SLE Church Sermons

There is a timer counting down slowly for all of us – with an unknown quantity of time on it. Every moment it counts down until at some point we will have run out of ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/that-we-might-know-the-lord-in-judgement-and-hope-ezekiel-commissioned/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Ezekiel is one of the most challenging books to read and understand, but it is worth our effort, because it is the word of God, and it seeks to give us a deeper and clearer ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/that-we-might-know-the-lord-in-judgement-and-hope-vision-of-gods-glory/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

What is a ‘Vision’? It is what we hope we will become. A vision acts as both a guide (where do we want to go) and a measure (how are we going at the moment). ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/mission-values-vision-our-vision/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

We believe that the saving grace of Jesus Christ has broken down all barriers among believers. Through the gospel, believers from all backgrounds are reconciled to God and with each other. We relate to each ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/mission-values-and-vision-valuing-our-unity-in-christ/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Every Christian is encouraged to be continuously and actively involved in discipling others, whatever your age or stage of life.

Prayer is the privilege of every believer to speak to our heavenly Father. We believe that God calls His people to pray in response to His Word, expressing our trust in and dependence on God’s ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/mission-values-vision-valuing-prayerful-dependence/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

We believe the Bible is God’s word and that it reveals to us His plan for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. We believe it is one unified story that was inspired by God and ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/mission-values-vision-valuing-the-right-handling-of-gods-word/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

God seeks his honour and glory above all else, achieving that through the proclamation of the death and resurrection of his Son to believers, that they might mature into the likeness of Christ, and to ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/mission-values-vision-our-mission/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Judgement is held back from the earth until all of God’s people are sealed. An encouragement about the identity of God’s people, a comfort that their pain and suffering is not forgotten, and a reminder ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-sealed-before-the-seventh-seal/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The Lamb opens the seals showing his sovereignty in judgement on the earth and in the persecution of believers, as final judgement awaits. This brings understanding, comfort and perseverance to believers as they await final ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-the-six-seals/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The vision of heaven sees God on His throne in charge and in control over all rule and all creation, and sees Jesus the Son as the slain lamb who reveals and fulfils God’s plan ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-the-throne-and-the-lamb/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

We have a happy ending as Job is restored by God in the sight of all, helping us see how good and gracious Yahweh is.

When Yahweh appears with questions, Job recognises the ignorance behind his words and repents. He realises he has been too demanding and is reminded that God is God and in control, worthy of his trust, ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/wisdom-in-the-eye-of-the-storm-wisdom-revealed/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Our search for wisdom must find its destination in the fear of the Lord. As Christians, we need to recognize the heightened, yet ultimately limited, human ability to seek and get what we need and ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/wisdom-in-the-eye-of-the-storm-a-key-word-about-wisdom/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

When someone is suffering and grieved, there is commonly five stages of experience during these difficult times. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. What sometimes makes the book of Job hard to understand is that ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/wisdom-in-the-eye-of-the-storm-when-wisdom-fails/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Job’s friends’ wisdom about suffering is wrong in content and attitude. True wisdom that comforts and helps consists of proper understanding as well as humility and grace. That is, true wisdom is both theological and ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/wisdom-in-the-eye-of-the-storm-the-unhelpfulness-of-narrow-wisdom/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Job, a prosperous and faithful man, has everything he has destroyed in a test – yet he passes, establishing for us that he has done no wrong in God’s sight.

More important than the truth of the resurrection of Jesus is our desperate need for it to be true. Without the resurrection of Christ Jesus, we live life in the shadow of death without escape ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/resurrection-of-christ-desperately-needed/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Laodicea, rich and successful, became self-sufficient and Jesus-deficient. The church thought greatly of themselves, yet Jesus has the opposite assessment. The church needed to renew their zeal for Jesus and for what Jesus gives or ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-self-sufficiency/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, was not showing much love to Christ’s church. Opposition was not new, the other churches were encountering it as well. But in the face of discouragement and hostility, Jesus ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-doubt/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

In a time of increasing persecution and the need to persevere under trial, Sardis was a bright shining light: a church that had it all together. The envy of all other churches and the place ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-a-good-reputation/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The church at Thyatira, an insignificant trade city, faced great socioeconomic pressures to conform to false worship and works. The church were strong in doing the works of Jesus, but they made the grave error ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-tolerance/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Pergamum, at the very centre of Roman Religious Worship, where ‘Satan’s throne is’, posed a huge challenge to the Pergamum Church. The great threat of compromise to avoid pain or to enjoy gain was exacerbated ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-compromise/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Following Jesus is hard – not just because our sinful nature wants to keep rebelling against our loving saviour, but also because our world (and even some who claim the name ‘God’s people’) press hard ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-fear-of-suffering/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Ephesus is enduring and discerning but has lost its first love. Jesus, the ruler of his church, calls them to repent, warning them of failure to listen and encouraging them with a promise for those ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-conquer-loveless-orthodoxy/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

In our first part of this series, we will be exploring the letter to the churches (Revelation 1-3). John’s message to the seven churches is a message that God’s church needs to hear through every ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/to-the-one-who-conquers-the-revelation/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

