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30th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 5:12-21 –– focussing on vv.15-17) Message (Stuart McKimm) I absolutely love this quote from John Owen, possibly the greatest British theologian to date. In His book ‘The Death of Death in the Death of Christ’, he says: “…the way of salvation which [the Gospel] declares is wide enough for all to walk in. There is enough in the remedy it brings to light to heal all their diseases, to deliver them from all their evils. If there were a thousand worlds, the gospel of Christ [could] be preached to them all, [because there is] enough in Christ for the salvation of them all, if…they will derive virtue from him by touching him in faith.” Enough salvation in Jesus for the salvation of a thousand worlds. That’s how much grace there is in the Lord Jesus. That is the strength of grace & righteousness that’s in Him. And it’s my experience that pretty much every problem I have in my Christian life, or dear brothers and sisters have in theirs, is failing to see that. That is, we have far, far, far too small, stingy, inaccurate views of God. And my periods of low assurance that I’m saved; my coldness and deadness in prayer; my ‘couldn’t be bothered’ attitude towards serving the LORD at Church, etc.; all of these are at their root springing from those small, stingy thoughts of my Lord. In Romans 5:15-17, Paul’s out to smash those small, stingy thoughts, to obliterate the heart of so many of our sins and weaknesses in the Christian life. In vv.15-17, he contrasts Adam and Christ –– the only two representatives humanity have ever had before God –– and in the process of doing so, he wants to obliterate any notion in us that God struggles to be gracious to us, struggles to forgive us, or struggles to want to give us eternal life. Through Adam as our representative, our status before God became condemned (“condemnation”, v.16). That brought “death” upon all he represented (“many died by the trespass of the one man”, v.15). All this, to the point where it has to be said that “death reigned through that one man” (v.17) –– that is, physical and spiritual death dominates every single human’s experience as the clear indicator that we are, through Adam, God’s enemies. By nature, God’s holy hatred rests upon us. And we behave as such: “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). It’s hard to express the severity of our sinfulness. Perhaps the clearest way we see how depraved we are is the scale of grace that Christ’s shown us. To rescue us from the hopeless horror of being left to death’s vast power & the wrath of God, that’s swallowed up countless billions of sinners who had Adam as their representative, Christ has shown “much more…grace” (v.15, 17) –– grace that “super-abounds”, the Greek says in v.20 –– that “overflow[s] to the many” (v.15). How many? Genesis 15:5: “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” That’s how many. To what end? So that we may “reign in life” (v.17). All that to say: if death looks like it’s strong in this world, sweeping away masses into Hell, the strength of grace that’s stored in God’s heart… the graciousness of His character displayed in Christ’s life & death… is boundlessly greater. Its no contest between death and Christ’s grace. “One sin” opened the floodgate of sin & death that’s ravaged this world –– the work to redeem the world that Christ has done hasn’t just been to undo “one sin”, but “many trespasses”… all our countless daily sins added on top of Adam’s sin (v.17). And yet He still endured it & still accomplished it –– a whole new humanity, rescued from condemnation and death. The strength of grace in Christ is greater than the strength of sin and death in us or this world. Enough strength to save a thousand worlds of those who are willing to trust in Him. Hopefully this gives you a sense of strength of grace in God. Remind yourself of what God says His name is: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Exodus 34:6). Look how fully He’s proven it! Let this obliterate any stingy thoughts of God in your heart, & any absence of assurance that He is not able or willing to forgive you, even you, even that sin, & even that sin again. If the sin, condemnation, & death that swallowed this whole world & all of humanity wasn’t too much for Christ to suffer for & forgive, your sin won’t be. He invites you to Himself & His grace, all over again. You cannot ‘out-sin’ His commitment to your good. Be filled with joy and assurance that you too will “reign in life” (v.17). And be filled with confidence and encouragement by this for your evangelism! If this is the strength and scale of grace there is in the heart of Christ, how can we not plead confidently and expectantly for many people we know to find life in Christ, too? How can we not speak to them about Christ, too, if this is true? Do so, confidently and expectantly. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q. 79 Which is the tenth commandment? A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
