Mansfield Christian Reformed Church

It seems strange to have this song of John as the last in our Christmas series of songs of Jesus. We don’t often include John the Baptist in our Christmas celebrations. Maybe that’s on purpose because he is a very upsetting figure in dress and in words. Yet, before we get to the ministry of Jesus, we meet John. In Luke’s account, the birth of Jesus is book-ended by John with his birth and his ministry. So, the way to Bethlehem’s manger is through John the Baptist. And John the Baptist is the one who prepares that way, as prophesied 700 years earlier by Isaiah. Preacher: Jim de Witte Passage: Luke 3:1-18 Support the show

Preacher: Jim de Witte Passages: Luke 2:1-21 & Matthew 2:1-12 Support the show

Christmas and peace. How do those two words fit together in your mind? For some, peace at Christmas means getting together with and tolerating family members you dislike. For others, peace is only possible after Christmas, when the pace of everything slows down for the summer break. This week we look at the angels’ song in Luke 2 and the peace that they sing about. This peace is not the end of military conflict, family discord, financial anxiety, or even a frantic lifestyle. No, the peace they are proclaiming is peace with God and it’s linked to, not just the birth of the Saviour, but also his death on the cross that brought genuine forgiveness and peace. That is lasting peace. It's the peace we need more than anything else. By trusting in who Jesus is and what Jesus did, we receive the greatest Christmas gift of all. Peace with God! And if you have received it, savour it. Let it bring joy and praise to your heart and glory to God in the highest.Preacher: Jim de Witte Passage: Luke 2:8-21 Support the sho

Zechariah has spent nine months in total silence turning his thoughts over and over in his mind till they have blended into this amazing song. And what do the words teach us? That God has come to his people and redeemed them, just as he promised. That we are set free to worship him through forgiveness and for illumination. It is a song of exhortation to praise God, God who has stooped from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ, who has been faithful to his promises, who lights up our lives with the warmth of his love and who will lead us home. Interestingly, his song is not firstly about the son born to him in his old age, but praise to God who has remembered his promises. This is the joy that flows from the heart of Zechariah, and this joyful praise flows from our hearts that are stirred as we reflect on the God-man in the manger. Preacher: Jim de Witte Passage: Luke 1:67-80 Support the show

Can you imagine Christmas without Christmas carols? Christmas carols are one of the things that make Christmas, Christmas. Songs praising the Saviour’s birth have always been a part of this celebration. Some songs were sung before the Saviour was even born, proclaiming his birth. Songs that proclaim a very special event, God taking on human flesh. Luke records songs from Mary, Zechariah, Simeon and angels. This Sunday we will look at the first song in the gospel, Mary’s song known as the Magnificat. It is a song that glorifies Jesus Christ as Lord, even before he was born. Her song of praise helps us praise our great Lord and saviour too. Preacher: Jim de Witte Passage: Luke 1:39-56 Support the show

Preacher: Dylan Patruica Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 Support the show

We can’t share the good news of the gospel and leave Jesus dead.  His death is certainly important, because through it we receive forgiveness.  But there is so much more, with the resurrection also central to our faith. The Heidelberg Catechism asks the question: How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us? The summary of their answer is that by Jesus’ resurrection he has overcome death, we now experience resurrected life, and we have a glorious future guaranteed. Paul supports all this as he writes 1 Corinthains 15. Without the resurrection the good news becomes bad news. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead all our praying, serving, church attendance, God honouring ways of life and more have been a waste of time. But the good news is Jesus has been raised from the dead. That brings hope; that changes everything. The resurrection of Christ is not a theory or an idea. It is a historical fact, and a demonstration of the power of God.Preacher: Jim de Witte Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 Support the show

Why did God send Jesus, his one and only Son to live as a man? Have you ever asked yourself this question? When we truly begin to grasp the significance of our sin against God, it is natural to wonder what could possibly motivate God to send his Son Jesus. Yet, God loves the world he created, and he loves us, so he didn’t leave us to suffer the consequences of our rebellion. He sent his own Son into the world to save us: the man Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus not to deny the fact of sin or help us forget about our sin. Death is the punishment for rebellion, and Jesus died our death. Jesus took on himself the judgement and punishment that we deserved, by dying on the cross in our place. In Christ, God forgave sin and released us from its penalty. Through faith in the Son, we have full deliverance from guilt, and we have peace with God. And all of this is completely undeserved by us. We rejected God, but because of his great love, God sent his Son to die for us, and we praise him for it. Preacher: Jim de Witte Pa

When Jesus returns, every knee will bow and tongue confess him as lord as he rules with love, justice, and wisdom. As we wait for that day however, we journey together and persevere by his grace. Paul writes Philippians from his prison cell to encourage the church. As we prepare and are prepared for that great day, Paul reminds us that Jesus will complete the work he began in us. Together, we look back to what Jesus did for us, and what he began in us. Then we can look forward knowing that he will be with us as we serve him, until that day he returns.Preacher: Troy Smalley Passage: Philippians 1:3-11 Support the show

