Hope Community Church Helensburgh Sermons

Returning to our seris from Habakkuk, Rev Rodger Crooks explores why “the righteous shall live by faith” is one of the Bible’s most important statements. How we can be right with God? How we receive that righteousness through Jesus? How does faith reshapes the whole Christian life? Bible passages: Psalms 48 & 15 Habakkuk 2:2-4 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: ⁠⁠hopehelensburgh.org⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instag...

On Easter Sunday, Rev Rodger Crooks explores the wonder of the resurrection through Psalm 16 and 1 Corinthians 15:1–11. Tracing the Bible’s own answer, this sermon shows how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each at work in Christ’s victory over death—and what that means for our salvation and hope. Bible passages: Psalm 16 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: ⁠hopehel...

This Palm Sunday, Rodger is preaching a message titled “Who is responsible for Jesus’ death?” with the reading from John 19:16b-37. Bible passages: John 19:16b-37 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: ⁠⁠hopehelensburgh.org⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Main scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News P...

This Sunday we will have the next message in Rodger’s series from Habakkuk entitled “Light at the end of the tunnel”. The readings will be from Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Habakkuk 2:2-20.

`When you do not understand` - What do you do when God’s ways leave you confused? This week we look at Habakkuk 1:12–2:1 and Rev Rodger Crooks shows how faith does not silence hard questions, but brings them to the eternal, holy, sovereign, and faithful God. A thoughtful, steadying message for anyone walking through uncertainty Bible passages: Isaiah 50: 4-11 Habakkuk 1:5-7 Find out more about us:...

‘A Tale of the Unexpected’ — this week's sermon explores the surprise of God’s ways: hidden, misunderstood, different from what we expect, yet always wise and good. What happens when God answers prayer, but not in the way we hoped? This message helps us trust his purposes even in confusion and trial. Bible passage: Habakkuk 1:5-7 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: ⁠hopehelensburgh.org⁠⁠ ⁠Instag...

‘Habakkuk: How Long? Why?’. Rodger returns this week, with a sermon thinking about how we respond when it seems to us that God fails to act to defeat evil and suffering in the world.  Bible passage: Habakkuk 1:1-4 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a...

‘Anchored to Christ’. This week, we were led in worship by Colin Campbell of Crow Road Free Church. Colin was preaching from the books of Genesis and Hebrews, on how our faith must be anchored to Christ throughout life’s trials and temptations. Bible passage: Genesis 22:1-19 Hebrews 6:13-20 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture quotations are from The...

‘The Great Claim’. This week we are delighted to welcome the Rev Duncan Peters as our guest preacher. Duncan preaches from Matthew’s Gospel, on Jesus’s Great Claim: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Bible passage: Matthew 28:1-20 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Main scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, En...

‘Beautiful… or Wasteful?’. Niall Munro takes a look at Mary’s anointment of Jesus’ feet from the gospels of Mark and John. How do we respond to Mary’s act of devotion, and what does that tell us about our own attitude towards Jesus? Bible passages: Mark 14:1-11 John 12:1-8 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Ho...

This week, we explore what it means to be committed to our community through Jesus’ striking image of "being the Salt of the Earth". Drawing on Matthew 5 and Colossians 4, Rev Rodger Crooks shows how ordinary words, faithful prayer, and a healthy church can push back decay and promote real well-being in the places God has put us. Bible passages: Psalm 4 Matthew 5 Collosians 4 Find out mo...

What does it really mean to be committed to the church? In this message, Rev Rodger Crooks reminds us that commitment to Jesus can’t be separated from commitment to his people. Drawing on Jesus’ words in Matthew 16 and 18, the sermon explores why the church matters—relationally, practically, and spiritually—and why Christ’s commitment to his church reshapes ours. Bible passages: Psalm 3 Matthew 16...

‘New Year Commitments: Commitment to the Gospel’. In the second part of the series, Rodger examines the second commitment: to the gospel. What does commitment to the gospel look like in a Christian life? Bible passage: Romans 1:1-17 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Main scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®)...