In what is one of the strangest parables Jesus ever taught, we are challenged to be better than the world in living in light of the future. The people of this world cleverly and consistently ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/discipleship-money-matters/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

“Forgiveness… can you imagine?” A line sung at one of the most poignant moments in the musical Hamilton when the main character’s wife shows him forgiveness after an adulterous affair. The lyric rings with astonishment: ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/discipleship-three-times-found/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Following Jesus is hard. The past few weeks we’ve read Jesus laying down challenge after challenge to our discipleship. But I think that in this week’s passage Jesus will throw down the ultimate challenge: if ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/discipleship-count-the-cost/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

As Jesus feasts with the Pharisees, we see clear reasons why they will NOT be a part of the heavenly feast when the Kingdom of God comes in full in the future. Their attitudes and ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/discipleship-faulty-feasting/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Life is full of BIG questions, but none are more important than questions about salvation. In this passage, an unnamed questioner asks Jesus: “will those who are saved be few?”. Jesus responds by urging his ... <a href="https://sle.church/2021/discipleship-entering-the-kingdom-of-god/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

A disciple of Jesus walks daily in personal repentance be it through suffering or blessing.

Christmas is coming! With that deadline, despite all that is happening in our world today, we’re busy preparing ourselves: getting presents ready, making travel plans to (hopefully) be able to see family, and generally organising ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-you-must-be-ready/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Money and material possessions are good gifts from God, but they have a way of troubling all people – fostering greed in those who want more and more and inducing anxiety for those striving after ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-troubled-with-greed-and-need/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The Christian faith will always be lived out amidst disapproval, opposition and persecution. What Jesus experienced will be unavoidably experienced by all his disciples. So then how are we to deal with this fact of ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-right-fear/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

It’s not often we get to see the anger of our Lord Jesus on full display. Imagine standing in the room as Jesus scolded the Pharisees with some of the harshest words you’ve ever heard ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-with-him-or-against-him-part-2/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

CS Lewis popularised the idea that Jesus is either liar, lunatic, or Lord – we can treat him no other way. Well, in this week’s passage Jesus is not only accused of being a liar ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-with-him-or-against-him-part-1/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

What if I could guarantee that your prayers would always be answered positively? Maybe you’d ask in return, ‘How can you pray with such confidence? On what are you basing this confidence?’ Well, what Jesus ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-the-dependence-of-discipleship/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Love God. Love neighbour. Nothing new for believers. The great challenge is extent – disciples are to be devoted to lavishly loving others unconstrained by limits and loving Jesus by drawing near and listening. These ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-the-devotion-of-discipleship/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Being on mission for Jesus. Sharing the gospel. Evangelism. Our first responses to hearing these things can often be guilt, fear and a sense that we are duty-bound. In our passage this week in Luke’s ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-the-mission-of-discipleship/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Who is Jesus and what does it mean to follow him? In this confronting passage, the cost of following Jesus is shown to us. Following Jesus will cost us our personal pride and will completely ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-the-cost-of-disciples/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The call to follow Christ Jesus can seem to be difficult and daunting. He graciously provides experiences of his glory and majesty to encourage and enable ongoing faith and obedience. In the word of God ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-encouragement-for-disciples/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Who is Jesus and what does it mean to be his disciple? It seems like a simple question with a simple answer! In this 6-week series, we will be looking at a section in the ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/discipleship-disciples-of-jesus-christ/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

In this final chapter of Ruth all things are now worked together for the good of his people. The clouds that Naomi dreaded in chapter 1 now break with big mercies and gracious blessings as ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/a-sweet-and-bitter-providence-sweet-providence/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

At the end of chapter 2 we saw that while Boaz had taken care of Ruth (and Naomi) economically, there were some big family issues still to be resolved along with the long term security ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/a-sweet-and-bitter-providence-plans-promises-patience-and-faith/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

When Yahweh providentially orders the steps of Ruth to meet her redeemer, Boaz, who pledges to protect and provide for her, she is showered with grace, which is recognized by Naomi as Yahweh’s loving kindness ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/a-sweet-and-bitter-providence-providential-kindness/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The choice of turning to Moab leads to death, leaving a bitter Naomi to return to Bethlehem with Ruth (who has turned from Moab to follow her) believing that Yahweh has dealt bitterly with her. ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/a-sweet-and-bitter-providence-bitter-providence/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Joshua finishes with two speeches that cover the same point: the LORD God has been utterly faithful to His people, graciously doing everything to make Israel His people and blessing them. In response, the people ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/promises-kept-utmost-loyalty-to-the-utmost-faithful-lord/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

The Eastern tribes showed commendable loyalty to the LORD and unity with their Western brothers, but when it is threatened, confrontation rightly results. Clarification of intentions for ongoing loyalty to the LORD and unity with ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/promises-kept-loyalty-and-unity/" class="more-link">Read More</a>

Over many chapters and with great detail, the distribution of the land as an inheritance is recorded. This highlights the greatness of the inheritance, given to all the people of Israel, because of the utter ... <a href="https://sle.church/2020/promises-kept-receiving-the-inheritance/" class="more-link">Read More</a>