Sermons

From time to time I put sermons I give up here. Not because I think they are particularly good, even less that they are model sermons. I can't even guarantee that I agree with everything I said then - I am (of course) learning all the time. But someone may be interested.

You can use the filters below to restrict which sermons you see. Sermons will be sorted newest first, which means that they appear in reverse order from that in which they were delivered.

Giving Money

Sun, 28/02/2016 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

Welcome to week 5 in our series on the theme of money. If you missed the first 4, they are all on our website. We have looked at what money is, earning money, spending money, and not having enough money. And today, we come to the theme of giving.

If you’re visiting us today, please do bear with us. We don’t talk about money often. We are far more interested in celebrating what God has given us. The money we give really is not what we’re about.

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Not Having Money

Sun, 21/02/2016 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

This morning we return again to the theme of money. In January, we asked what money is, and then thought about how we get money and how we spend it. Today’s sermon is entitled “no money”. We’re going to be thinking about the theme of wealth and poverty.

The Bible recognises that poverty is a reality. Many cultures look down on the poor, and see them as somehow less important. The Bible never does that. It is refreshingly counter-cultural. No matter how much money someone has, or doesn’t have, they are a human being made in God’s image. We all have equal value.

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Philippians 4:4-7 Be Gentle!

Sun, 31/01/2016 - 10:00 -- James Oakley

If you look at the world around us, there is lots that’s not right. There’s a great deal of unhappiness in the world. A great deal of aggression. And in increasing amount of anxiety.

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Spending Money

Sun, 24/01/2016 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

“Surely we don’t need a sermon on how to spend money! That’s easy!”. So someone said to me last week.

But step back a bit, and ask how we are to use our money, and the Bible has a great deal to say.

If you missed either of the past two sermons on money, they’re both on our website. We’ve asked what money is, and we looked at earning money.

And now reach the third instalment. Spending money. Using money. And as you look at the Bible on this topic, it warns us of the three dangers. They come up again and again.

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Earning Money

Sun, 17/01/2016 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

This week, a couple called David and Carol Martin from Scotland attended a news conference to be given a cheque for just over 33 million pounds. The National Lottery had rolled over 14 times in a row, bringing the jackpot to a record 66 million pounds. The Martins only won half of it, but I doubt they were complaining.

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What is Money?

Sun, 10/01/2016 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay. Ain't it sad. And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me. That's too bad. In my dreams I have a plan: If I got me a wealthy man, I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball

Money, money, money; Must be funny in the rich man's world. Money, money, money; always sunny in the rich man's world. Aha-ahaaa. All the things I could do if I had a little money: It's a rich man's world

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Matthew 1:18-25 Jesus Adopted

Sun, 20/12/2015 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

It’s easy to feel sorry for Joseph. He finds the girl of his dreams. They get engaged to be married. And then he discovers she’s pregnant.

What is Joseph to do? Most people would react in one of two ways. Some would simply forgive. Everyone makes mistakes, and this is Mary’s. Let draw a line on under it. We won’t speak of this again. For others, that would be too hard. They could never forgive unfaithfulness like this. The wedding’s off, and if Mary is humiliated in the process it’s no more than she deserved.

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Matthew 1:1-17 Jesus Anchored

Sun, 13/12/2015 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

Well, wasn't that reading boring?!

Some bits of the Bible leave you wondering why they're there. And this is one of them.

In fact, it's worse than that! This is how Matthew chose to open his gospel. It's even how the New Testament begins. Plenty of people attempt to read the whole Old Testament, and give up when they get bogged down in long lists of names and obscure laws. But surely you should be able to read the New Testament without getting stuck on page one!

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Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice!

Sun, 29/11/2015 - 10:00 -- James Oakley

This morning, we’re going to be talking about joy.

I don’t know whether the thought of talking about joy fills you with joy, or not!

We are at the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. For a while, we worked our way through this letter, during our quarterly combined services. We had a break last year for our Bible tour, and we’ve done other things so far this year. But it’s time to return to the letter, so we don’t miss the closing sections.

As Paul wraps up, he gives the Philippians some general instructions that he wants to leave them with.

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Isaiah 11-12 Happily Ever After

Sun, 22/11/2015 - 10:30 -- James Oakley

“… and they all lived happily ever after.”

So ends the fairy tale. We all love a story that ends well. It’s heart-warming. More importantly, we’d all like to be living in a story that ends well. Living where we do, with the story of life, the universe and everything still unfolding, there is much that is not good. So we need the reassurance that, for all the current struggles we face, we are at least living in a story that ends well. Do we get to live happily ever after?

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