Skip to main content
The Whitehouse Church Podcast

The Whitehouse Church Podcast

By The Whitehouse Church

Weekly-ish sermon recordings from the Whitehouse Church in Canberra. If you’re a fan of Greg Boyd and Brian Zahnd among others, you’ll definitely notice the influence (and occasionally shameless borrowing) of their great ideas.

The Whitehouse Church is mostly Neo-Anabaptist~ish, post-evangelical leaning in worldview. We see Jesus as the full expression of what God is like and try to build community around his teachings.

If you have any questions or comments check out our website and send us a message!

www.whitehousechurch.com.au
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
PodBean Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

20 07 05 - Spring is Coming

The Whitehouse Church PodcastJul 05, 2020

00:00
13:43
24 03 24 - Palm Sunday

24 03 24 - Palm Sunday

Sadly, like the first century Jews, many modern Christians are awaiting a warlord. They are waiting for a triumphant Jesus to ride in on a warhorse soaked in blood and seeking vengeance. But the Hebrew Scriptures don’t just give us a warrior Messiah, they also give us a picture of a suffering servant that Jesus perfectly embodies and fulfils.

Mar 24, 202428:48
24 03 10 - Psalm 29

24 03 10 - Psalm 29

Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness.3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.7 The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Mar 10, 202420:28
24 03 03 - Psalms of Disorientation

24 03 03 - Psalms of Disorientation

The Psalms of disorientation deserve a place in our prayer lives. They are a window into the raw, chaotic, and despairing voice within humanity that emerges during times of crisis and confusion. The Psalms of disorientation give us both the language to cry out our rage and grief, and the permission to authentically petition God. These Psalms also have the power to draw us into the experience of others facing adversity, allowing us to prayerfully come alongside those facing despair or injustice.

Mar 03, 202432:21
24 02 25 - Psalms of Orientation

24 02 25 - Psalms of Orientation

"In popular piety, without people ever thinking about it, the only Psalms people know are the Psalms of orientation . . . it's important to keep the rest of the repertoire working that allows for faith in disorientation . . . the Psalms of orientation are enormously valuable resources for us, but they are by themselves not adequate because they do not allow for the slippages of disorientation that are inescapable in the living of one's life." Walter Brueggemann


Feb 25, 202425:50
24 02 18 - Psalm 25

24 02 18 - Psalm 25

In modern times the word hope can often be understood as a desire for something to happen. The Hebrew word translated as hope three times in Psalm 25 is better understood as waiting. The outcome is inevitable, it is the timing that is unknown. And it is the same with the coming of the kingdom of God. The promises of the kingdom that we are hoping for are not in question, they are a future reality that we are simply waiting for.

Feb 19, 202405:40
24 02 11 - The Psalter

24 02 11 - The Psalter

In our modern Christianity it’s common for people to have the idea that everyone in church needs to be happy. So, when people are going through challenges they often disappear from community. They don't know how to be a Christian whilst going through a divorce. Or how to be Christian amid chronic illness. They don't know how to authentically live out their Christianity in the face of despair and heartache, guilt or regret, disappointment, or anger. It is into this quagmire that the Psalms can offer hope as a prayer book that we can turn to when everything is broken in our world.

Feb 11, 202422:45
24 02 04 - A New Year

24 02 04 - A New Year

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. He took a deep breath and announced to the world that something new was about to happen. The holy space of heaven was going to take shape in the earth and transform it. Nothing would ever be the same.

Feb 04, 202412:46
23 12 10 - A Christmas Genealogy

23 12 10 - A Christmas Genealogy

The genealogy that introduces Jesus includes all sorts of unsavory, unpleasant, and 'unclean' people. This is the Messiah's family tree.

Hallelujah!

This is clearly a family that doesn’t exclude anyone! This is a family that can redeem anyone and change their story into something beautiful.

Dec 10, 202322:11
23 11 26 - The Parable of the Talents

23 11 26 - The Parable of the Talents

As God’s workers we are invited to partner with him to make all things new. And in this, we have an opportunity to support the poor so that their needs are met now, and we can comfort those who are mourning, and protect the earth for the meek. Right now, we can invest our talents in mercy and peacemaking. As we wait, we must not be idle, but rather we must exercise our power and privilege to sow and reap a harvest of righteousness, justice, and love.

