Category Archives: Sermon Notes

Mt 5:17-48 – Kingdom righteousness – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The Sermon on the Mount is the most comprehensive and systematically arranged collection of Jesus’ teaching to have been passed down to us.  It is also the most celebrated piece of public speaking of all time.  Phrases and sayings from this sermon have become part of everyday speech for countless numbers of people, even though they may never have stepped inside a church or opened up a Bible: “Blessed are the meek” – “You are the salt of the earth” – “Casting pearls before swine” – “Turning the other cheek”, and so on.…

Acts 27 – Plain sailing – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Which place in the world would you most like to visit?

Paul had longed to visit Rome.  Two years earlier, the Lord had appeared to him and said, “Don’t worry! Just as you have told others about me in Jerusalem, you must also tell about me in Rome.”  Now, after waiting all that time under house-arrest in Caesarea, Paul is about embark on his journey of a life-time.

1When it was time for us to sail to Rome, Julius, a centurian from the Emperor’s special troops was put in charge of Paul and the other prisoners.…

1 Pet 1:1-12 – A living hope – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

‘My dearest sister, I offer you no consolation, for I know of none. There are things which each must bear as best he may with the strength that has been allotted to him.’  (Aldous Huxley, writing to his sister on the death of their mother.)

‘There is a darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within.  There is no splendour, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment and then, nothing.’ (Bertrand Russell)

What a terrible thing it must be to face death without hope.…

 Joshua 5:12-6:27 – Totally devoted – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The Israelites have been camped out on the eastern side of the river Jordan.  Now, things have moved on:-

*they have crossed the Jordan, and entered the Promised Land ch 3.
*as a memorial to this momentous event, they have set up at Gilgal a stone memorial, ch 4
*the males have been circumcised at Gilgal, ch 5.

Now we reach 5:13-6, and the account of the conquest of Jericho.  I wonder how Joshua and the Israelites must have felt as they faced the prospect of attacking this city, with its seemingly impregnable walls, its fast-shut gates, and its fighting men inside? …

Josh 24 – Future perfect – a sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Anyone who is a parent can remember the time when they set out with the family on a long car journey.  You have travelled no more than five minutes, when a little voice starts singing out from the back of the car, “Are we nearly there?”

In the earlier chapters of the Book of Joshua we have seen the Israelites camped over on the east of the river Jordan.  We have watched them send spies into Jericho, and we have observed Rahab and her family being rescued from the destruction that was to befall the city of Jericho. …

Col 3:18-4:1 – ‘Wives, Children, Slaves…’ – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Well, it’s not looking too good for wives, children and slaves, is it? Nor is it looking too good for the preacher who’s got to try to explain all this.

So I decided I needed a bit of extra help from the bloke who wrote this stuff:-

Dear Paul. We’re studying your letter to the Colossians at our church, and we’ve reached 3:18-4:1 – the bit about wives, children and slaves. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?…

Ex 20:16; Deut 5:20 – ‘Words can never hurt me…?’ – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The Ninth Commandment – You shall not give false witness against your neighbour

Texts: Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But words can never hurt me.

So runs the well-known rhyme.  But the truth is:

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But words can break my heart.

“Careless talk costs lives.”

“No physician can heal the wounds of the tongue.”

“The tongue has the power of life and death.”…

Psa 100 – Thanksgiving – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Our everyday lives are saturated with ‘thankyous’. Thankyou for opening that door for me. Thankyou for making that cup of tea. Thankyou for returning the mobile phone that I left in your taxi. Thankyou for helping me mend my bike. Thankyou for being patient with me. Thankyou for being you. Thankyou for thanking me.

But it is our God who is the source of every good and perfect gift, and it is therefore to our God that we owe our biggest debt of thanksgiving.…

Col 1:1-14 – Beginning and continuing with Christ – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Paul’s letter to the Colossians is an absolute treasure. For warm, practical, joyful, Christ-centred, Christ-honouring teaching there is nothing quite like it.

The small city of Colossae was situated in the Lycus valley in modern-day Turkey. Paul had never been to Colossae. However, he had evangelised other cities in the valley, such as Ephesus. Among his converts had been a man named Epaphras, and it was he who had taken the gospel back to his home town of Colossae and founded the church there.…

Isa 9:6 – Everlasting Father – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The relationship between the OT and NT is that of promise and fulfilment.  See Mt 1:22; 2:5, 17, 23, 3:3; 4:14.

Here is one of the most celebrated of the Messianic prophecies.

‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’  The third of these is, perhaps, the most puzzling. …