Partakers Christian Podcasts

G'day and welcome to Partakers! Today we hear a testimony of how Partakers began! May 2007, in the final week before final dissertation submission at Moorlands College, I collapsed while at the GP. While unconscious I said "Dad, can I come home now?" To which I was told by God, "No. Get up. We have a job for you to do." So I sat up, and the emergency paramedics came in, almost fainted and said: "You aren't supposed to be sitting up..." Collapse caused by sepsis due to ingrown hairs on my leg... Because of these events, we now do what we are doing, thanks be to God, reaching over 120 countries a year via social networks, paperbacks, ebooks, Podcasts and YouTube... Thanks for being part of our life, and I hope that I have shown in some way, that God loves you... Come on in, listen to what happened next, how we began. By listening, you are sharing in the work that God has been doing through us! Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file ~ You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please

Luke Looks Back Chapter 5 Study 5 - Luke 4:14-30 The Announcement of the Messiah We start off this study with a question. Question 1: Where was your hometown? What was, or is, memorable about it? Read Luke:4:14 to 23. Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus, where he grew up. It was a small village in the middle of the province of Galilee, mainly of Galileans but including some Jews from the far away province of Judea. The people of Galilee were often of mixed ancestry so there is likely to have been considerable antagonism between them and the purer blooded Judean Jews who regarded themselves as the only proper Jews. As a result Judean Jews of Nazareth, as the family of Jesus were, were most probably foreigners in their own community. The two slightly different peoples were probably not friendly to each other. That, not the best of places, was where Jesus spent most of his childhood days! Luke uses the story of what happened when Jesus read from the OT book of Isaiah in the synagogue there, to start explainin

Wednesday Wisdom Proverbs 1 G’day! Welcome to Partakers and to Wednesday Wisdom, where we are listening to what the Bible has to say through the Wisdom literature of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Come on in! Today it is Proverbs 1. Download this episode using this link 1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and cha

Luke Looks Back Chapter 4 Luke 3:19-4:13 The Preparation of the Messiah: his baptism Luke rather oddly records the imprisonment of John (3: 19, 20) before the baptism of Jesus by John. He does this because only Jesus is really important in the rest of the story. He continues his account of the preparation of Jesus for his ministry with first his baptism and then his temptation. 1)     Ice breaker. What was the most memorable part of your baptism (if you were old enough to remember it) or confirmation? 2)     Matthew tells us why Jesus was baptised (Matt 3: 15). Luke is only concerned with what happened when he was (v 21 - 23). Which major Christian teachings are important in what happened? Why is it important for us to hear about these before we hear about Jesus starting his ministry? Genealogies were important in those days to show who someone was. Why this one is considerably different from the one that Matthew gives is not clear. Both are carefully structured ar

Luke Looks Back Chapter 3 Luke 3:1-18 Heralding the Messiah Luke continues with his careful introduction to Jesus' ministry. He tells us all about John because John came before, and announced, Jesus. One thing he is going to make very clear throughout his book is that while John was a prophet Jesus was more than a prophet. First we read Luke 3:1-9 Luke in 3: 4 - 6 uses Isaiah's great picture of hope in Isaiah 40:3-5, which prophesies the return of the Lord and his people to Jerusalem after the exile, as a picture of the coming of the Lord Jesus to the people of God. John is the voice. Jesus is the Lord. An obvious first question to make you think, although it does not come directly from this passage is this: What is your hope? How far does your hope change the way you live from day to day? Where should our hope be placed? Obviously the first part of that question has an individual answer, not an only right one. Our hope should be placed on being with Jesus in his heavenly kingdom and then after our resurre

Luke Looks Back Chapter 2 Not all the stories commonly believed about the birth of Jesus are true to the actual facts. He was born before Herod died in 4 BC ,in Bethlehem, which was not his parent's home village, probably in an ordinary house (the word translated 'inn' can mean a guest room or just the sleeping area in a house; the manger would be between the family area and the livestock area). Not all the stories commonly believed about the birth of Jesus are true to the actual facts. He was born before Herod died in 4 BC ,in Bethlehem, which was not his parent's home village, probably in an ordinary house (the word translated 'inn' can mean a guest room or just the sleeping area in a house; the manger would be between the family area and the livestock area). Luke 1:1-20 Question 1. Luke carefully says the birth of King Jesus occurred during the reign of Caesar Augustus (v 1), who was a great and good Roman Emperor who brought lasting peace to a world in which there had been many wars. What does he want

