Sermons on John Newton:

Hosanna To The Lamb!

Contributed by John Newton on Nov 22, 2021

A call to worship with the saints

It was a dark, stormy and very windy night when disaster struck the cemetery. As a cold rain hammered against the sodden earth, a howling gale overturned tombstones, blew down branches and sent cobwebs flying into the dank night air. Lying in bed, Paul Hopkins heard the savage roar outside and ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17

Denomination: Episcopal

They Wanted To See

Contributed by John Newton on Mar 21, 2021

Bartimaeus and Zacchaeus both wanted to see…

During my years in active pastoral ministry a large proportion of my reading was taken up with biblical, pastoral and theological works. So, one of the goals that I set for myself in retirement was to read more fiction. I have to admit that thus far I haven’t managed to live up to that resolution ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:35-43, Luke 19:1-10

Denomination: Episcopal

Lost And Found

Contributed by John Newton on Mar 21, 2021

A look at the three figures in one of Jesus’ most famous parables

One of my greatest delights in the church where I last served in Minnesota was to be part of a group of men who met faithfully every Wednesday morning for prayer, followed each week by coffee and conversation. Both the prayer and the conversation could be pretty free ranging at times. But I have to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Episcopal

Faithful Series

Contributed by John Newton on Feb 13, 2022

Jesus is faithful to us—and calls us to be faithful to him

For six weeks we have been looking at the Letter to the Hebrews. If you hadn’t noticed before, you are probably aware by now that it is far from the easiest book of the New Testament to understand, with its frequent quotations from what often seem obscure passages from the Old Testament, and with ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 3:1-6

Denomination: Episcopal

Consider Jesus

Contributed by John Newton on Feb 13, 2022

A look at Jesus, as High Priest, Son Of God and “Sent One”

As he drew to the conclusion of his gospel the aged apostle John reflected, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” It was a common characteristic of those early ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 3:1-6

Denomination: Episcopal

The Assurance Of Better Things Series

Contributed by John Newton on Apr 4, 2022

Some encouragement for believers who are finding discipleship challenging

Last Sunday those of you who were here or were watching on YouTube will recall that Pastor Doug Mott led us through the first eight verses of Hebrews 6. Early on in his sermon he quoted one biblical scholar who described those verses as “perhaps the most severe warning that occurs anywhere in the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 6:9-12

Denomination: Episcopal

If Stones Could Shout

Contributed by John Newton on Apr 10, 2022

As Jesus entered Jerusalem he told the Pharisees, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

For the next few moments I want you to try to imagine what it must have been like to be among those who stood on the streets of Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. (I’ll even let you close your eyes if you like, as long as you promise not to go to sleep!) The city would have been bustling with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:28-40

Denomination: Episcopal

"The Wind Blows Where It Wills”

Contributed by John Newton on May 24, 2021

The wind that blew through the upper room at Pentecost still blows today

It’s probably been a long time since you were in a room with a hundred and twenty people. But I want you to do your best to imagine it anyway. You might even need to close your eyes for a moment—as long as you promise not to fall asleep! The scene I want you to form in your minds is, of course, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-4

Denomination: Episcopal

The Real Miracle Of Pentecost

Contributed by John Newton on May 24, 2021

A focus on what happened after the events in the Upper Room

I wonder how many people had their TV sets switched on yesterday morning at 5 o’clock. That’s when the CBC coverage of the royal wedding began and for the next five hours I can only imagine that millions of viewers were glued to their screens, trying to catch a glimpse of this or that celebrity ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: Episcopal

The Journey Of Joy

Contributed by John Newton on Dec 17, 2023

Three perspectives on joy from Isaiah

As I was preparing to preach this week, I considered giving my sermon the title “Getting Serious About Joy”. Then I thought better of it and came up with “Joy Is No Laughing Matter”. All joking aside, were you aware that joy is currently the subject of a high-level academic examination? Nine years ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Episcopal

An Everlasting Love

Contributed by John Newton on Dec 19, 2022

About a third of the way through the letter “J” in my dictionary you will come across the word “jeremiad”..

About a third of the way through the letter “J” in my dictionary you will come across the word “jeremiad”. And what, you ask, is a jeremiad? Well, a jeremiad is defined as (and I quote) “a long literary work, in which the author bitterly laments the state of society and its morals in a serious tone ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:2-6

Denomination: Episcopal

A Sermon I’ve Never Wanted To Preach

Contributed by John Newton on Aug 8, 2022

There are few (if any!) passages in the Bible more challenging than Hebrews 10:26-31...

Aside from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, I wonder if anyone here this morning can tell me what may have been the most famous sermon ever preached… I don’t have any statistics to back me up, but I am certain that one of the top contenders has to be a sermon delivered to a congregation in Enfield, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:26-31

Denomination: Episcopal

Let Your Face Shine Series

Contributed by John Newton on Aug 14, 2022

This sermon focuses on a psalm of lament and offers it as a pattern for prayer

One of the great strengths of our Anglican worship is the continuous repetition of the psalms. If you turn to the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Alternative Services, you will see that there is a provision there to recite at least one psalm every morning and every evening of the year. That ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal

A Field, A Faith, And A Future

Contributed by John Newton on Sep 29, 2025

What was Jeremiah thinking when he purchased that field?

I wonder if any of you have ever spent money on something and later regretted doing it. I know I have on more than one occasion. And I suspect I’m not the only one here this morning who’s guilty of it. We call them impulse purchases. And just for fun, I thought I’d share a few examples that I came ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:1-15

Denomination: Episcopal

It Didn’t Just Happen

Contributed by John Newton on Jun 4, 2023

The crucifixion of Jesus was not a random incident: it was part of God’s plan from eternity

It was a journey of some two thousand kilometers—from Jerusalem all the way back to what is modern-day Sudan. The lone traveler had come to worship at the Temple. And I can only imagine that it was for him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As his horse plodded along, he occupied his time by ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

Denomination: Episcopal