Ashfield Presbyterian Church

20/09/2026

Philemon: A Postcard from Paul

Jesus commands us to do lots of hard things. To endure persecution, to rejoice in suffering, to keep trusting Jesus when we doubt, to love our enemies, to keep ourselves pure, to serve one another cheerfully, to rebuke and correct one another. But here’s one that can be more difficult than ALL of them. And that’s just as IMPORTANT: for our own spiritual and emotional well-being, the quality of our relationships with one another, the health of our church....

13/09/2026

Two of the big themes in the book of James have been HOW WE SPEAK. And what faith LOOKS LIKE. Like 1:19, “everyone should be quick to listen and SLOW TO SPEAK.” And 2:18 Genuine faith always produces fruit. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” 19Show me your faith without deeds, and I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY WHAT I DO.

And in this LAST section of James, those two themes COME TOGETHER. What faith looks like in the ways we speak.
https://thebibletorx.wordpress.com/2026/09/13/james-513-20-powerful-prayer/

13/09/2026

What does faith LOOK LIKE? An acrobat trusting her catcher? A patient trusting his surgeon? Someone trusting a secret to her friend? A passenger trusting the plane, and the pilot? But what about FAITH IN GOD? What does THAT look like? What PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE does it make? It’s a question people TODAY are asking more and more about Christian faith. Not so much “Is your faith based on something TRUE?” But “Does your faith MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your life?” Does the way you live your life PROVE that God’s reliable?

And that’s what James is interested in. What does your faith LOOK LIKE?

13/09/2026

What causes fights and quarrels among you? That’s the question James asks in v1 of chapter 4. People have been asking that question for thousands of years. In every area of human interaction... And, nearly always, people answer the question by pointing the finger AT THE OTHER SIDE. “THEY cause fights and quarrels. It’s not ME. My reaction is fair. And justified. THEY’RE the problem. Not me!”
But as James asks the question, in v1 of chapter 4, his answer is very different. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Look in the mirror. The problem begins with you. And the ANSWER begins with you.

23/08/2026

In February, 2010, at Sea World in San Diego, during a public performance, animal trainer Dawn Brancheau was dragged into the water by a killer whale she’d trained. As terrified spectators watched on helplessly, the whale tossed her around under water like a rag doll. Within minutes she’d drowned.
There are all sorts of animals we can train. Even dangerous, wild animals. But sometimes the animals we think are under control SHOW THEIR TRUE NATURE. Uncontrollable. And DEADLY. And James wants to make the point that THE TONGUE is just like THAT. We can think it’s under control. That our words will be safe and gentle. But then, without warning, our tongue will just ATTACK. With devastating results.

16/08/2026

James 2:14-26: Faith that doesn’t work doesn’t work

Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker, is most famous for crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope more than 300m long in June, 1859. A HUGE CROWD gathered to watch him. Everyone LOVED it as he crossed from one side to the other. Each time with increasing difficulty. Finally, so the story goes, he asked the crowd if they believed he could push a wheelbarrow safely across to the other side....

Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker, is most famous for crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope more than 300m long in June, 1859. A HUGE CROWD gathered to watch him. Everyone LOVED it as he c…

12/08/2026

Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Hundreds of times. In different ways. He was extraordinary. And the crowd LOVED it. They cheered. They believed in him. Finally he asked: “Who will sit in my wheelbarrow while I cross?” Deathly silence. Everyone believed he could do it. Nobody was willing to get in. James says that’s not faith. That’s just applause. “What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” — James 2:14 Real faith isn’t just what you say you believe. It’s what you’re willing to risk. It shows up in how you treat the person who needs help (not just a warm wish). In whether you forgive, not just say you value grace. In whether you pray, not just say God is in control. In whether you love at real cost, not just feel warm things. We are saved by faith alone. But faith that saves is never alone. What’s your wheelbarrow this week? Join us this Sunday at 9.30am and 6pm as we continue our series in the book of James🙏

06/08/2026

Two people walk into church. One is dressed well, confident, easy to talk to. You find yourself gravitating toward them. The other you can smell before you see. Unshaven. Looking around nervously. Expecting to be asked to leave. James says the way you respond to that moment reveals your theology. Because there are two kinds of glory on offer: The earthly kind: wealth, status, attractiveness, influence. And the glory of Jesus — the eternally powerful becoming weak and poor, so that we could become eternally rich. You can’t pursue both. “As believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favouritism.” — James 2:1 Join us this Sunday at 9:30am or 6pm as we continue our series in James.✨

30/07/2026

Imagine looking in the mirror and noticing a big blob of something on your face. And then just… walking away. Forgetting about it. Going about your day. Ridiculous, right? James says that’s exactly what many of us do with the Bible. We read it. We hear it preached. We listen to the podcast. We underline the verse. And then we walk away and change nothing. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22 God’s word isn’t a mirror for admiring yourself. It’s a mirror for seeing what needs to change — and then actually changing it. Three simple tests James gives us: 🗣️ How’s your tongue? 🤝 Who are you helping who can’t repay you? 🚫 How different does your private life look from the world around you? Not to earn God’s love. But to show it’s real. Reflect on your reflection. Join us this Sunday at 8.30 am or 6pm as we study James 1.18-27. 🧐