Belair Baptist Church Podcast

Awake to Radical Grace // AWAKE - Acts 9:1–31

🗓️ 28 June 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar.
Few moments in Acts are as dramatic as Saul's encounter on the road to Damascus. In Acts 9:1-31, a man set on destroying the church is suddenly confronted by Jesus and everything changes. Blinded, humbled, and redirected, Saul is drawn into a completely new story. One shaped not by his own ambition but by God's grace. Alongside him, an ordinary disciple named Ananias steps forward in obedience, playing a quiet but pivotal role in Saul's transformation and the future of the early church.
This passage doesn't just highlight a single conversion story. It reshapes how we see people and how we understand God at work. No one is written off. No past is too far gone. And often, the breakthrough happens through unexpected moments or simple acts of obedience. It leaves us with a question worth sitting with: where might God be asking us to trust Him more deeply, whether that's praying for someone, taking a step we've been avoiding, or letting Him change how we see a situation we thought was fixed.
🔗 More info: www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade - Lakey Inspired
 

Awake Beyond the Walls // AWAKE – Acts 8:4–24

🗓️ 21 June 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar.
As pressure rises and the church is scattered, the mission doesn't slow down, it spreads. In Acts 8:4-24, Philip brings the gospel into Samaria, crossing cultural and spiritual boundaries as people encounter Jesus in new ways. What begins as disruption becomes momentum, with healing, freedom, and joy breaking out in an unexpected place. At the same time, the story of Simon the sorcerer exposes how easy it is to misunderstand the Holy Spirit, treating God's power as something to control rather than a person to receive.
There's something confronting about this moment in Acts. God is clearly at work, but not in the places or through the people you might expect. It challenges our instinct to stay comfortable or keep faith contained. It also pushes us to examine our motives. Are we open to following where God leads, even when it feels unfamiliar? And are we relating to Him with humility, or trying to shape things around our own agenda? This message invites a posture of surrender. Not striving for control, but making space for the Holy Spirit to move in and through our lives.
🔗 More info: www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade - Lakey Inspired
 

Awake to Boldness // AWAKE - Acts 3:1- 4:31

AWAKE // God's Spirit Awakening People, Communities and Cities (Acts 3:1–4:31).
🗓️ 7 June 2026. 🎙️ Peter Schultz.
At the temple gate called Beautiful, Peter and John stop for a lame beggar they had likely walked past many times before. But Peter is no longer the aimless disciple who went back to fishing after the resurrection. He stops, sees, and speaks with bold clarity: "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you." The man is healed and fills the temple courts with praise. Guest speaker Peter Schultz draws a striking parallel with his own experience, where a pointed challenge from about the church's silence on the national drug crisis led to 110 church leaders from divided denominations gathering for an unprecedented two-day workshop.
Both stories carry the same invitation: What are you holding onto, and what do you need to let go of? Peter Schultz traces how the apostle Peter released past ambition, self-will, and the comfort of the familiar before he could respond to God in that moment. The beggar, too, had to let go of his identity and expectations to receive something entirely new. Whether it is hurt, unforgiveness, comfort, or ambition, this message calls us to open our hands so God can awaken our ears to hear, our eyes to see, and our hearts to act.
🔗 More info: www.belairbaptist.org.au 
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired.

Awake to a New Community // AWAKE – Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37

🗓️ 31 May 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar.
What does a Spirit-awakened church actually look like? In Acts 2:42–47 and 4:32–37, we're given a compelling picture of the early church marked by shared life, deep devotion, radical generosity, and genuine joy. This isn't an abstract ideal or a one-off moment in history, but a real community formed and sustained by the Spirit of God. As Nic unpacks these passages, he traces how the believers gathered around Scripture, prayer, and one another, and how God's presence shaped a way of life that was both spiritually alive and practically grounded in care for others.
There's a tension here that’s hard to ignore. It's easy to admire this kind of community while feeling how far it seems from everyday life. Rather than dismissing it or trying to manufacture it, we're invited into something slower and more intentional. Paying attention to what shapes us. Letting go of the need to hold everything tightly. Choosing to move toward people instead of away from them. And as that takes root, even in small ways, we start to glimpse the kind of church God is building. Not perfect, but alive with His presence.
🔗 More info: www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired

