Past Preaching Programme

Found in Matthew 5-7, ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ contains some of the most radical teaching that Jesus ever gave. Much of it is extremely counter-intuitive and commanding us to live in a completely different way to the surrounding world. It is when the church lives in this way, however, that Christianity becomes dynamic, exciting and life changing rather than dull and conventional. As we explore the Sermon during this series, our prayer will be that God will use it to make us into a more radical, faithful and life-changing community.

All Christians are called to proclaim God’s Word in our daily lives with a whole variety of different ways in which this can be done. Within the Bible we get a number of accounts of such calls with each containing different emphases that we can learn from. During this series we will look at the calls of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul and finally … Tom Collins on the Sunday that he, Helen, Joshua and Timothy leave to train for ordained ministry at Trinity College Bristol.

Developing leadership, including the leadership of those who are young, is a vital part of any growing church. The Pastoral Epistles within the New Testament are particularly focused upon the qualities needed within leaders and during this series we will look at one of these epistles in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. As we follow Paul coaching Timothy about personal boldness, holiness and suffering as well as how to how to handle the Scriptures, it will hopefully serve to inspire more members of Christ Church towards the greater leadership that we need if we are to grow further.

One of the most important things that we should be doing as a church is showing how Christianity can make a difference to our lives. When people become Christians, their problems don’t disappear and in some ways their lives become more difficult. What we are promised, however, is that God will be with us helping us with these issues and difficulties in a whole number of ways. During this series we will look a number of issues affecting of daily lives and try to unpack some of the practical ways in which our Christian faith can make a difference as we seek to respond to them.

Luke’s gospel contains many special emphases. These include Jesus’ particular love for the poor and marginalised and his teaching about the dangers of wealth. These emphases particularly stand out within the material that only occurs in Luke and is absent from Matthew, Mark and John. During this series (which will continue into July) we will study a number of these stories as we seek to apply the radical challenge of the third gospel to our daily lives and our life as a church.

The letter to the Hebrews forms one sustained argument concerning the indispensable nature of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Those to whom the letter was written were in danger of giving up and retreating into the old ways of thinking that had sustained them before they came to faith in Jesus. The writer of Hebrews was determined to encourage them to keep going chiefly through showing how all the Jewish ritual and belief that came before was pointing God’s people ahead to what Jesus would achieve. Studying the letter and its argument can encourage us, within a rather different context, to persevere in our faith by focusing us upon the significance of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

If we are open to seeing him, God is all around us including within areas that we might not think we are meant to look for him. During this series, we will look at the four areas of Literature, History, Science and Film and, in each one of them, look for how they can open our eyes more fully to the nature and purpose of the God whom we worship.

Widespread confusion still exists amongst both believers and non-believers in regard to the Christian hope. The Bible, however, is quite clear that the Christian hope is our physical resurrection into a new creation. During this post-Easter series we will look at the implications of this for what will happen to our bodies and creation itself as well as the controversial area of what will happen to people with disabilities.

The resurrection of Jesus transformed everything for his followers. During this post-Easter series we will look at three of its most obvious effects upon the early church in people coming to faith, its radical community and the acts of healing that occurred through it. Living also in post-Easter times, we will then consider the challenge that each of these brings to us at Christ Church.

Lent is traditionally a period for taking time out to focus upon and deepen our relationship with God. During this series, we will look afresh at the three areas where God might be challenging us to seek further renewal. The aim, as we look at prayer, fasting and fellowship, will be seeking to find new ways in which we can use these vital resources that God has given to nourish our relationship with him and make us more effective in his service.

Lent is traditionally a period for taking time out to focus upon and deepen our relationship with God. During this series, we will look afresh at the three areas where God might be challenging us to seek further renewal. The aim, as we look at prayer, fasting and fellowship, will be seeking to find new ways in which we can use these vital resources that God has given to nourish our relationship with him and make us more effective in his service.

One of the major tasks before us as a church in 2016 is to increase our giving. This includes the giving of our lives in service to God using the gifts and talents that he has given us, both within our community at Christ Church and beyond it. But it also includes our financial giving. This is reflected in our Motto Verse for 2016 from 1 Corinthians 16.2:

‘On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will need to be made’

At present we have a large amount of people regularly attending Christ Church who do not yet give a realistic amount of their money to the church on a regular basis. This is something that needs to change if Christ Church is going to fulfil God’s desires for our mission and ministry. During February, the talks across all three of our services will focus upon giving and encourage the growth of this important part of our discipleship and response to God’s grace.

