Gus Cameron

16 July 2026

2 Kings 5:19b-27

Gus Cameron

16 July 2026

But after Naaman had traveled a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”
22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
23 But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they departed.
25 When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?”
“Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied.
26 But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? 27 Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!”
And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

Today’s passage comes as a bit of a downer after seeing God’s grace yesterday as he healed Naaman through the prophet Elisha. But I find myself feeling conflicted about it. On the one hand, it’s easy to understand why Gehazi is resentful of Elisha healing Naaman, because Naaman is the commander of the army of Israel’s enemy! Yet it’s also clear that Gehazi goes behind Elisha’s back to lie and steal. Jealousy can drive us to do things we know we shouldn’t.

As I read this, I was reminded of some of the parables Jesus told, particularly to the Pharisees, who were jealous of and looked down on those Jesus welcomed. In the parable of the prodigal son, the older brother is jealous when his father lavishly celebrates his younger brother’s return. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the workers who were hired first are jealous that those hired later receive the same wage. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the servant whose enormous debt has been forgiven refuses to show the same mercy to his fellow servant.

Jesus wants us to know that none of us deserves forgiveness, yet in his great love God has forgiven us. So let’s examine our hearts. Are we grateful for what God has done for us, even though we don’t deserve it? And are we glad when God shows grace to others, even to those we find difficult to love or think deserve it the least?

Perhaps today would be a good day to pray for someone you find it hard to pray for. Ask God to save them or grow them in their love for him, and ask him to help you find joy in his grace towards them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is a Senior Assistant Minister with the Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

15 July 2026

2 Kings 5:10-19a

Gus Cameron

15 July 2026

10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”
11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy. 12 Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”
14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.
17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD. 18 Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter.”
19 “Go in peace,” said Elisha.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tim Mitry

We recently finished the book of Daniel in our sermons. Naaman’s story is a bit like a shorter version of Nebuchadnezzar’s story arc in Daniel. They were both wealthy, powerful, rich men whom God humbled.

I also picked up on a similar lesson as in Daniel: God is always at work towards His purposes, both in big and small ways. Naaman’s success in chapter 5:1 is only due to the LORD, and nothing after that is a coincidence.

God has worked in big and small ways to bring Naaman to Israel so that he “will know that there is a prophet in Israel”, and Naaman now testifies that “there is no God in all the earth except in Israel”. After all, Naaman can’t credit the river water of Israel for healing his leprosy – he claims the rivers in his homeland are better! And Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him, so Naaman can hardly say it was some hand-waving that healed him.

On reflection, I find I have a bit in common with Naaman. He has wealth and power to seek out medical treatments. I sort of have that too – I am citizen in one of the wealthiest countries in the world with access to lots of free and advanced healthcare. He lives in a nation that worships physical idols in temples, I live in a nation that worships the idols of property, self, and pleasure.

I pray that I will be resolute like Naaman in my testimony and worship of God. I pray that I will be kept from the mistake Naaman made – that is, limiting God to work according to my expectations of how he should work. Why not pray those things for yourself too?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim is one of our Ministry Apprentices.

Gus Cameron

14 July 2026

2 Kings 5:1-9

Gus Cameron

14 July 2026

1 Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2 At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.
5 “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.”
So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
6 And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”
8 Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tim Mitry

You might feel indifferent towards Naaman, dislike him, or develop a soft spot for him. I felt all those things in that order as I read this.

I felt indifferent at first because, well, who on earth is Naaman!?

I felt dislike for him, because he and his wife had a captive Israelite girl as their servant.

I began developing a small soft spot for Naaman when I thought about his situation. He had a disease that was eating away at his skin. And I can see he is desperate to relieve himself of the disease – he takes roughly 350 kilograms of silver, and millions of dollars’ worth of gold with him to seek out revolutionary medical treatment in Israel.

Naaman is a Gentile from a neighbouring country. But his story isn’t like Goliath’s. He isn’t an enemy brute to be knocked down by Israel. And while he would be the last man on earth an ancient Israelite would expect God to have mercy on, we see God at work in this story. Did you catch, in verse 1, that Naaman’s power and success was only because the LORD had given it to him? And things line up too much – repeatedly – for mere coincidence. When things go pear-shaped with the king of Israel, Elisha the man of God intervened, saying, “let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel”.

I’m keen to see what happens to Naaman. It’s thrilling to see God demonstrating His love and mercy to the other nations around Israel. We’ve seen that this year in youth group with Jonah and the Ninevites, in church with King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel, and in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus’ ancestry. Will we see God make himself known to Naaman?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim is one of our Ministry Apprentices.

Gus Cameron

13 July 2026

2 Kings 4:38-44

Gus Cameron

13 July 2026

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
39 One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.
40 And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.
41 Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42 Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain.
“Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.
43 But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?”
“Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

God’s disciplining judgement of famine was on his disobedient people, just as Moses had warned them centuries before. But God had kept a small, faithful remnant, the sons of the prophets, led by the prophet Elisha – only one hundred of them. Their lives too were threatened by the famine, but in these two episodes, God provided food for them miraculously and abundantly.

