Table of Contents
Dealing with Anger
Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Anger is a powerful emotion. It rises quickly, burns hot, and (if left unexamined) can quietly erode the health of the human heart. But anger, when understood through the lens of the gospel, can become a doorway to transformation. We must learn to recognise, respond to, and redeem our anger to pursue a spiritually healthy heart.
Tim Keller observed that “anger is energy aroused in defence of something good that is being threatened.” In this sense, anger is not always sinful. It reflects our God-given sense of justice. Even Jesus, who was without sin, expressed righteous anger at injustice and hypocrisy (Mark 3:5; John 2:15). Anger often turns destructive when our love for good things becomes disordered; when we love things too much or in the wrong order.
James 1:19–20 offers this wisdom:
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (NIV)
In other words, much of our anger may feel justified, but does not lead to abundant life or healing. It often stems from wounded pride, unmet expectations, or perceived threats to our control.
Scripture encourages us to see emotions like anger not merely as internal feelings but as responses shaped by the stories we live in. Our anger becomes a weapon if our narrative is one of scarcity, fear, or self-protection. But if our hearts are rooted in the resurrection story (the story of God’s restoring justice and reconciling grace) then anger can be transformed. We are invited to channel our anger towards Christ-shaped responses, not suppress it or allow it to explode.
In Ephesians 4:26–27, Paul writes,
“In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Anger is not inherently sinful, but unresolved anger opens the door to bitterness, division, and spiritual decay. A healthy heart confronts its anger honestly, brings it before God, and seeks resolution rooted in forgiveness and grace.
Jesus Himself teaches a radically different posture in Matthew 5:22–24, warning that anger harboured against a brother is spiritually dangerous. He urges us to reconcile quickly because unresolved conflict affects our worship and relationship with God.
The path to a healthy heart begins with a simple, hard prayer:
“Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23–24 NIV
As we allow the Spirit to probe our hearts, identify the roots of our anger, and reshape our responses, we experience freedom.
Prayer: Lord, help us examine our anger in the light of Your love. Teach us when to speak out for the sake of justice and when to let go for the sake of mercy. Please form our hearts to reflect Your patience, power, and peace. Amen.
Care Meals Team
A home-cooked meal can be such a blessing and an expression of love and care in times of need. We would love to expand our team of people who are willing to prepare meals, either to deliver or bring them to the church freezer for distribution as needed. Does this sound like a way that you could be His presence in the lives of others?
Please use this form to express your interest in being part of our Care Meals Team (or email sue@bcoc.com.au if you have questions). Sue Nicholls.
Daylight Saving Ends | Sunday 6th April at 3:00am
Get ready to fall back and enjoy that extra hour of sleep! Before you drift off, make sure to set your clocks back one hour so we don’t miss you at the 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. service!
Sunday Service | Sunday 6th April 2025 | 9:00am & 11:00am
Join us for Heart Health, a powerful new series exploring the key emotional and spiritual issues that shape our relationships with God and others. Together, we’ll uncover how to:
- Break free from the weight of guilt
- Loosen the grip of greed
- Overcome the shadow of disappointment
- Find freedom from anger
Experience freedom and peace from living in the truth of God’s grace, sufficient to transform even the deepest struggles of the heart. Don’t miss this life-transforming series!
Kids Church | Sunday 6th April 2025 | 9:00am & 11:00am
This week at Kids Church…
2 to 4-year-olds | Mary pours out perfume on Jesus | John 12:1-8
5 to 12-year-olds | Keep looking to Jesus | Hebrews 12:1-3
Men's Prayer Group | Sunday 6th April | 5:45 pm
Calling all men! At our weekly gatherings, we come together to pray, support one another in our faith journey, and grow deeper in our relationship with God.
Whether you are a seasoned prayer warrior or new, we welcome you with open arms. Our group is a safe space where men can come together to share their hearts, struggles, and victories.
Join us as we seek God’s guidance, wisdom, and strength in our lives and for our families. Together, we can uplift each other, grow in faith, and make a real difference in our community.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Come and join our Men’s Prayer Group where together we seek the Lord for our families, community and nation.
Boys Brigade | Monday 7th April 2025
Be part of the action
For over 20 years the Boys’ Brigade has advanced Christ’s Kingdom among boys.
ANCHORS | Grades 1 & 2: 6pm – 7.15pm
JUNIORS | Grades 3 – 6: 7pm – 8.30pm
SENIORS | Grades 7 to 18 years old: 7pm – 9.30pm
Baptism Classes | Monday 7th and Tuesday 22nd April 2025 | 7:00pm
Baptism is complete water immersion of those who have confessed their faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and their Saviour. However, it is more than just immersion in water. It has a number of significant meanings. Book now if you want to find out more.
