In Sermons: showing 31-45 of 49

Trinity And Controversy Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Aug 10, 2010

A sample of trinitarian controversy in church history and its application to Jehovah’s Witnesses and the book "The Shack".

I remember a less than flattering incident when I was young. My sister and I wanted to watch different programs on TV. I think she wanted to watch ‘The Patty Duke Show’ and I wanted to watch ‘Lost in Space’. This was before the days of remote controls. So we sat in front of the TV for a whole hour ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trinity In The Scriptures Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 24, 2010

Scriptural support for the Trinity. The contribution of Tertullian.

Augustine said, ‘if you deny the Trinity you lose your soul, if you try to explain it you lose your mind’. The hope today is to avoid both of these pitfalls. But in order to do this, you will need to put your thinking caps on. And you’ll need to think because we are moving around the Bible and ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trinity And Creation Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 24, 2010

The Trinity foreshadowed in creation.

The well known Christian author, Jim Packer, lectures in systematic theology at Regent’s College in Vancouver. One of his former students says that Packer started every class by saying, ‘Arise, friends, let us sing the Doxology!’ After singing and a word of prayer, he would then say to his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-20

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Truth About The Resurrection

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Apr 6, 2010

An Easter Sunday message on the resurrection from a worldview perspective.

[play mini-movie called 'Spiritual Cafeteria' produced by Floodgate Productions]. One time at University I spent all night finishing an assignment despite having a major exam the next day. So I hadn’t done an ounce of study. All my friends had a good night sleep and were in the library ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-35

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Pray, Give, Go

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Feb 22, 2010

Designed as a short, punchy talk to motivate people for mission.

Naomi Reed writes a regular column in ‘The Pulse’ magazine. The article is called, ‘Pray, Give, Go’. We ought to be praying for mission, we ought to be giving to mission, and we ought to be sending workers into the field.   I think Naomi has missed the most common response ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 4:19-31

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Four Seasons

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jan 7, 2010

A Christmas sermon from the angle of Vivaldi's four seasons.

Poets and artists have always been interested in depicting the seasons of the year. There’s a beauty known only to each season which engages and sparks the imagination to creativity. In 1725, Vivaldi composed his most known work The Four Seasons, the texture of each concerto resembling its ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Life In The Kitchen (Husbands And Wives) Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Oct 11, 2009

Heavenly realities working themselves out in marriage.

It’s been said that in the FIRST YEAR of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. But in the SECOND YEAR, the woman speaks and the man listens. Then in the THIRD YEAR, they BOTH speak and the NEIGHBOURS listen. Others say that marriage is like undertaking a LEGO project without instructions. ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:18-19

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Changing The Future

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Oct 11, 2009

A gospel presentation originally for a baptismal service.

Channel 7 recently launched a new series called, ‘Flash Forward’. It’s a science-fiction-action-romance show that wants to satisfy everyone. In the first episode, the whole world passes out for about 2 minutes, but time keeps on ticking away. So helicopters fly into buildings, there are huge ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

What In The World Are We Doing?

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Sep 1, 2009

Designed as a short, punchy talk to challenge Christians about mission.

What in the world are we doing? Sometimes I catch the start of the Ray Hadley show on 2GB. He usually begins by summing up the major news of the day. Last Thursday (28 August, 2009) wasn’t a good day. A family tragically killed on the F3 after a large semi-trailer ploughs into the back of the car. ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Why Religion Doesn't Work

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Aug 3, 2009

The folly of false religions. Only fullness and freedom are found in Christ.

The setting is the front of a small church. The pastor says from the pulpit, ‘I’ve misplaced my sermon notes, so I’m just going to read from this devotional—if I can find it here. While I look, maybe the choir can lead us in a hymn’. He glances at the choir which has one person.   The choir ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:16-23

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Gen Y Christian Wedding

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jul 19, 2009

Gen Y are getting married. A wedding talk from a worldview perspective.

Let’s paint a BROAD PICTURE of Generation Y. The fountain of all internet knowledge, WIKIPEDIA, says that Generation Y were born in the mid-1980s through to the early 1990s. Gen Y are the OFFSPRING of the post-World War 2 baby-boomers. They were WEANED on instant communication technologies such as ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Hope Of Glory Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 10, 2009

Learning from Paul’s personal testimony to the Colossian CHurch

When I was at university—I sweated and groaned and struggled to get through my studies. One day a mate left an major project we were working on in the train. He rang every station from Hornsby to Campbelltown hoping it was handed in. Alas, our major assignment was gone forever! After the lecturer ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:24-29

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

United In Love Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 2, 2009

Setting a purpose for Christian living.

Christians without goals are a little like Alice in the fairy tale ‘Alice in Wonderland’. In a conversation between her and the Cheshire Cat, Alice asked, ‘Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here’? ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to’, said the cat. ‘I don’t ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-5

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Lord, My King Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 2, 2009

The absolute supremacy of Christ means we are safe in his arms.

We all like to feel safe and secure. When I was a young lad, I had this dream that has stayed with me for 45 years. I dreamt about a large house with a flight of external stairs. For some reason I was scared, I couldn’t work out why. Then I felt compelled to climb the flight of stairs—step by scary ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Faith That Lasts Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jun 2, 2009

The necessity of ongoing faith in Christ Jesus.

Imagine going into a BANK, innocently filling out a withdrawal slip, and within MINUTES being arrested by the police. When RON SCHATZ filled out a withdrawal slip in an American bank, he had no idea that HANDCUFFS would soon be place upon him. It took a while to straighten out the story. The teller ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:19-23

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed