Northside Church - Sydney

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Headlines This popular format returns with our Senior Pastor, Graham Agnew talking informally about contemporary Christian living. On the agenda this Sunday will be Finding Your Purpose in Life.

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Impact…Making Your Life Count // Week 6: What is the Extent of My Influence? We can exert influence in a variety of ways and in a variety of places. In our friendships, families and workplaces just to name some. How do we know what our influence should look like, and what principles will see it grow in all arenas of our life? Reading: Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Impact…Making Your Life Count // Week 5: What Is My Mission? Most of us envy people who seem to have found their mission in life. Invariably they exude lots of drive, passion and enthusiasm and in our more “ambivalent” moments, we all wish we had more of these qualities. However, discovering our mission in God’s Kingdom is something within reach of all of us – and that’s what this message will be about….

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Modern Family – Week 5: Spiritual Warfare CS Lewis once said “The General public either ignore the forces of evil altogether, or are taken by an unhealthy interest in everything demonic, which can be just as bad in the long run”. Spiritual Warfare in the Christian life is a topic not often talked about, yet vitally important in building a faith that stands firm amongst the trials of life. Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Impact…Making Your Life Count // Week 4: What Am I Holding Onto? Letting go of past hurts, grievances, disappointments etc. is much easier said than done. However, it is essential we do just that, if we’re to maximize our influence on other people. Harbouring the pain of the past significantly reduces our effectiveness, when it comes to the positive impact we can have on those around us. Fortunately, Jesus has the answer…

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Modern Family // Week 4: Spiritual Submission The topic of submission, particularly in regard to relationships, has caused much controversy in recent times. One academic labelled the word far worse than obey, as it had connotations of slavery. Could it be however, that a proper understanding of this concept leads not to slavery, but freedom? Reading: Ephesians 5:1,21, 6:5-9 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – New Series: Impact…Making Your Life Count // Week 3: What are my Priorities? People who make a positive impact on the lives of others are generally focused in terms of how they live their lives. They know what they’re about and they try to minimise distractions. Much easier said than done, right? Next week we’ll discover how to more effectively arrange our priorities… Reading: Colossians 1:24-29

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Modern Family // Week #3: Spiritual Growth Ever had an issue with a call centre employee who couldn’t solve your problem? After all the frustration, you realise that the solution lies not with them, but the management. So it is with us! Spiritual growth is not a matter of starting with behaviours, they are like the employee. In that case, where do we go to grow?

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Impact…Making Your Life Count // Week #2: What Do I Believe About Myself? Someone has said: “The Me I See, Is the Me I’ll Be…”. How we see ourselves has a profound effect on our effectiveness in life. Self esteem is an area of personal and spiritual development many people (including Christians) struggle with. What does the Bible say about how we should view ourselves and how important it is to ensure we have the right perspective?

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Modern Family – Week 2: Spiritual Gifts They were a major source of division back then, and they can be in the church today. Spiritual Gifts is an area of God’s Modern Family that bring much contention – and yet are the very resource by which God equips His New Humanity. What are they, what do you have? Ephesians 4: 7-13 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Impact…Making Your Life Count Week 1:What Do I Believe About God? What impact is your life having? Who are you influencing and how are you influencing them? This Series will explore the issues that shape our lives and the lives of those around us. We will look at the beliefs we hold, the choices we make – and the impact these have on the world around us…

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Modern Family – Week 1: Spiritual Life Who said the concept of a bunch of radically different people learning to live together, (and being changed by each other) was a new idea? It’s not only for a TV series about a Los Angeles Family. In the next six weeks we’ll walk through the book of Ephesians, looking at what God does when he makes you a Christian, and your ensuing part, in His “Modern Family”. Ephesians 1:1-14 (NIV)

Guest Speaker: Edwina Blair The Bible describes two types of peace that we are to have as followers of Jesus – the peace of God and peace with God. Too often we have one but not the other but both are critical to live the life we are called to live