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29th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Genesis 42) Message (Scott Woodburn) God had given Joseph wisdom that had prepared Egypt for severe famine and providentially it forced his brothers to make a journey to the land of the pyramids. Jacob knew that there was much grain in Egypt and so he sent his all of sons except Benjamin to buy food (v1-5). Joseph’s brothers had once upon a time conspired to kill him but mercifully Reuben had stood up for his brother and so Joseph had been sold into slavery instead. As far as the brothers were concerned Joseph was dead and gone. Did they ever think about him? Did they regret their actions when they witnessed their father’s grief? Only God knows but He would use their predicament to bring them to a place of repentance. Joseph recognised his brothers immediately but they didn’t recognise him (v8). He began to test them by speaking to them harshly (v7) and then accusing them of being spies (v9). The Lord was working through Joseph to arouse his brother’s guilt and remorse. They didn’t remember their brother but would they remember their guilt? Slowly but surely the Lord broke up their hard hearts. Jacob’s sons protested that they were not spies but step by step they began to reveal truth. They declared themselves to be the sons of one man (v11). Joseph prodded again accusing the brothers of coming to spy out the land (v12). Once more the brothers protested their innocence and again they stressed that they were the sons of one man who had twelve sons. One of those sons remained at home in Canaan whilst one other son was no more (v13). Little did they know that they stood before the son who was no more! The brothers had spoken truthfully but their time of testing wasn’t over. Joseph stressed that they wouldn’t leave Egypt unless their youngest brother (still in Canaan) was brought to Joseph. To give them time to consider their options, he put his brothers into custody (v14-17). Three days later, Joseph returned to his brothers and reiterated the accusation that they were spies. He urged one of them to stay behind in Egypt and for the others to go and later return with Benjamin. If they agreed to this it would surely be a sign of their truthfulness (v18-20). It was at this stage that the wall started to crumble as the brothers began to remember what they had done to Joseph. He had begged them not to harm him and yet they hadn’t listened. They had treated him abysmally and lied to their father about his fate. They were not the honest men that they claimed (v11). There could be no justification for how they treated Joseph and now they realised that their actions had repercussions (v21-22). Joseph heard every word and turned away from his brothers and wept. He gave orders that Simeon would stay in Egypt while the others would return to Canaan. Joseph’s staff filled the brother’s bags with grain, replaced their money and gave them provisions for their journey (v25). As they made their way home one of them discovered the replenished money in his sack. It struck fear and awe into the family. What was going on? Who had put their money back? What was God doing to them? Finally they explained the whole situation to their father Jacob. The chapter comes to a close with Jacob uncertain about sending Benjamin to Egypt - he couldn’t bear to lose another son. But Reuben was absolutely determined to travel back down the road even saying that his own two sons could be killed if he didn’t bring Benjamin home safely. Reuben seems to be the voice of his brothers and his voice wants to put right what the brothers had done wrong. Brothers and sisters are you crippled with guilt? Have you been doing your best to forget your words and actions from twenty years ago? Does it seem that every sermon seems to poke you right where it hurts? The Lord is gracious in how he deals with us but at times He brings us to a place that is deeply uncomfortable. Slowly but surely God shows us our sin and brings us to a place of repentance. My friends begin this new year delighting in the grace of God. Repent today and repent tomorrow and always be determined to repent. Fall before the Lord seeking his forgiveness - we are not good people with pure motives, we are desperate sinners in need of grace. Forgive your brothers and sisters and cancel all grudges and gripes - forgive as you have been forgiven. Repent for “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1v9) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q78 What is forbidden in the ninth commandment? The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor’s good name. 28th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 5:12-21 –– focussing on vv.12-14) Message (Stuart McKimm) Many of us will know what it’s like to complete a probation period of around 6 months when we start a new job. My official title (I think) in the Church, as an assistant minister, is actually ‘Probationary Licentiate’. A big factor in whether probation is straightforward or tough is the working conditions. If they’re