Past Preaching Programme

Galatians 5 contains Paul’s famous list of nine characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Rather than being a list from which we can select particular ones that ‘are us’, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit is about seeking to develop all of these characteristics so that we become more like Jesus. During this series we will look at each of these virtues in turn and consider practical ways in which we could demonstrate them more fully within both our daily lives and our life as a church.

Galatians 5 contains Paul’s famous list of nine characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Rather than being a list from which we can select particular ones that ‘are us’, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit is about seeking to develop all of these characteristics so that we become more like Jesus. During this series we will look at each of these virtues in turn and consider practical ways in which we could demonstrate them more fully within both our daily lives and our life as a church.

King David is one of the most famous characters in the Bible with stories such as his battle with Goliath regularly used as examples of the power of his faith and trust in God. Alongside its more inspiring sections, however, the story of David is full of plenty that perplexes us in the actions of 'the man after God's own heart'. In this series we will try to approach all of this material head on and seek to understand more of how all of the elements in the story of King David - the good, the bad and ugly - form a vital part of preparing the way for the coming of 'the Son of David' in Jesus Christ. 

King David is one of the most famous characters in the Bible with stories such as his battle with Goliath regularly used as examples of the power of his faith and trust in God. Alongside its more inspiring sections, however, the story of David is full of plenty that perplexes us in the actions of 'the man after God's own heart'. In this series we will try to approach all of this material head on and seek to understand more of how all of the elements in the story of King David - the good, the bad and ugly - form a vital part of preparing the way for the coming of 'the Son of David' in Jesus Christ. 

Waiting for things is not a very popular notion today. It is, however, a concept that stands at the heart of the Christian faith and one particularly associated with Advent. During Advent, we wait not only for Christmas but for Jesus' promised return to earth. We can be helped to do the latter better by reflecting upon the ways that the Patriarchs, Moses, David and the Prophets and finally John the Baptist all looked forward to the first coming of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. 

Waiting for things is not a very popular notion today. It is, however, a concept that stands at the heart of the Christian faith and one particularly associated with Advent. During Advent, we wait not only for Christmas but for Jesus' promised return to earth. We can be helped to do the latter better by reflecting upon the ways that the Patriarchs, Moses, David and the Prophets and finally John the Baptist all looked forward to the first coming of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. 

There are a number of parts of church life with which we are so familiar that we can often stop looking for fresh thoughts about them. Our calling as Christians, however, is to constantly search the Scriptures for those things that God would have us understand better. During this short series we will therefore look for fresh insights from the Bible on the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion and also our annual service of Remembrance for those who have perished in war. 

There are a number of parts of church life with which we are so familiar that we can often stop looking for fresh thoughts about them. Our calling as Christians, however, is to constantly search the Scriptures for those things that God would have us understand better. During this short series we will therefore look for fresh insights from the Bible on the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion and also our annual service of Remembrance for those who have perished in war. 

The Bible uses a number of pictures and images to describe the church. Each of these provide us with different insights into its nature and purpose. Evangelical churches like Christ Church have sometimes been accused of having a rather low ecclesiology (theology of the church) and failing to recognise the importance that the Bible gives to it. As we start up our regular morning services again and relaunch Christ Church, it is therefore a good time to reconsider the nature of what church is meant to be and how we can respond to this calling and challenge.

The Bible uses a number of pictures and images to describe the church. Each of these provide us with different insights into its nature and purpose. Evangelical churches like Christ Church have sometimes been accused of having a rather low ecclesiology (theology of the church) and failing to recognise the importance that the Bible gives to it. As we start up our regular morning services again and relaunch Christ Church, it is therefore a good time to reconsider the nature of what church is meant to be and how we can respond to this calling and challenge.

Justice, Love, Spirituality, Beauty, Freedom, Truth and Power. These are ideals that we all strive for, yet so often we find ourselves falling short. Why is that?

Inspired by Tom Wright's 2020 book, we will be looking to the Gospel of John to help us to see, not only why we strive for these ideals, but also why we so often experience them as broken. In doing so, we hope to find how Christianity provides us with the vision and resources for mending these signposts, giving us a clear and compelling explanation of the world, and of our role and responsibility within it.

What if Jesus words were never intended to fit into your existing lifestyle? What if they were meant to change everything? What if Jesus really meant the things that he said? What might our response to His teaching look like? If he meant what he said how might his words affect our relationships, investments, speech, perspectives, politics, shopping, and every other aspect of life? What does it really mean to be a Disciple?

