Sermons on Simon On Cyrene:

Old Self To New Self: Five Key Areas

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Aug 23, 2025

God wants to transform us into his image. It's his work but it's our work too. Paul gives five areas we need to address in putting off the old and putting on the new.

INTRODUCTION In several of Paul's letters to the churches, Paul starts with theological teaching and then moves on to practical instruction. He lays the theological foundations and sets out key theological truths. After that, he talks about how believers should live in the light of these ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Denomination: Baptist

Ephesians 5 On Marriage

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Aug 30, 2025

The Biblical view of marriage is very different indeed to the contemporary world's view of marriage. The Bible demands a huge amount from us. But through a Christian marriage, we can model Christ's relationship to the church!

INTRODUCTION After our relationship to God, marriage is the most important relationship we get into. But society’s view of marriage has changed dramatically over the past half century or so. What I would like to do today is give you two pictures. The first picture is what I’m calling the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18-33

Denomination: Baptist

The Story Of The Wise Men

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 10, 2026

The wise men are a great example to us today, to be SEEKERS, WORSHIPPERS and, when necessary, REBELS.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION People have been intrigued by the story of the wise men who visited the infant Jesus from the earliest days of the church. Long ago, people carefully kept the bones of the wise men. They’re now in a huge, gilded shrine in Cologne Cathedral. Some of the greatest painters in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Dealing With Disagreements

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 31, 2026

Paul entreats Euodia and entreats Syntyche to agree in the Lord. We look at just two verses but find in them a great example of how to deal with disagreements at church.

INTRODUCTION Some years ago, a minister named Chuck Thomas was invited to preach at a church in Oklahoma. This is the story I read. Thomas noticed that the church was split down the middle, with each side having its own communion table and elders who prayed and served their respective halves of the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:2-3

Denomination: Baptist

Learning From Jonah

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Feb 7, 2026

The story of Jonah teaches us that God is a God of second chances and God of the impossible. When we do what God tells us to - as Jonah eventually did - God can bring about an amazing result. The story of Jonah is also a picture, a foreshadowing, of Jesus and God's great plan of salvation.

This was for a family service, meaning that the children stayed in. We had chairs set in the shape of a boat in the centre of the church. Jonah, sailors etc., were dressed for their parts and we had a short participatory reading of some of the key moments in the story of Jonah earlier in the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Tears Of Jesus Series

Contributed by Simon Measures on Jul 19, 2025

What does it mean that Jesus wept? This sermon explores the humanity of Christ, the purpose of shared sorrow, and the healing power of empathy within the church community. It offers practical encouragement for ministers and believers alike in how to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

The Tears of Jesus by Pastor Simon Measures July 6th 2025 Preface This message was preached at Harvest Field Church, Cheltenham on July 6th 2025, in the days immediately following the graveside committal and memorial celebration service for my wife, Ruth, who passed away quite suddenly. It was a ...read more

Scripture: John 11:35, John 19:24-27, Romans 12:15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Witness And Prayer

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jul 10, 2023

Prayer is essential to witnessing. Only God can change other people's hearts. Only God can give us the strength and courage we need.

This was a fairly short talk in the context of a family service Back in March I got an email through our church website. It was from an American called Tagg Wolverton. He works for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Tagg Wolverton explained that Billy Graham’s son Franklin would be ...read more

Scripture: John 1:41, Acts 1:14, Ezekiel 37:1-10, Matthew 9:37-38

Denomination: Baptist

The Fruit Of The Spirit: Patience, Kindness

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jul 15, 2023

We look at two fruit of the spirit: patience and kindness. We need patience! People are difficult. Other Christians can be difficult. Ministry takes time to bear fruit. And we need to show kindness. We may not realise what a fundamental quality it is for a Christian.

RUCKSACK ILLUSTRATION, EARLIER IN THE SERVICE. Narrator: ‘Today, Sam, Gifty, Vanessa and Cyril are going camping. Vanessa and Cyril are very excited about it. Vanessa gets to work packing two rucksacks. She is very thoughtful; she doesn’t want Cyril’s rucksack to be too heavy for him. She ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22, 1 Timothy 1:16, Romans 8:29, Galatians 6:9, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 3:12-17, Ephesians 4:32  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Fruit Of The Spirit: Goodness

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jul 22, 2023

The Holy Spirit wants us to grow in the quality of goodness. But what is goodness? How can we find the path of goodness?

For the past three weeks we’ve been focusing on two verses in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Paul wrote, ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law’ [Galatians 5:22-23] In these famous ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Baptist

The Last Three 'fruit Of The Spirit': Faithfulness, Gentleness And Self-Control

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Aug 5, 2023

How can we be more like God? By demonstrating God's character. We look at three more wonderful qualities of God that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us.

INTRODUCTION Today, we’re having the last in our series on the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. We’re going to look at the last three fruit in Paul’s list: faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I thought I’d do something a bit different to usual today. I’m going to look at three true ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Baptist

Saul's Conversion Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Aug 27, 2023

Saul's conversion shows us that God can reach anyone and change anyone. Ananias' acceptance of Saul is a wonderful example. And Paul's reflection on the event reminds us of just how important it is to be baptized.

I don’t often think about Nottingham. I can’t remember ever visiting it. It’s 200 miles away and we haven’t had reason to go there. But Nottingham is an up-and-coming city. A few years ago, The Times newspaper named it as the most improved city in its survey of the best places to live. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

God's Awesome Plan

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 16, 2024

At Easter we think of how Jesus, by dying on the cross, freed us from our slavery to sin. But we can't think, 'I'm saved and that's all that matters to me.' God saves us for a purpose. We need to grasp God's purpose and engage with it.

Do any of you like watching movies? Do you like action movies? How about prison escapes? There are two kinds of prison-escape movies. There are movies like Escape from Alcatraz or The Great Escape. In these movies the hero’s goal is to escape. There is no bigger goal. Then there are movies ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:2, John 8:34, Romans 7:6, John 1:29, Revelation 19:9, 1 Corinthians 2:9  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Warning And A Promise

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 23, 2024

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he wept. His coming to Jerusalem would be a 'career-ending moment' for Jerusalem. There's a serious warning here for us. But there's also a promise. Jesus fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy - and Zechariah has more prophecies.

Today is Palm Sunday. It’s the Sunday in the year when we remember that a week before Jesus was crucified, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. People took palm branches and shouted out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ It seems like a very ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:41-44, Zechariah 9:9

Denomination: Baptist

Our Greatest Passion

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Apr 13, 2024

Are we clear on what our greatest passion must be?

NOTE: This was a family service. Early in the service I tell the children’s story ‘Wherever you go, I want you to know’ by Melissa Kruger. You can download the images for the story free from the Good Book Company. I made them into a PowerPoint to accompany the story. EARLY IN THE SERVICE: Today ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:37-38

Denomination: Baptist

How To Survive A Storm Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Nov 25, 2023

Three important strategies for surviving a storm. They're all not-so-common common-sense.

The book of Acts is 28 chapters long. In Chapter 28, Paul finally gets to Rome. But chapter 27 is the chapter where the last major drama of the book of Acts happens. It’s the story of Paul in a storm. Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, gave a lot of space to this story. He must think it’s ...read more

Denomination: Baptist