St Davids on Regent

St Davids on Regent St Davids Church, 60 Regent Street in Invercargill, NZ. Services are 10am every Sunday and streamed live here on our page. You are welcome 💖

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06/09/2026

Here is our service this week

05/09/2026

Speaker Rev Heather Kennedy- Paul's letter to the Romans

05/09/2026

Wisdom from above

‘The wisdom from above is first of all pure.’ James 3:17 NLT

The Bible says that the wisdom that comes from this world is ‘earthly, unspiritual, demonic’, because it comes from ‘envy and selfish ambition’ and ‘disorder and every evil practice’ (James 3:15-16 NIV). The wisdom you need comes from a different source: ‘The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere’ (James 3:17 NLT).

People today have access to more knowledge than at any time in history. Yet wisdom seems practically non-existent. Paul’s words to the Corinthian church could well be addressed to us: ‘Is there not a wise man among you’ (see 1 Corinthians 6:5 NKJV)? There’s a stark difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and information. Anyone can accumulate facts. Our problem is our lack of wisdom; we aren’t able to take the facts we’ve learned and put them into practice in real-life situations and at points of need.

If we’re to put our faith into action, we’ll need ‘the wisdom from above’. As couples, we need it to build strong marriages (see 1 Peter 3:7). As parents, we need it for leading our children in the way they should go (see Proverbs 22:6). As Christian businesspeople, we need it to succeed in the marketplace (see Isaiah 48:17). If you’re wise, you’ll pray: ‘Lord, I invite you to work with me, to work in me, to work through me, and to work for me.’ That’s a prayer he will answer.

05/09/2026

Do more than expected

‘If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two.’ Matthew 5:48 NIV

Jesus said, ‘Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over’ (Luke 6:38 NKJV). Notice, he didn’t say, ‘Only give to those who can give back to you.’ John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, said, ‘You haven’t lived today until you’ve done something for someone who can never repay you.’

In the days of Jesus, a Roman soldier could legally force a Jewish civilian to carry his heavy backpack for up to a mile. That was his right, and you refused to do so at your peril. So to walk the first mile was to do only what was required. Then Jesus came along and said, ‘If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two’ (Matthew 5:41 NIV). Why? Because ‘extra-mile service’ gives you an opportunity to impact the lives of others. A person with an extra-mile attitude is someone who cares more than others think is wise, risks more than others think is safe, dreams more than others think is practical, believes more than others think is possible, and gives more than others think is necessary.

Here’s how Jesus bottom-lines it: ‘If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don’t know God are nice to their friends. So you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:46-48 NCV). So always do more than is expected.

04/09/2026

Make good decisions

‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God.’ James 1:5 NLT

When you make a mistake or a bad decision, if you’re wise, you’ll learn from it by asking, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’ Here are three ways to avoid making a bad decision:

(1) Don’t get involved where you don’t belong. ‘Helping’ without an invitation is called ‘meddling’. No matter how well qualified you are, no matter how badly other people may be messing things up, stepping in where God hasn’t called you to go never turns out well. Ask yourself, ‘What am I trying to avoid in my own life that makes me want to take over someone else’s?’

(2) Stop, think and pray before you decide. ‘It's stupid and embarrassing to give an answer before you listen’ (Proverbs 18:13 CEV). If you’re an achievement ju**ie – someone who thinks that doing something, anything, feels better than waiting – you can make knee-jerk choices that make things worse rather than better. Include key people in your decision-making and listen to the counsel of the Holy Spirit before taking action (see John 16:13).

(3) Don’t wait too long to decide. If you’re a perfectionist, you’re at risk here. You become so concerned about making the wrong choice that you make none at all. Making no choice is actually a choice. ‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking’ (James 1:5 NLT). Worst case? You’ll make a mistake and grow wiser because of it. Best case? You’ll show courage and concern for others and improve things.

If you are interested in hearing more about Nigel and Dawn's Uganda trip, ask questions, or just fellowship together, pl...
03/09/2026

If you are interested in hearing more about Nigel and Dawn's Uganda trip, ask questions, or just fellowship together, please join us on the 13th September.

03/09/2026

Give to others

‘Do good and…share with others.’ Hebrews 13:16 NIV

In the following Scriptures, we see that God requires us to meet the needs of the less fortunate:

‘If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites…give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to’ (Deuteronomy 15:7, 10 NIV). ‘Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them – they are…blessed in the land – he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness’ (Psalm 41:1-3 NIV). ‘One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed’ (Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV). ‘All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need’ (Acts 2:44-45 NIV). ‘Since you excel in everything…see that you also excel in this grace of giving’ (2 Corinthians 8:7 NIV). ‘Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased’ (Hebrews 13:16 NIV). ‘If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?…Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth’ (1 John 3:17-18 NIV).

So, give to meet the needs of others.

31/08/2026

Be grateful, always

‘May I never forget the good things he does for me.’ Psalm 103:2 NLT

It’s the bad days that help us to appreciate good days. Without them, we’d have no comparison. David was talking to himself one day, and recorded his thoughts for us: ‘May I never forget the good things he does for me’ (Psalm 103:2 NLT).

Here are six ‘good things’ worth thinking about:

(1) If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.

(2) If you’ve never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are better off than five hundred million people in the world.

(3) If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

(4) If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 per cent of the world.

(5) If you have money in the bank or in your wallet, or spare change in a dish somewhere, you rank among the top 8 per cent of the world’s wealthy.

(6) If you can read this devotion, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

There is always someone who is worse off. This doesn’t mean you sit back content; it ought to heighten your Christ-like compassion and give you a sense of gratitude that spills over into thanksgiving each day.

29/08/2026

Speaker - Murray McIntosh
Topic - Which Comes first-Loving Feeling, Loving Thoughts or Loving Deeds

26/08/2026

Good thoughts (2)

‘Keep your thoughts on whatever…deserves praise.’ Philippians 4:8 GWT

Recent research suggests that we have at least 6,000 thoughts a day. Let’s observe four important things about our thoughts:

(1) Psychologists say that nearly all our thoughts are habitual. In other words, they’re basically the same thoughts we had yesterday, and the day before that, etc. Your mind must be renewed (see Romans 12:2). You can’t keep thinking the same things and expect a different outcome or a different outlook. So, take on a learning mindset! ‘In all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you’ (Proverbs 4:7-8 NKJV).

(2) Very few of our thoughts are focused on the future. But faith is future oriented. ‘Faith shows the reality of what we hope for’ (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).

(3) A Harvard University study found that the average person spends half of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re presently doing. And psychologists say, ‘A wandering mind is an unhappy mind.’ Of course, the most obvious culprits are the digital devices that keep us disengaged. Nothing dumbs down our ability to dream like our so-called smartphones!

(4) The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 80 per cent of our thoughts are negative. And verbalising those thoughts compounds the problem.

What’s the answer to overcoming unhelpful thoughts? ‘Whatever things are…noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things’ (Philippians 4:8 NKJV).

Address

60 Regent Street
Invercargill
9812

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 12:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 12:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 12:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 12:30pm
Sunday 10am - 12pm

Telephone

+6432167625

Website

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