Talks and sermons from St Matthew's: Recent Episodes
St Matthew's Church Southcote
The official podcast for St Matthew's Church Southcote, Reading, UK.
We meet for Family Services with Holy Communion every Sunday morning at 10am, as well as less formal monthly evening services at 6pm.
Have a look at our website at http://www.st-matts.org.uk/ for more information.
Releasing Generosity The misson and ministry of the church has always been resourced by God's people. As the early church 'shared all they had', so today God's people are called to give generously in response to a generous God.
As the Holy Spirit directs Paul's missionary journey across the sea to Philippi, Tracy challenges us to be open to the Spirit calling us into deeper waters.
We will never know even a fraction of what God’s Holy Spirit has done with the words we spoke, the the acts we did or the prayers we prayed – at least not this side of heaven – but God’s call on us today is simply to faithfulness. Because it is in a heart given over to Jesus – a trusting heart open to the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us – that God’s kingdom truly comes.
I am the Resurrection by David Horne . Please note there is a fault in the recording and some speech is skipped.
God made us for his pleasure. The account of Jesus in the temple, aged 12, gives us some strong clues as to how we can do that more and more.
In this all-age Christmas Day service Kirstie reminds us that on the first Christmas Love Came Down and encourages us to respond with joy.
David explains vividly how John the baptist's ministry was so life-transforming and carried the greatest hope and joy.
Nehemiah's earnestness in prayer, his deep personal faith, his total reliance on grace and his eternal perspective are a wonderful antidote to backsliding faith.
There are two ways to live - in worship of God or in forgetful self-absorption - and in chapters 11&12 Nehemiah shows us how to live lives of worship.
How does is make us feel when we consider meeting Jesus face to face? Perhaps it makes Advent preparation a higher priority!
Just as the disciples were called to distribute the loaves and fish to the five thousand, so we are called to be distributors of God's love and grace in the world.
There are only two alternatives. Justice or Grace. If we demand justice for others, we must be prepared to receive justice ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want justice - I want grace.
We know we are lost if we haven't been found. Have you been found, or are you still lost?
Just as completing the wall brought physical restoration to Jerusalem, God's Word brought spiritual restoration to the people - and the good news is, it still brings new life, healing and restoration today.
To be criticised is to feel we're being attacked - it hurts! Nehemiah shows us how to respond in the right way without being deflected from God's purpose for our lives.
Jesus challenges his disciples to be hungry for mission, to engage people in conversations about God, because many are ready to hear the good news. Will we respond?
As we face things coming against us in life - Nehemiah shows us that there is always hope, encourages us to bring these things to God, who changes us as we stand on his promises and seek support from praying friends.
None of us is good enough, none of us can save ourselves - our only hope is in the saving work of Christ on the Cross
We have all been wounded, and Nehemiah shows us that the place of restoration and healing is a community of believers with a unified vision, overcoming fear and pride by doing what they could to the glory of God.
We long for things to happen at our bidding, but Nehemiah shows us how waiting on God's timing is the best way to ensure the right result.
Many have unrealised dreams of what could have been. Nehemiah shows us how to respond when God breaks our hearts for what's on his.
As James and John jockey for position next to Jesus, Simon asks us to consider our own motives for the parts we play in church life and in the Kingdom of God.
As the Apostle Paul concludes his letter, his words remind us that the church of Jesus Christ is one which operates on love, generosity and unity - and calls us to put that into practice.
The linchpin of Christianity - the resurrection - transforms lives, assures us of our eternal destiny, and motivates us as witnesses to the world of Christ's victory on the cross.
Apostle Paul encourages the whole church to seek the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy to build us up as individual Christians and as the body of Christ - we just need to ask!
Love is not a feeling, it's a way of life - and Apostle Paul calls the church back to the priority of love in all that we say and do.
Overcoming temptation is, perhaps, less about resisting it and more about a deeper commitment to discipleship.
As freedom, culture and tradition clash in the Corinthian church, Paul begs the question, 'Does how we dress, speak and act when we come together in public worship honour God and not distract others from worshipping?'
When food sacrificed to idols becomes and issue for the Corinthian Christians, Paul challenges them to consider which is more important - knowledge, or love?
The Apostle Paul addresses issues concerning sexual relationships arguing that both marriage and celibacy are gifts from God, and calls the Corinthian church to Holy living.
Against the prevailing cultures of both 1st and 21st century worlds, Paul insists that what we do with our bodies either honours, or dishonours, God.
The Spirit transformed believers into passionate witnesses to Christ on the day the church was birthed, and He's still doing it today - if we will have the courage to allow Him.
Paul administers tough love in a case of sexual immorality in the Corinthian church - and calls us to radical and counter-cultural Christian lives.
Jesus calls us not to judge but to love and bless, whatever the consequences, in a counter cultural life lived under grace.
Are we moving in the natural or the spiritual? Paul gives the Corinthians a wake up call to grow in the gospel on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Do we need to hear it too?
The saving grace of God in Jesus Christ is available to everyone, but not received by everyone. Kirstie explains the part we play in experiencing it for ourselves.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is crucial to the Christian life and Paul the Apostle explains to the Corinthian church the difference between a worldly life and a Spirit-led one.
The fledgling church in boom-town Corinth is split by the celebrity culture that has leaked into church life. The Apostle Paul explains how the crucified Christ is the rallying point for unity.
The prophetic actions of Jesus call on us to live now as if we already inhabited a future world where things are just God intended them to be.
In the third of our Lent series on becoming a Christ-like church, David Horne challenges us to face up to injustice, to sin, and to the possibility of persecution. Courage is what's needed!
In the second of our Lent series on 'Becoming a Christ-Like Church' Jo explains that to have a heart of compassion, we need the heart of Jesus.
In the first of our Lent series on 'Becoming a Christ-like church', Steve Rudman explains how and why we might become a more contemplative church.
Sarah explains through Jesus' description of the vine and the branches, how sticking closer to Jesus is the essential ingredient in keeping going and growing in our Christian lives.
Hearing God's voice is the answer to a thousand problems, and crucial to discovering God's will for our lives. But we've got to learn to get quiet with him if we want to hear from him.
Obedience is like strong medicine. It's powerfully beneficial, but we tend to shy away from it - at our own cost.
