Midweek Studies

REVELATION 3 Read Revelation 3:1-22 John continues to report faithfully the message that Jesus has given him to the seven churches. Sardis (vv1-6) – This is a high profile church and, while, up to now, the churches have been commended for some aspects of their life, Sardis has no such praise from Jesus. It has […]

Key verse: John 16:7 – “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” When thinking about the Holy Spirit often we do not give […]

Prayer changes us – 21 June 2023 Matthew 5: 43 to 6: 13  Key verse: Matthew 6: 6 “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” When preparing for the message on […]

James 1:12-18           Difficult Questions Key verse:        James 1:13       “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” If you’re like me, the bible can sometimes leave you with more questions than answers.  I would like […]

Psalm 150 – Praise the Lord!  Or Hallelujah. This psalm doesn’t contain any argument or real teaching. It is a passionate cry to all of creation to give God the praise which is due to Him.  Each of the last five psalms start and finish with “Praise the Lord” of “Hallelujah”.  I have heard each […]

Galatians 6:1-10 Key verse Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” I was challenged by the topic that Alastair spoke about the other week at the prayer meeting with regards to the beam in the eye and it led me to look beyond this to […]

John 21:9-19 Key verses John 21:16 “Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” (NIV) After Jesus’ resurrection he met with his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and had a meal […]

Psalm 100 A psalm. For giving grateful praise. 1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness;    come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God.    It is he who made us, and we are his;    we are his people, the sheep of his […]

Priscilla and Aquila Acts 18:2-6 and 18-26 In these two passages, we hear about Priscilla and Aquila – a husband and wife team (or perhaps as we shall see, a wife and husband team!). Aquila and Priscilla were very important members of the early church – they had a church in their house (1 Corinthians […]

Mark 10:13-16 – Receive the Kingdom like a child This story is also told in Matthew 19:13-15. This is one of 79 places in the New Testament where Jesus is reported as saying, ”Truly, I tell you” – in John’s gospel, it’s “Very truly, I tell you”.  Even allowing for the same story being told […]

Salt and Light Reading Matthew 5:13-16 It is appropriate and appropriate to think about how Christians appear to non-Christians. This (very short) reading is part of the sermon on the mount. If you are a follower of Jesus, living the beatitudes, you matter. You have an important role to play because you are, as the […]

15 July 2021 – Do not repay evil with evil Reading – 1st Peter 3: 8-16 The news has been full of the European Football Championship for the last month – quite naturally, as it’s been the first really big event that’s happened for 15 months.  Sadly, a lot of the news – particularly at […]

Saved by grace not by our works               07 July 2021 Ephesians 2:1-10 Key verses Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are what he has […]

Ask and you shall receive                30 June 2021 Matthew 7:1-14 Key verse Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” In John 16:24 Jesus stated, “Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete”.  What did Jesus […]

3 remarkable lessons in grace from Jonah           23 June 2021 Jonah 1:1-3, 3:1-6 & 10, 4:1-11 Key verses: Jonah 4:2 “for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” The story of Jonah is one the most familiar stories […]

Does God expect us to be perfect?            16 June 2021 Matthew 5:43-48 Key verse Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” This chapter in Matthew’s Gospel is so full of amazing things that Jesus teaches us and the last verse stood out for me and caused me to ask, does He […]

My help comes from the Lord                     09 June 2021 Psalm 121:1-8 Key verse: Psalm 121:2 “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” David wrote this Psalm and it is easy to see that God helped him.  In fact, there are countless stories in the bible where help came from the Lord, […]

All power is given in Jesus name               02 June 2021 Philippians 2:1-11 Key verse: Philippians 2:9 “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name” Most, if not all parents in the world want to choose a meaningful name for their children and a name given usually […]

Be an ambassador for Christ          19 May 2021 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 Key verses: 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.  So we are ambassadors for Christ,” There is so much within this chapter and I would […]

We were slaves but are now free                05 May 2021 Romans 5:19-21 & 6:1-23 Key verse: Romans 6:1 “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?” We live in a world that is very uncomfortable with the idea of sin. No one wants to be […]

In Christ we are free             28 April 2021 Galatians 5:1-14 Key verse: Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” The opening verse of our text sounds like a battle cry, a call to arms, or the kind of speech […]

The word of God is alive                  21 April 2021 Hebrews 4:1-14 Key verse: Hebrews 4:12 “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” One of the […]

Bless the Lord oh my soul              14 April 2021 Psalm 103:1-22 Key verse: Psalms 103:1 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Psalm 103 is a song rich in blessing the Lord both on a personal and shared level. When we read these passages of […]

But now Christ is raised from the dead     07 April 2021 1 Corinthians 15:1-31 Key verse: 1 Corinthians 15:20 “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” In this chapter Paul makes it very clear that the whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that “Christ has been raised from the dead […]

