Past Preaching Programme

Preaching Programme

Here are the previous sermon series that we have run at Christ Church. You can follow the links to see details of the sermons from each series.

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Very often the only discussions that take place about baptism concern the age at which it should take place. The New Testament never directly addresses this issue. Instead it stresses lots of other things about baptism that we need to note such as it implications for holiness and unity. During this series we will seek to explore these emphases so that baptism can assume a greater ongoing importance in our personal and corporate lives.

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One of the most remarkable characteristics of Jesus’ ministry was his treatment of women. Both within Graeco-Roman and Jewish society, women were accorded second class status and yet, within the gospels, we see Jesus giving women status and respect. Luke, in particular, provides many examples of this. During this series, we will look at number of these encounters and what we can learn from them.

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The Elisha stories are amongst the most difficult material found in the Bible. Compared to the Elijah stories, many of them are very difficult to interpret because of their strange nature. However these very characteristics force us to interpret the Elisha stories against the broader context of God’s covenant plan and the way it was being advanced through the prophet whose name means ‘God saves’.

(This series was in two parts: the first in July 2018 and the second in October 2018.)

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Throughout June, we will explore Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Plain’ from Luke 6.17-49. This is the Gospel of Luke’s equivalent of Matthew’s better known ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and includes very similar sayings from the teaching ministry of Jesus. This includes instruction about love for our enemies, not judging others and Jesus’ famous story of the wise and foolish builders. During this series we will explore this teaching from Luke’s perspective and try to see how its truths can further shape our lives as we seek to follow Jesus more faithfully.

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Christianity rests on the assertion of a number of truths including the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his bodily ascension into heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus at Pentecost and the nature of God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. None of these beliefs are abstract but all have very concrete implications for how we understand and then practice our Christian faith. During this series, we will seek to explore how each of these beliefs can and should make a difference within our lives.

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Christ Church possesses a number of very beautiful stained glass windows. Although the church has existed for over 150 years, most of the windows come from the period between 1896 and 1919. There are just three exceptions from 1878, 1965 and 2001.

Each of the windows possesses a particular story connected with it, usually concerning former members of the church for whom it was given in memory. In virtually all cases, their actual content, however, is focused upon a biblical story or theme that was understood to speak powerfully into the context of that person’s life or contribution to the church.

Writing in the April 1896 Parish Magazine about the window given in memory of Arthur Herbert Streeter and depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the Light of the World, the second Vicar of Christ Church, the Reverend William Allen Challacombe said these words

‘The eye is a medium of knowledge as well as the ear; and we shall pray that the Spirit of God may glorify Christ through these windows, which will reveal him as Saviour and Guide’

During this series we will seek to reflect the aim of the Reverend Challacombe’s prayer. Using research that we have recently undertaken, we will explore what we know about the human stories behind the windows. This is to serve the greater aim of reflecting upon the biblical truths that they display and pondering how these truths can further shape and impact upon our lives.

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Christ Church possesses a number of very beautiful stained glass windows. Although the church has existed for over 150 years, most of the windows come from the period between 1896 and 1919. There are just three exceptions from 1878, 1965 and 2001.

Each of the windows possesses a particular story connected with it, usually concerning former members of the church for whom it was given in memory. In virtually all cases, their actual content, however, is focused upon a biblical story or theme that was understood to speak powerfully into the context of that person’s life or contribution to the church.

Writing in the April 1896 Parish Magazine about the window given in memory of Arthur Herbert Streeter and depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the Light of the World, the second Vicar of Christ Church, the Reverend William Allen Challacombe said these words

‘The eye is a medium of knowledge as well as the ear; and we shall pray that the Spirit of God may glorify Christ through these windows, which will reveal him as Saviour and Guide’

During this series we will seek to reflect the aim of the Reverend Challacombe’s prayer. Using research that we have recently undertaken, we will explore what we know about the human stories behind the windows. This is to serve the greater aim of reflecting upon the biblical truths that they display and pondering how these truths can further shape and impact upon our lives.

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Having spent Lent looking at the things that Ephesians 4 and 5 tell us to ‘put off’, we will spend the first few weeks after Easter looking at the types of behaviour that Paul then tells us to ‘put on’. Rather than happening automatically, the development of Christian virtues involves hard work as we consciously seek to submit our lives to the Holy Spirit and this series will examine a number of areas where we need to do this.

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Within the resurrection narratives in John’s Gospel we see an emphasis upon the way in which people’s lives were transformed through meeting the risen Jesus. In this Easter series we will examine a number of these encounters and consider how our lives can and should be further transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

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1 Peter examines a number of ways in which the resurrection of Jesus Christ should transform our lives. During this series, we will work through this letter looking at each of these areas and seeking to have our lives further transformed by this event that stands at the centre of our Christian faith.

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Written by C.S. Lewis in 1942, The Screwtape Letters remains immensely popular. This is testimony to the insight with which it unmasks the way in which temptation often works within us. Lewis fans, Steve and Elizabeth Hill have selected their four favourite letters from Screwtape for this series which will focus upon seeking to recognise and reject the common forms of temptation that we face.