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Eyes Wide Shut There are few scenes in the Bible filled with as much disappointment and dejection as the one involving the two men on the Emmaus Road. They are shattered, as they trudge back to Emmaus following the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their physical eyes are open, but their spiritual eyes are shut, until… Reading: Luke 24:13-27(GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Easter Sunday: Easter Changes Everything The greatest single event in history, from a Christian perspective is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Belief, by faith, in this defining moment of all time enables us to experience life as it’s meant to be lived…rich, with meaning and purpose…a life that’s full and free! Reading: John 20:1-10 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: 24 Hours// That Changed the World – Week 4: Crucifixion The cross, the instrument of death used in crucifixion, has become the universal symbol of the Christian Faith. It stands at the very heart of all we believe and represent our highest values and ideals: sacrifice, service, selflessness… The death of God’s only Son is the pivotal event of history and shows the lengths to which God our Father was prepared to go, to redeem His lost children. Responding to this act of love involves surrender and self-denial which, paradoxically, are the key to fulfilment in life. Reading: Matthew 27: 32-44 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – New Series: 24 Hours// That Changed the World – Week 3: Betrayal & Denial At the very time Jesus needed all the friends He could muster, they all fled. Yes, Peter showed a degree of courage by hanging back but even he, when put under pressure, did what had been predicted – he denied any knowledge of Jesus. It’s hard to imagine how lonely and abandoned Jesus must have felt at that time, but He managed to face His accusers with steely determination. In doing so, He provides a powerful life lesson for us when we feel abandoned and alone. Reading: Matthew 26:69-75 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Wallflowers// Living Life from the Sidelines? Week 6: Paul – A Messenger for All In the beginning of the Bible story, God introduces His rescue plan for the world through one message to one person. Now it’s one message through all His people, for all people. What is it and how does it bring hope for you and I this week?

Speaker: Sam Haddon – New Series: 24 Hours// That Changed the World – Week 2: Gethsemane Many believe the humanity of Jesus is more evident during this time in the Garden of Gethsemane, than at any other time. Deep down He knew what He was destined to do but at the human level, He struggled with the thought of suffering and death, to the point where (like any of us), He asked if it were possible to avoid it. How Jesus handled this defining moment in His life is a powerful lesson in courage and resolve… Reading: Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – New Series: 24 Hours// That Changed the World – Week 1: The Last Supper Imagine the anguish Jesus must have felt as He tried to celebrate the freedom associated with the Passover, while at the same time contemplating His imminent capture. His predicament was further exacerbated by the failure of the disciples to fully grasp what was happening. How Jesus handled this confusing situation is a powerful lesson in commitment and strength… Reading: Matthew 26:26-35 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Wallflowers// Living Life from the Sidelines? Week 4:Jesus – A Saviour for All If “Wallflowers” are being called to participate the “Dance at the Centre of the Universe”, then what does that specifically mean? If living a “Big Life” requires a “Big Mission”, then what is it and how do you know you are living it? Reading: John 17.6-13 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Clay… Potter… Masterpiece… Week 2 It’s not the most glamorous substance, yet throughout the Bible God uses clay to teach us about the relationship He desires to have with each of us. In one of the most vivid passages (Jeremiah 18:2), the Lord gave the old prophet an assignment: “Go down to the potter’s house and there I will give you my message…” In this two part Series, we will discover the essential elements of that message and see the way God intends to shape us into “Masterpieces” for His glory… Reading: Romans 9:19-26 (GNT)

Speaker: Cont. Series: Wallflowers// Living Life from the Sidelines? Week 3: David If you have heard of the biblical character of David, surely Goliath pops into mind. A Shepherd boy slays a giant with a sling… what a story! Yet, that was nothing compared to what God had in store for David to achieve in the long run. Some of us would be satisfied with slaying one or two big giants in our lifetime, but what if God was calling you to be involved in something so big, it made the Goliath’s on your horizon look like like nothing? Reading: 2 Samuel 7:4-19 (NIV)

It's not the most glamorous substance, yet throughout the Bible God uses clay to teach us about the relationship He desires to have with each of us. In one of the most vivid passages (Jeremiah 18:2), the Lord gave the old prophet an assignment: "Go down to the potter's house and there I will give you my message..." In this two part Series, we will discover the essentialelements of that message and see the way God intends to shape us into "Masterpieces" for His glory...

