Regent Hall Sermons: Espresso Yourself

This week, inspired by the wider Church Lectionary we commence a 4 week series called Season of Creation. This will take us to the last Sunday in September when we will celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving. It is an incredibly relevant theme for these times. We believe that God the Holy Spirit sparked creation into life. This very act was an act of love and so demands a loving response in return. Our spiritual response must therefore encompass how we care for God’s creation; our response to current environmental issues and then a deeper look into how we actively care for one another, our place of worship and our community. Of course, the Creation theme implies so much, and here we will consider re-creation too! Such a relevant theme for the day. What, in these unique times, will God re-create for you, for me, for this Corps, for His Church?! Major Richard Mingay

This week is the last in our ‘Jesus Stories’ series and we’re looking at ‘The Rich Farmer.’ A short story of a guy who was prudent and stored away provision for the future. At first glance there seems nothing wrong with what he’s doing – surely putting a bit a side for leaner days is something we all do. We budget and try to save a bit so that we have some disposable income should we need it. So what is the issue and what can we take from this story for ourselves today? Well, the issue with the rich farmer weren’t his actions but his motives. The only people on his mind were he, himself and I. Everything he had saved was for him. As Christians we are called to look beyond ourselves. As the words of a well-known song say: ‘So let us learn how to serve and in our lives enthrone him. Each other’s needs to prefer, for it is Christ we’re serving.’ Look with God’s eyes to be generous this week. It could be generous with your time or in coffee and cake or simply in listening. However it is, may we wake up and li

We are nearing the end of our series ‘Stories Jesus Told’. It has been lovely to consider the deep truths of the Gospel in some of the shortest story accounts in the Bible. Indeed some of these stories have only lasted for just two verses! But here’s the point: Jesus could make clear the things of God in very few words. It’s something a few of us preachers and teachers should sometimes take on board more often perhaps! This morning we look at the parable of the Good Samaritan, one of the most well-known stories ever told. Our Children’s book calls this story ‘The Good Stranger’. Short but deep. There are a host of interpretations and a host of questions: Why does Jesus tell it? Why does he choose to portray a Priest and a Levite as uncaring and unloving? Who exactly were Levites? And then - importantly - how does this connect with me on an August Sabbath morning? We must remember the greatest commandment! Yes – you know the one – the one about loving! Jesus’s example and his commands to us regarding uncondi

This week it is my privilege to share the Bible lesson with you. We continue the wonderful word pictures that Jesus used in his teaching ministry and which we’ve described as Jesus Stories. This week’s story is set in the familiar event of the Rich Young Ruler’s encounter with Jesus. We are reminded in this story that we do have a part to play in our faith journey. We are asked to surrender whatever may prevent us from following Jesus. During this week, my prayer is that you will consider what is holding you back from trusting Jesus and turn that thing or multiple things over to Him. The life which Jesus offers us is so much better than what we may be trusting in now. And you can go in confidence because, we are not on this Christian journey alone. We have Jesus and with Him all things are possible. Colonel Evie Diaz

We are continuing with our ‘Jesus Stories’ series and today we’ll be looking at the parable of ‘The 10 Silver Coins’ from Luke 15 and will also have some supporting scripture from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. This parable really high lights God’s attitude towards sinners. We are all of great value and importance to God. Captain Alison Stone

We continue our series looking more deeply into the stories Jesus told - this week we unpack the story of the wise and foolish builders. Jesus calls us to reject closed and rigid forms of faith for a more expansive, inclusive vision of God’s kingdom: Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock … but everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand (Matthew 7: 24)  When we have read and heard Jesus’s words, what will we do? Major Caroline Mingay

We look at another story Jesus told in our series called ‘Jesus Stories’. It’s very simple. It’s called ‘The Two Sons’; two sons who possessed two different responses. The first repents of disobedience, the second lives with hypocrisy, promising one thing yet doing another. This is not the sign of a healthy connected relationship. There is of course a much more extensive back story as to why Matthew relates this story in his gospel. It is personal to him. He shows with clarity just how Jesus confronts hypocrisy and sham. Major Richard Mingay

