Salford Elim Church Podcast

Mary and the disciples go to Jesus’ tomb knowing that people don’t rise from the dead, but Jesus did and proved to them that He was alive. This changes everything. Videos used during our service

When we think about the cross on Good Friday, it’s not just some religious activity that we engage with; it’s because we know that we’re set in motion by the power of the cross, we’re energised by it, we’re upheld by it, we’re guaranteed a future by it, we’re secured for the future because of it. Good Friday is not the whole story, but it’s worth slo...

Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey; on the sides are the people cheering him and the Jewish leaders trying to stop him; behind are the disciples following him. Where do you feel you are in this picture? Below is the video that Neil used during the service.

What does it mean to live well and to pray well, when things are not so great? What can we learn from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church about praying with authority?

How should we pray during anxious days? We need to be joyful and gentle, with prayer that overcomes anxiety, guarding against anxious thoughts and put our faith into practice!

When Peter was imprisoned, the church prayed with conviction and passion for his release and yet seemed astonished when he was. How do we pray when faced with a crisis? How do we make sense of both the answered and unanswered prayers?

Matthew’s gospel tells two stories of outsiders who come to Jesus determined and confident that he will do something incredible for someone they care about. Will we do the same for one another?

It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t see the results of our prayers but, as the story of Abraham reminds us, we must take our place as priests who will intercede on behalf of the world.

Psalm 23 is much more than a scripture to read at funerals. It’s a radical reminder that we pray to a God who is the shepherd of our lives.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians reminds us of the core business of prayer – that we may know God better. [rl_gallery id=”11975″] When we pray, we’re saying things shouldn’t be like this and that things could change. Fundamentally prayer is an act of hope. #elim pic.twitter.com/Mc6gizf4YP — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) 21 January 2020

Luke’s telling of the birth of Jesus reminds us that God acted at a real time in history, in a real place, with real people. If we pause from our busyness, we might just be amazed again at the one who comes close to us. [youtube]7heVsEo3FWY[/youtube]

The genealogies at the end of Ruth and at the start of Matthew’s gospel are full of remarkable people; many of whom, in spite of their own frailty, made commitments which would change the future of their families and pave the way for the birth of the Messiah. What has God called you to continue to be committed to?

The end of the book of Ruth is much better than a simple love story; the actions of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz have much bigger consequences. Can we partner with God to help write different endings with better story lines in the situations we find ourselves in?

Both Ruth and Boaz took risks in order to create new possibilities for others. What might God be asking of us which could prove redemptive for others in our families and work places?

How do we make sense of the good things that happen in life which are beyond our control? Do we put them down to luck or is God involved somehow? “When I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.” William Temple pic.twitter.com/0XmpodIG3c — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) 17 November 2019

The small old testament book of Ruth is a beautiful story of God’s hand in the midst of an ordinary family. When tragedy strikes, we, like Naomi, may well ask: ‘where are you God?’

The story of the blind beggar reminds us that we are all spiritually blind until we see Jesus for who he really is. The question is, how much do you want to see him?

Paul ends his letter to the Galatian church with an encouragement to do good; particularly to carry one another’s burdens. We still need to hear that encouragement today.

We can believe the lie that everything depends on us and so we try to control situations, including other people. Sometimes we need reminding to simply trust in the Father who holds all things in His hands.

The temptation to compare yourself with someone else has always been part of a diverse church community. Thankfully Paul reminds us that God sees us all in the same way; simply as his children and that means we are free to be ourselves.

The past can be hard to shake off but God calls us to a bigger future in which our identity is in Christ alone. Your identity is not defined by the past. Your identity is in Christ. Your identity opens up a new future. #freedom #elim pic.twitter.com/XQtPmgOgyR — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) September 15, 2019

We may be tempted to try hard to earn the approval of those we respect, including God. Paul reminds us of the true gospel which tells us we don’t need to.

The early church asked itself a question that still echoes through the centuries: ‘Am I good enough?’ Paul’s letter to the Galatian church responds definitively to that question. “What qualifies us for God’s grace is only our need for God’s grace. End of list.” Nadia Bolz-Weber #elim pic.twitter.com/80zayQsLwg — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) 1 September 2019 Galatians: Some...

Ananias was a simple man, living an ordinary life, when God asked him to take a risk. What might God be asking of us in order to impact the lives of those around us?

We are called to follow in the footsteps of the one spoke up for truth and justice. He uses people like us to be part of his great restoration plan. During this sermon you’ll hear a short interview with Hannah – one of the brilliant people in our church. These are some of the resources that she suggested would be helpful to follow up about Human Trafficking/Modern Slavery and engaging with s...