Nov 26, 202320:34
23 11 05 - Hypocrites

23 11 05 - Hypocrites

"The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Matthew 23:11-12.

Nov 05, 202325:34
23 10 29 - The Feast

23 10 29 - The Feast

As a pastor and friend I have a responsibility to help people put on the new garments of faith, but that more often looks like coffee and counsel than an emotive call to repentance. I have found that doing life closely with other people is the best way to spur on growth. I’m not saying that we should be complacent with sin, just patient. We should be aggressive with our own sin whilst patiently loving our neighbours as they also work out their salvation.

Oct 29, 202329:37
23 10 15 - The Master’s Vineyard

23 10 15 - The Master’s Vineyard

This landowner planted a vineyard, he built the wall, dug the winepress, and built the watchtower. These are the actions of a landowner who loves his vineyard. He got his hands in the soil and stones and seeds. The tenants were privileged to live and work in the vineyard but they did not build the vineyard and they did not own the vineyard.

Oct 15, 202319:02
23 09 24 - That's Not Fair

23 09 24 - That's Not Fair

For the kingdom of heaven is like… a place where people have their needs met regardless of when they arrived or how much they can contribute. Where all people are treated with dignity and value. Where we have the privilege of serving in God’s garden and joyfully labouring under the sun for the work of justice and kindness.

Sep 24, 202325:53
23 09 10 - Church Discipline

23 09 10 - Church Discipline

Is this relationship safe for me and for the community I am in? Or do I need to step back to protect myself and allow for this other person to live in the consequences of their actions?

Sep 10, 202324:13
23 09 03 - Get Behind Me

23 09 03 - Get Behind Me

Jesus never misled his disciples about the nature of his kingdom. They just couldn’t see past their cultural worldview. They couldn’t see past their religious nationalism and their desire for retributive justice to the kingdom of peace, love, mercy, and restorative justice that Jesus was building.

Sep 03, 202320:40
23 08 20 - Crumbs for Dogs

23 08 20 - Crumbs for Dogs

As is common, there is a lot more going on behind this text than we first imagine.

When the woman is viewed as a representative person from an elite economic class that has habitually taken advantage of the peasants of Galilee the conversation takes on a different tone. Jesus’ comments could very well reflect the real-lived experience of bread being taken out of the mouths of Galilean children to be given to their rich Gentile neighbours.

Aug 20, 202333:14
23 08 13 - The Groaning

23 08 13 - The Groaning

The challenges of life: the grief, wars, famines, floods, fires, diseases, death, anxieties, worries, suffering, misery, and injustices of history are the groaning of God’s good world.

We are in the groaning time. But it isn’t just meaninglessness. The groaning is like childbirth and at the end of all this pain there will be a beautiful reconciliation. Destruction, corruption, and death will not be victorious. 

Aug 13, 202324:06
23 08 06 - Feeding 5000

23 08 06 - Feeding 5000

Have you ever felt that a task was hopeless. World peace? Eradication of hunger? The restoration of the environment? Forgiving someone who has wronged you? The reconciliation of a broken friendship? Healing from a toxic or abusive relationship? Finding peace in the wake of tragedy or grief? Sometimes the best that we can offer is a meagre handful of loaves and fishes with the hope that Jesus can do a miracle.
Aug 06, 202328:22
23 07 30 - Finding Treasure

23 07 30 - Finding Treasure

The only reasonable response to finding a treasure is to pursue it, and so it is with the kingdom of heaven.

Jul 30, 202321:24
23 07 22 - The Parable of the Weeds

23 07 22 - The Parable of the Weeds

Awful things happen in the world. The weeds are apparent in every facet of our lives. Big weeds like war and famine, but also in the small things. Even in the church there are weeds among the wheat. But the good farmer, the Son of Man, is waiting. He is not powerless and one day he will command his angels to harvest and sort the crop. The kingdom of God is going to uproot the kingdom of the world, it is going to overthrow the corrupt systems and rulers. It is going to restore what has been broken, free the oppressed, and comfort the mourning. The end of the age will signal the end of everything that causes sin and all who do evil.


.

