Episodes

When Peter was imprisoned, the church prayed with conviction and passion for his release and yet seemed astonished when he was. How do we pray when faced with a crisis? How do we make sense of both the answered and unanswered prayers?

Matthew’s gospel tells two stories of outsiders who come to Jesus determined and confident that he will do something incredible for someone they care about. Will we do the same for one another?

It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t see the results of our prayers but, as the story of Abraham reminds us, we must take our place as priests who will intercede on behalf of the world.

Psalm 23 is much more than a scripture to read at funerals. It’s a radical reminder that we pray to a God who is the shepherd of our lives.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians reminds us of the core business of prayer – that we may know God better. [rl_gallery id=”11975″] When we pray, we’re saying things shouldn’t be like this and that things could change. Fundamentally prayer is an act of hope.#elim pic.twitter.com/Mc6gizf4YP — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) 21 January 2020

Luke’s telling of the birth of Jesus reminds us that God acted at a real time in history, in a real place, with real people. If we pause from our busyness, we might just be amazed again at the one who comes close to us. [youtube]7heVsEo3FWY[/youtube]

The genealogies at the end of Ruth and at the start of Matthew’s gospel are full of remarkable people; many of whom, in spite of their own frailty, made commitments which would change the future of their families and pave the way for the birth of the Messiah. What has God called you to continue to be committed to?

The end of the book of Ruth is much better than a simple love story; the actions of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz have much bigger consequences. Can we partner with God to help write different endings with better story lines in the situations we find ourselves in?

Both Ruth and Boaz took risks in order to create new possibilities for others. What might God be asking of us which could prove redemptive for others in our families and work places?

How do we make sense of the good things that happen in life which are beyond our control? Do we put them down to luck or is God involved somehow? “When I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.” William Temple pic.twitter.com/0XmpodIG3c — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) 17 November 2019

The small old testament book of Ruth is a beautiful story of God’s hand in the midst of an ordinary family. When tragedy strikes, we, like Naomi, may well ask: ‘where are you God?’

The story of the blind beggar reminds us that we are all spiritually blind until we see Jesus for who he really is. The question is, how much do you want to see him?

Paul ends his letter to the Galatian church with an encouragement to do good; particularly to carry one another’s burdens. We still need to hear that encouragement today.

We can believe the lie that everything depends on us and so we try to control situations, including other people. Sometimes we need reminding to simply trust in the Father who holds all things in His hands.

The temptation to compare yourself with someone else has always been part of a diverse church community. Thankfully Paul reminds us that God sees us all in the same way; simply as his children and that means we are free to be ourselves.

The past can be hard to shake off but God calls us to a bigger future in which our identity is in Christ alone. Your identity is not defined by the past. Your identity is in Christ. Your identity opens up a new future.#freedom #elim pic.twitter.com/XQtPmgOgyR — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) September 15, 2019

We may be tempted to try hard to earn the approval of those we respect, including God. Paul reminds us of the true gospel which tells us we don’t need to.

The early church asked itself a question that still echoes through the centuries: ‘Am I good enough?’ Paul’s letter to the Galatian church responds definitively to that question. “What qualifies us for God’s grace is only our need for God’s grace. End of list.” Nadia Bolz-Weber#elim pic.twitter.com/80zayQsLwg — Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) 1 September 2019 Galatians: Some Resources To Help You

Ananias was a simple man, living an ordinary life, when God asked him to take a risk. What might God be asking of us in order to impact the lives of those around us?

We are called to follow in the footsteps of the one spoke up for truth and justice. He uses people like us to be part of his great restoration plan. During this sermon you’ll hear a short interview with Hannah – one of the brilliant people in our church. These are some of the resources that she suggested would be helpful to follow up about Human Trafficking/Modern Slavery and engaging with standing for justice. The book that first inspired me to get involved. Good News About Injustice: 10th a...

We may not all be confident evangelists, but God wants to use each and every one of us to share the great news of Jesus.

Not many of us are able to change the world,but we can have an influence on the little part of the world God has given us responsibility for. We can help mould a culture in Jesus’ name, one degree at a time.

We were created to work; not just for money but for the glory of God. How can we rediscover our sense of purpose in our workplaces?

In a culture obsessed with performance and status, we need to be reminded that God cares more about our character than our vocation.