bad, failure becomes so much more likely! If they’re good –– if the induction training is good, the relationships in the workplace are good & encouraging, & so forth –– success should surely follow. In Romans 5:12, Paul is thinking back to the time when Adam was on probation in Eden. The job? The representative of all humanity before God. He was tasked with obeying God & leading Eve in the obedience of God’s commands (see Gen. 2:15-17), ensuring no evil worked its way into the Garden or into their hearts. And what about the working conditions? Outstanding! The Garden was, and Adam had been prepared for the role good, righteous and without sin. Yet Adam still failed. And failure didn’t just mean he was sacked –– it meant v.12: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—“ Adam’s job was to represent all of us before God in this probationary period in Eden. Successfully remaining faithful to God would mean the bliss of Eden would be elevated to unimaginable levels of glory, & us with it. And our right-standing with God. But his failure resulted in not just the loss of that glorious future, but the bliss of Eden too: the friendship with God we were created for & with, the God-loving righteous nature we were originally created with, and freedom from death, which we never meant to experience. Understanding this was Adam’s role –– representative of all humanity before God, with his actions determining our standing before God –– helps us understand the rest of the Bible and the Gospel altogether. In a sense, after Adam’s failure during the probationary period, God ‘put up the job advertisement again’, & the rest of the Old Testament is an outline of the impossibly specific, unattainably high job description required for someone else to now be representative for all humanity before God. Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, Isaac, Jospeh, Moses, Joshua, David, & so forth, are all giving us an outline of what our representative should and would look like, when he eventually came –– he’d succeed were they failed, & copy their successes but on a much greater scale. Noah’s ark, the manna in the wilderness, the bronze serpent on a pole, cities of refuge, the levitical laws, & so forth –– these all symbolised aspects of the ‘job description’ our new representative would have to somehow fulfil, miraculously. And the LORD made an in-house hire, so to speak; He appointed His own eternal Son to the role. And hence, when Christ shows up in the Gospels, we see this Man who’s capable of such astonishing feats, miraculously reversing the effects of sin and death wherever He goes. The miracles of Christ aren’t random. Modern people, and especially unchurched people like I was, often come to the Gospels and wonder, ‘what on earth is the relevance of all these miracles to me? They might mean Jesus is impressive, if they really happened. But how does it affect me & my life, 2000 years later?’ The answer is: they’re Jesus showing He’s the One, the only One, who could match that impossibly specific, unattainably high job criteria of representing sinful, dying humanity. His healing of the lepers, casting out demons, restoring sight to the blind, raising the dead, & so forth –– they all communicate to us that Jesus Christ is God’s newly given representative for humanity, who can reverse all the effects of Adam’s failure. Hence Romans 5:14 finishing with this initially confusing phrase: “Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.” Just as Adam’s acts, success, or failure was counted as representing all the rest of mankind, & so we fell with him in his failure, Christ has been given to us so that, in His success, we rise with Him into a totally renewed Creation. What does this mean for us? 3 very simple things: • Recognise this is how the Bible & the Gospel works: just as Adam was our representative, Jesus is now our representative. It isn’t a job-share between Him & us –– Jesus on His own represents us before God. And given His perfect righteousness, that’s good news for us. Our standing before God is as secure as Jesus Himself is secure with God. • Praise God for Jesus, our new representative! • When we or someone we know struggles with doubt that Jesus & his miracles seem irrelevant or even nonsensical, explain this verse to them: Adam failed in his to represent us, & so plunged us all into sin & death – but Christ’s miracles show He’s the One come to reverse the effects of Adam’s failure, & give us all a successful representative before God. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q.77 What is required in the ninth commandment? A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness bearing. 