Past Preaching Programme

The Shack was written in 2007 by Paul Young and tells the story of a Christian called Mack called to meet with God following his despair at the horrific murder of his beloved daughter Missy. Almost a modern equivalent of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, The Shack deals in story form with the most profound reflections upon the issue of suffering but also the nature of God as Trinity and a number of other themes as well. The help which a number of Christ Church members have already received from the book has prompted this sermon series during which we will seek to reflect upon the biblical truths that The Shack is seeking to present.

The early chapters of Genesis are foundational to the Christian faith setting out much of how we are called to understand the world in which we live. Its two accounts of creation are especially important in setting out God’s intentions for the world which were not swept aside once sin entered it through disobedience of human beings. As such, they form an important corrective to any tendency within Christianity to ‘super-spiritualise’ our faith by sitting lightly to creation. During this series we will look at the first five chapters of Genesis and consider what they are seeking to teach us about the nature of the world – both in God’s original creation and after the arrival of sin caused it to go so badly wrong.

One our aims at Christ Church during 2014 is to learn to use the Psalms more effectively as a resource for encountering God. The Book of Psalms is the Bible’s hymn book and within its 150 individual psalms we see an amazing mixture of praise, petition, lament and complaint. What unites all of this seemingly diverse material, however, is the conviction that God is not a remote deity but actively involved in every aspect of the world’s existence.

Learning to read, pray and perhaps even sing through the content of the Psalms can therefore lead us a far more active engagement with the presence of God within the time, space and matter that are part of our everyday lives. They also encourage us to be honest and pour out to God the things that we struggle with rather than assuming than he is distant and unconcerned. It is for this reason that the Psalms were totally central to Jesus’ understanding of his calling and why he quoted them so often. During May and June various psalms will be preached on at the 9.30 and 11.00 with the aim of encouraging all of us to engage more fully with this amazing resource that we have been given for encountering the living God.

One our aims at Christ Church during 2014 is to learn to use the Psalms more effectively as a resource for encountering God. The Book of Psalms is the Bible’s hymn book and within its 150 individual psalms we see an amazing mixture of praise, petition, lament and complaint. What unites all of this seemingly diverse material, however, is the conviction that God is not a remote deity but actively involved in every aspect of the world’s existence.

Learning to read, pray and perhaps even sing through the content of the Psalms can therefore lead us a far more active engagement with the presence of God within the time, space and matter that are part of our everyday lives. They also encourage us to be honest and pour out to God the things that we struggle with rather than assuming than he is distant and unconcerned. It is for this reason that the Psalms were totally central to Jesus’ understanding of his calling and why he quoted them so often. During May and June various psalms will be preached on at the 9.30 and 11.00 with the aim of encouraging all of us to engage more fully with this amazing resource that we have been given for encountering the living God.

In a year in which we are seeking to get to know the Psalms better, it is particularly appropriate to be using them during Lent and Easter. This is because both Jesus and the Gospel writers constantly quote from the Psalms to express their understanding of what was going on when Jesus died. Written hundreds of years earlier, these ancients hymns express truths about the suffering followed by vindication that were clearly crucial to Jesus’ understanding of his vocation to suffer and die for those he came to save. Psalm 22 is the most obvious of these but we will also look at Psalm 40, which Jesus echoed in Gethsemane and Psalm 31, which he also quoted from the cross. Psalm 2 also has much to say on the kingship of Jesus and after Easter we will use Psalm 16 to reflect upon the resurrection.

As we approach Easter, we will complete our study of John’s Gospel by focusing on the chapters within which it deals with the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John’s Gospel is all about God’s glory being revealed in Jesus and as the book moves towards its climax we see this glory revealed most fully through his suffering and death. Other themes of John’s final sections are the way in which Jesus was revealed through his death to be Israel’s king and the new creation that began with his resurrection.

In a year in which we are seeking to get to know the Psalms better, it is particularly appropriate to be using them during Lent and Easter. This is because both Jesus and the Gospel writers constantly quote from the Psalms to express their understanding of what was going on when Jesus died. Written hundreds of years earlier, these ancients hymns express truths about the suffering followed by vindication that were clearly crucial to Jesus’ understanding of his vocation to suffer and die for those he came to save. Psalm 22 is the most obvious of these but we will also look at Psalm 40, which Jesus echoed in Gethsemane and Psalm 31, which he also quoted from the cross. Psalm 2 also has much to say on the kingship of Jesus and after Easter we will use Psalm 16 to reflect upon the resurrection.

