Breakfast. The experts say it is the most important meal of the day. What does yours typically consist of? When the resurrected Jesus invites his followers to ‘Come and have breakfast’, it is an invitation to recognise Jesus, to identify him, to know him and to be present with him. So not only the best meal of the day but the best meal of their lif…

Easter has happened, and Christ has risen! Just as the disciples continued to be amazed in the days and weeks that came after, we too can continue to learn and be astonished as we continue this journey with Jesus.저자 Shirley Baptist Church

Easter is about rising from the dead, rising from the ashes of lost hope and rising from a life of loneliness and separation to a life of joining God and living with him forevermore. The cross is the greatest act of love where forgiveness reigns and reconciliation rules. Jesus is Lord. He is Risen. Hallelujah! This Easter, commit to Jesus and celeb…

James concludes his letter by writing about the ups and downs of community life and how PRAYER and PRAISE need to be woven throughout our relationship with God and one another. James’ final sentence focuses on people who may have wandered away from FAITH. Because James is about doing faith, not just having faith! Why not act now to pray and encoura…

In chapter 5 of his letter, James encourages us to be patient, but, in reality, what does that mean? Well, in simple terms, being patient in waiting, patient in times of difficulty and patient with each other. But this is not easy - we all struggle with patience if we’re honest! The good news is we don’t have to struggle in our own strength - we ha…

What is your life? That is the simple but very difficult question James asks in chapter 4, verse 14. This is more than a philosophical question. It is a question at the heart of what it means to be human and created in God’s image. Our life is precious, but it is a life that can be shaped, formed, filled and led by the love of God. Your life matter…

James does not pull any punches in our passage today. He reminds us that our behaviour towards each other is a window into the state of our hearts. And the language he uses to do this is both blunt and emotive. Why? To make the point that many in the early church had chosen to seek what the world offers rather than God. But if you, like the early c…

Who is the wisest person you know? Is wisdom based on intelligence and volume of knowledge? Or is wisdom based on emotional maturity? Or perhaps wisdom is about self-awareness. I mean, we’re all insecure right, but we might not all be self-aware? James asks the question, ‘Who is wise among you?’ He then shares what true, godly wisdom looks like. It…

Just do it'! Three words that capture the spirit of active faith from James 2:14-25, where he says faith without deeds is dead. But then the question is: 'What makes a Christian good deed compared to a worldly good deed'? And then: 'What is the ultimate good deed'?저자 Shirley Baptist Church

Justice and equality for every human being is the heart of the good news of Jesus. As Paul says to the Galatians, 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' In James's letter, the instruction is typically blunt: 'My brothers and sisters, believers in our glori…

Do you know someone who is a great listener? Listening shows attention, care, love, dignity, and the possibility of a deeper understanding of someone else and their situation and circumstance. People who really listen are such a gift to the community. James understood this. He wrote to small communities of Jesus' followers, telling them how importa…

We often look for the easy way out of difficult situations, but James turns this on its head, telling us to joyfully persevere when our faith is tested! He's right of course, because like exercise develops our bodies, when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow, making us more mature Christians.…

When life hurts, it's sometimes difficult to be loyal to God. In such times, the letter of James is a great place to turn to for encouragement. It is a short book of the Bible written by the brother of Jesus to new Christians who face persecution for their faith. It is a practical, down to earth book that aims to help people stick with their newfou…

Ever had that moment when you're just about to go out but you can't find your car keys? Or you try to get into your home but the keys aren't where they should be? Just when you need them they seem to have disappeared. Our faith can be a bit like that - it can't be found when we most need it. As we start 2024, we explore what happened to the discipl…

Where do you go to, to look for God? That may seem a strange question but go a little deeper and you may begin to answer it in surprising ways. The final talk in our series, ‘Seeking God’ is about finding God in all things. At the heart of this is discovering that God can be experienced when walking, working, meeting friends and socialising, readin…

What does it mean to "die to self"? It's a strange phrase, but commonly used in the New Testament. Baptism is a sign of how we begin this journey. Romans 6:4 says, "For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives". It means moving fro…

Surfing, well, it’s probably the nearest thing to walking on water! Perhaps Peter should have tried it when he got out of the boat to follow Jesus (Matthew 14:22-36). This moment on the water is an example of how we interact with Jesus. We sometimes feel like we’re sinking. All is not well. But then Jesus reaches out to grab us. That is the amazing…