26th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Genesis 41) Message (Scott Woodburn) Very few of us have the number of a plumber on hand and usually we only search for such information when we’ve put a nail through a pipe. We then put a message out on Facebook - “anyone recommend a good plumber…QUICKLY???!!!” But if a good plumber is hard to find, what do you do when you’re troubled by dreams? Pharaoh soon found himself asking that question. The leader of Egypt had two dreams. In one, seven plump cows were devoured by seven ugly skinny cows. In the other dream seven plump ears of grain were devoured by seven thin ears of grain (v2-7). The dreams annoyed Pharaoh so much that he sent for his magicians and wise men to interpret the troubling visions but no one was able to solve the problem of the cows and the grain. Two years had passed since Pharaoh’s cup bearer had been in prison but finally he regained his memory. He told Pharaoh that he had been in jail with a young Hebrew who had successfully interpreted the dreams of both the cup bearer and the baker (v9-13) and quicker than skinny cows could eat plump cows, Joseph stood before one of the most powerful men in the world. Joseph didn’t quake. He was clear that he had no ability to discern the meaning of dreams but he was confident the Lord God Almighty would answer Pharaoh (v16). Egypt’s ruler then outlined the details of his dreams and soon realised that Joseph was no fraud. Jospeh told Pharaoh that the two dreams were actually one. The seven plump cows and plump ears of grain represented seven years of plenty. The seven ugly cows and the seven thin ears of grain represented seven years of severe famine (v25-31). The dream had been repeated to show that the events were fixed by God - they most certainly would take place (v32). But Joseph wasn’t finished. He urged Pharaoh to appoint a wise man over the nation who would ensure that grain was kept aside during the years of plenty. When the years of famine arrived, Egypt would then be prepared to meet the challenge head on (v33-36). Joseph had moved from the prison to the palace and Pharaoh liked what he saw and heard. As far as he was concerned there was none wiser than Joseph and he put him in charge over his whole house and land of Egypt (v40-41). He honoured Joseph with a ring, clothing and other jewellery (v42). He changed his name to Zaphenath-paneah which means “God speaks and lives” and he gave him a wife called Asenath (v45). Indeed when Pharaoh and Joseph drove past in their chariots every Egyptian was to bow the knee (v43). What a dramatic change which Joseph well understood. When his two sons were born he named them Manasseh meaning “God has made me forget my toil and my father’s house” and Ephraim meaning “God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (v50-52). Joseph had moved from toil and trouble to a place of fruitfulness and all of it had been worked by the providential hand of Almighty God. The journey from the pit to Potiphar to prison to Pharaoh had taken years and I’m certain Joseph at times would have wondered if brighter days would ever come - but eventually they did. Brothers and sisters, we have spoken about God’s providence and must accept that the movement of His hand is often unseen and to our mind it moves much too slowly. But the Lord does not slumber nor sleep, He is always at work and He rules over the forgotten prisoner and the dreaming Pharaoh. Joseph’s ascent to power was part of a grander narrative and like a chess grand-master the Lord was always several steps ahead. If our God is sovereign over nation states and world affairs and if he is able to govern times of famine and harvest, then I am certain He is able to help us in our time of need. Do not lose sight of Christ, He is for us and He is the true Zaphenath-paneah for in Jesus the world will see that God speaks and lives. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q76 Which is the ninth commandment? The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 25th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 5:6-11 focus v11) Message (Alan Burke) I heard recently of an old friend who is getting married. Of course, that should be a day to celebrate. I’m pretty sure it will be one heck of a party. I know the minister who is doing the wedding; he’s so nice. But if I were invited as a guest, I’d decline to go, and if I were the minister, I’d have told them why I couldn’t marry them and sent them to someone else. The reason why is that it’s her third marriage, and the fella she’s getting married to, well, she cheated on the second husband with him, and to be fair, she cheated on the first husband with the fella who became the second husband. It’s a big mess, and often I find that truth is stranger than fiction. But here’s the thing: I’ve seen far too often the carnage that comes in those situations, the many others who are hurt, the ripple effects that reach much further. When two people who loved one another become alienated or estranged, even if they live only a few miles apart, the distance between them is greater than anything that can be measured. I’ve seen far too many situations like that. Think about the word, reconciliation, for a moment. For it implies that there has been alienation. By nature, we were alienated from God, but we have been reconciled because Jesus faced the alienation that we deserved. He took our place, our sin upon himself. He was treated as an ungodly sinner, an enemy of God, so