During the first three weeks of our services in March, the sermons across all of our services at Christ Church will focus on the subject of our financial giving. Unsurprisingly this is often a less than popular subject but it is also a vital one for a number of reasons. The Bible is clear that Christian giving is both act of obedience to God and an accurate guide to our response to his love and all that he given to us. But it is also very necessary in its response to the needs of the church and its mission and ministry. This very much includes the wider church with a good deal of this money supporting other churches within Southwark Diocese. 85% of the income of Christ Church is raised from the direct giving of its members, an amount which is currently very unevenly distributed. Our prayer is that these talks on different aspects of our responsibility to give, will inspire every member of Christ Church to review our giving and consider how God wants us to respond to the challenge to give back to him.

During the first three weeks of our services in March, the sermons across all of our services at Christ Church will focus on the subject of our financial giving. Unsurprisingly this is often a less than popular subject but it is also a vital one for a number of reasons. The Bible is clear that Christian giving is both act of obedience to God and an accurate guide to our response to his love and all that he given to us. But it is also very necessary in its response to the needs of the church and its mission and ministry. This very much includes the wider church with a good deal of this money supporting other churches within Southwark Diocese. 85% of the income of Christ Church is raised from the direct giving of its members, an amount which is currently very unevenly distributed. Our prayer is that these talks on different aspects of our responsibility to give, will inspire every member of Christ Church to review our giving and consider how God wants us to respond to the challenge to give back to him.

During the first three weeks of our services in March, the sermons across all of our services at Christ Church will focus on the subject of our financial giving. Unsurprisingly this is often a less than popular subject but it is also a vital one for a number of reasons. The Bible is clear that Christian giving is both act of obedience to God and an accurate guide to our response to his love and all that he given to us. But it is also very necessary in its response to the needs of the church and its mission and ministry. This very much includes the wider church with a good deal of this money supporting other churches within Southwark Diocese. 85% of the income of Christ Church is raised from the direct giving of its members, an amount which is currently very unevenly distributed. Our prayer is that these talks on different aspects of our responsibility to give, will inspire every member of Christ Church to review our giving and consider how God wants us to respond to the challenge to give back to him.

The Motto Verse for Christ Church in 2014 is Colossians 3.16 which declares: ‘Let the message about Christ in all its richness fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts’. One of the reasons that this verse has been chosen is to inspire us in 2014 to get to know the book of Psalms much better. Psalms is the hymn book of the Bible and yet is often rather neglected during those frequent discussions and disagreements about the form which our sung worship in church should have. Jesus, however, quoted from the Psalms more than any other Old Testament book and his familiarity with its contents was crucial to the development of his calling as well as that of Paul and other early Christians. During 2014 we will therefore freshly examine as many of the Psalms as possible and look to use them to refresh our approach to worship both within in church services and in our daily lives.

When the risen Jesus spoke about the fulfilment of what was written about him in ‘the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms’ (Luke 24:44) he was not referred to the odd isolated prophecy. Instead he was declaring that, with his coming, the entire biblical story was reaching its climax. During this Advent series we will seek to reflect this truth, focusing upon four Old Testament books – Genesis, Kings, Isaiah and the Psalms – and asking how each of them looks to the coming of Jesus.

A major challenge which we face every Christmas is that of how to keep its story fresh and exciting. One of the best ways of doing this is to keep asking questions and during this series we will ask why Jesus was born … ‘in Israel’, ‘into poverty and danger’ and ‘of a virgin’. Our prayer is that as we grapple with these questions, the truth of God coming into this world in Jesus and its radical significance will come home to us more fully.

The Christmas story contains many characters that we can learn from in their mixture of confusion, faith and fear. As yet another Christmas comes upon us, a fresh look at these characters and the challenges they faced can hopefully inspire our response to the wonderful truth of God coming into the world for us in Jesus Christ.

All churches face the danger of being inward looking rather than focused upon the mission to the world to which God has called us. Written at a time when Judaism seems to have faced a similar danger, the book of Jonah summons us to resist this temptation and share God’s strong commitment to and deep compassion for the world around us.

If Revelation is regarded the New Testament’s most mysterious book, it is probably the book of Daniel that is its Old Testament equivalent. Whilst some of its story such as Daniel in the Lion’s Den are very familiar, there are other parts of it (most obviously in chapters 7-12) that can appear extremely off putting and bizarre. However, as we found with Revelation, Daniel has an immense amount to say to our current culture context with its dramatic message about both the challenge to faith and what happens when the kingdoms of the world are confronted by the kingdom of God.

