Scripture 03: Study The Bible is not a single book but a library — written over centuries, in multiple languages, by many authors, and in a wide range of literary genres. It’s no surprise, then, that understanding it can be challenging. Jesus himself often corrected harmful misreadings of Scripture, showing that when we misunderstand it, the impact can be damaging to both our souls and our society. But when we approach Scripture with clarity and care, its truth can transform and enrich our lives...
Jun 22, 2025•35 min
In part 2 Stephanie Wilson teaches how we meditate on scripture. The digital age teaches us to read quickly and move on, but the library of Scripture was created for slow, prayerful reflection so that God’s thoughts inhabit our minds completely.
Jun 15, 2025•34 min
Scripture 01: Read Scripture is far more than an ancient text—it’s a sacred story and a portal into God’s reality, with the power to shape and transform our lives. In this sermon David Armstrong explores why reading the Bible is essential for those who follow Jesus, the Rabbi who modelled a life deeply immersed in Scripture. The Scriptures are not just for information but for spiritual formation. As we slow down, pray, and approach the text with hearts open to God’s presence, the Spirit invites ...
Jun 08, 2025•43 min
Scripture 00: A Jesus-Centred Approach The library we call “the Bible” can connect us to God and change who we are, but distraction, hurry, and confusion can hinder our experience with these ancient texts. This is the first of a six-week series helping us rediscover how to engage Scripture as an apprentice to Jesus. In this first part David Armstrong explores the complexities of interpreting the Bible in a modern world where it often seems to conflict with science, morality, and lived experience...
Jun 01, 2025•43 min
The Book of Job is a strange and compelling story nestled within the Hebrew Scriptures — a poetic exploration of human suffering, divine mystery, and the search for meaning in the midst of loss. In this opening message of a new mini-series, John Herron finishes our journey through Job by looking at the dramatic epilogue in Chapters 38-42.
May 25, 2025•50 min
The Book of Job is a strange and compelling story nestled within the Hebrew Scriptures — a poetic exploration of human suffering, divine mystery, and the search for meaning in the midst of loss. In this second part Stephanie Wilson looks at the conversations between Job and his friends (ch.3-42) and how we can learn to sit with doubt, lament honestly, and find God’s presence even in the midst of pain and suffering that we don’t understand.
May 18, 2025•42 min
The Book of Job is a strange and compelling story nestled within the Hebrew Scriptures — a poetic exploration of human suffering, divine mystery, and the search for meaning in the midst of loss. In this opening message of a new mini-series, John Herron begins our journey through Job by looking at the dramatic prologue in Chapters 1 & 2.
May 11, 2025•42 min
The resurrection is not a happy ending. “Resurrection is not an invitation to escape the world; it is an invitation to change it.” — Desmond Tutu
Apr 20, 2025•40 min
David Armstrong explores the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, marking the moment when Jesus’ project went public. Jesus’ entry into the city on a donkey, fulfilling a 500-year-old prophecy, was a form of guerrilla theatre, a deliberate subversion of power and an act that mocked the dominant displays of the Roman Empire. Jesus’ humble procession was antithetical to Pontius Pilate’s imperial display, challenging us to reflect on our own expectations of Jesus and inviting us...
Apr 13, 2025•47 min
In Part 4 of our series The Big Questions , Stephanie Wilson brings a hopeful theological reflection on the difficult question’ What about Hell?’, exploring various views of the church before looking most significantly at what Jesus said and how we might think, not only about what happens once this life is over, but how we live today as his followers.
Apr 06, 2025•37 min
A 7 minute reflection and prayer on Mothering Sunday by Andrew Farmer & Libby Ryans. Andrew performs a reading of his poem ‘Knitting & Kicking’ — a studio recording is available on his album Amelanchier at https://frmr.bandcamp.com/album/amelanchier
Mar 30, 2025•8 min
In Part 3 of our series The Big Questions , David Armstrong helps us explore the tension between violent depictions of God in Scripture and the radical peace of Jesus. While wars have been justified in God’s name throughout history—including today in Ukraine and Gaza—Jesus reveals a different path: love for enemies, rejection of violence and vengeance, and the peaceable Kingdom (Matthew 5:38-48, Revelation 5:5-6). In fact, Jesus teaches his disciples that we should understand God as a divine par...
