I recently attended a Christian event.  I was hoping to learn something there and to spend some time in worship.  I came home early, disappointed and wondering why I had gone.  Having reflected on what happened there, I know why … Continue reading →

Groaning is a Gift for Glory Introduction Like the prophets I go through periods where things are exceptionally bitter for my spirit (Isa 22:4; Jer 13:17; Lam 3:15; Ezek 3:14; Zeph 1:14). In several public meetings last week I was … Continue reading →

Serving the Lord over the Powers   Dan 10:1-21; Eph 1:15-22 Alive@5 18.2.18 Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exy30cOPMN0 Last week Dale focussed on how the death and resurrection of Jesus delivers us from sin and death; this week we want focus on the … Continue reading →

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord are sons of God, and yet many in the western church act as if they were slaves and not sons.  This is due to our immaturity as believers.  This immaturity is evident … Continue reading →

Why the Vision Perishes       Phil 2:1-11                                  Zion Fellowship18.2.18 Introduction This time of the year many churches have a “Vision Sunday”.[1] But I have … Continue reading →

Renaming “God” Ezek 16:8-22 ;Ps 104:14-35; Acts 14:8-18; John 13:1-15 St Marks 18.2.18 Introduction https://youtu.be/Y6Do2As58t4 There’s something dreadfully wrong when we hear Christian people talking a lot about “God” and not speaking much about “Jesus”, for scripture teaches us that … Continue reading →

Driven Mad “The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind” (Deut 28:28) “evil appears as good in the minds of those whom gods lead to destruction.”(Sophocles c. 441 BC) Turning and turning in the widening … Continue reading →

Saving Australia’s Day Introduction As a fun time to celebrate national achievements Australia Day is a beloved occasion for most of us. However an increasingly vocal and growing minority, including thoughtful Christians, say the Day needs to be shifted, scrapped … Continue reading →

In 1 Cor 6:5 Paul tells the church, “I say this to shame you”.  I am surprised that shame plays any role at all in the Christian life since Jesus bore our shame upon the cross (Heb 12:2).  And yet … Continue reading →

Honoured to Fight, to The Very End Neh 4:10-20; Ps 35:1-10; 1 Tim 6:11-16; John 18:33-38 St Mark’s 21.1.18 Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NNQfJw3G94 Australia Day next Friday will be full of fun and fireworks, but the day which most weighs on our … Continue reading →

A Song of Protest: a call for prophetic music Introduction I was deeply moved recently by reading a book about early Christian devotion to Jesus. In his letter to the emperor Trajan the Roman official Pliny (c.112 A.D.) records torturing … Continue reading →

Hungry Bride[i] Introduction Following my exhortations in “Forget the Lunch” I received emails outlining how some people had indeed decided to forego meals, and other things, to seek the glory of the Lord. Their seriousness has provoked me to reconsider … Continue reading →

Old and Young for Jesus Is 61.10-62.3; Ps 148; Gal 4.4-7; Lk 2.22-40    St Mark’s 30.1.17 Introduction  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ5VZeeaeAQ 2017 has been a painful year for God in Australia. The Royal Commission into sex abuse provided countless examples of how so-called … Continue reading →

Baptism vs ‘Christmas’ St Marks Baptisms 17.12.17 Isa 7:10-16; Ps 72:1-8; Rom 1:1-7; Matt 1:18-25 Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnol4RncgKg Everyone is baptised into something. I will never forget the experience of being in Cairo during the call to prayer when countless loudspeakers … Continue reading →

Seeing Jesus’ Glory in All Things Bible Readings: Heb 1:1-4 with Rom 8:28-30, then 2 Cor 5:14-17 Introduction http://www.daleappleby.net/media/podcastmanager/YatesRom8.mp3 While teaching in Hong Kong last weekend I came into much greater clarity on what it means to be able to … Continue reading →

Politics or Jesus Introduction This teaching was provoked by recently reading “To Change the World” by sociologist James Davison Hunter.  His persuasive thesis is that in engaging the powers of the political realm American Christians have been ensnared in the … Continue reading →

Married for War Introduction I have long taught that the key to finding understanding, strength and growth in a Christian marriage comes from a revelation of the marital relationship between Christ and the Church, this is clearest in Paul’s words … Continue reading →

Although complaining and lamenting have some things in common, they should not be mistaken for one another.  The Bible is plainly against complaining and grumbling.  But lamenting is common and acceptable.  Jesus never grumbled but he prayed a prayer of … Continue reading →

What does the name represent in the OT? Biblically, names have significance.  When the Bible says that people called upon the name of the LORD (Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4, 21:33; 26:25), this indicates that they took the LORD as their … Continue reading →

Grace Unlimited: The Workers in the Vineyard Matt 20:1-16Alive@5 12.11.17 http://www.daleappleby.net/media/podcastmanager/WorkersVinYates.mp3 Read from 19:23. ““For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 2 … Continue reading →

Christ Centred Community of Faith Gen 1:26-28; Ps 2; Col 1:15-20; John 12:20-33 St Marks 5/11/17 Introduction https://youtu.be/KH9qTtHPpB0 At the next Church Council meeting there will be a annual review of Dale’s ministry; this is straightforward, but do we realise … Continue reading →

A Sermon for Flinders Park Community Church Introduction When our children were little, one, in particular, liked to experiment a lot.  He found the little flap on the VCR really interesting.  He would post his cars into it.  Of course, … Continue reading →

Intolerable Evil Introduction Lots of Christians feel the world around them is becoming progressively more evil, but how would we feel about praying this prayer in Church?  “We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we…most grievously have … Continue reading →

The Euthanising of the Church: Committing Spiritual Suicide Introduction This dramatic title flows from a week of speaking into immature conduct between senior Church leaders and attending a breakfast put on by the Barnabas Fund; an international ministry dedicated to … Continue reading →

Christ Only Reformation series St Mark’s 15.10.17    Isa 9:1-7 Ps 110 Acts 4:1-12 John 14:1-6 Introduction                                       Audio: http://www.daleappleby.net/index.php/mp3-sermons/51-recent-sermons/816-christ-alone If you had been born in Europe in 1500 you would have been immersed into a religious culture whose intensity we find … Continue reading →

The Final Romance     Introduction The slogans “love is love”, “same love” or “love wins” used by the Yes side in the same-sex marriage (SSM) debate seem naturally irresistible. Surely “gay marriage (should be seen) as an expression not of … Continue reading →

Real Hate Introduction “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, … Continue reading →

Reformation 2 Grace and Free Will Jer 17:1-13; Ps 51; Rom 8:1-11; John 6:35-44 St Mark’s 24.9.17 Introduction   Salvation by grace alone (sola gratia) or grace plus free will; this was one of the sharpest controversies of the Reformation. But before … Continue reading →

Ephesians 6:1-9 Life at Home and Work Introduction https://youtu.be/MBXl2KhyNPI On a superficial this section of Ephesians might seem irrelevant to progressive modern life. Such a judgement would be a serious mistake as its 5-fold references to Jesus as Lord and … Continue reading →