Seniors Ministry | Wednesday 9th April 2025 | 1:30pm
Don’t miss our Easter Celebration as Rabbi Lawrence Hersch opens our understanding of Jesus in the Passover Meal.
Details:
- Time: 1.30pm – 4.00pm
- Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806
- Bring: Please bring a packet of food for everyone to share
Forge Young Adults Service | Sunday 13th April 2025 | 5:30pm
Peter Botross will be joining us to share the word. Peter has a heart to equip young adults in Australia to reverse the decline of YA Christians. This vision brought Peter and his wife to found Gen J. Gen J dreams to see young adults equipped to live like Jesus in the world, multiply Jesus-like disciples and transform their community by the power of the Spirit.
Make sure you stick around afterwards for some food and fellowship.
Alpha Course Commencing | Wednesday 16th April 2025 | 7:00pm
WHAT IS ALPHA?
Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that create a safe and honest space, where people can explore life, faith and meaning.
Enjoy a meal with others, watch an Alpha Talk video and have an open discussion in a friendly and non-judgemental environment.
Connect
Connecting with others is important; friends gather around the kitchen table, meeting for coffee or catching up online. It’s no different at Alpha. All sessions start with a time to connect, relax and build friendships – whether in person or virtually.
Watch
The Alpha talks are designed to engage and inspire conversation. Each video talk is around thirty minutes long and explores important issues around faith and the basics of Christianity.
We address questions such as;
- “Who is Jesus?”
- “How can we have faith?”
- “Why and how do I pray?”
- “How does God guide us?”
Discuss
One of the most important parts of any Alpha Course is sharing thoughts and ideas in small groups. There’s no obligation to say anything, and there’s nothing you can’t share (seriously). It’s an opportunity to hear from others and contribute your own perspective in an honest, friendly, and respectful environment.
Good Friday & Easter Sunday Services | Friday 18th and Sunday 20th April 2025 | 9:00am & 11:00am
Join us for a powerful Easter Celebration! Come and experience the life-changing love and power of Jesus Christ!
Good Friday, April 18 – Jesus: King of Love
Join us as we hear incredible testimonies of salvation and transformed lives. We will be reflecting on the deep love of Jesus and the victory of the cross through communion and worship.
Easter Sunday, April 20 – Jesus: King of Power
Celebrate Christ’s resurrection with us through witnessing baptisms and hearing powerful stories of lives transformed. Join us as we rejoice in the power of Jesus, who raises us to new life.
Come expectant. Come ready to celebrate. Come and encounter the King!
Please note: There is no onsite Kids Church but you can check out our online program HERE.
GTM 1 Course Commencing | Tuesday 29th April 2025 | 7:00pm
Growing To Maturity course (GTM1)
GTM is the ideal follow-on course to ‘Search To Find’ or ‘Alpha”. It is the perfect next step for those who:
- Are hungry to grow in their relationship with God
- Want their faith to move from head knowledge to life experience
- Desire to learn how to live out the Christian life in a practical way
Growing To Maturity (GTM) is a unique discipleship course that combines the use of:
- Participant workbooks
- DVD’s
- Weekly inspiring audio talks
- Group discussion and sharing
- Special weekends
- Personal challenges
Alpha Marriage Course Commencing | Wednesday 30th April 2025 | 7:00pm
The 8 week Marriage Course is for married couples who are seeking to strengthen their relationship. Some married couples attend the course to intentionally invest in their relationship, others are looking to address more specific challenges. Either way, the course offers essential tools and practical ideas to help you build a relationship that lasts a lifetime.
The 8 week Marriage Course is based on Christian principles but designed for all married couples with or without a church background. The course will help you to:
- Understand each others needs
- Communicate more effectively
- Grow closer by learning methods to resolve conflict
- Recover from the ways you may have hurt each other
- Recognise how your upbringing affects your relationship
- Improve relationships with parents and in-laws
- Develop greater sexual intimacy
- Discover each others “love language” and much, much more….
Working Bee | Save the date! | Saturday 24th May 2025
Prepare for an exciting day of hands-on fun and teamwork to make a difference. Join us for our next Working Bee as we get our hands dirty and roll up our sleeves to improve the beautiful property we have been blessed with.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or first-time volunteer, there’s a place for everyone! Bring your enthusiasm and maybe a friend or two! Stay tuned for more details – we can’t wait to see you there.
Have a safety concern?
We are serious about keeping our faith community safe. We encourage all staff, volunteers, partners and congregation to report any concerns they have about safety and wellbeing. We are committed to handling all concerns seriously, legally and in a child-focused way (if concerning children).
If you have any concerns about safety at the Church, we strongly encourage you to share your concern with one of our Pastors or the Safety Contact Person, Karen Fletcher and fill in our Reporting Concerns Form.
Thank you for being His Presence in Every Place!
BRAAM BOTHA
Senior Pastor
