St Mary's London Talks

What are the things that stop us from standing tall? In this talk, we explore Luke 13 and the story of a woman who has spent 18 years bent over, until Jesus notices her and sets her free. We look at the ways shame, judgment, and exclusion can diminish people, and how we can follow Jesus’ example by helping others find their voice, rediscover their dignity, and become who they were created to be. F...

What if your place in the community matters more than you realise? In this talk, we explore 1 Peter 2 and Peter's image of the church as a house built from living stones, each one unique and precious to God. We look at why belonging isn't something we have to earn, how our individual gifts and differences strengthen a community, and why the church needs all of us to build something that helps othe...

What does prayer look like in the real stuff of everyday life? In this video, Owen, Alison, and Abiy share three short reflections on Luke 11:1–13 as part of our series Nobody Walks This Slowly by Accident. Looking at Jesus' teaching on prayer, they explore what it means to pray through hard times, tackle our doubts around unanswered prayer, and lean into the character of a loving God. And ultimat...

What does it mean to live a holy life today? In this talk, we explore 1 Peter 1:13–2:3 and Peter’s call to a community learning what it means to be set apart, shaped by grace, and deeply transformed by God's love. We look at what it means to align our minds, desires, and actions with God’s character, not through pressure or perfectionism, but out of a personal response to the life and sacrifice of...

Arabella kicks off our new series in the book of Luke "Nobody Walks This Slowly By Accident" with a talk about how Jesus looks out for the destitute, and gives us the permission to trust in him.

Aileen kicks off our series in the book of 1 Peter "Not From Round Here" speaking of Jesus as our Living Hope.

Who is the person you've been meaning to invite? In this talk, John extends a warm invitation to meet with each other, and the nature of community. For more about St Mary's London, visit stmaryslondon.com.

Who is the person you've been meaning to invite? In this talk, Matt explores Philip's invitation to Nathaniel and what it might look like for us to invite the people we care about to explore faith. We look at why we can be so quick to assume what other people will think, the hidden questions and experiences they might be carrying, and the courage it can take to simply say, “Come and see.” Because...

Have you ever been disappointed by the way something turned out? In this talk, we explore Peter's story and the moment when his hopes for Jesus seemed to fall apart. We look at how easily disappointment can turn into doubt and shame, why we sometimes retreat into old patterns when we've failed, and how Jesus comes to meet us there — not with condemnation, but with kindness, restoration, and a plac...

What do we do when we've been waiting for something for so long that we've stopped believing it could happen? In this talk, we explore the story of Sarah, who waited 25 years for a promise that seemed increasingly impossible. We look at what happens when we reach the limits of what we can understand, why waiting can be so difficult, and how learning to trust God can transform us even before our ci...

What if the things we give away can become something beautiful? In this talk, we explore Mary's extravagant act of pouring perfume over Jesus' feet, an act that filled the entire house with its fragrance. We look at what it means to bring our whole selves to God, to surrender the things we value and the things that hurt, and how our lives can become a source of hope and life for others. For more a...

What happens when the things that have shaped your past start to shape the way you see yourself? In this talk, we explore the story of the woman at the well, and an unexpected encounter that changes the way she sees herself and the world around her. We look at shame, identity, and the ways we can be defined by other people's opinions, and what happens when we discover that we are fully known, valu...

How much difference can one person make? In this talk, we explore the story of Phoebe, whose journey to Rome helped carry one of the most important letters in the New Testament to a divided and growing Christian community. We look at courage, trust, and the impact we can have when we're willing to step out of our comfort zones and share what matters to us with the people around us. For more about...

What do you do when you're asked to do something you don't feel ready for? In this talk, we explore the story of Mary and the unexpected call that changed the course of her life. We look at what it means to listen, to trust when we don't have all the answers, and to say yes even when we feel completely out of our depth. Mary's story reminds us that God's purposes don't depend on us having everythi...

In this talk, Matt explores three truths from the book of Ruth: that where the story starts is not where it ends, that God never wastes anything, and that we are more loved than we could ever know. This morning's service included a short LEGO stop-motion animation of the Ruth and Naomi story, created by Go Chatter Studios, a UK charity making LEGO Bible animations for the next generation. We haven...

What happens when shame, judgment, or your past starts to define who you think you are? In this talk, we explore the story of the woman at the well in John 4, and the unexpected encounter that changed the way she saw herself. We look at what it means to be honest about our stories, to find freedom from shame, and to discover that the things we think disqualify us may not be the end of our story. F...

Who gets remembered—and who gets overlooked? In this talk, we explore the story of Leah, a woman who spent much of her life feeling unseen, yet became part of one of the greatest stories ever told. We look at what Leah's life teaches us about identity, rejection, and the surprising way God works through ordinary and unexpected people. For more about St Mary's London, visit stmaryslondon.com.

What happens when being busy leaves us with no time to simply be present? In this talk, Peter explore the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10, and what it can teach us about the pressures of a busy life. We look at how busyness can rob us of peace, distract us from the people around us, and leave little room to notice what God might be doing. And we consider what it might look like to slow down, c...

In week 3 of our series Rattles, Eileen takes us into one of the most famous passages in Scripture — Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). God asks Ezekiel a question he already knows the answer to: "Can these bones live?" It's a question for us too. Where in your life do things feel dry, dead, or beyond hope? A relationship, a diagnosis, a finances, a version of yourself you t...

What's stopping you from being fully seen — at church, at work, in your relationships? In this talk, part of our series on the five habits that slowly shrink our lives, we look at habit three: keeping it to yourself. Working through Matthew 5:13 –16 — "You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world" — we explore why it's often easier to hide our faith than to live it out loud, and...

Can your past define your future? In this talk, we explore Ezekiel 18, where God confronts a proverb that had convinced his people their lives had already been decided by previous generations. We look at why God calls his people to "repent and live," how his grace breaks cycles of hopelessness, and what it means to discover that your story isn't over. For more about St Mary's London, visit stmarys...

We've started a new series looking at Ezekiel: Rattled. This week Jermaine tackles chapter 1, God’s people have lost everything. Jerusalem has fallen, the temple is gone, and they are living in exile, asking the question underneath all their questions: Has God abandoned us?

John rounds up our series on St Mary's fundamentals by encouraging us to actually practice what Jesus preached and not just read it.

Have you ever wondered if fear is keeping you from the life God has called you to live? This week, Kristen explores Jesus' Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and reveals how fear, self-protection, and believing the wrong things about God can quietly lead us to live safe—but spiritually stuck—lives. Discover the difference between planting your faith and burying it, why God calls us to take...

This week our worship pastor Russell continues our series and looks at worship. He explains how actually stepping back and 'coming away' with Jesus can help us engage more in worship.