Grace Baptist Church (Stockport)

Loving the God we’ve never seen

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:30:31 +0000

Many Old Testament believers had close encounters with God. He appeared to them as an angel, in flames of fire, in visions, in dreams, in storms. New Testament believers cannot expect such meetings with God. So should we envy those saints of former days?

John the Baptist: Message from a prison-cell (7:18)

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:30:45 +0000

John was a man of heroic faith and courage. Yet his faith wavered when he heard of Jesus's miracles of grace. How could a man, once so sure of the truth, lose his certainty?

Job: Questions, Questions, Questions

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:30:49 +0000

Job longed to meet God and question him. But when God met Job, it was God who asked the questions.

Jesus: Elijah returned? (7:11-17)

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:30:06 +0000

Elijah prayed for a widow's son to be raised from the dead. Jesus too raised a widow's son. But the significance of the two events was very different. Elijah's miracles were signs of judgement against Israel. The miracles of Jesus were signs of salvation.

Jesus, the Lord of Life (7:11-17)

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:30:02 +0000

Elijah the prophet prayed that God would raise a widow's son from the dead and it happened! Now Jesus raises another widow's son. So Jesus is a prophet like Elijah? Yes, but so much more!

Solomon dreams (1 Kings 3)

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:30:53 +0000

Solomon had everything this world can offer. But there was one thing he wanted more than all the treasures of this world. If you were asked to name the one thing you wanted most, what would it be?

Jesus at a funeral (7:11-17)

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:30:22 +0000

Jesus came to Nain. There he met a widow, grieving over the death of her son. Jesus raised the young man from the dead with a word of command. A mourning village glimpsed the compassion of Jesus and his victory over sin, death and the curse.

Samuel and the voice in the night

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:30:50 +0000

Samuel grew up among men who saw religion as a profession but knew nothing of God. He never imagined a God who would speak or act. But he discovered that God was real and could be known.

The faith of a Gentile (7:1-10)

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:30:07 +0000

A Gentile centurion appealed to Jesus for help. He was an outsider, shut out from Israel, God's Old Testament people, and he knew it. Yet he was one of God's elect, destined to be brought into God's true people. God gave to him a faith that overcame all obstacles and won mercy from Israel's Messiah.

In the hearing of the people (7:1)

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:30:27 +0000

The Jews to whom Jesus preached were confident that as the people of God, their status was secure. They were sure that their external privileges guaranteed their eternal salvation. How many people today - including many in evangelical churches - make the same mistake.