Sermons – St Peter's Barge

Hebrews 9:23-10:18 Asking around Canary Wharf, Jesus might be considered insignificant: a historical figure, a nice man, but offering little to help the mess in this world. Come to hear what Jesus' followers learned: Jesus came to begin a new era of history, an era where people change, mess is finally put right, and that we can be a part of this.

John 4:4-30 Humanity is seeking all kinds of satisfaction in all kinds of places and people, but so many find the satisfaction they find doesn't last and isn't secure. Listen in as Jesus tells us about ultimate, lasting, cleansing satisfaction from and with him.

Hebrews 9:1-22 How do you deal with a guilty conscience? We saw that the new covenant provides the context for security. But what gives us confidence that the covenant is secure? When doubts linger and failures weigh on us, it's easy to wonder whether that security could ever slip away. In this talk we look more closely at the foundation of the new covenant and why it offers real assurance for troubled consciences.

John 3:1-21 One of the best-known verses in the New Testament, John 3:16, begins with a ‘For', connecting it to the previous verse: which is from the Old Testament! We can't fully-understand, or fully-appreciate, the one without the other. John the gospel-writer introduces us to Nicodemus, a teacher of ‘the scriptures' (what we now call the Old Testament) in order to tell us the good news of God's love in sending Jesus, the Light of the World.

Hebrews 8:1-13 How do you deal with a guilty conscience? When it keeps you awake, or keeps God at arm's length? We're good at staying busy and moving on, but we need something better than denial or distraction. In this talk, we consider real help for troubled consciences.

John 1:43-51 How clear is your view of Jesus? As we start a new series looking at encounters with Jesus in John's gospel, we will be challenged to ‘see' him more clearly. Like Nathanael, are we prepared to have our vision of Jesus expanded? Are we willing to move ever closer to the light that shines in the darkness?

Hebrews 7:1-28 When challenges come our way, the promises that Jesus makes can seem unlikely to be true. God's antidote: the reason why anyone can be certain of these promises, the best promises ever heard.

Jesus' parables tell us about the values and shape of the Kingdom of God. For us, Luke 16:19-31, challenges us to examine how deeply Kingdom values inform our lives. 

Hebrews 4:14-5:10 Whether we're looking into faith or have been following Jesus for many years, we can be uncertain about how we could possibly keep following Jesus to the end. Hebrews tells us that we have one hope of making it to the end: Jesus. He has already made it and he will give us the help we ask for. 

Luke 16:1-15 In this sermon, Phil Williams explores Jesus' challenging parable of the dishonest manager and asks what it means to live with urgency, faithfulness, and generosity when eternity is real. Speaking into the realities of money, stewardship, and discipleship, the sermon calls us to examine who or what we truly serve and to use what God has entrusted to us for eternal good.

Luke 15:1-32 The parable of the prodigal son famously emphasises that there's no-one too lost or too far from God. But less well known is its shocking challenge to the religious and the respectable.

"Why did Jesus need to become a man?" It's a classic theological question with a surprisingly practical answer. In Hebrews 2:5-3:6 we will see how Jesus being "one of us" changes everything.

Luke 12:13-34 All of us want to live well: to get to the end of our life and to know we didn't waste it. Jesus tells a famous story about someone who seems to win at life, and yet when God appraises his life at the end, it turns out he had utterly failed in the only thing that really counts. Join us as we listen to Jesus' teaching on How not to waste your life.

Why do we find it so hard to truly listen to the Bible? Sometimes it can feel dull, repetitive, and laborious - just another dry text to get through. The truth is, our attention usually depends on whether we grasp the sheer weight and authority of the person speaking. In Hebrews 1:1–2:4, we discover the voice behind the pages of scripture.

Luke 14:15-24

Have you ever wondered whether you actually have enough to make it to the end - enough faith, endurance, or strength to keep going as a Christian? When we are tempted, feeling dry or drifting, many of us quietly question whether we will make it to the end. In this talk, we will explore an overview of the letter to the Hebrews and see how the preacher assures us that in our confession, "Jesus Christ our Lord", we already have more than enough.

Luke 10:25-37 Though humans tend to think that they can do well without God, or even be righteous on their own, Jesus' conversation with the lawyer proved otherwise.

Luke 8:4-15 Jesus' parable of the sower challenges us to examine how we receive God's word and calls us to become good soil that bears lasting spiritual fruit.

Luke 2:1-7 By looking at the time, the place, and the way that Jesus was born, we see God wants a relationship with us.

Psalm 130 A cry from the depths shows us both the seriousness of sin and the astonishing mercy of God, as we wait in hope for full redemption in Christ.