During October and November 2013, we studied the first half of Daniel with its stirring stories of God’s people keeping faith within a pagan context.

During January and February 2014, we looked at Chapter 7-12 of the book. This is where stirring stories of the first six chapters give way to a series of lurid and complex visions. These passages, however, play a crucial role in Daniel’s overall message about the kingdom of God triumphing over the kingdoms of the world. Like the visions contained in Revelation, they are passages which also have a great deal to say to our current situation as we see the seeming domination of so much evil within the world. Like Revelation, the book of Daniel shows how this evil will eventually be defeated and particularly highlights the role that the suffering of God’s faithful people will play in this.

Some of the greatest pressures imposed by our culture are upon our teenagers who therefore badly need the understanding, care and support of their church. With the rapid changes taking place, particularly in terms of social media, many are increasingly aware that we are sitting on a time bomb in regard to the well-being of our young people. During this series we will therefore consider the pressures upon our teenagers to have sex, look perfect, be popular and perform and be successful and how to respond to these through the wisdom and challenge contained within the Bible.

In a church the size of Christ Church, it is all too easy for our relationships with our fellow churchgoers to be rather superficial rather than possessing the life changing significance that they are meant to possess. Much of the solution here is found in establishing really effective smaller groups which can then provide the setting for authentic Christian relationships to be established and grow. During September we will be seeking to establish a number of new small groups for members of Christ Church to take their place alongside those groups that already exist. Alongside input from those who already belong to such groups, our sermons in September will seek to unpack further why belonging to such a small group of Christians carries such value. After considering the importance of such groups for our children and young people, we will then focus upon their importance for adults. In successive weeks we will consider their value in enabling us to pray together, read and discuss the Bible together, support one another and have fun and fellowship together. The hope is that this series will lead to the reinvigoration of our small groups at Christ Church and the far more effective care and growth of our many members.

In a church the size of Christ Church, it is all too easy for our relationships with our fellow churchgoers to be rather superficial rather than possessing the life changing significance that they are meant to possess. Much of the solution here is found in establishing really effective smaller groups which can then provide the setting for authentic Christian relationships to be established and grow. During September we will be seeking to establish a number of new small groups for members of Christ Church to take their place alongside those groups that already exist. Alongside input from those who already belong to such groups, our sermons in September will seek to unpack further why belonging to such a small group of Christians carries such value. After considering the importance of such groups for our children and young people, we will then focus upon their importance for adults. In successive weeks we will consider their value in enabling us to pray together, read and discuss the Bible together, support one another and have fun and fellowship together. The hope is that this series will lead to the reinvigoration of our small groups at Christ Church and the far more effective care and growth of our many members.

In a church the size of Christ Church, it is all too easy for our relationships with our fellow churchgoers to be rather superficial rather than possessing the life changing significance that they are meant to possess. Much of the solution here is found in establishing really effective smaller groups which can then provide the setting for authentic Christian relationships to be established and grow. During September we will be seeking to establish a number of new small groups for members of Christ Church to take their place alongside those groups that already exist. Alongside input from those who already belong to such groups, our sermons in September will seek to unpack further why belonging to such a small group of Christians carries such value. After considering the importance of such groups for our children and young people, we will then focus upon their importance for adults. In successive weeks we will consider their value in enabling us to pray together, read and discuss the Bible together, support one another and have fun and fellowship together. The hope is that this series will lead to the reinvigoration of our small groups at Christ Church and the far more effective care and growth of our many members.

One of the most important things about our Christian faith is that it impacts upon our life outside Sundays. One of the biggest challenges here is relating our faith to our areas of work. During this series four members of the six30 congregation will talk about their jobs, some of the issues that they face within them and some of the ways in which they seek to express their faith within this context.

The Bible is full of metaphors involving fruit. Having completed our series on ‘The Fruit of the Spirit’ in Galatians 5, we will look at when Jesus spoke about himself as the True Vine in John 15. Here the emphasis is upon how, despite troubles and difficulties, we can remain or abide in Jesus so that we can bear fruit that will last.

One of the most striking aspects of the ministry of Jesus was the attitude that he showed to women. Because of the greater equality within our modern context, we can sometimes fail to appreciate the second class status that women possessed back in the first century. During this series we will play particularly close attention to this context as we examine the interaction of Jesus with four women and the significance of his treatment of them.

