Figtree Anglican Church Podcast

In this sermon, Robin Kinstead explores the trial of Jesus before Pilate in Mark's Gospel, revealing how the crowd's choice of Barabbas over Jesus powerfully displays the heart of the gospel. As the innocent King is rejected and the guilty rebel is released, we see the great exchange at the centre of Christianity—Jesus taking the place of sinners. Robin unpacks how Christ willingly bore our judgment, fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system, and calls us to respond by living lives of humble service, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

Questions to Think About

1. Why is Barabbas such a powerful picture of our own situation before God?
2. What does Jesus' willingness to take the place of the guilty teach us about God's love?
3. How does understanding the cross shape the way we view forgiveness?
4. In what practical ways can you serve others as Jesus has served you?
5. Is there someone in your life whom God is calling you to forgive or love more deeply?

Three Things to Take Away

• Jesus, the innocent King, willingly took the place of guilty sinners.
• The cross demonstrates both God's justice and His extraordinary mercy.
• Those who have been served by Jesus are called to serve others with joy and sacrifice.

In this sermon, Robin Kinstead explores Mark 12 alongside Psalm 118, focusing on the theme of honouring authority under God. He explains how Jesus confronts the religious leaders who question his authority, using parables and teaching to reveal their rejection of God’s servants and ultimately God’s Son. The message highlights that while earthly authorities—such as governments—are to be respected and honoured, they are secondary to God’s ultimate authority. Robin emphasises that believers are called to live faithfully under both, recognising that they bear God’s image and belong to him, even when following Jesus leads to rejection or hardship.

Questions to Think About

1. How do you recognise and respond to God-given authority in your life?
2. What does Jesus’ response about paying taxes teach about balancing earthly and spiritual responsibilities?
3. In what ways might you be tempted to question or reject God’s authority?
4. How can you remain faithful when following Jesus leads to opposition or difficulty?
5. What does it mean to give to God what is God’s in your daily life?

Three Things to Take Away

• God’s authority is ultimate, and all other authority exists under him.
• Christians are called to honour earthly authorities while remaining loyal to God first.
• Following Jesus may involve rejection or hardship, but it is part of living faithfully under his rule.

In this sermon, Shane Dirks explores Mark 14 and the events surrounding the Last Supper, highlighting the “ironic” nature of Jesus’ mission. Through moments such as the prepared Passover, the announcement of betrayal during a fellowship meal, and Jesus redefining the covenant in terms of his own body and blood, the message reveals a Messiah who overturns expectations. Shane emphasises that Jesus is fully prepared, willingly heading toward the cross, and is the true and only hope for salvation. The sermon calls listeners to recognise Christ’s authority, trust in his finished work, and respond to his call to watch, believe, and proclaim the good news.

Questions to Think About

1. What do the “ironies” in this passage reveal about the true nature of Jesus’ mission?
2. How does Jesus redefining the Passover challenge your understanding of salvation?
3. In what ways might you be relying on something other than Jesus as your hope?
4. How does knowing that Jesus is both willing and prepared to save change your response to him?
5. What does it look like for you to “keep watch” and live in light of the empty tomb?

Three Things to Take Away

• Jesus is fully prepared and in control as he moves toward the cross.
• Jesus willingly gives his life, showing God’s deep love and grace.
• Jesus alone is our true hope, calling us to trust him and share the gospel with others.

In this sermon, Peter Lenehan unpacks Mark 14:12–31, focusing on Jesus’ final meal with his disciples in the context of betrayal and denial. He highlights how Jesus knowingly shares the Passover meal with those who will abandon him, revealing his extraordinary grace, patience, and commitment to relationship. The message explains the significance of the Lord’s Supper as a covenant of ongoing friendship through Jesus’ body and blood, while also addressing the seriousness of rejecting him. Listeners are challenged to consider both the warning of betrayal and the invitation to remain at Jesus’ table, responding with honest repentance and lives of sacrificial worship.