Psalm 127 A call to abandon anxious toil and depend wholly on the Lord, who alone builds his house, watches over his people, and brings true fruitfulness.

Psalm 123 A pilgrim prayer that teaches God's people to lift their eyes to the enthroned Lord for mercy, even as the world heaps on contempt.

Psalm 121 A song for the journey that teaches us to lift our eyes to the Lord — the Maker of heaven and earth, who helps and keeps his people in every circumstance.

Psalm 120 On Remembrance Sunday, we cry out for deliverance from lies and discover lasting peace through Christ - the One who faced falsehood and brought.

Hebrews 10:26-39 Keep persevering so you receive God's promised reward, not judgement.

Hebrews 10:19-25 Because of Jesus' once-for-all sacrifice, believers can approach God with confidence and persevere together in faith, hope, and love.

Acts 28:17-31 Paul ends Acts proclaiming Jesus as King from captivity, showing that the gospel of hope goes out unhindered and calls us to share it freely.

Ruth 3 Seeking rest and refuge under God's wings

Ruth 1-2 Life under God's promises in the midst of suffering

Jonah 1:17-2:10 Jonah is a book of opposites. Jonah is told to go up, but he goes down, he deserves judgement but is saved instead. Come and see the prayer where God breaks and remakes Jonah. And consider Christ who was greater than Jonah and shows us even greater grace.

Jonah 1:1-16 Jonah is an unlikely prophet who when sent to Nineveh, ran instead. It seems he only obeyed God when it suited him. God's people would do well to learn from Jonah's mistakes!

Acts 27:1-28:16 Paul's shipwreck journey to Rome shows that the Christian life brings both suffering and the comfort of God's sovereignty. These are truths that steady us when the seas rage.

Acts 25:13-26:32 Paul, once the enemy of the gospel, now testifies in chains before King Agrippa about the risen King Jesus. His defence shows the gospel fulfils Scripture, brings hope, and demands a decision.

Acts 23:12–25:12 Facing plots, accusations, and trials, Paul shows that the gospel fulfils the Scriptures, gives the safest hope through the resurrection, and clears the conscience before God.

Acts 21:17 - 23:11 Facing false accusations, violent opposition, and unjust trials, Paul models flexibility for fellowship, a faithful defence, and fearless courage in Christ.

Acts 20:29–21:16 As Paul heads to Jerusalem he leaves warnings to be watchful! We need to listen to these if we are to keep going!

Acts 20:17–28 Paul's goodbye to the Ephesian Elders is unforgettable, it's a rallying call for the Christian life.

Isaiah 6:1-8 King Uzziah has died. Enemies surround Israel. Now is the perfect time for Isaiah to be reminded of the Holy God who offers cleansing and commissioning to this prophet who confesses his sin. 

John 13:1-30 Jesus has embarked on a great washing project and he wants us to join him as he washes the whole world of its sin and shame. But do we really need washing? And can we really play a role in washing the whole world?

Acts 20:1-16 In a discouraging world, what should church be doing? How should we live as Christians? Acts 20 gives us encouragements and warnings!

Mark 10:46-52 What values do you hold to? Do they match up with Jesus' kingdom values of service over being served? Jesus shows us so clearly in this healing of blind Bartimaeus how we should make time for needy people.

Psalm 23 It has been called ‘the pearl of the psalms' with good reason. It's such a beautiful description of who God is and his complete care and provision for us as his people. May its message sustain us today, whatever we are going through at the moment, as it has God's people over many centuries.

Revelation 20:11-21:8 In business a destination postcard paints a picture of the future, and helps employees align on the mission. In the Church it is even more important that we don't lose sight of the mission. God has given us two destination postcards in this passage to keep us on course.

Acts 19:21-41 As the word of the gospel goes out, the idols of our hands and hearts are exposed, which means the gospel will face opposition.

Acts 19:11–20 What should a Christian think about the spiritual temperature of our age? What does it mean to follow Jesus wholeheartedly when there are many rival powers seeking our…

Acts 18:24–19:10 Who are you following? And what impact does that have on your life? Following Jesus is the best thing we can do with our life, and the first…

HEBREWS 9:27-28And just as it is appointed for man to die once, andafter that comes judgment, so Christ, having beenoffered once to bear the sins of many, will appear asecond…

Haggai 2:10-23 God is in the construction business, building his Church. And he wants us to become not just bricks but also builders with him. But why should we make this…

Haggai 2:1-9 Are you a nostalgic person? Some people are forever looking back to ‘the good old days'. It's not healthy in life generally, nor is it in church life. Instead, we need to be working hard in building the church in the present, looking to the future.