Sermon – Kingdom Coming: Moving Mountains (Matthew 17:14-27)

For the fifth and last time in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus speaks of what ‘little faith’ might look like – and he offers yet another description of what will happen to him as he heads into Jerusalem where he will be delivered into the hands of opposing men, killed, and then on the third day rise.

In these Bible talks both John Lavender and Ken Noakes look at what faith in the life of a believer might look like – it is not about the quantity of faith (as if that could be measured), but about the genuineness of faith in Jesus.

Preacher: John Lavender

Read the text – Matthew 17:14-27

Preacher: Ken D Noakes

Outline for this Talk Download

Sermon – Kingdom Coming: Sign Language (Matthew 15:29-16:12)

Read the text – Matthew 15:29-16:12

How do we read the signs today? Are we willing to see, hear and respond – especially when it is for our own good? In this Bible Talk, Gary Haddon, looks at how Jesus shows who he is in a most extraordinary way (the feeding of the four thousand). Yet those who saw, still questioned. The Pharisees and Sadducees asked for a sign! The disciples wondered! So Jesus helped them to see.

Sermon – Kingdom Coming: Clean & Unclean (Matthew 15:1-28)

Read the text – Matthew 15:1-28

In Matthew 15 we see Jesus interacting with a few different groups of people – the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the crowds, the disciples and a Canaanite woman – quite a demographic spectrum! The role of traditions verse the role of the Word of God comes into focus as Jesus shows them what it means to truly be a person of faith in Jesus.

In this Bible Talk, Dave Swan helps us check our heart – for what comes out of a person either shows a hypocrisy or a faith that honours Jesus.

Sermon – Adoption and Fellowship (1 John 2:28-3:10)

Read the text – 1 John 2:28-3:10

Central to fellowship with God the Father is acknowledging his son and in turn living as a child of God. This talk is about confidence in the Christian faith – confidence that comes from being adopted as a child of God and experienced in the new birth that the Christian person enjoys.

In this talk Ken Noakes describes the process of moving towards a confident faith. And also, the process that person may go through in moving away from a confident faith.

Talk Outline Download

Sermon – The Foolishness of Living for Now (1 Corinthians 15:12-34)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

The Corinthians live for the ‘now’ as they deny the resurrection, so they have always focused on looking good now, but the Apostle Paul shows how foolish this is. Paul shows instead that our glory comes through weakness, just as life comes through death, so his ministry is marked by weakness and death. As Paul commands in 1 Corinthians 15:33-34, Christians we must be careful of being led astray by those who would have us focus on living for now.

In this talk Dave Swan, wants to help the listener fix their eyes on eternity. To have a life shaped by the resurrection, so that you don’t live for the now, but for eternity, and so that you can take steps to encourage others to live for eternity as well.

Sermon – A Confounded World: Jesus’ Goodness (Matthew 9:18-34)

Read the text – Matthew 9:18-34

Whilst Jesus appears to have the power to do anything, he uses it to demonstrate his compassion on all who come (regardless of their station in life) – and the outcome: faith. In this talk, Dave Swan, considers how Jesus shows his goodness and compassion to those who had faith during his time on earth, and they were healed. Just like those who met Jesus during his time as a man, everyone should also put their faith in him and trust his goodness. Not everyone does.

Sermon – A Confounded World: Jesus’ Authenticity (Matthew 8:18-34)

Read the text – Matthew 8:18-34

Jesus is confounding. Reading through the Gospel of Matthew, we see Jesus do some extraordinary things and the result is that some follow and some turn their backs on him. That is not so different from today. We often expect the extraordinary before we allow ourselves to believe something. As such we settle for the normal and mundane, all the while wishing for the extraordinary. Jesus came into the normal and mundane, but he did that which was extraordinary. He does what we hope by doing what we find hard to believe! How confounding.

In this Bible Talk, Nick Lindeback looks at the chaos of life and shows us how Jesus holds the power over chaos. If you know Jesus is in control, then you can live in faith rather than fear. Are you willing to rest in this storm, and are you willing to trust him when the chaos of this life overwhelms you?

Bible Talk Outline Download

Sermon – A Confounded World: Jesus’ Authority (Matthew 8:1-17)

Read the text – Matthew 8:1-17

In this Bible Talk, Dave Swan looks at the unparalleled authority which Jesus demonstrated – his ability to heal a man with leprosy, the servant of the a Roman centurion, Peter’s mother-in-law, those who were demon possessed – all people who suffered because of their circumstance, but also because of there status as outcasts under Jewish law. He heals, and in doing so he fulfils what the prophet Isaiah said the Messiah would do.

This should encourage us to examine our faith in Jesus, by looking at how an encounter with Jesus shaped the belief of others.

Sermon – Stand Firm: Soldier On! (1 Thess. 4:1-18)

In Thessalonica, the church is being battered and bruised… how should they respond? Paul writes 1 and 2 Thessalonians to encourage the church to stand firm in the good news of Jesus. Today, the world remains full of uncertainties and hostile to the presence of the church. What can we learn? We can be challenged to likewise stand firm as we await Jesus’ return.

This sermon encourages us to continue on in our faith. As Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to live in a way that first and foremost pleases God and not the worldly and sexually immoral people around them, we too must live a holy life, filled not with idleness but humble service, with the hope that all believers will rise when Christ returns.

Sermon Outline – Stand Firm: Soldier On!Download

Read the text – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

Sermon – Stand Firm: Faith & Love in the Mess (1 Thess. 3:1-13)

This sermon emphasises the importance of faith and love in the mess of the world – COVID or not. Christian encouragement really matters, where standing firm in your faith is one of the greatest encouragements. Prayer is also our first and last resort – this should not be forgotten in a world of suffering!

Sermon Outline – Stand Firm: Faith & Love in the Mess Download

Read the text – 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13