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.
During September and October at the six30 service we looked at the figure of the servant in Isaiah 40-55 and what this had to teach us about Israel, Jesus and the Church. During Advent we will stay in Isaiah and look at the promises contained in three of its most purple passages – chapters 9, 11 and 35 – and reflect on how these promises both have been and will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The run up to Christmas has become one of the most obvious symbols of our deeply consumerist culture. A central part of this culture is the desire for instant gratification and frustration at any sense of having to wait for things. Obvious examples of this include the endless day-time commercials and letters we receive offering us credit and the adverts a few years ago promoting a certain credit card as being able to ‘take the waiting out of wanting’. Much of the cause of the financial crisis we are now enduring is fairly obviously tied up with these attitudes.
Part of the value of Advent is the way in which it challenges these attitudes by reflecting the Bible’s emphasis on the importance of waiting for the blessings that God has promised us. During Advent we will think in turn about the key figures traditionally remembered by the church during this season – Abraham and Sarah, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary. In each case these people were made promises by God that they then had to wait to see fulfilled. The aim of this series is to give us a deeper understanding of the God-given value of waiting and the liberation this can bring us to make the most of our present situations as we wait for what God has promised us.
The run up to Christmas has become one of the most obvious symbols of our deeply consumerist culture. A central part of this culture is the desire for instant gratification and frustration at any sense of having to wait for things. Obvious examples of this include the endless day-time commercials and letters we receive offering us credit and the adverts a few years ago promoting a certain credit card as being able to ‘take the waiting out of wanting’. Much of the cause of the financial crisis we are now enduring is fairly obviously tied up with these attitudes.
Part of the value of Advent is the way in which it challenges these attitudes by reflecting the Bible’s emphasis on the importance of waiting for the blessings that God has promised us. During Advent we will think in turn about the key figures traditionally remembered by the church during this season – Abraham and Sarah, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary. In each case these people were made promises by God that they then had to wait to see fulfilled. The aim of this series is to give us a deeper understanding of the God-given value of waiting and the liberation this can bring us to make the most of our present situations as we wait for what God has promised us.
One of the easiest things for Christians to do is to keep our faith rather separate from the world in which we live. During this short pre-Advent series across our three main services we will try to do the opposite, seeking to connect the Christian faith to a number of the things that surround us. ‘Remembrance Sunday’ falls within these series but also included within it will be ‘a Christian take’ on ‘Firework Night’, ‘The Summer Riots’ and ‘Websites the encourage Unfaithfulness’. In all of these very different areas, the Bible has a great deal to teach us as we reflect upon what our response should be to these different aspects of our culture.
One of the easiest things for Christians to do is to keep our faith rather separate from the world in which we live. During this short pre-Advent series across our three main services we will try to do the opposite, seeking to connect the Christian faith to a number of the things that surround us. ‘Remembrance Sunday’ falls within these series but also included within it will be ‘a Christian take’ on ‘Firework Night’, ‘The Summer Riots’ and ‘Websites the encourage Unfaithfulness’. In all of these very different areas, the Bible has a great deal to teach us as we reflect upon what our response should be to these different aspects of our culture.
One of the easiest things for Christians to do is to keep our faith rather separate from the world in which we live. During this short pre-Advent series across our three main services we will try to do the opposite, seeking to connect the Christian faith to a number of the things that surround us. ‘Remembrance Sunday’ falls within these series but also included within it will be ‘a Christian take’ on ‘Firework Night’, ‘The Summer Riots’ and ‘Websites the encourage Unfaithfulness’. In all of these very different areas, the Bible has a great deal to teach us as we reflect upon what our response should be to these different aspects of our culture.
The New Testament is full of practical teaching about how Christians should live once they decide to follow Jesus. During this series we will look at the short letter that Paul wrote to his co-worker Titus as he led a church that had been planted on the island of Crete. In this letter, Paul summons Titus and the Cretan church to be shaped and renewed by the new world that has been brought by Jesus Christ with its details having important implications for our leadership, relationships and lives at Christ Church.
There are some questions that we can try to avoid asking because their answers are ones that will challenge us and potentially change the way we live. Sometimes these questions relate to the wider world in which we live and sometimes they are ones more focused upon our personal lives. During this series we will look at a number of such questions, reflect upon their possible answers in the light of the Bible’s teaching and think about how the ways in which we live might need to change as a result.
Isaiah 40-55 is one of the most important sections of the Old Testament as the prophet speaks of the means by which Israel’s exile will finally come to an end. Central to these chapters of the mysterious figure of ‘the Servant’ and the crucial role that it plays in this process. At points the Servant appears to be Israel itself and at other points the prophet. As the prophecy reaches its climax, however, it is clearly also a special individual who will come to suffer as he bears the sins of Israel so that she can be set free. During this series we will look at the different pictures of the servant within Isaiah 40-55 and then reflect upon its implications for understanding Jesus better and also the church’s role as ‘Servant’.
