Coast Community Church

Matt Johnston explores the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15, revealing the searching, restoring love of God. This message calls us to rest in the joy of being found by Jesus and to share His heart for those who are still lost.
Key Topics Covered:
Jesus as the friend of sinners
The Good Shepherd who searches for the lost
The value of every person in the Kingdom of God
Heaven's joy over repentance and restoration
How Luke 15 connects with Ephesians 3 and Ezekiel's shepherd imagery
Communion as a remembrance of the lengths Jesus went to restore us
Scripture References:
Luke 15
Ephesians 3
Ezekiel 34
Isaiah 49
Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening gratitude for the church community
02:00 - Elizabeth Smart story and the picture of relentless searching
06:30 - Why the parables of Luke 15 reveal the heart of God
11:00 - Jesus, friend of sinners, and the Pharisees' complaint
17:00 - The lost sheep and the joy of being carried home
23:00 - The lost coin and the value of what was lost
25:00 - Three Kingdom realities: God initiates, all are valuable, heaven rejoices
36:00 - Communion response: remembering the work of the cross

Matt Johnston explores Jesus’ parable of the growing seed and shows how the Kingdom of God grows through God’s power, not our control. This message encourages us to trust that Jesus is alive and active, ask for eyes to see where He is working, and respond with courage and surrender.
Key Topics Covered:
The Kingdom of God grows by God, not by control
The early church as a picture of seed sprouting into bold witness
Trusting that Jesus is alive and active in the world
Having spiritual vision to see where God is at work
Following God’s invitation to participate in His mission
Relinquishing control and trusting God for the harvest
The danger of impatience leading to control and idolatry
Scripture References:
Mark 4:26-29
Acts 2
Acts 4
Acts 5:17-42
Luke 24:5-6
Revelation 1
1 Corinthians 3:5-7
Philippians 1:6
Exodus 32
Isaiah 49:15-16
Timestamps:
00:00 - Reading of the parable of the growing seed
02:00 - The early church, persecution, and boldness in Acts
06:00 - The punchline: the Kingdom of God grows by God, not control
10:00 - Jesus is alive and active; trust as the foundation
14:00 - Vision: asking God to open our eyes to see His work
19:00 - Participating in God’s mission, not creating our own
23:00 - Trusting God for the harvest instead of taking control
28:00 - Israel, impatience, and the golden calf
33:00 - God has not forgotten His people
36:00 - Guided reflection and prayer

Jeff Nagle explores Jesus’ parable of the growing seed in Mark 4 and shows how the Kingdom of God grows differently from the kingdoms of this world. This message is a call to faithful participation without carrying the burden of outcomes, trusting that God alone makes things grow.
Key Topics Covered:
The mystery and secret of the Kingdom of God
Why God’s Kingdom grows through life, not control or power
The dignity of participation in planting and watering
Rest as faith: refusing to carry what belongs to God
Sowing seeds of peace, justice, and righteousness in everyday life
Trusting God with spiritual growth, family, church, and mission
Scripture References:
Mark 4:26-29
Mark 4:11
1 Corinthians 3:6
Philippians 1:6
Matthew 16
Isaiah 9
Psalm 89
James 3:18
Isaiah 42
Colossians 1:27
Timestamps:
00:00 - Reading of Mark 4:26-29
03:00 - Setting the scene: Jesus teaching the crowd in parables
07:00 - The Kingdom of God versus worldly ideas of power
12:00 - “God's Kingdom is growing and we are not making it happen”
16:00 - The farmer’s role: participation without carrying the burden
21:00 - Peace, justice, and righteousness as the shape of God’s Kingdom
28:00 - Christ in you: the secret of the Kingdom
31:00 - Practical call to sow seeds of peace
34:00 - Reflection questions and congregational responses

Karen Gould guides a quiet, prayerful reflection on Jesus’ parable of the growing seed in Mark 4:26–29. This contemplative practice helps listeners slow down, release striving, and trust the hidden work of God’s Kingdom in their lives, relationships, and neighbourhoods.
Key Topics Covered:
Resting in God's presence without striving
Listening prayerfully to Jesus' parable of the growing seed
Trusting God's hidden work and timing
Faithfulness in sowing while God brings growth
Recognising small signs of renewal in everyday life
Scripture References:
Mark 4:26-29
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome and introduction to the five movements
01:10 - Rest and attend
02:20 - First reading of Mark 4:26-29
03:35 - Reflecting on the Kingdom and the King
05:10 - Third reading and personal reflection
06:45 - Prayer to trust God's hidden work
07:05 - Respond and walk on
08:10 - Closing prayer and sending

In this message, John Lammerton reflects on a recent trip to Vanuatu and connects those experiences with Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 8 on the grace of giving. Through real stories of local churches responding to disaster, we are challenged to see generosity as joyful, Christlike, and essential to the life of the church.
Key Topics Covered:
Reflections from the Vanuatu trip and the witness of local churches
Disaster response through Churches of Christ in Vanuatu
2 Corinthians 8 and the grace of giving
Joyful generosity in the middle of hardship
Jesus as the model of self-giving love
Equality in the church through shared resources
The mission and partnerships of Global Mission Partners
Scripture References:
2 Corinthians 8
Acts 11
Exodus 16
Timestamps:
00:00 - Team reflections from the Vanuatu trip
05:30 - Stories of church life and worship in Vanuatu
09:00 - March disasters in Vanuatu: volcano and earthquake
12:00 - Moses mobilises churches and villages to respond
16:00 - The church moving quicker than the government
18:00 - Introduction to 2 Corinthians 8 and the grace of giving
24:00 - Five lessons from Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians
31:00 - Jesus became poor so that others might become rich
35:00 - The goal is equality in the church
39:00 - Global Mission Partners vision and global work