Jul 23, 202330:09
23 07 02 - A Stooping God

23 07 02 - A Stooping God

The story of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice to Yahweh presents Christians with a challenging portrait of God. If we are to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and contend that God is like Jesus, we do not have the liberty of dismissing or embracing the violent portraits of God.

Rather, we must find a way to interpret them in light of what we know about God through Jesus, who is the ‘radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being’ – Hebrews 1:3.

Jul 02, 202339:24
23 06 18 - Being Sent

23 06 18 - Being Sent

Jesus calls unlikely people to partner in his mission: His mission to bring good news. His mission to bring the restoration of all things. This is the way of the kingdom. Jesus calls the unlikely to lead the unworthy to sometbeautiful.

Jun 18, 202324:46
23 06 11 - Being Unclean

23 06 11 - Being Unclean

Matthew is retelling the story of his midlife crisis and in the midst of that story Jesus heals a paralysed man and an unclean woman, and then he raises a girl from the dead. This is what following Jesus was like for Matthew. The day Jesus called him was a day of salvation and resurrection. A day of mercy and breaking cultural taboos to bring life.   

Jun 11, 202329:03
23 05 28 - The Voice

23 05 28 - The Voice

The narrative of Amos describes the people of Israel as devout in their adherence to cultic ritual but also as devoid of genuine concern for justice and righteousness (Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-24). As God’s covenant people they were meant to reflect his care for the most vulnerable but instead they oppressed the poor, withheld justice, and engaged in acts of sexual abuse, slavery, financial misconduct, and extortion (Amos 2:6-8; 4:1; 5:10-12).

The crimes and negligence of God’s people in the book of Amos are shockingly mirrored in the crimes and negligence inflicted against First Nations people here in Australia. All our church meetings and conferences, the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer in parliament, our grand cathedrals, and our Bible studies are meaningless if we ignore the cries of the oppressed and deny justice to the innocent. Our God is a God of justice and righteousness.

May 28, 202315:18
23 05 21 - Division in Corinth

23 05 21 - Division in Corinth

It is disappointing that the type of divisions Paul was addressing in the Corinthian church can still easily be seen in churches today. Celebrity pastors and culture in the church, gender-based hierarchies, reserved seating and car parking, barista coffee for the rich and instant coffee for the poor. The more trivial of these examples sadly belie the deeper issues of division in modern Christendom across denominational and theological lines. One can only wonder about the stern rebuke that a contemporary epistle would contain for the segmented church on view in our cities today.

May 21, 202330:08
23 05 14 - Mother's Day

23 05 14 - Mother's Day

I have frequently talked about the simplicity of Jesus’ command to love but it is so important for us to remember. When I look at history and even when I look around today, it is apparent that many people in Christendom think that loving looks more like correction than washing feet, and more like judgement than cooking meals, and more like condemnation than compassion, and more like wrath than comfort. But I am convinced that following Jesus’ commands means building a community defined by love and characterised by a deep experience of belonging.

May 14, 202314:57
23 04 30 - Psalm 23

23 04 30 - Psalm 23

The statement, “because you are with me” is in the exact middle of this Psalm and represents the central theological claim of the entire passage.


It may be dark and bleak, but the shepherd is in the valley with you. The shepherd knew the way into this valley, and he knows the way out the other side, the way to grassy pastures and still waters.


So don’t be afraid.

Apr 30, 202323:36
23 04 23 - Death and Grief with guest speaker Chevelle Hibberd

23 04 23 - Death and Grief with guest speaker Chevelle Hibberd

In this message Chevelle shares intimately and thoughtfully about her own experience of death and grief.

Apr 23, 202323:37
23 03 19 - Something New

23 03 19 - Something New

We had the pleasure of hearing from Wendell Mullet today who shared an encouraging message delving into Anabaptist history and our present calling to represent the beautiful kingdom of God.

Mar 19, 202327:58
23 03 12 - The Samaritan Woman

23 03 12 - The Samaritan Woman

Rather than perceiving this woman as prostitute, a harlot, or a sinner, there is a narrative here that can present this outspoken and theologically astute woman as an unfortunate victim of her circumstances that boldly steps into a place of faith and then chooses to go forth as an apostle to her people. If this story was about a man, it would likely have been interpreted differently for the last 1900 years.

