(SERMON) The Heresy of Arianism: 1 John 1.1-18

In the streets of Alexandria in 318AD a mob was chanting "There was a time that Christ was not!"  This heresy - Arianism - is alive and well around the world and church today.  Athanasius would spend most of his 46 years as a bishop in exile for fighting it.  Why was he so determined to fight the good fight and why should we be today?

We must stand firm because Scripture teaches that Jesus is truly God, begotten not made.

We must stand firm because if the person of Jesus is a created thing, no matter how exalted, all our worship is idolatry.

We must stand firm because unless Jesus is truly, fully, God - and not just close to God or like God - then our sins have not been forgiven.

We must stand firm because in this  truth is great comfort and blessing: knowing that God is a loving Father and not a distant and cold loner.

(SERMON) Trinity Sunday 2019 - Romans 5:1-5

The teaching about the Holy Trinity - who God is - is often shunned by Christians but this should not be the case.  There are three simple things to bear in mind when thinking about God as Trinity:

1.  You don't need a master's degree in Trinitarian Theology to accept and submit to who God has revealed Himself to be.

2. God has truly revealed Himself as Trinity in the Bible; One God yet Three Persons. This means a relationship with God and salvation itself is only found in accepting and submitting to the teaching of the Trinity.

3. The Trinity is Good News because it reveals just how amazingly generous and loving God is - He doesn't need us and never has but still He created us that He might share His own goodness, joy, peace, freedom, and glory with us.

(SERMON) 2 Timothy 4 Preaching and the Church

With the strongest possible charge Paul commands Timothy to "Preach the Word"

A healthy church preaches the whole Word to the mind, conscience, and heart.  Christians must learn to avoid false teaching and sin by being sober-minded, by evangelism, and by doing ministry in all our lives.  Together we must run the race to a crown of glory - safe in the assurance of salvation by faith alone.