Questions to Think About

1. How does Jesus’ response to betrayal challenge the way you treat people who let you down?
2. In what ways might you be tempted, like Judas, to value other things above Jesus?
3. What does it mean for you personally to “stay at Jesus’ table”?
4. How comfortable are you with honestly confessing your struggles and failures to God and others?
5. Do you truly believe Jesus is worthy of sacrificial worship—and how is that seen in your life?

Three Things to Take Away

• Jesus shows remarkable grace by inviting those who will fail him into relationship and fellowship.
• The key question of faith is not “Am I good enough?” but “Is Jesus worthy?”
• Honest confession and ongoing dependence on Jesus are essential to living a faithful Christian life.

In this sermon, Shane Dirks unpacks Psalm 22 alongside Matthew 27, showing how the psalm’s cry of “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus on the cross. He explores the tension between human emotion and theological truth, encouraging listeners to engage both heart and mind in times of suffering. Rather than focusing on “why me,” the message reframes the question to “why you,” directing attention to God’s character—holy, faithful, and attentive throughout history. The sermon emphasises that while circumstances may not immediately change, a shift in perspective toward dependence on God leads from despair to confident declaration, grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

5 Questions to Think About:

1. When facing hardship, do I focus more on “why me” or on who God is (“why you”)?
2. How do I hold together what I feel and what I know to be true about God?
3. In what ways have I experienced my dependence on God, especially in difficult times?
4. How does Jesus’ use of Psalm 22 on the cross shape my understanding of suffering?
5. What would it look like for me to move from despair to declaration in my current situation?

3 Key Takeaways:

• Suffering is a normal part of life, but it is meant to draw us into deeper dependence on God.
• God’s character remains constant—holy, faithful, and attentive—even when circumstances are difficult.
• True peace comes not from changed circumstances, but from trusting God and declaring His goodness.

In today’s sermon, Shane Dirks explores Jeremiah 7 and Mark 11, drawing a powerful connection between the temple, the fig tree, and Jesus’ cleansing of the temple courts. He explains how both passages confront the danger of outward religion without inward transformation—“leafy” appearances without true spiritual fruit. By unpacking Jesus as the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King, the message highlights how the old system centred on the temple is fulfilled in Christ. Listeners are challenged to consider what “mountains” in their lives—such as self-righteousness, false expectations, or misplaced identity—need to be surrendered, and are invited to trust fully in Jesus as the one true mediator who brings people into genuine relationship with God.

5 Questions to Think About:

1. Where in my life might I be relying on outward actions rather than genuine heart transformation?
2. What “mountain” (belief, expectation, or habit) might I need to surrender to fully trust Jesus?
3. How does understanding Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King shape the way I relate to God?
4. Is there someone I need to forgive in order to draw closer to God in prayer?
5. Do I treat prayer as a relationship with God or as a way to get what I want?

3 Key Takeaways:

• God desires genuine heart transformation, not just outward religious activity.
• Jesus fulfills the old system and is the only true way to be reconciled with God.
• Faith in Jesus involves surrender—letting go of false standards, forgiving others, and trusting Him fully.

In tonight’s sermon, Ruth Smith explores Jeremiah 7:1–11 and Gospel of Mark 11, unpacking Jesus’ unexpected actions as he enters Jerusalem as the promised Messiah—prophet, priest, and king. Through the triumphal entry, the cursing of the fig tree, and the cleansing of the temple, Ruth explains how Jesus confronts false religion and exposes the danger of outward appearances without true spiritual fruit. She highlights that the temple, once central to worship, is being replaced by Jesus himself as the true meeting place between God and humanity. The sermon concludes by reframing prayer—not as a transaction to get what we want, but as a relational response of trust, inviting believers to engage deeply with God and allow Him to transform their hearts.

 

5 Questions to Think About:

1. Where might I be relying on outward appearances of faith rather than genuine spiritual fruit?
2. Do I treat my relationship with God as something secure regardless of how I live, like the people in Jeremiah’s time?
3. How do I respond to Jesus as king—do I expect Him to meet my agenda, or do I submit to His?
4. In what ways do I approach prayer: as a transaction to get things, or as a relationship with God?
5. Are there “mountains” in my life—idols or priorities—that God is calling me to surrender?