God's life-creating Word and Spirit mean than 2018 can be different to 2017, transforming hearts and lives.
Why are there any religions at all? Why are there so many different religions? How can we claim that Christianity is the one true faith?
Our greatest need is to be forgiven, but our greatest challenge may be to then forgive.... In this we see that being forgiven by God and forgiving others in turn can bring us freedom
As a church we can achieve so much more together than as individuals. In this talk Colin looks at how we can serve each other and why we'd want to do that..... and it's not just because there's a need for people on rotas!
The Rolling Stone famously sung "I can't get no satisfaction". Today people look for fulfilment and satisfaction in lots of places: family, relationships, sport, money, career but in this passage we see Jesus offer "true satisfaction" for everyone, for ever.
In this passage we learn of how Peter encountered Jesus and choose to follow Him. Are ready to be whole-hearted followers?
Excuses! - We all make them, often to justify the things we've done (or should have done). Jesus calls us to whole-hearted living, committed to him, no excuses. In this talk Pads looks at three men people who met Jesus and their responses...
Most of us are good at putting on a brave face on the outside but inside we are under pressure. In this talk Pads looks at the story of Zacchaeus, an unpopular man who Jesus accepted. Do we dare to open our lives to what Jesus might do?
Where do we get our confidence from? Sometimes so we know we need help but struggle to accept it? In this passage we see a young man's encounter with Jesus where he's shown that our confidence should be in God. He's a good investment!
CS Lewis once famously said "Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less" In this talk we look at another encounter with Jesus where he shows the need to put others first.
We were all created by God in his own image and he loves us more that we can sometimes imagine. In this talk (which you need to imagine the visuals for!) Andrea explains this more...
In this passage Jesus addresses a crowd with some amazing words but then it all seems to go wrong. Pads shows through this passage that God's love is for everyone, God's word is being fulfilled today and we've a mission to our community...
Chris speaks of pivotal moments both in scripture - Jesus coming face to face with the devil in the wilderness, and in our lives – when we can choose God’s way or a different way. Is 2017 the year to be bold believers and bold witnesses to Jesus Christ in a world desperately in need of God’s salvation by living out the truth of his victory over sin and death
The newspapers are often full of bad headlines, we rarely see messages of hope. In this passage in Isaiah we see hope of a God who can transform lives and bring healing. It's not a path without obstacles, but its the best Way.
We all want to be accepted, to feel belonging and part of something. In this talk Paul looks at Romans to see how we can all be accepted by God no matter what we may have done, but also that we should accept others...
Life is unpredictable and uncertain, we don't know what will happen and we live in uncertain times. The bible tells us if we believe in Jesus we can walk with him on this journey and have eternal life. Listen as Andrea tells us more about the good news...
From this story about a father and two sons we see what it means to be loved and forgiven. That we can be set free from the past to live a new life, forgiven.
In this passage we see an important man believing. What was it though that he believed? and what do we believe? find out more...
Is prayer our first response to the challenges life presents? There is no part of life that can't be transformed by faithful prayer. As we conclude our series in James we see more about the care and prayer that we should have for one another.
As we continue our series in James we are encouraged to Stand Firm. To show patience and perseverance in the face of life's challenges.
Sometimes, as in all families, we fall out with one another and squabble over differences. It's nothing new - the early church struggled with just the same problem. James, though, helps us to both understand the internal causes and offers us clear directions to become people whom God's Spirit can inhabit and through whom God can shine his light.
Distractions! Distractions! - Life is full of them... In this story we see how Mary choose the better option by spending time listening to Jesus. We're challenged to do the same, to take time to be with Him and to listen for His voice
Clip from Daphne Sounds Expensive, Series 1.
Written by and starring JASON FORBES, GEORGE FOURACRES & PHIL WANG - a.k.a Daphne.
Our tongue has so much influence on our lives, it has the potential for good but also for bad. In this talk Jo brings us three great applications for our lives from this passage in James..
NB: Apologies for the poor quality of this recording (some small sections of the talk are missing) clearly something went wrong, see if you can spot where they are!
Sometimes we take Jesus' name in vain, but it's the Name above all others and one day "every knee will bow" . Chris tells us of his personal experience of how Jesus can change lives..
Who do we associate with? Do we have favourites? In this talk Pads looks at how we treat people and the advice James gives to the church. We see that should love our neighbour and see the potential that people have.
It took nearly 20 years to translate the Bible into the Kouya language for the people in mid Cote D'Ivoire. 20 years a team dedicated their lives to making this happen - because God's Word changes lives.
In this talk Paul looks at how we are to Listen to the Bible and then Act!
Continuing our series in James in this talk we look at facing temptation and how God doesn't tempt but always provides a way out. We also see some good advice from Jesus that we are to "Watch and Pray" as we journey through this life
We generally know who are the lost sheep - the down and out, the alcoholic, etc. However, this misses the real target of the parable – the 99 who, on the surface were living got-it-together lives, were respected by friends, family and colleagues, but were as lost as the one who wandered off.
The truth is, we cannot know who we really are, or our place in the world, until we know our creator....
In this talk David tells us more about how we can get to know Him
At this All Age Service on Pentecost Sunday Jo encourages us to ask for more of the Holy Spirit. We also learn about key attributes that the Holy Spirit gives us: Guidance, Courage, Obedience and Joy!
Do we think that the Christian life is hard? That our faith is being tested? In this talk Pads tells us that if we are being effective it will be hard but.... we can plug into the power source of prayer which can change us and change the world around us!
God has been always doing new things since the creation story and he's made us to do the same. Whatever our "Frontline" is - an office/ shop/ home/ site, God wants to use us there!
What makes a thriving church? In this talk Paul looks at the new church in Acts and sees some of the marks of a thriving church that they: learn, worship, are generous and reach out to their community.
In this passage we see some of the risks that money brings: risk to relationships, to character and to our walk with God. However we see from the rich young rule that the best response to God's blessings to us is to be "rich towards God" Here's the Video Pads Shows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I03Jlj4-ZQY
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" Pads looks at this well known verse, the context, and how we can have a fulfilled life.
Easter Sunday morning service. Carol talks to us about the good news of Easter, that Jesus is risen!
