Sermons by James Stone

Sermons by James Stone

The Sower and the Seed

The Sower and the Seed – Mark’s Gospel chapter 4 Thoughts, questions and doubts. Is serving Jesus worth the effort?  13 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places,…

A New Year’s Prayer

A New Year’s Prayer – Hebrews 13:20-21 We all have hopes for the new year. The basis of the prayer Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep… Hebrews 13:20 “May the God of peace….” He is the one who enables all good things. Who enables, best of all, our eternal redemption, and a clear conscience. He, Jesus, is the great…

The Sign

The Sign – Isaiah chapter 7 The Christmas Surge! No need to panic.  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 The birth of Jesus is seen in the birth of this child 700 years before. Fear  Now the house of David was told, ‘Aram has allied itself with Ephraim’; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the…

Jesus, the Glory and the Shame

Jesus, the Glory and the Shame Glory and shame The hour of Jesus’ glorification Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’ 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I…

Grace for the Humble – Family Sunday

Grace for the Humble – Family Sunday – 2 Kings chapter 5, verses 1 to 14 An Army Captain Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1 “All his vict’ries, all his might, could not remove this one blight.” A…

Strong Hands

Strong Hands – John’s Gospel chapter 10 verses 22 to 30 3 Scenarios Previously we saw how we become Jesus’ “sheep”. Here we see how we stay being Jesus’ sheep. A question of identity 22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered round him, saying, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us…

Playing with Fire

Playing with Fire – Proverbs 6:2- to 7:27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap    without his clothes being burned?28 Can a man walk on hot coals    without his feet being scorched?29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;    no one who touches her will go unpunished. Proverbs 6:27-29 But remember Solomon is speaking to his son. There are male as well as female tempters. It cuts both ways.

God’s Suffering Servant

God’s Suffering Servant – Isaiah chapter 52:13 to 53:10 The sanitisation of Easter? What is it from a Christian perspective? There would be no Easter without Jesus. God’s Servant. See, my servant will act wisely;    he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Isaiah 52:13 “See, my servant” – look here for the answer. God’s Servant suffers He was despised and rejected by mankind,    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.Like one from whom people hide their faces    he was…

Life as a Living Sacrifice

Life as a Living Sacrifice – Romans chapter 12 verses 12 to 16 Life as a living sacrifice. Hard, yet rewarding. Living sacrifices live a life of hope and prayer in trials  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 Patience endurance is the call, not naturally but in dependence on Him, in prayer. This is the answer. Living sacrifices live a life marked by generosity Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise…

Believing is Seeing

Believing is Seeing – John’s Gospel, chapter 9, verses 35 to 41 Light – revealing AND blinding Just like car headlights: They reveal much on a dark night, but someone else’s high beam can also blind us. Blindness that sees 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ 36 ‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.’ 37 Jesus…