Avondale University Church Sermons

From the Heart: Don't Miss Your Moment - Ryan Cuff

Avondale University Church — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +1100

In his first message to University Church, Ryan Cuff opens with the story of Elisha Gray—the nearly-forgotten inventor who lost the patent for the telephone to Alexander Graham Bell by mere hours—as a picture of what it looks like to miss a defining moment. Turning to Malachi's prophecy of Elijah and its fulfillment in John the Baptist, Ryan traces how God has always used ordinary people to turn hearts back toward Him, and argues that same privilege now belongs to us as we wait for Christ's return. Weaving in his own testimony of conversion, failure, and a redirected path toward ministry, he offers a simple, practical way to live this out: find your "person of peace"—someone who likes you, listens to you, and serves you—and take the brave step of sharing Jesus with them. His challenge for the church heading into 2026: don't get so caught up chasing your own purpose that you miss the moment God has placed in front of you.

From the Heart: Formation Before Fruit - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +1100

Building on the series' earlier threads of love and identity, Pastor Norman Hurlow turns to John 15 and Jesus' image of the vine and branches to ask a deeper question: not just what we believe or who we are, but who we're becoming. He unpacks the idea of spiritual formation—the slow, often unnoticed shaping of our hearts by whatever we give our attention to—and makes the case that fruit is the outcome of abiding in Christ, not the goal we should be chasing. Drawing on James K. Smith's line that we are fundamentally loving beings rather than thinking ones, he names practical rhythms (Scripture, prayer, community, family worship) that form us over time, and reframes pruning as an act of love rather than punishment. As the church steps into a new year of resolutions, Norman leaves us with a reordering of priorities: formation before fruit, rhythms before resolutions.

From the Heart: Identity Fuels Purpose - Esera Timu

Avondale University Church — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +1100

In this "From the Heart" message, Esera Timu turns to John the Baptist's testimony in John 1 to explore how identity fuels purpose. Reflecting on his own journey as an outgoing Avondale chaplain—and on the culture, family, and calling that have shaped him—Esera unpacks how John located his identity not in the crowd's expectations but in God's story, refusing an honor that wasn't his and pointing instead to Christ. Drawing on Jesus' words that the least in the kingdom is greater than John, Esera reframes "greatness" as impact rather than volume, and challenges us to ask: now that we know Christ personally, how loud—how willing—are we to live out our identity for His kingdom?

From the Heart: Loving God Part 2 - Aubree Harrington

Avondale University Church — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +1100

Continuing the "From the Heart" series, Aubree Harrington picks up the Shema's call to love God fully by turning to a piece often left out of Deuteronomy 6 but present throughout the Gospels: loving God with our mind. Tracing the Shema through Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Aubree makes the case that faith and knowledge were never meant to compete—that engaging our reason and intellect is itself an act of worship, not a threat to it. She then gets practical about loving God with our thoughts, offering three steps for taking them captive: trace it, face it, and replace it. As a new year of resolutions begins, Aubree leaves us asking not just what we think about, but whether those thoughts are leading us to love God more.

From the Heart: Loving God Part 1 - Aubree Harrington

Avondale University Church — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +1100

Kicking off the new "From the Heart" series, Pastor Aubree Harrington opens Deuteronomy 6 and the Shema—Israel's daily prayer to love the Lord with all heart, soul, and strength. Aubree unpacks how the command to love God begins with the command to hear Him, and how what we believe about God's character shapes how we love Him. Tracing God's oneness through both Testaments, she reflects honestly on her own struggle to love God wholly, and points to Christ as the one who fulfills the Shema perfectly on our behalf. As the new year approaches, Aubree leaves us with a question to carry into it: what does it truly mean to love the Lord?

The Lost Son, part 1 - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +1000

Pr Norman Hurlow explores one of Jesus’ most iconic parables—the prodigal son, in Luke 15:11–21. But what if the story isn’t really about the son at all?

With fresh cultural insights and a moving personal story, this message reframes the parable as a radical picture of a Father who absorbs shame, breaks social norms, and runs to restore his child. God’s love isn’t transactional—it’s extravagant, humiliatingly costly, and joyfully restorative.