that we might receive reconciliation with God. By nature, we were in rebellion against God because of our sin, and deserving of God’s wrath. But now, through Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to God, and we can rejoice, rejoice in what God has done. The depths of God's love for us were manifested, shown in and through what Christ has done. And notice the language: we have been, it is something that has been done. The love that God has for us is not based on a subjective feeling that we are convinced of inwardly but the objective reality. While we were powerless, ungodly sinners, those are the words that are used, and even so Christ died for us, the enemies of God, so great was the love of God towards us. It was love in action, a tangible manifestation of the love of God. So often I think we're guilty of making the whole Christian experience about us and how we are feeling on a particular day. This is why it is so important for us to grasp that the love of God, which grounded the objective reality of what Christ had done. Christ died for us. You may struggle to fathom the love of God, but his love was seen in what he did for us. You may not feel loved, accepted, forgiven, you may not feel close to God today, yet Christ died for us. While we were powerless, ungodly sinners, Christ died for us. While we were enemies, Christ died for us. There will be many days when we struggle to sense God’s love. The weight of sin bears down upon us. The Devil accuses us. Trials come our way, and we can be robbed of the enjoyment and sense of God’s love towards us. Yet none of those things diminishes the reality of his love. Brother, sister, if that is you, remember how the love of God was manifested towards us. Christ died for you. Take your eyes off yourself. Look to Jesus and what he has done. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q75 What is forbidden in the eighth commandment? A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbor’s, wealth, or outward estate. 24th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Genesis 40) Message (Scott Woodburn) Do you consider yourself lucky? Does everything seem to go your way? Do you always come up smelling of roses? Regardless of your answers we can be comforted in the knowledge that there is no such thing as luck. Christians don’t “touch wood” or “cross fingers” or “throw salt over a shoulder” instead Christians trust in the providential hand of Almighty God. What is providence? God in His holiness and wisdom and power preserves and governs us and all our actions. Not a hair can fall from our heads without His knowing. It is by the providence of God that Joseph found himself in prison. By God’s providence He had received the favour of the keeper of the prison and it was by God’s providence that two high profile prisoners came to share Joseph’s prison. One man was Pharaoh’s cup bearer and the other was Pharaoh’s chief baker. These were vitally important positions - Pharaoh didn’t want poisoned wine or a dodgy pan loaf. One night the men both had a troubling dream and in the morning they lamented that there was no one to interpret. But providentially (not luckily) the cup bearer and baker shared a prison with Joseph. The cup bearer told Joseph his dream. He said “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.” (v9-11) Joseph by the grace and gifting of God was able to tell the cup bearer the meaning. In three days Pharaoh would restore the cup bearer to his former position (v13). The cup bearer’s lamenting was turned to rejoicing and so the baker wanted to hear good news as well. He told Joseph his dream saying “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” (v16-17). Unfortunately the baker wouldn’t receive good news. Joseph told him that in three days Pharaoh would hang him and the birds would eat his flesh (v19). Everything came to pass exactly as Joseph had said. The cup bearer was restored and the baker was hung (v20-22). Our God is good and He is gracious but sometimes His providence tastes sweet and other times bitter. Joseph didn’t shy away from this reality. His job was to be faithful and to tell these men exactly what the future held. If the providence of God had put Joseph in a position to interpret the dreams of prisoners, God’s providence had also given Joseph an opportunity for freedom. He told the cup bearer good news and urged him not to forget this kindness. Jospeh had been stolen from his home and he had done nothing to deserve prison, he therefore asked the cup bearer to remember him and to bring his case before Pharaoh (v14). Perhaps the cup bearer was too excited by his release but when he left prison he promptly forget Joseph (v23)! As a New Year begins may this news comfort you - cup bearers may forget but Almighty God never does. We have no certainty about what 2022 will bring. It may be a year of sweetness or life may taste incredibly bitter. Whatever comes may the Lord strengthen our faith for the days that are still ahead. As we gaze into the unknown of a New Year may our eyes lift instead to Jesus. He is our unchanging Saviour, He intercedes for us and none of life’s ups or downs can pluck us from His hand. He guides our path with mercy and grace and all things will certainly work for our good. So my dear brothers and sisters, may you and yours have a happy new year. Do not fear the days to come, instead rest in the providential care of our holy and wise God. “What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.” Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q74 What is required in the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others. 23rd September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 5:6-11 focus v9-10) Message (Alan Burke) It’s been a while since I’ve been at court. I’ve likely got your attention at that one, but before you panic, it wasn’t that I was in court for being a bad boy; it was because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed someone being a numpty, and therefore I was called as a witness. I didn’t even get to speak because the fella knew his goose was cooked and made a deal, saving the court a lot of time and was only there for a few hours. Imagine though, it was you that was brought in, brought before the judge; you were standing there, the sweat lashing off you, waiting for the verdict, wanting to know what it was going to be. I said imagine, and I know some of you will struggle to accept you’ve ever done anything wrong, even hurt a fly, but that’s only because the fly was too fast for you. So imagine it, and the evidence has been heard, the case has been made, you stand before the judge knowing that the evidence is overwhelmingly against you; then comes the verdict and it is, of course, guilty. The thing is that in a more profound sense, we, before the Lord God, are guilty. The reason why is that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins (Eccl 7:20). For we are sinful at birth, sinful from the time our mother conceived us (Ps 51:5). The verdict of the Lord God himself on the human race is that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. (Gen 6:5; see also Gen 8:21). We are declared guilty by the Lord God himself; it is so because we have broken his law; there is not one of us who is able to keep it; we are ungodly sinners by our nature. Yet we are justified before God by the blood of Jesus; he atoned for our sin. The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed to the necessity of an atonement, how that we needed to be made atone with God. Through the sacrificial system, God made clear to his people that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:22). On the Day of Atonement, blood was spilt to make atonement for the sins of the people. There was also the scapegoat, symbolically carrying the sins of the people away. It all pointed to something greater; it pointed to Jesus. He acted as our substitute. Christ Jesus was made sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. He was regarded and treated as a wicked sinner, even though he himself never sinned. He did it for our sake; he bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24), acting as a substitute, taking our place, so that we might escape through him the wrath of God that awaits the wicked. He was punished in our place, providing atonement for the sins of all who believe. That even though we are guilty, deserving of the judgement and the wrath of the Lord God, he justifies us, he declares us righteous before him and his law. He declares it to be, and because he declares it, then it really is the case. While we may not feel as it is, the wonder of what God has done means that confidence before him all by what he has declared to be true. Not only were we godless sinners, we were also his enemies and yet this is what God has done for us, reconciling us to himself. Justification does not depend on how you feel; it depends on the judicial verdict of a holy Holy all because of Christ, brother and sister, look to Christ, know that there is no condemnation for us in Christ Jesus! (Rom. 8:1). We are declared righteous by Christ’s blood (Rom. 3:24-26). Our consciences no longer condemn us (1 Jo. 3:20). We are reconciled to God, and we have peace in our communion in grace with Jesus (Rom. 5:1). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q73 Which is the eighth commandment? A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal. 22nd September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Genesis 39) Message (Scott Woodburn) Joseph should have been a mere footnote in history. His jealous brothers had sought to kill him but sold him into servitude instead. His life should have been drudgery and pain, forgotten by his family and used and discarded by his new masters. Instead the opposite proved to be true. Joseph had found himself bought by an Egyptian officer called Potiphar (v1). Quickly Joseph proved to be a great addition to Potiphar’s home. The Egyptian’s house and field were both blessed due to the presence of Joseph in the home. Why? Was it down to Joseph being a decent lad? Moses gives us the reason…”the Lord was with Joseph” (v2) Joseph may have been rejected and humiliated by his family but he was to discover that his God would not leave him or forsake him even in the land of Egypt. Potiphar grew to respect and trust Joseph so much that he had no concern about the food he ate (v6). In other words Potiphar believed he could eat without fear of being poisoned because Joseph was a man of integrity. It wasn’t just in the kitchen that Joseph could be trusted but also in the bedroom. Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph and made it her mission to entice Joseph into sleeping with her. Yet Joseph refused. He sought to honour both his master and His God. To have sex with Potiphar’s wife would be a sinful and wicked act, so the young foreigner consistently refused the woman’s advances. Unfortunately her lust turned to vindictiveness. One day Joseph fled from her hand and accidentally left his garment in the possession of Potiphar’s wife (v13). She used the garment to underline her false story. She told both the men of the house and her husband that Joseph had sought to mock her and sleep with her. In her story she raised her voice against Joseph causing him to flee and leave behind his garment (v18). Her story changed as she told it but needless to say Potiphar was enraged and had Joseph thrown in prison (v19-20). At this stage you would think Joseph would fade into obscurity - finally the wicked plan of his brothers would be fulfilled and Joseph would spend the rest of his days in an Egyptian jail. Not quite. Even in prison the Lord was with Joseph. We are told that the Lord showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison (v21). Joseph ended up in charge of all the other prisoners (v22) and the Lord made Joseph’s every action succeed (v23). The world in which we live is as pagan as ancient Egypt and yet we are still called to live Christ honouring lives here on earth. We honour Christ as we do our daily work with honesty and integrity, we honour Christ as we honour our earthly masters and we honour Christ as we refuse the easy sexual encounters of the modern age. Such actions do not guarantee success - Joseph did the right thing and still ended up in prison! But nevertheless, each day we seek to follow Jesus knowing that the Lord charts and guides our path. “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2v12) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q72 What is forbidden in the seventh commandment? The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions. 21st September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 5:6-11 focus v6-8) Message (Alan Burke) I was up north on my holidays, and while the sun shone for Scott for all of July when I got there, the weather was mainly wick and I only got to the beach for a swim a couple of times. It’s different when you have the wains with you, especially in the sea. I spent hours and hours before they came along in the water swimming, bodyboarding, attempting to surf. These days I go to the bit where the lifeguards are and try not to go deeper in the water than my midriff because the wains follow me and the water is dangerous. I was speaking to a fella in the summer, who lives on the coast of Donegal, who never learned to swim, nor anyone in his village even though it was right on a beautiful strand. I asked why and his response was simple. He said, “If you can’t swim, you’ll not be tempted to get in the water and risk drowning”. If you’ve ever been in difficulty in the sea, you’ll know just how dangerous it is. If you’re caught by the current when you’re struggling, you’re powerless. No matter how hard you swim, the current is stronger than you. Paul here uses the image of powerless to confront us with who we are, our natural condition. We were “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”“At just the right time.” You could say at the divinely appointed time, right on time, in due time, at God’s perfectly appointed time. Not early, not late, but in God’s ordained timing. When we were powerless. The ESV says “still weak”, the KJV "without strength”, whatever translation you use before you, it portrays our inability, our helplessness to do anything about our condition. When we were powerless, still weak, without strength. But added to how we were powerless, we are told the people Christ died for are the ungodly. Who are the ungodly? The ungodly have no regard for the LORD. They reject his rule and reign over their lives. They live without regard for God. That is what we were. Yet Christ died for the ungodly. Paul then illustrates just how extraordinary this is. He speaks about a righteous man and a good man. Humanly speaking, we know people who act with integrity, stand for what is right, and keep the rules. Would you die for someone like that? Probably not. What about a good person? Someone generous, loving, warm, and caring? Someone who would do everything they could to help you? Well, maybe for someone like that, a person might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we were still sinners; Christ died for us. While we were sinners. He died for sinners, the ungodly sinners! Who would die for such as this? Jesus did! Jesus died so that I, an ungodly sinner by nature, might know the love of God in Christ. He died so that you, an ungodly sinner by nature, might know the love of God in Christ. Christ died for you and me, ungodly sinners. So, brother and sister, when you begin looking at yourself and wondering whether you are worthy of the love of God, you’re not, so look instead to Christ. God has demonstrated his love that Christ died for us. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q71 What is required in the seventh commandment? A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behaviour. 19th September 2026
