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Sermons by Chris Johnson

Acts 19, Part Two

Our series in Acts continues. Last week we saw the Holy Spirit descend powerfully during Paul’s stay in Ephesus, this week we see the response of those in Ephesus unwilling to open up to Paul’s message and renounce their idols. Chris speaks on how as Christians we are called to reject that which society at large holds in high regard, whether that is money, power, position, or anything else that holds us back from embracing the good news of Christ whole-heartedly.

Karen leads the rest of the service as we continue to respond to the Spirit’s powerful presence amongst us. Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

Acts 19, Part One

Today we carried on in our study of the book of Acts, hearing about Paul’s second visit to Ephesus and the extraordinarily powerful way the Spirit fell on the believers in that city. Those that heard the good news were convicted by the Holy Spirit and abandoned the false teachings and practices of their earlier lives. Chris speaks on what a powerfully transforming influence being filled with – and continuing to be filled with – the Holy Spirit can be as we pray for one another in an unusual (but Biblically sound!) way.

Andy leads the rest of the service as we have our final YWAM update and Mike leads our sung worship.

Acts 18, Part Two

We continue our study in the book of Acts by Chris looking at the second half of chapter 18. In this installment we see Paul partnering with Priscilla and Aquila, leaving Corinth to make a first visit to Ephesus on his way to report back to the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch. We also meet Apollos who was preaching Jesus’ teaching with great passion and eloquence but had yet to hear of the resurrection, Priscilla and Aquila taking him under their wing and preparing him for his own missionary journey to Achaia. How can all of those events speak to us as a church in the 21st century? Well, rather well as it turns out!

Ant leads the rest of the service whilst Pete leads our sung worship.

For our Harvest service this year (a bit later than usual!) Chris speaks about Jesus’ teaching on the vine, branches and fruit and how we should be focussing on bearing fruit that lasts. We also hear from Tearfund where our Harvest offering will be donated and also the launch of this year’s Operation Christmas Child.

Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

Parables of Jesus: Only Doing Our Duty

Chris leads our all age service for September, continuing to look at the parables of Jesus. This month we look at how we respond to God when we have completed the works he has given to us to do. God invites us to be both his servants and his friends. How can we possibly react to that other than worship?

Mike leads our sung worship for this week.

Acts 17, Part Two

We re-commence our series looking at the book of Acts with another of Paul’s dramatic encounters with the rulers and authorities in the cities he is called to preach to. Last time we left Paul forcibly separated from Silas and Timothy, making his way to Athens alone. We pick up the story with Paul preaching the gospel in Athens before being brought before the Areopagus, the court of ancient Greece, to explain himself and these ‘new teachings’. As Paul explains, in Athens there were hundreds of idols worshipped. Chris challeges us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one true God, and not let him get lost within the noise of our lives.

Mike leads our sung worship this week.

Saved for Good Works

Chris concludes our short series on being saved by looking at the last of the three statements Paul lists in Ephesians 2, we are saved for good works. Salvation begins with grace—God’s unearned gift—received through faith, not earned by works. Yet true faith always bears fruit: Spirit-empowered good works that reveal God’s love, justice, and mercy. We are God’s handiwork, masterpieces in progress, recreated in Christ to participate in His redemptive mission. These good works, prepared in advance, are not religious tasks but living expressions of grace—feeding the hungry, forgiving the undeserving, welcoming the outsider. We are saved not just to be changed, but to become agents of change, embodying the gospel and joining God in the renewal of all things.

James leads the rest of the service looking at encouraging verses placed in scenic places, whilst Lynne and Dave lead our sung worship.

The link to view the video shown in the service click here…https://youtu.be/aH1Wn4fTiBs?si=0MreiO10NULfiSod

Saved Through Faith

Chris continues our short series on being saved by looking at the second of the three statements Paul lists in Ephesians 2, we are saved through faith. It is by faith that we can grasp onto the grace that God provided through Jesus, but we see that this is something that we must choose to do. To borrow an analogy, God provides the switch but we’re the ones that need to turn on the light!

Andy leads the rest of the service looking at an amazing story of forgiveness, whilst Pete leads our sung worship.

Saved by Grace

This week we begin a short series looking at the theme of being saved. We are saved by grace, through faith, for good works. Today: saved by grace. Chris speaks about the nature of grace, why it is needed, why God gives it as a gift and how we should respond to that gift.

Ant leads the rest of the service as he thinks about the past, present and future whilst Pete leads our sung worship.

Parables of Jesus: The Mustard Seed and Yeast

For our all age service for August James and Chris continue the series looking at the parables of Jesus, this time looking at the two joint parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. In the parables Jesus demonstrates how the Kingdom of God starts off in the small things but each of those grow to have a disproportionately huge effect on the environment around them.

Lynne and Dave lead our sung worship for this week.