Continuing our series looking at the Lords Prayer, this week we look at : "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" Forgiveness: our greatest need is for it and one of our greatest challenges is giving it.
Continuing our series on the Lords Prayer we get to "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"
Continuing our series on the Lords Prayer we look at "Hallowed be your name..." In this talk we learn about how prayer in Jesus' name can transform our lives.
We start a series looking at the Lord's Prayer. It opens with "Our Father..." In this talk we see that the God of the Universe wants to be our father. To give us love, security, peace, acceptance and intimacy, to be our dad. - Note: Unfortunately the first couple of minutes of this recording has been lost
Do we feel blessed today? What conditions in life do we need to experience to say we are blessed? In this talk we look at Jesus' words from the sermon on the mount which were controversial then and now...
Are you a pig or a chicken? Find out what this means and more in this talk about commitment, looking at the story of Simon Peter. See how Jesus met Peter where he was at and then his journey to being a committed disciple.
In this healing service Pads takes looks at how Jesus healed the paralysed man and how God works powerfully today in often unexpected ways.
Are we looking for love? Looking for love that is wide, long, high and deep? In this talk Kirstie helps us grasp what this type of love looks like from the book of Ephesians..
In this talk Carol talks of Jesus' mission to proclaim good news to us all. This news is of real freedom and healing from physical, mental or spiritual ills. Something worth going for!
In this passage we hear about Jesus facing three temptations and how he deals with them. There's some great lessons for our lives today as we face good times and dark times.
From these two passages Carol shows us how we are truly wanted and loved by God and that he wants to have a relationship with us through prayer.
Have you ever been let down? Today we often wonder if there is anyone that we can put our trust in. Pads tells of someone who is utterly dependable and unconditionally loving.
Questions! - In this passage in Luke we see one question asked three times: "What should we do?" In this talk we deas with this important question.
Preparation! - There's a lot to do at Christmas with presents to buy, people to meet, plans to make. In Luke though we see John the Baptist preparing in a different way - for Jesus. In this talk we see three reasons to prepare....
Advent can be a tough time of year with our time, our money, our work and even some of our relationships all under huge pressure. How do we cope, let alone draw closer to God?
What helps me, as I reflect on the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago, and I look forward to the time when he will come again in the future, is to remember that he is also with us now. As we declare together most Sundays, “His Spirit is with us.”
Tracy looks at this passage in Matthew to see the comfort, encouragement and direction it can give us as we live in troubled times.
On this Remembrance Sunday Pads takes us to the end of our series in Ephesians. We are challenged that we should remember to give thanks, remember to pray and lastly remember the good news that Jesus brings
On a baptism Sunday the $64,000 question is whether you will choose Jesus for yourself? In this short talk with some personal stories Pads looks at the biggest and best choice you can make in your life.
In this talk we see that the biblical understanding of submitting to one another is something different to that of boys fighting in a playground. It is done out of love and out of reverence for Christ. Whether it’s between a husband and wife, our conduct at work, or our brothers and sisters in Christ, submission is an act of loving humility which unites, heals, and witnesses to a God who and submitted himself to death on a cross because he loves you so much.
That’s why it’s good to shout, "I submit!"
Joy, Peace and Love are what God wants for us. On this harvest festival when we have so much to thank God for, Jo helps us to see that we have no need to worry!
Continuing our series in Ephesians - Looking at Eph 5v1-20 - with a return visit from our special guest!
It's great to celebrate! - so many great things in the world but also so much pain. We see God cares about justice but also about love and forgiveness. The parable of the weeds reminds us that God never gives up waiting for anyone who hears the good news and accepts His invitation.
The Bible - Is it just a dusty old book? Is it just for those who are stuck? or is it the living word of God? Carol looks at the story of Matthew in this amazing book, the Bible and we see how Jesus came for all people to change lives.
Continuing our series in Ephesians we make it to chapter 4. This is where the "rubber hits the road" and we learn about how to live. We read about four characteristics of a united church: Love, Truth, Diversity and Maturity and then we have a challenge to be united, speaking the truth about Jesus in love.
Continuing our series in Ephesians we see in this passage an amazingly powerful prayer. Pads challenges us in this talk to pray this for one another so we will be spirit filled knowing the depths of God's love
David Horne talks us through the well known parable of the Lost Sheep at this Baptism Service
Do you believe in miracles? A child being born is a natural miracle, but what about supernatural miracles? In this talk Andrea introduces us to some of Jesus' miracles...
The multi-billion dollar market in self-improvement books and programmes is proof enough that human beings know there is something wrong with them. And while some of these things are helpful, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a powerful reminder that God has already given us everything we need to derive fulfillment and purpose in life.
Children are highly valued in the kingdom of God, and Jesus makes it clear that if we are to enter and become great in that kingdom we must do away with pretension and become trusting and humble like a child.
Sheep, likewise, are vulnerable creatures and need a shepherd to keep them safe. Jesus will always look for us and bring us back into his fold when we stray.
When He calls his sheep, they hear his voice. Is He calling you today?
Pads asks the question about whether we suffer from the "If Only Syndrome£? Paul in Corinthians had more reason than most to suffer from this but yet we see that God's grace was sufficient.
For Christians the most important relationship is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The bible says God is love and in his final act of love he took upon himself the sins of the whole world and broke down every barrier that exists between God and human beings and he invites us to put our trust in him and know this love for ourselves. How will we respond?
In this talk from Mark we see how Jesus calms the raging storm and the questions posed: Don't you care? Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? Who is this man? Carol takes us through these questions which are still so relevant today
In this talk Carol challenges us about where our focus is. Is it our sport, books, work, family, home, community? Paul shows us in Corinthians that our focus should be on Jesus.
In this talk Pads looks at the letter of Corinthians. In this passage Paul revels a life changing approach to dealing with hardship. Paul was well qualified to write on the topic having been ridiculed, beaten, shipwrecked and more...
Join us for our monthly evening service where Steve talks to us about some of the real challenges of the Christian life and how Jesus helps us overcome them.
On this Baptism Sunday Pads takes us through the story of the Good Samaritan. The good news is, that although not one of us is good enough for God, in his love he has sent us Jesus, whose sacrifice on the cross means forgiveness and inclusion for all who follow him.
