Gus Cameron

7 July 2026

2 Kings 3:4-14

Gus Cameron

7 July 2026

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after the death of Ahab, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Jehoram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 And he sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
“I will go,” replied Jehoshaphat. “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.” 8 Then he asked, “Which way shall we go up?”
“By way of the Desert of Edom,” replied Joram.
9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.
10 “Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”
11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.”
And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.[C] ”
12 Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!”
“No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
14 Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or acknowledge you.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Around the time of 2 Kings, the land of Moab was under the control of the northern kingdom of Israel, and had to send a huge sheep tax every year. But when King Ahab of Israel had died, the king of Moab thought there might be a chance of throwing off Israel’s rule. Today and tomorrow, we are reading about the Israelite war campaign in response to Moab’s defiance.

I found the whole account very strange. It is full of odd details and ambiguities that we aren’t given the answers to. Why is King Jehoshaphat of Judah so keen to join in this war? He was a faithful follower of the Lord God – surely he should have known that Joram worshipped idols, and that should have made him think twice?

Then there’s Joram saying, in verse 13, that it was the Lord who had prompted him to start this war – but there was nothing about that at the start of the chapter. Is Joram pretending to be following the Lord’s directions, so that Jehoshaphat would join his war effort? Is he using God to justify his own greedy warmongering? “The Lord told us to do this, honest!”

Paul says to the Corinthians, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness?” (2 Cor. 6:14) That’s not actually about dating and marriage (though it applies there). It’s warning more broadly against being careless in the kinds of people you enter into close partnerships with, because tying your goals and dreams and promises to those of an unbeliever can sometimes lead to intense pressure to engage in unrighteous conduct. Ask God to give you wisdom to know when to say “no” to these, even if the possible profits or benefits look amazing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

6 July 2026

2 Kings 2:19-3:3

Gus Cameron

6 July 2026

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”
20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.”
So they brought it to him, 21 and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.”
22 And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.
23 From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24 Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD.
Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
25 And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Chapter three

1 In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

At first, these two episodes from Elisha’s life felt like random stories – and I’m guessing you found the second one quite disturbing.

But I think there’s more going on here. Elisha has only just been granted the same prophetic Spirit that had given Elijah authority and power to call Israel back to their covenant with God. But the only people who witnessed this transfer of authority was a small company of prophets.

So the Lord does these two powerful works to show that there is a true prophet of God on the scene again – one who will bring either life or death, just as God’s covenant with Israel had promised. In the first miracle, God uses Elisha to bring life to a land that was dead. In the second, he brings down the covenant curse on those who reject God’s prophet and entice others to worship idols.

It’s probably helpful to say a bit more about the episode with the bears – not just because I’m with Elisha on this one (who are these kids making fun of a bald guy??). More seriously … We don’t know the details of why God chose to judge these youths so severely, but I doubt they were just messing around. Bethel was one of the two cities in the northern kingdom which was leading the Israelites in idolatry. Jeroboam, the first northern king after Israel was divided, set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, and through all of Israel’s history these two idols led them to rebel against the Lord. In fact, we read that the new king, Jehoram, continued worshiping Jeroboam’s golden calves. So I suspect this large mob of youths – perhaps sent by their elders? – were deliberately mocking and threatening the man God had sent to call them back to himself. This was entrenched idolatry by a city in the land of promise, and the old covenant had made very clear what the consequences would be (see Deuteronomy 13).

As people of the new covenant, I’m so grateful that it’s not our job to bring down God’s judgment on unbelievers. They will do that themselves if they reject Christ, and God has appointed Jesus to judge the world (Matthew 25:31-46). But yesterday, we saw that we are Jesus’ Spirit-anointed agents – and that means we get to bring miraculous life to a dead world by speaking about Jesus and showing people Jesus’ love. Jesus has made us the salt of the earth, so that people will glorify the Father (Matthew 5:13-16). What an amazing privilege!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

6 July 2026

2 Kings 2:11-18

Gus Cameron

6 July 2026

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
12 As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.
13 Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked.
And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.
15 When the sons of the prophets who were facing him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
16 “Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.”
“Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
17 But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.”
And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

(Apologies that there was a delay in getting this devotion out.)

