Silverdale Church

02/06/2026

22/05/2026

There is no Gathering on the Coast or Table's this weekend. We have something awesome instead. Join us tonight as we celebate Jesus with a bunch of wider family from across the Auckland and Waikato regions. All the details are here - www.nzhubs.com

The night is FREE but you do have to register at the above web address. There are still seats available. See you there! 🔥

08/05/2026

As tomorrow is Mother’s Day, we are having social Tables for a shorter time starting at 10am.

This will give you plenty of time to head off to host or join lunches as you celebrate all things – MOM!

Have a great morning of connection and life as you meet.

Check your email for all the details! 😁

28/03/2026

EASTER REFLECTION 4
PASSOVER SUPPER
In Hebrew tradition there are 4 small cups of wine at the Passover meal. Each one has a symbolic meaning and particular words are spoken or sung at the drinking of each.
1. First cup = Sanctification – “I will bring you out.”
2. Second cup = Judgment – “I will deliver you.”
3. Third cup = Redemption – “I will redeem you.”
4. Fourth cup = Praise – “I will take you for My people.” [Restoration and completeness]
These 4 cups would have been at the Passover meal that Jesus celebrated with His disciples.

Just interesting...
Jesus took the first cup, gave thanks and handed it to His disciples to pass around.
Then He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them.

Unusually, the second cup is not taken at this meal.
Jesus took the third cup after the supper saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” [Luke 22:20]

The second cup of judgment is referred to in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prays in agony of soul and he says, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will but Yours, be done.” [Luke 22:42]
Jesus alone took the cup of judgment so that we no longer have to.
The 4th cup of praise would have been taken at the completion of the song at the end of the meal [Mark 14:26].

In the simple act of sharing the bread and the wine, Jesus showed God’s love in its deepest form – laying down His life so we could be set free.
He replaced the Passover remembrance of the exodus from Egypt with what we understand as communion; the bread, in remembrance of His body and the cup in remembrance of His blood shed for us. Forever changed.

27/03/2026

Check out the email coming out tonight with all things April plus TABLE localities for this Sunday and a word of encouragement as we take the deep dive of discipleship! 🔥🔥🔥

19/03/2026

EASTER REFLECTION 3
From Matthew 26
Jesus said to His disciples “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified,” prophesying His death.

At this same time, the leading priests and elders of the people were meeting at the place of Caiaphas the high priest, plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill Him. However, they knew His popularity with the people and feared a riot if they arrested Jesus during the Passover.

Jesus was at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. He was reclining at the table eating a meal when a woman with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume came to Him and poured the perfume over Jesus’ head. Simon knew this woman had a reputation - she was a woman of ill repute.

The disciples protested that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus’ response was to commend her beautiful act that was preparing His body for burial and to speak of this woman being remembered wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world.

Then Judas went to the leading priests and asked “how much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” They gave him 30 pieces of silver - the price of a slave. From that time on Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Just interesting…
Jesus spoke of and warned His disciples of His impending suffering, death and resurrection several times. (incl Matthew 16; Mark 8 and Luke 9). He did not want them to be unprepared; but nothing prepared them for what they would see. Their lens was primarily political. However, even today, our mindsets/lens’ can be stuck and thus our hopes are frequently not met as we expect.
When Jesus mentioned being crucified, He also implicated the participation of Rome, since only the Roman authorities had the power to sentence anyone to capital punishment.
Caiaphas and the religious leaders: The Pharisees and Sadducees were rivals and competed for affection from and influence over the people. They were such bitter rivals that rather than come to agreement, they invited Rome to mediate between them to see who should rule Israel. Rome chose Rome. The religious leaders were the reason for Roman rule in Israel.
They perceived Jesus as a greater threat than Rome, hence the meeting in Caiaphas’ court where they set aside their rivalry and colluded together to seize Jesus and kill Him.

Anointing: A king was anointed by oil being poured over their head.
The very expensive oil used was spikenard which signifies high honour, luxury and devotion. In Song of Solomon, spikenard symbolises the aromatic fragrance of love and intimate devotion between the bride and king.

12/03/2026

EASTER REFLECTION 2
JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE AND CONFRONTS THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, He saw the money changers and the sellers of sacrificial animals in the temple grounds. Anger so filled Him that He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. It was an act of passionate anger towards those who did not respect the sanctity of the Temple, turning it into a market where dubious transactions took place.

Matthew 21:12-13
And He said to them, “It is written: MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a “DEN OF ROBBERS.”
This was foretold in a psalm of David, Psalms 69:9

“For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.”

The next verses in Matthew speak of Jesus healing the blind and lame who came to Him in the temple area. When the chief priests and scribes saw these wonderful miracles, and heard children shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant, [some versions say ‘furious’]. They said to Him “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus’ response was, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself’?” Jesus then left.

This interaction likely contributed to the incensed determination of the religious leaders to deal with the ‘problem’ of Jesus.

Just Interesting…
Cleansing was part of the Passover celebration preparation. The removal of any leaven (yeast) from the home was a picture of cleansing from sin.
The moneychangers - a Temple tax was required to be paid by all. Foreign coins were not accepted due to the pagan images on them. The Temple coin that was prescribed and exchanged for was Tyrian and bore heathen images on it; likely valued for its weight and content. To have this coin placed into the Temple coffers was a defilement that Jesus couldn’t bear.
John’s retelling includes Jesus fashioning a whip of cords (John 2). This would have been used to remove livestock, not people.
The word ‘consumed’ in the psalm can mean ‘devoured’, ‘destroyed’ - indicating that this action, this zeal, will ultimately lead to Jesus’ death.
The Temple cleansing was a demarcation between the popular ministry Jesus had to this point, and His journey towards the Cross with the hatred that would surround Him.

The cleansing of the literal Temple is also a picture of how Jesus made the way for our righteousness as we say our yes to Him.