Join us at our monthly family baptism service where David Horne encourages us to become more child-like (but not child-ish!) as we come to Jesus.
When our hearts and minds are open, the Holy Spirit can transform our lives. Join us as Carol encourages us to consider the amazing relationship that is available to us with God if we will only make ourselves truly available to him.
We all have a choice as to how we live our life - with Jesus or without Jesus. Join as Pads Dolphin encourages us to think about how full a life we can have with Jesus.
God always hears and answers our prayers - sometimes with a 'Yes' and sometimes with a 'No', but He says He will always give the Holy Spirit to those who seek and ask for Him. Join us as Carol Morgan talks to us about prayer and the Holy Spirit.
Many people feel that they are not good enough for God, but Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well shows us that simply isn't true. Join us as Pads Dolphin tells us how Jesus transforms lives for those who chose to believe in him.
This week, Steven Fry stated that God is a “capricious, mean minded, stupid God.” Join us as Carol Morgan shows us that through Jesus a very different picture of God.
FREEDOM! – It’s a powerful word, it echoes down through the ages bringing with it a passion and power. Paul in this talks speaks of the freedom Jesus came to give us that is for everyone
When the friends of a paralytic man bought him to Jesus to be healed, Jesus saw their faith and transformed the life of the man forever. Join us as Pads Dolphin challenges us to think about how we might bring our friends who need healing to Jesus to have their lives transformed.
At the wedding in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine, change only came when the servants followed Mary's words - do whatever He tells you. Join us as Pads Dolphin opens up the signs and wonders in this story and encourages us to be like the servants, following Jesus and being obedient to His commands.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shares with us the story of the Centruion who recognised that Jesus has authority to heal and faith to believe that he could and how this story gives us hope and guidance for our lives today.
Jesus' baptism marked the start of his earthly ministry with a statement that he was here to bring change and hope for all people. Join us as Carol Morgan encourages us to discover the power and treasure of this in our own lives.
Join us at our monthly evening services from 6pm in the church, always on the first Sunday of the month.
Join us at 10am every Sunday morning for a family-friendly service featuring a mix of worship, teaching, prayer and fellowship.
Join us as Carol opens up the story of Mary and Joseph and their journey of faith at our Carol Service.
Join us as Pads shares with us the story of Mary receiving the news that she is to give birth to God's son and how, in doing so, she gives an encouraging example of living by faith that we can follow today.
As we reach the end of our series on Exodus, we come to the high point of Moses encountering God's glory. Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us what we can learn from Moses in our pursuit of God.
When we stop giving thanks to God our perspective on life can change in many ways. Join us as our visiting speaker, Senior Paster from Kennet Valley Free Church, Graham Cooke, encourages us to keep our eyes focussed on God and our lives in proper perspective.
While its easy to look at the Children of Israel in Exodus and criticise, it may be that their issues and temptations are not so very different from our own. When we make mistakes, as we all will God is there waiting for us.
Join us as Andrea Baker shares with us a scene from Jesus' crucifixion, where two criminals who are dying with him sets us an example and a challenge to consider how we choose to respond to Jesus.
Join us at the start of Advent as Carol encourages us to make time amongst the busyness in the run-up to Christmas and to use this season as a time for looking at Jesus and waiting on God.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shared with us how the way to eternal life is not determined by how well we keep the Ten Commandments, but whether we live a life style of love, living out the spirit of the law.
Please note: We apologise for the whining sound in this recording and are investigating its cause and solution.
Join us as Pads Dolphin challenges us to think about how we are going to use the gifts and opoprtunities that God has given us and whether we are prepared to take the risk to get things wrong for sake of doing work for Him and His kingdom.
Join us for our monthly, contemporary evening service as Pads Dolphin leads us in thinking about being the sort of people that God chooses to use to fulfil His purposes.
Jesus’ words at the start of the Sermon on the Mount are filled with hope for all who feel that they are poor in Spirit. Moses, too, put his hope in God when leading the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. Join us as Kirstie Dolphin invites us to think about our God who lives beyond our circumstances and offers us true hope in every situation.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shares with us the story of Jesus healing a blind man, Barthimaeus, and encourages us to think of the blindness in our own lives.
Join us as John and Jennifer Roper from The Gideons International come and speak to us about The Passover and then share some amazing stories of how God has met with people through the Bible and the work of the Gideons around the world.
Join us as Carol speaks to us about God's blessing and sharing it with others at our all age Harvest service.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us how Jesus exercised his authority in humility and how Paul encourages to do the same, having the same attitude of Christ Jesus, serving others and laying ourselves down for others.
Join us for the second week of our Discipleship Explored course, as Colin Harbidge speaks to us about Paul's amazing statement, "to live is Christ, to die is gain" and how this offers a radically different perspective on the world.
The story of Matthew chosing to follow Jesus poses us with three challenges - to put Jesus first, to share the good news and to be merciful. Join us as Paul Fulton opens this passage for us at our Back to Church Sunday service.
Join us as our guest Rev. Dr. Joanna Collicutt shows us how Jesus and Paul teach us that we must resist the temptation to judge at all costs, with judgement belonging to God alone.
Join us for our evening service as Mark Morgan encourages us to imagine the life of the apostle Paul
The Pharisees and Jews had lost their way and lost sight of who Jesus was and we can do the same. Join us as Carol Morgan encourages us and reminds us that we are called to intimacy with Christ, not to uphold human rules.
An encounter between Jesus and some Pharisees led to Jesus showing a new way of living, one of humility, compassion and a free obedience to God. Join us as Elizabeth encourages us to follow Jesus' example.
When life becomes too much we need to remember what God has done for us in the past, what He has done on the cross and what He has promised us for the future.
When Jesus asked His disciples to feed 5,000 people with two fish and five small loaves, it seemed like an impossible task. Join us as Andrea shows us how Jesus is always with us, helping us with our impossible tasks.
When bad things happen in the world we naturally ask why God allows it to happen - why doesn't he fix things now? Join us as Pads shows us that the Bible teaches us that he loves us enough to be patient, but he will bring justice.
