When a new year dawns we may resolve to change our lives. Some of those resolutions may work out well; others not so well. But we should also look for the missing resolutions. The changes that we ought to make
Christmas 2019 Talk 2
A talk given by our pastor, David Last, at our evening carol service on Sunday 22nd December 2019.
Rotten royals
Many love a gossipy royal story, especially when it involves immorality, corruption, power and greed. Well, those were certainly part of the lives of the family of Herods who appear for the last time in Scripture here with King Agrippa
Have you washed?
Rituals are found in human societies across the world and often come with a strong pressure to conform. First century Judaism had quite a few, developed from the Old Testament (Mk 7:1-13). However, the reason for them is not always
Why do you persecute me?
In the 1st century, Israel was a nation with a long history, embedded customs, strong bonds and great pride. To see such a nation radically changed is hard work; to see such a nation changed when all you can do
True justice
If the material universe is the ultimate reality, then our concerns about right, wrong and justice are simply human inventions to make life more bearable; they have no bigger meaning since the universe ‘doesn’t care.’ We, however, cannot treat them
Stop and listen
Moments come in life when we need to listen to others, even when we would prefer not to do so. Many factors about us may hinder that from happening. But we need the humility to remove the blocks and hear
Serious, self-denying service
The New Testament is very aware that churches can end up with leaders who abuse their position. Paul reflects on this topic in our verses, as he gives his final speech to the elders from the church in Ephesus (Ac
Racing towards danger
It can be very helpful to pause and ask ourselves the question: “What matters most to me?”. Or to put it a different way: “What would I want to get right in my life, even if I got everything else
Social impact
There are points in history when a society is affected deeply by the Christians within it. That can be seen in this story of Paul’s gospel work in the city of Ephesus. Paul has spent a long time building up