‘New Year Commitments: Commitment to Jesus’. In the first of a four-part series for the New Year, Rodger goes back to the Free Church’s challenge for each congregation to become a ‘Healthy Gospel Church’. He identifies four commitments, the first being commitment to Jesus , and explains it using a passage from Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bible passage: Romans 11:33-12:2 Find out more about us: ⁠W...

As Israel stands on the brink of the Promised Land, facing change, loss, and uncertainty, God speaks words of assurance and strength. In this sermon from Joshua 1, Niall Munro reminds us that God’s promises remain firm—and that His presence gives courage to obey, move forward, and trust Him in the unknown. Bible passage: Joshua 1 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: ⁠hopehelensburgh.org⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠...

‘Christmas Explained: Death Destroyed’. In his ongoing series taking a deep dive into the meaning and implications of the Christmas story, Rodger preaches from the book of Hebrews to explain how Christ has overcome death itself. Bible passage: Hebrews 2:14-18 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Main scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible,...

‘Christmas Explained: Poverty Embraced’. Focussing on 2 Corinthians 8:9, Rodger considers how Christ became poor in order that we might become spiritually rich: through his incarnation, and his suffering and death on the cross. Bible passage: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Other material: Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q27. Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture...

‘I am the True Vine’. In the last part of his series on Jesus’ ‘I am’ statements from John’s Gospel, Rodger looks at the final one: ‘I am the True Vine’. What did Jesus mean when he used the metaphor of the vine, and what implications does that have for us as Christians? Bible passages: Isaiah 5:1-6 John 15:1-11 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture qu...

‘God Brings Outsiders In!’. Preaching from 2 Kings Chapter 5, Niall Munro explores the attitudes of three people we encounter during the passage: the slave girl; the Syrian commander Naaman;  and Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. How is our relationship with God affected by how we approach Him? Bible passage: 2 Kings 5 (verses 1-14 read by David Ridland) Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.o...

‘A Musician’s Testimony’. This week we welcomed Evan Macdonald from Crow Road Free Church , who preached from Psalm 73 on the doubts its author, Asaph, experienced when he saw the injustice in the world around him. How should we respond when we encounter ungodly people with power, wealth and influence? Bible passage: Psalm 73 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Faceboo...

In this message from John 14, Rev Rodger Crooks explores Jesus’ words spoken on the night before His crucifixion: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” To anxious disciples, Jesus reveals Himself as the only path to the Father, the ultimate truth about God, and the source of real, everlasting life. In a world of confusion and competing claims, this reminds us that hope, peace, and salvation a...

In this message from John 11, Rev Rodger Crooks explores Jesus’ powerful declaration at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Through this encounter, we see that Jesus doesn’t just give life — He is life itself. He enters our sorrow, overcomes death, and calls each of us to trust in Him, the One who brings hope beyond the grave. Bible passage: John 11. Find out more about us:...

In this message from his series on the “I am” sayings of Jesus, Rev Rodger Crooks turns to Christ’s words, “I am the Good Shepherd.” Drawing on Ezekiel 34 and John 10, he shows how Jesus claims to be God Himself—the Shepherd who rescues, knows, and protects His flock. We explore how the Good Shepherd lays down His life willingly, personally, and purposefully for His sheep, offering salvation, secu...

‘I am the Gate’. In the third part of his series looking at Jesus’ ‘I am’ statements, Rodger explores the context and meaning behind the first part of Chapter 10 of John’s Gospel. Bible passages: Isaiah 43:1-13 John 10:1-10 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Cr...

‘I am the Light of the World’. In the second part of his series looking at Jesus’ ‘I am’ statements, Rodger comes to Chapter 8 of John’s Gospel. What does Jesus mean when he calls himself the ‘Light of the World’? Bible passages: John 8:12 John 8:48-59 Find out more about us: ⁠Website: hopehelensburgh.org⁠ Instagram Facebook Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Sta...