Bright Podcasts

Most Christians I know don’t want to be called religious, that's because the word religion doesn’t mean what it used to in the bible. In fact, the whole series is about getting religion out of the church. Sound strange? I would go as far as saying ‘becoming religious’ is one of the worst things that can happen to the church. This week we look at what the church really is and what they really did, because if we are not doing what they did, we might just have it all wrong.

It’s obvious when people have had a real encounter with God. They become a completely different person. It’s happened to people when they follow Jesus. But how does that happen? Do they try really hard to be good? No -that’s just behaviour modification. Transformation takes place inside before it begins to show outside. In fact, any change you see outside has already happened inside. In this week’s message, Ps Ben looks at how sinners become saints.

The Gospel is a message of God’s grace towards people. It’s a powerful message, but it doesn’t matter how good the gospel is if people don’t believe it. There are often reasons for why we can’t discern spiritual things. In this week’s message, Pastor Ben looks at what creates spiritual blindness, how it affects us and what to do about it. This is a powerful message about the most basic and foundational beliefs Christian people have.

You are called by God with a specific purpose; to live out the life God has assigned to you. But when is the best time to step out into that calling? Join us as we delve into Corinthians and hear the heart of God for you in walking out that call on your life.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the reason we read the bible or engage in spiritual practices is to make God happy. But the more spiritually mature you are, the more you realise those spiritual practices are not to benefit Gods life, but yours. This week Ps Ben talks about how Jesus taught this to the religious leaders of his day. This message is so powerful, it could completely change the way you look at Christianity forever.

We live in an ever-changing world. For many, this change and unpredictability can cause confusion and concern as we look into all that is ahead in 2021. Whilst our world is ever changing, one thing does not; God. When we rely on God’s steady nature, it allows for us to remain steady as we navigate the seasons of life.

Goodbye 2020, hello 2021! It’s a fresh start and new year, but how have you changed. Its possible to go through tough times and emerge stronger, but it depends of the source of your strength. This week Ps. Ben looks at what will make you strong in 2021 and how to set yourself up for a great year’

As we get close to the end of the year, we start to make plans for next year. But what if you looked past next year, the next decade or even your own lifetime? What if the plans you made today had eternity in mind? Would that change what you do day to day? There are eternal rewards for earthly choices, we just need to make the right choices. This is one of the most important messages Ps Ben has preached this year and the perfect way to look beyond 2020.

When Jesus was born it was the most significant event in human history, but what’s interesting is who God revealed Jesus birth to. It wasn’t the religious institution at the time, but ordinary people. If you have ever felt far from God, you should know how close he wants to be to you, and Christmas is the perfect story to explain it.

The trouble with transition is uncertainty. When we don’t know what is going to happen next, it's easy to get anxious about the future. In this week’s message Ps Ben looks at how to transition from one season to the next. It is possible to have peace without certainty of the future.

2020 has been a challenging year but we believe the best days of Bright Church are ahead of us. What we need right now is the grace of God. Grace is unmerited favour of God towards us through Jesus. We need His grace over our eternal future, over people's marriages; families; businesses; employment; physical and mental health. We believe that we can have hope and peace today because God’s grace meets us tomorrow. Vision Sunday is all about leaning into His grace as we look to a new year and a fresh start in 2021.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of the storm? Sometimes it's hard to stay calm and hold on when your boat gets rocked by the threatening waves. When the waves hit and the winds come, we can feel like we are spiraling out of control and we can't stay in the boat. Maybe you feel like you are losing grip and can't hold on. Ps Taiyo is going to bring a great encouragement to us today about staying in the boat because Jesus is there with us

It's ok to love things in your life like your job, car, home, but it’s possible to get to the point where those good things become the only thing. When that happens, you have an idol. Idols are things that have the affection of your heart above all other things.This week Ps Ben talks about how easy it is to make a god and why it’s a bad idea!

If you’re in Melbourne, you’re probably wanting some freedom. But we need to be careful of the choices we make. Some choices broaden our future, some narrow our future. The smartest thing we can do, is make choices that don’t trap us, but sometimes that’s a difficult thing to do. In this week’s message, Ps Ben looks at two lists of choices that dramatically affect our future and impact the lives of others!

Everyone is losing their mind currently over the state of the world. People are hurting and genuinely struggling, and when we are hurting it’s so tempting to vent our frustrations. When tensions are running high, and you’re at breaking point, it feels good to point the finger. It feels good to judge those that are causing your pain. Only problem is a bunch of people pointing the finger doesn’t change anything. Jesus gives us the perfect model for how to bring about change, and it isn’t what we might expect.

One of the most important parts of being a Christian is prayer. It’s how we connect with God in a direct way. But everyone has prayed and wondered if God has heard them, or at least asked the question ‘God, why haven’t you answered me?’ If God doesn’t answer our prayers, why should we bother praying? Does it affect what God does? Does he really control everything? If he can answer my prayers, why doesn’t he? Why is he always quiet? Does God not do relationship with me? These are good questions. In week three of our ‘You Asked For It Series’, Ps Ben answers these questions. If you have ever wanted to hear God, you must listen to this message.

If you’ve ever had doubts about the bible, you’re in good company. We all have experiences that try to convince us we cannot trust the Bible. When we have an experience that doesn’t match our belief, it causes us to reconsider what we have believed. So what do we do with those unanswered questions? How do we really know we can trust the bible? What does it really say? What’s the bible about? What about science, hasn’t that already disproved the bible? These are some of the most important questions you can ever ask and they have huge implications! In week two of our ‘You Asked For It Series’, Ps Ben deals with all these questions and more.

Communion is an important part of being a Christian. Amazingly, the bible doesn’t say a lot about taking it. A few hundred years after Jesus lived, church culture made communion a mystical event only to be performed by the church. But is this what the bible teaches? In week one of our ‘You Asked For It Series’, Ps Ben explains what communion is, who can take it and how to avoid messing it up. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Christian or not, I promise this message will surprise and help you!

As people we love to be comfortable, but as Christians we are not called to a life of comfort. How comfortable are you? It is worth getting uncomfortable so that the name of Jesus can be known.

As we wade through the storms of life, our minds can be easily distracted. When our circumstances and trials begin to pull us in, we need to remember to keep our ‘eyes up’ and focused on the one who walks with us through it all.