Sermons
Pulpit Ministry
On this page you can find weekly sermons from NorthernLife from Senior Pastor Jonathan Shanks, Rachel Li and others. Subscribe to our sermons on your preferred podcast platform using the links below, explore past sermon series, search for a specific sermon, or browse the archive.
Weekly sermon archive
Faith in Action: The Dangers of Wealth
James in chapter 5 warns of 3 dangers of wealth: the illusion of LIFELONG SECURITY; the illusion of INFLUENTIAL POWER; and the illusion of EXCLUSIVE OWNERSHIP.
Faith in Action: Don’t Judge Unless…
This week, James teaches that we should not judge others, because judgement belongs to God. This message will challenge you to put your faith into action by withholding judgement on others... unless God has put you in that position.
Faith in Action: The Paradigm & The Pathway
James says that Christians are challenged by a three-fold paradigm: the World, the Flesh and the Devil. Jesus offers the Pathway through the paradigm. This message will challenge you to humble yourself before God in gratefulness for the sacrifice of Christ on our...
Faith in Action: True vs. False Wisdom
James 3:13-18 says there is wisdom from heaven, and wisdom from earth—wisdom that is pure and peace-loving, and wisdom that is evil and disordered. This message will challenge you to let go of the need to 'win' every exchange you have with others.
Faith in Action: Taming the Tongue
James says the tongue has the power of life and death—but do we consider the effect of our words on other people? This message will challenge you to use your words to build up instead of tear down.
Faith in Action: Genuine Faith
There is faith that saves, and faith that doesn't. There are deeds without faith and faith without deeds... but can such faith save you? This message from James 2:14-26 will deeply challenge and convict you to have genuine faith with deeds that is able to save you...
Faith in Action: Favouritism vs. Love
The Book of James exhorts Christians to not show favouritism to others, but to love them with the equal, sacrificial love of God. This message will challenge you in how you treat other people.
Faith in Action: Introduction / James 1
This week we are beginning an exciting 12-week series in the Book of James entitled "Faith in Action." As an introductory overview to the Book of James, this message will challenge you to connect faith and action; belief and behaviour.
Required: Relishing the Requirements / Philippians 4:4-8
Do you relish or resent God's requirements? In the last message of the sermon series Required, Philippians 4:4-8 provides the secret to learning to relish the requirements. This message will challenge you to find more joy in God.
Required: Walk Humbly
What does the Lord our God require of us? In this May Mission Month message, Jonathan Shanks explores the third part of Micah 6:8—walk humbly. Jesus, the Word of God, set us the ultimate example of humility by coming to the world and suffering for us. This message...
Required: Love Mercy
What does the Lord our God require of us? In this May Mission Month message, Jonathan Shanks explores the second part of Micah 6:8—love mercy. Mercy is an unmerited deviation away from retributive justice towards an emphasis on restorative justice. This message will...
Redefining Success / Dr Omar Djoeandy
Guest speaker Dr. Omar Djoeandy speaks on his journey of discovering how a worldly definition of success falls far short of Jesus' definition of success. This message will challenge you to reconsider your motivation and definition of success.
Required: Act Justly
What does the Lord our God require of us? In this May Mission Month message, Jonathan Shanks explores the first part of Micah 6:8—act justly. At NorthernLife, we want to be a church that carries God's heart for the nations by advocating for justice for the poor,...
Greater Love Has No One Than This / John 15:9-14
Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down your life for others. On Anzac Day, we commemorate the sacrifice of those who fought for the freedom we enjoy in Australia. We also remember how it points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, who laid down his life...
Living Stones / 1 Peter 2:4-10
In chapter 2, Peter describes followers of Jesus as "living stones" that together form a spiritual temple built on Jesus as the cornerstone—the Church is alive! This message will challenge the way you view the role of the church in the world and the function of...