Agora Church

The Beatitudes -The Invitation to Fasting

God is making great changes at Agora because He wants to bless us and use us, individually as well as a Church family.
But change always comes with disruption to the existing way of doing things. Think new cloth and new wineskins (Matthew 9:16-17). And Gideons army of 300 (Judges 7).
It's all about God getting the glory and our faith in Him increasing.

So what do we do? How we respond? 
By drawing near to Him. How? 
By boldly reminding Him that when we do draw near, He promises to draw near to us (James 4:8). And reminding Him of His promise to build His church so that even the gates of hell can not hold Him/us back (Matthew 16:18).

Salt & Light: Influence and Purpose

We moved into the next verses in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells his followers that they are the Salt and light of the world. Not salt and light in the world, but the source of the world’s saltiness and light. We unpacked these verses this Sunday and considered not only what it meant for us today but also look back at some of the surprising ways salty Christians have changed the world – changes we still benefit from.

The Beatitudes -Blessed are the Peacemakers & Persecuted

we finish our dive into the Beatitudes with Jesus's words about peacemakers and persecution (Matthew 5:9-12).
Blessed for being persecuted? Can that be right? Surely this is a misprint or some metaphor for something far less unpleasant! Persecution is so far away from where we live as Christians in safe NZ (especially if we hide our light under a basket). 

According to 2025/2026 World Watch List, 1 in 7 Christians worldwide, approximately 365–388 million of our brothers and sisters experience "high to extreme levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Even unto death."

So join us on Sunday as we look into this and learn how it is that God's people can face and deal with persecution, while even saying they are blessed for doing so.

Blessed are the Merciful & the Pure in Heart

We continued going through the Sermon on the Mount and learn more about the kind of life that reflects the Kingdom of God. We looked at the characteristics of 'Mercy' and what it means to be 'Pure in Heart'. These two statements from Jesus reach straight into the core of who we are, how we treat others and how we see God.

Sacred Pathways - Sacred Pathways: Introduction and Overview

This week, we’ll begin exploring Sacred Pathways, a framework developed by Gary Thomas that reminds us God has created each of us to connect with Him in different, meaningful ways. Just as branches grow uniquely while sharing the same vine, our spiritual lives are shaped by the way God designed us to love Him. Abiding isn’t about copying someone else’s spiritual habits—it’s about discovering how you most naturally stay connected to Christ.

link:

Sacred Pathways - Session 1: The Journey of the Soul - Sacred Pathways (Gary Thomas) - Study Gateway

The Beatitudes - Blessed are the Meek & the Hungry

we continue our journey through the Beatitudes by exploring Matthew 5:5–6, the third and fourth blessings Jesus shares.

The Beatitudes- Blessed are the Poor & Mourners

Join us as we investigate the opening lines of the Sermon on the Mount. We’ll be tracing the concept of the "Blessed" from the Old Testament through to the mountainside in Galilee to see how Jesus’ message was both deeply rooted and shockingly new.
Whether you feel "poor in spirit" or find yourself in a season of mourning, come and discover why Jesus calls these very states the gateway to His comfort and kingdom

The Beatitudes - Before Jesus Began

Graham will share a bit about what is in store for Agora in 2026 and introduce a new teaching series on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew Ch 5-7). 

Myrrh

we look at the third gift of the Wisemen, Myrrh, and we also look at what some commentators call the fourth gift - a gift that is even more important than the Wisemen's treasures and so easy to overlook, as we get caught up in the busyness of the season.

Gifts of the Wisemen - frankincense

Gifts of the Wisemen - frankincense

Jesus is our perfect high priest appointed forever, who is able to deal with whatever you facing - even oppression of the evil one