St. Luke's, Ramsgate: Recent Episodes
Paul Worledge
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5)
Today we hear about Joshua's trust in the Lord.
"For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13)
The story of Achan reminds us that sin is serious. It is deadly. His sin caused the whole of Israel to fail. That may not seem fair, but it reminds us that we have a collective responsibility to take sin seriously and to encourage and even discipline one another, so that sin is rooted out.
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days." (Hebrews 11:30)
Joshua defeated Jericho when he was obedient to the strange commands given him by the LORD.
We need to learn obedience to him and trust in him, too, even when to do so seems to go against the logic of a purely earthly based perspective. Joshua and Israel did that and they were victorious. We need to do the same.
Will we look for God at work in our lives and the lives of those around us? Will we prioritise obeying God, even when it feels odd to do so? Will we live as those on the LORD’s side?
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (1 Peter 1:3)
Christian hope is not founded on human strength or ability but on God’s power. The book of Joshua recounts the Israelite invasion of the Promised Land. Was this just a match between two human teams? Could victory be guaranteed? Rahab, the Canaanite, was already convinced Israel would win. In Canaanite mythology, the god who controlled the waters, was the supreme god. She had already heard of the crossing of the Red Sea and concluded that the LORD their God was with them (Joshua 2:9-10). But God did it again. He dried up the river Jordan, so that Israel could cross into Canaan. This gave Israel a confident hope. It confirmed to Rahab that her decision to side with the Israelites was the right one.
As Christians, we look not to the promised land, but to eternal life. Not to victory over others, but death. How can we have a confident hope? We look to Jesus, who crossed from death into resurrected life. We trust not in human power, but in the God who has power over the waters and over death.
"By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." (Hebrews 11:31)
Our Sermon series on Joshua continues with the story of Rahab. Rahab is one of many people under judgement. What is more she is a prostitute. Yet, she believes in the God of Israel, and she chooses to be on his side. In so doing, she wins salvation for herself and her whole family and ultimately becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David.
Who is it that can be saved? Anyone, if they will only have faith in the God of Jesus Christ and give their allegiance to him.
"Have I not told you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged; for the LORD your God will be with you, wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)
Our Sermon series on Joshua begins with a huge change in the opening sentence of Joshua 1 where we are told of the death of Moses. Moses was the only leader an entire generation had known, and now Joshua had to lead a sometimes rebellious people into imminent war.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being," (Ephesians 3:16)
This Sunday we begin a series on Joshua. He started off as Moses’ main assistant and ended up taking over from Moses, when Israel entered the Promised Land. This week, we begin with the first time Joshua plays a significant role in the story, when he leads the Israelites as they defend against an attack by the Amalekites. Then from next week, we will be looking at the book of Joshua, which describes what Israel did under Joshua’s leadership.
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a person who lacks self-control." (Proverbs 25:28)
The Proverb above says, that if we lack self-control, we are like a city without walls. We become defenceless - not from external attack, but to our own destructive behaviours.
Self-control is a guard for our life. Without it all the other characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit become worthless. Listen, watch this Sunday to find out more…
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." (Galatians 6:1a)
As Christians we want to challenge one another to become more Christ like, but if we try to push someone to change too quickly or too aggressively, then they may not be able to cope and just leave the church or give up on faith. That is why the verse above says, that when someone is caught in a sin, we need to go about restoring them gently.
"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9)
This Sunday we return to our series on the Fruit of the Spirit, this week focussing on the characteristic of faithfulness.
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
The above verse is often seen as Jesus’ mission statement. What are we meant to be trying to achieve as the church? Jesus says, make disciples!
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." (1 Corinthians 12:7)
This Sunday is Pentecost. It is the day we remember God sending his Holy Spirit onto the church. The events of the day itself were spectacular and memorable with the sound of a rushing wind, flames of fire settling on the disciple’s heads, the apostles praising God in different languages that visitors to Jerusalem could understand and, perhaps most amazingly, 3,000 people becoming Christians and being baptised!
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
This Thursday was Ascension Day. It is the day when we remember that Jesus, after proving that he had bodily resurrected from the dead, went to the Father in heaven to take his place at God’s right hand to rule in power. So, we remember the power and authority of Jesus not just over the Kingdom of Israel, but the whole world.
His return to one place, his throne in heaven, meant that his power could operate in every place. From there he could send out the Holy Spirit on all Christians, so that His power would be operative through them, wherever they might be. Now his body is the church, spread throughout the globe, living and proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection and inviting people to receive forgiveness of sins, a relationship with God and the hope of eternal life.
We can do that, even though people may challenge our right to invite people from different cultures to become Christians, because Jesus as the one sitting at the right hand of God, is ruler over all cultures and ethnicities. As he says, at the end of Matthew’s gospel, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18-19a)
Finally, because Jesus is in heaven and ruling in power, we can have greater confidence to pray. This was the initial response of the disciples immediately after Jesus’ ascension as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. It should be our first instinct too. Why not use this time to recommit to prayer in your life and with others.
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)
The Christian message is that evil has been overcome by good. On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan and bore the the sin of the world whilst remaining perfectly obedient to God. Even though, he was treated unjustly and abused in the lead up to his brutal crucifixion, he did not retaliate, but bore it all to bring about our salvation. Jesus overcame evil with good.
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)
This week in our Fruits of the Spirit series we are considering kindness. Kindness is about helping and caring for others in a generous way. Kindness does make a difference to the world. Blaise Pascal said, “Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.” Kindness works in our most intimate relationships, but also with strangers. Showing kindness to your spouse is one of the best ways to improve your marriage, whilst a kind welcome to a stranger opens the possibility of a lasting and fruitful friendship. Let’s pray for more kindness.
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2)
This week we are returning to our 10 part series on the Fruit of the Spirit. We started by looking at the list of characteristics as a whole as Paul gives it in Galatians 5, then we looked in turn at the first three of the nine traits that make up the fruit of the Spirit, the godly character that the Spirit works to form in us. Those first three were: love, joy and peace. Over the next few weeks we will be considering the next three in the list, starting this week with patience.
"Then Jesus said to Thomas: ""Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.""" (John 20:29)
This week we continue the Easter resurrection theme and look at the part Thomas played.
"Go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead..." (Matthew 28:7)
The Easter Story is an emotional rollercoaster. It takes us from the depths of human cruelty and agony to the highs of the most incredible and hope-giving miracle and for many, this story is the most important moment in history. Why not join us this Easter and discover afresh what it means and why it matters so much?
"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
This Sunday is Palm Sunday. We remember Jesus on a journey into Jerusalem. He, like many Jews, was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from his home region of Galilee. Yet, he chose to arrive in Jerusalem deliberately announcing to the crowds that he was coming to be made king. He rode on a donkey in fuflilment of the prophecy in Zechariah.
The crowds, many of whom had witnessed his amazing preaching and astonishing miracles, responded by praising him and laying down branches along the path, symbolically welcoming him as their king. Yet, remarkable as this was, difficult questions remained. How could Jesus be enthroned when he was not welcomed by the temple authorities? (They were jealous of his popularity and angry at his criticism of them). And how could Jesus overthrow the military power of the Romans who occupied the city?
Yet, within a week, Jesus was crowned and declared to be king. At his crucifixion, a crown of thorns was placed on his head and a placard placed above him declaring him to be, “King of the Jews.” To most this looked like the authorities mocking his claims, but the deeper reality was that his claims were becoming true in ways people could not comprehend. On the cross Jesus became king of God’s eternal Kingdom, as his subsquent resurrection proved.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9)
When Paul writes about ‘the peace of God’, he does so in the context of urging Christians in the Philippian church to stop arguing (Philippians 4:2-3). In other words, Paul recognises that it is easier to find peace with each other, when we have first grasped the peace of God in our lives. Indeed, relationship breakdowns and even wars often arise out of contexts of deep anxiety.
To be a peacemaker, is to follow Christ’s example. He came to die for us, so that we could have peace with God. But also to be a peacemaker requires us to be free from anxiety, to not just have peace with God, but also the peace of God in our lives. Out of that God given peace we are equipped to work for peace.
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
This weekend is Mothering Sunday, when we celebrate and give thanks for the love of our mothers. The relationship between a mother and her child is perhaps the strongest of all human bonds, forged as it is in nine months of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth itself and the intimate care of a newborn child. It is a relationship marked by a sacrificial gracious love.
Much of this mirrors God’s love for us. Out of love, he sent His Son to die for our sins and out of love he offers us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
So, let’s give thanks for our mothers and their love, whilst also remembering God’s love for us. As we do so, let’s learn to love others in the same way.
"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)
How can you tell someone is a Christian? Jesus says, “by their fruit you will recognise them” (Matthew 7:16) and a key characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. So shouldn’t joy be a key sign that someone might be a Christian? At last Saturday’s confirmation service, there was a palpable sense of joy, especially among the candidates as they publicly declared their faith in Jesus. Joy often is a mark of Christians.
