In Sermons:

Witnessing To The Angels

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 24, 2025

Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:10, 'So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.' What does this mean?!

INTRODUCTION Today, we’re moving on to Ephesians 3. In my first talk, I showed you this picture. It’s produced by the BibleProject and it presents the structure of Ephesians. Ephesians 1 and 2 both get a lot of space. But look at Ephesians 3! It just gets a little corner! It seems that the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:10

Denomination: Baptist

Four Things To Remember At Easter Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Apr 19, 2025

This was a talk for a family service on Easter Sunday. It has four symbolic actions that remind us that Jesus is the truth, Jesus is the key, Jesus is the king and Jesus is the life.

N.B. The parts of this 'talk' were broken up through the service. Today, it’s Easter Sunday. Easter Sundays are always great days! For us as Christians, Easter Sunday is one of the most important days of the year. Perhaps it’s the most important. This Sunday, I’m going to do things a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:38-42, 1 Peter 2:24, Revelation 3:20, Acts 2:24, John 14:19  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Welcoming The King Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Apr 12, 2025

On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and in doing so, presented himself to the people of Jerusalem as king. We also come to similar defining moments. We too must decide how we will receive Jesus -- and the consequence of our decision is incalculable.

Last week, King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Italy. They met the president of Italy. They met the prime minister of Italy. They met the pope. Then King Charles was invited to give a speech to the Italian parliament. Then King Charles and Queen Camilla were invited to a state banquet ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 9:9

Denomination: Baptist

The Necessity Of The Cross Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 29, 2025

Jesus is the key - the only key - which can release us from our imprisonment to sin.

THE NECESSITY OF THE CROSS Charles Wesley was born in 1707. He was the 18th child! His parents had one more child after him. If it was today, the Wesleys would have been in the news! 19 children is exceptional. Charles Wesley’s father, Samuel Wesley, was the rector of the local church. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 John 2:1, Genesis 3:24, John 8:34, Genesis 2:16-17, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 53:6, Exodus 26:31, Exodus 26:35, 2 Chronicles 3:14, 1 Peter 2:24, Hebrews 2:10, Philippians 2:8  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Supreme Fact Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 22, 2025

Jesus' resurrection is the supreme fact of history. We need to grasp it firmly as a truth. Everything else builds on it.

Easter talk, No.1 Let’s suppose some components arrive in a factory. They’re inspected. They pass the inspection and they continue into the factory. There was a fact: the components passed the inspection. The fact led to a decision: the components are received. We may not work in business or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:36-43

Denomination: Baptist

God's Power

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 8, 2025

God is more powerful than any other power. He gives his people power. We need to grasp how powerful God is and go to him for power.

THIS TALK WAS FOR A FAMILY SERVICE IN WHICH THE CHILDREN STAY IN PART 1, EARLIER IN THE SERVICE: PHYSICAL FORCES There are different kinds of forces. For example, I can put my hands on Priscilla’s [my wife’s] shoulders and … hey presto! … she goes down. The force is coming from my hands on her ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:29

Denomination: Baptist

Running The Race

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 1, 2025

The New Testament likens the Christian life to running a race. We look at how it uses the metaphor. It calls us to strive, to improve, and to stay the course.

INTRODUCTION The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote: ‘Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.’ The writer imagined the Christian life as a race – a race that requires endurance. We’re presently in a series in which we’re looking at items in the news. In some of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

Camels And Needles

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Feb 8, 2025

Jesus said that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Totally impossible - and yet, not for God. We explore the idea in a children's / family service with the help of some glass ships in glass bottles.

THIS WAS A TALK FOR A FAMILY SERVICE, GIVEN IN THREE PARTS. PART 1: A glass ship in a glass bottle Perhaps you have a jug at home that’s made of Pyrex. [EXAMPLE.] This kind of jug can withstand high temperatures. You can put it in the oven and you can put it in the freezer. That’s because it’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-26

Denomination: Baptist

Going The Wrong Way - Faster

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 25, 2025

We look at some recent news items about global warming. The world is going the wrong way - faster. How should we respond?

Today, we’re continuing in the series we started last week, looking at items that have been in the news recently and thinking about how we respond to them as Christians. This week, we’re going to look at some items that have been in the news recently, related to global warming. I’ve titled this ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 24:1-4, Revelation 9:4, Revelation 11:18

Denomination: Baptist

A Storm Called Fear

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 4, 2025

Fear is one of the most common things Christians have to face. We need to distinguish between the enemy or danger and the fear that the enemy or danger produces, and know how to deal with the fear.

INTRODUCTION Today is the first Sunday of 2025. Happy New Year! I thought that at the start of the year I would review a couple of the most basic aspects of Christian life. I have given the title of today’s talk, ‘A storm called fear.’ It’s about fear, worry and anxiety. Next Sunday, we’re ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 64:1, Isaiah 41:10

Denomination: Baptist

The Word Became Flesh

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Dec 24, 2024

At the beginning of John's gospel John makes many striking claims about Jesus. One is that he was Logos, the word. Another is that he became flesh. Isn't 'the flesh' bad? Why did Jesus take on flesh? And should we do anything?

At Christmas, Christians think of the fact that Jesus, though he was God, became man. But John expresses things differently. Rather than saying that God became man, John tells us that THE WORD – in Greek, Logos – became FLESH. John starts his gospel by talking about ‘Logos’ – the word. John ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Denomination: Baptist

The Most Important Thing About Christmas

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Dec 21, 2024

The most important thing about Christmas is that Jesus entered the world as king. And when we remember the humble circumstances of his birth, we remember that Jesus - although the great king - was committed to being Immanuel, 'God with us.'

In 1717, King Louis XIV of France died. When he was alive, Louis XIV demanded that he be addressed as ‘Louis THE GREAT.’ It’s said that he once declared, ‘L’État, c’est moi’ – meaning, ‘I am the State!’ Louis XIV’s court was the most magnificent in Europe and his funeral was the most ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:30-33

Denomination: Baptist

Cut Out The Light Pollution!

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Dec 7, 2024

At Christmas, Christians need to cut out the light pollution - the many things which can prevent us from focusing on the Light of the World.

INTRODUCTION WHILE THE CHILDREN ARE WITH US: ‘HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!’ Somewhere around about the beginning of 1957, Dr Seuss started to write the story, ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ It was published later that year. That was almost 70 years ago! Today, ‘How the Grinch Stole ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Isaiah's Vision Of Jesus' Coming

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Dec 6, 2024

At Christmas, Christians often look forward to Jesus' second coming. Isaiah's vision relates both to Jesus' first and second comings. He tells us one thing about Jesus (an example for us); one thing Jesus does (a warning to us); and one result (an encouragement for us).

INTRODUCTION How optimistic are you about the future? For a number of years, a market research company, IPSOS, has been doing a survey at the start of the year. One of the questions they ask is whether people expect the coming year to be better for them than the previous year. In Britain, about ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Philemon

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Nov 22, 2024

Paul's letter to Philemon is short but it has some wonderful lessons for us, especially about how we address something that's wrong.

I’d like you to imagine a scene. It’s about 60 A.D. We’re in the home of a wealthy man named Philemon. Philemon lives in the city of Colossae, in the south-east of what is now Turkey. Some time back, he met the apostle Paul and became a Christian, and he’s now one of the leaders of a church. ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Baptist