Mar 30, 2025•48 min
The Big Questions: 02 What about the Cross? Crosses are everywhere. As NT Wright says “You can’t get away from it. It’s everywhere. In homes, in films, in paintings, in pop videos. Worn as an earring, as a necklace. Stitched or studded onto leather or denim. Tattooed onto skin.” What comes to mind when you think about the cross? In this sermon, John Herron explores a number of historical atonement theories about the crucifixion of Jesus and shows us how the cross is ultimately the fullest revela...
Mar 23, 2025•38 min
David Armstrong interviews Tom Magill and Kirsten Kearney about their very different upbringings, the challenges they both faced, how they met, married, and went on to start their company, ESC Film. Together, they use their experiences to help others own their stories and find their voice. ESC Film is a filmmaking company and arts education charity based in Belfast, specialising in mental health. They primarily work with people with complex needs, offering facilitation, creative development, and...
Mar 16, 2025•43 min
The Big Questions: 01 What is God like? What comes to mind when you think about God? In this sermon, we explore how our understanding of God shapes everything. Challenging the idea of an angry, wrathful deity, we turn to Scripture and Jesus’ life to reveal a God of love, mercy, and grace. Through the Prodigal Son story, Rembrandt’s art, and reflections on historical theology, we uncover the heart of God and the liberating good news of a God who is truly love.
Mar 09, 2025•53 min
This Story Sunday is a special one with our friends Todd Deatherage and Jason Miller. David Armstrong interviews Todd and Jason on their work, the principles of peacemaking, conflict and justice, Israel/Palestine, the genocide taking place in Gaza, and why these issues should matter to us as followers of Jesus. Todd Deatherage is the co-founder and executive director of Telos, an organization dedicated to reconciliation and peacebuilding in conflict zones like Israel/Palestine. With a background...
Dec 08, 2024•44 min
The final chapters of the Book of Esther reveal the resolution of the story. After Haman’s downfall, Esther and Mordecai work together to save the Jewish people. Mordecai is promoted to a position of great authority, and the Jewish people celebrate their deliverance, marking the beginning of the festival of Purim. In Part 4, Stephanie Wilson reflects on the entire story, the characters' choices and decisions, and how the lens through which we read can alter our understanding of the narrative. Wh...
Oct 06, 2024•32 min
In Part 3, David Armstrong unpacks Esther’s courageous and strategic actions to save her people. After fasting, Esther risks her life by approaching King Xerxes and carefully revealing Haman’s plot against the Jews. Her wisdom and patience lead to a powerful reversal, with Haman’s plans backfiring and resulting in his downfall. Esther’s transformation into a bold and discerning leader serves as an inspiration, encouraging us to step into our own power, speak up for ourselves and those without a ...
Sep 29, 2024•36 min
John Herron picks up the story of Esther in chapters 3 & 4, where we find a rising threat against the Jewish people as Haman plots their destruction. Mordecai urges Esther to use her position as queen to intervene, and she faces a life-threatening decision with Mordecai’s words echoing in her mind “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
Sep 22, 2024•33 min
David Armstrong begins our exploration of the Book of Esther, a captivating narrative from the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. We journey into the Persian Empire under King Xerxes and delve into themes of fear, identity, and resilience looking at how the hidden parts of ourselves can provide strength in times of limitation and hardship. We also reflect on God’s unseen presence in Esther’s story, reminding us that even when life feels chaotic or uncertain, His hand is always at work behind the sc...
