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What does power really look like? In Week 2 of Redefined, Pastor Gary explores Paul’s message to the Corinthians that God’s power does not look like dominance, status or human impressiveness—it looks like Jesus giving Himself away on the cross. Power Redefined reveals how Christ crucified overturns our definitions of strength and success, produces genuine humility, and frees us from the need to control, compare or prove ourselves. True power is found in surrendering to Jesus, serving others and allowing our lives to point toward Him.

In the opening message of the Redefined series, Pastor Gary explores the new humanity God is creating through the crucified and risen Christ. Our past may explain part of our story, but it does not have the authority to define us forever. In Christ, we are washed, sanctified and justified. We receive a new identity, are joined by the Spirit to a new people, and are entrusted with a new mission. We are not finally defined by what we were, what we possess, or what culture names us. In Christ: new creation, new belonging, new people.

Who knows where you really are—and who is looking for you? In this message, Pastor Gary Adduono explores the friendship between David and Jonathan to show why godly relationships matter. Even the man who defeated Goliath needed someone beside him to help him find strength in God. Through six essential aspects of friendship—navigation, celebration, formation, intervention, collaboration, and invigoration—Pastor Gary considers how meaningful relationships help people make wise decisions, grow in character, share joy, and carry life’s burdens. With practical encouragement and relatable humour, this message challenges listeners to move beyond surface connections, let trustworthy people into their lives, and become friends who reach out to others. God created His people for life together. Somebody needs to know where they really are—and somebody may be waiting for them to make the first move.

What do you do when you give someone your best, but they give you their worst? Drawing from David’s difficult relationship with King Saul, Pastor Gary explores how to deal with hurt, betrayal, jealousy, and opposition without allowing someone else’s behaviour to change your character. David refused to become spiteful or bitter, but he also understood the importance of wisdom and healthy boundaries. “Doing Your Best When Life Is the Worst” is a practical and encouraging message about remaining kind without being naïve, forgiving without surrendering healthy boundaries, and faithful even when doing good comes at a cost. You may not be able to control how others treat you, but you can choose who you will become. Keep loving. Keep serving. Keep building. Even when life gives you its worst, keep giving God your best. Primary Scriptures: 1 Samuel 18–24; John 15:18; 1 Peter 3:8–9; Matthew 10:16; Galatians 6:9; Nehemiah 6:3

In Get Ahead of Yourself, Pastor Gary Adduono connects two moments from David’s life: the day he defeated Goliath with a stone and the day, years later, when Goliath’s sword was waiting for him in the house of God. David could not have known that the victory he won in one season would become provision for another. Through his story, this message explores how today’s prayers, obedience, worship, generosity and faithfulness prepare believers for tomorrow’s battles. What is developed in private may one day provide strength in public. The message also points to Jesus, the greater David, who defeated death through death itself. Because Christ has gone ahead, no believer faces the battle alone. The foundations laid today become the weapons waiting tomorrow. What someone fights through today may one day fight for them. 1 Samuel 17:40–54 1 Samuel 21:8–9 Psalm 23 Psalm 27:4 Psalm 84:10 Romans 13:1 2 Samuel 24:24 Hebrews 2:14 Faith, Preparation, Worship, Generosity, Victory

Sin rarely destroys a life all at once. It usually begins with a small compromise—something excused, justified, or allowed to remain. In “Kill It Before It Kills You,” Pastor Gary explores Saul’s partial obedience in 1 Samuel 15 and the sobering consequences of sparing King Agag. Saul tried to offer God sacrifice while withholding obedience, but Samuel reminded him that “to obey is better than sacrifice.” This message examines how compromise slowly desensitizes the heart, how unaddressed sin eventually takes hold, and why followers of Jesus must confront sin seriously. Yet the message does not end with condemnation. Through repentance, confession, accountability, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God offers forgiveness, freedom, and a fresh start. No sin is too small to confess—and no sin is too great for Jesus to forgive. Kill it before it kills you, and live free.

In Beyond Curb Appeal, Pastor Gary Adduono explores the anointing of David in 1 Samuel 16 and the powerful truth that God sees what people often miss. When Samuel arrived at Jesse’s home searching for Israel’s next king, he was immediately drawn to the sons who looked strong, impressive, and qualified. But God reminded him that people judge by outward appearance, while the Lord looks at the heart. Just as an attractive house can conceal serious problems behind its walls, people can become skilled at maintaining an impressive exterior while neglecting what is happening within. This message challenges believers to look beyond appearances, value character over image, and allow God to examine and renew the hidden places of the heart. David was overlooked by his own family, but he was seen and chosen by God. His story reminds us that all that glitters is not gold—and all that is truly valuable does not always glitter. Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1–13; Proverbs 31:30; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Isaiah 53:2; 1 Peter 3:3–4 Beyond Curb Appeal asks a vital question: When God looks beneath the surface, what does He find?

