First Ards Presbyterian Church Sermoncast

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Romans 5:1-11 at evening worship on Sunday 12th July in First Ards. Over this series, we’re taking time to think about three of the great blessings God gives to everyone who is united to Christ by faith. The Westminster Shorter Catechism helpfully gathers them together as justification, adoption and sanctification. These aren’t just theological ideas to be understood but wonderful gifts of God’s grace to be treasured. Together they show us that in Christ, God accepts the guilty, welcomes us into his family and begins to make us holy. In Romans 5:1–11, Paul explains the great blessing of justification: guilty sinners are pardoned, accepted as righteous and brought into peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Our standing before God doesn’t rest on our performance, feelings or consistency, but on the finished work of Christ, who died for us while we were still powerless, sinful and opposed to God. Because we stand in grace, suffering can’t separate us from his love but is used to deepen perseverance, character and hope. The justified believer is forgiven, secure and reconciled to God. To have Christ is to be accepted by God.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Zephaniah 1 at morning worship on Sunday 12th July 2026 in First Ards. Zephaniah 1 confronts us with the coming day of the Lord, when God will judge sin decisively and expose every false refuge. Judah possessed the temple, the Scriptures and a rich spiritual heritage, yet many had replaced genuine faith with empty religion, divided loyalties and complacency. The warning lands first on God’s people: church connection, respectability, wealth and family background can’t save us. But Zephaniah’s message doesn’t leave us without hope. The judge is also the Saviour. Jesus entered the darkness of judgement at the cross, bearing God’s wrath for sinners. The only safe refuge when God comes is to be hidden in Christ.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Revelation 7:9–17 at a joint service of worship with Newtownards PCI churches in support of Wycliffe Bible Translators on Sunday 28th June 2026 in First Ards. John is given a glimpse of where God’s mission is headed: a countless multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and worshipping the Lamb. Their salvation rests entirely in Christ, whose blood cleanses guilty sinners and brings them safely through suffering into God’s presence. This vision gives confidence to those who pray, give, send, translate God’s word and serve, because none of that work is wasted. Christ will gather his people, the Lamb will shepherd them to living water and God will wipe away every tear. The outcome is certain. Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 11:37-54 at morning worship on Sunday 28th June 2026 in First Ards. Jesus exposes the danger of religion that looks clean on the outside whilst remaining corrupt on the inside. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were meticulous about appearances, but neglected justice, love, humility and mercy. Their faith distorted priorities, fed pride, burdened others and resisted God’s truth. Jesus warns that biblical knowledge, religious activity and outward respectability are worthless if they never lead us to love God and obey him from the heart. But the one who exposes our hypocrisy is also the Saviour who cleanses us. Christ alone is pure inside and out and, through his cross, he offers forgiveness, a new heart and the Holy Spirit.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 20 at evening worship on Sunday 21st June 2026 in First Ards. David is back on the throne, but his kingdom remains deeply fractured. Sheba exploits old resentments, Joab preserves order through ruthless violence and the lingering consequences of David’s sin remain visible. Yet amid political weakness and military force, an unnamed wise woman saves an entire city through courage, truth and peacemaking. The chapter ends with government restored, but not the kingdom healed. David can return to Jerusalem, but he can’t remove rebellion from the human heart or establish lasting peace. This final episode of this series of in the Life of David points us beyond David to Jesus, the true King who bears our wounds, reconciles divided people and will one day make all things new.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 11:27-36 at morning worship on Sunday 21st June 2026 in First Ards. Jesus challenges us to consider not just whether we’re near him, but how we receive him. Admiration isn’t the same as discipleship and familiarity with Christian truth isn’t the same as faith. True blessing belongs to those who hear God’s Word and obey it. When the crowds demand another sign, Jesus declares that the light has already been given: one greater than Jonah and Solomon is standing among them. The problem isn’t a lack of revelation, but spiritually unhealthy eyes and hearts unwilling to receive it. We can’t cure our own blindness, but the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to Christ, the light of the world who entered our darkness, bore our judgement and rose in victory.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 19:8b-43 at evening worship on Sunday 14th June 2026 in First Ards. David begins his return to Jerusalem after Absalom’s rebellion has collapsed. But his homecoming isn’t simple or triumphant. The kingdom is unsettled, former rebels are afraid, loyal servants are wounded and old divisions remain. Through Shimei, Mephibosheth and Barzillai, we see three different responses to the returning king: guilty people seeking mercy; wounded people loving the king more than his gifts; and faithful people serving quietly. But David’s return also exposes the limits of his reign. His mercy is imperfect, his justice incomplete and his kingdom still divided. This passage points us beyond David to Christ, the true returning King, who brings perfect mercy, perfect justice and perfect peace.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 11:14-26 at morning worship on Sunday 14th June 2026 in First Ards. Jesus reveals that the world isn’t spiritually neutral. When he drives out a demon and restores a man’s speech, some are amazed, while others accuse him of working by Satan’s power. Jesus shows that the kingdom of God has come in him: the stronger man has arrived to overthrow the strong man. This passage warns us not to settle for respectability, religion, or an ordered but empty life. The real question isn’t whether we’re impressed by Jesus, but whether we’re with him. Christ alone conquers evil, forgives sin, fills empty hearts by his Spirit and makes sinners his own.

David Logan preaches Romans 5:1-8 at evening worship on Sunday 7th June 2026 in First Ards. Christian hope isn’t wishful thinking, it’s a certain hope grounded in what Jesus has already done. Because we’ve been justified by faith, we have peace with God and can rejoice in the hope of His glory. That hope is also a living hope, strengthened even through suffering as God produces perseverance, character and deeper confidence in Him. And it’s an overflowing hope, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit so that it spills out in worship, encouragement, service and witness. The church becomes “the hope on earth” as God’s love in Christ becomes visible through His people.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 18:1–19:8a at morning worship on Sunday 31st May 2026 in First Ards. Absalom’s rebellion finally comes to an end, but the victory is overshadowed by tragedy. As David’s forces defeat the rebel army, Absalom is killed despite the king’s plea that his son be spared. The chapter highlights the devastating consequences of sin, pride, and rebellion, while also revealing David’s deep grief as both a father and a king. Ultimately, David’s cry, “If only I had died instead of you,” points beyond himself to Jesus Christ, the greater King who did what David couldn’t, giving His life to save rebels and secure an unshakable kingdom for His people.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 11:5:13 at morning worship on Sunday 31st May 2026 in First Ards. Prayer begins with need. Jesus teaches us to come honestly, not self-sufficiently. The friend-at-midnight story isn’t saying God is reluctant. It’s saying if even a reluctant neighbour helps, how much more will your Father hear you? So Jesus says: ask, seek, knock. Come boldly, not presumptuously, because the Father is good. And the greatest gift the Father gives is not merely changed circumstances, but himself: the Holy Spirit. Come empty-handed through Christ. The Father gives bread, mercy, grace, and above all, his Spirit.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 17 at evening worship on Sunday 24th May 2026 in First Ards. From ground level, Absalom looks secure and David looks finished. But heaven’s perspective is different. The Lord is quietly overturning the rebellion from within. Ahithophel’s advice is strategically wise, but the Lord frustrates it through Hushai, using Absalom’s pride as the means of his downfall. God’s providence works through ordinary means: messages, servants, hidden wells, timely decisions and daily provision in the wilderness. David is preserved, but the passage points beyond him to Christ, the rejected King whose kingdom cannot fail and whose people are secure forever.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 11:1-4 at morning worship on Sunday 24th May 2026 in First Ards. Prayer begins with needy disciples coming to Jesus, saying “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus teaches us to come to God as Father, seeking first his name and kingdom, then bringing our daily needs, sins, relationships and weakness to him. The Lord’s Prayer reshapes us: from self-sufficiency to dependence; from anxiety to trust; from bitterness to forgiveness; from distraction to communion with God. And because Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, we pray through the Son who secures our forgiveness and brings us to the Father.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 16 at evening worship on Sunday 17th May 2026 in First Ards. David is humbled, deceived, cursed and driven from the city, but not abandoned by God. The consequences of his sin are painfully unfolding, but this is fatherly discipline, not condemnation. Even in the dust, David begins to submit himself to the Lord’s hand. The chapter points us beyond David to Christ, the true King, who also left Jerusalem in shame, not for his own sin, but for ours. For those in Christ, sorrow and discipline may be real, but condemnation is gone. Grace still holds weary sinners fast.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 10:38-42 at morning worship on Sunday 17th May 2026 in First Ards. Martha welcomes and serves Jesus, but her good service becomes anxious distraction. Mary simply sits at his feet, listening to his word. Jesus doesn’t despise practical service, but he lovingly shows that one thing is needed above all: Christ himself. As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, he goes to serve weary, distracted sinners through the cross. We’re invited to come to him, receive his mercy and serve from hearts resting in his grace.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Jeremiah 29:4-7 at evening prayer, praise and communion on Sunday 20th May 2026 in First Ards. In Jeremiah 29, God tells his exiled people to seek the peace of the place where he has put them. As we come to the Lord’s Table, we’re reminded that Christ has sought our good at the cost of his own body and blood. Receiving his mercy, we’re sent back into our community with open hands: to pray, serve, love our neighbours and bear witness to the Saviour who brings sinners home.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 10:25-37 at morning worship on Sunday 10th May 2026 in First Ards. Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer who wants to justify himself. The story exposes how easily we define mercy narrowly, see need and pass by. But it also points us to Christ, who didn’t pass us by, but came near in mercy, bore our sin and saved us by grace. Having received that mercy from him, we’re called to become merciful neighbours to others.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 25 at evening worship on Sunday 3rd May 2026 in First Ards. Absalom steals the hearts of Israel and David is forced to flee Jerusalem. The chapter shows the bitter public fallout of David’s earlier sin, but also a chastened king beginning to trust God again. David refuses to use the ark as a tool for control, entrusts himself to the Lord and prays as he leaves in shame. Yet David’s sorrow points beyond himself to Jesus, the true Son of David, who crossed the Kidron and went out in shame, not for his own sin, but to save his people.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 10:21-24 at morning worship on Sunday 3rd May 2026 in First Ards. Luke 10:21–24 takes us behind the scenes of mission and shows us heaven’s view. The 72 return rejoicing, but Jesus redirects their joy from usefulness to grace, their names are written in heaven. Then Jesus rejoices in the Spirit that the Father reveals his kingdom not to the proud and self-sufficient, but to “little children” who receive it humbly. At the centre stands the Son, who alone reveals the Father. As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, we’re reminded that salvation is God’s joyful work from beginning to end and our deepest joy is simply to know him.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 14 at evening worship on Sunday 26th April 2026 in First Ards. 2 Samuel 14 shows Absalom brought home from exile, but not truly restored. Joab’s scheme moves David to act, but the deeper wounds remain untouched. Absalom returns to Jerusalem without repentance, Tamar remains forgotten and David offers a shallow peace that can’t heal his broken house. The chapter leaves us longing for a better King. In Christ, God truly devises a way for the banished to come home, not by ignoring sin, but by dealing with it at the cross, so that sinners may be forgiven, welcomed and restored.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 10:1-20 at morning worship on Sunday 26th April 2026 in First Ards. “The God of mission has a church”! As Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem, he sends the seventy-two ahead of him to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near. They go in dependence, prayer and weakness, like lambs among wolves, carrying Christ’s message and authority. Some welcome them, others reject them and Jesus warns that rejecting his messengers means rejecting him. When they return rejoicing in what they’ve seen, Jesus redirects their joy: not in usefulness or success, but in belonging to him.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 13:23-39 at evening worship on Sunday 19th April 2026 in First Ards. Two years after Tamar’s violation, Absalom’s silence gives way to carefully planned revenge and Amnon is killed. David grieves, but once again his house is marked by passivity, confusion and unresolved sorrow. The chapter shows that time alone doesn’t heal what sin has broken and that vengeance can’t produce the justice that silence refused to pursue. David’s household is unraveling exactly as Nathan said it would. The passage leaves us longing for a better King than David, one who judges rightly without sin and brings true peace.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 9:49-62 at morning worship on Sunday 19th April 2026 in First Ards. Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem” and everything is now shaped by that road. The passage shows how unlike him the disciples still are: narrow where he’s generous, harsh where he’s merciful and hesitant where he’s resolute. Jesus corrects their instincts about who belongs, how to respond to rejection and what discipleship really costs. Following him can’t be done on our terms or at our convenience. The passage calls us to stop trying to reshape the road and instead trust and follow the Christ who set his face towards the cross for us.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 12:1-22 at evening worship on Sunday 12th April in First Ards. 2 Samuel 13 shows the sword entering David’s house just as Nathan had warned. Amnon’s desire for Tamar becomes violence, Jonadab’s cleverness becomes complicity, Absalom’s care is mixed with silence and David’s anger never turns into action. Tamar stands at the centre of the chapter as the one who sees clearly, speaks truthfully and is then left desolate. This passage is hard, but it drives us beyond David’s broken household to the true Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is marked by righteousness, justice and grace. Note: This sermon includes adult themes, including sexual abuse. Please use discernment if listening with children and please take care if this subject matter is difficult for you.