Sep 15, 2024•36 min
What Makes Us: 02 Living the Story In this second part of the What Makes Us series, we explore what it means to live out the Jesus Story in our daily lives. David Armstrong reflects on the incarnation—God becoming flesh in Christ and dwelling among us—and how it serves as a model for us to embody God’s active presence. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be His hands, feet, and eyes, continuing His mission of compassion, healing, and blessing in our communities. The early Christian practice ...
Sep 08, 2024•28 min
What Makes Us: 01 Embracing the Story We explore the power of stories and how they shape our lives, from the narrative of everyday life to the deeper stories that give us meaning, we’re wired for storytelling. David Armstrong challenges us to reflect on the story we’re living in—is it one of grace and purpose, or have we unknowingly embraced a fiction that holds us back? When we look closely at the Book of Genesis we see that our true story begins with God's blessing, not with shame or failure. ...
Sep 01, 2024•33 min
Stephanie Wilson speaks on ‘the antidote of enough’ that counters our cultures message that we should ‘be more, want more and have more’. In the Lords Prayer recorded in Matthew 6 — a prayer that Jesus taught his disciples — we find an invitation to a deep and daily trust in God’s provision and abundance.
Jun 02, 2024•33 min
The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. Jesus ultimate agenda was coming to humanity to reveal what God is actually like. We have come to understand God as three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—yet one God. We use metaphors and language to describe God, but our theology can never fully contain God. Various metaphors have been used to explain God as ‘Trinity’ but they often miss the mark, failing to grasp the mystery of divine love. In this sermon David Arm...
May 26, 2024•42 min
Solitude 05 - Q&A David, Armstrong, John Herron & Scott Witherick discuss the series on solitude and share some of their learning along the way. This took place on Pentecost Sunday and includes Prayers & Liturgies to celebrate and mark this day and the end of the season of Eastertide. Part of the Practicing the Way Series. For info and resources on this series go to redeemercentral.com/ptw...
May 19, 2024•42 min
Solitude 04 - Encounter with Our God Solitude is the place of encounter and ultimately, we go into the quiet to encounter God. We go because we ache for God in the deepest place in our being. We go because there is nothing like God’s presence. We go to listen for his voice, to hear him speak over us our identity and calling. In this fourth and final teaching we learn that this back and forth of speaking and listening to God is the heart not only of communication, but of communion with God. As im...
May 12, 2024•20 min
Solitude 03 - Encounter with Our Self Solitude can be deeply refreshing, but just as often, it can feel like painful emotional surgery. We can get away from people, but we can’t get away from our self . And often what we carry into solitude is our pain. In the third teaching Stephanie Wilson encourages us to follow the example of Jesus by finding a quiet place and going to the place of pain because it is there we meet God. Through this simple but difficult practice of noticing and naming our emo...
Apr 28, 2024•40 min
Solitude 02 - Encounter with Our Enemy In the second teaching John Herron looks at the goal of being alone with God in the silence: ultimately to hear God’s voice over all the other voices in our head, Jesus and his early followers fought battles in solitude. As we face resistance from three enemies of our soul — the world, the flesh, and the devil — in solitude, we learn to fight lies by listening carefully for God’s voice and using scripture to anchor ourselves in God’s truth. Part of the Prac...
Apr 21, 2024•40 min
Solitude 01 - The Quiet Place Distraction is one of the greatest threats to spiritual health in the modern world. We all feel it — we’re bombarded by noise like never before. Jesus has an invitation for us: Step away from it all to be alone with him, for the sake of our souls and the sake of others. In this first teaching David Armstrong looks at how Solitude is not a place but a practice, one that follows Jesus’ pattern of retreating from distractions to be fully present with the Father and ret...
Apr 14, 2024•54 min
The resurrection is not a happy ending. It doesn't depend on you or need your permission. The resurrection sees Christ standing in the garden alive on that Easter Sunday morning — having walked through the brutality & death of Good Friday and the forsakenness & silence of Holy Saturday — and he stands present and alive speaking your name, and a word of possibility laced with grace, love and hope.
Mar 31, 2024•39 min