Pray (ACts) Read (Genesis 38) Message (Scott Woodburn) Now that the “problem” of Joseph had been dealt with, surely his brothers would know peace and prosperity? Not quite. Genesis 38 seems like an abrupt interruption to Joseph’s story but it highlights that Joseph was a righteous man whilst his family back home was in a mess. One of Israel’s sons was called Judah and he sought a wife. Sadly he sought her in the worst possible way. Judah set his gaze upon the daughter of Shua the Canaanite. He married her and she bore Judah three sons called Er, Onan and Shelah (v3-5). Nothing wrong there you might say but let me remind you that Shua and his daughter were Canaanites. Judah had fallen into the trap of seeking a wife outside the covenant community. It is a familiar story in the Bible and one that causes constant trouble for God’s people. I know it seems quite old fashioned but the church has no other standard. If you are a Christian who desires a husband or wife then you must seek to marry a fellow Christian. Judah’s son Er was wicked in God’s sight and his life was taken from him (v7). Judah commanded his other son Onan to marry Er’s wife Tamar. This is called “levirate marriage” and was an old custom designed to ensure that the family line of a deceased man would continue. Onan did not want to have children with Tamar for he understood that any offspring would not be considered his own and so in graphic terms the Bible tells us that Onan did all that he could to avoid getting Tamar pregnant (v9). This was wicked in God’s sight and Onan’s life was taken from him (v10). In the midst of sin and God’s judgement upon it, Judah urged Tamar to remain a widow until his third son grew up (v11). Judah feared that his third son would die as well and so he sinfully kept him from Tamar. It seems that Judah had no intention of ever honouring his daughter-in-law. Shelah grew up but he still did not fulfil his responsibilities to Tamar (v14) and so she took matters into her own hands. After the death of Judah’s wife, Tamar pretended to be a prostitute in order to have sex with her father-in-law Judah. What was going on? Tamar had every right to expect a child with her deceased husband’s next of kin - she was the wife of Judah’s first son. Judah was not acting with integrity towards her and indeed neither did Onan or Shelah. I’m certain we are not to regard Tamar’s actions as a wonderful moral example but instead another tragic outworking of Judah’s sinful decisions. Tamar fell pregnant with Judah’s twins and when her pregnancy was discovered, Judah urged that she be burned to death because of her immorality (v24). All that saves her from Judah’s hypocritical behaviour is that he had given her his signet, cord and staff. She declared that the owner of these items was the father of her children. Judah had given these to Tamar as a pledge that he would pay for their sexual encounter by giving her a young goat. Needless to say, Judah sent the goat to the “prostitute” as payment but by that stage Tamar had fled the scene with Judah’s belongings and returned to life as a widow. Judah finally understood his sin and declared that Tamar had acted in a more righteous manner than him (v25) and eventually twin boys were born called Perez and Zerah. Reading this chapter makes me marvel at the grace of God - His unmerited favour to sinners. There are no great heroes in this chapter and yet years later Judah, Tamar, Perez and Zerah would appear in the family tree of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1). Nothing is hidden…in the genealogy of Christ there are liars, tricksters, foreigners, pretend prostitutes and a multitude of sinners who need the grace of God. Our names may not be in Matthew chapter 1 but by the grace of God they are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Consider your ways. Consider you words. Consider your mistakes. Consider your schemes. Consider your shame. Do you deserve salvation? No. Like me you deserve only wrath and yet in Christ we have received grace upon grace upon grace. Rejoice today my friend, for the Gospel shows us that Christ Jesus is the Saviour and friend of sinners like us. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q70 What is the seventh commandment? The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery. |
Alan
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