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Like 9:37-48 at morning worship on Sunday 12th A 2026 in First Ards. Coming down from the mount of Transfiguration, Jesus meets a scene of confusion, suffering and failure: a desperate father, a tormented boy, disciples who can’t help and followers who still don’t understand the cross. This sermon shows how the glory of Christ is seen not just on the mountain but in the valley, where he rebukes evil, restores the boy and keeps walking towards Jerusalem. It also shows how far the disciples still have to go and how Jesus redefines greatness, not as status or importance, but as humble, cross-shaped service.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Matthew 28:1-10 and 1 Corinthians 15:17-22 at morning worship on Easter Sunday 5th April 2026 in First Ards. Jesus’ resurrection isn’t some nice ending to the gospel story. It’s the decisive event on which the whole Christian faith stands or falls. From Matthew’s empty tomb and Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15, this sermon shows that because Christ has indeed been raised, faith in him is not futile, sins really can be forgiven, those who have died in Christ aren’t lost and all who belong to him will be made alive. Easter means that the risen Jesus can be trusted completely and that all who are in him have a living, certain hope.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 12:15-31 at evening worship on Sunday 29th March 2026 in First Ards. This passage shows what forgiven life looks like when sorrow remains. Though David’s sin is truly taken away, its consequences continue, yet he responds not by withdrawing from God but by pleading, then bowing and worshipping when the Lord’s will is clear. In time, grace brings not only comfort but restoration, as David is returned to the path of obedience. The chapter holds together pardon, discipline and promise, pointing beyond David to the greater Son through whom mercy and justice finally meet.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Mark 11:1-11 at our Palm Sunday all age family service worship on Sunday 29th March 2026 in First Ards. On Palm Sunday, we see that Jesus is completely in control. Nothing takes him by surprise, not even the cross that lies ahead. He goes to Jerusalem deliberately, knowing he’ll suffer and die, because he came to save sinners. The cross isn’t an accident but God’s plan and through it Jesus makes forgiveness and restoration possible. The question for us is how we will respond: will we simply be near Jesus like the crowd; or will we trust him as our Saviour and welcome him as our King?

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 12:1-14 at evening worship on Sunday 22nd March 2026 in First Ards. The Lord refuses to leave David hidden in his sin. Nathan’s parable draws David into condemning the rich man, only for the prophet to turn and say, “You are the man.” We trace the movement from exposure to confession to mercy. David is brought to say, “I have sinned against the Lord” and immediately hears the astonishing word, “The Lord has taken away your sin.” It’s a sobering passage about the seriousness of sin, the reality of God’s discipline and the wonder of grace that points us beyond David to David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev. Riaan Boer preaches James 3:13-18 at morning worship on Sunday 22nd March 2026 in First Ards. Far from being just knowledge or spiritual appearance, biblical wisdom is revealed in a life shaped by humility, purity and peace. Contrasting earthly wisdom with the wisdom that comes from above, we see that genuine faith is demonstrated in everyday conduct, especially in how we treat others. The call is to examine our hearts, to turn from self-centred living and to seek from God the wisdom he generously gives, wisdom that leads to a life of righteousness, mercy and Christlike character.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 9:28-36 at morning worship on Sunday 15th March 2026 in First Ards. The transfiguration gives a glimpse of Jesus’ glory before the road turns fully towards the cross. On the mountain, as Jesus prays, Peter, James and John see his glory, Moses and Elijah appear and the Father’s voice declares, “This is my Son… listen to him.” The sermon shows that the Transfiguration isn’t a detour from the cross but a confirmation of who Jesus is and where he is going. Before the disciples see his suffering, they’re shown his glory, so that they will learn to trust him, hear him and follow him on the road to Jerusalem.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 11 at evening worship on Sunday 8th March 2026 in First Ards. As we come back to our series on the Life of David, this chapter marks a dark turning point in his story. While his army fights, David remains in Jerusalem and begins a chain of sin that moves from lust to abuse of power, deceit and ultimately murder. The chapter shows how hidden sin grows, how quickly conscience hardens and how even the best of men can’t bear the hopes of God’s people. David is exposed and the contrast with Christ becomes clear, where David took and ruined, Jesus gives and saves. The sermon ends by urging us not to cover sin, but to bring it into the light before the true and better King.