Sermons
Listen, watch or read sermons from Manchester Lutheran Church, and explore them through the Christian year.
-
Why is suffering necessary?
Why is suffering necessary? The Christian message can sound ridiculous can’t it? Think of it from the perspective of someone on the street: “God loves you, so Jesus died for you.” “Ok—great that God loves me supposedly—but why on earth does that have to involve death? That seems so morbid!” Think of what the Christian…
-
Why give up everything to follow Jesus?
Why give up everything to follow Jesus? There are so many costs to following Jesus. Last week, we talked about how God calls us to give up certain behaviours or lifestyles that we may be very attached to. Every member of Manchester Lutheran Church has faced the cost of being a Christian. And you don’t…
-
Can you have saving faith without works?
Can you have saving faith without works? All of us have certain things we want to hang on to. Certain things that, even though God says they’re wrong, we want to keep in our lives. That is the personal challenge and temptation facing everyone who hears the idea of salvation by faith, as we’re constantly…
-
Where can you see God?
Where can you see God? It’s a question some people have commented on our online videos: “I can’t see God—so where is he?” “I tried listening to God and didn’t hear him—so how can he be there?” “I can’t feel God—so how can he be real?” It’s one of the most immediate problems many of…
-
How can I belong?
How can I belong? We all want to belong to something, feel part of something bigger, and have that sense of “home” and “community”. Is creating that feeling the primary aim of a church? Some churches certainly believe that. And so everything is focused on the tone, the feel, the style. In other words: different…
-
Who, or what, is guiding your life?
Who, or what, is guiding your life? One of the most stressful things we face is making decisions. We don’t want to make the wrong decision. We don’t want to face bad outcomes. And so, it’s a natural desire to want guidance. And that can express itself in different ways. Sometimes, we don’t know what…
-
How can Christ be true if so few people follow him seriously?
How can Christ be true if so few people follow him seriously? Every year church attendance statistics show a decline in numbers in the UK. But somewhere inside those numbers there are certain types of church, or styles of church that are going the opposite way and growing. What is more significant than the numbers…
-
Who should you stop thinking about this Christmas?
Who should you stop thinking about this Christmas? It’s Christmas time again, and so everyone is competing for your attention. Shops want to sell you things, and there’s all sorts of cool products in our feeds. And one little sub-culture we may see is that there are so many Christians every year, putting videos and…
-
Isn’t Jesus just too pathetic to take seriously?
Isn’t Jesus just too pathetic to take seriously? That is the reason many of John the Baptist’s disciples failed to start following Jesus. It’s the reason many of our friends and family are simply not interested in following Jesus today. And as we approach Christmas again, we see people attracted to victory and glory. We…
-
Why do we experience anxiety?
Why do we experience anxiety? Wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Crises in Yemen and Somalia. Flooding in Nigeria and Brazil. Climate change. Recent elections. Major political events. In verse 25 of our Gospel reading, Jesus says there will be: on the earth distress of nations in perplexity By “distress” what he means is “anguish” or…
-
Is Jesus worth waiting for?
Is Jesus worth waiting for? How do you prepare for the end of the world? Go carbon neutral? Buy Bitcoin? The church has a calendar, and the purpose of the church calendar is to make sure that we cover the key teachings of the whole Bible every year. And as we approach advent, this is…
-
What’s God doing about all the evil?
What’s God doing about all the evil? It’s the question people ask me most often if we start talking seriously about Christian things. And it comes in many forms: “If there’s a God, why does He let so much bad stuff happen?” “Why doesn’t God do something about all the suffering?” And let’s just be…