Christ Church Selly Park

Ben Green | Mark 4:26-29   [Jesus] also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces corn – first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. As soon as the corn is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harves...

Bobbie Frere | Colossians 1:1-2,15-20   The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him... For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcil...

Ben Green | Job 42.7-17 The Lord said, 'My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.' ... and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. To close the series Ben summarises what Job teaches us about the life of a believer: marked by warfare, requiring patience, humility and forgiveness - with blessing at the end. The recording begins with the re...

Ben Green | Job 38.1 - 42.6 'Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?     Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!' In the penultimate talk of the series, Ben looks at God's two speeches in reply to Job.  First God reminds Job that he is God - creator, sustainer of all.  Then he explores the nature of evil through the pictures of Behemoth and Leviathan...

Graham Romp | Job 9.32-35 | James 5.7-11 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming... As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. In this interlude in our series 'Job: Out of the Storm' Graham explores how Job points to Jesus in wha...

Ben Green | Job 32:1-5 | Job 33:8-18   Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him... When he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused. ‘But I tell you, in this you are not right,...

Allan Bartlam | Job 29:1-17 | Job 30:9-10, 30:16-23, 31:35-37   ‘How I long for the months gone by,   for the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone on my head   and by his light I walked through darkness! Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,   when God's intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me   and my children were around me.’ ... ‘I cry out to y...

Ben Green | Proverbs 8:1-11, 22-29 | Job 28   Does not wisdom call out?   Does not understanding raise her voice? ... ‘Choose my instruction instead of silver,   knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies,   and nothing you desire can compare with her.’ Where then does wisdom come from?   Where does understanding dwell? ... God understands the way to it   and he alo...

Ben Green | Job 19   ‘Have pity on me, my friends, have pity,   for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you pursue me as God does?   Will you never get enough of my flesh?’ ... ‘I know that my redeemer lives,   and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed,   yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him   with my own eyes – I, and not another.   Ho...

Allan Bartlam | Revelation 7:9-12   After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the La...

Bobbie Frere | Job 9:1-24, 32-35   Then Job replied: ‘Indeed, I know that this is true.   But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? Though they wished to dispute with him,   they could not answer him once in a thousand times. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.   Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? ... How then can I dispute with him?   How can I find words to argu...

Susan Haynes | Job 15:1-26   Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: ‘Would a wise person answer with empty notions   or fill their belly with the hot east wind? Would they argue with useless words,   with speeches that have no value? But you even undermine piety   and hinder devotion to God. Your sin prompts your mouth;   you adopt the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;   you...

Susan Haynes | Ephesians 1:15-23   I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great powe...

Peter Frere | Romans 12:1-2   Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will...

Ben Green Easter in emojis: Even though Ben's retelling of the story has a highly visual element, it can still be followed in audio only (follow the YouTube link to be able to see it). Nothing can truly convey the full drama of the first Easter Sunday, as the risen Jesus broke into the lives of his followers, just as he does today. The recording begins with an Easter greeting led by Bobbie Frere....

Rachel Fasham | Luke 19:28-40   When [Jesus] came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your discipl...

David Silvester | Mark 10:17-31   Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. This man, often known as the rich young ruler, had asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Why did Jesus...

Susan Haynes | Luke 18:15-17   People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child w...

Ben Green During the first few months of 2020 all our lives were profoundly changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, the effects were only temporary, but others lost relatives, businesses, education and more, and continue to live with the consequences. In this recording our resident puppets, Bert and Lucy, reflect on the effect on young people. Then, members of the congregation summarise some o...

Ben Green | Luke 10:1-20   After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.’ At least Jesus warned his disciples...

To begin a conversation about sexuality and marriage, we invited Andy Robinson (Training Director of Living Out) to speak to us.  In this second of two sessions, he explored how we might as a church live out what the Bible teaches, and also engage with wider culture in this area. Andy was a pastor for 19 years and now works part-time leading a ministry training course in Oxford alongside working w...

To begin a conversation about sexuality and marriage, we invited Andy Robinson (Training Director of Living Out) to speak to us.  In this first of two sessions, he shared some of his personal story and look at what the Bible has to say about sexuality and marriage. Andy was a pastor for 19 years and now works part-time leading a ministry training course in Oxford alongside working with Living Out....

Allan Bartlam | Matthew 14.22-33   Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly...

Graham Romp | Mark 5:1-20   When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hill...

Judy Ward | James 1:27-2:6   Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges wit...