Reading today’s passage, I realised I have always assumed the Bible says something that it doesn’t say. I had always thought that the chariot of fire was what carried Elijah up to heaven … which, now I come to think of it, probably would have left him with third degree burns – he was still a flesh-and-blood human! The Bible actually says he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. The horses and chariots were what separated Elisha from his master, they weren’t his personal ride. Maybe the fiery display was a sign that the Spirit of God was at work protecting his people.

Yesterday I mentioned that this chapter is an echo of Moses and Joshua. But reading it again, what strikes me is not the echoes of the past, it’s how much Elijah foreshadows Jesus – and how much greater Jesus is than Elijah.

Back in verse 9, Elisha asked Elijah for a parting gift: “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” That is, Elisha wants to receive the same prophetic anointing of the Spirit of God that Elijah had received. But for Elijah, this request was “a difficult thing” (v. 10) – he knew that Elisha had requested something that was not in his power to give.

In the end, Elisha did receive the Spirit when Elijah ascended – parting the waters of the Jordan River showed that. But Jesus’ ascension is so much greater! When Jesus ascended to the right hand of God, he himself sent the Spirit from the Father (see John 15:26 and Acts 2:33). In fact, the Spirit of God IS the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9).

And when Elisha ascended, the miracle was that the same prophetic Spirit was passed on to one other, who would continue his work. Jesus has poured out the Spirit on all those who believe in him, in fulfilment of the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16-18). All of us – including you! – are now an enormous crowd of Spirit-anointed agents of Jesus’ ministry. We continue his work as the true Prophet when we share the good news of the gospel wherever he sends us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

3 July 2026

2 Kings 2:1-10

Gus Cameron

3 July 2026

1 Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal, 2 and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.”
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”
So they went down to Bethel.
3 Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
4 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.”
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”
So they went to Jericho.
5 Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
6 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”
So the two of them went on.
7 Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?”
“Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today and tomorrow, we are reading about the moment when Elijah, Israel’s greatest prophet after Moses, was taken up to heaven and passed on his prophetic mantle to Elisha. It’s a bit like when Moses handed over the reins to Joshua – Elijah parts the waters of the Jordan like Moses had parted the Red Sea, and Elisha becomes his successor to carry on his ministry like Joshua led Israel after Moses’ death.

I have so many questions, though. We know the Lord took Elijah up to heaven (v. 1) – but was he really taken to heaven permanently, so that he would never die? Is he still there now? That would seem a bit bizarre, because if not even the incarnate Son of God escaped death, I’m not sure how a sinful man could. More importantly, we’re told that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21) – because all will be raised from death through Jesus’ resurrection. Surely even Elijah is part of that “all”?

If I had to guess, I’d say: maybe Elijah was taken from the trials of this world to experience a special communion with God, before God laid his body to rest in some secret place, like God had buried Moses’ body (Deut. 34:5-6). But I suppose this is one of those mysteries that we won’t be able to answer until glory.

For today, Elisha’s sadness at losing his master reminded me of Mary’s tears after Jesus’ died and then his body disappeared from the tomb: “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put Him” (John 20:13). But unlike Elisha, Mary’s sadness was quickly turned to joy, because Jesus rose again, just as he promised. And Jesus was taken to heaven like Elijah – but we know that he will return in the same way he went (Acts 1:11), and when he does, our grief will turn to joy (John 16:20).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

2 July 2026

2 Kings 1:9-18

Gus Cameron

2 July 2026

9 Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’”
10 Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.”
And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.
11 So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’”
12 Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.”
And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.
13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be precious in your sight.”
15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.”
So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
16 And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”
17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah.
18 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

It turns out that you can’t threaten God. You can’t pressure him to change what he has said.

It would seem like a dumb thing to try, but that’s exactly what King Ahaziah did. Yesterday, Ahaziah had tried to consult the Philistine god Baal-zebub, but instead had received a word from the Lord: “You will surely die.”

