News

Whatever became of sin? – Lamentations 1 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

It’s human nature to want to blame everybody else for our problems. This is doubly true in our society today, where everything is psychologised. However, the Bible says that we need to take sin seriously — we need to take personal responsibility seriously. In the first of this sermon series on Lamentations, we take a look into the darkest moment in Israel’s history to see what we can learn.

You can find the Bible Project’s summary of Lamentations here.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please become a susbcriber on Substack!

Share this:

How should we then live? – Hebrews 13 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

All through Hebrews we have been hearing about the wonderful truths of the gospel – Christ the mediator of a new covenant, and so on. But the final chapter moves on to focus us on what difference these truths should make to our lives — especially on loving one another and honouring our leaders.

The organisations I mentioned were Open Doors and Christian Concern.

You can read more about my book, Confused by Grace (including about where to buy it), here on the website.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please become a susbcriber on Substack!

Share this:

Worshipping God with reverence – Hebrews 12:18-29 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

People sometimes accuse the church of turning ‘God Almighty’ into ‘God all-matey’. Christians often struggle to reconcile the holiness of God with the access we have to him through Christ Jesus. This passage from Hebrews helps us to understand how we should approach God.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please become a susbcriber on Substack!

Share this:

Why being Christian is a struggle – Hebrews 12:4-17 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Being a Christian is not a walk in the park: in fact, it can feel like a real struggle — whether the opposition is within us or outside of us. This passage helps us to see our struggles in perspective, to help us understand them, and encourage us to carry on the straight and narrow path.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please become a susbcriber on Substack!

Share this:

What do we know about eternal life? – Eternal Life – What Christians Believe 12

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Many people, even those who are not religious, believe in some kind of afterlife. But people don’t really know what to expect. What will eternal life be like? Many Christians are confused about this! But we don’t need to be, because the Bible does teach us what to expect of eternal life. What will it be like — and how do we prepare for it today?

If you appreciate this video, please consider becoming a subscriber on Substack.

Share this:

What it means to live by faith – Hebrews 11:1-12:3 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

A lot of people talk about “living by faith” — but what does it really mean? This passage from Hebrews is all about living by faith. It shows us how important it is, what it looks like, and encourages to carry on despite the fact that it’s hard.

The session I did on science and faith can be found on my website.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please become a susbcriber on Substack!

Share this:

What is ‘the communion of saints’…? – The Church – What Christians Believe 11

Posted on by Phill Sacre

People sometimes say “you can be a Christian without going to church” — but that’s missing the entire point. The church is what being a Christian is all about! In this week’s session on the Apostle’s Creed, we learn what the “communion of saints” is and think about the holy “catholic” church.

If you appreciate this video, please consider becoming a subscriber on Substack.

Share this:

Drawing near to God with a clear conscience – Hebrews 10:19-39 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Every preacher knows that they have to answer the question ‘so what’ — what relevance do these truths have to do with my life? The author of Hebrews is no exception, and in this passage we turn to how the teaching about Jesus’ sacrifice and ministry as high priest should make a difference to us. He focusses on drawing near to God, persevering despite sin and persecution, and the importance of meeting together.

You can find a free copy of John Owen’s book On the Mortification of Sin here (modernised edition).

Share this:

Who is the Holy Spirit and what does he do? – What Christians Believe 10

Posted on by Phill Sacre

There has been much division over the role of the Holy Spirit in the church over the last hundred years. However, much of this stems from a misunderstanding of who the Spirit is and what he comes to do. In this session we look at the identity of the Holy Spirit, before thinking about what he comes to do in our lives. The Spirit is the one who makes everything real to us.

If you appreciate this video, please consider becoming a subscriber on Substack.

Share this:

Holiness is found only in Jesus – Hebrews 10:1-18 Sermon

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Why did God give the Law, and why did God send Jesus? We can’t understand how Jesus fulfils the old covenant unless we understand what God wants from us in the first place. The answer is summed up in one word – holiness. In this sermon we think about holiness and how Jesus is the fulfilment of everything that God promised for us.

If you appreciate Understand the Bible, please become a susbcriber on Substack!

Share this: