Series: LITURGIES OF LOVE: Take Back Your Algorithm

Date: 18 January 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18, Matthew 11:28-12:14

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Part three of "Liturgies of Love" explores how Christians can develop eight habits to counter our algorithmic age and grow in love for God and neighbour. Focussing on weekly rhythms to love God—fasting and Sabbath—this message examines Matthew 6's teaching on giving, prayer, and fasting as spiritual practices done for God alone, not for human approval. Our righteousness does not save us; it is by Jesus Christ that we are accepted as God's children, so our devotion flows from that acceptance rather than from trying to earn his favour. Moving to Matthew 11-12, Jesus invites the weary to find rest in him as Lord of the Sabbath, revealing that religious rules can't save us—only his finished work on the cross brings true rest.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: LITURGIES OF LOVE: Take Back Your Algorithm

Date: 11 January 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

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This message focuses on how intentional daily habits can counter our distraction-filled, algorithm-driven culture and help us love our neighbours more faithfully. Two daily habits—eating one meal with others and spending one hour with phones off—cultivate presence and attention, which are essential forms of love. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, we discover Jesus is the ultimate neighbour who loved us when we were enemies. Because we've been loved extravagantly, we're called to love others sacrificially—not to earn God's acceptance, but responding to gospel rhythms.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: LITURGIES OF LOVE: Take Back Your Algorithm

Date: 4 January 2026

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

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Every day, algorithms are forming you — training your heart in anxiety, envy, and endless distraction. Tech companies have figured out how to hijack your dopamine system, programming your brain to crave the scroll. But here's the good news: the same brain that can be programmed by algorithms can be reprogrammed by love. In this new series, "Liturgies of Love," discover eight simple daily and weekly habits that will help you take back your algorithm and grow in love for God and others.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: HE KNOWS YOUR NEED - Advent Series

Date: 24 December 2025 - Christmas Eve

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Galatians 4:4-7

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Jesus knows your need — but do you know what your biggest need actually is?

On Christmas Eve, we conclude the "He Knows Your Need" Advent series with a simple invitation: trade your life for Christ, because He traded His life for you.

Through Isaiah's prophecies and Paul's letter to the Galatians, we discover that the baby born in Bethlehem is Emmanuel — God with us — who comes not just to forgive our sins, but to offer us adoption as sons and daughters. No longer slaves to sin, ourselves, our screens, our shame, or death itself — but co-heirs with Christ, able to cry out "Abba, Father."

This is the trade of infinite worth: we give away our life lived in the shadow of death and receive the glorious life Christ came to bring.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: HE KNOWS YOUR NEED - Advent Series

Date: 21 December 2025

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

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Christmas is supposed to be light, but many of us carry something heavy: shame. Shame over personal failures we can't undo, and shame from wounds others have inflicted on us.

This Advent sermon addresses the weight of disgrace we carry and shows how Christmas is God's ultimate answer. Through Isaiah 54, we see three movements of God's redemptive work: he sees our shame fully, without minimising it; he meets our shame by drawing near through the Incarnation; and he replaces our shame with his everlasting love through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

The message concludes with an invitation to come to Jesus and be defined not by shame, but by the steadfast love of God who paid the price for our freedom.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: HE KNOWS YOUR NEED - Advent Series

Date: 14 December 2025

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

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Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year —but for many of us, it's one of the hardest — grief, disappointment, loneliness, exhaustion. We try to manufacture joy, but deep down we know it's just survival.

What if joy isn't something you create, but something God restores?

In Isaiah 35, God promises to transform our deserts, restore what's broken, and bring us home with everlasting joy. This isn't superficial happiness or forced cheerfulness — it's the settled gladness that comes when God reverses the curse, heals our wounds, and drives sorrow away forever.

Discover what Jesus does with your sorrow this Advent.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: HE KNOWS YOUR NEED - Advent Series

Date: 7 December 2025

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

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We're all fighting battles — conflict that won't resolve, anxiety that robs our sleep, the exhausting work of holding it all together. But the deepest battle? It's our battle with God.

In Isaiah 11, God gives his war-weary people a vision of peace. Not a fragile ceasefire, but peace rooted in a coming King. Humble origins, divine power, perfect justice, perfect peace, universal reach.

This King knows your battles. He knows what you really need. And he invites you to trade your battles for his peace.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Series: HE KNOWS YOUR NEED - Advent Series

Date: 30 November 2025

Preacher: Rev Dave Miers

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Often we're held captive by our circumstances — weighed down, paralysed, even despairing. But Christmas invites us to see the forest from the trees and behold the bigger picture.

In this first sermon of our Advent series "He Knows Our Need," we explore Isaiah 40 and discover that God meets our deepest anguish with unshakeable hope. Through four powerful words — pardon, providence, promise, and peace — we see that God is greater than our circumstances.

Whether you're facing relationship breakdown, financial hardship, health crisis, or grief that won't lift, this message reminds us that our current circumstances don't define us. The incomparable, transcendent God is also the tender shepherd who became a sheep to save the sheep, offering strength to the weary and hope to the anguished.

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Our dream is to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane, where many people have found refuge, security, and hope in Christ.

Find out more about our church: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.christrefuge.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email hello@christrefuge.co