Category: Faith - St Stephen's Whangaparaoa

Will You Believe?

11/5/2025

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30]
"My sheep hear my voice," said Jesus. When we follow Jesus we get to know him and recognise his voice. The issue is often not that we don't have enough infomation, it is that we choose not to believe.

2025-05-11_will_you_believe.pdf
File Size:	259 kb
File Type:	pdf

What do you want me to do for you?

27/10/2024

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts:Mark 10:46-52; Job 42:1-17; Hebrews 7:23-28]
In the account of Blind Bartimaeus we have a story of a man's healing but also of a man coming to faith in Jesus. In Bartimaeus we see persistence, insistence, trust, expectancy, faith flowering into sight and salvation. What do you want Jesus to do for you?

2024-10-27_what_do_you_want_me_to_do_for_you.pdf
File Size:	227 kb
File Type:	pdf

Entrust your Heart to Him

13/5/2024

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Acts 1:15-17,21-26; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19]
In two of our readings we hear about Judas betraying Jesus. How can we be confident of being true followers? What is the root of our motivation? The apostle Peter called God, the Heart-Knower. God knows our hearts and he loves us. It is in that confidence that we can entrust our hearts to him.

2024-05-12_entrust_your_heart_to_him.pdf
File Size:	209 kb
File Type:	pdf

God's Call.

11/6/2023

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Genesis 12:1-9; Matthew 9:9-13]
With the call of Abram and the call of Matthew before us, we look at how God called each of them. What ways does he call us? To what does he call us? Sometimes he calls us to be faithful where we are. What might he be calling you to now?
There is no sermon video today since it was the Integen. service at 10am. Nonetheless, the PDF is below.

2023-06-11_calling.pdf
File Size:	223 kb
File Type:	pdf

Hope, Shield & Joy

16/4/2023

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: 1 Peter 1:3-9; Acts 2:14a, 22-32]
In this Easter season, we have a series of readings following the teaching of the Apostle Peter. Have you ever wondered what Jesus explained to the Apostles after the Resurrection? We don't have to wonder because they preached it, they wrote it down for us! In today's readings we hear Peter preaching and read his encouragement to the early church about the impact of the resurrection.

2023-04-16_hope_shield_and_joy.pdf
File Size:	246 kb
File Type:	pdf

Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ

14/8/2022

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-12; Genesis 15:1-6]
What is faith? We explore this topic with the case study of Abraham, pulling in Jenga blocks and Indiana Jones to help us on the way.
We learn that faith rests on the Word of God. Also included in this post is a set of promise cards which may be a helpful resource for you as you build your foundations of God's promises.

2022-08-14_faith_comes_from_the_word_of_god.pdf
File Size:	667 kb
File Type:	pdf

Promise Sheet. Click to download this page.

The Power of Corporate Unbelief

4/7/2021

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Mark 6:1-13; Ezekiel 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10]
"Jesus could not do any miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief." That is quite a surprising statement. What is the effect of other people's unbelief? What can we learn from this?

210704_power_of_corporate_unbelief.pdf
File Size:	575 kb
File Type:	pdf

Principles of Faith

27/6/2021

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Mark 5:21-43; Lamentations 3:23-33]
We see Jesus' authority over chronic sickness and dead as he heals the woman and raises Jairus' daughter. We also learn some principles of faith from these two incidents.

210627_principles_of_faith.pdf
File Size:	857 kb
File Type:	pdf

Who do you say this Man is?

23/8/2020

Preacher: Peter Lloyd [Matthew 16:13-20]
It was a question to the disciples then and it is still a question today? Who do YOU say Jesus is?

200823_who_is_this_man.pdf
File Size:	650 kb
File Type:	pdf

Walking on Water - Faith comes by Hearing

12/8/2020

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Matthew 14:22-33; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Romans 10:5-15]
Peter walks on water - Wow! But what do we learn about faith from his walking and his sinking?

200809_faith_comes_by_hearing.pdf
File Size:	635 kb
File Type:	pdf

The Rock that is Higher than I

5/4/2020

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Psalm 91; Zechariah 9:9-12]
I want to dwell further on Psalm 91 this week, that we may grow deeper in our confidence in God for trying times.

2020-04-05_sermon_-_rock_that_is_higher_than_i.pdf
File Size:	724 kb
File Type:	pdf

God our Refuge

29/3/2020

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Psalm 91; Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:4-7]
Psalm 91 is a great psalm which promises the Lord’s care and protection. By these words, we are encouraged and given hope in trouble. It is written to direct our attention back to God in tough times – and we - suddenly, unexpectedly - are experiencing a global tough time.

2020-03-29_god_our_refuge.pdf
File Size:	809 kb
File Type:	pdf

Jesus is presented in the Temple - Lessons of trust, hearing God and faith

2/2/2020

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Luke 2:22-40; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18]

When the six week old baby Jesus was first taken to the temple, there were two people who had been waiting, waiting, waiting for him. They heard God, they believed, they were patience. Their faith was rewarded - they saw and held the Messiah; they told people. Let's learn from their good examples.

You can see more about the Alpha Course here.

200202_what_will_you_do.pdf
File Size:	702 kb
File Type:	pdf

Colossians 1:1-14 Faith and love growing from hope

14/7/2019

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Text: Colossians 1:1-14]
The Letter to the Colossians is a lovely epistle. The grand theme is Christ who is supreme and all sufficient. Join us as we explore it together.

190714_colossians_1.1-14.pdf
File Size:	459 kb
File Type:	pdf

Three Responses

5/5/2019

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Acts 9:1-20; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19]
We are given the responses of three different people to Jesus: Thomas who struggled to believe; Peter who had denied Jesus and Saul who had persecuted the church. As we look at their responses, what is our own?

190505_three_responses.pdf
File Size:	463 kb
File Type:	pdf

Do Not Fear

9/9/2018

Preacher: Helen Hardcastle [Isaiah 35:3-7a]
Do not fear! God commands his people over and again not to fear, yet we are very quick to become fearful of all sorts of things and people. Helen leads us into some strategies to counter fear.

180909_do_not_fear.pdf
File Size:	437 kb
File Type:	pdf

Stephen - full of the Spirit

5/8/2018

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Acts 6; Acts 7:55-60; Matthew 23:34-39]
Our church is named after Stephen. What has he to teach us today? What can we learn from his life and death?

180805_stephen_full_of_the_spirit.pdf
File Size:	475 kb
File Type:	pdf

For God so Loved the World

11/3/2018

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle Texts: John 3:14-21; Ephesians 2:1-10
Today we baptise a family and another seven of our people renew their baptismal vows. It is a celebration of life in Christ. It is worth remembering that we have this life because God so loved the world.....

180311_for_god_so_loved_the_world.pdf
File Size:	475 kb
File Type:	pdf

Strengthen Yourself in the LORD

4/2/2018

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: 1 Samuel 30:1-6; Isaiah 40:21-31; Mark 1:29-39]
When things go sour, where do you turn? This week we follow David, Eric Liddell and Jesus in finding where they found strength to face the difficulties of life.

180204_strengthen_yourself_in_the_lord.pdf
File Size:	496 kb
File Type:	pdf

A New Beginning vs a Bad Ending

21/1/2018

Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Mark 1:14-20, Jonah 3:1-5,10]
A New Beginning: Jesus starts his public ministry. The key to following him is to change our minds and trust what he says.
A Bad Ending: Some comments on the Euthanasia Bill before Parliament

180121_a_new_beginning_vs_a_bad_ending.pdf
File Size:	518 kb
File Type:	pdf