The Gospel through the ages                      31 March 2021 Malachi Chapter 1:1-14 Key verses: Malachi 1:10-11 “Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering […]

We are more than conquerors        24 March 2021 Romans 8 Key verses: Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, […]

Teach me your way Lord                 17 March 2021 Matthew 4:23-25, 9:35-37 and 11:1 Key verse: Matthew 11:1 “Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.” The basics of Jesus’ teaching are profound yet simple enough for a child to understand; […]

How did people know about God before the bible was written?            10 March 2021 John 1:1-5 Key verse: John 1:3 “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” God has been displaying Himself through His nature, attributes, power, and purposes to us from the very beginning.  Instead […]

Walk by faith and not by sight?                  03 March 2021 2 Corinthians 4:16 to 5:9 Key verse: 2 Corinthians 4:18 “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” Here we are […]

How does the story of Samson point to Jesus?       24 February 2021 Judges 13 to 16 Key verse: Judges 13:24 “The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.” The story of Samson is interesting because not only does he have super human strength, but he uses […]

We are blessed through faith. 17 February 2021 Romans 3:21 to 5:11 Key verses: 3:22-24 “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, […]

False Teachers 10 February 2021 Jeremiah 23: 9-40 Key Verse: Jeremiah 23: 16 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” There are many reasons why […]

A risk worth taking?             03 February 2021 Matthew 14:22-33 Key Verses: Matthew 14:28-29 “Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.” As part of my training […]

Does God Forget Our Sins?            27 January 2021 Hebrews 10: 1-18 Key Verse: “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Hebrews 10:17   There is no place that the grace of God cannot reach, no depth to which we can sink that God is not able to rescue us.  The […]

The gift from God is eternal life      20 January 2021 Romans 6: 1-23 Key Verse: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.   A gift is the opposite of a wage.  We earn death because of our sinful […]

13 January 2021 Romans 6: 1-23 Key Verse: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. We cannot actually do anything about our sin to stop death because we are sinners by nature.  Even doing good or religious things cannot […]

For God so Loved the World           06 January 2021 John 3: 1-20 Key Verse: John 3 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” This for Christians is probably the most well-known verse in […]

Advent – Week 1 Hope 2 December 2020 Isaiah 9: 1-7 Key Verses: Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined”. and Isaiah 9:6 “For a child has been born for us, a son given to […]

Every perfect gift is from above 25 November 2020 James 1: 1-27 Key Verse: James 1:17 “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Scripture is crystal clear that, even in the face […]

Make disciples of all nations 18 November 2020 Matthew 25: 1-20 Key Verse: Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and […]

Never give up 11 November 2020 Jeremiah 25: 1-38 Key Verse: Jeremiah 25 :3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened.” Wow, for […]

Am I hot? 04 November 2020 Revelation 3: 11-22 Key Verse: Revelation 3 20 (AV) “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Is it better for Christians to be […]

This is how it should be 28 October 2020 Ruth 4: 1-12 Key Verse: Ruth 4 10 “I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from […]

Are we driven or drawn? 21 October 2020 Mark 12: 18-27 Key Verse: Mark 12: 24 “Jesus said to them, ‘Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?’” For a Christian, Jesus is the central character in God’s great story, let us look at […]

The Saviour Acts 4: 1-12 Key Verse: Acts 4: 12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the central character in God’s great story, however there are some that would seek to downplay Jesus’ role and […]

The Sermon on the Mount Matt 5:1-12 Key verse: Matt 5: 3-4 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” What are the beatitudes? The word beatitude comes from the Latin word (beatus or beatitudo) that means “happy” or “blessed.”  […]

God’s wonderful storybook 07 October 2020 Genesis 24: 1-67 Key Verse: Genesis 24: 58 “And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.”” We continue reflecting on the thought that most of the Bible is written in story form.  If we lose sight of this fact […]

The Bible Story 30 September 2020 Ephesians 1: 1-10 Key Verse: Ephesians 1: 9-10 “he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and […]

Knowing God 23 September 2020 Philippians 3: 1-11 Key Verse: Philippians 3: 10 “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection …..” We will leave Jeremiah for the moment having been given something special in knowing that God has a great plan and had put in place the means of salvation for […]

The new shoot 14 September 2020 Jeremiah 23: 1-8 Key Verse: Jeremiah 23: 5 “The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” As we work our way […]

What shouts the loudest 07 September 2020 Jeremiah 20: 1-18 Key Verses: Jeremiah 20: 13 “Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.” Jeremiah’s scathing condemnation of the leaders (Chapter 19) and his prediction of what is going to happen next to […]

I am the Potter 03 September 2020 Jeremiah 18: 1-12 Key Verses: Jeremiah 18: 4 “The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.” It has been said that a picture paints a thousand words and here God wants […]

The Calling 27 August 2020 Jeremiah 16: 1-21 Key Verses: Jeremiah 16: 1 – 2 “The word of the LORD came to me: You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.” Talk about lucky white heather, from last week’s notes we saw God telling Jeremiah to repent […]