In a world that has been historically, and is currently, subjected to dreadful wars, is it naïve to think peace is possible? If we are thinking of some kind of utopia, a place where there is no conflict and strife, then the answer is clearly no. But by looking at the words of the prophet Isaiah and John’s gospel, we can see that, whatever situation…

What do you most desire? Are you longing for anything in particular? What do you want God to do? Perhaps these sound like selfish questions, but every one of us has a desire, and it just may be God-given! The truth is that godly desire is crucial to following Jesus. So give it a try. Who knows, you might even get some cake!? :)…

Seeking God through the ‘Doorway of Repentance.’ That seems a serious topic and it is! But repentance can also bring joy and excitement! Listen and discover how and why!저자 Shirley Baptist Church

What kind of life are you living? What kind of life does God want to give you? These are the two questions we explore as we continue our series, ‘Seeking God Together’, inviting you to LIVE MORE, discovering a new kind of life and way of encountering the goodness of Jesus.저자 Shirley Baptist Church

What would it mean to discover another kind of life? That is the invitation as we begin a new series of talks this Sunday on the theme ‘SEEKING GOD’. Becoming a Christian is not the end of the faith journey but the beginning. Seeking God is not only for people outside the church but inside too and if you make a decision to seek God you won’t be lef…

What we have received from our relationship with God should be the foundation for how we might love and serve one another. Simply put, how we choose to love one another can help our church (or any other community) flourish and can also be a witness to the world.저자 Shirley Baptist Church

In this very special service we welcome Alysen Merrill, who is taking up the role of Church Ministry Lead. We will celebrate together by hearing how God has led both Alysen and us at SBC to this moment as she joins the staff team. This is a step of faith, trusting in the Lord’s leading and a sign that we want to invest in a growing church with the …

Within the seasons of our lives there’s a time and a season for everything, and a reason for each season. As September is often a time for new starts and changes for many, we can be comforted by God’s words for us in these times.저자 Shirley Baptist Church

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews spent many chapters explaining how Jesus fulfilled all the promises made to God's people, but then asks the question, so what? In light of all Jesus has done, how should we then live?저자 Shirley Baptist Church

Fixing our eyes on Jesus can sometimes be a challenge, but in the book of Hebrews we're given great encouragement in just a few verses. From these we can take encouragement from men and women of faith that have gone before us and we have a great example to follow in Jesus Christ, one who endured life's challenges and comes alongside us as we run th…

Faith, true faith. What is this? Hebrews 11 says 'Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see'. This is easier said than done for many of us, who like to see the things we are putting our faith in. If that's the case then the good news is that, if you look around, you see God's fingerprints all over what He pr…

We should be bold, confident and brave to act in the full assurance of Christ, because that is what the writer of Hebrews urged us to do. We should encourage and spur each other on to love and good deeds in line with Hebrews 10:24, because if we do not do this, we risk forgetting who Jesus Christ is, how much He loves us and what He did for each on…

Jesus had been creating waves across the nation, with his miracles and controversial teaching. Sensing a problem the religious leaders came from far and wide and packed into a small house in Capernaum to suss out what was going on. Jesus took the opportunity to turn up the volume on God's message to his people. The religious leaders didn’t like wha…

The heart of giving is grace filled, which means giving is not motivated by a guilt trip, nor is it about pressure or unwise choices. Rather giving comes from the grace of God, an opportunity to support the need of others, and a sacrificial desire to see the church grow. It about the Kingdom of God breaking in where lives are change, transformed an…

Celebrate Good Times, Come On! I’m sure you know the song but how well do we live it out? How do we live a life of celebration, even when times are hard?저자 Shirley Baptist Church

God is always challenging us to step deeper in to faith. To walk the path He wants us to walk. And so often this leads to new places. We just need to listen to what God is saying. As it says in Isaiah 43:19 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?'저자 Shirley Baptist Church

What do people in the UK think about Jesus, the church and evangelism? Based on the results of a recent survey then more people want to know more about Jesus! We hope you will be inspired to know Jesus and make Jesus known or, put another way, to experience the love of God and to share the love of God.…