In this Mission Sunday message Joyce, Mike and Steph explore the ministry of reconciliation through the lived experience of chaplaincy. With stories from hospital rooms, sports clubs, and everyday conversations, we are reminded that God goes before us and invites us to be present, prayerful, and available to others.
Key Topics Covered:
The meaning of reconciliation: being brought into right relationship with God
Mission as God’s work before it is ours
Chaplaincy in hospital and sporting settings
The power of presence, listening, and compassion
Joining God in vulnerable and unexpected moments
Scripture References:
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Timestamps:
00:00 - Reading from 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 and introduction to reconciliation
02:00 - Mission Sunday and the call to join God’s mission
05:00 - Joyce shares how she began hospital chaplaincy
08:00 - Story of listening to a woman carry decades of hidden pain
15:00 - Story of a palliative care patient wrestling with fear and faith
19:00 - Mike shares about sports chaplaincy and meeting people in ordinary spaces
21:00 - Conversation in a car park with someone facing deep darkness
27:00 - God’s guidance in hospital visits and walking with families in crisis
34:00 - How chaplaincy shapes us: showing up, listening, and trusting God

In this guided contemplative practice, Matt Johnston walks through Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14. This episode invites you to slow down, release performance, and meet Jesus in humility, honesty, and grace.
Key Topics Covered:
Resting in the loving gaze of Jesus
The contrast between self-righteousness and humility
Honest prayer before God
Grace over performance
Weakness as a doorway to mercy
Scripture References:
Luke 18:9-14
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome and invitation to settle into silence
01:10 - Rest and attend: releasing performance before God
02:00 - First reading of Luke 18:9-14
03:35 - Notice: paying attention to God's way of things
05:00 - Second reading of Luke 18:9-14
06:20 - Be read: letting the text examine your heart
07:45 - Third reading of Luke 18:9-14
09:10 - Respond and walk on: honest prayer for the week
09:45 - Closing prayer

Matt Johnston explores Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14, showing the difference between self-righteous religion and humble dependence on God. This message invites us to stop trusting our own efforts and receive the mercy, justification, and grace that only God can give.
 
Key Topics Covered:
The contrast between the Pharisee and the tax collector
Why self-righteousness is a problem in the Kingdom of God
Atonement, righteousness, and justification explained
The prayer God always answers: humble repentance
How God’s mercy meets those who are poor in spirit
Communion as a response of confession and dependence
Scripture References:
Luke 18:9-14
Proverbs 3:34
Amos 4
Hosea 6:6
Matthew 5:3
Matthew 11
Philippians 2
Micah 6:8
Ephesians 2
Lamentations 3
Psalms
Timestamps:
00:00 - Reading of Luke 18:9-14
03:00 - Visualising the Pharisee and the tax collector
06:00 - The preacher’s personal confession about identifying with the “good” character
09:00 - Atonement, righteousness, and justification explained
13:00 - The problem of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness
19:00 - The tax collector and the way of the Kingdom
24:00 - The prayer God always answers
29:00 - The Kingdom begins where our self-sufficiency ends
35:00 - Invitation to confession and communion

Jeff Nagle explores Luke 18:9-14 and shows that the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is not simply about being humble instead of proud. Set within Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God, this message calls us to let go of performance-based faith and receive the righteousness and welcome that come through Christ alone.
Key Topics Covered:
The deeper meaning of the Pharisee and tax collector parable
How performance shapes identity and religion
Why humility alone does not justify us
The Kingdom of God as an upside-down Kingdom
Jesus as the true answer to the Kingdom question
Communion as the end of striving and self-justification
Scripture References:
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 17:20
Luke 18:30
Luke 17:33
Luke 18:17
Philippians 2:5-11
Timestamps:
00:00 - Reading of Luke 18:9-14
03:00 - The parable begins with a question of confidence
07:00 - Why this story sits inside a larger Kingdom teaching
12:00 - The Pharisee and the ladder of performance
18:00 - The tax collector, mercy, and the end of self-reliance
24:00 - Justification as relationship and coming home
30:00 - The four Kingdom axioms and how they point to Jesus
36:00 - The Kingdom of God is within you
40:00 - Where are we still performing?
43:00 - Communion: the table as the end of ladders

This guided contemplative practice reflects on the second half of Jesus’ parable in Luke 15, focusing on the older brother and the Father’s response. Matt Johnston invites listeners to slow down, release comparison and resentment, and receive the truth that we are loved, welcomed, and already at home in the Father’s house.
Key Topics Covered:
The older brother in the parable of the prodigal son
Releasing comparison and resentment
Living as a child rather than a servant
The Father’s delight and generosity
Learning to celebrate the joy and restoration of others
Contemplative prayer and listening to Jesus
Scripture References:
Luke 15
Luke 15:25-32
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome and invitation to recenter in God’s presence
01:00 - Rest and attend: releasing comparison and resentment
01:35 - Listen: first reading of Luke 15:25-32
03:10 - Notice: reflecting on the culture of God’s household
04:35 - Read: letting the parable turn inward
06:10 - Respond and walk on: practical reflection and closing prayer