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

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

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

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 – Apostles Creed: Fully God. Fully Man.

Read the text – Hebrews 2:1-18

For thousands of years Christians have said the words of the Apostles Creed together. In this talk Howard Whitehouse looks at the line in the creed which states ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, Our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary’ and focuses on the beautiful and complex nature of Jesus Christ being fully God and fully Man. This is a rich treatment and needs close attention to several Bible passage – and you will see Howard cover many of them in this talk.

Sermon – Comfort, my people

 

In this final sermon at Trinity City, Chris Jolliffe shows from Isaiah chapter 40 the extent of God’s comfort to his people, with forgiveness of sin through Jesus’ death.
Then we are shown more of God’s wonderful promises in Isaiah and reminded of God’s sovereign power and faithfulness – our God will keep every one of his promises. One of which is that our God will come (as Jesus) in power to save and bring peace and that he will also be our perfect shepherd, caring and loving.
Next Chris looks to the second part of Isaiah 40 to remind us that God knows our weaknesses, that we so easily doubt him. So we consider this series of rhetorical questions that point to God’s sovereignty and power; so that we can be fully confident that he does keep his promises, to save and ultimately to take us to be with him for ever.

Watch the Sermon

Listen to the Sermon

Read the Bible texts: Isaiah 40

Sermon Transcript

English Support Handout