Shirley Baptist Church Solihull, Sermons

Have you ever played darts? If so, have you ever hit a bullseye? It’s a great feeling when you do! But more often than not, people miss the mark. Interestingly, 'missing the mark' is a good way to describe the word ‘sin’, i.e. failing to meet God's standard. Something we all do - whether we want to admit it or not! And yet, God’s response to our failing to hit His mark is to show love and be rich...

Have you ever been offered riches that you've turned down? It probably depends on the conditions and the credibility of the person making the offer. But suppose there are no strings attached and the offer is made by someone with impeccable credentials. It would be foolish to turn it down, right? Paul wants the church in Ephesus to experience the riches of life in God. Are you?

Paul's letter to the Ephesians - an explanation of what it means to be a community of God’s people and how living the good news of Jesus provides a witness to the world. In this first sermon in a series that takes a deep dive into the letter, we discover the bountiful blessings that are found in Christ. How are these found? Well, when you base your life on Jesus, experiencing him as Lord and recei...

Why bother? A question often asked in many different contexts. But let's focus on faith here. Listen to one of our young people explain why it is worth following Jesus.

How much praise does God need? Psalm 145 seems to offer line after line of praise: God is great, God is even greater — and greater than that too! But what if praise is not something God needs from us, but something we need to recover - an act of worship where we lift Him up and remind ourselves that praising God is more than gratitude or positive thinking? Then it becomes a step of faith - turning...

Psalm 96. A psalm encouraging the whole world to sing praise to God, despite circumstances. But what does it mean to find our voice in a global chorus of praise and live with defiant hope in our daily lives - declaring together that the Lord reigns!

Psalm 100. A psalm that is full of positivity - an invitation to come and praise and worship the living God. This is a God who put billions of galaxies in place, and yet knows the number of hairs on each of our heads and wants to be in an intimate relationship with each and every one of us. All the Earth is invited to worship Him, not because of anything we have done or because of who we are, but...

Psalm 30. In it David does not focus on his current situation but looks back on his life and reflects with gratitude how God has turned his weeping into joy. Being grateful is good for you. In a recent article from the Harvard Medical School, they say: “…… gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good exper...

Remember the old days, when digital meant something you did with your fingers and a text was the preacher's chosen passage? Perhaps not, but whether it's online or a paper-based hard copy, the Bible is an amazing collection of writings. The story of God's interaction with humanity over thousands of years in all its mystery and wonder. Let's explore the variety of books in those sacred scriptures,...

Transformation Not Information by Shirley Baptist Church

Why is the Bible important? Does it matter regarding our relationship to God? How is your faith journey enriched and blessed by the Bible? Does the Bible feel overwhelming or a daily blessing? How does the Bible point to the life of Jesus for you? Let's start by looking at the big picture.

So, how should we welcome people who are different to us? Acts 11:1–18 gives us a great pointer. At first glance, this passage appears to be about the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the early church. But what if the greatest miracle in this story is not that the Gentiles are welcomed into the church, but that Peter is transformed by God? Let's explore Peter's remarkable journey from cer...

Reconciliation - the restoration of friendly relations after a dispute, argument, or estrangement. Often very tricky - more so than forgiveness. Why? Well, because forgiveness only takes one person's commitment, but reconciliation requires all parties to participate. So what does the Bible say about reconciliation? Thankfully, we have some great guidance in the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon i...

1st Corinthians 13 is a very well known and much loved chapter in the Bible. But what does it tell us about how to disagree well, especially in a Christian context? Well, love is the key. We often feel we know what is right and true, but sometimes another Christian, maybe a good friend, thinks differently. Maybe even diametrically opposed. In such circumstances, it is vital that the conversation i...

When was the last time (or first time) you sat around a campfire with friends and strangers and chatted, laughed and sang? Were marshmallows involved? The image of people around a campfire is such a good image of church life and community. How we talk, how we relate, what we share, and the depth of fellowship created are so important. In the book of Romans, Paul challenges the church in Rome to li...

Does disagreement between friends always have to end in tears, or can it have a positive outcome? How should we disagree within a Christian context? Let's check out what the bible has to say by looking at a couple of occasions when fellow believers in the early church fell out. We will see how, on one occasion, they managed to work through their differences and arrived at an outcome that satisfied...

What did you choose to wear today? Was it casual or smart? Was it for home, social or work? How long did it take you to choose what to wear? Whatever your fashion choices, the Bible speaks a lot about what to really clothe yourself with. Galatians 3:27 says, ‘clothe yourselves with Christ’. What a strange and weird phrase it is to clothe yourselves with Christ. What does that mean to you?

In the board game ‘Game of Life’, everyone starts off the same, with the goal being to gain the most money. That’s the prize. The accumulation of wealth and status and stuff, maximum materialism over everything and everyone. In the ‘real’ game of life, everyone also starts off the same, but the ultimate goal is not to gain money, but Christ. Discovering Jesus is so valuable that nothing compares t...

By looking at four Biblical characters, we explore our seasons of life and the unique opportunities and invitations they hold.

This is the final talk in our three-part mini series on giving. It is based on Luke 21:1-4, which contrasts the attitudes of giving between rich people and a poor woman who is a widow. The circumstances are vastly different, but Jesus notes the heart of devotion as the important and central aspect of giving. What, or rather, who, are you devoted to? Be encouraged in your devotion to God because th...

2nd Corinthians 9 says that God loves a cheerful giver. What does it mean to give cheerfully and generously, regardless of our situation? How can this inspire and transform us?

Giving in the life of the church. This is not an easy topic. Money, sex and power are often the things that cause most contention in church life, so approaching the subject of giving can be sensitive. We all experience the challenge of finances, but the Bible is clear about our shared responsibility of giving and how this is an act of worship and devotion.

Palm Sunday. A day when we celebrate Jesus as King as he rode into Jerusalem. It’s a great opportunity to offer praise and worship, thanking God for His goodness, but it’s also a great challenge. What actually is worship? And what sort of worship does God really desire from us? Jesus said true worship is in the Spirit and in truth, so what does this look like for each of us?

Baptism in water is something many of us in church have experienced. In a Baptist Church, this is through believers' baptism, while in other denominations, infant baptism is practised. But what about baptism in the Holy Spirit? What does that mean? What does it look like to be a person filled with the Spirit?

It's been said that church would be wonderful if it weren't for all the people. Paul was grappling with this as he wrote his letter to a young church in Corinth. A church split by different personalities and perspectives. He describes the church as a body with multiple parts - each one different but all needing each other. Then he breaks off with an interlude on the beauty of love shared among God...