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Chapters 4 and 5 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians contains a number of exhortations. Many of these centre on the Christians at Ephesus consciously ‘putting off’ harmful and destructive patterns of behaviour. During this Lenten series, we’ll look at a number of these areas and consider the ways in which God is calling us to change as part of our obedience to him.

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Lent is a time when Christians review our lives and what God wants to change within them. Spring (rather delayed this year!) is also traditionally a time for deep cleaning our houses. Within this series we will use the metaphor of spring cleaning to examine a number of areas within our daily lives and think about the changes that God is calling us to make within them.

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From its early days, mission has been central to the Christian faith with followers of Jesus Christ being sent out to share his love with the world. This mission has always taken many forms with the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ accompanied by tangible signs of this love in care and action on behalf of the poor. However, in each generation the missional needs of the world and the role of church need to be reconsidered and our recently reformed Global Mission Group plays the central role at Christ Church in directing our thinking and action on this. Part of our mission as a church involves causes and issues in places far away from New Malden but also responding to such issues on our doorstep, such as the Night Shelter that we run in February and March for people who are homeless. During this series – which again will cross all three of our services – we will consider various aspects of Christian Mission in the Twenty First Century and how God is calling us to respond to them.

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From its early days, mission has been central to the Christian faith with followers of Jesus Christ being sent out to share his love with the world. This mission has always taken many forms with the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ accompanied by tangible signs of this love in care and action on behalf of the poor. However, in each generation the missional needs of the world and the role of church need to be reconsidered and our recently reformed Global Mission Group plays the central role at Christ Church in directing our thinking and action on this. Part of our mission as a church involves causes and issues in places far away from New Malden but also responding to such issues on our doorstep, such as the Night Shelter that we run in February and March for people who are homeless. During this series – which again will cross all three of our services – we will consider various aspects of Christian Mission in the Twenty First Century and how God is calling us to respond to them.

to

From its early days, mission has been central to the Christian faith with followers of Jesus Christ being sent out to share his love with the world. This mission has always taken many forms with the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ accompanied by tangible signs of this love in care and action on behalf of the poor. However, in each generation the missional needs of the world and the role of church need to be reconsidered and our recently reformed Global Mission Group plays the central role at Christ Church in directing our thinking and action on this. Part of our mission as a church involves causes and issues in places far away from New Malden but also responding to such issues on our doorstep, such as the Night Shelter that we run in February and March for people who are homeless. During this series – which again will cross all three of our services – we will consider various aspects of Christian Mission in the Twenty First Century and how God is calling us to respond to them.

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At the heart of the Christian faith is belief in a God of utter generosity and self-giving – supremely in his Son, Jesus Christ – but also in the many other good things that he gives to us. A major part of our Christian faith is then allowing his grace to be demonstrated in our lives through the growth within them of a similar spirit of generosity and giving.

The fantastic response to the recent appeal to refurbish the entrance to Christ Church has been a wonderful example of this and during this series we will think more about the nature and role of giving within our Christian faith. This will start by reflecting on God the Giver before proceeding to think about two decisive strands within Christian giving – giving as a response to God’s grace and then as a response to the practical needs of the Church. The aim is that this series – across all of our services – is part of helping us towards a situation where the finances of Christ Church are placed on a more secure footing with all of our members considering where God is challenging and encouraging us in this regard.

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At the heart of the Christian faith is belief in a God of utter generosity and self-giving – supremely in his Son, Jesus Christ – but also in the many other good things that he gives to us. A major part of our Christian faith is then allowing his grace to be demonstrated in our lives through the growth within them of a similar spirit of generosity and giving.

The fantastic response to the recent appeal to refurbish the entrance to Christ Church has been a wonderful example of this and during this series we will think more about the nature and role of giving within our Christian faith. This will start by reflecting on God the Giver before proceeding to think about two decisive strands within Christian giving – giving as a response to God’s grace and then as a response to the practical needs of the Church. The aim is that this series – across all of our services – is part of helping us towards a situation where the finances of Christ Church are placed on a more secure footing with all of our members considering where God is challenging and encouraging us in this regard.

At the heart of the Christian faith is belief in a God of utter generosity and self-giving – supremely in his Son, Jesus Christ – but also in the many other good things that he gives to us. A major part of our Christian faith is then allowing his grace to be demonstrated in our lives through the growth within them of a similar spirit of generosity and giving.

The fantastic response to the recent appeal to refurbish the entrance to Christ Church has been a wonderful example of this and during this series we will think more about the nature and role of giving within our Christian faith. This will start by reflecting on God the Giver before proceeding to think about two decisive strands within Christian giving – giving as a response to God’s grace and then as a response to the practical needs of the Church. The aim is that this series – across all of our services – is part of helping us towards a situation where the finances of Christ Church are placed on a more secure footing with all of our members considering where God is challenging and encouraging us in this regard.

