"Beloved!" So starts this reading and Helen has explored what it means for us to be beloved.
2024-04-28_i_am_beloved_of_god.pdf |
Preacher: Helen Hardcastle [Text: 1 John 4:7-21]
"Beloved!" So starts this reading and Helen has explored what it means for us to be beloved.
Preacher: Peter Lloyd [Text: John 10:11-18]
Peter opens up for us the consequence for Jesus of being the good shepherd - both acceptance and utter rejection. He also notes that Jesus says in this passage that he has the power to take up his life again after being killed. It is fashionable to dismiss the resurrection of Jesus. But Peter explores for us the fact that the gospel accounts are extremely early accounts which means that there was not time for legend or myth to develop. These are eye-witness accounts.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Luke 24:36-48; Acts 3:12-20]
We continue in this Easter season with the eyewitness accounts reported by Luke. When Jesus had appeared to his disciples and proven that he was alive and solid, he told them that they were witnesses of his death and resurrection. In Peter's preaching, he repeatedly said, "We are witnesses." All of us are called to be witnesses - to tell of our experiences of God. We don't need to expert evangelists to do that - just say what your experience was.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: John 20:19-31 ; 1 John 1:1-2:2] This second Sunday in Easter, we continue with eye-witness testimony. This week, John's account of the evening of the day of Jesus' resurrection and a week later. He also gave us his reflection on knowing the divine-man who is in himself Eternal Life.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11]
Today we hear three Apostles all testifying to the resurrection. John, Peter and Paul all have their evidence to offer that Jesus Christ died and rose again to eternal life.
Preacher: Helen Hardcastle [Texts: Ps 118:1-2, 19-29; John 12:12-16]
Zechariah prophesed that the Messiah would be righteous and victorious yet humble. Helen explores these attributes seen in Jesus on the road into Jerusalem. Then there are three challenges: Have we found who we are and who our Father is? Do we know our mission? How are we responding to the attractions of worldly pleasures and human passions?
Preacher: Peter Lloyd [Text: John 12:20-33]
"See we would see Jesus." That was the request of some Greeks. What followed shows us three aspects of our Lord's character: That he is Lord; through him all the world will be blessed; the great cost he bore to this end.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Gospel:John 3:14-21]
"For God so loved the world." If those words are true, it changes everything. If they're not true, the world without God's love is a dark place - no hope, no future, nothing to live for.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Tests John 2:13-22; Leviticus 14:33–53]
The gospel reading is John's record of the cleansing of the temple. Two questions arise: How does this relate to the Synoptic gospels' cleansing of the Temple at the end of Christ's ministry? Besides the usual ideas, here is a fresh approach which draws on Old Testament law about contagion in buildings. The second question to explore Christ's identifying himself as the true temple.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts Ezekiel 36:22-28 ; Romans 6:1-5 ; Matthew 28:16-20]
As we baptised Lucas today, Ian looked at the meaning of baptism.
Preachers: Jonathan & Michele Pound
Two years ago we met these two as they were preparing to obey the Lord's call to go to South Sudan. Today we hear about their life and work on the mission field.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: 2 Kings 5:1-14; 1 Corinthians 9:16-27; Mark 1:40-45]
We explore God's willingness to heal. At the same time these three scriptures show us a brave slave girl who was willing to take the risk of telling her master how he might be healed, a leper who had faith to ask for healing but then did not obey Jesus, and Paul who disciplines himself to obey God's call on his life.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Text: Isaiah 40:21-31]
Two themes stand out from this text: the immense and almighty power of God and his strength for those who hope in him.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Texts: Mark 1:21-28]
As Jesus teaches in Capernaum, the people are amazed at his authority - both in his teaching and in delivering a man from a demon. As we continue with the gospel, we find he delegates authority to the apostles, the disciples and to their followers - to us. In Prayer Ministry we use the delegated authority which Jesus has given us.
Preacher: Anne Aspden [Text: Jonah 3:1-5,10, 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31, Mark 1:14-20
Today, Rev. Anne Aspden reflected on the Old Testament story of Jonah and the Gospel account of Jesus calling fishermen to follow him. In the Gospel, Jesus calls fishermen to discipleship, emphasising the need for a positive response to God's kingdom. Anne encouraged us to reflect on our own responsiveness to God's call, stressing the transformative journey of aligning one's life with God's will and embracing discipleship with an open heart.
Preacher: Ian Hardcastle [Text: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20]
In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul deals with sexual immorality and the spiritual ties we have with the Holy Spirit and which are established through sexual activity. We are temples of the Holy Spirit and we are to be clean vessels for the Lord to use. This concept of spiritual ties is clearly established here by Paul. There are also bonds formed between parents and children, by oath, in fellowship, by authority and submission. In ministry we sometimes need to set people free of such soul ties. Ian explains these principles and the process of bringing oursleves or other people to freedom.
Preacher: Warren Watson [Text: Mark 1:4-11]
Warren draws from the account of the baptism of Jesus, four benefits which we also receive in our baptism.
Preacher: Rev Warren Watson [ Text: Luke 2:22-40]
Warren ponders the value of resolutions and what we can learn from Jesus example.
Preacher: Helen Hardcastle [Texts: Isaiah 9:2-9; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14]
Preacher: Peter Lloyd [Texts: 2 Samuel 7:1-11,16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38]
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