How do we cultivate this joy? By focussing on our reason for joy. By gathering together to praise God and celebrate what he has done for us in Jesus.
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)
Last week, we looked at the two humanities on offer. The one rooted in Adam’s disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden and the other rooted in Christ’s obedience to God in the Garden of Gethsemane as he expressed his willingness to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. We now have the option of continuing to live simply in the old way as a descendant of Adam and his disobedience, or by faith in Christ as those reconciled to God and assured of his forgiveness.
Join us this Sunday as we introduce our new series on the Fruit of the Spirit.
"For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)
Adam famously disobeyed God’s one rule not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We are all descendants of Adam, and like our ultimate father we all continue to disobey God. The Bible calls that sin.
Yet, God sent Jesus as a second Adam, a new humanity. In contrast to Adam, Jesus obeyed. Now, we have a choice of which humanity we want to belong to. The disobedient one founded by Adam or the obedient one launched by Christ, through whom we can be made righteous in God’s sight.
"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)
Join us this Sunday as all ages join together for our focus on Jesus’ Transfiguration. Come and glimpse the glory of Jesus.
God to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3)
Like Israel in the wilderness we may find life tough at times, perhaps because we keep failing to live in God’s ways. Yet, we can know that God’s ultimate aim will always be to bless us and bring us into his ultimate promise of life, just as he brought Israel into the Promised Land.
This Sunday we finish our series on Israel travelling in the wilderness.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)
This Sunday we continue our series on Israel travelling in the wilderness.
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess." (Hebrews 4:14)
This Sunday we continue our series on Israel travelling in the wilderness.
“So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." (Hebrews 3:19)
So, what kind of faith do you have? Is it a simple interest in religious activity and comfort. Or do you truly rely on God, for your eternal salvation?
“And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel." (1 Corinthians 10:10)
As Christians we need to be honest about the difficulties and struggles we face, but we must not allow ourselves to be caught up in a negative spiral of grumbling that makes us forget the power of God to help. We must not abandon hope. As we enter 2026, lets lift our eyes from our problems to the God who promises us ultimate blessing.
“Jesus said,""And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""” (Matthew 28:20b)
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)
Do we see Jesus when we see someone in need? If we say we are a Christian now, if we believe that Jesus gave his life, so that we can have the hope of eternal life, then how would we not help Jesus in need? Jesus says the way we need to do that is to help those we come across who find themselves in need.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)
Last week we saw that Advent is a season for making sure we are ready. Not just to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, but more importantly to be ready for when he returns again to bring both judgement and a new heaven and new earth. During this time we are encouraged to think about whether we are living lives that will please Jesus he returns. One of the questions I said we need to consider is: “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)
Why not take time this Advent to prayerfully consider whether you are ready for Jesus’ return? The sermons will help. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at three of the stories Jesus tells to help us in our Advent reflection. They pose the following questions for us to consider: Am I prepared to follow Jesus for the whole of life or is it just a fad? Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should? Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?
"For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17)
He is also our shepherd. ‘Shepherd’ was a common image in the ancient world for kings. They led the people as a shepherd leads his flocks. In this verse, however, in imagery echoing Psalm 23, we are told that Jesus as our shepherd king will lead us to springs of living water. His rule brings us life, a life where God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
Why not recommit to making Jesus the king of your life, accepting his sacrifice for your sins and allowing him to lead you to eternal life?
"And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good." 2 Thessalonians 3:13
Are you tired of doing good? There are all kinds of reasons why people might answer, ‘Yes’ to that question. Continuing our short series of talks on 2 Thessalonians
Job 19:25: " I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."
This Sunday is Remembrance Sunday, when we celebrate the courage and bravery of those who risked and gave their lives protecting our country and freedom. It is also a time to remember the horrors of war, which helps to encourage us to do all we can to avoid war breaking out in the future.
"We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thes. 1:12)
This week we begin a mini-series on the short letter of 2 Thessalonians.
Psalm 51:1: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions."
This week is the last in our series on ‘Stories Jesus told’. This week we look at the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
This Sunday we will be looking at the parable of the Persistent Widow.
Luke 15:32: "But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
This week we continue our series on the stories Jesus told, with a look at one of the most famous parables of all, the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Jesus tells a parable to challenge the Pharisees of his day, who were themselves lovers of money. In the story, there are two characters, a rich man and a homeless man who sleeps at this gate, called, Lazarus. The rich man has clearly lived a life that is all about gaining all you can and spending all you can. He did nothing to help Lazarus, he did not take seriously the teaching of the Bible to be generous, he was nothing like Christ. Jesus is blunt. The rich man ends up in hell. Let’s not make the same mistake. Rather than, ‘Gain all you can to spend all you can,’ let’s be those who, ‘Gain all we can, to give all we can.’
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" - Psalm 24:1
Let us remember the ultimate source of our food. The verse above reminds us that everything in the earth belongs to God, he is the creator and source of all things. Ultimately, he is the one who provides the food we enjoy, so it is only right that we stop to thank him!
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13
Money is a part of life, but it does not need to be master of our life. Christians, of course, want to serve God. We are called to follow his good commandments. But do we allow Money to be another master in our life?
Ultimately, we need to choose who we serve. Will we serve the hard taskmaster of Money, or the loving and gracious God, who made us and gives to us freely? The choice is yours.
"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons
who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:7)
This week we continue our series on the stories Jesus told, we will be looking at the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin.
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." (Luke 14:15)
This week we begin a series looking at the stories Jesus told. This week’s story is about invitations and excuses.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Today is the last in our series of talks on 1 Thessalonians.
“He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:10)
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1)
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
“He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
The Lion and the Mouse, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Tortoise and the Hare are just some of the fables attributed to Aesop, a Greek fabalist traditionally known to be a slave in ancient Greece.
As fables often have one key point, the boy who cried wolf teaches not to lie, the parables of Jesus have intrigued people to this day with how to interpret them, how deep their meaning runs, how many layers the stories have and whether they should be interpreted in multiple different ways or seen simply with one moral takeaway.
In our story of the Good Samaritan, we could see it simply, as scholar Adolf Jülicher did, as a story with the message to ‘be kind and help others whoever they are’ and nothing more. However, we could understand it on the other extreme, how St Augustine of Hippo writes about it, that it’s a parable where every element and character is symbolic, serving together as an allegory for the fall of man.
However, there’s a significant challenge here when we consider the context in which Jesus shares this story. Jewish Scholar Amy-Jill Levine suggested a more balanced approach between the two above, highlighting the importance of context in understanding parables and their nuanced meanings. Before sharing this parable Jesus is asked ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. It shows kindness, compassion and neighbourly love between enemies, between people that are not similar in their beliefs, culture or location. This raises a difficult question for us today: who are the people we, both individually and collectively, would be tempted to exclude, ignore, or turn a blind eye to in their suffering, and how do we truly love our neighbour?
“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
We will be considering how Paul and his team went about sharing the good news of Jesus in the early days of the church and what lessons we can learn today.
"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
Why do you do what you do? It is not an easy question to answer. We all have mixed motives for our actions in life, but some will be more important to us than others.
So, what drives your life? A desire to seek pleasure or comfort for yourself? A belief that life will be much better and more secure if only you had more money? Wanting to please others? To look good in front of the crowd? To please a loved one, a boss or someone you admire? Perhaps it is a desire to feel that you have made a success of your life or that you have achieved something meaningful or lasting?
As Paul writes to the baby church in Thessalonica, he starts by giving thanks for what is driving their actions: faith, love and hope. These new Christians have found a new reason for living: Jesus Christ. Knowing that they have been saved through his death and resurrection, they have re-oriented their lives to live for God and to live like Jesus. Their faith has not just changed the way they think it has led to a life of action that is prepared to put in the hard graft and to keep going despite the challenges.
For us this raises two questions: “Does our faith lead to action?” and “Are our actions motivated by our faith?” The more we can honestly say, ‘Yes’ to both these questions, the closer we are to being true disciples of Christ.
‘After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.’ (1 Kings 19:12)
We learn more about God’s help for Elijah.
Romans 12:12: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Many Christians do not like to think too much about God as Trinity, because it feels impossible to understand how God can be one and yet three persons. This is part of the mystery of God and we should not be surprised that the nature of the Creator of the Universe is beyond our comprehension when we are still struggling to figure out his creation! We will be looking at how the different persons of the Trinity work together to bring us hope.
Acts 2:4: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
This week it is Pentecost, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit on the church for the first time and the preaching of the gospel in tongues people from all nations could understand. It is also our special gift day, and we encourage regular members to bring their response forms to the Planned Giving Review.
Matthew 26:53: Jesus said, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels."
Like Eisha, Jesus is aware that he has an angelic army at his disposal, as he declares in the verse above. Yet, Jesus shows even greater strength and courage. When soldiers arrive to capture him, he allows it, going through with his crucifixion, trusting that God would bring the greatest victory of all, the Resurrection. Will we follow Jesus’ courageous example?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
So, as Joshua did, let’s take courage in the growth of the church and meditate on his word day and night, treating it as the true gift it is.