This week we are continuing with our ‘Stories Jesus Told’ series and we’ll be looking at a tiny parable from Matthew’s gospel called ‘The Pearl of Great Price’. It’s always good to have a story to tell isn’t it? I recently spent some time with someone and recanted to them the story of an adventure I’d had involving a distraught young woman, four police cars, two police vans and an ambulance. I was just telling the story with no purpose other than to make them smile but their response was ‘there’s a sermon in there somewhere’. Sometimes we do tell a story to entertain others but when Jesus told a story there was always a deeper meaning behind what he said. Story telling is a valuable tool in teaching, it was in Jesus’ day and it still is today. Captain Alison Stone Regent Hall Salvation Army Church and Community Hub

We commence a new teaching series called 'Jesus Stories'. Jesus was a master storyteller and used parables to wake people up to new realities about God and God's kingdom. Like all great storytellers, Jesus starts with an ordinary situation we recognise then casts a new twist on it so that we end up saying 'Wow, I've never thought about it like that before!" Major Caroline Mingay

This is the last in our series ‘Living the Lord’s Prayer Now’. Our final teaching looks at the last phrase ‘For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory Forever and Ever – Amen!’ Here we find a great benediction, a final seal, a definitive affirmation that our God is Lord of all, and that God’s Kingdom is the one true Kingdom of heaven and earth – and we participate in this! Yet it is interesting that Jesus did not actually say these words! So who did? Why have these words been added? They are glorious and they relate to us where we are right now! My prayer is that God will touch and bless you at this time. Major Richard Mingay

Our theme is the line ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’. I imagine that the first question that arises might be ‘how can God lead us into temptation?’ Well – we have to be clear that God does not. We see that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, but not by God. This line is rather a real heartfelt plea of one who realises that it is not in his or her own strength that victory is won. Our daily prayer must be more ‘God protect me from yielding to that which would influence me to be sinful’. The line demands personal self-examination and honesty where we go on to ask ourselves ‘from what do I need to be delivered at this time?’ Major Richard Mingay

As we continue our series Living the Lord's Prayer Now, we come to the crucial line 'Forgive us our Sins, as we forgive those who sin against us'. Christianity, and Hebrew tradition from which Christianity emerges, never skirts around forgiveness or sweeps things under the carpet. We are called to face up to sin in the presence of a loving God who deals justly, honestly and kindly with us. Just read Psalm 103 to be assured of that. So we needn't fear this tough, demanding prayer or be destroyed by neurotic guilt. Forgiveness, if painful, is healthy and life-giving! Most importantly forgiveness is good news because where forgiveness is, the kingdom of God is breaking in. But is forgiveness easy and do we always feel like it? In the church, are we falling over ourselves in our eagerness to be forgiven and to forgive? My prayer is that this Sunday we will take a step deeper into the heart of this prayer and allow it to more deeply shape our lives. Major Caroline Mingay

The Trinity teaches us the importance of relationship, as the three persons of God share in a communion of love that offers us a model for our own Christian life. As the Father, Son, and Spirit are one God, we as Christians are the many members of the One Body of Christ, distinct but united in an interconnected love for God and each other. This is a message that the world desperately needs to hear right now. My message centres on Trinity as Family! It’s a truth that helps us in these coronavirus days, whoever we are and whatever our story. Major Richard Mingay

Caroline Mingay speaks about the meaning of the line of the Lord's Prayer - Give is this day our daily bread. Eugene Peterson who said: "We start with the body ... we are flesh and blood creatures. We need bread in order to live. We are souls destined for eternity but these souls are embodied with digestive systems. If we don't eat, we won't pray." How true that is, and it's a great starting point for our reflections on this wonderful line in the Lord's Prayer.

Major Richard Mingay brings the third part of our series focusing on the Lord's Prayer and the line 'Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven'.

Major Caroline Mingay continues our series looking into what the Lord's Prayer says to us today and speaks on the line 'hallowed be your name'.

Major Richard Mingay begins our series of Bible messages focusing on the lines of the Lord's Prayer - beginning with 'Our Father who art in heaven.

Today on the first Sunday in Lent we start our ‘The World Will Be Saved By Beauty’ series which will take us through this season. Ephesians 2: 10 tells us: "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." This morning we look at ‘The Beauty of Faith’. The temptations of Jesus show us how we have everything we need to help us cope with all the world can throw at us. God will give us all we need. Captain Alison Stone

Our Bible reading today denies true blessing... But what do these beatitudes really say to a 2020 world; a world of unrest and where people are looking for a sense of personal worth - dignity and acceptance? God's blessings are not commodities; they are a gift. Such blessings in turn, free us up to bless others. Major Richard Mingay

Major David Jackson speaks about refreshing our commitment to God. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."