Awake to The Spirit // AWAKE – The Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–41)

🗓️ 24 May 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar.
On the day of Pentecost, everything changes. In Acts 2:1-41, the Holy Spirit comes in power, filling ordinary people with boldness and enabling them to proclaim the wonders of God across language and culture. What looks chaotic at first is actually deeply intentional: God's presence breaking through, fulfilling ancient promises, and opening the door for all people to be drawn into His story. This moment marks the birth of the church, not as a human-led movement but as a Spirit-led one, grounded in dependence, shaped by waiting, and fuelled by God's power rather than human effort.
For some, the Holy Spirit can feel confusing, unpredictable, or even a bit confronting. This message helps make sense of that tension without over-simplifying it. Nic explores how the Spirit moves in powerful moments, in ways we can't fully explain, and in the quiet rhythms of everyday life. There's an invitation here to slow down, to wait, and to be open to how God might already be at work around you, and within you.
🔗 More info: www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired.

Awake to the Mission // The Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:1–11).

🗓️ 17 May 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Nick Varady-Szabo.
Before the church moves outward, it must awaken. In Acts 1:1-11, the risen Jesus commissions his followers and promises the Holy Spirit, shifting their focus from building their own kingdom to participating in God’s. The story of Acts begins with a call to wait, receive power, and step into a mission far bigger than themselves.
This message is for anyone who feels stuck, distracted, or unsure where faith fits into everyday life. Discover how God’s Spirit awakens ordinary people into purpose, why the Spirit comes for mission not magic, and how the greatest adventures begin when we join in what God is already doing.
🔗 More info: http://www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired

The Emmaus Road // The Gospel of Luke 24:13-35

The Gospel of Luke – Walking With a Living God in Disappointment (Luke 24:13–35)
🗓️ 10 May 2026
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar
Two followers leave Jerusalem with their hopes shattered, walking away from everything they believed about Jesus. A stranger joins them on the road, opens the scriptures, and then disappears the moment their eyes are finally opened. In Luke 24:13–35, the risen Jesus shows up not in a blaze of glory but over a quiet meal, revealing that God is closer than we think, especially in our disappointment.
This message is for anyone whose life hasn't turned out the way they expected, whose view of God feels too small for the mess in front of them, or who quietly wonders whether the battle has already been won. Hear how the risen Christ walks alongside the disillusioned and opens eyes in his own timing and way.
🔗 More info: http://www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Who is The Kingdom of God For? // The Gospel of Luke 18:9-17

The Gospel of Luke // Following Jesus in Fragile Times.
🗓️ 03 May 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Luke Reed.
Two men walk into the temple to pray. One lists his achievements; the other can barely lift his eyes. In Luke 18:9–17, Jesus delivers a shocking verdict: it's the broken one who goes home right with God, and it's the children with nothing to offer who show us what the kingdom actually looks like. 
This message is for anyone caught in the cycle of striving, comparing, or trying to earn their way to God. Hear why God's Kingdom isn't for the impressive or the self-sufficient, but for those who know they need it.
🔗 More info: http://www.belairbaptist.org.au 
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Real Discipleship Happens in Community // The Gospel of Luke 17:1-10

The Gospel of Luke // Following Jesus in Fragile Times.
🗓️ 26 April 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Sam Delfs.
Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey. In this message from Luke 17:1–10, Sam Delfs unpacks what life in the community of Jesus actually looks like, and it's more honest, more demanding, and more beautiful than most of us expect.
From dealing seriously with sin, to extending radical forgiveness, to praying with genuine faith in a God who is bigger than our problems, this passage is a practical and searching call to stop being passive passengers and start doing the hard, rewarding work of life together.
🔗 More info: http://www.belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Jesus & the Lost Things // The Gospel of Luke Chapter 15

