The Semper Reformata Podcast

Seek the Lord.Text . Isaiah 55:6-7. Luke 19:1. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.We are all to be seekers…. but who will search for God?recorded live at Ballymacashon Congregational church.Read the NOTES HERE.

PRAYER - A CASE STUDYText: 1 John 5:16-17.John has been speaking about prayer, and how we may have confidence in prayer, and then he adds this next verse, perhaps as a case-study for what he has just taught us; praying for sinners! What does John mean when he says that there is a sin not unto death, and a sin unto death?Read the NOTES HERE.

Living in a Hostile WorldMatthew 10:16-22Christians are living in a hostile culture But it’s NEVER been any different, and it never will, until Jesus returns. In Matthew’s account of the ministry of Jesus, he records the words of the Saviour as he sends his disciples out to witness for him. Let’s see how he prepares them for the hostile environment they will be living and working in…This message was delivered at Ballymacashon - please excuse the sound quality, extraneous sounds and echo.

Fearfully and WonderfullyPsalm 139:14-16In this special bonus episode, we look briefly at these very important verses from Psalm 139, verses 14-16, – to make a prophetic statement on events that have occurred over the past few days in our sovereign UK parliament, when MPs voted in strength for an amendment which will in certain circumstances, make legal the abortion of babies up to the moment of birth. In such times as these, we would want to raise a standard, publicly, for biblical truth and Christian ethics.  Read the NOTES HERE.Recorded live at Templepatrick Reformed Church, and reproduced here with their kind permission.

How to Pray with Confidence.1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life, so as soon as John has established that we KNOW that we are eternally saved, with a heavenly destiny, through faith in Christ, he moves on to prayer… and that same confidence that we have in our eternal salvation applies to our prayers. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will... Listen for more!Read the NOTES HERE.

Ministry EthicsMatthew 10:8-17Jesus has called his disciples, and now they get some really practical good advice for ministry, part of their ‘Seminary Evangelism Module’ – and its not just good advice for them, but for us also as we seek to represent the Saviour in this godless world:-Wisdom in AccountingWisdom in AssociationWisdom in Abandoning Apologies for the sound quality of this recording. this sermon was recorded live at Ballymacashon, and there is some echo and extraneous noise.Read the NOTES HERE.

The Internal Witness1 John 5:9-12 V10 He that believed; on the Son of God hath the witness in himself…For this week's Bible Study I've reprised an episode from October 2024, recorded at TRC. No point recording the same thing again!Do you know for sure that you are saved and forgiven, through repentance and faith in Christ, and that because of his atoning death on the cross you have forgiveness of all your sins and a certain home in heaven? The record is there for us! The testimony is available for all to see! Changed lives, the Word of God, all the objective tests. But to be saved and have eternal life, we must know the Lord Jesus Christ personally!Read the NOTES HERE.This sermon was recorded at Templepatrick Reformed Church and is reproduced here with their kind permission.

Polycarp the MartyrIn this episode were going to be thinking about the persecution of the early church, and focusing in on the martyrdom of Polycarp, the pastor of the church at Smyrna, in what is now called Turkey. Polycarp’s testimony for Jesus Christ led to his arrest and to his death in the city of Rome in the 2nd century AD. May his perseverance and steadfast determination to follow Jesus whatever the cost be an inspiration to us also, in these days, when many Christian throughout the world still face persecution for the faith.

Ministering in Word and SacramentMatthew 10:5-8Christ's were being trained in the school of the master, and they were to go forth as ambassadors, and missionaries, sent out to represent Christ in their words and acts. Now we see a little more detail about that commission…The margins of their ministry. To LOST SHEEP.The message of their ministry. The KINGDOM is at hand!The method of their ministry. To minister in WORD and SACRAMENT.Apologies for the sound quality of this recording. this sermon was recorded live at Ballymacashon, and there is some echo and extraneous noise.READ THE NOTES HERE.