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: Wallflowers// Living Life from the Sidelines? Week 2: Moses If you’ve ever had or wanted an excuse for not getting involved in the plans of God, then the guy we look at tonight has them all. Let’s see what happens when your vision of who God is, and who you can be, get’s a radical shake up. Reading: Exodus 3:1-14 (NIV)

Matt Destry is a singer, speaker, pastor and musician. He is inspired by the Scriptures as the large, sweeping, singular story of God’s love for world, and is compelled to share that story in creative ways. Previously serving as the Worship Pastor at Kingsway Community Church, he has most recently been engaged in leading the Vox Community (a church for young business people and creatives) in Paddington. Reading: 1 Samuel 3

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Saying YES to God Amazing things happen when we say “yes” to God… when we respond with passion and enthusiasm to His bidding… when we embrace His precepts and principles for effective living. Saying “yes” to God is risky and requires faith and a sense of daring – but saying “yes” to God is the only way to ensure we aspire to our full potential as individuals and as a church. Reading: Luke 5:1-11 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: Overflow – What Goes In Must Come Out Week 3: It’s System We will do, what we are. That is, whether actively or passively we’ve sought change, our whole life is simply an Overflow of who we really are. That’s where Christianity comes in. It’s not about rules, but becoming the kind of people who routinely and easily walk in the goodness and power of Jesus our Master. How do we go about it? Reading: Psalm 65:11-13; Matthew 12:33-35 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Journeying into 2013 Week 4: A Place of Power Before His departure (in a physical sense), Jesus told His disciples “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you….” (Acts 1:8). It’s one thing to talk about being in a place of freedom, confidence and influence in 2013, but we cannot arrive at these destinations without the power that comes from God Himself, through the Holy Spirit. Reading: Acts 1:6-11 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: Overflow – What Goes In Must Come Out Week 2: It’s Selection “It won’t heppen overnight, but it will heppen”. Excuse the New Zealand accent, but Rachael Hunter’s Pantene Pro V principle, applies to our spiritual life. According to Pantene, hair is only transformed when we decided to apply some conditioner. According to God, our lives a transformed when we decide to apply some key conditions too. Come find out what that looks like in the second installment of this New Series: Overflow Reading: Psalm 119.30-40, 1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Journeying into 2013 Week 3: A Place of Influence Jesus said “You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:14) That’s one of the descriptions He gave to His disciples and in doing so, He was referring to the opportunities provided to each one of us to be a person of influence. Letting the light of God’s love, grace, forgiveness and justice shine through us is one of our great privileges (and responsibilities) in the Christian life. Reading: Matthew 5:13-20 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Overflow – What Goes In Must Come Out Week 1: It’s Source There are two ways to blow up a balloon – 1. from the inside, or 2. you can try and suck all the air out of the room. Our lives are not that much different. In a world that offers a plethora of strategies for self-inflation, what if this New Year you decided to expand your life from within, instead of seeking to suck the air from everywhere else? Welcome to the principle of “Overflow”, where New Years Resolutions focus not on commitments, but character. Reading: Psalm 1; Matthew 6:22-23,33 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Journeying into 2013 Week 2: A Place of Confidence Jesus said to His disciples on one occasion: “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid…” (Matthew 14:31) Fear robs us of confidence and this is not how God intends us to live. He wants us to be in a place where we exhibit courage, strength and confidence in all areas of our lives. Reading: Matthew 14:22-33 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – New Series: Journeying into 2013 Week 1: A Place of Freedom Jesus said “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed…” (John 8:36) “Freedom” is a word Christians talk and sing about a lot, but what does it mean? In what ways are we free & how is our freedom meant to affect our lives?. Reading: John 8:31-36 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Back to Earth (After Christmas) Coming back to earth after Christmas is never easy – and it wasn’t for those involved in the first Christmas! For Mary and Joseph, following the breath-taking beauty of Bethlehem it was back to the normality of Nazareth! Fortunately we can learn much from the experiences of these two, along with people like Simeon & Anna, who missed the main event (Jesus’ birth), but were there when things “returned to normal” Reading: Luke 2: 25-38 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – New Series: Reverse Garbage – Finding Treasure in the Familiar Love, Hope, Peace, Joy – they’re words pulled out each and every Christmas…. How might you rediscover new value in the overly used?

