed to miss this or, at least, didn’t express it quite as clearly.What does the joy of knowing Jesus mean to you? Have you experienced it?If you’ve done the Alpha course, you may remember a quote from the famous actor and comedian Jim Carrey:"I hope everybody could get rich and famous and will have everything they ever dreamed of, so they will know that it’s not the answer."Joy in knowing Jesus is far more foundational than fleeting feelings of happiness that come and go.The story we’ll explore to illustrate this value is that of Paul and Silas in a jail cell in the Greek city of Philippi.Beaten with rods and imprisoned because of their faith in Jesus, they sang hymns and songs of worship and praise loud enough for everyone to hear. At midnight, an earthquake shook the prison, the walls collapsed, and their chains fell off—yet no one ran. Instead, their prison guard was baptized along with his entire household, and the night ended with unimaginable joy. (Acts 16)For many of us, the beginning of that story would have been anything but joyful, anything but worthy of praise and worship. The songs of praise could easily have been cries of pain as blood and bruises took over their bodies.When was the last time you experienced the joy of seeing someone say "yes" to Jesus—the one who has already said "yes" to them? Or at least helped someone understand that, though the world might be scary, in Jesus, there are sparks of joy waiting to ignite everywhere?I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.Note: Our sermons are now available as a podcast! You can listen again or catch up while out walking, driving, or more.God bless,Benji

    19 min

  4. FEB 24

    BCUC values week 3 : Encouraging Friendship - 23 Feb 2025

    Dear friends of BCUC,  I am so thankful that Jesus calls us friends. I am also grateful that I had friends who first encouraged me to come along to church activities and youth groups. Since then, I have had the gift of friends who continue to encourage me in my faith, to become a minister and to help be a leader in the Uniting Church. It would be very hard without them. I often think I have people who are better friends towards me than I am to them. What have encouraging friends done for you?  How might you be a friend to others? The bible has much to say about friendship. As you reflect on its many stories, you’ll notice how often people are surrounded by the gift of friends:“The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” (Proverbs 27:9, NLT) Today, I joined the annual Mystery Bur Tour with the Friendship Club. Among those on the journey were friends who have known each other since their first year of primary school—a beautiful testament to lifelong companionship. While you can become a Christian by yourself, encouraging Christian friendship has always been an important part of living out our faith. Jesus first disciples were work colleagues, relatives, and friends. The early church followed Jesus’ example, sending people out in pairs to share the joy of the gospel. Why do you think friendship is important? Is it a luxury, or is it central to life? While we might sometimes prefer a private faith, keeping to ourselves behind high walls, I believe God calls us into community—to “encourage one another to good deeds” and to care for each other as friends. Friendship is a gift, but it also requires effort and, at times, the courage to take a risk. Our church offers many opportunities to gather as friends. However, true friendship can’t be programmed and rostered- it’s up to each of us to make the most of every opportunity. One such opportunity is tomorrow (Saturday) morning at Men Walking Together. Meet at the church at 7:45 am for an 8:00 am start. Join us this Sunday as we explore more about friendship in scripture—including some examples you might not have considered before! Your Brother in Christ,Benji.

    25 min

  5. FEB 21

    BCUC values week 2 : Learning Love - 16 Feb 2025

    Dear friends of BCUC, If its true that love makes the world go around and all you need is love, then why does is seem like:Love is simple and complicated.Love is easy and hard.Love is beautiful and ugly.Love is life-giving and exhausting. Love is limitless and yet has boundaries.Today is Valentine's Day, often a time when red roses, and teddy bears holding heart-shaped chocolate boxes cost way too much and are exchanged in the hope of romantic love. We all know that love is far deeper than romantic feelings and sips of champagne over candlelight dinners. At BCUC we are unpacking what having a value of “learning love” might mean for us. The thoughts above remind us how much there is to learn. Can you love too much? Are you an expert in loving others? Where can we go to learn more?When it comes to trying to understand love, we don’t need to use Wikipedia, poetry, or AI. I think we can spend a lifetime reflecting and meditating on the deep truths found in scripture. Not least of which those found in 1 John.It’s like a love letter to the church.Take a moment to reflect on these words: 1 John 3:7-12 (NLT)"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."If God is love, and we want to grow in our value of learning love, then it makes sense that we must grow in our knowledge of God. Today you may not receive a Valentine's Day card from a secret admirer, but let me remind you of this wonderful truth: God loves you completely, right now, just as you are. So very deeply. More than we can ever comprehend. Could that be enough?I look forward to sharing worship with you this Sunday.Your brother in Christ Benji

    20 min

  6. FEB 11

    BCUC values week 1 : Prayerfully Listening - 9 Feb 2025

    This week we are starting a four-part sermon series on our church’s values.  If you look at the BCUC website you will read that “we aim to be a church that by the wonderful grace of God seeks to live out the following four values:  prayerfully listening; learning love; encouraging friendship; and spreading joy.  I’ll be starting off the series with the first value, ‘Prayerfully Listening.’  When we originally adopted these values, the church leadership defined this value as:   “Prayerfully dependent on God and listening to the Holy Spirit, we have an expectation that God will speak to us.  To listen is to actively hear and respond to God and each other.”  But in this fast-paced world with so many things vying for our attention, and a cacophony of noise filling our ears, how do we prayerfully listen to God and each other? I will be looking at two Godly encounters, and using them to suggest a simple framework that can help us to prayerfully listen.   In 1 Kings 19:9b-13 we find Elijah running for his life, and encountering God not in the razzmatazz of wind, earthquake or fire, but in a gentle whisper.  In Mark1:35-39 we find Jesus praying in a solitary place.  Their motives were very different, but by stopping, seeking a quiet place, talking to God and waiting on Him, they were able to hear His voice and respond in obedience. In our busy lives, God is calling us to stop, find our solitary place, pray, listen and respond.  He loves to listen to us, His children, and He loves to speak to us too.  May we grow in being able to hear His loving voice gently whispering into our hearts.

    25 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

BCUC is a community of people of all ages and all stages of faith that God has called from all over the world to prayerfully listen to God, learn the love of Jesus, encourage each other as friends and spread the joy of the Holy Spirit. Celebrating worship together each Sunday at 10 am is important to us, like recharging your phone each night, but much better. We love welcoming new people. As we aim to follow the ways and words of Jesus, we strive to raise children of God because we believe there is nothing better than fully knowing the life-giving identity Jesus gifts us.

Information

  • Creator
    Burnside City Uniting Church
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Burnside City Uniting Church
  • Show Website
    BCUC Sunday Sermons

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