Tag: church
-
repentance and rejoicing…
Biblical Text: Nehemiah 8.9-18 On Christmas Day last year I began my sermon by reading the first line of a few different books to see if people could name where they came from. As it went down well I thought I would play a similar game today. I’ll warn you now, this one may not…
-
for those that are lost…
Biblical Text: Luke 15.1-10 The verses that we heard this morning, are perhaps not quite as well known as the story, the parable that comes directly afterward. That, of course, is the parable of the prodigal son. But the parables Jesus tells of the lost sheep and the losy coin, and then of the prodigal…
-
the visible image…
Biblical Texts: Colossians 1v15-20; Luke 10v38-end Some documents are foundational to who we are, so important that if we were lose them we’d really be in trouble. Recently my wife was applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, and we spent a lot of time making copies of our birth certificates, marriage certificate,…
-
Spiritual but not religious?
Biblical Text: James 1v19-27 Not too long ago, it wasn’t uncommon to hear the phrase, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” If you asked someone what they thought about church, that was often the answer you got. There were plenty of reasons for this answer. Sometimes people would say it because they had lost faith in…
-
in the beginning
Biblical Text: John 1:1-14 (The video recording of our Christmas service is here. The sermon begins at 23:50.) Merry Christmas! It’s finally here. After 4 weeks of Advent the wait is over. I was here for the midnight service last night, and I always love that moment when you finally get to sing the last…
-
looking back, around, and forward
Biblical Texts: Psalm 23, John 15v9-17, Revelation 21v1-6 Remembrance Sunday is a tough service to deliver a talk. Here we are at the beginning of November, remembering those who died in war, and in just a few weeks we’ll enter Advent, where we often hear Jesus described as the Prince of Peace. It feels like…
-
a harvest offering
Biblical Texts: 1 Timothy 6v6-10, Matthew 6v25-34 YouTube Link Our verses this morning might seem odd choices for a Harvest festival. First, there’s nothing from the Old Testament, where we can find plenty about harvest in general and food in particular. Second, there’s a lot about money. That’s not traditionally been a fun subject to…
-
judicious judging
Texts: Exodus 18:13-26; Matthew 7:1-14 Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. And they judged the people at all times… Exodus 18v26 Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you…
-
solus Christus
(Sermon originally preached on 14th July at St. Mary’s in Kidlingon) Biblical Text: Ephesians 1:3-14 May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. Church is an odd thing isn’t it? All of us could be somewhere else this morning.…