For many Christians the book of Revelation is the hardest book in the New Testament chiefly because of its strange, lurid and sometimes violent imagery. As a result many Christians who are quite at home in the Gospels, Acts and Paul are much less sure of themselves when it comes to Revelation. But Revelation is a very important book offering a clear vision of God’s ultimate purpose for the whole creation and the way in which the powerful forces of evil, particularly at work in tyrannous political systems, can be and are being overthrown through the victory of Jesus and the resulting victory of his followers. The world in which we live is no less complex and dangerous than that of the first century and so engaging with the visions in Revelation can make a major difference to our attempt to be faithful witnesses to God’s love within it.
The original series was entitled The Challenge of Revelation, running during September and October 2011 and covering the first seven chapters of the Book of Revelation.
Returning in 2012 under the new title The Book of Revelation, during January and February, chapters 8 to 14 were covered. Across our morning services during these months we looked at idolatry and unpacking its nature and subtleties. Revelation is concerned with much the same theme as its writer exposes the pagan culture surrounding the churches it is written to. Containing many mysteries, Revelation still possesses a great deal that can help us through its realism about the nature of evil combined with its confidence about Christ’s victory over this.
The final chapters were then covered suring May and June, when we considered the sustained focus of the Book of Revelation upon why so much evil still exists in the world if God really has won the victory over it through the death of Jesus. This is one of the most perplexing issues that many Christians face, particularly as we get older. Why does the world seem to be getting worse rather than better? Why does God seem to be allowing evil to have such power? Revelation deals with these questions head on and its pastoral power lies in the way that it shows how the suffering that Christians are called to endure is all part of the implementing the victory of Christ.
During this year we have had lots of sermons at Christ Church seeking to help us improve our knowledge and understanding of the Bible. The whole aim of this project has been to equip us to understand and follow God more faithfully. In this series, which is a variation on the testimony talks that we had at six30 @ ccnm over the last few years, each of the speakers will select a particular section of the Bible that has helped them and explain some of the reasons why it made such a difference. Hopefully it will form another means of encouraging us to read the Bible more regularly so that it can bring more help to both our lives and that of Christ Church.
Over the last few years, we have used the month of August to have different members of Christ Church talk about ‘Why I am a Christian’. These have turned out to be some of the most popular and helpful talks that we have had during the year, with plenty of downloads recorded on the Christ Church website. Each year different members of our congregation tell us some of the story of their lives and the key factors that have led them to become and continue as Christians.
With the letters of St Paul it is very easy to miss the wood for the trees, getting lost in their detail rather than grasping their overall perspective. Much of the language Paul uses can also give the impression that his interests were technical and abstract rather than practical. In reality, Paul’s epistles were all extremely pastoral and written with the intention of making a real difference to the practical day to day lives of the churches to which he wrote. In this series we take a ‘bird’s eye’ look at five of Paul’s larger letters – Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians and Colossians – seek to grasp their overall message and reflect on the challenge they bring to the life of Christ Church.
With the letters of St Paul it is very easy to miss the wood for the trees, getting lost in their detail rather than grasping their overall perspective. Much of the language Paul uses can also give the impression that his interests were technical and abstract rather than practical. In reality, Paul’s epistles were all extremely pastoral and written with the intention of making a real difference to the practical day to day lives of the churches to which he wrote. In this series we take a ‘bird’s eye’ look at five of Paul’s larger letters – Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians and Colossians – seek to grasp their overall message and reflect on the challenge they bring to the life of Christ Church.
As part of our focus this year on improving our biblical literacy we have encouraged all the members of the 9.30 service to read Mark’s Gospel. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels and in some ways much the easiest to read. However there are still some parts of it which can look extremely strange and off putting. In this series each of the sermons will look at some of these aspects of Mark’ Gospel, seek to understand them better and the appreciate the important role that they play in Mark’s portrayal of Jesus.
Many Christians, if they are honest, really struggle to read the Bible regularly. Often this is because styles of reading the Bible that suits some Christians will not work nearly so well for others. During this series we will look at a number of different approaches to reading the Bible, most of which will be completely new to Christ Church members. As throughout this year at Christ Church, the aim is to give us greater access to the Bible and all the value that it contains to help us grow in our Christian faith.
During this year’s focus on biblical literacy we are encouraging all of the members of Christ Church to read the Bible more. This includes trying to get to know better those parts of the Bible that we are weaker on. In order to model this our clergy – Stephen, Helen and Carolyn, plus our lay reader in training, Katy Loffman, have each selected a book of the Bible that they don’t know particularly well – Joshua, 1 Peter, Jude and Zechariah. In each of these talks they will share something of the approach that they have taken in trying to get their chosen book better and what they have then received through getting to grips with their gaps in the Bible.