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Christmas is often a rather mixed experience with its happiness and joy combined with a great amount of stress and business. Many traditions, seemingly unrelated to the coming of Jesus Christ, have also sprung up around Christmas bringing a good deal of confusion. During this short series, we will try to explore how Jesus can be found in such unfamiliar places at Christmas time. David Taylor will help us to understand how God can be found within Charles Dickens’ famous novel, A Christmas Carol and Janet Miles will do the same with ‘the madness of Christmas’.

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In the earliest parts of Matthew’s Gospel, its writer refers several times to the way in which the coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets. Key events in the Christmas story are shown to bring to fulfilment what was spoken by Isaiah, Micah, Hosea and Jeremiah. In most of these cases, it not easy to understand what the writer of Matthew’s gospel means and it can appear that he has taken these Old Testament references out of context. Careful attention to their context, however, reveals that this is far from the case. Their role is to illuminate truths about Jesus that we otherwise might miss. During this series, we will look at each of these passages and seek to understand the way in which the coming of Jesus Christ brought the whole of the Old Testament story to its surprising climax and fulfilment.

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The book of Judges is a rather depressing read. As well as the people of Israel going from bad to worse, this is even true of the deliverers that God sends to rescue his people. The last of these twelve judges is Samson, famous for the extraordinary strength which God gave him. However the story of Samson is as tragic as the rest of the book of Judges with its central character displaying a great deal of disastrous weakness alongside his strength. During this series, we will look at the life of this tragic figure and try to understand what it is seeking to teach us about God and the things that we need to understand as we seek to follow him more faithfully.

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C.S. Lewis was one of the greatest Christian writers of the twentieth century, producing a number of books that have had a transforming effect upon the lives of millions of people. The most famous of his writings are The Chronicles of Narnia. In recent years, far more has been discovered about what Lewis was up to when he wrote the Narnia stories. This has indicated that their significance is even more profound than was previously recognised. During this series we will look at each of the seven Narnia stories in the light of the biblical truths that they are seeking to illuminate, with the aim of helping us to understand the God revealed in Jesus Christ more fully.

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Within our lives we confront a whole variety of different issues. Some of these issues are deeply personal to us, whilst others possess a more national or global nature. The wisdom contained in the Bible can be applied to any subject, however modern, and help us to make greater sense of those things upon which we might otherwise remain confused. During this series, we will seek to tackle a number of very different subjects and, in each case, we will seek to gain a greater understanding by reflecting upon what a Christian perspective has to say into them.

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During this series, our sermons will use the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero to explore the vital connection between Christians growing towards spiritual maturity and confronting our emotional issues. Scazzero is a church leader in America who had to learn this lesson the hard way and his book is the result of God leading him to a biblical integration of emotional health, a relationship with Jesus and the classic practices of contemplative spirituality. This will be a tough series as we explore the all too common signs of emotionally unhealthy spirituality but the aim to help all of us to move further towards the fullness of life that God intends us to discover through our relationship with him.

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The Old Testament prophets were charged with bringing God’s word to his people. Their messages particularly interpreted the political and social events that were occurring around the people of Israel and what God was doing and saying through these events. Very often these were messages that the people were less than willing to hear, with a major emphasis upon God’s judgement. The prophets combined these messages, however, with the belief that judgement would not be God’s final word and the hope that he would eventual fulfil his covenant purposes for his people and the world. During this series we will look at the messages of the Twelve ‘Minor’ Prophets and seek to discern what God is saying to our contemporary situation through them.

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God wants all of us to be constantly growing in our relationship with him. Sometimes this process will happen more through the tough times in our lives than those moments where we feel most obviously blessed. Being honest about this can be a great encouragement to others as they go through difficult times in their own lives and wonder where God can be found in it all. During this series, four members of Christ Church will share the experiences that they have had over the last five years of their lives and the most important things that they have learnt about God during this period.

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The Bible is full of exciting visions of what God intends to do for the world and for those who follow him. Much of the Christian life is about trying to catch God’s vision for our common life together and the work that he is calling his people to do. During this series we will look at various different parts of the life of Christ Church and its members, and seek to discern what God wants these roles and ministries to look like as we move forward. In the 151st year of Christ Church and alongside the opening of the new halls that we have built for children and young people, it is an opportune moment to reshape our agendas in the light of the vision that God will reveal as we seek his will.

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The Bible is full of exciting visions of what God intends to do for the world and for those who follow him. Much of the Christian life is about trying to catch God’s vision for our common life together and the work that he is calling his people to do. During this series we will look at various different parts of the life of Christ Church and its members, and seek to discern what God wants these roles and ministries to look like as we move forward. In the 151st year of Christ Church and alongside the opening of the new halls that we have built for children and young people, it is an opportune moment to reshape our agendas in the light of the vision that God will reveal as we seek his will.

to

The Bible is full of exciting visions of what God intends to do for the world and for those who follow him. Much of the Christian life is about trying to catch God’s vision for our common life together and the work that he is calling his people to do. During this series we will look at various different parts of the life of Christ Church and its members, and seek to discern what God wants these roles and ministries to look like as we move forward. In the 151st year of Christ Church and alongside the opening of the new halls that we have built for children and young people, it is an opportune moment to reshape our agendas in the light of the vision that God will reveal as we seek his will.