Exodus 14:13a: "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today."
This week we look at the victory God gives to the Israelites, when they are trapped between the advancing Egyptian army and the Red Sea.
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” (Judges 4:14a)
In the book of Judges, God’s people are constantly caught in a cycle of walking with God and completely abandoning him and his teaching. Our society today can feel like this, cycling between belief in God and rejection of his teachings. However, we have the teachings of Jesus and a reconciled relationship to God through his sacrifice and the holy spirit to guide us through our journey. Let’s look for the unexpected ways God is moving in our lives and be thankful for the blessings we have been given in our walk with God today.
Jesus says: "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." (John 16:20)
Thinking of World War II it is often the case that the greater the suffering or challenge the greater the joy when the suffering or challenge is overcome. In the quote above, Jesus was preparing the disciples for his imminent death. For many at the time, the death of Jesus was a reason to rejoice. A trouble maker had been eliminated, the status quo maintained.
But, the greater joy would be reserved for Jesus’ disciples. Although, they would go through the trauma of losing Jesus, they would discover the amazing joy of seeing him again as the one who had defeated sin and removed the fear of death, not just violent death as at the end of World War II, but the fear of death full stop. That is the incredible joy that people are still discovering today, as they come to follow Jesus.
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38).
Easter Sunday is the climactic Sunday of the Christian message as we gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)
Palm Sunday reminds us both of the claims to kingship that Jesus made about himself, claims that were embraced by many who had witnessed his miracles, but rejected by those in power as a threat to their position.
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12)
This week, we are looking at the story of Jesus being anointed at Bethany (John 12:1-8). As Jesus reclines at a dinner held in honour of him, Mary anoints him with perfume worth the equivalent of a labourer’s annual salary. This is an extravagent and incredibly expensive act of devotion. For Mary, devotion to Jesus is what matters most. But what do we spend our money on? Do we spend money on our personal needs? Do we support the ministry of the church to promote worship of Christ? Or do we give to charities that care for the poor? For Christians all these things are important, all should feature in our budgeting. We need to pray for wisdom on what proportion of our wealth we give to each.
"When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:26-27)
The communities we surround ourselves with can be places where we can mother others and be mothered through being nurtured, cared for, guided and prayed for all through God’s love whoever we are and whatever our family roles. Let’s be praying that we can deeply understand God’s love for us today as we share that love with others.
"It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life." (Revelation 21:6)
In our verse above, Jesus makes clear that when we come to him and become part of his family, we receive freely from him the water of life. That is life in abundance, eternal life. This is God’s amazing grace. Will you accept the invitation?
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, from the house of the Lord we bless you!" (Psalm 118:26)
How have we as churches (as opposed to individuals) disappointed Jesus? The shortcomings of the Pharisees are itemised in Matthew 23, but what might Jesus want to say to us today? Given that His summary of the Old Testament Law was that we should love God and our neighbour, it may be that we should give thought to this question: are our rituals becoming more important than our relationships?
"We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin" Hebrews 4:15
What has forty days in a wilderness fasting and being tempted by the devil to do with paradise? Everything. In the wilderness experience, Jesus wrestled with what it really meant to be God’s son. In so doing, he prepared himself to resist the temptations of a public ministry. Let’s all use this Lent, to learn afresh what it means to be a disciple of Christ and to prepare ourselves to resist the temptations we may face.
‘I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.’ Psalm 32:5
There are earthly consequences to our sin, broken relationships, justice, maybe if a law was broken. When you remember back to times you have confessed something you may have only got back guilt and shame from that person or done the same for someone confessing something to you. We are not perfect, things hurt us and we respond. However let's look together and what Confession is, how we can confess to God and how we can better support others who confess to us and want to accept God's forgiveness.
"Turn LORD and deliver me, save me because of your unfailing love." (Psalm 6:4)
We continue our series on Spirituality for Dark Times with Psalm 6, ‘Crying’
"Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing." (Psalm 34:9)
We often think of spirituality as bringing us a sense of peace and comfort from connecting with God’s love and that is true. But it should also bring us into a healthy fear of God. Fear of God is freeing not limiting, it brings peace, because we are confident that justice will win out and it develops a wisdom in us, that will enable us to prosper in life.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." (Psalm 19:7)
How do we remain rooted and flourishing through the dark times? Meditate on God’s word.
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." (Psalm 130:5)
How do we keep going through dark times? Wait on God.
"Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)
By saying the Psalms, we discover that we share with people down the ages the same distress, despair and doubt as saints throughout history. Yet, out of the struggle we are also joined to their faith, which leads them out of the darkness of despair to the light of hope, out of the powerlessness of life to the power of God, our rock and our salvation.
"Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (Psalm 103:2)
This week we begin our series, “Spirituality for dark times.”, ‘dark times’ is meant to refer to times of difficulty or struggle that many of us are or may face. So, how do we deal with these “dark times”? As Christians we have a distinctive perspective. We believe in a God who is both in charge of the universe in ways beyond our comprehension and yet incredibly is also totally committed to us at a deeply personal level. For us spirituality is not just a set of practices to make us feel better, but a way of renewing and deepening our faith in the God of Jesus Christ, that reorients our souls from darkness to light.
"When the wise men saw the star, they were overjoyed." (Matthew 2:10)
Matthew’s gospel does emphasise, Jesus’ Jewish credentials. His coming is rooted in the work of God through Israel, its kings and prophets. But it also presents us with a bigger more universal vision for the Kingdom of God. As we start a New Year, let’s pray that God extends our vision of who God may be calling to share with us and the Magi the joy of being a disciple of Christ.
"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52)
A look at Jesus as he was growing up (Luke 2:41-52)
'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' (Isaiah 9:6)
Reflections on what is Truth? Who will you Trust?
'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' (Isaiah 9:6)
The Christmas message is about God’s gift to us – to all of us. The only question is will we unwrap the present or leave it sitting there until next year?
'May the King live for ever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.' (Daniel 6:21-22)
This week we finish our series on Daniel, with perhaps the most famous story: Daniel in the Lion’s den.
Daniel's unwavering integrity in worshipping the God he knows to be true is a profound example for us, showcasing the importance of standing firm in one's convictions while remaining kind and respectful to all.
"I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me." (Psalm 25:2)
Our main reading is Daniel 5, the origin of the phrase, “The writing is on the wall.”
Advent is a time when we remember that God will ultimately win. Whoever seems victorious in the present will face God’s judgement in the future. Advent is a chance to remind ourselves to keep trusting in Christ, so that we will not be put to shame.
"[The Son of Man] was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and people of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:14)
It is Advent Sunday, and we will be looking at Daniel’s vision in chapter 7 which shows us God’s perspective on the future.
”They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel 3:28b)
This Sunday, we continue our series on Daniel with a look at the time, when Daniel’s friends resisted strong pressure to worship a golden statue.
"God reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him." (Daniel 2:22)
This Sunday, we return to our series on Daniel. Faced with an impossible seeming challenge from the boss, Daniel turns to prayer. As a result, Daniel brings some powerful and challenging truths to the king
"[The LORD] will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Micah 4:3)
When you look at the reality of humanity and history, it is hard to see how people can ever achieve lasting peace. There is no hope. Yet Micah portrays a hope rooted in the God of the Bible. It is only by his actions that wars will one day cease, that peace will come.
”Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
This week we begin a series on the book of Daniel. The book includes some well know Bible stories, such as Daniel in the lions’ den, but also weird dreams and visions similar to those in Revelation.
“You will live in joy and peace. The Mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!” Isaiah 55:1-12
This Bible Sunday let’s take the call afresh to delight in God’s word, to meditate on it day and night and to enable and pray for the increasing Bible translations.
"There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 22:5)
This future vision gives us hope now. The evil in our world is temporary, but what is good has a future and our relationship with God will truly flourish. This is God’s vision for the future, but as well as giving us something to look forward to, it should inform our plans and what we invest in and work for now.
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…" (Matthew 28:19)
The key phrase in this vision is: ‘make disciples.’ The rest elaborates what that means. Disciples are to come from all nations and be given a new identity through baptism as those who belong to the God who is now known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are to be taught to obey all that Jesus had taught and they are to know that Jesus will always be with them. Whatever our vision is, it must have making disciples at its heart.
"This is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)
This week we return to our theme of Biblical Visions and look at Jeremiah's prophecy of a coming 'new covenant', which will bring forgiveness and transformed hearts and minds.
‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ (Matthew 6:33)
In this time of harvest, we are first reminded to seek the Kingdom, trusting in God completely. Then, we are called to BE the Kingdom to others around us, showing hospitality, love, and mercy in the face of scarcity, anxiety, or fear. As Jesus said, can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life? Instead, let's trust in God's provision and show love to those around us.
The LORD to David, "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever." (2 Samuel 7:16)
We continue our series on Biblical Visions. This week we look at God’s vision for David’s kingdom.