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 9:18-27 at morning worship on Sunday 8th March 2026 in First Ards. Jesus asks the question that has been building through Luke, “Who do you say I am?” When Peter answers, “The Christ of God,” Jesus immediately reshapes what that means, explaining that the Messiah must suffer, be rejected, be killed and rise again. The cross, not worldly triumph, stands at the centre of his mission. Jesus then turns the truth toward his followers: anyone who comes after him must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow. The passage confronts us with the same choice the disciples faced, moving beyond curiosity or admiration to confess Christ and follow the King on the road that leads through the cross to glory.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 9:10-17 at morning worship on Sunday 1st March 2026 in First Ards. Jesus withdraws with the apostles after their mission, but when the crowds arrive he welcomes them, teaches about God’s kingdom and meets their needs. As the day ends and the disciples see only limitation, Jesus challenges them to trust him with what little they have, taking five loaves and two fish and feeding the crowd until everyone is satisfied. The passage shows a King who is never inconvenienced by need and who supplies abundantly through his servants, reminding us that ministry flows from Christ’s sufficiency rather than our resources.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Ephesians 1:11-14 at evening worship on Sunday 22nd February 2026 in First Ards. We close our series considering the Doctrines of Grace journey answering a deeply personal question: is grace able to carry us all the way home? In Ephesians 1:11–14 Paul points us first to God’s unshakeable purpose “in Christ”, then to Christ’s own promise to lose none of those the Father gives him (John 6) and finally to the Spirit who seals believers and guarantees their inheritance “until” the day of redemption. Perseverance, then, is less about the strength of our grip and more about the strength of God’s, the Father’s planning, the Son’s securing and the Spirit’s guaranteeing. The result is humble assurance for the anxious, a call to keep coming to Christ and hopeful prayer for wandering loved ones.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 9:1-9 at morning worship on Sunday 22nd February 2026 in First Ards. Jesus sends the Twelve with his own authority to preach the kingdom and heal, showing that mission begins with Christ’s call, not human strength or strategy. They go in dependence, trusting the King to provide, knowing some will welcome the message and others will reject it. As the news spreads, even Herod is unsettled, asking the same question that’s echoed through Luke, “Who is this?” The passage highlights the difference between curiosity and faith and points forward to Jesus himself, the King who sends others and then sets his face toward Jerusalem, where his authority will be revealed most fully at the cross and resurrection.

Rev. Craig Jackson (minister, Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church) preaches 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 at evening worship on Sunday 15th February 2026 in First Ards.

Rev. Nigel Craig (chaplain of Queens University Belfast, Union Theological College and Stranmillis University College) preaches 2 Timothy 3:10-4:8 at morning worship on Sunday 15th February 2026 in First Ards.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Ephesians 2:8-10 at evening worship on Sunday 8th February 2026 in First Ards. This sermon in our Doctrines of Grace series explores how anyone comes to faith at all. Salvation is by grace, received through faith and even that faith is God’s gift, leaving no room for pride. God doesn’t just invite from a distance. By his Spirit he works within, making unwilling hearts willing and drawing people freely to Christ. This helps us see our own conversion more clearly, pray for others more hopefully and rest more confidently in the fact that our faith began not with us, but with God’s amazing grace.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Hebrews 4:14-16 at morning worship on Sunday 8th February 2026 in First Ards. This epilogue on Hebrews 4:14–16 at the conclusion of our Prayer Weekend reminds us that prayer rests on what we already have, Jesus, our great high priest. Because he stands in God’s presence for us and understands our weakness, we approach a throne of grace with confidence, not hesitation. Prayer becomes a repeated drawing near for mercy, grace and help in every need, grounded not in our words but in Christ’s finished work.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 8:40-56 at morning worship on Sunday 1st February 2026 in First Ards. Jairus pleads with Jesus for his dying daughter while, on the way, a woman who has suffered for twelve years quietly reaches out in faith and is gently brought from hidden shame into public peace as Jesus calls her “daughter.” As news arrives that the child has died, fear declares the situation finished, but Jesus calls Jairus to trust his word instead and, in a silent room, he takes the girl by the hand and restores her to life. Together these two scenes show that Christ’s voice is stronger than fear, stronger than shame and even stronger than death itself.