There are multiple accounts of Jesus’ resurrection appearances in the New Testament, with each one a unique and significant event. This short series looks at three of those events and explore what was special about each occasion: on the 'dusty road' to Emmaus, His appearances to the disciples 'behind locked doors' and beside the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Climate change caused by our carbon emissions is threatening our planet as never before. It affects us all, but particularly the poorest people in the world. As Christians we believe we have a God-given responsibility to care for God’s creation.

During this sermon series we will be exploring the theological basis for our relationship with the natural world, and Christian belief regarding its future. With a different theme being launched in the sermons each week, combined with the daily challenges during Lent, we hope to reduce our carbon footprint as individuals and as a church.

During this Carbon Fast we can examine and reshape our daily patterns of life, our spending habits and our travel choices and help preserve God’s creation for future generations.

As we begin a new year entering another lockdown, we look forward to a time, hopefully later this year, when Christ Church is fully restored.

As part of this hope, the talks in our services up to Lent will focus upon how we can 'Build Back Better' in 2021 as we think about what sort of community life we will return to.

At Christ Church, the month of August is usually marked by the return of an incredibly moving and powerful sermon series called 'Why I'm a Christian', which invites members of Christ Church to share their stories, and explain what their faith means to them, and how it has made a difference in their lives. This year, we're putting a new spin on an old classic, as some of the members of our staff team reflect on their faith journeys, as part of a series of talks entitled 'Why I'm still a Christian'.

As we entered the first lockdown and the closing of our buildings, in common with other churches we had to switch to on-line services.  This covers a series of talks during this period as we addressed the uncertainties caused by the pandemic.    

Within the four gospels we see four major titles used for Jesus – Christ or Messiah, Son of Man, Son of David and Son of God. Each of these titles has a crucial background within the Old Testament which we need to engage with if we are going to understand the significance of their application to Jesus. We will also seek to reflect on the relevance of each of these titles to our calling to make Jesus known in the world.

Christians are constantly being summoned to respond to a whole host of different situations and issues. Rather than simply ‘going to with the flow’, we are called to respond to them in a distinctive manner that is shaped by our faith in Jesus Christ. Often we find this very difficult and challenging. In this series we will look at a number of such situations and issues and reflect upon the ways in which we can both understand them better and make a distinctively Christian response to them.

The start of new decade provides an opportunity for us to focus upon our priorities and direction. Part of this is a renewed response to our calling to be a people who display care in regard to the various responsibilities that God has entrusted to us. During this series, we will examine a number of these responsibilities as a church and seek to reflect upon how we can fulfil them more effectively. The very practical aim of this sermon series is that every member of Christ Church will identify the key area where God is calling them to make a difference through the care that they bring to it.

However familiar they are, the Christmas story always contains more to teach us. During this series we will take the words spoken about Jesus by Gabriel, Elizabeth and Mary and ponder what they have to teach us about the significance of the coming of Jesus Christ.

Part of our calling as Christians is to look for God in every part of our lives. Paradoxically, the run up to Christmas can be one of the most difficult times to do this as we are surrounded by so much busyness and stress. During this series we will look at a number of different aspects of the Christmas season and consider where God might be found within them.

A central claim of the New Testament is how every strand of the Old Testament story was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. During this series we will look at how this was true in the case of four of the prophets and the different insights that Isaiah, Micah, Malachi and Daniel give us about the significance of the coming of Jesus Christ.

Luke’s Gospel has a particular focus on God’s love in Jesus for those on the margins of society. This very much included women, and during this series we will look at four episodes from the gospel when women were encountered by Jesus and had their lives transformed by God’s love.

Our lives are full of things that frustrate and perplex us. Often it is very hard to combine honestly and openness about these struggles with ongoing faith and trust in God. A number of the psalms model this, and during this series we will use four of them to think through how we keep the conversation with God going when we feel forgotten, forsaken, rejected and abandoned by him.

Food and drink are part of God’s good creation. However as with everything good that God has given, it is all too possible for us to use these things in a manner that is harmful to us, to others and to creation itself. During October, we will therefore look at some of the ways this can happen, how it can be avoided, and how we can have a properly Christian approach to our food and drink.

A recurring covenantal phrase associated with God throughout the Old Testament is ‘The LORD… the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin’ (Exodus 34.6; Numbers 14.18; Nehemiah 9.17; Psalms 86.15; 103.8; 145.8; Joel 2.13; Jonah 4.2). As Jesus fulfils the covenant we see all of these characteristics displayed in his ministry, and during this series we will explore each of them and their significance.

God’s covenant is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, with each of its different stages adding something vital to the story of its path to fulfilment. At the six30 service during September and October we will work through the different stages of the covenant that God successively makes with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and which the prophets then speak of coming to its fulfilment in the coming of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and reaching its consummation in the New Creation.