The Semper Reformata Podcast

Human Brokenness, Lesson 14 What on Earth is Concupiscence?  WARNING: This lesson contains explicit language and sexual terms and it may not be suitable for children and younger teenagers . Begin with reading Colossians 3:1 Pay particular attention to verse 5. Paul is speaking to Christians, - who have been given new life in Christ John 11:24-25 If such a wonderful change has taken place, the...

REPRISE: Christmas Trees in Worship – An Idolatry? First recorded in 2022. Should we allow a Christmas Tree to be displayed in a place where the worship of God is taking place? It’s a question recently asked by a Christian friend. It’s important to remember, firstly that this question is ‘adiaphora’ – it is not a matter of saving faith, it is something over which Christians can disagree...

The Practical Christian Life 1st Thess 4:9-12 Paul turns from teaching on chastity to teaching on charity. Teaching about LOVE. His words are extremely practical. He deals with three areas in which we must abound in love: The OBJECTS of our Christian Love. The OUTLINE of a Christian Lifestyle. The OBLIGATIONS of a Christian Testimony. A Christian is someone who knows and has experienced the l...

TableTalk: "Who was Abraham." Welcome to this digital version of Table-Talk, and our topic this week is “Who was Abraham?” Open your Bible once again at Genesis - this time at Genesis 12, and then Hebrews 11, and be ready to read. Pause the recording while you look for those two passages, and start it again, when you are ready. Read the NOTES HERE . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

HS13 Following Your Heart? The implications of our fallen nature are that all our emotions, thoughts and desires have been distorted by sin. Jesus told the Jews of his day, the religious people, in John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. Jeremiah preached to the Hebrew people of his day, saying Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all...

Service of Lessons and Carols Recorded LIVE at the Old Reformed Church, Ballymacashon 78 Saintfield Road, Killinchy, Co. Down, BT23 6RN, Norther Ireland Readers: Janette: Isaiah 9:6-7 David: Matthew 1:18-21 Bob: Luke 2:1-7  Sam: Luke 2:8-14 Harvey: Luke 2:15-19  Jim: Matthew 2:1-6  Rueben: Matthew 2:7-12  Malcolm: Luke 1:6-35 Fergus: John 1:1-13  Address (and out of tune s...

REPRISE: Talking Honestly About Santa First recorded in 2021 It’s time to talk honestly about Santa! So let’s see what the Bible says! Read the NOTES HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Living as a Christian in a Sexually Immoral World 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8 Paul moves to discus moral purity in n immoral world. This was an issue then and it is an issue now. Paul’s teaching on this subject is contemporary, and very much to the point, and rightly so, for sexual immorality destroys more lives and more marriages and more families than any other evil. This sermon was preached at Temp...

Human Brokenness - Lesson 12 Does God Permit Same-Sex Marriage? Read Romans 1:18-27 One of the more recent developments in the human sexuality debate, is the issue of ‘same sex marriage.’ As someone said on another podcast stream, even the mobile phone predates same sex marriage, - you really can’t get much more contemporary than that. So what stance should Christian believers take on th...

Lessons from Paul's Prayer 1st Thessalonians 3: 11-13 Our prayer lives continually need to be encouraged, and we CAN encourage one another by HOW we pray, as well as by what we pray for. In this passage, Paul demonstrates a distinctive ‘teaching element’ in prayer very clearly when he prays for the Thessalonian Christians.  This address was given and recorded at Templepatrick Reform...

Divorce. Welcome back to our series of lessons on Human Brokenness, and in this lesson, we shall ask whether divorce is ever an option for Christians. Before we begin, pause the recording and look up Matthew 19:1-9 and Deuteronomy 24:1-4 in your Bible. Then when you’ve read those two passages, start the recording again. Matthew 19:1-9 and Deuteronomy 24:1-4 Read the NOTES HERE . Hosted on Acast. S...

Trials and Temptations, Trust and Triumph. 1st Thessalonians 3:1-5 The real instigator of hostility against the people of God is Satan, the enemy of the soul. In this study we’ll return to the subject of the trials and temptations which Christians will often face.  1.  The Inescapable Presence of Trials .  1 Thes. 3:3-5 2.  The Indispensable Power of Trust .  1 Thes 3...