Mar 12, 202337:55
23 02 19 - Metamorphosis

23 02 19 - Metamorphosis

There are many things that the Bible actually says, and even more that have been tortured out from its pages that cannot be considered consistent with the life and teaching of Jesus. Bad exegesis and interpretation can easily create false gospels.

The post-transfiguration life for Christians means walking away from – repenting of – violence, power over, and authoritarian control. It means repenting of a gospel that promotes bad news as a means to manipulate people, and a gospel that exclusively promotes personal salvation and personal morality but ignores corporate repentance, social justice, and institutional change. The post-transfiguration life looks like sacrifice, joyful service and love.

Feb 19, 202326:38
23 02 12 - Manifesto of a New Kingdom

23 02 12 - Manifesto of a New Kingdom

Just as the Ten Commandments were the foundational laws in the society of Israel, Jesus is presenting a manifesto for the new community of the kingdom of God. In all these teachings Jesus expresses what the true fulfilment of the law should look like, not as a doctrinal statement but rather as a beautiful vision of a holy community relating towards one  another with love and respect.

Feb 12, 202324:40
23 01 29 - The Beatitudes
Jan 29, 202307:33
22 11 27 - A Whitehouse Christmas

22 11 27 - A Whitehouse Christmas

A tent of meeting tried to contain something of God’s nature. There was a tabernacle, and a temple, and an ark, and a Holy of Holies, but none of them could not contain God. They all passed away, yet God still desired to dwell among his people, he still wanted to be with us. And so, he took on flesh like us. And within Mary’s womb became the temple of the very enfleshed Word of God! The one who could not be contained was now contained! The incarnate Son of God within her. Theotokos, the God-bearer, the fulfilment of the Law and the beginning of a new Covenant of grace whose name is Jesus Emmanuel, God with us!

Nov 27, 202221:05
22 11 20 - Not from this world

22 11 20 - Not from this world

Jesus’ kingdom isn’t from this world, which should be obvious because worldly kingdoms always defend themselves with violence. Worldly kingdoms are insecure and fragile realms led by insecure and fragile kings that are founded on the blood of their enemies. But Jesus’ kingdom is from another place, and instead of violence, trickery, and insurrection, his kingdom is founded on the love of his enemies, on truth, and resurrection.

Nov 20, 202219:45
22 11 13 - Progressive Christianity

22 11 13 - Progressive Christianity

It is not foremost our orthodoxy and creeds, or our pageantry and performances, or our offerings and sacrifices that make us Christian. It is our love of God and the love of our neighbours that shows how close we are to God’s kingdom.

Nov 13, 202226:40
22 10 30 - Not so with you

22 10 30 - Not so with you

Somebody needs to lead and somebody needs to hold power, it’s just that Jesus simply doesn’t recognise this as a prerequisite for greatness. Having the most power, prestige, influence, money, or might is irrelevant to Jesus’ definition of greatness. It is obvious who Jesus thinks is great. He draws attention to the widow with a few coins, the good Samaritan, the faithful Centurion who petitions for their servant, and the Canaanite woman who seeks healing for her child. These are the people that impress Jesus.

Oct 30, 202224:12
22 10 16 - Introduction to Hebrews

22 10 16 - Introduction to Hebrews

Our picture of God must be shaped by our understanding of Jesus. He is the only true perfect representation of the father, and he is the lens through which we must interpret all Scripture and revelation. His teaching and example are superior to all others, and when we are faced with complex theological and moral conundrums the sensitivity, graciousness, and kindness of Jesus must be our model for both contemplation and practice.

Oct 16, 202230:13
22 10 09 - Stumble

22 10 09 - Stumble

When Jesus defines the boundaries of belonging he makes it clear that it is the people that cause others to stumble, the people that exclude others, and the people that are focused on defining themselves as the greatest that should be worried.
Oct 09, 202228:23
22 09 25 - Who do you say I am?

22 09 25 - Who do you say I am?

We must trust that war and violence, death and suffering, greed and malice, and all manner of evil will ultimately be done away with in the kingdom of God. We must trust that the unjust, apathetic, unmerciful and  evil empires, powers, and authorities will receive judgement and that the poor, the oppressed, the broken, and the innocent victims of the world’s corruption will receive life everlasting through Christ who died for them!

