Category Archives: Sermon Notes

Mark 10:46-52 – An unlikely candidate (sermon notes)

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Text: Mark 10:46-52

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.  There he would suffer many things.   He must be killed and after three days rise again.  But what of the people travelling with him, and those he meets on the way?

In 10:13-16 the disciples rebuked those who brought little children to Jesus, but he said, “Let them come to me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

In 10:17-31 a wealthy young man asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” …

Psa 32 – Forgiven! – sermon notes

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Text: Psalm 32

Happiness is ‘…an unexpected piece of chocolate’, ‘…Friday’; ‘…being married to your best friend’.

Here is the biblical answer.

1. Problem confronted, 3-5

‘Don’t be negative’.  ‘I know I’m not perfect’.  ‘Don’t go to church to be told I’m a sinner, I go to to be comforted, to be uplifted’.

Synonyms: rebellion, wandering away, twistedness.

How ridiculous to think that we can hide our sin from the all-seeing eye of God.  Yet ever since the days of Adam and Eve people have been trying to do precisely that.…

Daniel 9 – Lord of the future – sermon notes

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When I was just a little girl,
I asked my mother, ‘What will I be?’
‘Will I be pretty, will I be rich?’
Here’s what she said to me:

Compare:-

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.…

Gen 21:8-21 – Hagar and Ishmael: does God really care? – sermon notes

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God had made a promise to Abraham, and part of that promise was the Abraham would have a son who would carry on the family line.  He and Sarah waited a long time, but the promised son didn’t arrive, and they were getting old.  So Sarah said to Abraham: “Why don’t we take my maid-servant Hagar, and try for a baby with her?”  So Abraham did, and along came Ishmael.  So it seemed that Ishmael would be the promised son.  …

Genesis 3:15 – The serpent and the seed – sermon notes

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In the idyllic setting of ch 2, there had been just one prohibition, v16f.

3:1 – there is an enemy in the garden.  The serpent exaggerates the prohibition, minimises the threat of punishment, and tempts the woman, “Go on – have some”.  And she takes it and eats it.

Meanwhile, the man has been watching and listening.  The woman offers him some of the forbidden fruit, and he too takes and eats.

Before they can wipe the juice from their mouths, they know themselves to be sinners. …

1 Tim 4:9-16 – What kind of church do we want to be? – sermon notes

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[Note: this sermon was preached the Sunday after the appalling killings carried out by ‘Islamic State’ in Paris on Friday 13th November, 2015.  Hence the introductory comment.]

There was ‘a moment of relative calm’ in Paris yesterday afternoon as Davide Martello played his piano outside the concert hall where dozens of people had been killed just a few hours earlier.  The song?  John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ – ‘Imagine there’s nothing to kill or die for.  And no religion too.’…

Phil 2:19-30 – Best supporting act – sermon notes

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Text – Philippians 2:19-30

When the BAFTAs and the Oscars are held, there are awards for best film, best director, best screenplay, best music, best costume design, best make-up and hair, best leading actor and actress, best grip, best best boy, and, of course, best supporting act.

As Christians, we are used to speaking in glowing terms of heroes of the faith such as Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Billy Graham.  But we’re here tonight to consider two nominations for ‘best supporting act’. …

Mark 6 – Walking on water – sermon notes

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Easy to trivialise: spoof job descriptions clergy and church secretary; JCSS: ‘Prove to me that you’re no fool/walk across my swimming pool’; Paul Daniels.  But it has all the signs of an eyewitness account of a very real and altogether alarming experience.

V45 – urgent separation.  Why? Jn 6:15 – ‘Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.’

He caused their crisis.  But why was it such a crisis?…

Mark 6:30-44 – Feeding five thousand – sermon notes

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Two banquets.

Disciples return, excited but exhausted.  They need to rest and recuperate, but the crowd chases after them.

1. His wonderful compassion, v32-34

‘…because they were like sheep without a shepherd.’

They had leaders a-plenty – Herod, and the priests and the scribes.  They could boast a magnificent temple, a large income, thronging congregations.  But they were not doing their job.

Moses and Joshua were often referred to as ‘shepherds’ because they led the people not only to safety, but to victory. …

Isa 1 – The overture – sermon notes

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She looks as if she has been the victim of a vicious mugging.  She has been beaten within an inch of her life.  Her body is covered with terrible wounds, but they are uncared-for, untended.  Her condition is deteriorating.  She needs help, quickly.  And yet her pain and misery are self-inflicted.  She’s brought it upon herself, and she’s doing nothing to put a stop to it.

That’s the picture that is drawn for us in Isa 1:5f. …