Last Sunday we saw that our sin has ruined the world that God gave us to rule.  And what’s even more, our rebellion against God makes us deserving of His righteous judgment. We don’t like this idea of God’s judgment, do we?  Many argue that God’s love should stop Him from judging those He loves. The wrath of God is difficult to grasp. This is especially so when each of us are in rebellion against God and we also deserve God’s wrath and eternal judgement for our sins. It’s true that from a purely human perspective God’s eternal judgment of sinners can seem at best harsh and even absurd. Yet, in a way, God’s justice is good news. Evil is not going to have the final say. Those who have suffered abuse and mistreatment need to know that God hates those things, and He will someday make it right. The justice of God is a difficult, but crucial, component of the gospel message.  We can proclaim that ‘Jesus Saves’, but from what does he save us? We need the bad news for only then will sense the beauty of God’s grace an

Last week we were introduced to God as the good ruler and creator of a good world. We were placed in that good creation to take care of it. So, have you ever wondered why so many things in this life are relentlessly so difficult, so painful, and so frustrating? Why so many things are so far from what they should be? As you look at the world around you, do you ask yourself where it all went so wrong? As Christians, we believe that the fundamental problem rests within each one of us; it lies within our own hearts. We call it sin. But what is sin? How did sin come into the world? ‘Everything that is wrong in our lives and in the world stems from the fateful choice humanity has made. From the very beginning, we didn’t want God to be our ruler. We rejected him as God by deciding to live our own way, in defiance of him.’  How this happened and how it impacts everything is what we will look at today.Passage:  Genesis 3:1-24Preacher: Jimm de WittSupport the show

Pastor: Jim De Witte Passage: Genesis 1:1-2:3 Over the next 6 weeks we are going to look at some key points of the Gospel, based around the ‘Two Ways to Live’ tract. And we start with who God is. Why? The basis of the whole gospel is that God is the ruler of the world. He rules because he made the world. He also made us. God created people who were something like himself and put them in charge of the world— to rule it, to care for it, to be responsible for it, and to enjoy all its beauty and goodness. He appointed humanity to supervise and look after the world, but always under his own authority, honouring him and obeying his directions. We exist to the praise of God’s glory, not our own, so we are accountable to him. We start here because, unless we can establish God’s authority, we have no basis as to why we should care or answer to God. Support the show

Pastor: Jim De Witte Passage: Psalm 19 Support the show

Christian contentment has been referred to as a ‘rare jewel’. It would be nice to always be content in life, whatever our circumstances. But so often we feel discontent, unsettled, and even envious of others who seem to have more. 1 Timothy chapter 6 teaches us some great lessons about contentment. If we heed the lessons of this chapter we’ll see that true contentment really is possible, and the secret to it is not what you might think. Preacher: Jacob Greatbatch Passage: 1 Timothy 6:2b-10; 17-19 Support the show

Passage: Genesis 46:1-7, Genesis 46:26-47:31 Preacher: Jono Deenick  Support the show

Passage: Matthew 18:21-35 Preacher: Juhan Klooster Support the show

This Sunday we have Murray Capill bring us God’s Word from Matthew 16:18. Murray led the sessions at our Elder Training Conference yesterday and has stayed on to be with us in worship today. Murray is the Dean of Ministry Development and Lecturer in Pastoral Ministry at the Reformed Theological College in Melbourne. We thank Murray in advance for the message he will bring.Preacher: Murray Capill Passage: Matthew 16:13-23 Support the show

In Joshua 24:14-18, Joshua gives the most famous of all that he ever spoke.   “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” With a baptism and a family being brought into church membership this Sunday, it is good to affirm this truth. It is a promise to do the best we can to make sure that everything that takes place inside the home honours God. It is also a prayer that the children raised there will follow in the faith of their parents. That will require loving communication of our faith to our children and, ultimately, a work of the Spirit of God to change their hearts.Preacher: Jim de Witte Passage: Joshua 24:14-28 Support the show

Today we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of Wishart Community Church. This celebration is a way to give thanks to God for His faithfulness. As we look back on the past, we are reminded of the many ways that God has blessed our church. We are grateful for our members, our pastors and members, and the countless opportunities that we have had to serve our community. We also remember our heritage. We are thankful for the pioneers of our faith who laid the foundation for our church. We are thankful for the pastors and staff who have served our church over the years. And we are thankful for the countless members who have given their time, talents, and resources to build up our church community. And, as we celebrate our anniversary is a way to look to the future with hope, excited about what God has in store for us. We are committed to continuing to share the love of Jesus Christ with our community. We are committed to raising up a new generation of leaders. And we are committed to building a church that is kno

Luke had just given a marvellous description of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Antioch. The church was growing by leaps and bounds (Acts 11:21). Everything was going well. Reading that, what happens here in chapter 12 is shocking and unexpected. One of God’s chosen apostles is brutally killed and another is arrested and awaiting execution. From the chapter we learn lessons important for us as the church. We see that the church is called to pray in crisis. We see the Lord’s answer to the church’s prayers. We realise that sometimes we can be surprised when the Lord does in fact answer our prayers. Finally, we see that nothing can withstand God’s purpose to glorify his Son through his Word. Not the opposition of tyrants, the indifference or hostility of public opinion, the feebleness of the church, nor the death of his faithful ministers. The remarkable progress of the Word in the first half of Acts is traceable ultimately to the Lord’s purpose and power. That was the confidence of the church in the first