Journey of a Thousand Steps

Be Bold with God

Have you ever ended a relationship that you really wanted to work? Or thought about it? This week we visited the boldness of God and of Moses in their interactions with one another, in the aftermath of the people's unfaithfulness at Mt Sinai. God is seriously contemplating separation. The covenant has been broken and God is deeply hurt. Our guest preacher, Julia Pope, drew out this uncomfortable, yet real, side of God. Moses is bold in his responses in Exodus 33-34. He knows God has every right to walk away, but asks that God stay, saying, "I don't want to go without you. In fact, I want to experience more of you, grow closer to you!" It's a bold request. What bold request would you like to make of God this Easter?   
Podcast by Julia Pope, 29 March 2026

God is a Spouse, Not a Dictator

Today we talked about marriage in ancient Israel. Marriage can be a painful and sensitive topic for us in the Church today, because our ideals have often been weaponised to exclude people. However, we can't sideline the centrality of marriage as a symbol of God's love in the scriptures. So, we seek to understand it. As Israel entered into a covenant relationship with God, they stepped through four phases that mimicked entering into a marriage. These indicated that God was not a dictator who sat above them, but the spouse and best friend who wooed and committed to them. Which stage are you at in your journey with God? Do you give him a chance to be known? Are you serious about making a committment to be faithful to him? Have you given him first place and allowed him into every part of your life? Are you collaborating with him to love and serve the poor, and those who don't know true love in their lives?
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 22 March 2026 

How To Not Fight, Flight or Freeze

What do you do when you feel under threat or depleted? Do you find yourself withdrawing, arguing or freezing up - unable to lead or make decisions? Throughout the Exodus teaching series, we have seen Moses and the Israelites respond in all three of these ways whilst under pressure. In Exodus 17.1-17, as they fear for their survival they consider giving up and going back to slavery. They start to argue heavily with their leader and create division. Then, in a moment of weakness, Moses freezes up and pressures God to do a miracle, to prove that everything will be okay. In this story we remember the call to praise God and remember His goodness, including and especially in the face of lack. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 15 March 2026 

Why Freedom Feels Harder at First

Have you ever made a brave decision to leave behind an old way of living, a toxic relationship or workplace, or even an unsafe homeland, only to find the new way of life harder at first? This Sunday we learned about the first month in Israel's history after leaving Egpyt. Their celebration and elation was quickly followed by doubt, hardship and grumbling. Exodus 16 reminds us that when we get free, life gets harder before it gets easier. There are very good reasons for this. We can't leave slavery and move immediately into building a better, more prosperous life. As disciples of Jesus, we learn to embrace the wilderness seasons of rest, healing and recalibration. What step towards freedom are you taking today? Are you deciding to leave slavery, embracing a season of recovery, or stepping into your destiny, ready to build?
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 8 March 2026

Body and Blood

Why do Christians speak of drinking the Blood and eating the Body of Christ? In this week's teaching from Exodus 12.1-13 we revisited the history of terms like "blood of the lamb," "redemption price" and the significance of "firstborn sons" in ancient times. We saw that Jesus chose the Passover meal to inaugurate a new covenant, where he became the firstborn son who paid the redemption price that saves us from death. What does this mean in practical terms? It means we are in a solid, evidence-based position to live free from the fear of death. We receive the same inheritance that Jesus has - a full and blessed life, starting now, and that will be completed, forever. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 22 February 2026

Freedom++

It is natural for us to ask why God allows suffering, but do we really want the answer? The story of Israel's exodus from Egypt to freedom reveals the reality of slavery and idolatory at the core of all human destruction - of the ecosystem and social wellbeing. In the account in Exodus 7-10 we watch the order that God has given to the world, physically and spiritually, reverse thorugh ten plagues - a ripple effect. God allows the consequences of human pride, greed and dehumanisation to unravel, but promises to provide a way out. He will not compromise with Pharaoh. His Promise is full freedom. Every single thing that has been taken from us, will be returned, and then some. His promise is Freedom++.
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 15 February 2026 

Why Not Moses? Why Not You?

Have you ever felt you were too old, too young, too inexperienced, not reputable enough or not psychologically strong enough to pursue your dreams? If yes, you are in good company. This week we read the story of Moses being called into leadership at the age of eighty, as he encountered God at Mount Sinai. He had been living in Midian as a shepherd for forty years and his life in Egypt was well behind him. He was elderly and had every reason to doubt that the elders of Israel would listen to him, as a man who had grown up in the Egpytian palace, never himself experiencing slavery or living among them. What's more, Moses had a speech impediment and was afraid of public speaking. Exodus 3.1-15 reminds us that God always gives us the training, favour and psychological strength we need to step into our calling and see His promises fulfilled. 
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 8 February 2026

The Hope That Defeats Fear (Confirmation Service)

Sometimes we have good reasons to feel afraid, as Moses' mother and sister did at the very beginning of his life. This Sunday we celebrated three Confirmations and launched a new teaching series on the book of Exodus. As we consider the beginnings of Moses' story in Exodus 1.17-2.14, in the bulrushes, we see God at work in a dangerous situation, caused by an evil political regime. Moses' protection through a time of genocide was a sign of hope. This hope gives us the courage to stand against evil and represent God's Kingdom. 
Podcast by Bishop Genieve Blackwell, 1 Febraury 2026 

The Missing Skill in Many Churches

A critical skill that we need in our personal lives and for the church to be healthy, is knowing how to share our faith with people in our lives who don't currently share it. We all have people we deeply love, in our families, friendship circles and workplaces, who do not share our faith. Many Christians today are journeying with a husband or wife who is not involved in church. How are we meant to navigate this? Is it wrong to desire others to come to faith in Jesus? Today we practiced four disciplines, drawn from 1 Peter 3.8-22, that help us to love others enough to desire them to know God's love through Jesus Christ. Knowing how to help people take steps towards God without being pushy or judgemental is a critical skill for every disciple.
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 25 January 2026

How to Find Your Person

How do you know who your person is? Who is the right friend, companion or life partner? Today we explored Paul's advice to the early church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 7.25-40). He presented a view that was as countercultural then, as it is now, that though marriage is a good gift, it is better to be single. Though he was speaking to a specific an audience who lived in an unsafe context, which is harder for those with children, his position presents an important corrective about how we choose relationships. We do this in a reverse order to the world around us. Instead of elevating romantic or sexual love, we elevate God. Instead of asking what we want in a partner, first, we ask, "Who am I and how am I called to love?" Instead of building a life around a person, God brings companions to us on the journey of discipleship.
Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 18 January 2026