Growing Together in the Gospel

Contact usForgiven People - Forgiving People Part 3This sermon is about what it means not just to be forgiven, but to actually live as forgiven people.We believe that God forgives. But learning to live in the freedom, peace, and confidence of that forgiveness wherever we are in our spiritual journey can be a slower and deeper process. You may, for example, still be discovering the offer of the gospel for the first time. You may, on the other hand, know about the offer of forgiveness in your head but find it hard to translate that to your heart. You may have received forgiveness, yet still carry guilt, shame, or self-condemnation. The simple but life-giving truth is that the gospel is not God saying, "try harder." It is God saying, "come as you are, and be forgiven." Jesus does not merely soothe guilty people; he deals with our guilt before God. Through him, forgiveness is proclaimed and freedom is offered.It is possible to be around grace without fully receiving it. Forgiveness can be spoken about, understood, even admired, and yet still somehow be held at arm's length. Like an unopened gift, it can be real and near but not yet enjoyed. The invitation of the gospel is not to perform, but to receive what Christ has already paid for.A large part of this message focuses on what happens when we receive forgiveness but struggle to live in agreement with it. This is often where phrases like, "I can't forgive myself," come from. That phrase usually points to something very real, but if God has forgiven us in Christ, then we do not need to keep reopening the case, rehearsing the failure, or living as though the cross was not enough. As 1 John 3:20 reminds us, "If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." That is a steadying word. Our hearts are not the highest court. God is. And as we stand before the cross and see the love of Christ and the cost of our redemption, we are being shown again: this is enough. His grace is enough. His sacrifice is enough. We do not need to add to what Jesus has already finished.Forgiveness is meant to do more than cancel debt. It is meant to bring us home. In Christ, we are not only pardoned but welcomed and received as children of God. Grace does not simply clear our record; it begins to reshape our hearts. That does not mean there is no need for boundaries, that there are no consequences, and that there is no need for wisdom or evidence of change. But it does mean that forgiven people can begin, slowly, honestly, and sometimes painfully, to become forgiving people.Reflect on this message and locate where you are before you take your next step. Hear the offer. Receive the gift. Agree with God. Let grace go deeper because we are forgiven people—not because we got it right, but because Jesus carried what we got wrong. And now, by his grace, we learn to live in that forgiveness and extend it to others.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usForgiven People - Forgiving People Part 2"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12 v.18)The first talk in this series clarified what forgiveness actually is: that is causes debt (what will I do with a wrong that has happened?) and damage (what has the wrong done to me?)Forgiveness deals with the debt. It is the costly, Christ-shaped decision not to repay harm for harm—to refuse revenge, to lay down the right to weaponise the wrong, and to entrust justice to God.In this talk we go a little further and face the honest tension that we often feel: I've forgiven… but things still don't feel okay. There may still be awkwardness, caution, pain, or distance. This can make us wonder whether the forgiveness we have offered was real at all and this is because beyond debt and damage, sin creates distrust and distance.Forgiveness and trust are not the same thing. Forgiveness says, "I will not hold this against you." Trust says, "I am beginning to believe you are becoming safe again."Trust takes time. It grows through consistent, visible change—not just words. That means someone can be truly forgiven and yet still need boundaries, time, and space for trust to be rebuilt. This is not a failure of grace, but an honest recognition of reality.Damage takes time to heal. Forgiveness can happen in a moment, but healing is a process. It is not pretending nothing happened or forgetting the past but reaching a place where the wound no longer controls us. Even Jesus rose with scars—no longer signs of defeat, but of redeeming love.Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation.Forgiveness is one-sided – someone has been injured and takes the decision to forgive. Reconciliation requires both the person who has been injured and the one who inflicted the harm. It involves honesty, repentance, and the slow rebuilding of something new—not simply returning to what was before. Scripture is realistic: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18). Sometimes, it is not possible. Sometimes, it is not wise.Real change is not just recognition or apology, but repentance that bears fruit—a visible turning, lived out over time, and, where possible, restitution which is a willingness to take responsibility and seek to make things right, without demanding a particular outcome.Putting it all together, we arrived at a fuller picture:Forgiveness deals with the debtRepentance and trust address the distrustHealing and restitution address the damageReconciliation addresses the distanceThese things are connected—but not identical.So, if you've ever thought:"I forgave, so why am I still hurting?" "Why am I still cautious?" "Why are things not back to normal?"The answer is simple: forgiveness is not the whole process—it is the beginning of it.