Stop Going to Church is a message from Psalm 92:12–15 about moving beyond casual attendance and becoming deeply planted in Christ, His people, and His mission. In this sermon, Pastor Gary challenges the idea that church is merely a place to visit when convenient and invites people to see the church as a family to belong to, a body to participate in, and a mission to live from. Using the imagery of trees, seeds, roots, and fruit, this message explores what it means to flourish spiritually. God’s desire is not survival-mode Christianity, but a life rooted in Him, strengthened through community, and fruitful for the good of others. When believers are planted in the house of the Lord, their roots grow deep, their faith becomes steady, and their lives begin to produce lasting fruit. This message is an invitation to stop merely “going to church” and start being planted in the life of the church. Scripture References: Psalm 92:12–15 Matthew 13 Hebrews 10:24–25 Jeremiah 17:7–8 Galatians 5:22–23 Keywords: church, planted, flourishing, spiritual growth, Christian community, discipleship, Psalm 92, roots, fruitfulness, North Shore Church, sermon

In this Father’s Day message, Pastor Gary shares from Psalm 68:4–6 and points us to the God who is infinitely high, yet intimately close. He is the LORD, majestic and faithful, worthy of endless praise — and yet He draws near as Father to the fatherless, defender of widows, restorer of the lonely, and deliverer of captives. This message reminds us that worship begins with who God is, not with what we are facing. It also shows that God’s compassion is not separate from His holiness; it flows from it. The Father’s heart is to defend the vulnerable, restore the broken, and bring the spiritually dry into life through Jesus Christ. Through the gospel, the rebellious do not have to remain rebellious. The unrighteous can be made righteous by grace through faith in Christ. And because we are created in the image of God and redeemed through Jesus, we are called to reflect His heart by loving, serving, welcoming, and helping others. Scripture: Psalm 68:4–6

In the story of Joseph, we see more than dreams, betrayal, and a rise to leadership. We also see wisdom, planning, stewardship, and purpose. When God revealed that famine was coming, Joseph did not respond with fear or passivity. He responded with faith-filled preparation. In this message, Stored On Purpose, we look at Joseph’s example in Genesis and consider what it means to steward what God has entrusted to us. For the local church, this means planning wisely, giving generously, preparing faithfully, and remembering that resources are never just about budgets or buildings — they are about people, mission, and being ready to serve. Joseph’s story reminds us that faith can pray and plan. We do not store out of fear. We steward so we are ready to bless.

In this message, Pastor Gary shares A Simple Theology of Giving and reminds us that generosity is not God trying to get something from us — it is God forming something in us. The Bible talks often about money, possessions, generosity, poverty, greed, and stewardship, not because God needs our money, but because money has such a powerful grip on our hearts. Giving is more than a financial transaction. It is worship, trust, justice, community, mission, and transformation. Christian generosity begins with the gospel: God gave Himself to us in Jesus. Because God gave first, we learn to live open-handed lives that reflect His heart. This message also explores what generosity means for North Shore Church as we move from simply maintaining ministry toward dreaming, preparing, and making room for mission. Key Themes: Generosity, stewardship, worship, trust, mission, justice, transformation, church giving, discipleship, open-handed faith, gospel-centred generosity Scriptures Referenced: Psalm 24 John 3:16 2 Corinthians 8:9 Ephesians 5:2 1 John 3:16–18 Proverbs 3:9 Deuteronomy 15 Matthew 6 Leviticus 19:10 Acts 2 Acts 4 Philippians 4:18 3 John 8 2 Corinthians 9:7

Pentecost Sunday reminds us that the Holy Spirit was not poured out so the church could become comfortable, but so the church could become witnesses. In this message, Pastor Gary preaches from Acts 1:8, where Jesus gives His followers both a promise and a mission. The promise is power from the Holy Spirit. The mission is to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This message calls us to recover the power of personal testimony, to witness faithfully where God has placed us, to cross barriers like Samaria, and to pray for people around the world who still have little or no access to the gospel.

In this message, Pastor Gary looks at Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28–30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This is not just an invitation to take a break, but a call to find true rest for the soul in Jesus. Life can leave us tired, burdened, anxious, overwhelmed, and worn down by pressure, performance, comparison, and the weight of responsibility. But Jesus does not shame the weary. He invites them to come close, take His yoke, and learn His pace. This message explores the connection between Jesus’ promise of rest and the Sabbath grainfield moment that follows in Matthew 12, showing that the deepest rest is not finally found in a day, but in a Person. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and He teaches us how to carry life with Him, not apart from Him. If you are tired of being tired, Jesus’ invitation still stands: come to Him, and find rest for your soul.