The Gospel of Luke – Following Jesus in Fragile Times (Luke 15)
🗓️ 19 April 2026 🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar 📖 Jesus & the Lost Things
A lost sheep. A lost coin. A lost son. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories that together paint one of the most breathtaking pictures of God in the entire Bible. In this message, Nic unpacks what it means to be lost, what it looks like when God comes searching, and why the father's response to his returning son breaks every cultural expectation in the best possible way.
Whether you've wandered off, been quietly absent on the inside, or are still figuring out what faith even means, this chapter has something for you. Scandalous grace, extravagant love, and an open invitation to come home.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

The Mustard Seed Kingdom // The Gospel of Luke 13:18-30

The Gospel of Luke – Following Jesus in Fragile Times (Luke 13:18–30).
🗓️ 12 April 2026.
🎙️ Speaker: Luke Reed.
What if God’s kingdom is already at work, but not in the way we expect? In this week’s message, we explore Jesus’ pictures of the mustard seed, the yeast, and the narrow door in Luke 13:18–30. What seems small and easy to overlook carries surprising power to grow, spread, and transform. 
This sermon is both hopeful and searching. It reminds us not to underestimate what God is doing, while also taking seriously Jesus’ invitation to enter through the narrow door. More than knowing about Jesus, this passage calls us to trust Him, follow Him, and let His kingdom take root in our lives. 
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead? // The Gospel of Luke 24:1-2

Easter Sunday – Luke 24:1–12🗓️ 05 April 2026🎙️ Speaker: Sam Delfs
What if the resurrection is not just a comforting idea, but the event that changes everything? In this Easter message from Luke 24:1–12, Sam Delfs explores the empty tomb, the first witnesses to the risen Jesus, and the question that still confronts us today: why do you look for the living among the dead?
With honesty and conviction, Sam points us to the risen Christ who offers forgiveness, new life, and real hope in a fragile world. This sermon is an invitation to stop searching for life in dead places, to take the resurrection seriously, and to respond to the living Jesus who meets people today.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Looking Ahead - How We Grow // Luke 9:21-25 & Matt 11:28-30

Looking Ahead 2026 (Part 2) - Luke 9:21-25 / Matt 11:28-30
🗓️ 29 March 2026
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar
What does real spiritual growth look like in a fragile, distracted world? In this second Looking Ahead message, Nic reflects on Jesus’ call to discipleship and rest, and asks how we actually grow as followers of Christ.
Drawing on Luke 9 and Matthew 11, Nic explores the tension between surrender and rest, personal faith and shared community, and what it means for the church to become a creative minority for the good of others. This is a practical and hopeful invitation to keep growing through everyday habits, courageous faith, and life together with Jesus.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Looking Ahead - Entrusted With Much // The Gospel of Luke 19:1-11

Following Jesus in Fragile Times (Luke 19:1–11)
🗓️ 22 March 2026 - Looking Ahead Sunday
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar
What do Zacchaeus, a church vision Sunday, and Jesus’ call to faithful stewardship have in common? In this week’s message, Nic Cassar reflects on Luke 19 and the surprising grace of Jesus, who sees Zacchaeus and brings salvation into his home. 
From that story, Lead Pastor Nic Cassar, opens up a wider challenge: if Jesus moves first with grace, how should we respond with the good things He has entrusted to us? This message invites us to think seriously about generosity, service, participation, and what it means to be a faithful community in a fragile moment. 
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

The Good Samaritan // The Gospel of Luke - Chapter 10:25-37

The Gospel of Luke – Following Jesus in Fragile Times (Luke 10:25–37)
🗓️ 15 March 2026🎙️ Speaker: Nick Varady-Szabo
What if the question isn’t “Who is my neighbour?” but “How can I be one?” In this week’s message, we explore Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan and how it confronts our instincts to justify ourselves, draw boundaries, and keep love at a safe distance.
With the help of Mister Rogers’ famous invitation, “Won’t you be my neighbour?”, this sermon brings Jesus’ teaching into ordinary life and asks what it might look like to notice the people right in front of us. It’s a warm but challenging call to receive God’s grace and let that grace reshape the way we live toward others.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Mission // The Gospel of Luke Chapter 9 & 10