Join us and Pads Dolphin and Carol Morgan speak to us about the Parable of the Sower and the value of Perseverance during out all-age family service
Life is all about choices - who we choose to live with, work with, where we live. Jesus chose to come to Earth to save us. Join us as Kirstie Dolphin encourages us to consider our choices and how we might serve God through them.
Sometimes when we're watching a film or reading a book we're left unsure who are the goodies and who are the baddies. But what about ourselves? Are we goodies or baddies? Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us how, before God, we have all done wrong but can be made right through faith in Jesus.
When Jesus lived upon the earth, he revealed God the Father to us through himself. Join us as Pads Dolphin shares his story of how Jesus did that in his own life and continues to do so for countless others today.
Since its beginning, the Church has bought shared the resources that each member has, according to their individual means, to further the work of God's kingdom on Earth. Join us as Pads Dolphin invites us to consider how we might be able to do that today.
Discovering and using our gifts is key to finding fulfilment, learning who we have been made to be as we serve God's Kingdom. But serving God isn't about doing God works to please Him but our response of love to His gifts of grace.
Filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus' disciples became united in God’s mission to bring the good news of Jesus to the world. Join us as Pads Dolphin tells us how we can join in this mission today.
Please note, this talk has been re-recorded after losing the original, live, talk.
Many of us will say that we want to know God more and draw closer to Him and the Holy Spirt promises to help us do just that, but when it comes to making time for God, and choosing to prioritise getting to know Him, how preapred are we to make that cost? Join us as Carol Morgan speaks at a special evening service where we join wtih other churches in Southcote, The Grange and The Mission.
Was Jesus the first astronaut in history? Are we to believe that Jesus was catapulted through the earth’s atmosphere and out into space where he eventually arrived at a distant place called Heaven?
During his resurrection appearances, Jesus moved between these two realms, appearing and disappearing; and so, although Jesus had no need to ascend, the importance of the ascension was to make sure his disciples didn’t hang around waiting for his next resurrection appearance. They were to get on with doing the
The gospel of John records that the disciples didn’t initially recognise the risen Jesus.
Mary Magdalene mistook Him for the gardener until he called her by name. Thomas only recognised Him when he touched His wounds, and the disciples on the road to Emmaus only recognised Him when He broke bread with them. The disciples still don’t recognise Him when He appears to them for a third time by the Sea of Galilee! They are out fishing, only they haven’t caught any fish, and it’s only when Jesus turns up on
The death of Stephen shows how God can bring amazing good out of even the worst situations, though it's not always easy to see at the time. Join us as Pads Dolphin encourages us to trust our trials to God and pray for Him to bring good from our tragedies.
The character of the early church sets a challenge for us today - to become more loving, more keen to learn, more worshipful and more evangelical. Join us as Carol Morgan encourages to take up the challenge and follow their example.
What Jesus sacrificed on the cross is so far beyond our understanding and yet we are called to live in response to it. Join us as Jo Harbidge encourages us towards a life style of choosing what is good in response to the Cross.
When Jesus reveals to us who He is we are left with a choice of how to respond. Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us that this isn't a take-it-or-leave-it choice, but the most important choice we will ever make.
Conventional wisdom says that faith should be a private matter and is not something to share with others but this is not a Christian idea and is certainly not set as an example by Jesus and the Apostles. Join us as Pads Dolphin encourages us to think about how we might share our faith and be witnesses to Jesus and His resurrection today.
Join us as Pads and Carol take us through the amazing events of the first Easter Sunday as Jesus appeared to his disciples and loves ones, showing that His promise of forgiveness for us today is true.
Into the carnival atmosphere of Jerusalem during Passover , Jesus arrives on a donkey, making the ultimate statement that he is the Messiah, the King. Join us as Carol Morgan shows us how Jesus is a King like no other.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us how Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead and God's promise to breathe life into the dry bones of Israel reminds us that, with God, we can find hope in even the most hopeless of situations.
When Jesus was asked by two blind men for him to have mercy on them he asked them, "What do you want from me?" Join us as Carol Morgan encourages us to think how we might answer this question ourselves.
Jesus is looking for obedient followers and not just admirers. He is far more interested in our availability than our ability. Join us as David Horne encourages us to hear God’s whispers and to venture forward with him in faith.
In the Bible, names mean everything. God calls us by name to follow Him and to know His wild love for each one of us. Join us as Bishop Andrew shares this word with us at our baptism and confirmation service.
Both Abram and Nicodemus were invited to step out on a journey of faith in order to discover more of who God is and we are invited to do the same. Join us as Carol Morgan encourages us to embark on the risky walk to blessing that is journeying in faith.
Most of us struggle to deal with anxious thoughts and worry, often on a daily basis. Laura provides biblical suggestions on how to turn from being a worrier to a warrior and challenges us about who stands guard in our hearts.
For more information about Mercy Ministries, the charity that Laura works for, please go to http://www.mercyministries.co.uk/
Contrary to much popular belief, the Bible makes it clear that the devil is real and at work, attempting to draw us away from God today. Knowing his tactics is key to overcoming him, as shown by Jesus when he resisted him in the wilderness. Join us as Pads Dolphin shares with us on the first Sunday of Lent.
At the spectacular transfiguration of Jesus, God told the disciples in attendance to listen to His son. So what does Jesus have to say to us in 21st Century Britain? Join us as Pads Dolphin shares God's word with us.
If the word 'evangelism' strikes fear in your heart then join us as Paul Fulton shares with is St. Paul's encouragement for Hope-fueled evangelism.
We apologise for the poor quality of this recording. We will try to make sure this doesn't happen again!
Knowing that we are children of God is key to living a fulfilled Christian life. Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us what the Bible says about our being God's children and how we can know that more fully in our lives.
Jesus told His disciples (and us) to be salt and light in the world, but what does that mean and how can we do it? Join us as Carol Morgan encourages us to lean on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us follow Jesus' command.
Jesus defeated Death, freeing us from the fear that it holds over each one of us. Join us as Pads Dolphin shares this incredible, liberating truth that has the power to unlock the fullness of our lives.
Join us as Chris Everett speaks at our February evening service, reminding us again of the essential necessecity of having Christ in our lives.
When Jesus called HIs disciples, He put together a world-changing team, but none were superstars in their own right. Join us as Mark Morgan shares with us how Jesus is still building His team today and how we are all called to be a part.
