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nswchs

nswchs has written 846 posts for NSW Council of Churches

The Lord is my Shepherd (sermon by Graeme Best)

Good morning. I’m not sure about you but I don’t know very much about sheep. Not really. I was born and spent the early part of my life in a coal town in the Hunter Valley. Since then I have lived in the suburbs of Sydney and my family didn’t have sheep. And although I … Continue reading

Living generously (sermon by Graeme Best)

Good morning. I have no idea whether this story is true or not but a story was circulated some time ago about the golfer Arnold Palmer and his visit with a certain Middle Eastern Head of State. This ruler was so impressed with Arnold Palmer that he wanted to give him a gift. Arnold Palmer … Continue reading

God is weird (sermon by Graeme Best)

An atheist – that is a person who believes there is no God – was sitting under a tree one day smugly thinking: “God, I know you don’t exist but if you do exist you must be really stupid. “Look at this huge oak tree. It’s got tiny acorns on it. And look at that … Continue reading

Freedom is not free (sermon by Alan Best)

Good morning. In the main street of Williams, Arizona, USA, there is a striking mural, with the motto, Freedom Is Not Free. This is not a new expression and at least four songs were published with this title, or variations of it, as far back as 1965. In 1981, Commander Kelly Strong of the US … Continue reading

Decisions (sermon by Graeme Best)

Good morning! Decisions. Choices. Life is full of them. Someone once wrote, “My life is the total of all my decisions and their corresponding actions. The sum total of my choices.” Now of course, our lives can be very much affected by the decisions of others .. like if another driver decides to run a … Continue reading

A word about fear (sermon by Graeme Best)

Good morning. Shohoiya Yokawai spent 28 years in prison. But it was not a prison of bars, locks and wardens. It was a prison of self-imposed fear. He was a Japanese soldier on the island of Guam during World War 2. When the American forces landed he fled into the jungle and hid in a … Continue reading

Why do bad things happen to good people? (sermon by Graham Agnew)

Introduction In my work, as a minister, this question comes up all the time: Why do bad things happen to good people? And tucked away in the Psalms there’s a little verse that really encapsulates what many of us think and feel when faced with this difficult question. It’s Psalm 22 and the writer is really … Continue reading

Watch your words (sermon by Graham Agnew)

Researchers tell us we spend up to 20 per cent of our entire lives talking! That’s on top of the 1/3 of our time spent sleeping! So, from a Christian perspective it’s reasonable to ask the question: what does the Bible teach about how we should talk? What does it say about the tone of … Continue reading

A message about trust (sermon by Graham Agnew)

It was chilling television, seeing the ease with which little children could be lured into the hands of total strangers. I was watching a current affairs programme where they used hidden camera’s to show the vulnerability of children when not in the direct care of their parents. Invitations from total strangers like: “would you like … Continue reading

The amazing thing about grace (sermon by Graham Agnew)

Part 1 It’s a fantastic experience to be on the receiving end of a genuine expression of grace and forgiveness.  Many years ago my wife and I went on a weekend houseboat cruise with a group of friends. It was a very special time because it was likely to be our last time together as … Continue reading

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