I’m sure Ahaziah had used the threat of violence to get lots of people to change their tune. But not even a “standover man” with 50 thugs behind him could force God to change his will. Because God’s Word never fails. The threats didn’t change the message one bit, and they didn’t stop it from being fulfilled: “Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken” (v. 17).

The third captain was a beautiful contrast, wasn’t he? He discovered that God’s word holds no fear for those who humbly recognise him as God – because the lives of those who trust in God are precious in his sight (Psalm 72:14).

This passage also reminded me that it’s not just God’s word of judgment that is unstoppable. It’s also his word about Jesus – the good news that Jesus is Lord, and that God will save countless multitudes through the gospel. In the book of Acts, after all the threats and violence directed against the early Christian witnesses, we are told: “So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail” (Acts 19:20).

Give thanks that God’s good word about Jesus can’t be stopped, and pray that it will bring the precious gift of life forever to many – especially through our Holiday Kids Club and Winter Youth Camp this month.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

1 July 2026

2 Kings 1:1-8

Gus Cameron

1 July 2026

Introduction

A few years ago, we worked through the books of 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 Kings in our daily devotions. This month we’re making a start on 2 Kings.

Let’s quickly get up to speed before we begin. 1 & 2 Samuel describe the reigns of Saul and David, the first two kings of Israel. David was God’s chosen king. God made a covenant with David, that his line would endure, and David was (mostly!) faithful to God.

In 1 Kings, David’s son Solomon builds a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem. But later in life, he abandons the Lord and worships idols. As a result, God tears the kingdom in two. All the northern tribes of Israel become a breakaway kingdom (also called Israel). Only the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin remain loyal to David’s line. They became the kingdom of Judah.

However, the northern kingdom of Israel turns out to be even worse than Judah. In Judah, at least some of the kings were faithful to the Lord, and the line of David continued. In the north, all the kings without exception led the people to worship idols.

The Lord began to raise up prophets in both kingdoms to call the kings and the people back to the covenant. The most famous of these was Elijah, whom God raised up to combat the most dangerous and evil dynasty of kings in the northern kingdom of Israel – the dynasty of Omri. Omri’s son Abah and his wife Jezebel promoted the worship of the Canaanite gods Baal and Asherah.