In an uncertain world we find have confidence in our faith, knowing that God calls us by name, that we are forgiven and set free and that God can transform our lives. Join as Pads presents us with these amazing, life-changing truths.
God promises to be with us in the storms, when the waters are high, when we feel under pressure and like we can't go on. We will find help and strength in Jesus.
An inspirational talk which is based in real life which encourages and challenges us to praise God in all situations based on Habakkuk`s Prayer in Habakkuk 3. Whatever your personality and prayer life is like this will help you to go deeper.
God's plan to redeem humanity has existed since before the creation of the world. Join us as Carol Morgan unpacks God's amazing plan during our Sunday morning service.
As Joseph invites us to dream God’s dreams, we discover that following God isn’t always we expect. Join us as Carol Morgan retells this story in our Sunday morning service.
Recorded at our 2013 Carol Service. For more information about our church, visit www.st-matts.org.uk
When God's promises are fulfilled in ways we do not expect we can start to doubt whether God is really at work at all. We are not alone-John the Baptist shared our doubts when he was improsonned and heard of Jesus' acts.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shares God's word with us on this third Sunday of Advent.
What value could the message from a prophet called Isaiah from thousands of years ago have for us? Join us as Carol Morgan shows us how this message of hope applies to our world today.
Join us for the first Sunday of Advent, when Pads Dolphin encourages us to consider the return of Jesus to this Earth.
There's a fellowship and companionship in walking with someone. God offers us that companionship, saying he will walk with us every day if we choose. Join us at our November Baptism service as Andrea Baker speaks to us about God's amazing love for us.
Life is full of opportunities to take the option to take short-term gain over long-lasting, more fruitful long-term benefit. In His encounter with some Sadducees, Jesus reminds us that what happens in this lift will pass but what we do matters for the eternal life to come.
Join us as Pads Dolphin speaks to us at our Remembrance Sunday service.
It is often said that the Bible is God’s love letter to His people, even when it contains some difficult words for us, much as Jesus’ letter to the church in Sardis. As Jesus appealed to them to come back to him, so to He appeals to us today. Join us as Pads Dolphin continues our look at the letters to churches in Revelation.
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is the most famous, powerful and impactful sermon in all history. Join us as Pads Dolphin retells it to us at our monthly evening service.
Sometimes being a Christian is very hard, particularly when people around us expect us to lie or do other wrong things. Join us as Carol Morgan explains to us how we can resist by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Jesus is building an unstoppable church on the foundation of prayer, using people that acknowledge that he is the son of God. He's doing it all over the world and He's doing it at St. Matthew's. Join us as Pads Dolphin introduces the idea of a Mission Action Plan and looks to the ministry of Jesus as he explains why we're doing it.
During the course of our service, approximately 12 Christians will be murdered because they believe in Jesus. That's happening today.
What can we do? Join as Pads Dolphin explores with letter to the churches in Smyrna and Pergamum to help answer the question.
The account of Jesus' healing of a man born blind brings to our attention of the the many paradoxical themes of the Gospel: the blind man - the man who couldn't see - saw Jesus and recognised who He was, whereas the seeing Pharisees were blind to who Jesus was.
Join us at our monthly evening service as Paul Fulton expounds this passage for us and encourages us to consider how we might want to respond to who we see Jesus is.
When Jesus invited himself to Zaccheus' house for lunch he it changed his life forever. Join us as Pads Dolphin retells the story during our Harvest service.
Join us for the first in our series looking at the letter to the seven churches at the beginning of the book of Revelation. We begin with the church in Ephesus. The Ephesians were doing many things well, but had lost their first love. Join us as Dan Heyward shows us what we can learn from this letter today.
Why should someone come to church? Isn't church boring and Christianity one big fairy story? The greater question isn't why should we go to church but why we should decide to become followers of Jesus Christ.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us how St. Matthew's life was changed when he chose to follow Jesus.
Paul's heart was filled with the knowledge of what God had done for him. His life shows us that no one is beyond God's grace and mercy and, when received and understood, how that grace can lead us to reach out to the lost around us, not out of duty but because we just can't help it.
Relationships are exciting and wonderful. But when they break down they can be really hard to put right. In fact, it often seems easier just to walk away. Join us as we learn from St. Paul how we can reconcile relationships in our lives.
God has invitation that he wants the whole world to receive and we are the ones he wants to share it. Join us at our September evening service as Pads shares with us some practical guidance on how we can share the invitation in a simple and non-scary way.
Jesus came to show us that God's Kingdom is an upside-down kingdom, where honour is given, not taken and where those who seek to honour others are themselves honoured. Join us as Carol shares this word with us at our Sunday morning service.
When an oppressed woman appeared at the Synagogue, Jesus showed us that true worship is not about what happens in the service, but how we reach out to others with the love of God. When we do this, God gets all the glory.
When God's people Judah turned from him to serve foreign Gods He didn't give up His desire to be in relationship with them, but had a plan for restoration just as He does today. Join us as Carol Morgan shows us how seeking relationship with God is the most important thing for our faith and for His purposes to be fulfilled in the world.
Join us as Pads Dolphin encourages us to use the past to remind us of what a faithful God we have and believe his promise of salvation and eternal life in the future in order to be set free to live in the present, without fear and anxiety.
We come to a saving faith in Christ Jesus by His grace but it doesn’t stop there! If we are not intentional about growing more like Jesus, getting to know Him and His ways intimately, we may become deceived and forgetful of the truth. Join us as Tracy Watkins explores verses from the apostle Peter’s passionate final legacy to the early Church.
One of the biggest questions that we're faced with in life is "If God is good, why does bad stuff happen?" and this is exactly the question raised by Jesus' Parable of the Weeds.
Join us as Pads Dolphin leads us through this essential question at one of our monthly baptism services.
With so many people in the world that we could be helping, how can we work out who we should be giving our attention to? Come and join us as we consider the famous parable of the Good Samaritan and learn how we can ask God to show us who to help and how we can help them.
Helping others carry their burdens is part of what it means to love our neighbour, but we are bought up to think it shows weakness to let others help us. When we don't share our burdens, as God asks us to, we can get burned out.