God said to Israel: "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." (Exodus 6:7)
We continue our series on Biblical Visions. This week we look at God’s plan to rescue Israel from slavery in Egypt.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Join us as we begin our series on Biblical Visions, looking at the vision God had for Abraham and his descendants.
This week’s theme is the secret of wisdom as we focus on Solomon, Israel’s wisest king.
This week's theme is the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Listen and find out how to be equipped for life's spiritual battles.
This Sunday in our morning worship our reading is 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 and we hear about the wisdom of Solomon.
This Sunday in our morning worship, using John 6:60-69, we see Jesus answering questions from the crowds and disciples in the wake of his radical statements about who he is after feeding the 5,000.
This week we think about what our motivation is in how we live, and ask ourselves: are we living the wrong life? (John 6:24-35)
Jesus seems superhuman, but is superhuman the right way to describe him?
Is there something more going on? If so, what does that mean for us?
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.” (Mark 6:41)
At the feeding of the 5000 the disciples' role in organizing the people, distributing the bread and loaves, and collecting the leftovers teaches us to participate in God’s work to provide for others and to trust in God’s ability to meet our needs whilst working to show compassion and generosity to those around us.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship." (Romans12:1)
"Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honour except in his home town, among his relatives and in his own home.'" (Mark 6:4)
It turns out that procrastination until 'tomorrow' and nostalgia for 'yesterday' are both ways of avoiding the present moment, and the opportunities and the challenges it brings. In living our lives before God, we would be wise to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call on him while he is near.
"Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."" (Mark 5:36)
Both fear and faith can be strong motivators, but they create very different emotions. Fear creates an atmosphere of gloom and despair. Faith produces hope and excitement.
Jesus did tell us to fear hell and the temptations of the devil, but there was a stronger emphasis on faith. He inspired people to trust him, offering a vision of the Kingdom of God, marked by compassion, healing and even victory over death. Surely, his is a message and a performance that can truly inspire?
This Sunday we welcome David Bird, who will be joining us to talk about the work of Compassion.
Our Sunday Club support, John, a Compassion child in the Philippines, so it will be great for them to hear about the kind of support that he receives.
Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear!" (Mark 4:9)
Have you got “ears to hear”? At one level this saying from Jesus which appears twice in Mark 4 seems to imply that deaf people are excluded and those who are not deaf should listen. But Mark 4 is a chapter full of parables, short stories or images that mean one thing on the surface but are meant to point to a deeper meaning.
“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:20-35)
As followers of Jesus, we are now family – Jesus the radical King is the head of the family and we bear his likeness, sharing his power and authority – sharing the ways of his kingdom and living in obedience – we have a family business of living out God’s kingdom in word and deed. Let’s encourage each other in that task.
Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28)
God commanded the Sabbath for our good. As Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man.” Yes, Jesus also challenged the legalism that had been built up from human tradition around what could or could not be done on the Sabbath, because those Sabbath regulations had become a kind of slave master themselves. Yet he still saw the Sabbath as good for us.
Do we make sure we get the weekly day off work that God commands for our good? Or do we allow work to enslave us?
'The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.' (Romans 8:16-17a)
This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday where we reflect on the mystery and wonder of God, being Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not some sort of abstract description of God. The Trinity bears witness to the fact that the life of God is shared life – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in relationship with each other, distinct but one.
This shared life between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a life we’ve been invited in to. We are part of that relationship – we’ve been co-opted into the family.
"And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:22)
This weekend Fiona and I celebrate twenty years serving at St. Luke’s in Ramsgate. God has been at work during those twenty years. People have come to faith and others have found a Christian home and family within the church or been helped in their walk of discipleship. People come and go, but the Christian faith is not ultimately about filling a building. Rather, as the verse above says, it is about God building a community of people to fill it with his Holy Spirit. Let us pray for God to do that more and more in the future!
"They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." (Acts 1:14)
The book of Acts starts with the wonderful period of Jesus’ resurrection appearances, where he proves to his numerous disciples that he was truly raised from the dead. But then, Jesus leaves and ascends to heaven. Before doing so what does he tell the disciples to do? To wait. They are to stay in Jerusalem until they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which will enable them to witness powerfully to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 1:4,8).
"One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
So, after our lives have ended, what will come next? At one level it’s apparent that our material ‘waste’ will be reconstituted into something different. In funeral services the words of committal still echo those of Ecclesiastes 3:20… we come from dust, and to dust we shall return, which prompted one child to deduce that somebody was either coming or going under the spare room bed!!
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:20)
The Christian belief in life beyond death is one we can have confidence in because it is rooted in the historic event of Jesus’ actual resurrection. He is the first fruits of those who die, meaning that our life beyond death will be ultimately like his, a bodily physical resurrection, to a much better transformed life in close relationship with God. Yet, there is a consequence to how we live this life. God will judge the dead. It’s never too late to turn back to Him and receive his amazing grace and start living life for him now, but we do need to align ourselves with God in this life, if we want his blessings in the next.
Easter is not over! We hear about Thomas, who on meeting the resurrected Jesus found his doubt demolished (John 20:19-31)
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3)
These are great words of praise from Peter’s first letter and echo the point in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians of the importance of Jesus’ resurrection and the truth of it (1 Corinthians 15:3-6a).
"For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Corinthians 12:26)
At the Last Supper Jesus explains that his death is for the forgiveness of our sins and to create a new covenant - a new relationship between us and God.
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12)
As we reflect on this passage, we need to ask ourselves how we are enabling every church member to play their part in growing the church, the body of Christ?
"And now these three remain, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
To become a father takes only a few minutes. To become a mother takes nine months of pregnancy - and that is only just the start of it!
"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come." (1 Corinthians 10:11)
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is concerned that the Christians of Corinth will lose their faith. He is worried that some of them are so complacent about the strength of their own faith, that they are in danger of slipping into idolatry without realising the danger.
"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible." (1 Corinthians 9:19)
Paul is concerned to win. But he is not after the prestige of winning for himself. His concern is to win people for Christ. That is to share the good news or gospel of God’s salvation through Jesus, so that they might believe and so be forgiven for their sins, be reconciled to God and receive the gift of eternal life. When this happens, there is a sense of success for Paul and rejoicing in heaven, but the greatest reward goes to the one who has been won for Christ.
"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1)
Paul shows that love is the eternal value that builds up Christ’s church. When we grasp this, then knowledge can be used for building up others rather than justifying our own freedoms and pride.
"Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud. 'This is my Son whom I love, 'Listen to him!'" (Mark 9:7)
Who do you listen to? The modern super-connected world hurls a tidal wave of different voices at us day after day, bombarding us with a multitude of news, opinions and stories. How do we choose what to listen to when we are faced with such an enormous selection?
"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)
This week is the last in our series on Nehemiah and we are thinking about Holy Worship. The work is completed, the community gather, the word is read, praise to God is given, and they commit themselves again to being the people of God. Yet in ch. 13 Nehemiah returns as the people have not maintained the call to live holy and distinct lives, which it could be argued is because they’re not dedicated to Holy Worship.
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honours him. (Proverbs 14:31). In our series on Ezra-Nehemiah we have reached a point in the narrative (in Nehemiah ch5) where the conflict that has come from opposition to the rebuilding of the walls, and the work of rebuilding itself, takes a back seat and a new problem emerges – the problem of hunger and exploitation.
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and morurned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:4)
For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to do it and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10)
Then the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—got ready to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5)
For many people Christmas is the time when family and loved ones visit to enjoy the festivities together. It is also a time when Christians celebrate the greatest visitor of all: Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, he visited us from heaven to reconcile the world to God.
We might feel very familiar with the Christmas story and the reason we repeat it every year is because there is real treasure in Jesus and the gift he was that first Christmas
One of the key traditions of Christmas is the giving and receiving of presents.
But how easy is it these days to buy the perfect present? To give a gift that is truly worth giving?
This third Sunday of Advent is traditionally one where we remember John the Baptist as the modern prophet who came to testify about who Jesus was. John's part in God's stroy was to come and be a witness. He invited people to come and be ready to receive the truth about Jesus in their lives, and to believe in him.
Last week Paul challenged us in this season of Advent to commit to what will last. We want to be prepared for eternity, Jesus is going to come back and we want to encourage others to be prepared to meet with Him too.
Jesus said "...Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mark 13:31). Advent is more than just the lead up to Christmas. It is an opportuniy to reflect on our lives from the perspetive of eternity.
How does God guide us? If we truly love God and are serious about being disciples of Christ, then we should always want toact and make decisions in line with what God wants.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14)
Our Bible reading today is about church discipline. It is not an easy topic, because if immediately brings to mind incidences of where church discipline goes wrong or fails.
“Honour your Father and your Mother as the LORD your God commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 5:16)
"Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh is the sabbath to the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 5:13-14a)
Many people today worry about work-life balance. How can you avoid work taking up so much of your time and energy that little is left for other important aspects of life? We recognise that work should not be allowed to dominate our lives, yet increasingly we live in a society where many people are being pushed into working longer hours than ever.
Harvest - An opportunity to give thanks to our Lord for the good things we receive from him.
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
‘Idols’ are man made constructs that replace the one true God in our lives. In ancient times and in parts of the world today, these were statues made to be worshipped. The religion and superstition linked to them became a tyranny. The ideology claimed, that unless you appeased these gods in some way, you would be cursed. People became enslaved to gods that were not gods at all.
As followers of Jesus lets do all we can to be followers that make followers, teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded as we seek to obey him in our lives too
Jesus and his apostles might seem to the world as an insignificant beginning but Jesus’ parables today hint that the insignificance will be significant indeed.
Today, we’re beginning a series on the parables of Jesus, found in Matthew chapter 13, and each week will be looking at a different part of this chapter, and seeing what we can learn about God and his kingdom and his love for us.
Colin Gale reflects on two “ancient, slightly weird” stories of God’s gracious provision for human life.
This might not be a question you’ve ever asked yourself, but we don’t have to look far in the news or on social media to see examples of dissatisfaction.
Interpreting Bible stories can be challenging. The author simply tells the story and doesn’t tell you what its relevance might be for future generations. The crossing of the Red Sea was an unforgettable event for those who were there, but what might it be saying to us?
Today's talk explores how God acted in the lives of his people the Israelites, hearing their cry and bringing them out of slavery to freedom. And helps us to explore how God is still active in our lives even today.
Colin Gale reflects on how the first of the ten plagues of Egypt hints at the truth that God alone can bring great good out of the darkest horror.
What is baptism all about? Why the symbolism of water? The New Testament points back to some Old Testament stories to help us understand. In this talk we consider the story of Moses in a basket in the Nile.
When the Holy Spirit first came on the church, it was a dramatic event. The same strange signs don't happen when people become Christians, but they help us understand what the coming of the Spirit is all about.
What's next? Jesus had died and risen again, but what was next for him and his disciples and what's next for us as a church?
Increasingly people say they want to be 'Spiritual' but don't believe in organised religion. We are not saved by organised religion, but we do need it to help us in our discipleship. In Exodus 18, Moses is given advice on how to organise the people of God.
With the Coronation of King Charles, it is worth reflecting on the Christian understanding of political authority. If Christians see God as the ultimate authority, how are we to relate to earthly rulers? Both the good and the bad? Claire explores the Biblical teaching in Romans 13.
As he writes to challenge the church in Corinth, Paul urges the church not 'to go beyond what is written'. But what does he mean by that and how is he challenging them?
How can we continue with Christian joy in a world of suffering and pain? Peter in this joyful opening of a letter to suffering Christians gives us some pointers.
The resurrection was an event that changed the world, but how?
This is a recording of an All Age talk.
The Coronation is coming up, but how does it compare with Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem being proclaimed as king?
In this last in the series on the Lord's Prayer, we look at why we should ask for the forgiveness and sins, how we should do it and how it helps.
Being a mother takes sacrifice. Hannah was desperate to become a mother, so why when God gave her a son did she give him back to God?
Prayer is about expressing our goals to God and trusting in his care. How does the expression: 'Give us today, our daily bread' help to shape the goals we pray for and breed a deeper trust in God, that releases us from anxiety?
What are we praying for in the Lord's Prayer? What does Jesus mean by, "Your Kingdom Come." What kind of kingdom is this?
The key thing to understand when we pray, is who it is we are praying to. Jesus helps us with this in the Lord's Prayer by starting with a reminder of who we are praying to... "Our Father in heaven..."
Paul compares the church to a building. But what points is he trying to make about the building and its builders? This really helps us understand what it means to be built together as Christ's church. The service in which this was preached also included a commissioning for Ramsgate's Community Pastors.
In this All Age talk, Claire takes us through Paul's teaching on who has helped the Corinthians grow, showing it is not so much the preacher that matters, but the message of the gospel and the power of God.
What is the difference between God's wisdom and human wisdom? What difference does it make to being a Christian?
What do you boast in? Paul wants us to boast in Jesus and him crucified. But that seemed like foolishness to people at the time....
The church in Corinth was split with divisions over which leaders people claimed to follow. What were the underlying causes and how does the cross of Christ deeply challenge those issues?
What is the Church? In writing to the Church in Corinth, Paul wants them to have a clearer understanding of what the church is in order to correct the problems that the church there is facing.
What is Jesus like? How does he stand out from the crowd? Jesus's baptism comes at the start of his ministry, but it also shows us who Jesus really is.
What's so wonderful about being a child of God? Listen to this New Year message at an All Age service.
How can we find joy in this dark world? Isaiah points us in the right direction in this traditional Christmas reading?
Is truth stranger than fiction? Can we really believe the Christmas story? Is Jesus really so special? Bruce Stokes shares some reflections at our Traditional Carol Service.
Check out these three talks about what God is inviting us to this Christmas. Will you accept the invitation?
As Christians we look forward to our ultimate homecoming to be with God in joy forevermore. But how can we be confident that we can make it there?
Are we still a Christian nation? Do we want to be a Christian nation? What is a Biblical vision for Christian rule? Isaiah 11 helps to answer these questions.
In this short and snappy parable Jesus gives a very strong warning against greed. But what is wrong with greed?
How do we respond to the global and personal pressures that we are facing? Do we retreat from the pressures or persevere? In this passage from Luke, Jesus tells his disciples to expect pressures on a global and personal scale but gives them the resources and encouragement to stand firm.
This is the sermon preached by Bishop Rose at the confirmation service at St. Luke's on 6th November 2022.
Where does your confidence lie? In the government, family, friends or yourself? In this parable that Jesus tells, it is the one who puts their confidence in God rather than themselves who find true mercy!
Sometimes when we see things from the perspective of the future, we can see warnings for how we live now. In this story that Jesus tells, he wants to warn us from the perspective of life beyond death.
How should we make the most of our money for eternal uses? In this sermon Colin Gale unpacks one of Jesus's parables and his follow up application around our use of money.
Jesus tells great stories, but what is he trying to do with the Parable of the Lost (or prodigal) Son. The clue is in the context in which he tells it. The story both assures those sinners coming to him in repentance and challenges those who criticise him for welcoming them.
After loving God, the greatest command according to the Bible is to 'love your neighbour as yourself'? But who counts as a 'neighbour'? That is the question an expert in the Old Testament Law poses to Jesus. Jesus responds with a story and a question.
The writer to the Hebrews compares the Christian life to a race. If that is the case, how can we run it in the most effective way?
With the death of Queen Elizabeth, feelings of great sadness and grief can emerge as well as a sense of uncertainty and concern as we enter into an unfamiliar new era. How can we respond? The book of Lamentations was written at a time of extreme grief and insecurity for God’s people. Yet, it’s central verses hold out a sense of hope in such circumstances.
When we realise the extent of Jesus’ forgiveness it transforms our lives, for we have been forgiven much.
Hebrews 13:1-16 paints a picture of the ‘sacrifices’ of living a Christian life motored by Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice of love for us.
There are many things in life that are uncertain, but the writer of Hebrews wants their listeners to know with certainty how ‘the mountain of joy’ is unshaken.
What super power do we need to persevere as Christians, even when there is pressure to give up? Faith! This was the super power of the heroes of the Old Testament according to the writer of Hebrews.
Jesus has brought about a massive change. The Old Testament has been fulfilled in his once and for all sacrifice. But how are we to respond?
How can you deal with your guilt? How can you approach God as a sinner? Jesus provides the better answer, as the one who makes the better sacrifice to bring us cleansing. This talk is an all age talk.
What is better to be rich or poor? The answer is not straightforward and Proverbs taken as a whole gives a broad and nuanced teaching on how to be wise about wealth.
God did not create us to live in isolation. In fact we need to relate to one another in order to grow in our faith.
Is the internet a good thing or a bad thing? The internet is communication on supercharge, but just as face to face speech can be used for good or bad so can the internet. What we need is wisdom to speak for good in both face to face relationships and online. God's wisdom in Proverbs can help us with this.
Proverbs are written to help form a wise character. In this talk we consider two things to embrace and two things to avoid as we seek a wise character formation.
We are bombarded with pithy little sayings put together by advertising agencies that want to make us better consumers. Isn't it better to listen to pithy little sayings written to make us better people? That's where Proverbs comes in...
In Proverbs 8, wisdom is described as a person calling us to follow her. But where does she call from and who is she and why does it matter so much that we follow her?
God breaks the chains of Paul and Silas thrown in jail for proclaiming the gospel. However, in this story other ‘chains’ are being broken. The chains based on making the wrong things important in our lives: money grabbing, people pleasing and success.
As we look at the first coming of the good news about Jesus recorded in the book of Acts we find four grand openings created by God.
Peter was in trouble! He had spent time at someone's house that was not a Jew. For the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem this was scandalous! So, when Peter returns to Jerusalem he explains what had happened and how God was calling them to a radical new way of thinking about the world.