Whether you feel far from God or just need to be reminded of His heart, this message invites you to stop bargaining and receive the love that’s already running toward you.
🕊️ Key Themes:

God's love is humiliatingly costly
Grace is not transactional—it's transformative
The Father absorbs shame so we can walk in honor
Restoration isn’t earned; it’s received

Pray like it matters - Sean Berkeley

Avondale University Church — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +1000

Pr Sean Berkeley explores the significance of living with a deep dependence on God and unwavering commitment to prayer. Looking at the story of the persistent friend in Luke 11, this episode challenges us to seek God's kingdom, trust in His provision, and practice forgiveness, all while persevering in prayer, knowing that God is faithful to answer.

Tune in to hear how this transformative experience shaped the Sean’s walk with God and the valuable lessons he learned about prayer, faith, and God's guidance.

Counter Culture: Foundations - Aubree Harrington

Avondale University Church — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +1000

In the final message of the "Counterculture" series, Pastor Aubree Harrington brings the journey through Luke 6 to a close with a timely challenge as Easter approaches. Drawing from the parable of the two builders, Aubree invites us to ask the uncomfortable question: what have we truly built our lives upon? With honesty and vulnerability, she explores the difference between the rock and the sand—revealing that sand is not simply godlessness, but the ground-down, half-true version of God's promises that our culture so readily offers. Drawing on her own season of doubt, Aubree reminds us that storms don't destroy our faith—they reveal it. And for those who find their house in ruins, the invitation is not shame, but something far better: dig deeper, and discover the firm foundation of Christ.

Counter Culture: Obey - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +1100

Continuing the "Counterculture" series, Pastor Norman Hurlow explores why Jesus calls his followers to live differently in the world. Drawing from Matthew 5 and John 17, Norman unpacks the rich metaphors of salt and light—revealing that God's people are called to enhance and preserve what is good, to create a thirst for Jesus, and to bring hope and colour into the lives of those around them. Norman weaves together the imagery of a prism and the Greek word polypoikilós—many-coloured—to cast a vision of the church as a unity in diversity that reflects the manifold wisdom of God. The evidence of God's kingdom, Norman reminds us, is not in numbers, but in love.

Counter Culture: Fruitful Living - Liv Morton

Avondale University Church — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +1100

Liv Morton explores what it truly means to bear good fruit as a follower of Jesus. Drawing from Luke 6:43–45 and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, she challenges the common assumption that good fruit means good works—and invites us instead to focus on the character God is growing within us. With warmth, humour, and a baking metaphor that brings it all to life, Liv reminds us that God is less interested in what we do than in who we are becoming—and that when we tend to the fruit the Spirit grows in us, we free God to use it in far more ways than we could ever imagine.

Festival of Faith: Fan or Follower - Dejan Stojkovic

Avondale University Church — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In this special Festival of Faith Sabbath message, guest speaker Dejan Stojkovic invites listeners to take a reflective walk with Jesus and “define your relationship” with Him. Through humour, storytelling, and personal insight, he contrasts being a fan of Jesus with being a follower—calling us to move from part-time faith to full-time discipleship. Using vivid illustrations from campus life and everyday experience, he challenges each listener to follow Christ wholeheartedly, not just when it’s comfortable.

Counter Culture: Generous - Sean Berkeley

Avondale University Church — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In this message from the “Counter Culture” series, Sean Berkeley explores what it means to live with a spirit of generosity in a world that often prizes self-interest. Through stories of the Samaritan woman at the well and Mary Magdalene’s extravagant gift, he shows how Jesus meets broken people with grace rather than judgment—and how that same grace overflows into generous living. With warmth and humour, Sean reminds us that true generosity isn’t measured by what we give, but by the heart transformed by the generosity of Christ.

Counter Culture: Radical Love - Aubree Harrington

Avondale University Church — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +1100

How do you love someone who can’t stand you? In this message, Aubrey explores Jesus’ counter-cultural call to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who hurt us. Rather than settling for simply being a “good person,” we are invited to reflect the radical love of Christ — the love that pursued us even when we were God’s enemies. As we learn to love those who oppose us, we begin to glimpse what it cost Jesus to love us first.