After some epic confrontations between Elijah and Ahab, at the end of 1 Kings, Ahab and Jezebel are killed. However, the dynasty is not done – Ahab’s son Ahaziah is now king of Israel.

~~~

1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’”
So Elijah departed.
5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”
6 They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’”
7 The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”
8 “He was a hairy man, ” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.”
“It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

You could perhaps say this is an early example of an unsecure communication line being intercepted! Ekron was a Philistine town, and King Ahaziah was hoping to receive an oracle from the pagan god of Ekron to get better. But when the message comes back, he realises he’s been hacked … by Elijah, the prophet of the Lord, the true God – who should be his God!

Are you currently tempted to look for spiritual guidance or a “fix” to your problems from somewhere that you know would compromise your faith in Jesus? If so, confess that now, because God is already all over it. Ask God to help you always resist the temptation to clutch desperately at ungodly solutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

30 June 2026

Romans 4:23-25

Gus Cameron

30 June 2026

23 Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, 24 but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Shead

In this life, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”. In general if you want something, you have to work for it. Do you want to be good at sport? You have to train a lot. Do you want to save up to buy something? You need to get a job and save your money. Do you want good marks? You have to study hard. Do you want that promotion? You have to put in extra hours and show your commitment to the company. We learn from when we’re very young, that reward requires effort.

And so it’s not surprising that we think the same applies with God. We want something from him (to go to heaven and not face his judgment) so we try really hard to be good and impress him with our efforts. I often find myself thinking this way, even though I know that salvation is by grace alone! It’s hard to change old ways of thinking.

These verses have very good news for us – God will credit righteousness to us if we “believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead” (v24). God doesn’t measure our goodness by our actions, but instead he looks at our hearts to see if we are trusting in the death of Jesus on our behalf. If we trust him, that is good enough for God because he credits us with Jesus’ perfection. It’s like we do get a “free lunch”! Although, of course, it wasn’t free – Jesus paid the highest price when he died in our place to take the punishment for our sin.

These verses remind me that God never changes. From the time of Abraham all the way to Paul’s words in Romans, and to us today, the way God works is by crediting righteousness to those who believe. It has never been about (impossible) perfect obedience or earning our way to heaven. Instead, it’s all about trusting God’s promises and depending on him. Let’s pray with thankfulness to our Father for Jesus’ death and resurrection which brings us salvation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

29 June 2026

Romans 4:18-22

Gus Cameron

29 June 2026

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb. 20 Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Sarah Armstrong

Back in Genesis, God promised Abraham a child – not any child, but a child through whom God would bring blessing to people from all nations. The problem was, Abraham and his wife Sarah were both a long way past childbearing age.

In today’s passage, Paul reflects on the fact that Abraham knew his body was “as good as dead”, and he knew that Sarah’s womb was “also dead” (v. 19, NIV). In other words, using human logic, the promise of being the father of many nations was physically impossible. But instead of sticking with human logic and saying, “It can’t happen, so it won’t happen,” Abraham steadfastly continued to believe that with God all things are possible – and he was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised” (v 21).

Often, we experience things happening around or to us that leave us feeling out of control or that all our efforts are futile. We feel like getting through or over it may be impossible. We should cling to the fact that God, in his power and perfect timing, gave life to Abraham and Sarah’s dead reproductive systems, so that Isaac was born, and his line ultimately brought Jesus the Saviour. Faith is trusting God’s impossible-sounding promise to give life to the dead.

One of my girls reminded me yesterday that she has been learning that even when we look and feel alone, we are not alone, since Jesus died so we can walk with God always and know that he will never leave us alone – he gave us his Holy Spirit. I hope all of us, when things are tough, are like Abraham and are strengthened in faith and give all glory to God, trusting that he is indeed a powerful God who will always do what he has promised, even when it seems impossible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah is our Parish Administrator.

Gus Cameron

27 June 2026

Romans 4:13-17

Gus Cameron

27 June 2026

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Many years ago, I was trying to share the gospel with one of my friends, and he said: “You say that we’re not saved by our good works because we’re saved by faith. But isn’t faith a good work? Doesn’t that just mean that there happens to be one good work that can save us – which is called faith?”