We long that people would see Jesus and come to believe in him. How does that happen? Acts shows us disciples who are constantly pointing people to Jesus. In this talk Claire Coleman shows how two disciples, Peter and Dorcas, point others to Jesus.
In this account of the conversion of Saul a number of different labels are used for Christians. As we think of the meaning behind each label and how it relates to this conversion account we find some deep insight as to what it means to be a Christian.
We live in a world of competing ideas. If we are to fulfil Jesus's call to make new disciples then we need to be confident in the gospel and courageous in sharing our faith. How can we manage that? The story of the early church in Acts is a great place to look.
This is an All Age Talk recorded on Easter Sunday 2022. Where can we find hope we can be confident in? Especially in times of darkness? The resurrection shows that we can have a confident hope in Jesus.
We love to hate rich people that seem to have behaved badly, but how does Jesus feel about them. In this climactic encounter in Luke's gospel Jesus meets Zacchaeus, a rich chief tax-collector, probably the most hated man in Jericho. How did Jesus respond to him?
We love to hate rich people that seem to have behaved badly, but how does Jesus feel about them. In this climactic encounter in Luke's gospel Jesus meets Zacchaeus, a rich chief tax-collector, probably the most hated man in Jericho. How did Jesus respond to him?
What does Peter do when Jesus enables a massive catch of fish? Does he employ him as a new business partner? No! He falls at Jesus' knees. Peter has realised something profound about Jesus and himself. Now his life will be transformed.
Mission statements are common for many businesses and organisations today. In this passage, Jesus reads part of Isaiah and applies it to himself to show what his mission was.
Giving in to temptation leads to disaster. It is a tragedy common to us all. Yet Jesus never gives in to temptation. How does he do it? How can we become more like him?
When we sacrifice for others it shows how much we love them. What are we willing to sacrifice for God? In this story Abraham's love for God is tested in a profound and powerful way. Yet his faith holds firm.
How would you respond if some friends turned up out of the blue? Would you offer them a meal? Abraham offers a fantastic meal to some strangers that turn up and discovers an incredible blessing.
This chapter is the longest in Genesis and ends with the marriage of Rebekah and Isaac. In a sense it is a romance, but it is a strange kind of romance...
Hagar has been terribly mistreated by God's people, Abram and Sarai. Yet, the angel of the LORD finds her as she flees and makes some amazing promises to her.
The story of Abraham is foundational for both Judaism and Christianity. In this passage we see God confirm his promises to Abraham in a way that breaks the mould for all religions. Preacher: Colin Gale.
Abraham and Lot faced important choices when arguments broke out. Yet, what motivated Abraham to make the choices he did?
Abraham is one of the Bible's best known characters, but why is this man who lived 4,000 years ago so important? Find out how the promises God made to him are so important for understanding the whole Bible and why Abraham himself is a great example to us.
What are you waiting for? Are you expectant about what Jesus might do? The people of Jesus's day were expectant for the Messiah to come. Then Jesus was baptised.
How do we escape the same pattern and stories of greed, lust, arrogance and anger generation by generation? At the heart of Christmas is the answer!
On seeing the baby Jesus, Simeon says he is ready to face his own death. Why is this?
his is the talk from the St. Luke's 2021 Service of Remembrance just before Christmas.
It is often said that our society is increasingly divided. But what are the divisions that really matter? John spoke to a very divided society, but challenged their views of which divisions mattered.
In ancient times in order to prepare for a king's visit to a city, they would level the ground, flattening mountains and filling in valleys. The prophets said that someone would come to prepare the way for God to come as king - that was John the Baptist, who came calling for people to repent.
The church in the West seems shaken by the current Pandemic. Why is that? Have we failed to take Jesus's words about the future seriously? Are we too invested in the present world order and not enough in the eternal Kingdom of God?
The story of Noah and the flood is the first major story of God bringing salvation. It also focuses on the covenant that God makes with Noah, his family and all the creatures of the earth. In this talk we see how Noah is a model for the better salvation that God brings through Jesus.
Genesis 4 presents the continuing results of sin in our world by showing us God's warning to Cain, that sin should not master him. Sadly, Cain gives in to sin with tragic consequences. Will we heed the warning today?
When we look at our world we see amazing acts of bravery, courage, kindness and compassion. Yet we also see much evil and wickedness. What's gone wrong with the world? How does the Bible explain the complex mix of good and evil in humanity?
In this talk, Claire takes us through Genesis 2 and helps us to see the importance of our relationships with God, with one another and with Creation.
In this passage, Jesus encounters two sisters in their grief at the loss of their brother Lazarus. What happens is amazing, but it points to an even more important truth.
How do we gain true Spiritual Insight? The Blind Man in this encounter with Jesus, becomes the person who sees more clearly than anyone else.
John's version of the feeding of 5,000 is subtly different to the accounts in the other gospels. What is he trying to teach us?
We are all concerned to have good well-being. Jesus wants to bless us with the greatest well being possible, but will our attitudes get in the way, like the man in this encounter recorded in John 5:1-18?
As Christians we talk a lot about faith, but are there different kinds of faith? In John's gospel we are presented with Jesus encountering a wide variety of people. This encounter shows how Jesus helps someone move from one kind of faith to another.
As those in Christ, how do we find strength to cope with the struggles of life? As Paul wraps up his meditation of life in Christ, he finishes with this rallying cry to make full use of the resources we have in Christ, to deal with the trickery of the devil and the pressures of life.
What difference does being in Christ make to our everyday relationships? In this passage we see what Paul has to say to employers and employees and to parents and children about how as Christians we are to relate to each other.
What is more important: sexuality or spirituality? Romance or religion? And how are they connected?
Wisdom involves making choices that help us live good, happy and worthwhile choices. In Ephesians 5:15, Paul urges us to live as wise. In fact, Ephesians 4 and 5 is all about how to live in the light of the fact that God has made us alive in Christ.
This week Claire Coleman takes us through some of the do's and don'ts in Ephesians and shows us that they are part of a detailed call to be like Jesus and grow out of a life that has its eyes fixed on him.
We live in a world, where the church appears riven by division and many reject the possibility of absolute truth - especially when it comes to talking about religion.
Yet, Paul's vision for the church is that sharing the truth helps us grow in love and unity. How does this work?
Colin Gale reflects on Ephesians 3 and how it speaks of love in three dimensions - as lived out by the apostle and by the church as they respond to the fathomless love of Christ.
Paul is talking about the transformation Jesus makes in our lives. In this passage he focuses on the transformation in relationships for those who come to Christ. Our differences no longer matter.
This week's preacher is Claire Coleman,
This week we see the big picture of the transformation that happens when we become a Christian. We are made alive! Paul describes the before and after of being a Christian, the move from a kind of zombie-life, to a new life in Christ.
As Paul seeks to encourage his readers to see the big picture of what they have in Christ, he tells them that he prays that they will truly grasp the amazing access to God’s power they have in Christ.
Ephesians gives us the BIG picture of what it means to be a Christian, to be ‘in Christ’. This opening section reminds us of some of the amazing blessings we have ‘in Christ.’
Under Nehemiah and Ezra the people of Jerusalem showed a renewed devotion to the word of God. It was part of the rebuilding of a community that moved God's people from disgrace to distinction and enabled them to flourish for hundreds of years. What lessons can we learn as God's people today?
Leadership is one of the gifts given to some people for the sake of the church (Romans 12:4-8), but how are we to lead well? What does it mean to govern diligently? What kind of leadership is caring? What kind of leadership should we give? What kind of leadership should we look for and encourage? How do we support caring leadership? Nehemiah gives us a great example of leadership.
As Christians how do we respond to the challenges we face? When Nehemiah heard about the state of Jerusalem, he saw it as a challenge to deal with. His foundational response was to pray. In this talk we look at Nehemiah’s prayer and what we can learn about praying as we face challenges today.
What does it mean to say God is ‘holy’? Why is it important to understand the holiness of God? These questions are answered in this talk as we look at Isaiah’s amazing vision of God.
At times the people of God face moments when they feel like they have been totally abandoned or rejected by God. The Israelites felt like that when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and they were left languishing in exile. It felt like there hope was gone, they were cut off. Ezekiel’s vision reminds them that no matter how desperate their situation, God is able to bring them back.
Does it matter what we believe? Sometimes it does. Sometimes it can be a matter of life and death. John here shows us that what we believe about Jesus is a matter of eternal life and warns us against some of the lies that may risk our salvation.
Why should we love other Christians? What does this love look like? How easy is it to love in this way? What has all this to do with true faith? These are questions that 1 John keeps coming back to and answering in slightly different ways as he strengthens our desire to love one another more and more.
If we belong to a church does it matter if we really believe in what God has done for us in Jesus? If we have a ‘personal relationship with God’ does it really matter if we go to church? Should we just carry on watching services in the comfort of our home once the restrictions are lifted on church services? All of these questions are answered by the simple statement: “God is love.” Check out this talk to see why.
We talk a lot about love and its importance, but do we ever ask ourselves what we mean by ‘love’? In 1 John we are called to love one another as Christians, but we are also shown what love is through the lens of the cross.
