Spirited Word

Adrian Kitson

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By God's Word proclaimed, the Holy Spirit works faith in God's grace in Jesus, when and where he pleases. Sermons by Pastor Adrian Kitson, Lutheran Church of Australia. St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. www.stpetri.org.au

14h ago

Yes, We Understand?

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 26 July 2026 It is with pleasure that we prepare to receive the Word via Dr Tim Stringer, Principal of Australian Lutheran Collage. May the Word call you, challenge you and comfort you for the journey we share together today. Dr Tim says… Last Sunday, we were deep in the territory of weeds and wheat. This week, we hear and read a series of rapid-fire parables that describe what the kingdom of heaven is like. We might think we can recognise the kingdom, yet it is described in several different, surprising and hidden ways in quick succession across five short parables. These are laid out before the disciples, and when asked if they understand all these things, they reply, “Yes”, but we don’t hear their tone of voice in the scriptures. There is a trend on social media at the moment in which an individual is asked to say a phrase in four or five different tones of voice. In the case of the disciples, would the meaning be altered if they used a surprised, tentative, certain, or assertive tone? Any of those might work in this case. We hope, of course, that they are certain! Do YOU understand all of these parables? How might you answer Jesus’ question if he directed it to you today? Hopefully, as we rummage through the storehouse of treasures hidden in these parables today, we might discover something new or something old that we might feel impelled to bring out and share with others. Blessings, Tim
Jul 21

The Weeds

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 19 July 2026 Sometimes I wish God would deal with all the injustice of the world. Sometimes I wish the Church could be so much better, especially when Christian people do some really silly and bad things. What do we do with the frustration we feel about all the suffering and trouble in the world? What does the Lord do for us when the church gets it wrong and we get it wrong? We are in rapid-fire parable territory this morning. In this little section of Matthew’s gospel there are seven parables in a row. Jesus says every one of them speak of what living with faith in his presence and promises are like for us. The focus today is number 2 of the seven – this picture of a paddock with both wheat and weeds being planted and growing together. The picture comes with a prohibition for us: “Don't try and pull up the weeds!”. In fact, “Let the weeds grow". Why on earth would we do that? We don't do that with real weeds. We get rid of them with hard work or hard chemicals! Apparently, this is not the way in Jesus' way. In pulling up the weeds we may disrupt the wheat. This is not our job. But it is someone's job. All very mysterious. I wonder how you are navigating growing in Jesus among those who aren't? Pastor Adrian
Jul 17

Who Do You Trust?

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 12 July 2026 As Christians we believe that the Bible is the sacred writings of God himself, as he inspired his chosen authors to write it down. Therefore we often refer to the Bible as “the Word of God”. But the truth is that only Christians believe this. Non-Christians (or ‘not-yet Christians’) do not see the Bible with faith. They only see a very very big book with a lot of ‘stuff’ in it that is hard for them to understand. And since they have no idea how we got this book, they simply put it in the same category as the Sutras of the Buddhists, the Vedas of the Hindus, the Qu’ran of the Muslims, or the Book of Mormon of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Students of three Year 6 classes in a Lutheran school some years ago reinforced the fact that people with no faith, and very little knowledge, see the Bible as an old book that is unreliable, contradictory, out of date and that it must have changed from the original over time. And they believe this even though they have never read the Bible. So when I have a chance to engage with sceptics about Jesus, I don’t start with the gospel. I talk about the Bible and why Christians are so sure that it is the Word of God. Because if it is what it claims to be, then everyone should take it very seriously. I talk about the origins of the Bible and its reliability as a historical record. I want them to understand that Christians don’t close their eyes to history or science. It is a book that is worth a closer look. For if they don’t come to see it as God’s revelation to all people of all ages, they won’t accept they are sinful, or that Jesus came to be the Saviour of the world. The historical story of how the Bible has come to us today is a powerful witness to the God who inspired it. When people at least acknowledge that the Bible has not been altered over the millennia, and that it is no ordinary book, they may begin to take its content and message of salvation more seriously. As one Year 6 student wrote to me after one presentation, “I will never doubt the Bible again.” My hope is that he now trusts in the clear gospel message of Jesus’ love for him. I pray that the message today will help to encourage and strengthen your faith too. Pastor Robert Voigt
Jul 8

Which Song Shall We Play?