Luke Looks Back Chapter 1 Introduction Luke 1: 1 - 80 Preparations for the Advent of the Messiah This is the first of a set of studies of the life of Jesus written by a man called Luke. The studies are in the form of sets of questions for a group, or an individual, to think over and discuss. In his first 4 verses written in different, better Greek than the rest of the book, Luke announces what he is going to do. Luke makes it clear he is writing history by emphasising the way in which he has researched the life of Jesus and the surrounding events.  The other three Gospel writers write life stories more narrowly focused on Jesus. Luke was writing to a man called Theophilus who, judging by the formal way Luke addresses him, must have been someone rather important. Study 1 Reading:  (Luke 1: 1 - 4), Here is the first question: Luke  wants to give Theophilus 'certainty' about the things he has been taught by Christians (v 4). Where can we get certainty about the things we have been taught? Theophi

The story of Sharon The story of Sharon, from China, who converted to Christianity from Daoism/Buddhism.    Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

Psalm 96 to Psalm 100 Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!   Right mouse click or tap here to save/download these Psalms as a MP3 file Psalm 101 1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life – when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. 3 I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. 4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. Right mouse click or tap here to save/download these Psalms as a MP3 file Psalm 102 1 Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. 3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. 4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I for

18. Jesus The Ascended King Right mouse click or tap here to save this podcast episode as a mp3 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 Jesus’ resurrection is the catalyst for the mission of the church, beginning with the disciples and throughout history. Jesus’ mission to earth is coming to an end and shortly He will be returning to the right hand of the Father. Before He does so though, He has some more words to say to His disciples. Jesus’ Authority Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus’ authority is a major th

Psalm 91 to Psalm 95 Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!   Right mouse click or tap here to save/download these Psalms as a MP3 file Psalm 91 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Right mouse click or tap here to save/download these Psalms as a MP3 file Psalm 92 1 It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, 2 proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. 4 For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. 5 How great are

Psalm 86 to Psalm 90 Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!   Right mouse click or tap here to save/download these Psalms as a MP3 file Psalm 86 A prayer of David. 1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. Right mouse click or tap here to save/download these Psalms as a MP3 file Psalm 87 Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song. 1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain. 2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are said of you, city of God: 4 ‘I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me – Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush – and will say, “This one was born in Zion.”’ 5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and t

From Skeptic to Salvation I am Richard. I am 62 years of age. For 59 years of my life, I lived with faith " only in myself ".I was at best a Skeptic, at worst an Atheist. I would go right out of my way to test and very strongly argue against anyone I met, who professed to have a faith, in any sort of God. I needed nothing, but my own free will. All my faith was "only" in myself. In 2002 / 2003 my world fell apart. I was left alone to myself. All my lifelong responsibilities disappeared. I became for 2 years a solitary hermit, living in my house, completely alone. It was during this time, alone, that I started to question, :- What my life was about. What was I here for. What was the reason for my being, if there even was one. I wanted, and so needed contact with other people. I needed to talk, to be listened to, and to listen to others. We are not meant to be solitary beings we are social creatures. We so need fellowship with others, like we need food. After over 2 years of self imposed solitary confinemen

God and His church! As Christian Disciples, we declare that we believe in God! That's what we have been doing in our praises and testimonies! Somebody asked last week what I meant by a WOWFactor of God! Just that - testimonies of how great is our God. As Christian Disciples, we declare that we not only believe in the existence of God, but that we can know God personally! We declare that we can grow in our knowledge of this great and Almighty God who is infinite and beyond our limitations of space and time! This great and awe-inspiring God we trust, obey, follow and worship, amazing as it sounds, is personable and knowable. This God we worship is a personal God and not a remote being or an un-emotive statue to place on a shelf. More than that, this God wants to be known. So with that said, just who is God? 1. Who is God? God's Natural Attributes God's Moral Attributes 2. Our Relational Response God desires to bring people back into relationship with Himself! To do so, God established a New Covenant! This Cove