Following Jesus in Fragile Times – Luke 9:1–7 and 10:1–8
🗓️ 08 March 2026
🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar
What does it look like to join God’s mission without pressure, hype, or hidden agendas? In Luke 9 and 10, Jesus sends the twelve and then the seventy-two to travel light, rely on hospitality, proclaim peace, and pray for healing as they announce the kingdom of God.
This message is for anyone who feels stuck on the sidelines of faith. Discover how God involves ordinary people, invites us to partner with what he is already doing, and calls us to take wise, faith-filled risks in the everyday mission field of homes, workplaces, and neighbourhoods.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au
🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

The Bad Woman // The Gospel of Luke 7:36-50

The Gospel of Luke – Following Jesus in Fragile Times (Luke 7:36–50).🗓️ 01 March 2026.🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar.
What happens when a “bad woman” walks into a religious man’s dinner party, breaks all the social rules, and pours out her grief at Jesus’ feet? In Luke 7:36–50, Jesus turns the whole room upside down, exposing self-righteousness and offering forgiveness that no one saw coming.
This message is for anyone who feels too far gone, too judged, or simply tired of trying to earn their way to God. Hear Jesus’ words of welcome, and the surprising path to peace.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired

Just Say the Word: Trusting Jesus & Healing // Luke 7:1-10

Following Jesus in Fragile Times (Luke 7:1-10)
🗓️ 22 February 2026🎙️ Speaker: Nic Cassar
In this week’s message, Nic Cassar explores Luke 7:1-10, where a Roman centurion approaches Jesus on behalf of a dying servant. An unlikely figure of faith, the centurion recognises Jesus’ authority without demanding proof, performance, or proximity - trusting that a single word is enough.
This passage invites us to consider what it means to trust Jesus not on the basis of our goodness, status, or effort, but through humility and surrender. It also holds together the mystery of healing and suffering, pointing us toward Jesus as the healer we trust, even when outcomes are not what we expect.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

The Call of the First Disciples // The Gospel of Luke - Chapter 5:1-11

🗓️ 15 February 2026
🎙️ Speaker: Phil Skinner
In this message reflects on Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus steps into an ordinary workday, meets tired fishermen with empty nets, and quietly changes the direction of their lives. Rather than beginning with certainty or confidence, this story unfolds in the middle of exhaustion, disappointment, and fragile faith.
Phil explores how Jesus meets people where they are, asks for trust that doesn’t always make sense, and invites obedience before understanding. As Simon Peter encounters the holiness of Jesus, fear gives way to awe, and a simple act of trust opens the door to a deeper calling. This passage reminds us that following Jesus often starts with small steps taken in uncertain conditions, and that grace is at work long before we feel ready or capable.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired
 

John the Baptist // The Gospel of Luke - Chapter 3

🗓️ 08 February 2026
🎙️ Speaker: Luke Reed
This week, Luke Reed unpacks Luke 3 and the striking arrival of John the Baptist — God’s “think different” prophet who prepares the way for Jesus. In a world marked by political tension, corruption, and longing for change, John steps onto the scene as a voice crying out in the wilderness, calling people to repentance, integrity, and readiness for the coming King.
John The Baptist’s message is both confronting and hopeful: real repentance is seen in real fruit, lived out in everyday, ordinary acts of honesty, generosity, and justice. Luke explores how John models a profound clarity about who he is — and who he’s not — freely pointing people to Jesus with humility and courage, even at great personal cost. In fragile times, his call still echoes: Prepare the way for the Lord.
🔗 More info: belairbaptist.org.au🎵 Intro Music: Arcade – Lakey Inspired