Shirley Baptist Church Solihull, Sermons

What does it mean to welcome someone who is 'not one of us'? This question is at the heart of Paul's most personal letter to Philemon, his family and the church in Colosse. He writes, '... so if you consider me your partner, welcome him (Onesimus the slave) as you would welcome me'. It is clear what Paul is saying and asking of the church. You should expand your welcome beyond your imagination. Pa...

In the second talk in our mini-series on Paul's letter to Philemon, we piece together the puzzle of how Paul walks the talk of relational leadership in this deceptively graceful letter. And we ask ourselves the question, 'So what?'. So what if Paul, two thousand years ago, facilitated the reconciliation of the former slave, Onesimus, and his former master, Philemon? How does that speak to us today...

Question – Are you willing to do a bit of preparation before you listen to this sermon? The mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read the letter of Philemon. It’s the shortest letter written by the apostle Paul - only 25 verses long - and comes just before Hebrews towards the end of the New Testament. The heart of the letter is about the health of the heart. It involves human relationshi...

Holy Week is that moment in the year when we pause to remember that “Christmas is important but Easter is decisive”* Why? Well, because Jesus showed us the full extent of his love on the cross. How He forgave us and set us free to experience the fullness of life. How He rose from the dead and so offered hope for the world. A lot happens in Holy Week. It is decisive. Have you made a decision to fol...

The apostle Paul sometimes gets so carried away by what he is trying to communicate that his whole style and tone of writing changes. In Philippians 2 he launches into a beautiful poetic hymn of praise as he reflects on the servant heart of Jesus. As we conclude our mini-series on servant leadership, we share Paul's wonder and see how he encourages the Philippian church to show humility in the pur...

'Jesus loved them to the end'. This is one of those phrases in the Bible that stops you in your tracks. What does it mean for Jesus to love them to the end? As we explore the second topic on Servant Leadership, our focus will be on when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples - a symbolic act that displays ‘loving them to the end’. Jesus knows who he is. He knows why he has come into the world. He...

What do you most admire in a leader? There are many answers to this. Some might say they admire clear thinking and straight talking, others competency, whilst others look for character. What was Jesus' model of leadership? He has certainly has authority and power. He teaches in a way that inspires some and turns others away. He acts in a way that both provokes and heals. That said, the standout at...

As we continue through Luke’s gospel, we are looking at and thinking about how Jesus does and says new things, transforming lives and breaking new ground; and how he is drawing us all to doing the right thing over and above doing things right! The question is, are we willing to break out beyond what is right and proper and known into the unknown life-giving way that Jesus offers?

It's clear from Luke's gospel account that Jesus is making quite an impression as he spreads his message across Judea. People are amazed at his teaching, astonished by his miracles. Some are attracted, others affronted - but what is it that he offers? What is the 'new thing' at the core of his message? Well, something so new that he says it will burst the old wineskins. Powerful stuff!

Jesus’ actions and words cause people to stand up in amazement. When was the last time you were shocked into belief? When did your faith in Jesus cause you to be amazed and surprised? In Luke chapter 4 we see a day in the life of Jesus. He encounters evil, speaks sternly against the powers of darkness, heals lots of people and then demons shout at him and he rebukes them. It is exciting, terrifyin...

In Luke 5:1-12 Jesus invites fishermen to drop their nets and catch more fish than they can imagine, and then He says '...from now on you will fish for people.' But what does fishing for people mean? It is what some people call evangelism. But evangelism, like fishing, is not everyone's cup of tea. For many people it is a word with negative connotations. So, is there a different way to view evange...

Jesus read the scriptures and delivered a sermon in his home synagogue in Nazareth. By this time he had already been on a preaching tour of Galilee and had established a reputation as an exciting new preacher and healer. His local community were bound to be eager to hear him and so the synagogue is likely to have been full. Surely Jesus could expect a warm and enthusiastic welcome...but no! Rather...

Social media, exams, peer pressure. In this world crammed full of external voices, how do our young people connect with the church and God? During His time in the wilderness, Jesus was also subject to external voices. What can we learn from this, particularly how it relates to our young people and dealing with the pressures they are under?

God is always at work. So along with giving thanks for His faithfulness for things He has done for us in the past, it is also important to consider the new things He is doing. What new things is God revealing to you? How do you perceive the actions of God around you? Discover afresh the work of the Holy Spirit and look forward with an openness towards God's mighty, saving works. Works that bring a...

You never hear much about Jesus’s life as a teenager, and there is good reason. It isn’t mentioned much in the Bible. But in Luke’s gospel chapter 2, we glimpse those teenage years. He went AWOL when his parents lost him in the big city of Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary searched for him, and it was a moment of great anxiety and tension. Jesus was eventually found, and we read he grew in character and...

Who were you, crazy Anna? All that time that you waited, fasted and prayed in the temple. All day and all night. Waiting to see salvation. Who were you, crazy Anna? One of Luke’s lowly, marginalised outcasts. Shunned by all the wealthy and important people. Dismissed as a rambling widow who had strange visions. And yet you knew who was coming, didn’t you, Anna? And you got to see the face of salva...

Simeon - someone moved by the Spirit. And what a huge blessing he had as a result! As we delve into this passage, it becomes clear that the question we must ask ourselves is whether we recognise when the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. What do we potentially miss if we are not open to the work of the Holy Spirit each day?

What’s going to be the No.1 song this Christmas? Or, what has Spotify wrapped up for you? Music and Christmas go hand in hand. We love to sing at this time of year. The Christmas story in Luke’s gospel has two famous songs - the first by Jesus’ mother Mary and the second by Zechariah, the Father of John the Baptist. Zechariah sang his heart out. He was filled with the Spirit and praised God. What...

Sometimes, we are so familiar with stories in the bible that we can skim over them and miss important truths. Gabriel’s visit to Mary to tell her she will give birth to a baby boy is one of those. But when we spend a little bit of time looking into the story, we can see that this birth was the coming to fruition of many prophecies in the Old Testament that refer to Jesus’s time on earth as a serva...

We begin Advent focussing on the opening of Luke’s Gospel and the incredible moment that prepares the way for Jesus’ birth. We often jump straight into the nativity story but this year we’re slowing down to focus on what happened before Jesus came to earth. Before Jesus there was Theophilus, Zechariah & his wife Elizabeth, King Herod, the angel, John the Baptist and 18,000 priests! Weaving all the...

Simon Harry from Bewdley Baptist Church shares his research on encouraging intergenerational connections in church life. Simon explores 1 Samuel 3 in the Old Testament and speaks about the challenge of how we can grow in getting to know one another better.

Communion. Eucharist. Mass. Just three of many names used to describe something familiar to some of us but foreign to many. Why do we do it? And what does it mean?

Silence is a rare thing these days. We are often surrounded by noise and bustle so it is good to take a couple of minutes to pause and be thankful for those who have given their lives to protect our country. But what other thoughts and emotions will pass through your mind in that reflective silence? We live in troubled times but are not the first to do so. In Romans 8, Paul talks about 'our presen...

Church. God’s community. Different characters, personalities and life experiences, but gathering to grow in faith and follow Jesus. This is what belonging to a church is about. Do you belong to a church, and if so how?

One of the blessings of community life at church is the wide range of ages often present when we get together. It’s probably one of the distinct characteristics of church life. While we gather from different generations, how well do we know one another? We speak a lot about friendship, but is that possible across generations? The Bible says a lot about an older generation investing in the younger...