Sermons by Chris Johnson (Page 2)

Acts 14, Part One

In this chapter of Acts we see Paul and Barnabus move from Iconium to Lystra and Derbe in their mission to spread the good news to the Jews and Gentiles in the region of Galatia. Chris speaks on how they manage to do this in spite of stiff opposition from some Jews and significant misunderstanding from many of the other people they meet. We are reminded that in our own evangelism people may not have the same view of God that we do and are challenged to make the gospel accessible to them.

Susan leads the rest of the service as we take time to reflect on God’s word and Mike leads our sung worship.

Acts 13, Part Two

We continue in our series in Acts this week, focussing on Paul and Barnabas’ preaching to the Jews and Gentiles in the towns of Galatia. We see how, just as in Jerusalem, many of the Jews rejected their message of salvation through Jesus and began to persecute those who believed, both Jews and Gentiles. Paul taylors his message to his audience, he doesn’t tell them the whole gospel just the bits they need to know at that time. A handy tip for when we ourselves are called to evangelise!

Andy leads the rest of the service, Trevor introduces our mission of the month for November – Mercy Ships – and Lynne and Pete lead our sung worship.

Acts 13, Part One

This week we carry on in our study of Acts and in chapter 13 we start to see the focus shifting away from Peter and the church in the Jewish world to Paul (formerly Saul)’s mission to evangelise to the Gentiles. Chris looks at the church’s sending of Paul on his first missionary journey to Cyprus alongside Barnabus, where they encounter spiritual opposition in the form of a false prophet. We hear how the Holy Spirit set apart those two men to bring the word of God to the world, what are we being set apart for today?

Ant leads the rest of the service, we hear about the final vision given to Loren Cunningham the founder of YWAM (our Mission of the Month) and Pete leads our sung worship.

Acts 12

This week we return to our ongoing study of the book of Acts. Previously we had seen the word of God begin to spread from the initial believers in Jerusalem throughout the Roman world and beyond, and we re-join the story a few years later where King Herod (the grandson of the *other* King Herod) was threatened by the increasing Chrisitan community back in Israel. He had Peter arrested and thrown in prison, but – as we find out – human chains cannot hold back God’s plans, and in this passage we see an amazing demonstration of the power of prayer. What are we praying for today?

Karen leads the rest of the service with updates from our Mission of the Month, YWAM, and the launch of the annual Operation Christmas Child shoebox appeal. Lynne and Dave lead our sung worship.

Living in Him

This week we conclude our series in 2 Corinthians with Chris speaking on Paul’s closing words to the Corinthian church. In these final paragraphs he encourages the people of Corinth to continue on their path of repentance and to strive for unity and peace. Not much to be learned from that these days, is there?

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

God’s Power Made Perfect

As we begin to draw to the end of our 2 Corinthians series we see Paul get more and more passionate that God’s power works in him through (and despite) his weaknesses. What do we define as ‘weakness’ and do we need to reassess our attitudes towards them?

Karen leads the rest of the service whilst Mike and Lynne lead our sung worship.

Old Testament Heroines – Rahab

As it is the first Sunday of the month we hold our regular All Age Service for September. We continue a mini-series looking at the heroines of the Old Testament, those women whose impact resonates down the ages in their service to God. This month Shona looks at Rahab, a Canaanite who God not only saved but wove into the family line of the Messiah. We see how her act of faith save her family and ultimately all who put their faith in Jesus.

Peter

We conclude our summer mini-series of studies by focussing on Peter’s experience of the resurrected Jesus and his reinstatement as the rock on which the Church will be built following his denial of Christ in the hours leading up to the crucifixion. Chris leads us through Jesus and Peter’s conversation on the shores of Galilee.

Ant leads the rest of the service with a illustration using the tools of his trade whilst Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

Mary Magdalene

This week Chris starts a short summer series inviting us to look at familiar Bible passages in unfamiliar ways. This first week we re-visit Mary Magdalene’s experience as she meets the resurrected Jesus on the day that he rose from the dead.

Lynne and Dave lead our sung worship whilst Lynne also leads prayers for peace to come to the violence that has erupted in our cities over the past weeks.

Boldness in Gentleness

We carry on with our series in 2 Corinthians with Chris this week looking at chapters 9 and 10 where we find Paul defending himself against his critics, the so-called “super apostles”. In chapter 9 he reassures the Corinthians that the gifts that they provide will be used to lend support during the famine in Jerusalem and not to line the pockets of him and his companions. Then in chapter 10 he writes about where his authority to preach comes from and how he can boast of his achievements through God and not through his own sense of self-importance.

Karen leads the rest of the service whilst Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.