Today’s passage has one of my favourite verses in Romans, because it explains why my friend was wrong. In verse 16 Paul says: “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace.” Faith isn’t a work, it’s realising and accepting that I can never work for or earn what I’m being offered. It’s trusting that Jesus has done everything for me, because I couldn’t, and that he now promises life as a gift. Faith is the only appropriate way to receive God’s offer without turning it into something I worked for or deserved. Faith is holding out empty hands and saying, “Thank you, Lord!”

That’s why we receive salvation through faith alone – so that God’s gift might remain 100% a gift.

And what a gift it is! What God promises us is … the whole world. Paul says that was what God promised “to Abraham and his offspring: that he would be heir of the world” (v 13). Jesus, Abraham’s great descendant, is the heir of the whole world – and for all who put their trust in him, God gives us his own solemn guarantee that we will inherit the whole world with Jesus.

It is impossible for God to offer a bigger gift. And it is impossible for him to make it easier for us to receive. It’s the biggest, purest gift possible. Do you believe him? Will you trust him? Thank him now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

Gus Cameron

26 June 2026

Romans 4:9-12

Gus Cameron

26 June 2026

9 Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ashel Singh

To help reflect on this passage, let me share what I think are the main things Paul is saying in this passage:

1. Abraham was declared righteous by God through faith before he was circumcised.

2. Salvation is based on faith alone.

3. Both Jews and Gentiles are called to be included in God’s family through faith.

Reflecting on the passage, there is clearly a chasm between faith and works, and what proves it is the fact that Abraham’s circumcision came after he was declared righteous because of his faith. So, where do faith and works stand in comparison to one another? How should I understand each of them when it comes to my salvation? Circumcision did not gain righteousness for Abraham, it was merely a sign of the righteousness that he received through his faith. When it comes to my own life, I have to constantly be on guard not to start thinking that doing good works will add to my salvation, and instead to base it on faith. Knowing that my salvation is based on faith, not my works, gives me a sense of humility and keeps me from boasting in my own human flesh and capacity. It also helps me to reflect on God’s forgiving and righteous nature which he has given to me by grace alone, taking away the idea that I can achieve it myself on my own terms. My actions and works are a response of thankful obedience to the salvation that has been given to me.

In other words, my heart has been transformed by faith to produce fruit of genuine obedience as a response to God’s goodness. That helps me to testify to God’s holiness and appreciate that there is no other who enables such grace and makes my heart yearn to grow in deeper understanding and appreciation of our good God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashel is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Gus Cameron

25 June 2026

Romans 4:6-8

Gus Cameron

25 June 2026

6 And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

The words in today’s passage are few, but so meaningful. They are a direct quote from one of the songs that King David wrote – you can read it in Psalm 32. It’s a Psalm where David expresses the pain of living with the weight of sin in his life – likening it to bones becoming brittle from groaning all day long, or having strength drained from a long summer heat. In the midst of that sin, David confesses in verse 5: “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” He finally stops running from God, turns back to Him in repentance, and God forgives him.

If anyone had something to boast about in his life, it was King David. He killed Goliath with a sling. He was Israel’s most successful military leader. He was God’s chosen king, the man after God’s own heart. He oversaw a golden period in Israel’s history. If anyone has a claim to have earned righteousness in God’s eyes, it was David. And yet, David himself writes: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” – not, “Blessed is he who accomplishes many things.”

Today’s passage reminds us: we may become CEOs, kings, military leaders, or just ordinary folks. No matter what road we walk on, our blessedness comes not from the works of our hands. Our righteousness, like Abraham’s, comes credited to us by God through faith. How blessed, how wonderful it is that because of this, the Lord will never count our sin against us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

24 June 2026

Romans 4:1-5

Gus Cameron

24 June 2026

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered? 2 If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

Last week someone was very excited to tell me that they got Netflix free with their electricity plan and, to be honest, I love free things too. I think everyone does! The alternative is to work hard for something, and who wants to do that if they don’t have to?

But when it comes to our righteousness before God, strangely, so many people seem to find it too hard to accept that it is God’s gift, not earned by works but received by faith. Paul continues to prove that it is indeed by faith, this time by using Abraham as an example.

In Genesis 15, God promised Abraham countless descendants, and we are told there that “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). What did Abraham do? He believed or trusted God. And what did he receive? God credited, or gave him, righteousness.