My wound is grievous but I will be restored Jeremiah 15: 1-21 Key Verses: Jeremiah 15: 18 & 19 “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?  Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?  Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore […]

Running with horses Jeremiah 12: 1-17 Key Verses: Jeremiah 12: 1 and 5 “You will be in the right, O LORD, when I lay charges against you; but let me put my case to you.  Why does the way of the guilty prosper?  Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” v1, “If you have raced […]

Romans 8 18-25 There’s an awful lot in this passage, but I would like to focus on verses 24 & 25.  The reference is to the whole passage so that we can see it in the right context. These two verses are carrying on the discussion from the previous verses and applying them. They also […]

The past is important Jeremiah 6: 16-30 Key Verse: Jeremiah 1: 16 “Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” When we look at Jeremiah he is often portrayed as the ‘Prophet […]

Three Widows and a Farmer – Everyone has a part in God’s plan Ruth chapters 1 to 4 Reading Ruth 1: 1 – 19 Key verse: Ruth 1: 1 “But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you!   Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, […]

Not my ability but His Jeremiah 1: 6-10 Key Verse: Jeremiah 1: 9 “Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth.” The bible is full of examples of people who, whenever they were asked by God to […]

I know you Jeremiah 1: 1-5 Key Verse: Jeremiah 1: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you,” Jeremiah lived some 600 years before the birth of Jesus and he was called to be the conscience of Judah for a period lasting the last […]

Being Honest Psalm 55: 1-23 Key Verse: Psalm 55: 4 “My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me” As Christians, we should feel able to make a complaint (lament in the psalms) to God, I am aware that this is a subject that is not popular with the […]

The Lord is my Shepherd 25 June 2020 Psalm 23: 1-6 Key Verse: Psalms 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” This is my prayer and hope yours also These words express my heart’s desire, and my longing for an intimacy with you Lord.  When you say “I am the good shepherd. […]

Be encouraged 17 June 2020 Reading: 1 John 3:11-24 Key verse: 1 John 3:16 – ‘We know love by this that he laid down his life for us— and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.’ At the start of Jesus’ ministry, he was welcomed and looked at in awe, because the […]

GOD IS LOVE 10 June 2020 Reading: 1 John 4: 7 – 21 Key verse:   “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.  God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” 1 John 4:8-9 Many […]

Faith wins 03 June 2020 Reading: 1 John 5: 1-5 Key verse: – For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. 1 John 5:4  I was thinking about the study we had at last Wednesday’s prayer meeting (27/05) it was taken from the […]

27 May 2020 Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9 Key verse: 1 Peter 1:6 ‘In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials:’ As I look out of my window today all I can see is a sky thick with cloud, grey and pressing in – I am […]

Confession is good for the soul 20 May 2020 Reading: 1 John 1:5-10 Key verse: 1 John 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’. We have here a message from the Lord, that He is the pure and perfect […]

Cost of Discipleship 13 May 2020 Reading Luke 14: 25-33 Key verse: Luke 14:28 – For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? When I became a Christian in 1974 I remember being given a book […]

SAVED – by a story 06 May 2020 Read 2 Samuel 12:1-14 Key verse v 13 ‘Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.’ I promise this is the last in this series, as we continue with the thought that everyone longs to hear a story. I would suggest that God has […]

Tell me a Story 27 April 2020 Read Mark 4:21-34 Key verse v 34 ‘he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.’ Following on from the past 5 weeks of study ‘His Story, Our Story’ I want to expand the idea that the story is […]

His Story, Our Story – Part 5 21 April 2020 ‘All’s well that ends well’ Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 Key verse v 17 ‘For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all’ Finally on our journey we look at the fourth aspect of what is judged […]

14 April 2020 ‘I’ll wait until I get home’ Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Key verse v 10 ‘but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.’ or from the Living Bible ‘But when we have been made perfect and complete, then the need for these inadequate special gifts will come to an […]

07 April 2020  ‘The Divine Plot’  Read Romans 8:28-39  Key verse v 29 ‘For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, in order that we might be the firstborn within a large family’  In the last set of notes we said that a good story has elements […]

31 March 2020 ‘More than just facts’ Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Key verse v 18 ‘give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’ In our last set of notes we looked at how in every Christian’s life a divine story is being written and I mentioned […]

Howard Spicer 24 March 2020‘Nothing missed’ Read Jeremiah 29:1-14 Key verse v 11 ‘For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’There is a benefit to being self-isolated, I certainly have had more time to think […]

  Going in for FELLOWSHIP and coming out for SERVICE Luke Ch 11 v 1 to 4 Matthew Ch 6 v 5 to 14 Throughout the Bible we see countless instances of the use of Prayer. How else are we to speak to our Heavenly Father? Christ instructed His followers to pray, both by teaching […]