One of the major tasks before us as a church in 2016 is to increase our giving. This includes the giving of our lives in service to God using the gifts and talents that he has given us, both within our community at Christ Church and beyond it. But it also includes our financial giving. This is reflected in our Motto Verse for 2016 from 1 Corinthians 16.2:

‘On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will need to be made’

At present we have a large amount of people regularly attending Christ Church who do not yet give a realistic amount of their money to the church on a regular basis. This is something that needs to change if Christ Church is going to fulfil God’s desires for our mission and ministry. During February, the talks across all three of our services will focus upon giving and encourage the growth of this important part of our discipleship and response to God’s grace.

One of the major tasks before us as a church in 2016 is to increase our giving. This includes the giving of our lives in service to God using the gifts and talents that he has given us, both within our community at Christ Church and beyond it. But it also includes our financial giving. This is reflected in our Motto Verse for 2016 from 1 Corinthians 16.2:

‘On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will need to be made’

At present we have a large amount of people regularly attending Christ Church who do not yet give a realistic amount of their money to the church on a regular basis. This is something that needs to change if Christ Church is going to fulfil God’s desires for our mission and ministry. During February, the talks across all three of our services will focus upon giving and encourage the growth of this important part of our discipleship and response to God’s grace.

One of the most consistent themes within the New Testament is the calling of Jesus’ followers to suffer. The roots of this are found in the figure of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, which finds its fulfilment not only in the calling of Jesus but the calling of the church as well. Whilst the suffering and death of Jesus is unique in achieving the defeat of evil, the New Testament is also clear that the way that the victory of Jesus goes on being implemented is through the faithful suffering of his followers.

At 11.00 and six30 we will look at five of the main books within the New Testament which unpack this theme of the suffering of God’s people: Mark’s Gospel, The Acts of the Apostles, 2 Corinthians, 1 Peter and Revelation. Exploring this theme from a number of different angles will hopefully help us in the difficult task of bringing our suffering before God so that his glory can be revealed through it.

One of the most consistent themes within the New Testament is the calling of Jesus’ followers to suffer. The roots of this are found in the figure of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, which finds its fulfilment not only in the calling of Jesus but the calling of the church as well. Whilst the suffering and death of Jesus is unique in achieving the defeat of evil, the New Testament is also clear that the way that the victory of Jesus goes on being implemented is through the faithful suffering of his followers.

At 11.00 and six30 we will look at five of the main books within the New Testament which unpack this theme of the suffering of God’s people: Mark’s Gospel, The Acts of the Apostles, 2 Corinthians, 1 Peter and Revelation. Exploring this theme from a number of different angles will hopefully help us in the difficult task of bringing our suffering before God so that his glory can be revealed through it.

One of the most consistent themes within the New Testament is the calling of Jesus’ followers to suffer. The roots of this are found in the figure of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, which finds its fulfilment not only in the calling of Jesus but the calling of the church as well. Whilst the suffering and death of Jesus is unique in achieving the defeat of evil, the New Testament is also clear that the way that the victory of Jesus goes on being implemented is through the faithful suffering of his followers.

At the 9.30 service during January we will explore this theme by looking at six followers of Jesus who were called to suffer – James and John, Mary, Stephen, Peter and Paul. As we examine something of their stories and what they were told about suffering, the intention is that this will help us to place our own suffering within our faith in Jesus Christ so that it can be further used for God’s purpose.

It is sometimes said that the Old Testament is ‘a story in search of an ending’. Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament and certainly reinforces this sense with its emphasis upon the continuing problems of God’s faithless people after their return from exile in Babylon, the return of Elijah to preach repentance and the coming of the LORD himself to put things right. Mark’s gospel begins with a quotation from Malachi (merged with one from Isaiah) finding its fulfilment in the coming of John the Baptist and then Jesus. During Advent we will therefore use the prophecy of Malachi to seek to understand these events more fully.

Much of the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel recounts the events surrounding the pregnancies of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and Mary, the mother of Jesus. A key theme here is the fulfilment of the long and winding story of God’s interaction with the people of Israel. During this Advent series, we will examine the stories of the arrival of these two babies, the reasons for the detail they contain and what they can help us to understand more about Jesus Christ as we approach the celebration of his birth at Christmas.

The Sunday during November during our morning services at Christ Church will involve taking a fresh look at familiar themes. 'All Saints Day' is rarely marked at Christ Church but this year we will use it to think afresh about what it means to be joined to all of God’s people throughout the world and down the ages. This will be followed by ‘Remembrance Sunday’, when we will think about our response to wars, both past and present, and in particular those who have died. ‘Mission Sunday’ will then take place as we reflect on the nature and challenge of Christian mission in other parts of the world followed a ‘Vocation and Discipleship Sunday’ when we consider how God is calling us to serve him in our daily lives.