1 Corinthians is Paul’s most varied letter with the apostle dealing with a number of different subjects. Some of these are in response to questions that he has been asked to address by the church at Corinth whilst others arise from his own concerns about them. The single theme holding the whole letter together, however, is the calling to Christians live our present lives in a manner that anticipates as much as possible our future resurrection. This is why the letter reaches its climax in Paul’s lengthy treatment of the Resurrection in the fifty eight verses of Chapter 15. Christians can sometimes substitute ‘the sure and certain hope of the resurrection’ for ‘the vague sense that it will all pan out in the end’. 1 Corinthians, shows us, by contrast, that being really clear about biblical eschatology (i.e. how God is going to make everything end up) and especially resurrection is really vital for giving us clear direction on how we should be living in the present and especially about the primacy of love.

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.

The simple and yet profound nature of John’s Gospel has led to it being described as a pool that a child can paddle in and a lake for an elephant.

John’s Gospel is rather different from the other three accounts of Jesus’ ministry (the ‘Synoptic Gospels’ of Matthew, Mark and Luke). Whilst still, like the Synoptics, announcing the good news of how God became king through Jesus Christ, John constructs his account of this around seven signs performed by Jesus and seven discourses and seven ‘I am’ sayings which he spoke. During this series we will work our way through the gospel with a particular focus on John’s major theme of how Jesus’ actions and words revealed God’s glory and consider ways in which we can respond to this more faithfully.

During July 2013 we looked at the emphasis in John’s Gospel upon how the actions and words of Jesus revealed God’s glory. John’s Gospel is carefully constructed around seven signs which revealed this glory plus seven discourses and seven ‘I am’ sayings which he spoke. Combining the qualities of an eyewitness account with what appears to be years of prayer and reflection, John’s Gospel is written ‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’.

During October 2013 we looked at its distinctive challenge to recognise the signs of God’s glory in Jesus and to receive eternal life through believing in him. These signs culminate in the raising of Lazarus before the second part of the Gospel then turns to focusing upon Jesus’ death as the supreme revelation of God’s glory and the way in which God became king.

During January and February 2014 we looked at the second part of the Gospel as John turns to focus upon Jesus’ death as the supreme revelation of God’s glory. These passages also include a great deal about the promised ‘comforter’ – the Holy Spirit – whom the Father sends to those who believe in his Son and during this series we will think about how this applies to both Christ Church and our personal lives.

The accounts of Jesus’ Resurrection contained in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are extremely vivid, indicating their nature as primitive, eyewitness accounts preserving their original sense of ‘it may be extraordinary but this is what actually happened!’ They are also rather different from one another providing another strong indication of their authenticity. During this series in April we will use the season of Easter to examine the resurrection stories in each of the four gospels seeking to learn from both their distinct emphases and what they have in common as they witness to the most important event in the Christian calendar.

The accounts of Jesus’ Resurrection contained in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are extremely vivid, indicating their nature as primitive, eyewitness accounts preserving their original sense of ‘it may be extraordinary but this is what actually happened!’ They are also rather different from one another providing another strong indication of their authenticity. During this series in April we will use the season of Easter to examine the resurrection stories in each of the four gospels seeking to learn from both their distinct emphases and what they have in common as they witness to the most important event in the Christian calendar.

1 Corinthians is Paul’s most varied letter with the apostle handling a number of different subjects. The single theme holding the whole letter together, however, is the calling to Christians live our present lives in a manner that anticipates as much as possible their future resurrection. Christians can sometimes substitute ‘the sure and certain hope of the resurrection’ for ‘the vague sense that it will all pan out in the end’. 1 Corinthians, shows us, by contrast, that being really clear about eschatology (ie how God is going to make things end up) is really vital for giving us really clear direction on how we should be living in the present.

It would be very easy for Christ Church to become three churches using the same building rather than the single, united community which we are meant to be. During this series we will therefore think about how those of us who come to the 9.30 service can and should relate to ‘the other bits of Christ Church – the other two Sunday services and their members at 11.00 and 6.30 and also our work with teenagers. Mission Sunday will also form part of this as we think about our relationship with the church’s overseas missionaries. At the heart of Christianity is the one God creating one, united people to belong to him and hopefully these talks will form part of helping that vision to become more of a reality at Christ Church.