Category Archives: Sermon Notes

Jn 4:42-54 – Weak faith meets strong Saviour – sermon notes

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It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: your child at death’s door.

There is a spark of faith; a tiny seed.  And see what happens as this tiny seed engages with a mighty Saviour.  Watch as it grows, flowers, and brings forth fruit.

(a) He comes, v47.  He has heard that Jesus has been doing amazing things.  He is in desperate need.  So he comes.  17 miles.  ‘Faith is the foot that runs to Christ, the hand that takes Christ, the eye that sees him.’…

Gifts

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I guess that for most of us, Christmas and birthday are among the most exciting times of the year, because of the gifts we receive.  Have you noticed that the gifts we get the most pleasure from are often not the most costly ones?  What parent has not spent quite a lot of money on some marvelous new toy, only for the child to get hours of enjoyment from playing with the box the toy came in!…

James 1:2f ‘Consider it pure joy’ – really?

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[Notes of a talk given at the Service of Thanksgiving for God’s goodness during the recent illness and ongoing recovery of Sarah Mason.  Holy Trinity Norwich, at 2pm on Saturday 8th July 2023]

‘Consider it pure joy’ – Really?

James 1:2f – ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.’

Or as a well-known saying puts it:

‘God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.’…

Psa 28 – From fear to faith – sermon notes

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Text: Psalm 28

Wouldn’t it be great if

  • the Christian life was easy and simple?
  • bad things only happened to bad people, and good things only to good people?
  • when in trouble, we could ask God, and he would sort it out, there and then?

We don’t know what David’s problem was, exactly.  But it was serious and persistent.

Just like some of the problems faced by Christians today:

  • Teenager struggling with depression or anxiety
  • Student surrounded by those who are indifferent or hostile to Christian faith
  • A young Christian with a heart for youth work encounters nothing but setback and disappointment
  • Adult who has had to flee their home country because of bitter persecution
  • Husband, wife, parent, child, who has been praying long and hard for a close family member
  • Middle-aged person with longstanding bad habit or addiction.
…

Heb 6:9-12 – Keep on keeping on – sermon notes

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[A short talk, delivered at a mid-week prayer meeting.]

Hebrews 6:9-12

In her first Christmas broadcast as Queen in 1952, Her Majesty asked people to pray for her: ‘Pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve him and you all the days of my life.’

The heartfelt desire of the writer to the Hebrews is that his readers may faithfully serve God and one another all the days of their lives.…

1 Cor 8 – Puffed up, or built up? – sermon notes

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1 Corinthians 8 – Puffed up, or built up?

Eating food that has been sacrificed to idols doesn’t seem very relevant to us today.

But behind that presenting problem are a number of ever-relevant underlying issues.

First – a bit of background.

Corinth – a temple on every corner, a god for every occasion.

Marriages, birthdays, funerals, banquets and public festivals were preceded by the sacrificing of food to the gods in order to gain their favour and protection.…

Jn 21:1-25 – “Do you love me?” – sermon notes

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John 21:1-25

(Notes of a sermon preached a number of years ago, revised and re-preached recently.)

The dentist had just finished fitting the bishop out with a complete set of new teeth.  As soon as the dentist had finished, the bishop went over to a mirror.  And as he looked at himself and inspected his mouthful of fine teeth, he said, “Jesus Christ.”  And again: “Jesus Christ.”  The dentist was surprised to hear such profane language coming from a man of the cloth. …

Jn 17:24 – What Jesus wants (sermon notes)

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John 17:24 – “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

A long time ago, a young man finished an evening meal with his friends, spoke to them about various things, then looked up to the sky, and prayed.  He prayed for himself, for his little band of friends, and for all those future generations who would come after them.…