Luke 6:47-48 The foundations of a building are not a luxury. If you have ever purchased a house, you will have almost certainly had a building survey carried out. Part of this process would be to ensure that the foundations were solid. Subsidence...
Luke 6:46 The title ‘Lord’ is far more than just a term of respect. It is to affirm that they have authority, and deserve to be worshipped and obeyed. That was the reason the early Christians felt that they couldn’t possibly declare: “Caesar is Lo...
Luke 6:45 Whether we like it or not, our words give us away. They reveal the kind of people we really are. The person whose words are always gentle, positive and encouraging gives us a window into their heart. But so, too, does the person who is f...
Luke 6:42 I am quite sure that Jesus was smiling when he spoke these words. The picture he gives is like a cartoon. It’s plainly ridiculous to pick out a tiny speck in someone else’s eye when you have a huge log stuck in your own. Jesus’ point is...
Psalm 139:23-24 One of the reasons many people read daily newspapers is to find out what terrible things other people do, in order to feel a little bit better about themselves. I won’t ask you whether that has ever been your motivation! In this...
Psalm 139:13-14 Our bodies are simply amazing. Here are a few random facts: Every second our bodies produce 25 million new cells. The tongue is covered in about 8,000 taste buds, each containing up to 100 cells. The entire surface of our skin is r...
Psalm 139:1-2 These days, we are incredibly sensitive about protecting our personal data. Quite rightly, we don’t want everyone to know everything about us. We have no doubt all received emails or letters from organisations who know far more ...
Psalm 138:8 When you sing about it or listen to a sermon on the subject, guidance can often sound very straightforward. But life rarely runs in a straight line. King David, who wrote this psalm, was definitely aware of that. He got himself into...
Acts 2:44-45 It’s fascinating to see the impact that the Holy Spirit had in the earliest days of the early Church. He transformed every part of their life. Yes, they were committed to teaching, fellowship and prayer but they also looked at th...
Acts 2:42 The first weeks of the early Church must have been amazing. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit totally transformed the situation. From a small group of disappointed and frightened believers, there was now a large number of people fi...
Acts 2:37-38 A sermon is worth nothing if it doesn’t lead to action. Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost powerfully described the reason for Jesus’ death. In words that would have shocked many in his audience, he pointed out that they had ...
Acts 2:16-17 When Peter spoke these words, he was addressing the huge crowds of Jews who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival known as Pentecost. On that day, the first fruits of the wheat harvest were offered to God. It was known ...
Luke 6:38 The metaphor used here would have been clear to Jesus’ listeners, but may mean little or nothing to us today. Let me explain: at the time, a person’s outer tunic had a large fold in it, which could be pulled out above the belt to ma...
Luke 6:27-28;32 I could be wrong, but I suspect that most of us will struggle to identify any enemies. But I suspect that most of us can readily come up with a list of people whom we find difficult or awkward. Jesus very strong command means ...
Luke 6:24-25 These words would have come as a huge surprise for Jesus’ hearers. They had been taught that being wealthy and well fed now were signs of God’s blessing. Jesus was seeking to wake his disciples up to the fact that you can’t have ...