This year, Christians around the world are observing the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea — an event that significantly influenced the Christian faith and continues to unify believers across centuries and traditions. Convened in 325 by Emperor Constantine in what is now modern-day Turkey, the Council of Nicaea resulted in the creation of the Nicene Creed: the first universal summary of Christian belief. We pray together and when Christians pray together, from different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity! Come! Let us pray and profess together! Nicene Creed What we believe as Christians...   We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen. ~ We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. ~ Through Him a

Athaliah The person we are going to look at in this study, is Athaliah. You can read about her in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 22-23. The judges have long gone, and the nation of Israel had become a monarchy under Saul, David and Solomon. Yet soon after Solomon died, the nation splits into north and south - Israel and Judah. Athaliah was, by all accounts, a terrible woman. The tribes in the kingdom of Israel, tried to lure the kingdom of Judah's tribes into a trap, and prepared it for the Babylonian exile. Athaliah was to cause Judah's moral life to decay. Athaliah was the daughter of that horrible couple Ahab and Jezebel. She somehow inherited all the evil of her wicked parents. Jezebel had brought poison from Sidon and injected it into the life of Israel. Come and listen to discover with us more about Athaliah, and what lessons we the Church today can learn today in our life and leadership.   Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3.

A Story of Two Women! 2 Chronicles 22:10-12 - When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah's sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so that she could not kill him. He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. 2 Chronicles 23:11-15 - Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, 'Long live the king!' When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. She looked, and there was the king, standing by

Heroes and Villains Explored - Yehosheba 2 Chronicles 22v11-12 But Yehosheba, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Yehosheba, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she didn't kill him. He was with them hidden in God's house six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. Yehosheba was a princess, the daughter of King Joram and her name means "Yahweh is an oath". She had married Jehoida, who was the high priest. Yehosheba, although she was a king's daughter and a king's sister, married a descendant of Levi, the head of the priest class in Judah. In the Old Testament, the promised coming of God in human form had been seriously threatened repeatedly. It was threatened by the fact that Sarah and Abraham remained childless for a long time; by Jacob's flight; by the attempts on David's life by Saul;

Studies of Ruth Study 5. Worship Through Obedience. Then finally, Ruth's obedience was also worship. How is this? The result of Ruth's obedience was Obed, the child fathered by Boaz as kinsman-redeemer, the one would inherit the family land and name in place of Naomi's dead husband and sons. Obed in Hebrew means "worship". Is not obedience really the outward action that derives from the inner response of faith love, and trust practised in regard to individuals and God? Jesus said "If you love me, you will obey what I command!" (John 14:15). Ruth's acts of obedience throughout this her story, are also practical acts of worship of the God she had made her own by faith. So Ruth's obedience has four factors to it: the wow factor, the witness factor, the wholeness factor and finally the worship factor! Conclusion Let us ask God to work in us, changing our weak attempts at obedience into acts of divine worship. We find delight in serving the Lord, instead of indulging in resentment over sinful leaders. T

Studies of Ruth Study 4 - Wholeness in obedience Let's start with a question. How did Ruth's obedience come to have such a tremendous impact on those around her? It all started with a personal commitment, a permanent decision that brought her peace and provided her with direction for all that followed. On the border of Moab, Ruth had told Naomi of her commitment (Ruth 1:16-17) as we read earlier. Ruth's commitment was absolute. Rather than constraining her, this new commitment gave her new purpose and opportunity to develop her character. When they arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth volunteered to pick up the leftover grain (Ruth 2:2). When she returned to Naomi, Ruth shared her grain with Naomi and told her about her day. Then it was Naomi who sensed God's direction and gave Ruth detailed instructions as to how to approach Boaz, which Ruth obeyed perfectly (Ruth 3:1-6). Ruth 4:17 indicates that after Ruth's future and family were secure, Naomi was included in the household redeemed by Boaz, for when the neig