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 8:26-39 at morning worship on Sunday 25th January 2026 in First Ards. Jesus steps ashore and meets a man utterly ruined by demonic power and, with a word, restores him to dignity, sanity and peace, showing that even a “legion” is subject to his authority. Yet, while the healed man longs to stay with Jesus, the townspeople, unsettled by his holy presence, ask him to leave and Jesus instead sends the restored man home to tell what God has done. This leaves us with the question of whether we will push Jesus away when he comes close or come to him for mercy and then speak of his grace where we are.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Ephesians 1:7-10 at evening worship on Sunday 18th January 2026 in First Ards. Paul traces the work of salvation from God’s eternal purpose to Christ’s finished work, showing that the cross wasn’t a vague offer but a decisive achievement. In Christ, redemption has been secured through his blood and sins have been forgiven, not potentially but actually, according to the lavish riches of God’s grace. The cross stands at the heart of God’s wise and loving plan to gather his people and ultimately bring all things under Christ’s rule, producing believers with settled consciences, grateful obedience and a humility shaped by a salvation fully accomplished outside of themselves.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Like 8:22-25 at morning worship on Sunday 18th January 2026 in First Ards. Jesus leads his disciples into a boat and straight into a violent storm, revealing that obedience to his word doesn’t guarantee calm circumstances. As fear takes hold, the disciples interpret reality through the danger they feel rather than the promise they’ve heard, until Jesus silences the wind and waves with a word. The calm exposes not only his authority over creation but the deeper question of who he truly is. The passage shows how storms uncover what governs our trust and how Jesus uses both danger and deliverance to train his followers to listen to his word above every other voice.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Ephesians 1:3-6 at evening worship on Sunday 11th January 2026 in First Ards. Paul traces our salvation back beyond our decisions or responses to God’s gracious purpose before the world was made, showing from Ephesians 1 that grace begins not with us but with God’s loving choice in Christ. Before we existed or did anything good or bad, God chose a people in his Son, not because he saw something worthy in them, but out of sheer love, with the aim of adopting them into his family and shaping them to be holy in his sight. Election, far from being cold or abstract, is presented as deeply personal and relational, rooted in the Father’s love, centred on Christ and designed to end in worship. This truth strips away pride, grounds assurance, fuels holiness and prayer and leads the church to say with joy and humility, “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name be the glory,” as all praise belongs to God’s glorious grace alone.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 8:16-21 at morning worship on Sunday 11th January 2026 in First Ards. Jesus presses home that hearing God’s word is never neutral. When it’s truly received, it brings light that shows itself in changed lives. Using the picture of a lamp, he warns against a comfortable, hidden faith that listens without obeying, and urges us to consider carefully how we listen, because careless hearing dulls us while responsive hearing deepens us. He then makes it clear that real belonging to him isn’t about proximity, background, or familiarity, but about hearing God’s word and beginning to put it into practice, however imperfectly or dependently and by grace, so that those who listen and follow are shown to be part of his family.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Ephesians 2:1-5 at evening worship on Sunday 4th January 2026 in First Ards. The opening of a new evening series on the doctrines of grace, beginning with the Bible’s honest diagnosis of the human condition and why grace is necessary at all. Drawing on Psalm 51, Genesis 6 and Ephesians 2, it sets out the doctrine of total depravity, that sin reaches every part of us leaving us unable to save ourselves and highlights the wonder of God’s intervention in mercy, making the spiritually dead alive through Christ.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 8:1-15 at morning worship on Sunday 4th January 2026 in First Ards. Jesus explains why the same word produces such different responses by telling a simple story about seed and soil, showing that the issue isn’t whether God speaks, but how his word is heard. The parable exposes hard, shallow and crowded hearts, while holding out the hope that through grace, perseverance and the work of Christ by his Spirit, God can make ordinary lives genuinely fruitful.

Rev. John Mullan (minister, Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church) preaches Luke 9:57-62 at morning worship on Sunday 28th December 2025 in First Ards.

Rev. Craig Lynn speaks on Luke 2:8-20 at the Christmas Morning service 2025 in First Ards. Christmas is God’s gift to ordinary people, announced not as advice but as good news that a Saviour has been born for us. Through the shepherds’ story, the focus is on receiving what God freely gives, Jesus Christ, the Son given, who comes to rescue, not because we’ve earned him, but because we need him.