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usForgiven People - Forgiving People Part 1"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." They are familiar words, but they feel very different when they meet real life. Most of us do not struggle with forgiveness in theory. We struggle with it in strained relationships, old wounds, unresolved hurt, and pain that cannot now be put right.The Bible is deeply honest about this. From Cain and Abel onward, Scripture tells the truth about human relationships: we wound and we are wounded. Sin is not only rule-breaking, it is relationship-breaking. It damages trust, fractures love, and leaves wounds behind. When someone wrongs us, at least two things happen. There is a debt created and there is damage. Forgiveness answers the question, "What will I do with the wrong?" It is not pretending nothing happened. It is not instant trust, full reconciliation, or the removal of every consequence. Forgiveness is costly because someone really did take something and someone really was hurt. If the pain is not going to be passed back, then in some way it must be absorbed. That is why forgiveness takes us to the cross. Jesus does not pretend sin is small. He bears it. He absorbs its cost. He takes the hit without returning it. The cycle of pain meets someone who will not pass it on.Forgiveness is not weakness. It is cross-shaped love. It is saying, by grace, "The debt is cancelled, and the pain stops here. I will not make you pay, and I will not let this wound reproduce itself through me."That leaves us with both challenge and comfort.The challenge is that forgiveness is hard. Not in theory, but in real life, where wounds have names, histories, and consequences. But we also saw that forgiveness is not the same as instantly trusting again, feeling fine about what happened, or being fully reconciled. Often when we say, "I can't forgive," what we really mean is, "I can't trust." And that may be true. Trust, reconciliation, and restoration require something from the other person. Forgiveness is the first step we are called to take: releasing the debt and refusing revenge, while still telling the truth about the damage.And the comfort is this: we are not simply told to forgive and then left to do it on our own. We have a Saviour who has walked this path before us. Jesus does not merely command forgiveness, he embodies it. And he gives us his Spirit, so that when forgiveness feels beyond us, we are not left to cope alone. We are invited to walk in his way, with his help, even when it is hard.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usHope in Difficult Circumstances: the message of EasterIn this talk we are encouraged to reflect on the wonder and majesty of the events of Easter. At the start, we consider the idea of Easter as God's great "Hail Mary", a phrase used to describe ‘hope in difficult circumstances.’ Easter is God's one great plan to save the world. No plan B. No backup arrangement. No second route waiting in the wings. When humanity first departed from God’s presence, God has single-mindedly set out to rescue and restore it through Jesus Christ. Easter is not God scrambling to recover a situation; it is the long-promised, decisive act of salvation at the centre of history.  We are challenged to think of Easter not simply as a tradition to observe, but an announcement to hear as we stand outside His tomb: "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see." (Matthew 28:6)That is the heart of Christianity. It begins not with advice, but with news: something has happened.The women came to the tomb expecting to face a problem they could not solve. There was a huge stone in the way. But when they arrived, the stone had already been moved. The obstacle they thought would define the moment had already been dealt with. You know, we can often think that the stone was rolled away to let Jesus out of the tomb, but I wonder if it was rolled away to let Mary, Peter and John, look in? To let us look in and consider! Something has happened.We thought a little about the evidence for that announcement. Christian faith is not a call to shut down your mind. The women are invited to come and see. It is an invitation to look, to ask, to think, and to consider. Jesus existed. Jesus died. The tomb was empty. His followers became convinced they had seen him alive. Their lives were changed. The church was born in the very place where he had been killed. At some point the question changes from did it happen, to what best explains the evidence?If Jesus really went into death and came out the other side, then Easter is not a nice religious idea to brighten the spring, it is the turning point of history. It means death is not ultimate. It means sin is not final. It means despair does not get the last word. It means there is hope that is stronger than fear.One of my favourite details in the Easter story is what Jesus says when the women finally meet him. You might expect something dramatic. Something thunderous. But his first word is simply, "Hello." Or in the original, "Hail." The first Hail Mary.There is something so fitting about that. The risen Jesus is not distant, strange, or unreachable. He is alive, present, and near.That is why Easter is an invitation as much as it is a declaration. Come and see. Bring your questions. Bring your doubts. Bring your need. Bring the places in your life that feel stuck, tired, fearful, or beyond repair. The risen Jesus is not just a figure from history to be admired. He is alive, and he still changes lives.And that is where we ended: when the women heard the angel, hope flickered; when they saw the empty tomb, something woke up; but when they saw Jesus, faith became personal.That is still how it happens.And if Jesus is alive, then mayYou can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usHoly Week Special - Easter People Part 5: Simon of CyreneHoly Week is a time when we can reflect on the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. In this short series of sermons that were originally delivered in 2025, we are drawn into these events through the eyes and the experiences of five people. Some were very close to Jesus throughout his ministry whilst others appear momentarily. But all can say the same thing: that they met Jesus.This is the final talk in our series on Easter People. Today we are encouraged to reflect on the events of the first 'Good Friday', through the eyes of Simon of Cyrene. Simon has a very brief mention in the gospel narrative. He had travelled a very great distance to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. It so happens that as he and his son are in the city a noisy procession is underway: some men are experiencing the final humiliation as they are being taken to the place of execution under the supervision of the Roman authorities. One staggers and falls under the weight of the cross he is forced to carry, and Simon is ordered, by a soldier, to carry it for Him ...We hope that our Easter People reflections have been helpful during Holy Week and that you have managed to find time to stop and be still. Thank you for supporting our podcast - please feel free to feedback through our Ask Dean a Question link. We are keen to hear your thoughts.