In today’s sermon, Robin Kinstead explores the transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9 alongside the prophecy of Malachi 4, revealing the brilliance of God’s glory and the depth of His transforming grace. He highlights how Jesus is not merely reflecting God’s glory but is Himself the radiant Son of God, fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. The message emphasises that God’s kingdom and restoration come not through human effort but through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Believers are called to behold Jesus, listen to Him, and be transformed by His grace—reflecting His light in a world that cannot generate its own.

5 Questions to Think About:

1. What does the transfiguration reveal about who Jesus truly is?
2. Why is it important that God says, “Listen to him”?
3. How do the appearances of Moses and Elijah help us understand Jesus’ role in God’s plan?
4. Why can’t we separate God’s glory from the suffering of the cross?
5. In what ways might you be trying to “create your own light” instead of reflecting Christ’s?

3 Key Takeaways:

• Jesus is the radiant Son of God, and His glory reveals both His identity and His mission.
• God’s grace and restoration come through the cross before the crown—suffering precedes glory.
• Transformation in the Christian life comes from beholding Jesus and reflecting His light, not from self-effort.

In today’s sermon from Mark 1–8, Shane Dirks introduces a new series by giving an overview of the Gospel of Mark, focusing on the central questions: Who is Jesus, and what has He come to do? Drawing from passages including Mark 1:1–13 and Mark 8:22–38, he explains how Jesus is revealed as the Messiah, the Son of God, and the true image bearer who embodies God’s kingdom. Shane highlights that Jesus’ identity cannot be separated from His mission as the suffering servant who must die and rise again, and shows how Mark’s account—including the healing of the blind man—illustrates the gradual understanding of who Jesus is. The sermon concludes by applying this truth to believers, emphasising that just as Jesus’ identity and mission are inseparable, so too the Christian’s identity and calling are united in a life of faith, holiness, and following Christ.

 

5 Questions to Think About

1. How does Mark’s Gospel answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” in Mark 1–8?
2. Why is it important that Jesus’ identity cannot be separated from His mission to suffer and rise again (Mark 8:31)?
3. How does the healing of the blind man (Mark 8:22–25) help us understand the way people come to recognise Jesus?
4. What does it mean for you personally to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus (Mark 8:34)?
5. How are your identity as a Christian and your daily life meant to reflect the mission God has given you?

 

3 Things to Take Away from the Message

1. Jesus’ identity and mission are inseparable — He is the Messiah who must suffer, die, and rise again to accomplish God’s plan (Mark 8:29–31).
2. Understanding Jesus often grows over time — like the blind man, people may see partially before seeing clearly (Mark 8:22–25).
3. Christian identity shapes Christian living — followers of Jesus are called to live lives of faith, holiness, and self-denial as they follow Him (Mark 8:34–35).

In tonight’s sermon, Ruth Smith explores key passages from Gospel of Mark, tracing the question at the heart of its opening chapters: Who is Jesus? Beginning with Mark 1:1–13 and moving to Mark 8:22–38, the message highlights how Jesus is revealed as the Messiah and Son of God through his authority, teaching, and miracles. Ruth focuses on Peter’s declaration of Jesus as the Messiah and the surprising reality that this Messiah must suffer and die. The sermon challenges listeners to move beyond simply recognising Jesus’ identity to understanding what it truly means to follow him—denying self, taking up the cross, and trusting him as the source of ultimate security and eternal life.

5 Questions to Think About:

1. When you consider the question “Who is Jesus?”, what is your personal response?
2. Are there ways you might be shaping Jesus to fit your own expectations, like Peter did?
3. What is the “10%” of your life that you find hardest to surrender to God?
4. How does Jesus’ call to deny yourself and take up your cross challenge your daily decisions?
5. Where are you currently placing your sense of security—yourself, the world, or Jesus?

3 Key Takeaways:

• Jesus is not only the Messiah in title but the suffering Saviour who fulfills God’s plan in an unexpected way.
• True discipleship requires full surrender—denying self, trusting God’s will, and following Jesus wholeheartedly.
• Lasting security is not found in control or circumstances, but in Jesus and the eternal life he promises.