Part of our focus on improving our biblical literacy at Christ Church this year has been encouraging members of the 9.30 congregation to read Mark’s Gospel. This series will attempt to build on this by looking at four marks of Jesus that we see displayed in Mark’s Gospel – his use of parables, his respect for children, his exorcisms and healings and his control over nature. In each case we will think about what this mark of Jesus teaches us about his mission and reflect upon what we are called to do in response.
The Book of Amos is full of God’s judgement upon the people of Israel. Spoken around 750 BC, many of its oracles speak of God’s anger at the injustice within Israel and warn of the destruction coming upon the nation because of this. Amos also has some very harsh things to say about the ‘worship’ taking place alongside this injustice at shrines such as Bethel and Gilgal. This has led many to believe that the theme of the book is the true worship that God requires from his people. During this series we will therefore think about how our worship needs to change in the light of Amos’ message.
The singing of hymns and songs is an important part of our worship at both the 9.30 service and six30 @ ccnm. During these series we will look at a number of other ways in which we can also express our worship of God. Two of the most important of these are through our leading of holy lives and caring for the poor. The Bible is also clear, however, that because God’s creation is good, every aspect of our use of this creation can also form part of our worship of him. During the Christ Church Arts Weekend (6th-8th May) we will therefore look at how creating and nurturing beauty can form part of our worship and in other talks we will look at how both work and the leading of physical lives, through things like sport and exercise, can have a similar role.
The singing of hymns and songs is an important part of our worship at both the 9.30 service and six30 @ ccnm. During these series we will look at a number of other ways in which we can also express our worship of God. Two of the most important of these are through our leading of holy lives and caring for the poor. The Bible is also clear, however, that because God’s creation is good, every aspect of our use of this creation can also form part of our worship of him. During the Christ Church Arts Weekend (6th-8th May) we will therefore look at how creating and nurturing beauty can form part of our worship and in other talks we will look at how both work and the leading of physical lives, through things like sport and exercise, can have a similar role.
Once we have been Christians for a while there are a number of things that we know we are meant to believe. However, it’s often one thing to believe these doctrines in our heads and quite another to believe them in our hearts. In this series we will look a number of key Christian beliefs and try to be honest about their difficulties before reflecting upon how faith in their truth can become a greater reality in our lives. Beginning with God loving us and having a plan for our lives, the last two talks will then take an Easter slant focusing upon the atoning death of Jesus and the Resurrection.
During this year’s focus on biblical literacy we are encouraging all of the members of Christ Church to read the Bible more. This includes trying to get to know better those parts of the Bible that we are weaker on. In order to model this our clergy – Stephen, Helen and Carolyn, plus our lay reader in training, Katy Loffman, have each selected a book of the Bible that they don’t know particularly well – Joshua, 1 Peter, Jude and Zechariah. In each of these talks they will share something of the approach that they have taken in trying to get their chosen book better and what they have then received through getting to grips with their gaps in the Bible. These talks will also be used at 8.00 am Communion during March.
It was Martin Luther, the hero of the sixteenth century reformation, who described the letter of James as ‘a right strawy epistle’. Luther’s concern was that with its emphasis upon the need for ‘deeds’, ‘James’ was in danger of undermining the gospel truth that we are saved by grace through faith alone. An extremely practical book, James is rather about the necessity of our faith in Jesus Christ bringing about genuine change in our lives. Be prepared for a strong degree of challenge as we consider the ways that James is saying that our lives need to change if our Christian faith is to be something meaningful.
One of the values of the Bible is its realism about life and relationships. This particularly includes relationships within the family and the strains and tensions these often involve. The first part of this series will look at a number of examples of family relationships from the Old Testament and what we can learn from them before we then think about what Jesus taught about the family and the role of the Christian family in God’s purposes for the world.
At six30 @ ccnm during February we will think about four key aspects of what Jesus came to bring us – forgiveness, love, peace and purpose. Reflecting upon their significance for us, we will also consider how we can then we part of passing these blessings onto others as well.
Sometimes our tendency to harmonise the four gospels can result in their very distinctive portrayals of Jesus being rather lost. In this series we will therefore look in turn at Mark, Matthew, Luke and John and the key things that they intend us to understand about Jesus.
One of our aims for 2011 will be for every adult member of Christ Church to read through Mark’s Gospel. Mark is the shortest and punchiest of the four Gospels and by focusing on its very first chapter, this series will aim to facilitate our own reading of its exciting story.
Many Christians possess rather a lot of guilt in regard to the Bible feeling that it should be playing a greater role in their lives. Very often, however, the diversity of material within the Bible and its tricky parts can also make us rather unsure of the best approach to take to reading much of it. The sermons in this series will seek to help here seeking to demonstrate practical ways in which we can get the most out of different types of material found within the Bible.
For 2011 the Christ Church Motto Verse will be 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which speaks of the usefulness and power of the Bible. During the 11.00 service during January we will seek unpack the various things that this passage and its surrounding context say about the Bible and reflect upon the practical ways in which we can use it more effectively to sustain us in our Christian lives.