The Tale of Two Cities (Tower of Babel, Part 2) Genesis 11:1-9 We have learned about the rebellion at Babel, in the plain of Shinar. The descendants of Noah’s children had gathered there, determined to stay together for their own protection. That was contrary to God’s plan, for he had commanded that they were to populate the whole earth. But the rebellion was worse than that. Not only were they di...

Human Brokenness Lesson 10 Why get married when we can just live together? We have looked at marriage, the lifelong union of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others, - which we saw was God’s intended plan for all of humanity, for the mutual help and comfort of husband and wife, and for the preservation of the human race, and then in our last lesson, we discovered what it means to say...

2025 Remembrance Service from Ballymacashon Join us at Ballymacashon Congregational church, Killinchy, Co. Down, for our annual Service of Remembrance. This episode includes praise, act of remembrance and address. Recorded live at Ballymacashon. Read the NOTES HERE . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah Lesson 6 – God’s Covenant with Creation Genesis 8:20-9:17 . What is a covenant? It is a binding, legal agreement between two parties, sometimes as the result of a negotiation, but frequently imposed by a stronger power on a weaker state or entity. Historians like to compare the Biblical covenants with the Hittite Treaties, – but there is a vast difference, in that God created us, he owns...

Noah Lesson 5 – Re-Creation Text: Genesis 8:1-20 Now we come to chapter 8, and there is actually no break in the narrative between chapters 7 and 8.  And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark . Ho=ad God forgotten Noah? NO! Read the NOTES HERE . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

De-Creation. Text: Genesis 7 Genesis 7 is a factual account of the flood. The day of God’s judgment is come, and the probation of mankind upon the earth is at an end. Like a judge sitting on the bench, professionally and precisely weighing up the evidence in his summing up, without emotion he passes sentence and decrees punishment. Judgment must happen and justice will follow and everyone wil...

TableTalk 11th November 2025 Building A Stairway to Heaven? Genesis 11:1-9 In our digital mid-week meting, we’re moving on to another one of those pivotal moments in Genesis, as the beginnings of human history are revealed to us, the strange incident of the Tower of Babel. The narrative is found in Genesis 11:1-9. We'll deal with this in two episodes. Read the NOTES HERE . Hosted on Acast. Se...

Human Brokenness - Lesson 9 Marriage is a Covenant What does it mean to affirm that 'Marriage is lifelong, monogamous and covenantal? It's all wrapped up in he meaning of the word 'Covenant!' Open your Bible at Ephesians 5:22-33. read the passage and note how our married relationships reflect the unbreakable, exclusive relationship between Christ and his church. Then play the podcast episode!...

REPRISE: Noah – Lesson 2. Who was Noah? Text: Genesis 6:9ff Learn about:- Noah’s Walk .   Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah's Work. Noah's Warranty Noah's Willingness.  James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves . Read the NOTES HERE . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah – Lesson 1. Text: Genesis 6:1-8 Introduction: The story of Noah begins with a description of the times. There was much disobedience, much sinfulness, much rebellion against God. Why is it important for us to understand these times? Matthew 24:37  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. We too are to be discerners of the times, for we too live in...

They Were Hindered by Satan. 1st Thessalonians 2:18-19 The first disciples were hindered in their work by Satan. Who is 'Satan?' and how does he hinder the Lord's work? What is his ultimate end. when judgment day comes? This sermon was recoded in Ballymacashon Old Reformed Church (Congregational). Notes are available at www. Semper-Reformata.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Human Brokenness Lesson 8 The Origin and Purpose of Marriage Marriage is a serious subject. At a wedding service, God is present, and is our witness. Not just the minister, or the civic registrar, or some humanist celebrant. God has a part in every real marriage ceremony, whether we like it or not. Why is that? The reason is found in the book of Genesis. so in this lesson you'll need to have your...

SASRA REPORT . A SASRA report by ASR Paul Somerville. Paul is one of the Army Scripture Readers working among the men and women of the armed forces here in Northern Ireland. On Sunday 2nd November, Paul visited Ballymacashon Church to talk about his work, and the work of SASRA, the Soldiers and Aviators Scripture Readers Association. With his permission I recorded his report, and I want to sh...