So today, God has kept a small, faithful remnant for himself among a world in rebellion against him. We suffer the same difficulties as other people because we live in this fallen world, for example, natural disasters, tragedies, phone outages, traffic jams, sickness and death. But God promises that he will provide enough for us, so that we can accomplish the work he wants us to do. Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 6: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

We can generously use all our resources of time, energy and wealth in the service of God’s kingdom knowing that God will provide us with all we need to do his work. We don’t have to be anxious about the necessities of life. Our heavenly Father will provide all we need.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

11 July 2026

2 Kings 4:28-37

Gus Cameron

11 July 2026

Context: The Shunammite woman’s son has died, and she has travelled to find the prophet Elisha.

~~~

28 Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”
29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment,[A] take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm. 35 Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came.
Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”
37 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

In the list of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 we read, ‘Women received back their dead, raised to life again’ (Hebrews 11:35). Here is one such example. Her faith is emphasized. As soon as her son dies, she knows what she’s going to do. She’s going to ask Elisha to raise him. That’s why she places him on the bed that she had provided for Elisha in her home. That’s why straight away she went to him as quickly as she could. That’s why she wouldn’t leave his side once she found him. And, sure enough, her faith is rewarded. Elisha prays and the boy is raised.

But why did God raise this boy? No doubt many boys died in Israel’s history. Well, remember that this was a very special boy. His mother was the woman who showed remarkable kindness to God’s prophet Elisha. He was the miracle baby that God had promised her through Elisha. So God decided to demonstrate his power over death through this particular mother and child.

It’s the same today. God doesn’t promise to raise every boy who dies. But nonetheless, this reminds us that nothing is impossible with God. It also reminds us that the prayer of faith is powerful because God is powerful. Our prayers are powerful because our God is powerful. What an encouragement to pray!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

10 July 2026

2 Kings 4:11-27

Gus Cameron

10 July 2026

11 One day Elisha came to visit and went to his upper room to lie down. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.”
And when he had called her, she stood before him, 13 and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”
“I have a home among my own people,” she replied.
14 So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?”
“Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”
15 “Call her,” said Elisha.
So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”
17 But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters.
19 “My head! My head!” he complained to his father.
So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
20 After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.
22 And the woman called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and return.”
23 “Why would you go to him today?” he replied. “It is not a New Moon or a Sabbath.”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
24 Then she saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Drive onward; do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there is the Shunammite woman. 26 Please run out now to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”
And she answered, “Everything is all right.”
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The last verse struck me. When the Shunammite woman reached Elisha on Mt Carmel, she clung to his feet. But Elisha’s servant Gehazi came over to push her away. Why did he do that? I think most likely because he thought it was unseemly. He thought it was inappropriate for a woman to be touching God’s prophet like that. But Elisha said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress.” This was not a moment for conventional etiquette to be observed. This was a moment when deep compassion was called for. Elisha recognized her distress and had compassion on her.

What a clear foreshadowing of Jesus! The disciples were surprised when they found Jesus talking to the woman of Samaria. It didn’t seem quite proper according to the custom of the time. But Jesus’ compassion for her was greater than his desire to fit the disciples’ view of what was proper. He broke down the conventional barrier to bring her the news of eternal salvation.

There’s a challenge for us. Are we prepared to reach out to people who other people may think are not appropriate for us to reach out to? Perhaps the homeless man living in a nearby park. Perhaps someone in jail. Perhaps that awkward person at work. We must treat all people with absolute purity, but we must also reach out to all people, including the not so socially acceptable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

9 July 2026

2 Kings 4:1-10

Gus Cameron

9 July 2026

1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
2 “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
3 “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. 4 Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”
5 So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.”
But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.
9 Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

God provided generously in a remarkable way for the destitute widow of one of the company of prophets who supported Elisha is his work of speaking the word of God. After that, the prominent woman provided generously for Elisha. This reminds me of two principles which flow through to the New Testament. Firstly, God’s command that we provide materially for those who teach us his word full time. Galatians 6:6 says: “Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.” Am I generous in supporting those who teach me God’s word?

The second principle is God’s desire that we support widows who are in financial need, particularly those who fear God. 1 Timothy 5:3 says: “Honor the widows who are truly widows.” Am I generous to Christian widows that I know? Am I generous to people in need generally?

Sometimes paid gospel workers die young. If so, we must be especially mindful to support the families they leave behind. We serve a God who loves the widow and the orphan, and who wants his word to go out. Let’s be like him in generously supporting both those in need and gospel workers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

8 July 2026

2 Kings 3:15-27

Gus Cameron

8 July 2026

15 But now, bring me a harpist. ”
And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ 17 For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ 18 This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20 The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land.
21 Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way.
23 “This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”
24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail. 27 So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall.
And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

The strange ambiguities continue in today’s passage. On the one hand, the Lord promises a miracle through Elisha, and he delivers, with all the water and the optical illusion of blood. But Elisha knows perfectly well that Jehoram is not a loyal follower of the Lord. So why does he give him a miraculous promise?

Then there’s the troubling description of what the Israelites did to the Moabite cities in verse 25 – completely destroying the fertile and productive land around their cities. This seems to be a direct violation of the Law of Moses. Deuteronomy 20 laid out rules for how the Israelites were to conduct wars on foreign soil, and one of the rules was: If they besieged a city, they must not cut down all the fruit-bearing trees around it (Deut. 20:19-20). They do that and more.

That might explain the puzzling and disturbing ending, where the king of Moab commits the most evil atrocity imaginable: he kills his own son as a human sacrifice to the Moabite god Chemosh. For some reason, this resulted in “great fury against the Israelites”. Perhaps this showed that their whole war had been based on lies and that God was displeased with them.

The lesson I drew from all this was: You can’t come to God with an agenda, hoping that he will give you a way to justify your selfish plans. If you do, you will be deceived into thinking God backs your choices. It’s yet another reminder of the importance of genuinely humbling ourselves before the Lord. James rebuked the hypocrites he was writing to for asking God “with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). Paul told the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:15). Today would be a good day to ask God to help you search your heart and see whether you are being honest and transparent with him in the things you are pursuing in life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

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.