During our service and at the beginning and end of this sermon, we sang and prayed this hymn:
Here are the notes from page 1 of our news sheet:
Healthy Family: What we need is a miracle
“Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.” (Acts 2.43)
Jesus and his disciples spread the good news in both proclamation (preaching) and demonstration (healings, miracles).
For Luke, who wrote a gospel and the Book of Acts, signs and wonders
bestow benefits (often physical) on those blessed by them.
show that Jesus truly is the Son of God in whom ‘there is salvation’ (Acts 4.12)
show that the Kingdom of God truly is among them.
form part of the Christian witness and produce faith.
Wherever signs and wonders are done in the name of Jesus today, they have the same potential. God works through the regular rhythms and rules of creation (e.g. modern medicine!), in response to faithful prayer and through specific acts of grace, sometimes miraculous.
Healthy Habits
From Pentecost we will explore and practise healthy habits of Christians. When we grow in Christlikeness, that itself is a gift of God’s grace. The more we practise healthy habits, the more signs and wonders we will see, with the habit of prayer playing a prominent role. And there is no greater miracle than the transformation of the human heart!
When we follow Jesus, the initiative always lies with him! It is important to remember this when it comes to miracles: we cannot produce them ‘to order’ and sadly the realm of God’s supernatural intervention can be misused for human manipulation and deceit. We need to humbly recognise that there will always be an element of mystery as to why we see some signs and not others. Many questions beginning with ‘why’ will remain. But as followers of Jesus we are already part of the greatest miracle of all – Jesus’ resurrection and our firm hope of overflowing and eternal life as we follow him.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
https://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.png00Christoph Lindnerhttps://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.pngChristoph Lindner2020-02-23 10:30:072020-02-23 18:13:22Sermon: Healthy Family – “What we need is a miracle!”
Here are the notes from the front page of our news sheet:
“Healthy Family: Follow me!” by Nnamdi Maduka
Discipleship (i.e. following Jesus wholeheartedly) has always been at the heart of what it means to be the family of Jesus and is one of the vital issues for today. The Christian church has largely neglected the thrust of the Great Commission: to make disciples (not just converts!). When the charge ‘follow me’ comes from a member of a healthy family and from someone we trust, it leads us into the fullness of life that Jesus promised. The first disciples were a strong community and the healthiness of that family has been a blessing to the Christian world. God has placed people around you with a purpose- it is for you to point them to Jesus, the living water. According to Andrew Roberts in his book ‘Holy Habits’, “there are striking similarities in Luke’s account of the call of Simon and the story of the call of Isaiah which reassures us that places of worship as well as places of work can also be places of encounter, call and commission.” By allowing Jesus to live His life through us we will be a living and attractive message from God, which people will read and by his grace find Him. There is no greater good news to be found anywhere than in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Who else in the history of the world, can answer the deepest cries of the human heart? The cry for meaning. The cry for unconditional love. The cry for forgiveness. The cry for freedom. The cry for hope.
The clear resounding answer to every cry is Jesus Christ! Not only has he something highly relevant to say concerning all our deepest needs, but by his living presence among us, he has the power to change the very heart of man/woman. When our hearts are transformed, the resultant impact on society will be staggering. This happened in the first century when a tiny handful of timid disciples began, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the greatest spiritual revolution the world has ever known. If they did, of course we can, for He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
https://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.png00Christoph Lindnerhttps://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.pngChristoph Lindner2020-02-02 10:30:252020-02-02 18:11:35Sermon: Healthy Family – “Follow me!”
https://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.png00Christoph Lindnerhttps://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.pngChristoph Lindner2019-10-27 10:30:352019-10-27 13:22:43Sermon: Stoop to Enter
https://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.png00Christoph Lindnerhttps://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.pngChristoph Lindner2019-09-01 10:30:142019-09-10 15:35:22Sermon: What gives you value?
28th April 2019- Nnamdi Maduka, 10.30am This talk is based on Luke 24.13-35
https://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.png00Christoph Lindnerhttps://www.denhamparish.church/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denham_Church_Logo.pngChristoph Lindner2019-04-28 10:30:052019-05-03 12:48:04Sermon: Where is God