The Sunday during November during our morning services at Christ Church will involve taking a fresh look at familiar themes. 'All Saints Day' is rarely marked at Christ Church but this year we will use it to think afresh about what it means to be joined to all of God’s people throughout the world and down the ages. This will be followed by ‘Remembrance Sunday’, when we will think about our response to wars, both past and present, and in particular those who have died. ‘Mission Sunday’ will then take place as we reflect on the nature and challenge of Christian mission in other parts of the world followed a ‘Vocation and Discipleship Sunday’ when we consider how God is calling us to serve him in our daily lives.

All four gospels emphasise the significance of the ministry of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the ministry of Jesus. Quite often, however, John’s importance is neglected helping us to miss or downplay crucial connections between the Old Testament and the New. As well as baptising in the River Jordan (including Jesus), John preached about the meaning of repentance, the importance of Jesus and eventually went to his death for challenging Herod Antipas. During this series, which runs into Advent, we will look at these different aspects of John’s ministry and seek to understand more fully how they point us to Jesus.

In Romans 12 St Paul calls us to ‘no longer conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed through the renewal of your minds’. Part of the calling of Christians to work on allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking and attitudes towards every aspect of our lives so that they can more fully reflect God’s perfect will for them. This is a difficult task with so much pressure upon us from our surrounding culture to conform to its thinking and attitudes. During October, across all three services at Christ Church, we will consider how to develop a Christian attitude to a number of very different issues. This won’t be easy but the aim is to question the thinking and assumptions that we are under pressure to uncritically accept and consider the radical alternative held out by a Christian response to these issues.

In Romans 12 St Paul calls us to ‘no longer conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed through the renewal of your minds’. Part of the calling of Christians to work on allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking and attitudes towards every aspect of our lives so that they can more fully reflect God’s perfect will for them. This is a difficult task with so much pressure upon us from our surrounding culture to conform to its thinking and attitudes. During October, across all three services at Christ Church, we will consider how to develop a Christian attitude to a number of very different issues. This won’t be easy but the aim is to question the thinking and assumptions that we are under pressure to uncritically accept and consider the radical alternative held out by a Christian response to these issues.

In Romans 12 St Paul calls us to ‘no longer conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed through the renewal of your minds’. Part of the calling of Christians to work on allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking and attitudes towards every aspect of our lives so that they can more fully reflect God’s perfect will for them. This is a difficult task with so much pressure upon us from our surrounding culture to conform to its thinking and attitudes. During October, across all three services at Christ Church, we will consider how to develop a Christian attitude to a number of very different issues. This won’t be easy but the aim is to question the thinking and assumptions that we are under pressure to uncritically accept and consider the radical alternative held out by a Christian response to these issues.

During the autumn a number of members of Christ Church are travelling to other parts of the world. In each case it is prompted by their calling to serve God in that place and amongst its people. During this series we will hear more of why Mercy Teete, Josh Evans and Ros Sainsbury are travelling to Athens, Bangladesh and Sierra Leone respectively followed by Roger Pearse from the Baptist Church speaking about his involvement in mission in South America. The aim is to inform us so that we can support and partner these people in mission more effectively and be further inspired in developing the mission of Christ Church – both here and overseas.

One of the most important truths of Christianity is that Jesus Christ came to establish one, worldwide family united across all those boundaries and barriers that normally separate and divide the people of this world. Sadly, we rarely reflect this radical unity and during this series we will seek to remedy this by considering what Christ Church has to learn from the church in Kenya, India, Peru and Papua New Guinea. All of the churches in these very different places are grappling with very different issues and as we learn about their response to them, we can be inspired to grow further into the church that God wants Christ Church to be.

One of the most important truths of Christianity is that Jesus Christ came to establish one, worldwide family united across all those boundaries and barriers that normally separate and divide the people of this world. Sadly, we rarely reflect this radical unity and during this series we will seek to remedy this by considering what Christ Church has to learn from the church in Kenya, India, Peru and Papua New Guinea. All of the churches in these very different places are grappling with very different issues and as we learn about their response to them, we can be inspired to grow further into the church that God wants Christ Church to be.

At the six30 service during June we spent time looking at the various different gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned within the New Testament. This formed part of encouraging us to locate and use the individual gifts that God has given to us. During this series we will build upon this by hearing the stories of how five members of Christ Church have used their gifts in God’s service. Once again the aim is to inspire all of us to further thought on the gifts that God has given to us and how he wants us to be using them as part of building up the church and his continuing work in the world.

Very often it is the Old Testament that is seen as containing all of the parts of the Bible that are most difficult for Christians. However there are a number of passages within the New Testament that are equally problematic. Often our response can simply be to ignore such passages. However when we hold our nerve and seek to grapple with their meaning a great deal of value will often follow – even if it is usually extremely challenging! During July we will seek to do this across all of our three services at Christ Church looking at a number of the trickiest passages contained within the New Testament and trying to understand the challenge that they are bringing us both as a church and in our daily lives.