Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, 212 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat (2026)

10/09/2026

What’s in a name? There is so much in a name. Some celebrities have changed their names, like for example Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, Norma Jeane Mortenson to Marilyn Monroe and Prince Rogers Nelson to the unpronounceable love symbol.

Those in the 60s remember the Beatlemania when the Beatles band arrived in Australia. In 1966 John Lennon infamously quoted that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”. The Beatles have been replaced over the years by many and currently Taylor Swift has her “swifties”.

In the book of Acts, Peter, when questioned by the religious leaders by what power or what name did you heal this lame man, Peter filled with the Holy Spirit answered them:

“Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is-
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”. (Acts 4:8-12)

There is indeed NO OTHER NAME in which we can be saved except Jesus Christ!

This Weekend we have our ChurchFest!!
Please note there will be no gatherings at Ebenezer this Sunday.

03/09/2026

We all (hopefully) change our clothes daily. Often, we take a change of clothes with us for a specific task or event. We will take a change of clothes for physical exercise or for formal occasions such as a wedding or funeral. In the bible changing ones clothes is often symbolic of a spiritual change.

The Old Testament prophet Zechariah had a vision of the high priest called Joshua dressed in filthy clothes. Joshua was ordered by an angel to take off his filthy clothes and put on clean clothes (Zech 3:1-5). Joshua’s clothes were symbolic of the sins of the people. His clean clothes were provided by God and represented the complete forgiveness of sins and the gift of God’s righteousness.

In the New Testament Paul uses clothing as an image for taking off old sinful life and putting on new self:

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:20-24)

In Sunday’s passage of Genesis 35 Jacob instructs his family to get rid of their idols to other gods, purify themselves and change their clothes. All three instructions were helping his family members to turn away from idols and repent and return to God.

Just like we change our physical clothes (hopefully) daily we need to change our spiritual clothes daily. We need to daily take off our old sinful selfish self and put on the new self!

This Sunday we will be finishing our Genesis series as we look at Genesis 35! Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service.

27/08/2026

How do you handle a deadline or a stressful situation or confrontation?
Maybe it’s the day of the big exam
Maybe it’s the day of your knee operation
Maybe it’s the school reunion or family reunion
Maybe it’s the appointment at the dentist for that root canal

We have been studying the life of Jacob, and this Sunday we will are looking at the long-awaited meeting with his older brother Esau. Jacob had deceived his father and taken Esau’s blessing which resulted in Esau wanting to kill Jacob. It’s been 20 long years and now the time has come.

In Genesis 32 we read that Jacob sent messengers to Esau. They returned and told Jacob that Esau is coming to meet him accompanied with 400 men! Jacob is terrified, he divides his families and animals into 2 groups and then prays:

“O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. (Gen 32:9-11)

Jacob understands that he is unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness the LORD has shown him. Jacob humbly requests that the LORD will save him….What will happen??

This Sunday we will find out as we look at Genesis 32-33!
Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service.

20/08/2026

Andrew George Scott, aka Captain Moonlite, was an Australian Bushranger who escaped the Ballarat Gaol in 1872 with 4 other prisoners. Scott was recaptured, but lived a life of destruction, robbing banks and even a church in Greenvale when he posed as a preacher and stole the money devoted to building the church - hence the half-built church in Greenvale which still stands today!

In Genesis 31 the LORD informs Jacob that it’s time to escape his father-in-law Laban. As we read the account it is quite obvious that Jacob and his extended family are only able to escape because of the LORD’s provision!! It is similar for us to escape the slavery of sin and death. Jesus is the only means of escape, try as we might, we can only escape through Jesus!

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death
(Psalm 68:19-20)

This Sunday we will be looking at Genesis 31 and how the LORD provides for Jacob again and again. Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service.

13/08/2026

The famous phrase “Australia rode on the sheep’s back” explains that the Australian economy was built on and depended on sheep farming and wool export from the 19th through to the mid-20th century. There was also the boom in the 1950s referred to as the Rolls Royce decade of wool. With the introduction of cheaper artificial fabrics like polyester and nylon, the global demand for Australian wool dramatically reduced.

Sheep and particularly Merino sheep are iconic in our Australian heritage. Jacob sheep as a British sheep breed is very iconic. Jacob sheep are very distinct for being piebald (dark-coloured markings on white wool) and having 4 horns (sometimes up to 6 horns). The breed has been in England for 350 years, mainly used as ornamental sheep on large estates just as Chatsworth House. Jacob’s sheep MAY have originated from Jacob, but they did originate from the Middle East via northern Africa and Spain.

Jacob was tending his Uncle Laban’s flocks of sheep and goats for many years. Jacob had met his match with Laban as a deceiver. When Jacob asked Laban for all the spotted and speckled sheep and goats to be his wages, Laban agreed. But then Laban attempted to deceive Jacob:
“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-coloured lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks. (Genesis 30:34-36)

The LORD, however, aided Jacob, and he was able to breed spotted and streaked goats and sheep through miraculous methods.

This Sunday will be looking at Genesis 30 and how the LORD provides for Jacob even in the face of unfair treatment from his Uncle Laban.
Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service.
We will be hosting Voice of the Martyrs during our 5pm service.

06/08/2026

Marriage is the deepest and most intimate of all human relationships. Marriage is the foundation of human relationships and family. In Australia, marriage cannot be rushed. Those getting married have to sign a legal document with their intention to marry at least 30 days before their wedding. In Australia, you can only be married to one person.