Counter Culture: A Portrait of a Disciple - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In the first message of the “Counterculture” series, Pastor Norman Hurlow explores what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus in a world that values power, wealth, and success. Through Luke 6:20–26, he shows how Jesus turns these values upside down, calling His followers to a life marked by humility, dependence, and trust in God. Using the striking image of living with open hands, Norman challenges us to release control and embrace the countercultural way of the Kingdom—where true blessing is found not in what we hold, but in who holds us.

The Way: GO - Sean Berkeley

Avondale University Church — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In the fourth message of “The Way” series, Pastor Sean Berkeley explores what it means to live with a posture to go. Drawing from Luke 6 and the Great Commission, he reminds us that discipleship is more than belief—it’s movement, purpose, and calling. With warmth, humour, and practical reflection, Sean invites us to embrace our divine purpose, to wait for the Spirit’s commissioning, and then to go—bringing God’s love and hope to the world around us.

The Way: Connect - Esera Timu

Avondale University Church — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In the third message of “The Way” series, Esera Timu explores what it means to truly connect—with God, with one another, and with the world around us. Speaking from Luke 6:1–11, he challenges the legalism that had distorted the Sabbath and reminds us that God’s gift of rest was always meant for restoration and relationship. With warmth and conviction, Esera invites us to see the Sabbath not as a restriction but as an opportunity to do good, to restore others, and to live every day in connection with Jesus—the Lord of the Sabbath.

The Way: Serve - Morgan Vincent

Avondale University Church — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In the second message of “The Way” series, Pastor Morgan Vincent continues through Luke 5, exploring what it means to follow Jesus by serving others. Through the stories of the leprous man and the paralyzed man, he reveals how faith depends on God’s word and how true discipleship means doing whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus. With practical insight and heartfelt challenge, Morgan calls us to a life of compassion, humility, and service shaped by the example of Christ.

The Way: Know - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In the first message of the "The Way" series, Pastor Norman Hurlow unpacks the beginning of the disciples' journey with Jesus through Luke 5. He explores the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him—through experience, obedience, and transformation. Drawing on personal insights, stained glass reflections, and a powerful call to humility and teachability, Norman invites listeners into a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. This message challenges us to move beyond information and into transformation, living out the way of Christ in our daily lives.

We are Family - James Standish

Avondale University Church — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In this inspiring message, James Standish shares personal stories—from tragedy to triumph—that highlight our deep need for community, connection, and church. Reflecting on Jesus' consistent commitment to weekly worship, James explores how local church life shapes spiritual maturity, combats isolation, and empowers collective service. With warmth, humor, and clarity, he calls each listener—especially students—to follow Jesus' example by committing to an active, supportive faith family.

Assault on Identity: Trust - Aubree Harrington

Avondale University Church — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In the final message of our Assault on Identity series, Aubree Harrington explores the third temptation of Jesus — the call to test God.

Why is Jesus tempted to jump from the temple? What does it mean to live by faith instead of sight? And how often do we, like the enemy, say to God: “Prove yourself to me”?

This message is an invitation to trust God's character even when we don't understand His ways, to seek Him instead of signs, and to believe that faith is not about having all the answers — but knowing the One who does.
💭 Key Thought:
Faith trusts God without demanding proof.

📖 “You must not put the Lord your God to the test.” — Luke 4:12

Assault on Identity: Worship - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +1100

In this powerful message from Luke 4, Pr Norman Hurlow explores the second temptation of Jesus and the deeper truth behind it: every temptation is ultimately an assault on identity. He unpacks how Satan's offer of instant glory challenges not just Jesus’ mission—but His loyalty and trust in the Father.

We live in a shortcut culture that promises quick rewards but demands our worship in return. What are we trading in the process?

Learn how spiritual formation, daily worship, and disciplined devotion can anchor your identity in God’s truth—and not in the world’s empty offers.

Resisting the Assault on Identity, part 1 - Norman Hurlow

Avondale University Church — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +1100

As 2025 kicks off, we’re bombarded with pressure to become a “new you.” But what if the real invitation is to remember who you already are in Christ?

In this message from Luke 4, we explore Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and what it reveals about identity, struggle, and victory. We also reflect on Ephesians 1–3, where Paul lays out 21 truth-filled declarations of who we are in Christ.

This message is a timely reminder: Your worth isn’t tied to your performance—it’s anchored in your relationship with God.

Start the year grounded, not striving.