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Gift Ideas: For the One who has Everything What do you give to the person who (apparently) has everything?? That’s the dilemma many of us face every year and it seems to get worse as you get older, with family and friends accumulating more and more “things”. What about the Wise Men, at the first Christmas? What were they to give the One who (literally) had everything… the One through whom “everything was created, in heaven, and on earth…” (Col 1:16). Well, they chose “wisely” and in this message Graham will reveal the significance of their gifts. Reading: Matthew 2:1-8 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – God’s Promise of Hope Long before Jesus was born, God dropped hints along the way promising hope for the world. Join us as we hear of God’s compassion revealed in the greatest gift: Jesus. Reading: 1 John 4:9-12

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: Playlist – Christmas According to iTunes Top 20 Week 3: Lonely Boy Black Keys iTunes hit says: “Well I’m so above you and it’s plain to see but I came to love you any way…So you pulled my heart out and I don’t mind bleedin’ and the whole time you keep me waiting, waiting, waiting” Can you see how we might share “Christmas according to iTunes” this week? Reading: Phil 2.1-11 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Christmas: Tis the Season to be Daring Week 3: Will You Take A Risk? We can approach Christmas 2012 in one of two ways: we can simply drift into this season in all the usual, predictable ways: the round of parties, the gift giving, the frenetic pressure and stress. Or we can take a more risky approach and decide to intentionally reflect on the significance of this seasons; raise our level of generosity to needy causes; resolve not just to sing about “peace and goodwill” but be an instrument of peace and goodwill. Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: Playlist – Christmas According to iTunes Top 20 Week 2: Get Along Can we all just get along? Guy Sebastian’s No#1 iTunes hit asks a very legitimate question. What does the bible say about the deep rifts that divide humanity, and how might the “Prince of Peace” shed some light on the situation this Christmas? Reading: Isaiah 8:19-9:6 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Christmas: Tis the Season to be Daring Week 2: Ordinary People Took A Risk One of the many stunning features of the first Christmas is the number of ordinary people who stepped out in faith and took a risk: Joseph ran the risk of condemnation when he chose to marry his pregnant fiance; the Wiseman embarked on a risky journey to greet the Christ child and Mary had to give birth in a risky, less than ideal setting. Responding to God’s call inevitably involves risky choices… Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – New Series: Christmas: Tis the Season to be Daring Week 1: God Took A Risk Love is always risky because when we love, there is no guarantee our love is going to be returned… no guarantee the object of our love is going to respond in the same way. That’s the risk God took in order to seal our redemption in Christ. The Bible says: “He came to His own people, but they did not receive Him. But to those who did receive Him He gave the right to become God’s children!” God continues to take risks, in that He entrusts us with the work of bringing in the Kingdom… being His hand, His feet in the ongoing task of reconciling the world to Himself. Reading: John 1:1-13 (GNT)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – I Saw That Snigger Graham is going to adapt a message he recently presented to our morning congregation. Based on the sotry of Sarah (Abraham’s wife), the message tackles the issue of unanswered prayer and outlines practical steps to cope with this challenging aspect of the Christian journey. Reading: Genesis 18:1-15 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: Superheroes: Life Lessons from the OT Week 5: Esther In her life Esther was to discover there are moments when we need to courageously step up and respond to God’s call. Esther came to the realisation she had been appointed as Queen “for such a time as this: and went on to play a huge role in the salvation of her people. Reading: Esther 4:4-14 (NIV)

This series has had a powerful impact on many people, especially those involved in our Connection Group network. Next week we'll here from several group members about their experiences and the discoveries they have made about the DNA of the Christian life. In addition, Sam will wrap up the series with a final powerful word.

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Superheroes: Life Lessons from the OT Week 4: Joseph In his life Joseph was to discover you can be in “the pits” one moment and serving in a Royal Palace the next! Yes, Joseph’s life was one of huge contrasts but through it all he remained faithful to God and his faith was eventually rewarded. Reading: Genesis 37:1-11 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: DNA of the Christian Life – Week 6: Contented “The iPhone 4s is sooo yesterday! “It’s amazing in our culture today, how quickly new things become old things. How easily we become discontent in a society that has everything…. How do we find “Contentment?” Reading: Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV)

Speaker: Graham Agnew – Cont. Series: Superheroes: Life Lessons from the OT Week 3: Gideon In his life Gideon was to discover if God wants you to do something He’ll make it known! Gideon’s famous “fleece test” is one of those special moments in the Bible where we see the vulnerability of a great man of God who is very unsure of how he should respond to God. The incident contains important life lessons for us all… Reading: Judges 6:36-40 (GNT)

Speaker: Sam Haddon – Cont. Series: DNA of the Christian Life – Week 5: Rejoice? It may sound harsh and oversimplified, but there are 2 types of people in the world – those in the middle of tough times and those headed for them. What do we say to people who are struggling, without sounding “cheesy”, and what do you do if you are in the middle of hardship and pain? Reading: Philippians 4:4-6 (NIV)