The bible has several polygamous marriages, including this Sunday’s passage in Genesis 29. However, as we will read and discover, marriage with multiple partners is not God’s design or intention. Marriage with multiple partners leads to pain and suffering on so many levels.

The bible is clear. Marriage is God’s gift to humanity.
God created Adam and Eve to live in relationship with each other for life.

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (Gen 2:18-22)

If you would like further information about the Presbyterian Church statement on S*x, Gender and Marriage, please click this link: https://pcv.org.au/resources/statements/

This Sunday we are looking at how Jacob the deceiver was deceived by Laban and how suffering is a result of abuse of power and greed.
This account is Genesis 29:1-35.
Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service.

30/07/2026

There have been various weird and wonderful pillows throughout history. From the Ancient Egyptian headrests, the Chinese ceramic pillows, the Japanese tall, narrow wooden blocks or the Victorian pillow shams filled with various items to improve health!

But Jacob’s rock pillow as recorded in Genesis 28 is iconic. It’s an image that captures the situation that Jacob was in. He was fleeing from his brother, all alone and no creature comforts, not even a pillow!

Yet as low and as lonely as he felt, Jacob was not alone. The LORD, the God of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac was with him. The LORD gave him a vision of His angels transcending between Heaven and earth.
The LORD also spoke the words that Jacob needed most:
“…I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen 28:15)

The LORD was with Jacob, he was not alone. The LORD promised to watch over him, to never leave him and do everything he promised him. Sometimes we feel as though God is distant.

But in reality Jesus is so CLOSE, Dane Ortlund captures it so well in his book Gentle and Lowly:
Jesus Christ is closer to you today than he was to the sinners and sufferers he spoke with and touched in his earthly ministry. Through his Spirit, Christ’s own heart envelops his people with an embrace nearer and tighter than any physical embrace could ever achieve.

This Sunday we are looking at how God revealed himself to Jacob and how we receive so much more with Jesus than Jacob ever experienced. This account is Genesis 28:10-22. Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service

23/07/2026

An arrow shot around the world, the power of God’s providence!!

In the 19th century, an English minister told the following account of God’s providence in saving a lady who had no contact with any Christians:

“I was asked to go to a public house in Nottingham (Northern England) to see the landlord's wife, who was dying. I found her rejoicing in Christ as her Savior. I asked her how she found the Lord. 'Reading that,' she replied, handing me a torn piece of paper. I looked at it and found it was a part of an American newspaper, containing an extract from one of Spurgeon's sermons (Charles Spurgeon, gifted preacher and evangelist in 19th century London, England), this extract had been the means of her conversion. 'Where did you find this paper?' I asked. 'It was wrapped around a parcel sent to me from Australia.' A sermon preached in London, cabled or sent to America, and there printed in a newspaper, which was sent to Australia, part of it being torn off there for the parcel sent to England, which reached the heart of a woman, that probably could not easily have been reached in any other way, not many miles from where the words were originally spoken."

As every conversion means that sin has found the person out, for if the sins of the life did not press in on one, there would be no probability of confessing and forsaking them, so we see by this strange providence, how God wanted to help this woman to Christ. The path circumnavigated the earth to reach her, but that message from Spurgeon never lost its power in the trip. How we ought to thank God for His providences!”

What a remarkable story of God working out His all-powerful will and purpose!! A woman saved from an old US newspaper used for packaging from Australia (all via ships)!!

This Sunday we are looking at how God works in a fractured family whose members are selfish and deceptive to accomplish his plan of covenantal promises through generations. This account is Genesis 27-28:9.
Kids@Ebz and creche are available at the 10am service

16/07/2026

Our church’s mission is:

Disciples of Jesus raised up for Ballarat and beyond

As a church family, we exist to raise up disciples of Jesus. This includes raising everyone in our church family, from our children to our elderly folk, to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus. We also exist for those who haven’t yet heard about Jesus, both in Ballarat and beyond. As a church family, we are committed to living for Jesus, loving and supporting each other and serving the Ballarat community, Australia and the world.

Aaron and Emma Maskell have been part of our church family for over 10 years. In that time they have served and invested in so many of us and so many in the Ballarat community. Aaron stepped in as treasurer when Doug’s battle with cancer got too much. Aaron and Emma were part of the founding members of our evening Café church service, and Aaron later became the elder for Café church. Our church family invested in Aaron when he took the step of faith and became part-time pastor at Ebz and part-time student at PTC. After completing his studies, Aaron was licensed at Ebz last December and is being inducted and ordained as pastor of Morwell Presy church in Gippsland this Saturday!

The very last words that Jesus said to his disciples before ascending to heaven are:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(Acts 1:8)

What Jesus said to his first disciples he says to every generation of disciples. We are to be Jesus' witnesses in Ballarat, in all Victoria and Gippsland, and to the ends of the earth! Praise God for the opportunity for us to be used by Him to help equip and send Aaron and Emma.

There will be a live stream via Facebook of the service at 2pm this Saturday: https://www.facebook.com/morwellchurch

This Sunday we will be looking at Genesis 25-26.
Kids@Ebz will be return at the 10am service

Ebenezer Presbyterian Church

10/09/2026

03/09/2026

27/08/2026

20/08/2026

13/08/2026

06/08/2026

30/07/2026

23/07/2026

16/07/2026

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	10am - 1:30pm
	5pm - 6:30pm