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Healing Spiritual Blindness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 24, 2017
This Sunday we're going to be looking closely at an amazing story of the Lord healing a man who was blind from birth. It's an amazing story because the Lord did an amazing miracle but also because it's clearly also about people who are spiritually unable or unwilling to see. With the help of this story we're going to try to understand how we might be spiritually blind and how the Lord can heal us and help us to see in a new way. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 36s)
In Our Own Space
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 17, 2017
Our sermon is based on the famous words of Joshua to the Israelites shortly before he died: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 25:15). Each of us has a public life and private life. For most of us, our private lives center on our homes and the people we live with there. this facet of life also includes our circle of close friends, or the times when we are by ourselves. The Lord urges us to pay attention to the ways we tend to act in our private lives, and to serve Him in this "center" so that our inner qualities, which tend to be exhibited there, become more and more heavenly. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr. | Westville, RSA
See Event (22m 10s)
God's Healing Forgiveness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 10, 2017
We all have times when we become paralyzed by evil and falsity. We want desperately to be good but for some reason we cannot seem to let go of harmful thoughts and feelings. The Lord's forgiveness offers us a way out of this spiritual paralysis: when we raise our thoughts to Him. He heals us through His forgiveness, and in that healing we find freedom for our minds. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 06s)
Helping Each Other: Part 3 - Offering Spiritual Support
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 03, 2017
In this sermon we are concluding the Helping Each Other series by talking about how to offer spiritual support. It sounds so good–offering spiritual support. And it is so good and can make such a difference when it’s done well. But offering spiritual support can also be done badly–people can be arrogant, controlling, clueless, etc. in the ways they approach "trying to help" and they can end up actually making things worse. But the answer isn’t that we should stop trying. Let’s learn what the Lord teaches about how to avoid common pitfalls and how we can best approach offering spiritual support to others. Download the workbook and other resources for doing this program at http://newchurchwestville.co.za/helping/ | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 45s)
Helping Each Other: Part 2 - Getting Spiritual Support
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 27, 2017
We know that the Lord has created us to love others; but what about ourselves? Can that love also be from the Lord? All of us have needs that must be met but it can be hard to ask for help. We worry about putting a burden on others or opening ourselves up to criticism. Yet the Lord is clear that we are to love ourselves. If we cannot love ourselves enough to get the help that we need, we lose the ability to help others. When we ask for help we are not being selfish, but rather are taking the first steps towards helping others. Download the workbook and other resources for doing this program at http://newchurchwestville.co.za/helping/ | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 59s)
Helping Each Other: Part 1 - Challenges and Opportunities
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 20, 2017
This Sunday we begin the sermons that go along with the Helping Each Other: How to Serve Spiritual Needs programme. Helping each other sounds great in theory but it can also be really challenging. We're going to start this series by looking at the challenges involved and how the Lord's teachings can help us to overcome them. For Part 2 by Rev. Joel Glenn search by date: August 27, 2017. For Part 3 by Rev. Malcolm Smith search by date: September 3, 2017. Download the workbook and other resources for doing this program at http://newchurchwestville.co.za/helping/ | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 28s)
Retaliation, and Taking Risks to Give
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 13, 2017
When people offend us or attack our intentions or motives, what should we do? Our tendency is to hit back, but He has a better way. And why did He say we should turn the other cheek? Did He mean it literally? | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Sr. | Westville, RSA
See Event (26m 17s)
Heavenly Union - Part 2 - Marriage on Earth
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 06, 2017
Last week we looked at the marriage that exists between love and wisdom. This marriage is not static but exists in a continuous cycle: love motivates us to seek wisdom, wisdom teaches us to express love, and that love in turn motivates us to seek even more wisdom. This week we will explore this cycle and how it expresses itself in the marriages that we see around us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (35m 25s)
Heavenly Union - Part 1 - Spiritual Balance
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 30, 2017
Everything in the universe reflects the Divine marriage between Love and Wisdom. Without these two qualities everything would fall apart. Over the next two weeks we will be exploring this union. This week, we will focus on our need to marry love with wisdom if we want to be truly useful. Either one on its own is weak, but together they can do amazing things. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (31m 13s)
Why Heaven and Hell are Relevant Today - Part 2 Hell
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 23, 2017
Hell is something a lot of people would rather not think about and not talk about. And it makes sense: who would want to contemplate the idea that they or people they love might end up in a place of suffering for eternity? That's terrifying. But ignoring hell or pretending like it doesn't exist also doesn't work. Just like we talked about last week with heaven, hell is a reality that we can experience on a daily basis and so we need to look at it squarely and try to understand how best to deal with it. That's what we're going to try to do on Sunday. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 18s)
Why Heaven and Hell are Relevant Today - Part 1 Heaven
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 16, 2017
Heaven and hell can seem like fuzzy, distant, old-fashioned ideas - something from a different era, like fairytales with heroes and monsters. A lot of people today aren't sure that heaven and hell even exist and those that do think they exist often think of them as something that will only be relevant later in life, when they're getting ready to die. The New Church perspective is that heaven and hell are realities that we deal with every day and that what we believe about them can have a profound impact on our lives. Come and hear the New Church perspective on heaven this Sunday. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (27m 04s)
Fear - Both Hellish and Heavenly
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 02, 2017
We tend to become paralyzed when we feel fear. It holds us back from taking risks. But the Lord says do not be afraid. Even when the storms of life rage around us we have nothing to fear. In contrast is Holy Fear: this is the fear that we might let harm come to things that are good. When we feel this fear it does not paralyze us. Instead it inspires and empowers us to protect the good things in our lives. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 59s)
An Open Invitation - Part 4 - An Open Door
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 18, 2017
