Sermons on Acts
The Audacity of Pentecost Hope
The Audacity of Pentecost HopeReadings: Acts 2:1-21 Preacher: Phil Swain Pentecost is not just the day the church received spiritual energy, it was the day when confused, overwhelmed disciples were given the courage to believe that God’s future was still possible. They had every reason to stay hidden and yet the Spirit came — not to help them escape the world, but to send them back into it with courage, compassion and hope. We will we be borrowing an idea Read more
Bridging Worlds: Paul in Athens
Bridging Worlds: Paul in Athens Readings: Acts 17:16-31 Preacher: Kevin Kim In Acts of the Apostles 17, we meet Paul in Athens—a city full of ideas, questions, and idols. It’s the cultural and intellectual centre of the ancient world. And as Paul looks around, he is deeply stirred. But what’s striking is what he does next. He doesn’t walk away. He doesn’t attack. He begins to engage. Paul steps into conversation—in the synagogue, in the marketplace, and eventually in the Read more
Spreading the Good News (by sitting down and not saying much)
Spreading the Good News (by sitting down and not saying much) Readings: Acts 16:16-34 Preacher: Phil Swain This Sunday we continue our theme of Good News Spreading as we hear the story of Paul’s first visit to Philippi in Acts 16. The sermon is titled “Spreading the Good News by Sitting Down and Not Saying Much” and it is playing with the idea that sometimes the good news of Jesus is shared most powerfully not with words but through our Read more
Paul’s Conversion: When God Finds Us
Paul’s Conversion: When God Finds Us Readings: Acts 9:1-19a Preacher: Kevin Kim After journeying through the Gospel of John over the past 16 weeks, we now turn to the New Testament book of Acts, where we see how the good news of Jesus begins to spread in powerful and unexpected ways. This Sunday, we begin with one of the most dramatic stories in Scripture—Paul’s conversion—where everything changes in a moment of interruption and encounter. What if faith does not begin Read more
Hope anchored in Christ
Hebrews – Hold onto Hope. Hope anchored in ChristReadings: Hebrews 6:1-20 Preacher: Phil Swain This Sunday we are continuing exploring the New Testament in our new sermons series focusing on selected passages in Hebrews – Hold onto Hope. When we look around our world at the moment; or even around our own communities or life; there is a lot of things happening that are unsettling. It is like the storms of life have settled in and some of us are Read more
Pentecost – Living in the Spirit
PENTECOST … Life in the SpiritReading: Acts 2:1-4 and Galatians 5:13-26 Preacher: Rev. Phil Swain Pentecost is the day that we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit – the fulfilment of Jesus promise in John 14. Jesus said that he would ask the Father to send us a helper – one to walk beside us and help us in all we do. That helper is the Holy Spirit. But did you know that there is a connection between the Read more
Rediscovering Gospel Leadership
Rediscovering Gospel Leadership Reading: Acts 15:1-18 Preacher: Kevin Kim This week we continue our series Foundations of the Early Church by looking at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Faced with conflict and confusion, the early church chose not to divide but to come together—praying, listening, and seeking God’s leading. Through their example, we learn how faithful, Spirit-led leadership can guide the church through hard decisions. In a time when the church today faces many challenges, how can we rediscover Read more
Open Homes, Open Hearts
FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARLY CHURCH: Open Homes, Open HeartsReading: Acts 16:12-34 Preacher: Rev. Phil Swain In the leadup to Pentecost we are continuing our series looking at Foundations of the Early Church and highlighting some of its defining characteristics. This week we will be looking at the theme of “Open homes, open hearts” – how the early church was one of hospitality and inclusion. In particular we will zoom in on Lydia – one of significant leaders in the church Read more
Bold Witness
Foundations of the Early Church:Bold Witness Reading: Acts 6:1–7:2a, 44–60 Preacher: Kevin Kim This Sunday, we begin our new series Foundations of the Early Church by looking at one of its defining characteristics: bold witness. In Acts 6–7, we meet Stephen—a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit—who speaks courageously about Jesus, even in the face of death. His story challenges us to consider: What does boldness look like in our witness today? How might God be calling us Read more