Join us as Pads Dolphin shares with us how we as a church can learn to help each other through life, with Jesus as our ultimate example.
We hope you enjoy this sermon from St. Matthew's - we'd love to see you there in person any time you like!
There is no other message like that of the cross of Jesus and yet too often we forget to think about it, consider it, find our hope in it. Join us as Chris Everett reminds us of the truth and hope that is to be found within it.
It's a fairly common expectation that we should want our children to grow up to be successful, wealthy, healthy and comfortable. But in the parable of the rich fool, Jesus challenges us to consider that all that we work and strive for over our lives could be for nothing if we don't live long enough to enjoy it.
Join us at our June baptism service, where Revd Pads Dolphin talks us through Jesus' teaching on how to live our lives building up things that we will enjoy for all eternity.
When Jesus healed a demon possessed man, the man's life was forever changed for the better. But the crowds that saw this transformation were scared. Why were they scared? What might we be scared of when we think of Jesus transforming our lives? Join us as Pads Dolphin explores these questions.
It is natural for us to attempt to keep ourselves on course for Heaven by going to church, sticking to the rules and generally ticking God's boxes to keep Him pleased. But as this week's gospel story shows us, Jesus is much more concerned about the state of our hearts than our outer religious life.
Come and join us as Pads Dolphin explores the famous encounter between Jesus and 'sinful woman'.
When Jesus saw the funeral procession of a widow's son, he had compassion on that widow, raised her son from the dead and changed their lives together. Join us as Pads Dolphin talks to us about how Jesus still changes lives today.
Fearing what others think of us, we tend to hide our real selves and pretend to be someone we are not. But when we learn to love and trust God with all our hearts, we can lose our fear and become the people God meant us to be.
God loves and seeks out the lost, the outsider, the marginalised. We need to be a church with open doors, both to take the good news out to others, and to be good news when new people come in.
When Jesus was asked what someone must do to enter the 'Kingdom of God', he said they must be born again. But how can someone be born again? What does that mean? Join us as Andrea Baker speaks to us our monthly Family Baptism service.
As we celebrate Pentecost, The Reverend Canon Jonathan Wilmot reminds of Jesus' teaching on prayer and asking God, our good and trustworthy father, for what he knows we need and encourages us to consider that there is no greater thing to pray for than His Holy Spirit.
Join us as Dan Heyward talks us through Jesus' famous prayer for the future church and looks at what His words might mean for us in the church today.
With everything that God gives us, He calls us to be faithful and loyal servants, taking His gifts and using them for His glory. No gift is more important precious to the world than the Gospel message, which is the hope for our salvation. Join us as Chris Everett unpacks this famous parable to see what Jesus has to say about what it means to make the most of what has been entrusted to us, and why it's so important that we do so.
This talk was recorded at one of our informal monthly evening services, whe
Continuing our look at the nature of the early church community, in months and years following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, Pads Dolphin looks at the role that the Holy Spirit had in leading, guiding and directing the first Christians in their mission.
This talk was recorded at one of our regular Sunday morning services. If you'd like to come along, you are welcome to join us every Sunday morning at 10am.
Modern life tends to shun dependency and celebrates independence, but the Bible tells us that God created us to be dependent people. Join us as Pads Dolphin explores how the early church was a dependent community - dependent on God, dependent on each other and dependent on grace.
After Jesus' ascension, his followers lived in a new community, that would go on to become the Church. But what was this community like? Over the coming weeks we will be looking at different aspects of this community, starting this week by foussing on the witness of this community.
When some of Jesus' followers went to see his tomb after he died they found it empty. Join us for this special Easter baptism service where Pads Dolphin leads us through Peter's question, 'What has happened?'
When Jesus entered Jersualem on a donkey's colt, he was making a bold claim to be God's Messiah - the one all Israel had been waiting for. But what kind of Messiah was he going to be and how would he save us? Join us as Pads Dolphin takes us back to that first Palm Sunday.
God is in the business of restoring his creation. Consequently, he is always doing something new. But doing something new inevitably means leaving things behind. Join us as Pads leads us to consider what things we might need to leave behind, or areas of our lives where we need restoring so that we can join in with the new things God has planned for us.
In this final part of our Bible Overview series, Anthony Wisdom shows us that the story of the Bible doesn't end at the cross and leads us to think about how we can take what we've learnt and apply it to our daily lives as followers of Jesus.
Jesus' parable of the prodigal son paints a picture of a wayward younger brother, who squandors the family wealth but is accepted back into the family by HIs father. Most of us are familiar with that part, but what about the elder brother, who is less happy to see his brother's return? What challenge or message is there for us from the elder sibling's reaction? Join as as Pads Dolphin takes us through the hope and challenges that this passage presents.
John the Baptist recognised Jesus and showed him to his disciples. Those disciples went on to follow Jesus and lead others to follow Him too. How did John recognise Jesus? And what can we learn from this response of the first discples?
God calls us to seek Him while He can be found. Time is limited and our complacency poses a threat. Join us as Pads Dolphin shows us how God has opened himself up to us and invites us to come and find Him while we still have the time to do so.
Continuing our overview of the Bible, we reach the Gospels and the arrival of Jesus into the world. But who was this Jesus? The Jews were expecting a Messiah, longing for a Christ - was Jesus the Christ they were looking for? Who did he say he was and who do people think he was today?
This week we are looking at the cost of being a disciple. Jesus made it clear that to be His disciple would entail personal cost, but what sort of cost? Time, money, effort? Possibly, but probably more also. Join us as Pads Dolphin explores what Jesus says about the cost of being his follower, and encourages us to be prepared to take the risk of inviting others to come to know Him.
Jesus spoke a hard-hitting parable to a crowd of proud pharisees which essentially said that no amount of religious observence or faithful box-ticking was going to secure the favour of God and their eternal life. Join us as Pads Dolphin explores what the Bible tells us is actually the key to our savlation - humble faith in Jesus.
After being freed from slavery in israel, the Israelites were appointed judges to keep rule, with God as their King. But everyone else had human kings and, naturally, the Israelites wanted their own human king. God relented, but warned what a human king would mean for them. What followed were centuries of evil kings and a people turning away from God until the kingdoms of Israel and Judah disappeared altogether.
