Sermons by Michael Howell (Page 11)
Michael Howell
Boldness in Prayer
As Christians, we’re called to the good work of prayer. But sometimes the good work of prayer might feel more like hard work. If that’s how we feel, then the Scriptures have some encouragement for us. Let us consider three truths about God which remind us that prayer can be simple, and be encouraged to press on being a church which boldly depends on God in prayer.
Made Alive
Ephesians 2:1-10 When we think about the good things God is calling us to do as His church, it’s important that we first remind ourselves of what He has already done for us. We were by nature dead in our sins, but God has made us alive with Christ. By His grace we are made new, so that we might do good works.
Transformed by Jesus
Luke 19:1-10 How has Jesus changed your life? In today’s passage, we meet Zacchaeus, a man who has his life radically transformed by Jesus. Like Zacchaeus, when we receive from Jesus what he is offering to us, our lives will also be transformed.
Desperate Faith
Luke 8:40-56 The story of Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead and healing the sick woman teaches us that Jesus has authority over sickness and death. It calls us to reflect on our own weakness and mortality and to come to Jesus with desperate faith. We believe that Jesus has power to heal in this life, and even more importantly, that he has the power to give us eternal life.
Born is the King
Matthew 2:1-12 That first Christmas, a king was born. And he’s still king today. As we take a closer look at the way that Herod, the wise men and the religious leaders respond to the birth of Jesus we’re led to ask “which of these characters am I most like?” How do you respond to King Jesus?
Simeon’s Song
Luke 2:25-35 Christmas is a time of great anticipation. In today’s passage, we meet Simeon, a man who has been waiting with great anticipation for the Lord’s Messiah. In Jesus, Simeon finally sees the one he has been waiting for and he praises God for his gift of salvation. But he also has a sombre warning for Mary. This baby might be the bringer of peace, but he will also face great hostility, as will all who pledge their allegiance…
Mary’s song
Luke 1:46-55 Mary magnifies the Lord because he is mindful of us, mighty, and merciful. She celebrates because of the great blessings that will come through the baby she carries. These blessings are for her, for the socially marginalised and for all the descendants of Abraham, including us.
Alert Living
Ephesians 5:15-21 In the final part of our series on the new self, we see that the new self lives an alert life. This alertness is expressed as we walk through life wisely and allow God to fill us with His Spirit.
Fellowship in Christ
We are the temple of God, the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. Listen as we explore these pictures of fellowship from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, thinking about what they teach us about our priorities as a church. Who we are together ought to shape the way we live together as those whom God has called into fellowship with one another in Christ.
New Speech
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Being made new in Christ will shape the way we speak. Listen as we dive into Ephesians 4, where Paul challenges us to be a people who speak in a way that strengthens, helps and heals the body.
My help, my hope
Psalm 146 The Book of Psalms ends with several songs of praise, reminding us that the praise of God is, ultimately, the reason we were created. One of these songs, Psalm 146, reminds us that in order to live a life of praise we need to have a much more realistic view of human beings and a much bigger view of God.
A personal relationship
Psalm 63 What does it mean for us to have a personal relationship with God? In Psalm 63 we hear David express his thirst for God, his delight in God and his confidence in God. Through Christ, we can experience, express and enjoy our relationship with God in the same kind of way.