If that’s what God did for Abraham, it makes no sense to change the equation for us. But that’s what people do. They want to say, “I worked, I did these things, I made myself good, so God should pay me righteousness – I’m entitled to it!” But that’s not what God is offering. He has given us the gift of Jesus Christ, and he says, “Trust me, and I’ll give you righteousness that you don’t deserve as a free gift!”

It’s such a good deal, it really is too good to refuse. Pray that God would help us be like Abraham and believe God. If you’re struggling to accept God’s gift, ask God to help you humbly accept it. If you have friends who are stuck trying to earn their righteousness, pray for them now and speak to them about why it really is the best free gift ever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

23 June 2026

Romans 3:27-31

Gus Cameron

23 June 2026

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Where I work, we have what are basically half yearly performance reviews. In those reviews, we need to give an account of what we’ve done and all our accomplishments, and the resulting judgement by management determines the course of our ongoing employment – at best, we get a pay rise, or at worst, we get fired. In those reviews I’m tempted to boast, because there’s an opportunity that the boss might see my good works and reward me. But the danger with that is: with extra rewards comes extra responsibilities and burdens, and I don’t want my boss to expect more from me than he already does!

Today’s passage follows on from the big revelation of who can be right with the biggest boss of all: God. The answer revealed in verses 21 to 23 is that rightness (or righteousness) comes solely though faith in Jesus Christ, by virtue of the redemption paid for by the blood of Christ himself. And that redemption is for anyone who believes – both Jew and Gentile.

So then, what of our good works? Is it that I now get a half yearly godliness review to try to prove my worth? Can I level up my prayer answer rate by proving how much more righteous I've been? Today’s passage tells me: No. There is no place for boasting. Actually, I don’t have anything to boast about, because Jesus’ perfect and complete righteousness has already been given to me freely, by grace, through faith alone in Jesus Christ. How could I possibly claim to be any more righteous in the eyes of God!?

So then, where does that leave me? It frees me up. I am free to do good works without being concerned about whether they will make me more (or less!) righteous in God’s eyes. I am free to pray for lots of things and trust with conviction that God hears all of my prayers. Whether I am well and in good times, or whether I’m in sickness, or jobless, or am experiencing brokenness, or feeling low – I can trust in what Jesus has already accomplished for me, knowing full well that I am already right with God, and can rest in that assurance. Praise God together with me for that!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

22 June 2026

Romans 3:25-26

Gus Cameron

22 June 2026

25 God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

A number of years ago I preached an evangelistic sermon on the cross of Christ. It was just after scientists had announced a big discovery related to black holes, and it occurred to me that Jesus’ death on the cross was a bit like a black hole. A black hole is where an unimaginable amount of matter is squashed into a single point of zero size. And when Jesus died on the cross, all the sin of the entire human race – past, present and future – was concentrated into a single point and placed on Jesus. All God’s judgment against sin was poured out on that point, for us. That was the “atoning sacrifice” that God presented in Jesus’ death (v 25).

But reading these verses again, I realised that there’s another way in which the cross of Christ is like a black hole. The inside of a black hole is a mystery that no one fully comprehends, because in a black hole, the normal rules of physics don’t apply. And the death of the Son of God was such a powerful event that the normal rules of justice don’t apply, because God can now do what is otherwise impossible: he can justify sinners.

Or as Paul puts it in verse 26: because of the cross, God is both a just judge and justifies sinners like me. Those two things can’t normally be true. God himself says that judges must not justify the guilty or condemn the righteous (Prov. 17:15). I think that’s why sometimes I think of justification more like God pretending we’re righteous even though he knows we’re really not. But that would make him an unjust judge!

The truth – the glorious truth, the black-hole-mystery truth! – is that if you trust in Jesus, God the just judge has sat in his judgment seat and declared, “You are righteous, completely innocent of all sin, guiltless” … because you now are! Satan looks at you, and he can’t find anything to pin on you.

The thing that makes that true is the death of the innocent Son of God for us. I don’t fully understand how that’s true – but it is! Bask in the light and warmth of that truth today, and give humble and heartfelt thanks to God for such an amazing sacrifice and gift. You really are righteous.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

20 June 2026

Romans 3:21-24

Gus Cameron

20 June 2026

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ken Wong

Today's passage is a turning point in Romans. Up to this point, we have learnt of our sinfulness and depravity before God and that on our own we can never measure up to the standard that he requires. We can’t be found righteous before God by our works.

But that’s where Jesus enters the picture. He himself is the righteousness of God, and when we put our faith or trust in him, he clothes us in his righteousness and generously supplies us with his grace so that we are forgiven and justified before God our Judge. His generosity is unceasing and his provisions are abundant.

