Category Archives: 19 Psalms

Sermon Series – Distress and Hope

Purpose of the Series is to encourage our church family: We can have deep and abiding hope in the Lord Jesus even in the midst of the distress, uncertainty and unjust circumstances which are often associated with Mental Health.

Distress and Hope – Bible Studies – Participants
Distress and Hope – Bible Studies – Leaders Notes

Sermon 1: Image Bearers
Read the text: Psalm 8, Hebrews 2:5-18

In this first sermon, Ken Noakes looks at the central theme of who we are: We are creatures of dust, made in the image of God, for relationship. We are integrated, whole and beloved children of God, no matter how dark the valley is we are passing through.

Sermon 1 Notes
Distress and Hope – Sermon 1 – NotesDownload

Sermon 2: Presence
Read the text: Psalm 139, Hebrews 4:14-5:10

In the second sermon of this series, Ken Noakes and Julie Haddon explore the reality of God’s presence in every circumstance in our lives. They explain that God know each of us deeply, and empathises with us, thanks to what Jesus did in becoming human and experiencing life here on earth, including suffering. Where the circumstances of our lives and emotions can shift, God is constant.

Sermon 2 Notes
Distress and Hope – Sermon 2 – Notes.Download

Sermon 3: Lament
Read the text: Psalm 42, Matthew 26:36-46

In the third sermon of this series, Ken Noakes and Olivia Bush look at what the Bible says about lament. Is it OK to be in a mess when we come to God? How can we express our deepest distress to God? We have, in Jesus, both a mediator and a model of how we can approach God when everything in our lives is falling apart.

Sermon 3 Notes
Distress and Hope – Sermon 3 – NotesDownload

Sermon 4: Family
Read the text: Psalm 133, Romans 12:1-21

In the fourth sermon of this series, Ken Noakes and Julie Haddon explore the role our church family can play in helping and supporting one another through difficult times, particularly in regards to mental health. We each have a pastoral role to play, and we all need support when contacting the mental health services available to us.

Sermon 4 – Notes
Distress and Hope – Sermon 4 – NotesDownload

Sermon 5: Hope
Read the text: Psalm 17, Revelation 21:1-7

Sermon 5 Notes
Distress and Hope – Sermon 5 – NotesDownload

LMAP Women’s Retreat 2025

“The Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

The three speakers for our Women’s Retreat, Kezia Barnes, Tamara Lindeback and Linda Oakley, take us through how we find the Joy of the Lord in His character, in our salvation and in our Christian fellowship. 

Download the booklet (PDF)

Talk 1 – Joy in God’s Character (Kezia Barnes)

Read the text – Psalm 33

Talk 2 – Joy in Salvation (Tamara Lindeback)

Read the text – Titus 3:5-7, John 15:3-16, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 51:12-13, 1 Thess 5:16-18

Talk 3 – The Joy of the Lord in Christian Fellowship (Linda Oakley)

Read the text – Matthew 18:20, Nehemiah 8:10, Isaiah 40:31, 1 Corinthians 12:12-20, Galatians 6:2, Revelation 7:9, Romans 15:1-2, Galatians 5:24-26, Romans 15:13

Sermon – God & Life: Limitations in Life

Read the text – Psalm 139; John 9:1-34

God shapes life. Disability is a normal and good part of God’s creation and whilst that may mean there are limitations placed upon a person (including their reliance on others), Christians should embrace the God’s gift of each person.

In this talk, Ken Noakes opens a discussion about how Christians can think about disability in our fallen world now and suggests a different approach to thinking about disability in our coming perfect world. This will create discussion – agree or disagree – let’s together recognize that we can take steps now to care well for those who live with disabilities as we all wait for heaven.

Talk OutlineDownload

Sermon – God & Life: Start of Life

Read the text – Psalm 139; Luke 1:39-45

Audio Recording

God gives Life. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God – and we need to make choices to protect the sanctity of life (mother and child) even in hard or unwanted circumstances.

In this talk, Ken Noakes looks at the wonderful, sometimes difficult, and always emotive topic of start of life matters with particular reference to decisions about medical termination (abortion).

The approach here is pastoral as the Christian response should always be one of embrace and comfort as we draw towards both mother and child in Christian faith.

Talk OutlineDownload

Sermon – God & Life: Made in God’s Image

Read the text – Psalm 139; Genesis 1:26-2:4; Colossians 1:15-23; Revelation 21:1-4

We see ourselves as choosing individuals. Our strength is measured by our ability to stand on our own two feet and make decisions (we value agency). And we live in a society which views the autonomy of the individual as sacrosanct and defining, and that any challenge to that autonomy is regarded as a threat (we value choice). In addition, we live in a consumer culture, which tells us that we deserve to have whatever it is we want (we value entitlement). Yet, Christians hold to the biblical view that God makes men and women in his image. He gives life, shapes life, and takes life – and we experience that life both individually and collectively.

This ‘God & Life’ series looks at some of those key and ethical life matters where we, as choosing individuals, are now able to make decisions that will impact our life or another’s life: Abortion, Disability, Euthanasia (to pick three examples).

In this first talk, Ken Noakes sets the scene which help us think theologically about life matters over the next three talks. The purpose: to start a conversation – how can we value humanity as created by God and so in our care for ourselves and others, how do we think Christianly?

Talk OutlineDownload

Sermon – Listening and Speaking to God: Bible – Truthfulness & Sufficiency (Psalm 119:145-176)

Read the text – Psalm 119.145-176

In the sermon series, ‘Listening to God’, Lower Mountains Anglican Church has explored the ambiguous points of the bible in Christian faith, including the authority of the Word, its historical reliability and its clarity of message. In this final sermon, Ken Noakes will talk on the Bible’s sufficiency in providing us God’s truth and guidance.