Jesus tells us not to worry, but how can we actually do that in practice? After all, life is filled with many things to worry about. Paul Fulton talks us through some practical help to lay our worries down and reminds us of the promises of God that will help us through our struggles.
It's week two of our Bible overview course and Anthony Wisdom takes us through the pledge that God made to Abraham, through the enslavement of Israel in Egypt and their liberation by God. Following that, we look at the rebellion of the people of Israel whilst in the desert and the giving of the law - the Ten Commandments - and consider how focussing too much on the law (legalism) can be a form of rebellion in itself.
Right at the outset of Jesus' public ministry, he returned to his home town to preach and set out his manifesto - to open eyes, change lives and bring good news. Join us to hear David Horne tell us more about what this could mean for us at one of our wonderful family baptism services.
Immediately following his baptism, Jesus was led by the Hoy Spirit not into a big crowd to perform amazing miracles, but to the wilderness, to be by himself, to overcome temptation by the devil. Why would the Spirit do that? How did that time prepare Jesus for what was to come and what can we learn about times in the wilderness in our own lives?
In the first of our fortnightly Bible Overview course, Anthony Wisdom introduces us to the first of the major themes that we'll be considering - the legitimate authority of God over his creation.
An introduction to our new Bible Overview course, hosted by Anthony Wisdom and taking place fortnightly at St. Matthew's Church.
The Bible reveals four things as essential for a fulfilled Christian life - repentance, faith, baptism and also the Holy Spirit. As a church, we tend to be fairly familiar with the first three of these, but the Holy Spirit can remain somewhat elusive. Join us as Pads Dolphin tells us more about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and we hear about what real impact He can have in us today.
Paul the apostle tells us that the greatest revelation of God’s wisdom was God sending his Son to be our saviour, and that his plan for revealing this to the world is the church. How can we, as individuals and as the body of Christ, play our part in this great privilege?
The shepherds of Jesus’ day were viewed as irreligious, poor and dirty. So why is it good news for us that God chose the less-respected when he revealed the saviour of the world?
Like Mary the mother of Jesus, God calls each one of us for a purpose. Will we, like Mary, believe Him for it? Will we, like Mary, begin to live out that calling, anticipating it’s fulfilment in the future? And will we, like Mary, stick to it through the uncertain times ahead and celebrate the victories along the way? Mary shows us the way of faith, and invites us to join her on the journey.
John the Baptist told people to prepare the way for Jesus, but what does that mean for us today? How can we prepare for Jesus in our lives?
Christmas is a busy time of year with so much to pack in - shopping, cooking, visiting family, possibly even going to Church. But Christmas is about so much more. Christmas is about an adventure - the greatest adventure on Earth. Hear Pads Dolphin describe this adventure during our 2012 Carol Service.
In our second service of Advent, Pads Dolphin looks at how we can be preparing for Jesus' return through living out the gospel in the world around us.
Steve Rudman looks at Paul's letter to the Romans and his instructions to love oneanother. How can we, as a church, show love to oneanother? Why is it so important?
As the seasons of Advent begins, we look at what the Bible says about the return of King Jesus, and what that means for us.
When Jesus was on Earth he bought sight to the blind. But he didn't stop there. Jesus still brings sight to the blind today - even those who don't know that they are blind. Chris Everett speaks about his personal experience of Jesus opening his eyes to see him and how that has transformed his life forever.
In an uncertain world, the Bible tells us that we can have strength and hope by trusting in Jesus. But what does that actually mean? How can we do that? Indeed, how can we help each other do that?
On this Remebrance Sunday, Pads Dolphin reflects the sacrifices made by those before us to secure our safety and life. But not only do we look at the Armed Forces, but also stories of sacrifice for the sake of wider good throughout the Bible, from Jonah, to the disciples and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of himself for our eternal safety and life.
When Jesus invited himself for lunch at house of the local hate-figure and chief tax collector Zacchaeus, he caused an uproar amongst the religious establishment. How could Jesus, a so-called holy man, be seen with such a sinner? Jesus' preference for the down-and-outs and spiritually unrefined might be surprising, but it's true and brings with it great hope for us all today.
We all know that reading the Bible is a good thing to do. The Bible tells us that it is God's 'breathed' word, that it has purpose and that purpose is to make us 'wise for our savlation in Jesus Christ'. The Pharisees knew their Bible inside out and yet Jesus finds them lacking - why? They had missed the point - they had missed that the whole Bible is a testimony to who Jesus is and what that means for us. Come and find out for yourself what the Pharisees needed to hear.
When a rich young man, with a seemingly clean sheet of keeping the 10 commandments, came to Jesus to ask what he must do to gain eternal life, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said that he should sell everything he had, give the proceeds to the poor and put his trust and security in God rather than in money.
What are the things that we put before God? Where do we put our trust and security? What are the areas of our lives that we need to give over to God, so that our trust in security is in Him instea
Why does God heal sometimes and not others? Is it possible that healing is happening without our realising? James Sparrow, of The Mission, Southcote, speaks from personal experience on healing, and Paul's 'Thorn in the flesh'.
The Bible tells us that God has filled this world with good things but we know from experience that something of his creation seems to have gone a bit wrong. How do we take care of this world while coping with the pressures on our more immediate lives? Wh
Looking at children can tell you a lot about their parents, so what can we learn about God by looking at Jesus?
Looking at Jesus' healing of the paralysed man, we find a God who cares more about what's going on inside than out, who doesn't need to be told anything because he knows where we are at and what's going on in our lives already.
When Matthew decided to take up Jesus' call to follow him it changed his life forever. Indeed, that decision still impacts millions of lives 2,000 years later. So what can we learn from Matthew's decision to follow Jesus? What was involved in his leaving behind his position and influence as a tax collector to follow Jesus? What is involved in our following Jesus? And how come Jesus chose a wretched, outcast traitor-of-the-Jews tax collector to be a part of his inner circle in the first place?
Why is Jesus' command not to judge others really so important? How can we apply that in a church context where different preferences for worship may exist? And what about outsiders? Chris Everett explores these potentially life changing issues.
Do we realise what power the tongue has? How can we in one breath praise God with our tongues and in the next curse a man made in the image of God? How can we use our tongues to spread the good news of Jesus?