Shirley Baptist Church Solihull, Sermons

SBC is growing in cultural diversity, but this is also true of our town and wider community. What does it look like to build friendships among different languages, faiths and cultural differences? How can the good news of Jesus be shared within those friendships?

Jesus had 12 close friends, His disciples, at the age of 30. Some people might consider that His greatest miracle! Joking aside, what does the Bible say about Jesus’s friendship among the 12 disciples? What happens when 12-15 meet up regularly to share life and grow in faith, and how does this benefit friendship?

Do you ever feel the pressure of friendship? If so, why? This pressure can be for many reasons - a lack of spare time or what is or isn't being said on social media are just two examples. But it is important to realise that spiritual opposition is fundamental in this pressure. The devil’s goal is to isolate us. God’s desire is for us to find community and flourish in our friendships.

What makes someone your best friend? That can be a tricky question regardless of whether you are 5, 25 or 85, as sometimes you just don't know! So instead perhaps we should consider what are the best kinds of friendships, and how does Jesus show us in his own life this kind of friendship?

“Good friendship changes everything” says author Phil Knox in his book, ‘Best of Friends’. More than that, he explains how vital friendship is when we follow Jesus because we cannot follow him alone. Church life can mean many things to many people, but at its heart is friendship with God and people. What does friendship mean to you? Who are your friends both inside and outside the church? What does true friendship look like? These questions and more will be explored over the coming weeks as we go deeper into a biblical understanding of friendship.

We are all on the road to learning, growing and maturing in Christ-likeness. What an adventure that is! But even better - we are not told to do this alone. Ephesians 4:1-16 speaks about all Christians playing their part to encourage others to grow in maturity in Christ.

How many of you have picked up the bible, read a few verses, put it down again, looked into the distance and said quietly to yourself, 'I just don't get it'? This is what the disciples of Jesus thought when he spoke to them after the miracle of feeding the five thousand. Some of them got so confused and bewildered by Jesus's teaching on the 'bread of life' that they drifted away and left him. We might be tempted to do the same when we don't get it. But don't do that! It is better to choose Jesus, whom we don't understand rather than the world we do. Why? Because the world we do understand gives us pain, whereas the Jesus we don't understand takes the pain away!

Feeding 5000 people sounds like a mammoth job, and with few resources, it seems an impossible problem! But Jesus pulled it off, and it became one of his most famous miracles. What do we do when we are facing a tricky situation? Do we look to Jesus to help us? If not then perhaps we should because, as this story shows, Jesus can be the solution to any problem!

The book of Nehemiah is a great place to look when searching for a story of hope, joy, grace and renewal. The joy of the Lord was their strength and can be ours today!

Does life sometimes feel like a rollercoaster?! In the ups and downs that we face, where can we turn for help? Psalm 46 has the answer! It tells of an unshakeable God who offers us his power, presence and peace.