Sep 25, 202224:21
22 09 18 - Chevelle Hibberd - Favouritism

22 09 18 - Chevelle Hibberd - Favouritism

Today we have the wonderful Chevelle Hibberd sharing about favouritism from the book of James.

Sep 18, 202222:23
22 09 04 - The Valley of Weeping

22 09 04 - The Valley of Weeping

Even though the psalmist of Psalm 84 longs to be back in the courts of the Lord, he knows that there is a blessing for the pilgrims who seek out God. God gives his children the strength to carry on even through the Valley of Weeping. God is just as real on the journey as he is in the temple. God is just as present on the difficult road as he is in the sanctuary of his courts.

Sep 04, 202219:50
22 08 27 - Solomon's Wisdom

22 08 27 - Solomon's Wisdom

Solomon had a listening heart but sadly the later part of his life was dictated by him listening to the call of his wives’ pagan worship and idolatry. Solomon is an example of wisdom, but he is not the fulfilment. Jesus is the true beacon of wisdom that we should seek to follow.

Aug 28, 202227:18
22 08 14 - The Bread of Life

22 08 14 - The Bread of Life

The crowd that followed Jesus missed the signposts that were pointing them to his true identity. They were able to connect the dots and see how Jesus was like Moses, but they couldn’t see past their physical reality to the spiritual reality being revealed.

Aug 14, 202231:37
22 08 07 - Bible Study in John

22 08 07 - Bible Study in John

Today we have something a little bit different as our face-to-face  meeting was shifted online due to Covid. Instead of a regular sermon Geoff guided us through a Bible study in John 6:1-21 using a range of visual tools including maps and interlinear Bible resources.

Aug 07, 202233:10
22 07 31 - A Place of Healing

22 07 31 - A Place of Healing

The church should be a place of healing, not a place that causes trauma. And not just miraculous physical healing, but the kind of healing that  comes from deep abiding relationship, from connectedness, intimacy and belonging. The kind of healing that comes from extended times of  listening, from tea and from coffee, and from the breaking of bread.

Jul 31, 202222:47
22 07 17 - Bible Study in Mark

22 07 17 - Bible Study in Mark

Today we have something a little bit different as our face-to-face  meeting was shifted online due to Covid. Instead of a regular sermon Geoff guided us through a Bible study using a range of visual tools to help show how he reads the Bible and prepares his messages.

Jul 17, 202228:36
22 07 10 - Signposts in Mark

22 07 10 - Signposts in Mark

These incredible stories are signposts for us in the gospel of Mark. Jesus didn’t heal everyone in the world or raise every dead person in the region. But in these examples, we see what his kingdom will be like in the time to come. God is remaking the world through Jesus and one day his kingdom will look like all the signposts that Jesus left behind in his ministry. The oppressed are set free, the afflicted are healed, the blind have their sight restored, the dead are raised, and all injustices will be made right. The greatest signpost of all being the cross upon which Jesus died as a sign of his great love and his power over sin and death.

Jul 10, 202228:11
22 06 26 - This Man Speaks in Parables

22 06 26 - This Man Speaks in Parables

The mustard bush was not a plant that any farmer would sow into his field. They are an invasive plant that grows and takes over! It is a weed! And the kingdom of God is like this, it will get into every nook and cranny, it will find every space and it will grow. There is no stopping it! The kingdom of God is going to uproot the kingdom of the world, it is going to overthrow the corrupt systems and rulers. It is going to restore what has been broken, and free the oppressed, and comfort the mourning. And it will be a refuge for all people.

Jun 28, 202220:50
22 06 19 - This Man is Possessed

22 06 19 - This Man is Possessed

The teachers of the law had a sinister agenda. By labelling Jesus as 'possessed' they were also trying to justify to the people what they were planning to do to him.
This is a common tactic even today when authorities want to get away with hurting people. Our media is often complicit with policy makers in creating labels that dehumanise people with the explicit agenda of justifying institutional abuse. If I can convince you that someone is not like you and that they are less valuable than you, it then becomes reasonable for me to treat them without dignity.
But our heavenly father has a new label for us also, the 'sons and daughters of God'.
Jun 19, 202222:16