Whether it's Palm Sunday or not, we need to welcome Jesus into our lives. Mark 14 shows us 3 ways we can do this: through sacrificial worship, like the woman who poured perfume on Jesus' head; through submissive worship, like the disciples who trusted Jesus' words; and through sacramental worship, as seen at the Last … Continue reading Welcoming Jesus
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Jesus’ authority
This is a sermon preached at St Peter & St Paul Shepton Mallet on Mark 11:27 - 12:17. Jesus enters our lives, as he entered Jerusalem, with authority. Our response should be submission. We should find our identity in him, the anchor in the storm, defining ourselves first and foremost as children of God. We should … Continue reading Jesus’ authority
The sovereignty of God
Or: God, our ultimate superhero This is a sermon I preached at St Aldhelm's Doulting, focusing on James 4:11-17. Superheroes are everywhere in today's culture. In some ways we're a bit like them, in that we often judge each other, comparing our own skills and achievements against other people. James points out that this is … Continue reading The sovereignty of God
Sermon: Living faithfully
This is a sermon I preached at St Peter & St Paul Shepton Mallet, looking at James 2:14-26. James writes to young Christians in churches across the Middle East, telling them that faith without works is dead. At first glance, that seems contrary to Paul's teaching, so we need to take a closer look at … Continue reading Sermon: Living faithfully
Sermon: Fear conquered through faith
In this sermon, preached on Sunday 19 February at St Peter and St Paul Shepton Mallet, we look at different types of fear, the importance of keeping our fear in the context of Jesus's power, and the assurance that fear is conquered through faith in Jesus. Mark 4:35-6:6 https://www.matthewdawkins.co.uk/wp-content/audio/sermon-2017-02-19.m4a
Sermon: redefining the Kingdom
Another sermon, preached at St Aldhelms Doulting on 5 February. Many people think they are entitled to the Kingdom of God, but Jesus's message is that it is only by grace that we are saved. Mark 3:7-35 https://www.matthewdawkins.co.uk/wp-content/audio/sermon-2017-02-05.m4a
Sermon: Jesus, King of sinners
In my latest sermon, preached on 22 January 2017 at St Aldhelm's Doulting, we look at Mark 1:40 - 2:17. We read about the leper Jesus healed, the paralysed man who was lowered through the roof, and the calling of Levi. https://www.matthewdawkins.co.uk/wp-content/audio/sermon-2017-01-22.m4a Summary Donald Trump has been inaugurated as President of the US, and the … Continue reading Sermon: Jesus, King of sinners
Genesis 4: anger and justice
This is a sermon I preached at St Aldhelm's Doulting, looking at Genesis 4. One of the consequences of sin is the need for justice, to stand up for what is right and to correct what is wrong. When Cain's offering is rejected, his reaction is to take out the competition - he kills his … Continue reading Genesis 4: anger and justice
Genesis 1: Nothing is too big for God
Here is a short sermon I preached at St Peter & St Paul Shepton Mallet, looking at Genesis 1:1-2:3. Genesis 1 isn't a science textbook, it's not a list of facts, it's a story to teach us something. Moses wanted to remind the Israelites that God was powerful, and that he had a plan that … Continue reading Genesis 1: Nothing is too big for God
Psalm 138: God’s faithfulness
This is a sermon I preached at St Peter & St Paul Shepton Mallet on Psalm 138. David is a successful and powerful king, but even he was fearful sometimes and needed to trust in God's faithfulness to get him through. God keeps his promises, such as his promise to Abraham that he would be … Continue reading Psalm 138: God’s faithfulness