King's Church Darlington

Ruth 1.1-5. The Old Testament book of Ruth is a beautiful short story of calamity, loyalty, vulnerability, hospitality and opportunity, with growing romantic suspense. Through all the changing fortunes of the story’s characters, the author skilfully shows how God slowly but surely weaves his grander purposes of grace and redemption into the everyday ups and downs of our lives. But the first five v...

Philippians 4.10-23. The letter to the Philippians draws to a close with some final remarks from Paul before he signs off and sends his letter on. The end of the letter focuses on giving and gratitude, and it has much to say to us about generosity and God’s supply of all our needs. 13 July 2025.

Philippians 4.1-9. How do we live in harmony with people we don’t really get on with? How do we live stress-free instead of with constant anxiety? As Paul prepares to sign off his letter to the church in Philippi, he shows two women who weren't getting on how to live in peace with each other before giving two keys to unlock personal peace; leaving things with God instead of worrying, and focusing...

Philippians 3.12-21. After stating his ambition to know Christ more fully in the first half of Philippians 3, Paul then explains how intends to make that a reality in the second half. Verses 12-21 outline five vital keys to unlock the prize of knowing Christ. 29 June 2025.

Philippians 3.1-11. What do you think when you look back on your family tree, your upbringing and your achievements in life? And in what ways has becoming a Christian made a difference? As we move into chapter 3 of Philippians, we read about one man who had absolutely everything going for him, until his Christian conversion, which tipped his world upside down. And all that has massive implications...

Philippians 2.19-30. Having just taught about having the heart of a servant and looking to each others' interests, Paul commends two of his team, Timothy and Epaphroditus, as exemplars of what he has been saying. Happy to play second fiddle and work hard in the shadows, these two men are a challenge to us, whose commendation will come from the Lord if we live as faithfully as they did. 15 June 202...

Philippians 2.12-18. What does it mean to work out the salvation that we have received from God. Paul gives us some practical steps as read his instruction to the church in Philippi. 8 June 2025.

Philippians 2.1-11. Josh Glendenning speaks on the beautiful passage found on Jesus in Philippians 2. 1 June 2025.

Philippians 1:21-30. Paul is unsure on which would be better, to live or to die, but he is sure that if he lives, that his life would be devoted to serving Jesus. And is he were to die, then it would be gain. Paul encourages the church to stand together in unity, a powerful challenge for the church today. 25 May 2025.

Philippians 1.12-20. Despite being detained in custody, Paul seems really upbeat; the gospel is bearing fruit not despite Paul's imprisonment, but because of it! This is spiritual advance through spiritual adversity. How can this be? And are there any instances of how this works practically in our day? 18 May 2025.

Philippians 1.1-11. As Paul opens his joyful and prayerful letter to the young church in Philippi, he speaks of grace and peace; two foundational gifts from God that we must never lose sight of in our church today. 11 May 2025.

In this talk, author, theologian and friend of King's Andrew Bunt speaks about current cultural attitudes towards sex and sexuality and he contrasts them with what the Bible teaches. Is the biblical view on human sexuality even viable in a society that so fundamentally disagrees with it? How does God's word fit with our deepest longings? 4 May 2025.

Luke 24.13-35. This conclusion to our 'Before the Cross' sermon series focuses on the compelling story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Burdened by the weight of the past week's events, their being joined by a fellow traveller turns out to be an unexpected meeting with the risen Lord. Their encounter becomes a profound lesson in understanding Scripture and how it all points towards Jesu...

Luke 24.1-8. The four Gospels all agree; on the first day of the week, Jesus’ tomb was unexpectedly empty, the body was gone, but was later seen by several witnesses. Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day as he had said. No other explanation makes sense or stands up to scrutiny and that changes everything. 20 April 2025

Isaiah 52.13 - 53.12. Our 7-part sermon series exploring Old Testament prophetic previews of the cross concludes with, beyond doubt, the clearest vision of them all. Isaiah describes a servant; a man of sorrows, rejected and despised as he bears the sin of his people, who dies and is buried, but then appears alive again after his sufferings - all written down about 750 years before Jesus was even...

Psalm 22.1-31. In this sixth of seven brief ‘trailers’ from the Old Testament, as if giving a sneak peek into an upcoming blockbuster film, David writes in the first person about a suffering individual, but it is clearly not himself. Acts 2 says that David was a prophet, and Psalm 22 is his clearest vision of the afflictions of his greatest descendant, born 1,000 years after the psalm was composed...

Deuteronomy 21.22-23 and Galatians 3.10-14. In this fifth prophetic picture of Christ's afflictions from the Old Testament, an obscure detail in the Law of Moses is picked up by Paul in Galatians 3, shows how the cross turns curses into blessings. We apologise for the inferior sound quality in the first 4 minutes of this recording. 30 March 2025.

Numbers 21.4-9. During the last year of their desert wanderings, the Israelites complain yet again and the Lord sends venomous snakes as a judgment. But, in another foreshadowing of the cross that Jesus himself refers to in John 3, Moses lifts up a bronze snake on a pole, and all who look to it are healed. 23 March 2025.

Leviticus 16.6-30. Another amazing prefiguring of the cross occurs in the book of Leviticus. A goat whose blood is shed to forgive guilt, and a goat who dies outside the city wall to remove shame. Both point to Jesus and his perfect sacrifice, making atonement, once for all. 16 March 2025.

Exodus 12.1-13. In our second Old Testament passage foreshadowing the sufferings of Christ, we look at the Passover; where the blood of an innocent lamb without defect, on vertical and horizontal pieces of wood, protects those inside from judgement and death. This central celebration of the old covenant points to Christ and all he did on the cross to bring in a new and everlasting covenant. 9 Marc...

Genesis 22.1-18. Genesis 22 opens with a strange and traumatic story about God testing a man by calling him to offer his beloved son on an altar of sacrifice. But God provides an alternative and the whole event points forward to Jesus' perfect offering of himself, once for all, on the same mountain centuries later. 2 March 2025.

Matthew 25.31-46. Jesus concludes three parables concerning the Last Things with the metaphor of a shepherd separating his sheep from his goats, symbolising the Lord's sorting the entire human race into two groups at the last judgement, defined by what they did or failed to do. How does this agree with justification by faith alone? How should we respond to the message of this story? 23 February 20...

Matthew 25.14-30. In this series of three parables in Matthew 25, Jesus shows us what faith must look like. In v1-13, he tells us faith must be ready. In v31-46, he says faith must be generous. But in this parable, he tells us faith must be active. Active faith will be multiplied and rewarded at the final judgement, but inactivity and self-centred idleness will have terrible consequences. 16 Febru...

Matthew 25.1-13. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells three parables to his disciples about the need to be ready and expectant for his return in glory. This is the first of them. This is no time to be sleeping on the job! Are you awake? Are you ready? Do you know the Lord? 9 February 2025.

Matthew 24.29-51. In the second part of chapter 24, having spoken at length about AD 70 (which was then fulfilled in remarkable detail), Jesus mostly focuses on the end of the age when he will return. What should we expect, and how should we prepare for this event, which will happen as surely in the future as Jesus' words about the destruction of the temple were fulfilled in the past? 2 February 2...