Despite Jesus' generosity I often find myself still looking for justification from the law or from my performance – somehow wanting to justify myself before God, hoping that my works are good enough to earn his favour. I say to God, “look at my achievements”, “what I good hubby or dad or friend I am,” “look how hard I work.” It’s good to work hard and be responsible with people in our lives. But to seek our value and self-esteem in the things we do is folly and building on shifting sand. Trying to win God’s favour through those things will lead either to pride or to despair.

There is only one way to salvation and eternal life, and that is to come to the cross of Jesus in humility, with empty and open hands, knowing that there is nothing I can bring to bridge the gap between me and God. Christ alone has bridged it for us by his death on the cross. I pray that God keeps reminding us that our sins are many, but his mercy is more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

19 June 2026

Romans 3:19-20

Gus Cameron

19 June 2026

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.

REFLECTIONS

Written by TK Nguyen

It has been a while since I’ve read Romans, so even though the passage is short, I had to read it a few times for me to understand it. At the end of verse 19 Paul says that the whole world will be “held accountable to God” – absolutely! We are not perfect by any means. We are sinners. Paul talks about the law, and that makes me think straight away of the Ten Commandments. God has told us in the Bible how we should live and what a godly life looks like.

However, in verse 20 Paul says, “no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law.” No matter how many good deeds we do in our lives it will not make us right before God.

The laws in the Bible are still important for us as a guide from God. They still show us how we should live. But they also make us aware of our sin and in doing so they bring us back to God to ask for his forgiveness.

As I reflect on these verses, I remember that I can’t simply follow the “law” and expect my works to justify me before God. The most important step is to turn to him, confess that I am a sinner and I can’t make myself right with him, and trust in what he did in sending Christ to save us. That leads to a life of striving to live like Christ. Pray that God would help each of us not to rely on our own efforts but to trust wholeheartedly in what Jesus has done on the cross for us, and that he would continue to grow our faith in Jesus as we read the Scriptures.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TK is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Gus Cameron

18 June 2026

Romans 3:13-18

Gus Cameron

18 June 2026

13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full
of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery lie in their wake,
17 and the way of peace they
have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God
before their eyes.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Omar Dewan

How does this passage make you feel?

We're in the middle of Romans 3 and for me, it's painting a really bleak and depressing picture. Yesterday Paul quoted Psalm 14, which says there is no one who is righteous or does good. Now he adds more passages from the Psalms and Isaiah which make it even worse. Not only is he teaching that humanity has turned away from God and does not do good, verses 13-18 today say that all people are dead in their sins, prone to ruin and misery, and quick to put each other to death.

What hope is there for us? I get a similar feeling of hopelessness when I read about the wars and terrible rulers of the world today. I wonder how peace could possibly come about, when leaders jostle for power and act out of their own self-interest – being quick to shed innocent blood. It feels like there's no resolution in sight for the wars in Ukraine, Palestine and Iran – it’s frustrating and really saddening. And unfortunately, this is a cycle that has repeated throughout history and I expect will continue until Christ returns.

Thankfully, as Christians we know that the story doesn’t end here. As we’ll see in the rest of Romans 3, God enters our chaotic world through Jesus to give humanity the gift of righteousness. Through Jesus we can have relationship with God and bring our requests and petitions to Him. So while we may be powerless to stop what’s happening on the other side of the world, take a moment with me to pray boldly to our great and powerful God, asking that He would bring a swift end to the shedding of blood; that a way to permanent peace would be found; and that world leaders would come to fear the Lord.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Omar is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

17 June 2026

Romans 3:9-12

Gus Cameron

17 June 2026

9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous,
not even one.
11 There is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vivian Abdala

There have been many times when I have compared myself to others and concluded either that I could never measure up to them or that I was somehow better than them. It is easy to fall into the trap of comparison, whether it is in studies, work, or within my family. I can either become discouraged by thinking I am not doing well enough or become prideful by believing I am doing much better than others. Both attitudes reveal a sinful heart and a mindset of seeking to justify myself.

This passage reminds me that comparing myself to others is the wrong standard. Paul quotes Psalm 14, which declares that “there is no one righteous, not even one.” We are all sinners before God and fall short of His perfect standard. No one can claim righteousness based on their own efforts or achievements.