Jesus was sent to earth to save us and show us the way to ‘life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10). Jesus then invites us to join him and be sent in to the world to share God’s love (John 3:16). We need to learn to do that, and that can be a life long adventure. It is exciting, full of ups and downs, times of trust and encounters of doubt but everyo…

Do you think you have beautiful feet? Feet aren’t always considered to be a favourite part of the body, but Romans 10:15 boldly claims: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”. As Christians we have good news to share in a world dominated by bad news. The question is, are we prepared to go feet first?…

Pentecost Sunday. A time for the church to focus on the work of the Spirit and the birth of the church. Each week we are seeing God at work in new ways and that is amazing but it can also be challenging too. As the Spirit delights to bring us gifts to serve and empowers us with courage to grow more in Christ-like character and love, let us be alive…

When Jesus gave His disciples the great commission it was not a polite request - rather it was a command of great urgency. Does that still apply for His disciples today? If so what does that mean in regards our approach to sharing the good news of Christ Jesus locally, nationally and globally.저자 Shirley Baptist Church

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”. These well-known words of Jesus were originally given to seventy people before He sent them to be messengers of peace, who receive generous hospitality, bring healing and then share the words, ‘the Kingdom of God has come near to you’. Which of these four inspires or challenges you most?…

As we start to explore what it means to be Together in Mission, we have to ask ourselves what our Mission is and what we have to offer the world by proclaiming King Jesus. The good news is that the coming of his kingdom is a powerful antidote to the power struggles and back-biting we often see around us. He is all powerful and yet gentle in spirit.…

What does it mean to join God in his mission throughout the world? Mission is about crossing cultures, sharing life with people around us and having a heart to offer the good news of Jesus who is the hope of the world.저자 Shirley Baptist Church

'Peace be with you'. These were the words the resurrected Jesus shared with his disciples when he suddenly appeared amongst them in Luke 24. Peace be with you!!??? What did he mean? How could the disciples possibly feel peace when he who had died was suddenly alive. They were terrified and yet, just fifteen verses later, as they witnessed Jesus asc…

After the excitement and thrill of the Easter message it would be easy to view some of the subsequent events as an anti-climax, like the doubting and fearful disciples and the appearances of Jesus where He wasn’t recognised. An example of both of these is the story of the two companions as they journey to Emmaus. As usual, Luke gives intriguing det…

Many of us feel empty. The wonderful news is that, because of something else that was empty - Jesus's tomb - our lives do not have to be like this. Rather, by following Jesus, the risen Christ, we can have the hope of resurrection life and the victory over death, and lives lived to the full, just as they were meant to be.…

Palm Sunday is an exciting time of worship and celebration as our entry into Holy Week reflects Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. In Luke’s gospel we hear that cloaks instead of palm branches were used as symbols of hope, recognising that Jesus is King over all. May we too be hopeful, and also dedicated in our worship and celebration of Jesus, giving th…

As Baptists we love a good baptism! There is such joy and celebration when someone says they want to be baptised. Baptism is about a person who believes they need to publicly share their personal faith in Jesus’ love, forgiveness and salvation. It is about being baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is wonderful, because i…

Let's be honest, we are all tempted sometimes. Some might say it's only human. Jesus was tempted in the desert, but unlike us He's both fully human and fully divine. Satan obviously knew this, so tried tempting Him from both angles. But Jesus did not give in. How did He do this? And how can this help us when we are tempted?…

Like the snow this week falling all around us, the Spirit is described as falling on Jesus at his baptism and during a time of prayer. The Spirit then leads Jesus and then empowers him. Lent is an opportunity to be led by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit to follow the Way of Jesus. A way that brings peace and assurance in a world of anxiety a…

Many of us today tend to ignore or avoid street preachers, especially when they start shouting that people walking past are sinners. But in Jesus day people flocked to hear a prophet called John, who told them the messiah was coming and they needed to repent of their sin and get ready. As we look towards Easter, are we ready for this season of refl…

Worship from Shirley Baptist Church, Shirley, Solihull, UK for Sunday, February 19, 2023. In this service, Rick Lewis from Sydney Australia, speaks from Romans 15: 1-7 on the theme: Together in Community – Welcome people and encourage hospitality.저자 Shirley Baptist Church