Often to show things are definite and certain they are said or done three times. In this epilogue to John’s gospel not only does Jesus certify his resurrection by appearing for the third time to his disciples, but he has a three-fold conversation with Jesus to undo Peter’s three-fold denial.
Many people find the idea of Jesus being resurrected from the dead completely unbelievable. It is just not possible for dead people to come alive again. Thomas one of Jesus’s closest disciples was one of those people. He had been told by ten other disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead, but he refused to believe. Then the risen Jesus appeared to him…
Mary is distraught at the death of Jesus. Her one consolation is that she can care for his dead body. Then she discovers it is missing! Yet, in the midst of her grief she discovers an amazing truth.
Jesus is brought to Pilate, the Roman governor, the most powerful person in Judea, the only one who can officially condemn Jesus to death. The Jewish leaders demand that Jesus be executed. Who has the real power here? What is the truth about what is happening? What kind of king is Jesus?
Peter is flabbergasted that Jesus would wash his feet. How can the one who is Messiah degrade himself and act like the lowest of slaves? Yet, Jesus’s actions are designed to help Peter understand some very important truths.
How does an ancient Psalm, mothering Sunday and the film Terminator connect? This talk looks at a vision for the future as we seek to pass on the great truths of God's saving works and his rules for life from generation to generation.
This week we look at another song of praise. It is a psalm that focuses on what God is like and what God does. However, we tend to put into practice what we praise and become like those we worship, so as we consider what God does we find ourselves wanting to act like him.
The Psalms are a great collection of songs of the people of God. They include a great variety of expressions of human experience and emotion but conclude with an emphatic call to praise God. Psalm 150 is the ultimate climax which briefly explains why we should praise God, then tells us to do so with a variety of instruments suggesting we should do so corporately and creatively. This has much to show us about the kind of church God is calling us to be.
For the early church their key aim and priority was to spread the Word of God about Jesus. In Acts 6, however, they run into problems and have to reassess their priorities. What can we learn from the attitude and behaviour of the early church that will help us as a church today to open our mouth and share God’s Word?
What is needed to make a church a caring church? Open handedness. That is a generosity that is willing to use your own resources for the good of others. That was the example of the early church as we will see in this talk.
We are often taught that to pray you need to put your hands together and close your eyes. However, the Bible does not teach this. Rather, as we pray, we need to open our eyes to the God we are praying to, to his people, his character, his ways and his mission. This is how we grow in prayer.
John 3:16 says that God ‘loved the world’ and ‘whoever believes in him will … have eternal life.’ Both phrases imply that the gift of God is not exclusive. In chapter 4, John demonstrates this as he tells of Jesus’s encounter with this Samaritan Woman who is the kind of person you would least expect to become a follower of Jesus.
Sign up for Christianity Explored: Christianity Explored 2021 - St. Luke's, Ramsgate
Many people have made up their minds about who Jesus is and how you gain eternal life. Nicodemus comes to Jesus seemingly open to learn, but he begins by telling Jesus what he has decided about Jesus. He has decided to approach Jesus as a teacher. Jesus responds by telling Nicodemus that he needs to be ‘born again.’ What does Jesus mean?
People often say they don’t believe in organised religion. There are some good reasons for that and at first glance it seems that Jesus is against organised religion when he clears out the temple precincts. On closer inspection we discover Jesus is concerned to reform the Temple and ultimately to replace it with something better.
Many people dismiss Christianity as a root into puritanical joylessness, with lots of rules and regulations designed to stop you having fun. Yet, in John chapter 2, we find Jesus at a wedding celebration turning water into wine. Not only is Jesus keeping the fun going, but this sign points to deeper truths about the eternal joy that God longs to give us.
The first in our series on encounters with Jesus in John's gospel. This sermon preached at the beginning of 2021 looks at the question 'What do you want?' We see Andrew and another (could it be John the writer of the gospel?) encountering Jesus for the first time.
Don't miss out! The church in Laodicea are complacent and comfortable in their wealthy town. Yet, Jesus warns them that they are missing out on the riches he has to offer them.
As Jesus addresses the churches of Sardis and Philadelphia he turns to the issue of reputation. Smyrna are reliant on a good reputation, when the truth is quite different, whilst Philadelphia need to be encouraged that Jesus’s reputation as the true leader of Israel and God’s Kingdom is to be trusted.
Jesus’s parable emphasises that God invites everyone to the great wedding banquet of His Son. But the parable also warns us that if we do not respond correctly we will miss out on this fantastic opportunity.
We continue to look at Jesus’s reports on the churches. In these two reports Jesus is pictured as the conquering judge, who promises those who ‘conquer’ with him a wonderful future. Yet, there is a warning not to compromise with the idolatry of the world.
What would Jesus say if he inspected our church today? We can’t know for sure, but we can read his inspection report for 7 churches in the first century AD. This week we look at the first two reports and the issues that Jesus speaks to them about.
With leaders struggling to deal with Covid-19 and a long wait for the result of the US Presidential election result the question: ‘Who is in charge?’ looms large. Although, Revelation is hard to understand it presents Jesus as the one who is Lord of History and yet also intimately involved in the life of his church.
What is so important about believing in Jesus? Why is this one religious act seen as the difference between life and death? We need to see the bigger picture and this parable of Jesus picks up the sad pattern of human relations with God and helps us to see why the way we relate to Jesus is so important.
How long will this pandemic last? Why is God letting this happen to us? These are natural questions to ask of God. Psalm 80 asks these questions on behalf of the people of Israel who are going through much greater suffering. Find out what the Psalmist thinks the answer is.
With the pandemic promising to drag out for at least another six months, we may well be feeling, "How long will it last?" In Psalm 6, David is suffering from a terrible illness and he cries out to God, "How long?" What can we learn from David's prayer?
The present pandemic has led to some very strange economic behaviour - especially the government furlough scheme.
In this story that Jesus tells, Jesus teaches the disciples about the economics of the Kingdom of Heaven. The landowner in the parable gives full pay to workers who do almost nothing - a bit like furlough!
How many times are we to forgive others? How big a sin is still forgivable? Jesus's answer to these questions is radical, so he tells a story to help us understand why as Christians it is essential that we always forgive.
How do you help a fellow Christian who is caught up in a serious sin, perhaps even one that is harming you? Jesus lays out some practical teaching based on some key principles...
What key principles of being church do we need to hold onto in this period of change? Why does Jesus talk about the angels of 'the little ones' in heaven? Does the parable of 'the Lost Sheep' in Matthew have the same application as the one in Luke's gospel?
The disciples ask Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus's response is radical and paradoxical: he places a little child in their midst and tells them that you have to lower yourself to the level of a little child to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. He then goes on to give some very strong warnings...
As Peter finishes his letter to the scattered and under pressure small Christian communities, he reminds them of the living hope that they have in the resurrected Christ and calls them to lives of humility, because "God gives grace to the humble."
Sometimes as Christians we can face pressure from the world around to give up on our faith. In some places this can even mean death. So, how can we flourish as Christians when faced with such pressure? Peter gives us some great reasons.
As Christians we are called to be finished with sin by being willing to face the ridicule and pressure of those we used to hang around with. This is to live for God.
Yet, God does not leave us alone in the world he gives us a Christian community to embrace.
Who or what do you fear? Fear controls and drives our lives in many ways. In the midst of a scary world, Peter encourages us to fear God and shows us what this looks like in practice.
Peter continues to explore how as Christians we are to live among those who have rejected Christ. In this passage he focuses on wives with non-Christian husbands. Once again the model is Christ.
As Christians we have change loyalties and allegiances. We no longer follow the ways of the world, but of Jesus Christ. So, how then are we to relate to a world that has rejected our Lord? In particular, how are we to relate to the authorities and those who are bosses over us?
Church has changed in recent months as we have spent months away from the building we are used to meeting in. But, what is the church fundamentally?
In this passage Peter gives a vision for what he thinks the church is.
The shape of our lives has been transformed by the Coronavirus. We behave differently and in some ways even think differently as a result.
In this passage Peter writes that Christians should be shaped by their new relationship with God. Now they have a future hope, are freed from sin and have God as their Father their lifestyle and thinking should be transformed.
How are Christians to live when they feel out of place in the world? When they are in small scattered groups surrounded by those who do not follow Jesus. These are the kind of people Peter writes to with words of great encouragement!
Jesus claims that to do what he says is the wise choice. Yet most of us don't like having to do what others say! So, why choose to follow Jesus and do what he says?
As Jesus comes to the end of his Sermon on the Mount, he helps us consider the choices we face around following him. In doing so he urges us not to look at things superficially!
What kind of person does God want us to be? As Jesus draws to the conclusion of the sermon on the mount, he sums up his teaching on what kind of person he wants us to be, by showing simply how to relate to God and other people.
Jo Kelly-Moore, Archdeacon of Canterbury reflects on Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9-14 on Trinity Sunday.
