Genesis 3:1-8 — The Reformation was driven by a fresh emphasis on Scripture and its proper place in the life of the church. The Reformers recognised and confessed that Scripture alone is the final authority in matters of faith and practice. In this sermon Pastor Brendan discusses the doctrine of Sola Scriptura and traces its…
Luke 7:36-50 — On the 31st October 1517 an Augustinian monk nailed 95 theses to the door of a church in Saxony. What were those theses all about? Why are we still talking about them five centuries later? As we mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation we consider what prompted Martin Luther to pen this…
Exodus 1:6-14 — After centuries in Egypt circumstances changed dramatically for the Children of Israel. A new Pharaoh decided to turn on this group of people that had grown rapidly. He made them slaves and subjected to them to a regime of terrible violence and brutality. These were God’s chosen people, so why did He allow…
Jeremiah 42 — In this chapter we meet a remnant in Judah who survived not only the atrocities committed by the Chaldeans but also the murderous activities of a warlord named Ishmael. Their leaders were ready to take them into Egypt in the hopes of finding safety, security and economic opportunity but before they departed, they…
Colossians 3:21 — “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” How can we as parents provoke our children? What happens when they are discouraged? Are we raising discouraged children? These are serious questions that this text causes us to ask. In this short Bible study there is a vitally important message for…
Romans 5:3-4 — Sometimes it seems as though all we have to rejoice in as Christians are those things that await us in the future. We feel like we have to grit our teeth and somehow make it through this life while trying to keep our eyes fixed on the glory that is to come. Is…
James 1:22-25 — When does a sermon finish? The obvious answer is when the preacher says “Amen” and stops talking, but this is incorrect for it’s then, for the hearer, that the sermon really begins! In this message Pastor Brendan explains what we must do to ensure we receive all that God for intends for us from the…
Colossians 3:20 — As we continue our study of the Household Code we come to the command addressed to children. In this short lesson we consider Paul’s instruction in light of God’s Law and the example of God’s Son. Jesus “learned obedience” and it was difficult, just as it is for children today!
Colossians 3:19 — “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” This was a very unusual command in the Greco-Roman world of the First Century. Pederasty and prostitution flourished in these ancient societies. It was not uncommon for a man to have a wife but also to engage in these sexual practices. So…
Jeremiah 22:13-19 — King Jehoiakim was a man driven by greed and in this short text we see what his greed led to. He exploited and oppressed his own people. He perpetrated violence and murder and as a consequence God ensured he died a shameful death. Jehoiakim’s life stands as a warning about the deadly dangers…