Journey of a Thousand Steps

How to Plan a Healthy Budget

We want to be a church that helps people find financial freedom and lean into the adventures God is calling them into. Jesus came that we could have fullness of life (John 10.10). This means not having an empty bank account, or, a full account that comes with a spiritually bankrupt life. This Sunday we spent time considering how to revise and prayerfully plan a personal budget for 2026, that invests in long-term fruitfulness, saves for a rainy day and avoids the trap of short-sighted living. James' letter to the early Church (James 5.1-12) gives us a powerful reminder that the investments we make in this life will be seen and celebrated in the next, if not immediately. Equally, if we sell out to entirely self-indulgent living, we will be participating in death and destruction in ways that won't be hidden from our eyes forever. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 11 January 2026 

Purity is Not a Dirty Word

How do you feel about the word 'purity'? The Church often has a reputation for nurturing unhealthy attitudes towards sexuality or natural human desires, or perhaps trying to 'cleanse us' of things that aren't dirty. Whilst we don't want to and were never meant to burden people with shame, today we were reminded by Paul's advice to a young church leader, Timothy, that the Church is called to be clean of the things that hurt people in the world. This week we considered his advice in 1 Timothy 5.1-8, which describes four ways we want to be noticably more transparent, and more pure, than the world. First, we are to be effortful in caring for the elderly. Second, we listen to and invest in young people. Third, we are respectful towards members of the opposite sex, and, lastly, we are generous towards those who are homeless. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 4 January 2026 

How to Plan for the Year Ahead

How do you stocktake the year that's been and set goals for the year ahead? Would you like to try a biblical framework for your planning? As we prepare to enter the new year, this final Sunday of 2025, we considered Paul's teaching to the Corinthian church about the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.18-25). If we believe that we have been spiritually reborn in Christ and will be physically resurrected after we die, our end-goal starts in Heaven. We don't simply look to what we can achieve in the time we have on earth. We look back from who we are in Heaven, and seek obedience to the mission God has entrusted to us. This week's message comes with a practical, guided reflection to consider your priorities for the year ahead. 
 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 28 December 2025 

Christmas

By the end of this message we hope you will see how believable the Christmas story is - not a fariytale! So many of the details in the accounts of Jesus' birth are too random, inconvenient and imperfect to have been made up. In the middle of an economically depressed and unsafe political context; as well as a socially lonely and difficult situation, signs and wonders emerged. This is exactly how faith leads to social change. First, a small team of people are faithful to a calling, long before there is evidence that it is real. Secondly, life keeps throwing difficulties at the situation to make it even harder than it already was. As people persist in faith, early adopters arrive (shepherds). Then come the wise donors who believe, even though they come from outside of the community. Are you ready for this life? 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo on Christmas Eve, 24 December 2025

Joseph

Do you ever wonder whether the story of Jesus' birth is simply a ridiculous fairytale? As we take a close look at Joseph's story in Matthew 1.18-25, we see his anxiety and uncertainty as he faced a very hard decision. We also notice three dynamics that combined to make sense of something crazy. First, he had knowledge of the scripture and recalled the prophecy of a birth that would come only from God. Second, he had a deeply personal encounter with God through a dream, which calmed his anxiety and gave him a reason to believe in a miracle. Third, he loved Mary. Their love and faithfulness was also a confirming sign that God was at work, even in a very unexpected way. To discern what is from God, versus what is fanciful or crazy, we also need three things: knowledge of the scriptures, confidence in hearing the Holy Spirit and close friendships within the Body of Christ. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 21 December 2025 

When God Moves Slower Than We Expect

Even the greatest of leaders experience doubt. At the end of his journey, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus - 'What on earth is going on and why are you moving so slowly?' The words in scripture read, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ( See Matthew 12.2-12) John was under immense physical and psychological pressure as he faced imprisonment, but he was also confused by the way Jesus was starting his ministry. It seemed slow and very different to the way John had led a massive campaign for people to choose repentance. We are no different. When we are under pressures, battling pain or grief, and confused by the pace at which God is moving, we may also cry out, “Are you the one? What are you doing? Why are you moving so slowly?” Jesus answers - he will heal before he scales his work, and he won’t allow us to skip this part of the process.
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 14 December 2025
 

The Economy of Heaven

What makes a movement last? John the Baptist built a following that scaled quickly (we know this from Christian and non-Christian historic sources)!! This week, as we continued our teaching series, 'The Sifting Years', we considered John's strategies as a leader of systemic change. His cry was to convert people to an entirely new economy - one led by God as the CEO of our lives and Prime Minister of our home country. The biblical language is that "the Kingdom of Heaven has come near." In Matthew 3.1-12 we see a leader who exemplifies this change in his own life, provides a new process for people to step into, builds a movement that is replicable and scalable, and sets a high bar. Those who don't meet the standards are called out. To truly turn away from the economy of the world and live under Heaven's Rule means three things for us today. 1. We share with those who have less than us from every pay cheque. 2. We forgive and don't leave people trapped in debt. 3. We are content with our wages and live within our means. 
Imagine a nation that did all of these three things in every budget. There is one. It's the true Church and you can step into it right now.
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 7 December 2025 

There is Good Division and Bad Division

Have you been watching the news? This month we are praying and donating to support communities across South East Asia affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as we continue to hold in prayer so many nations impacted by war and many individuals recovering from religious persection and abuse in religious institutions. Where is God is allowing so much hurt to go on? This week we took a deep dive into Jesus' plan, as recorded in Matthew 24. He told us to expect four things to continue and increase before it will, finally, end: wars, natural disasters, persection of Christians and the worst of human suffering, in the middle east. Heather explains how our God is both just and merciful. He promises a final call; an end to suffering. A day will come when justice will be served. Still, He is the God of grace, second chances and forgiveness, and so the human race has been gifted time. This means we are to expect division over the Gospel, but never be divisive ourselves. We let God do the heavy lifting.
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 31 November 2025

Let's Get Loud (Thanksgiving Sunday)

We aren't meant to be church mice! This was the take home message this Sunday. Heather shared some of the reasons why church communities can become timid and happy to be small, keeping the bar low on their Mission Action Plans. As Heather shared the three-year plan ahead of Holy Trinity, she encouraged the congregation to move towards making a noise in the local community - not an offensive, rude noise, but a BEAUTIFUL and skilled sound. This Sunday, we concluded our teaching series about Christian Worship, considering Psalm 150, which describes a people who sing and dance in a loud and bold way. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 23 November 2025

Why Pray to a God Who Lets Bad Things Happen?

How can God be both good and all-powerful? Surely God can be good, but powerless to stop all suffering, or all-powerful and, therefore, unkind? This week we explored the meaning and practice of worship as described in Psalm 145, in which the singer makes a promise to praise God every day, in all circumstances. We encountered the commitment that people of faith have to exhalt, bless, praise and confess God, even through trial, hardship and persecution. Heather shared a personal example of praising God from a place of despair, and how the Bible answers the question, 'Why pray to a God who lets bad things happen?' God is good. God is all-powerful. God respects the rules of war, and worship is our weapon.   
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 16 November 2025