Gordon Warren reflects on Nehemiah's prayer for Jerusalem. It is a masterclass that we can learn from as we consider how to pray for our church today.
Jesus says very clearly, 'Do not Judge!' But how are we meant to understand that? Are there exceptions? Should I serve on a jury? Can I judge who is safe to look after my children? Is it ever right to point out someone's fault? If so, what do I need to be careful about?
As ever, Jesus's wisdom helps us flourish in this area of life.
With so much anxiety around the Coronavirus, how do we as Christians obey Jesus's command not to worry?
Your money or your life? The answer seems obvious, but in the normal run of things is our focus more often on acquiring wealth and possessions than pursuing what truly leads to life? Jesus challenges us to consider our heart motivations.
The Lord's Prayer is one of the most famous and important parts of scripture. But how does Jesus use it to show how Christian prayer is to be distinctive and how does it help us with our anxiety?
What does Jesus have to say about religious practice? The first thing he says is do not be a hypocrite! Don't do it to impress people, but in secret to seek God's reward!
The Sermon for St. Luke's, Ramsgate for Easter Sunday 2020. Looking at Matthew 28:1-10 and the difference between blind optimism and living hope.
The story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is one of the better known Bible stories, remembered every Palm Sunday. But why is Jesus riding into the city like this such a big deal? Why did it cause such a stir at the time?
What is God teaching us during these strange times? One way to answer that is to look at what God taught the Israelites when they found their lives radically changed having left Egypt and now in the wilderness.
To most of us family really matters. Wonderfully, Jesus invites us to be a part of his family. This brings immense privileges as well as responsibilities.
As Jesus continues to explain what he means by a surpassing righteousness he comes to his most revolutionary command: 'Love your enemies!' But how are we to love our enemies? And why is this something Christians should do?
None of us like it when people fail to keep their promises to us and Jesus in calling us to a greater righteousness calls us to be people of faithfulness in our sexual relationships, marriages and in our word.
Jesus calls us to live a righteous life. Yet, people today see that as restrictive, judgemental or even bad for your mental health. However, we need to see how Jesus smashes those stereotypes and understand the kind of righteousness he is calling us to.
Jesus has said that when we take on his ways as part of the Kingdom of Heaven we will flourish. He now goes on to explain how it will not only mean our flourishing, but us having a positive impact on the world so that others come to praise God.
The Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5-7 is Jesus's first major set of teaching in Matthew's gospel. It is an invitation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and a flourishing life , both now and in eternity.
Do we see God as a means to an end? Like a heavenly Amazon - we put our prayer requests in and we receive a next day response? Is prayer like speaking to a genie in a lamp?
In this passage, Jacob wins an amazing blessing from God, but what do we learn about what prayer is really like?
The Israelites are faced with an attack from the Amalekites. Moses's response is to commission Joshua to fight as he, Aaron and Hur go up to pray. Prayer is the secret weapon to winning the battle. But Moses also needs the help of others.
We are wonderfully made and science can help show us how amazing the human body is. But, can science help us fully understand what it means to be human?
Do the Bible and science contradict each other? If you accept the conclusions of science do you have to dismiss the Bible or alternatively if you hold to the Bible as God's inerrant authoritative word, then do you have to dismiss the conclusions of modern day science?
Many people today assume science has disproved the existence of God. Yet, the first scientists claimed they were thinking God's thoughts after him and actually many of the advances in modern science hint at a God who is behind our universe.
These are questions worth exploring. Not least because they touch on the meaning and purpose of our own existence.
Paul is eager to press on as a Christian. But what does that mean and what might it mean for you in 2020?
At first glance, the first chapter of the New testament is just a long boring list of names. But look deeper and you will see that it reminds us of the plans and promises God had been making from the time of Abraham and have now reached their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom of Heaven is coming! So what? You need to get ready, you need to change and re-commit yourself to God. That was the message of John the Baptist.
Do you know what the difference is between a sheep and a goat? Do you know what a true Christian looks like? And why be a Christian anyway?
This is the last passage from the letter to the Romans. It may have a daunting list of names, but when we focus on what messages and culture Paul is promoting through the greetings and doxology we discover some really helpful teaching.
Ambition can be very ugly and destructive, but when it is a godly ambition rooted in God's calling seeking God's aims and done in His power, then we can achieve amazing things like Paul.
War throws up great examples of self-sacrifice, but it also makes us long for unity between nations. These are both things that the church is called to live out as it seeks to reflect the bigger picture of God's work.
Christians often disagree on all kinds of issues. In first century Rome the big disagreement was over whether it was right for Christians to eat meat or not.
As we read Paul's response to this issue we learn some of the key principles of dealing with disagreements today.
As Jesus prepares for his ministry in the Wilderness he faces some big temptations from the devil. His responses to resist the temptations are all done using words from the Bible.
In Romans, Paul has explained the good news that God in his love sent Jesus to die for us even while we were still sinners, so that we could be freed from condemnation and receive eternal life.
Now we want to love as God loved us and in anticipation of the eternal life he offers. The result is we naturally follow the Law.
Jesus performs an amazing sign, feeding 5,000 with one pack lunch. But, what does the sign mean? What does Jesus mean when he says he is the 'Bread of Life'?
How does the idea of zealous Christians make you feel? Zeal carried out in the wrong way can be quite destructive, but without zeal the church becomes lifeless and ineffective.
Jesus calls us to a zealous response to the gospel. We are to be living sacrifices. Yet, he also calls us to renewed minds. We need passion and enthusiasm, but channelled by a mind formed through the gospel.
This week many children have returned to school and colleges. Hopefully, they are ready to learn as step by step they grow in their abilities and talents and are equipped to be successful members of society.
As Christians, there is a sense that we never grow up. We are always wanting to develop our thinking, understanding and attitudes in the light of the good news of Jesus Christ. The aim is that we to live lives that please God.
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus starts by teaching them what to pray for (the Lord's prayer), then he encourages them to pray by reflecting on how we relate to God.
What makes you happy? Adverts often tell us that their product will make us happy, but the truth is material things or one-off experiences never lead to a settled happiness. Christianity, however, calls us to a real joy despite the problems and struggles of life. What can we learn from this teaching of Jesus about reasons to be happy?
As Christians, like the 72 in this passage we are called to share God's Kingdom with others. However, when we do so we will be welcomed by some and rejected by others. How do we respond to that? This is the issue Jesus tackles in this team talk to the 72 he is sending out.
How do you interpret times of desperate suffering? How do you understand God's salvation?
In this story as Shechem is experience all the suffering of a terrible siege, the king blames Elisha and by implication God. Yet, God is the one who provides a deeply unexpected salvation.
The Bible and Old Testament are full of comedy and in this story, the King of Aram, the one who in theory is the most powerful political force around is the butt of the humour.
Yet, this is more than a story that laughs at kings. It is a story that shows us the deeper reality of where power really lies...
Is God an inclusive God? What is a Biblical vision of inclusivity?
In this story a general of the enemy of God's people who has a polytheistic belief system is pointed by a slave girl to go the man of God in Israel. He is remarkably healed of his skin disease, but more than that his beliefs are transformed.
Do we live in a world that cares for children? It's a big question ask. In some ways the protection and rights of children are better than ever before. Yet, the incidents of mental health in children suggests that maybe the focus of our culture is not as child-friendly as we would like to think.
Back in the time of Elisha, in the Middle East, child sacrifice was common (see 2 Kings 3:26-27). Yet, in this passage we see that the God of Israel is deeply concerned to give for the welfare of children.
Jesus tells his disciples that it is better if he goes away. How can that be? Because then He can send the Holy Spirit on us. So, what has the Spirit come to do?
Jesus promises his followers the Holy Spirit. But what does the Holy Spirit come to do in our lives?
As Paul concludes his discussion as to why so few Jews were accepting the Good News about Jesus he challenges the non-Jews in the Roman church not to think of themselves as better than the Jews. Rather, he reminds them of the God they have come to worship and what he is like.
What should Christians be most afraid of?
In this sermon we explore Paul's image of the Olive Tree, a picture of God's community. As Christians we have the privilege by God's grace of being grafted into this tree.
Why doesn't everyone believe the good news? It is a question that Christians struggle with today and it is one that Paul was struggling with in the first century.
For Paul, the issue was particularly acute when it came to the Jews. After all they were God's chosen people.
In chapter 9, he has looked at the question from the perspective of God's sovereignty. Now he looks at it from the perspective of human attitudes and choices.
Jesus want us to be fruitful Christians. But what is the secret of achieving this fruitfulness?
In this passage from John, Jesus explains how we need to remain in him to be fruitful for God.
Why don't people become Christians? This is a big and emotive question. As he wrote Romans, Paul was particularly concerned with the question about why so many of his fellow Jews failed to become Christians.
In Romans 9 he deals with the question in terms of God's choice. If God is in control, why do some put their trust in Jesus, whilst others don't?
As Jesus goes to the cross, the people around him react in different ways. But what can we learn from their responses?