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Mark 6:30-34; 53-56 Last Saturday at our men's breakfast, one of the town pastors was telling us about an incident that happened a few weeks ago. A gorgeous girl, with minimal clothing, came out of one of the clubs surrounded by a retinue of male admirers. She lurched drunkenly across the street to where the two town pastors were standing in their bright yellow jackets. She came up to them, and she asked, 'Is this all it is. Is there more to life than this?' She had the looks, she was clearly popular, she was supposedly out on the town 'for a good time', and she wanted to know if there was more to life than this. It is not an original question Song written by Freddie Mercury, with a version sung by Michael Jackson - both people who had so much and yet were desparately mixed up There must be more to life than this There must be more to life than this How do we cope in a world without love Mending all those broken hearts And tending to those crying faces There must b...

Resurrection study day: 1 Corinthians 15 for the Christian Arts Society 1. THE FACT OF THE RESURRECTION (1 Corinthians 15:3-11) Michael Ramsay: What is the gospel? the story of Jesus Death of Jesus (in accordance with the scripture) Buried Raised on third day (in accordance with the scripture) He appeared: multiple appearances ('most of whom are still alive') Wolfhart Pannenberg: “The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: first, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live.” 2. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION (1 Corinthians 15:12-34) The resurrection is not just an add on, a confirmation of the cross. It is essential. Some were saying that there is no resurrection from the dead (vv12-34). If that is true:Christ has not been raised 1. Our preaching is in vain - we misrepresent God 2. Your faith is in vain - the G...

Mark 5:21-43 We are looking at a subject today that for some people here will be very painful. This is a story about the healing of a woman who had suffered greatly for 12 years, and the raising of a 12 year old girl from the dead. The passage is answering a question that the disciples ask in Mark 4:41: We looked at it last week. The disciples see Jesus calm the wind and the waves, and they ask, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him'. In the next few verses (Mark 5:1-20), we read that Jesus has authority over evil Spirits, and today we read how Jesus has authority over sickness and death. And I think that the key verse here is an echoe of a verse in Mark 4. In Mark 4:40, Jesus says to the disciples, after he has calmed the storm, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?'. In Mark 5:36, Jesus says to Jairus, before he raises his daughter, 'Don't be afraid, just believe'. Two things are going on here. 1. We are being shown that Jesus is...

Genesis 37:12-36 Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?" The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!" Jealousy is intensely powerful. This is a story of what jealousy can do. Joseph has just told his brothers - in his diplomatic way - that one day they will all bow down to him. And in Genesis 37.11 we read 6 words - devastating - 'His brothers wer...

Mark 4:26-34 These parables are great news for pastors; they are great news for control freaks; and they are great news for people who despair about the future. They are great news because they tell us that the Kingdom of God is like a seed that has been sown. It will grow. So there is no need to be anxious and no need to think that it all depends on me. It will grow whether we worry about it or not. It will grow whether we fuss over it or not. All that it needs is space and time. So what is this Kingdom of God which will come? The Old Testament looks forward to the establishment of the Kingdom of God , the rule of God, on this earth. It will be a Kingdom which will be ruled over by a king, a descendant of David; and he will reign for ever. The Jews knew that person as the Messiah, the anointed one of God. He would establish righteousness and justice and freedom. Creation, and the laws which govern creation, will be reordered. Power structures will be transformed; those whose sur...

John 16:12-15 Pentecost is very special. We have heard the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and we celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit. And it is good to be here together today: first time in the reordered St Peter's. There is something very encouraging about being together, and we need the encouragement of each other. It is hard to be a follower of Jesus Christ today. In fact it is, at times, a bit like a hard long slog.  1. You have to be prepared to be different, to live by a different agenda. To live for the things of Jesus Christ and not for the things of this world (wealth, comfort, status, satisfaction of our physical desires) 2. There are times when we experience opposition - or at least feel that we have become an unappreciated or unloved minority. Whereas 100 years ago, legislation was on our side; today we are increasingly finding we have to struggle against that legislation. Our church communities seem to be increasingly isolated from wide...