This Sunday we conclude our series on the letters to the seven churches. We have explored how each church stands for some quality that the Lord wants us to work on so that we can enter His kingdom. The last two churches are Philadelphia and Laodicea, which stands for the best and worst of humanity. In both cases the Lord uses the imagery of a door: for the first, an open door that no one can shut; for the second, a closed door that He is eager to enter through. The lesson for us is that no matter where we are spiritually, the Lord is putting before us a path that leads to heaven. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 24s)
An Open Invitation, Part 3, Empty Words and Empty Worship
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 11, 2017
Over the past couple of weeks we have been looking at the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Each one describes a group of people that the Lord wants to bring into His church. This week we will look at Thyatira and Sardis. Thyatira represents us when we find excuses to not live our faith. Sardis represents us when we act spiritual but don't back it up with actual charity. In both cases the Lord offers a way out for us so that we can become part of His kingdom. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (27m 36s)
An Open Invitation - Part 2: The Misled and the Willfully Ignorant
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 04, 2017
The letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation reveal seven different kinds of people that the Lord calls to be part of His church - their good qualities and their potentially fatal flaws. This Sunday evening, in Part 2 of this series, we're talking about people who do good things but lack a true understanding, either because they're in false thinking or because they can't be bothered to think about what's true. Come and see what the Lord has to say to people like this. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 49s)
An Open Invitation, Part 1: Goodness vs. Rightness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 28, 2017
What does it take to be part of the New Church? Being part of the New Church takes many forms but at heart it is all about looking to the Lord and repenting of evils. As we approach the celebration of the New Church's birth in June, we will explore how we look to the Lord and repent, and so become part of His Church. Specifically we will explore the letters to the seven churches, each of which reveals some new quality of the Lord and some new evil that we can work on. This Sunday we will look at the letter to the Church in Ephesus, which urges those who put great weight in being right to focus more on doing good. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (31m 54s)
6 Ways the Jewish Ingathering is Relevant Today
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 21, 2017
"O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good for His mercy is forever." This Sunday the topic for the service will the harvest and gratitude. To celebrate this important topic we are inviting all children to bring fruit and vegetables up to the altar at the beginning of the service. All food collected will be donated to The White House Community Care Centre, which is our current outreach focus. Any non-perishable items will also be gratefully received. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 26s)
Finding Jesus in the Life of Abraham, Part 3
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 14, 2017
This Sunday we continue with our exploration of the Abraham story and how every detail speaks directly to the heart and mind of Jesus Christ. As our final entry in the series we will look at the near sacrifice of Abraham's son Isaac. While horrendous on the surface, the deeper meaning reveals the trauma that Jesus faced as He fought to embody Divine Love in everything that He did. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (35m 25s)
Finding Jesus in the Life of Abraham, Part 2
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 08, 2017
This Sunday evening we'll be exploring a difficult story—the story of Abraham bargaining with God and asking Him if He will still destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even just a few good people are there. The teachings of the New Church say that, in this strange and somewhat disturbing story, we can actually find a glimpse into the heart and mind of Jesus Christ when He was in this world and gain a better understanding of His incredible love for people who are trapped in evil. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (23m 37s)
Finding Jesus in the Life of Abraham, Part 1
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 02, 2017
What can the life of a man, dead now for thousands of years, teach us about our God? The story of Abraham, called to leave his home, tasked with producing a new nation, a people for God, may seem a distant fable. Yet in the details of Abraham's life we can find, if we look deeply enough, insight into the life of God Himself. This Sunday we will look for some of these insights and find a deeper understanding of our Lord. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (27m 35s)
The Hazards and Blessings of Comparing our Spiritual Lives with Others
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 23, 2017
One of the ways we evaluate how we are doing spiritually is by comparing ourselves to how other people seem to be doing. This can be a positive thing: being in community with other people who are striving to uphold the same values as us can inspire and encourage us to do better. And it can be a negative thing: comparing ourselves with other people can lead us to be envious or judgmental or it can even lead us to the absurd situation of trying to prove that we're more spiritual than other people. Let's talk about how the Lord can help us to deal with these challenging dynamics. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 52s)
Failure is an Option
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 16, 2017
Failure is an option. In fact, it's inevitable. From our point of view anyway. If the Lord hadn't "failed" the expectations of His followers, He never would have achieved His goals. He needed to face hell, be crucified, and die in order to achieve the greater victory of the resurrection. We cannot avoid the apparent failures that come our way. We can, however, trust that in letting us fail the Lord has a greater plan for us, and if we are willing we will find something better than any of our expectations. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (26m 31s)
A Humble Mind, a Joyful Heart
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 09, 2017
Palm Sunday represents a crucial turning point in the Lord’s ministry: It was the point at which He went from preaching in the outskirts of the countryside to directly challenging those at the heart of religious life. It also led to His death and eventual resurrection. There is also a turning point for us when we submit to the Lord as King: as He enters we find new challenges, unseen evils, and deep spiritual struggle. Yet ultimately it is all for the good: just as Palm Sunday points through the Crucifixion to Easter Sunday, the Lord’s presence with us cuts through temptations and brings us to eternal peace. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 54s)
Making Choices
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 02, 2017
When confronted with hard choices the easiest thing to do is to make no choice at all. Yet this choice is often the worst choice of all: in trying to keep our options open we lose out on all of them. The Lord is adamant that we make a committed choice: He sets before us life and death and urges us to choose life. Commitment to a choice is the only way to succeed spiritually. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 09s)
Mindful Communication Challenge - 5 Are You Willing?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 26, 2017
In our last service of the Mindful Communication Challenge program we're going to be looking at the question that underlies all the different ways of improving our communication that we've talked about: am I willing? Am I willing to try to improve how I communicate? Am I willing to put in the work that it will take to change the way I typically act? So.... are you willing? And if the answer (honestly) is no, what do you do about that? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 33s)