The good news is that righteousness is not something I can earn. I am made righteous only through Jesus Christ. By His grace, God chose and rescued me, giving me a righteousness that comes from Christ and not from myself. This is a great comfort because I cannot save myself or come to God by my own strength. My salvation rests in God’s gracious initiative and mercy.

My prayer is that I would grow in thankfulness for God’s grace each day. I pray that He would guard my heart against comparison and pride by reminding me that there is no one righteous, not even one. May I find my identity not in how I compare myself to others, but in the righteousness of Christ and the mercy that God has shown me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vivian is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

16 June 2026

Romans 3:5-8

Gus Cameron

16 June 2026

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. 6 Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world? 7 However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? 8 Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!

REFLECTIONS

Written by Charis Ould

Today’s passage follows on from Paul’s reminder to the Jews in Rome that God is not false or unfaithful, but the righteous judge. But they now have another question for Paul. If their unrighteousness shows God’s righteousness, then isn’t it unrighteous for him to inflict wrath on those who glorify him? It would be unjust to judge them because their unrighteousness has a good result! So they should just keep sinning because it glorifies God, right?

Paul’s answer is clear. Certainly not! He shows us how foolish this thinking is. God is the judge of the world. He cannot be unjust. We can’t use God’s grace as an excuse to keep on sinning, and say that he should change his judgement. God would not tell us to sin to glorify Him. That goes against His very nature. We have a responsibility for our own actions, and if we encourage sin because of the grace of God then we have misunderstood the gospel. Paul says if we “do evil that good may result”, then our condemnation is deserved.

This argument may seem a bit backward, but I think it is an easy trap to fall into without realising. Like a parent doing their child’s homework because they want them to get good grades – which really just stops the child from learning anything at all. They think if their action has a good outcome, then it is justified. But this is flawed thinking. It would be the same saying, “I receive more grace if I’m more sinful, so I should sin more.” This thinking doesn’t reflect a repentant attitude towards my sin! Nor does it reflect the fact that grace is a free gift, but I still need to count the cost of turning away from my sin. God calls us to repent, and gives us His Spirit to work in us as we seek to live for him.

Thank God for his grace to us, and ask him to help us to live lives that reflect this grace we have been given.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charis is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

15 June 2026

Romans 3:1-4

Gus Cameron

15 June 2026

1 What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written:
“So that You may be proved right when You speak
and victorious when You judge.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Last week, in Romans chapter 2, Paul lobbed some hand grenades at his fellow Jews … or at least, that’s how they would have heard it. The Jews had been given the Law of God, and God had made the special covenant of circumcision with them. But Paul said neither the Law nor circumcision gave Jews any advantage over uncircumcised Gentiles when it came to salvation.

Paul knew, from his experience preaching the gospel to the Jews, that they would find this highly offensive. So in today’s passage, he repeats and then answers some of the objections that have been flung back at him. First, he says that having the Law might not have given the Jews a free pass to salvation, but it was still a huge blessing and responsibility – they had been “entrusted with the very words of God” (v 2). And second, he says that even though many Jews were rejecting the gospel and so missing out on eternal life, that didn’t mean God was unfaithful to his promises to Israel. His promises were always for those who had faith in him, not for unbelieving rebels.

In the last few days, I’ve been looking ahead to our upcoming sermon on Daniel 9, where Daniel prays a great prayer of confession on behalf of sinful Israel. Daniel understood what Paul’s opponents didn’t – that God had poured out his wrath on his rebellious people Israel because he was faithful to the covenant he had made with them. Even if every person in the world rejects Christ and misses out on salvation, God will still be true, faithful, good, and right in his judgment (Romans 3:4). Praise God that countless multitudes have found salvation through faith in Christ though!

Today got me reflecting on my own background. I was born into a family of faithful, prayerful Christian parents who taught me the gospel from before I could walk or talk. I’ve known for decades what an amazing blessing, privilege and responsibility that is. Paul reminded me today of the fatal mistake I could make – thinking that this blessing means I’ll get special treatment from God or a free pass into heaven, whether or not I take faith in Jesus seriously.

Your story might be similar to mine, or it may be completely different. But I’m sure you know of some way in which God has blessed you – by giving you access to the gospel, a church that teaches the Bible, a solid church family. Thank God for that amazing blessing, and also ask him to guard you from ever forgetting that you, personally, need to trust in Jesus for your salvation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

text