Sermons on A Secure Footing:

Mary And The Passion Of Jesus

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 13, 2018

Simeons prediction that, 'A sword will pierce your own soul too' to Mary was to come true time and time again and how it must of hurt. Mary was there and watch the happy, the terrible and horrific moments of her Son ministry but could do nothing.

Mary and the Passion of Jesus The words of Simeon spoken in the temple to Mary: "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel....and a sword will pierce your own soul too." I wonder what Mary made of this, did she expected it to lead to death on a cross? There she ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:29-35

Jesus And The Temple

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 13, 2018

Why did Jesus lose His temper in the Temple when He saw the traders and money changers there? The context explains everything - they were on the take! Jesus was a danger to their profits and had to go.

The temple John 2:13-25 The reading we have just heard from John's gospel might seem rather strange especially as it is at the start of his gospel; but ironically the synoptic gospels have this incident in the temple at the start of His last week just after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem - ...read more

Scripture: John 2:13-25, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46

Why A Suffering Messiah?

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 20, 2018

Why did Jesus have to suffer after all He was the Messiah and Peter just couldn't understand why Jesus spoke about His forthcoming death as He did.

WHY A SUFFERING MESSIAH? MARK 8:27-35. A lady went to buy a rosary without a cross attached. "It's for my friend," she explained. She doesn't like the cross, she thinks it's cruel." There are many today who would like to take the cross out of Christianity. In today's Gospel, Peter felt the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:27-35

We Have No King But Caesar

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 20, 2018

The passion narrative of Jesus, His last 2 weeks is full of detail with theology mixed up with history and politics - indeed a third of each gospel is devoted to the passion of Jesus. Every time you read or hear the account something new hits you.

We have no king but Caesar John 19:15 Today is Passion Sunday, the 1st day of a period of 2 weeks when we focus our thoughts on the arrest, trial, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we know this is a very significant period in the life of Jesus, the climax of His ministry which ...read more

Cross Of Pain, Cross Of Life

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 24, 2018

Sometimes its difficult to really realise the pain and the suffering that Jesus went through on the cross for US! There is art in the form of paintings and sculpture that depicts the crucifixion in some theological aspect rather than reality.

CROSS OF PAIN, CR0SS OF LIFE During these 2 weeks leading up to Easter called passion tide we focus our thoughts and minds to Jesus’s life and in particular His Sufferings. All too often we do not realise the dreadful suffering that Jesus went through on our behalf. The film the Passion of ...read more

Scripture: John 19:23-30, Matthew 27:33-54, Mark 15:25-39, Luke 23:33-47

Passover Jesus To Pilate

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 24, 2018

How much do we really understand about the context behind the trial and death of Jesus. Why were the Jews so insistent that Jesus should be put to death and what's more by the hated Romans?

Passover Jesus to Pilate It is the feast of the Passover in the city of Jerusalem around AD30. The city is full of pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean world to attend this great national festival when they celebrated their release from slavery in the land of Egypt. Now they were effectively ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:1-15, Matthew 27:11-26, Luke 23:1-25

Why Did Jesus Die?

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 24, 2018

Jesus died a very brutal death and Christian know that by his death we have life. But at the time what were the charges that the Jews had to warrant death and why did they pass Jesus over to the Romans to do their dirty work?

Why did Jesus Die? The ministry of Jesus lasted just over 3 years and we have the gospels that relate and record that ministry. A wealth of material to guide our Christian living, to offer us hope and to give us a strong faith. And yet out of all the gospels that last week of Jesus predominates, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:19-27, Mark 11:9-18, 1 Kings 1:32-40, Mark 12:1-12, Isaiah 5:1-7  (view more)  (view less)

Easter Wisdom - April 1st

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Apr 2, 2018

Easter Day and April 1st doesn't coincide very often but it has a valuable lesson for us in that God's wisdom in raising Jesus from the dead corrects forever the foolishness of mankind.

EASTER Wisdom - April 1st!? 'Who says God doesn't have a sense of humour!' Twitter erupts with hilarious posts about the fact that Easter Day falls on the same day as April Fool's day - while Ash Wednesday is on Valentine's Day. But we all like a joke, a laugh - life would be very boring if we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:23-25, 1 Peter 1:3-13

The Resurrection Brings New Peace

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Apr 2, 2018

When we look on our world we see all sorts of violence, terror and war. Innocent men, women and children caught up in situations way beyond their control so they flee for their lives. The Resurrection of Jesus brings peace - an inner peace.

The Resurrection Brings New Peace John 20:19-20:31 What is the message of Easter for you this year? If you think about it the Easter message is very positive especially for those who live constantly in fear: fear of failure, fear of death, fear of so many things,….. The first words Jesus ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Too Good To Be True?

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Apr 2, 2018

After Thomas had witnessed the risen Jesus he doubted no more. It might of been too good to be true but he had witnessed it first hand and that always helps.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? JOHN 20:19-31. We live in a sceptical world where human nature finds it difficult to believe in anything good. In fact we find it easy to believe in something bad and prefer to believe in a white lie rather than believe in the truth. We say, "its too good to be true." But ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

The Wounds Of Jesus

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Apr 10, 2018

The wounds of Jesus were very visible after the Resurrection of His body but not always. Why didn't the disciples always recognise the risen Jesus? Was He different in some way?

The Wounds of Jesus – Luke 24:40 There is a statue of the Risen Christ called the Majestus in Llandaff Cathedral a sculpture by Epstein, in South Wales UK and it predominates the nave of the cathedral but can by familiarity be unnoticed. But if you take notice and look at the detail – Christ is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

The Honour Of Second Place

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Jan 17, 2017

In life there are those who seem to be born leaders but leaders need the essential support of others and appear to take 2nd place. The disciple of Jesus, Andrew shows us very clearly that there is Honour in taking Second Place.

I’m sure in the past you have either applied for a job or some position and you attended an interview panel or selection board. Well picture the disciples before such an examining board which was appointed to choose Jesus' closest associates. Peter stood there smelling of fish -- uncouth, ...read more

Scripture: John 1:35-42

St Peter And Hans Christian Andersen

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Jan 31, 2017

The first letter of Peter takes your breath away as he relates to the wonderful gift God has given us in His Son that we are children of God and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. Andersen relates how God in Christ gives us a totally new view on life.

St Peter and Hans Christian Andersen 1 Peter 1:3-12 There are few passages in the NT where more of the great fundamental Christian ideas come together than in this passage of St Peter. It begins with a doxology to God--but a doxology with a difference. For a Jew the commonest of all beginnings to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-12

The Best Is Yet To Come

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Jan 31, 2017

Jesus keeps the vintage wine until everyone is drunk. This is the same for the vintage years of our lives - old age is viewed as something NOT to be thought of but Jesus shows us that our vintage year are the best yet to come.

The Best is Yet to Come Gospel reading: John 2:1-12 from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Wedding at Cana 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-12

The Good Shepherd

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Apr 21, 2018

Jesus said that He was the Good Shepherd, the kind of Shepherd that looks after and protects the sheep - Jesus not only preached this but lived up to it to the full, even to dying so as to protect the sheep.

The Good Shepherd John 10: 11-18 Today’s reading is part of a dialogue which culminates in one of the ‘I AM’ saying of Jesus. St John’s gospel is renowned for its I AM sayings as it gives a unique picture of Jesus and the characteristics of the Son of God. Those two words in themselves are very ...read more

Scripture: John 10:11-18, Isaiah 40:10-11