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 5 July 2026 We come across those well-known words concerning this internal battle we all know and live as God’s people from Paul in Romans 7. We do not do the good we want to do and do the very bad we don’t want to do! There is internal spiritual power at work in our human needs and desires that wage war against our best intentions to live out those good ten commandments and it is frustrating. Paul ends up crying out in frustration. What can save us from this ‘body of death’; these internal desires that the evil one leverages against us to bring out the worst in us? They turn God’s good law into something we want to ignore or hide away from. The very thing God gives to protect us and guide us only ends up accusing and killing us. Will trying harder bring us hope and joy? Will giving up on God and his good will for us do it? Will singing a sad song lamenting our lack of noble character and our endless weakness do it? Will getting on the dancefloor at the wedding and dancing the dark away do it? Paul leads us to the end of ourselves so we can begin with the Lord anew. There is a way to live in the war with hopefulness, meaning and joy. Praying you receive it today. As you prepare for worship you could ponder these thoughts: Lord Jesus, I am weary of... I keep trying to rescue myself by... I hear you inviting me to... Pastor Adrian
Jul 1

Augsburg Confession

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 28 June 2026 Today we celebrate something of a uniquely Lutheran story. On July 24th, 1530 the leaders of that first rapidly growing movement of Catholic churches, newly centred on the gospel of Jesus as the only way to be made new in the grace of God (evangelical/gospel centred churches), got to speak that faith in full public view before the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the fair city of Augsburg, Germany. Their 28 part confession of their foundational beliefs, that were drawn straight from the existing catholic and biblical faith became known as the Augsburg Confession, and became the basic and foundational confession of faith for all people in Lutheran communities around the world. We are part of that confession, and we have Bishop Andrew Brook bringing the Word to us this day. May the Lord sure up our confession of faith so we bear his name well where he has placed us and God's love comes to life in more people in the community to which we are sent. Pastor Adrian
Jun 24

Faith In Fear

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 21 June 2026 There is no doubt that everyone lives with varying fears. Jesus makes it very clear to his sent followers that fear will always be, even though they know him and have his promises for life beyond all fears. Just because we are Christians, does not mean that we don’t have to deal with all kinds of threats, conflicts, splits, and danger to body, mind and spirit. It can sound a bit depressing. ‘Taking up this cross’ of faith in this kind of fear and suffering does not sound too positive! Then again, what would you prefer: fake promises of easy street living or honest truthful words about how things really are? In this word of Jesus about the difficulties we face as his sent people in a hostile world, there is a higher message; a main message. Three times Jesus says it: ‘Do not fear’. I am not sure what you are facing and fearing at the moment but his word to you is “Do not fear”. He backs it up with an honest assessment of what we fear, what we face and how he enables us to remain hope-filled and faithful to his call. May you receive his call and his assurance in anything you fear. Pastor Adrian
Jun 18

Sent

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 14 June 2026 We call ourselves ‘sent ones’ because that is what we are named in Matthew’s gospel today. Being named ‘sent ones’ raises that topic of ‘evangelism’ or ‘mission’. If there are two words that seem to create maximum guilt and/or fear in a church-person's heart, they are them! But, today will be encouraging. We are sent for sure, but with no need of guilt and no fear of results. For the first and only time in his telling of what he witnessed around Jesus, he names the followers of Jesus now becoming his ‘sent ones. There is a definite plan here. Jesus, like any teacher has a method of teaching his people that will serve his mission and bring his vision of life to life. Our text today marks one of those major shifts in training. The disciples are being sent out. Jesus’ mission to call all people to himself takes an expansive step. And why is Jesus stepping up the training? Compassion. He sees the community as being harassed and scattered and he knows there is so much more for people and he is ready to harvest, ready to gather. May Jesus gather you and send you as his sent person free from guilt or fear. Pastor Adrian
Jun 10

Mercy

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 7 June 2026 We enter into the long time of learning the Way of Jesus in this time after Pentecost. First cab off the rank today is that moment when Matthew is called to follow Jesus. It must have been quite a surprise to Matthew, and to the two groups of people witnessing all this. There would have been people who never thought the mercy of God would get close to someone like this ostracised disliked man, Matthew. He was definitely a sinner with big sins for all to see. Every day he strengthened the oppression of the community under brutal rule of the Empire by taking taxes from the local community and then pocketing some of the tax money for his own life project. Some of the them would have marvelled at this flagrant mercy extended to such an obviously bad person with such big sins. Others would have been very upset that mercy like this should ever be extended to someone like that. Jesus does this mercy-act of calling Matthew and then deals with the eyebrow raising it caused – the good and the bad. To the bad people who are sensing joy that God could be this full of mercy to such a bad person (like they know they are), and to the good people who are deeply offended and angered that someone so bad could be treated as good (like they believe they have earned to be), Jesus reveals the heart of God. I desire mercy, not sacrifice Acknowledgement not burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6) May you know the heart of God for you this morning. Pastor Adrian

By God's Word proclaimed, the Holy Spirit works faith in God's grace in Jesus, when and where he pleases. Sermons by Pastor Adrian Kitson, Lutheran Church of Australia. St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. www.stpetri.org.au

Creator

Adrian Kitson
Years Active

2020 - 2026
Episodes

211
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Spirited Word
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Spirited Word