The Semper Reformata Podcast

Blog Summary! Philip and Mara discuss and summarise Bob's last two posts on the Semper-Reformata.com website, - basically the last two sermons or Bible studies at Ballymacashon. Give it a listen and tell me what you think!Philip and Mara are AI voices generated by WordPress - you can read the transcript HERE Bob

Who Was Joseph? The Coat, the Dreams and the Pit.Genesis 37We are going to start our look at Joseph with Genesis chapter 37, which is set in Joseph’s teenage years. Think about the content of the chapter. What a dysfunctional, tragic family these people are – beset with favouritism, hatred, conspiracy, betrayal and a father’s broken heart. But when we read this passage we do so from the perspective of our understanding of the God who works all things according to his perfect will and purpose. Ephesians 1:11 Read the NOTES HERE.

The Great Apostasy2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,One of the features of the end of the age must be a season of great apostasy. The word apostasy, in a biblical sense, is the act of falling away or abandoning the true faith in God (or Christ) after having once known or, (and this is important), having merely professed it. Hebrews 6:4-6. So, what will this apostasy, this falling away involve?Recorded live at Ballymacashon Congregational ChurchRead the NOTES HERE

Jacob - Love at First Sight!Genesis 29Genesis 29 is a love story, but it’s more than that, it’s a salutary life lesson for Jacob, who has beat a hasty retreat from Canaan, fearing the anger of his Esau. But it is more than that, for it illustrates a more general principle – that nothing happens by chance or coincidence. God is sovereign and as Christians we should be aware of the guiding providence of God. We simply trust him, whatever comes our way.Read the NOTES HERE.Recorded live on an iPhone on the kitchen table at Ballymacashon - so apologies for the poor sound quality!

The Day and the Days...2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3In our last study we looked at the dangers of over sensationalising the doctrine of the Lord’s return. Paul then begins to explain how certain things must occur, during what we might like to call ‘the last days.’ That raises two important questions that we must investigate before we can proceed. What is ‘The Day of the Lord’ and what do we mean by, ‘the last days?’  Recorded LIVE at Ballymacashon Congregational (Reformed) Church, 78 Saintfield Road, Killinchy, NEWTOWNARDS BT23 6RNLord's Day Worship every week at 11.30am.Read the NOTES HERE.

Warning Against Sensationalism2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a Paul’s purpose in both his letters to Thessalonica is to offer comfort to the believers. But hat if the Lord has already come? What if we have been ‘left behind?’ Recorded LIVE at Ballymacashon.Read the NOTES HERE.

The Persistent WidowBonus Episode with Rev Charles CollinsLuke 18:1-8There’s a parable of Jesus in Luke 18, in which the Master encouraged hIs disciples to pray - to keep on praying, seeking the face of God. In the parable the believer is likened to a widow, helpless, dependent and oppressed by an adversary, who continually brings her plea for justice before a judge. But the judge in the parable is a selfish, uncaring man, an unrighteousness judge - who only reluctantly answers the widow’s petitions in case she begins to make a nuisance of herself. Many people are confused about this parable. The widow is an apt characterisation of the believer, - but why would Jesus use the analogy of an unjust judge for the God who is holy and righteous, and is never reluctant about hearing our prayers, - and whose prescriptions for us are always for our good? It’s a perplexing one indeed, and it has left many Christians scratching their heads in confusion. In this message, recorded live at Ballymacashon, Rev Charles Collins, the minister of Connsbrook Avenue Congregational Church in East Belfast solves the riddle, and shows how this parable is a wonderful encouragement for modern believers.

Living for Jesus in Desperate Times.2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 We have already learned that the Thessalonians believers in Christ were living with constant stress due to persecution, and that the reason Paul wrote this second letter was to comfort and strengthen them in that stress. So Paul and his fellow workers prayed for the Thessalonians, and kept on praying for them, asking God to give the Christians there the strength and faith to endure in the faith to the very end. Let’s spend a few moments thinking about Paul’s prayer…Recorded LIVE at Templepatrick Reformed Church, and reproduced here with their kind permission. Templepatrick Reformed ChurchCarnanee RoadTemplepatrick,Co. AntrimRead the NOTES HERE.