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usHoly Week Special - Easter People Part 4: Doubting ThomasHoly Week is a time when we can reflect on the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. In this short series of sermons that were originally delivered in 2025, we are drawn into these events through the eyes and the experiences of five people. Some were very close to Jesus throughout his ministry whilst others appear momentarily. But all can say the same thing: that they met Jesus.This is the fourth reflection on easter people in our short series of five vignettes. Along with Peter, James and John, Thomas is perhaps one of the most well-known disciple - maybe because he is the one that gets the nickname. But Thomas is a really interesting individual and in many ways, he is you and he is me. The sceptic? Or the one who comes to faith with his thinking head on? And let's not forget his reaction when he did see Jesus. He fell to his knees saying, "My Lord, and my God." You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usHoly Week Special - Easter People Part 3: Joseph of ArimatheaHoly Week is a time when we can reflect on the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. In this short series of sermons that were originally delivered in 2025, we are drawn into these events through the eyes and the experiences of five people. Some were very close to Jesus throughout his ministry whilst others appear momentarily. But all can say the same thing: that they met Jesus.In this third talk, we have the opportunity to reflect on events through the eyes of Joseph of Arimathea. He has a small mention in the narrative, but a significant experience to share with us.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usHoly Week Special - Easter People Part 2: PeterHoly Week is a time when we can reflect on the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. In this short series of sermons that were originally delivered in 2025, we are drawn into these events through the eyes and the experiences of five people. Some were very close to Jesus throughout his ministry whilst others appear momentarily. But all can say the same thing: that they met Jesus. In the second talk in this series, we consider Peter and in so doing, are invited to once again look at events through eyes that may feel familiar. Peter features regularly within the gospels and is known for his passion and for his loyalty to Jesus. He became one of the most important leaders of the 'Way' (the early Christian Church) after Jesus' resurrection. Even so, when it came to the moment when Jesus was arrested, Peter is also famous for denying he knew him. You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usHoly Week Special - Easter People Part 1: Mary the MagdaleneHoly Week is a time when we can reflect on the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. In this short series of sermons that were originally delivered in 2025, we are drawn into these events through the eyes and the experiences of five people. Some were very close to Jesus throughout his ministry whilst others appear momentarily. But all can say the same thing: that they met Jesus. In the first of the series, we consider Mary the Magdalene and in so doing, are invited to look at events through familiar eyes, because we all know who Mary the Magdalene is ... don't we?You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Way of Exodus Part 8 - Redemption is just the BeginningIn this, the eighth podcast in this series, Exodus chapters 14–17 show us something that is easy to miss: the Red Sea was the miracle… but it wasn't the destination. It was just the beginning. God rescues His people in a dramatic moment, but now begins the process of formation, now begins the long journey and the patient ministering that will teach His people how to live as free people who trust Him day by day.Very quickly the questions within the narrative change from "Will God get us out?" to "Will God keep us?" And the answer, again and again, is yes. In the wilderness God gives daily bread — manna that trains them in dependence rather than panic. He shows daily protection — not by removing every threat, but by going before them and standing between them and what would destroy them. Rescue is real, but it's not the end; God sustains what He saves.But the deepest point of all was this: the goal was never just to be drawn "out of slavery." The goal was that the Hebrews would be drawn into relationship. God wants to have a relationship with humanity and, in this instance, with His people. journey isn't simply from bondage to survival — it's from bondage to communion, from fear to worship, from Pharaoh's rule that leads to slavery and death, to God’s which leads to life. This is amplified in chapter 25: "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8).And this is where we need to make the connection to the Gospel narrative. This is where the Exodus story is utterly relevant to our own lives. When we follow Jesus are released from the bondage of sin and death. He leads us out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. But just as that was just the beginning of a lifetime journey with God for the Hebrews, so it is for us: we are invited to journey through our lives with God before us and behind us. We are forgiven, filled with the spirit and we are invited to abide. We are brought into a relationship with God: as Moses brought the Hebrews, Jesus brings us.And underneath all of it is a truth that can take a lifetime to sink in: God loves you because He loves you. Not because you're impressive, useful, consistent, strong, or sorted. There isn't a deeper "why" to earn or uncover. His love comes from His own heart and that's what makes worship the fitting response from rescued people.If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 7 - Holding Your PeaceIn this podcast we sit in that Red Sea moment: deep water in front of us, pressure behind us, and no obvious way through. We look at Exodus 13–14 and Psalm 106 and are reminded of something many of us need to hear again: God does not bring us to impossible places to mock us. He brings us there to show us who He is and to lead us into freedom.A big part of what is unpacked here is what it means to hold our peace. When Scripture says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still," it doesn't mean doing nothing forever. Instead, it means stopping the panic, the inner noise, and the reflex reactions that we have long enough to hear God clearly. Whilst fear may show up, holding your peace means that fear doesn't get to drive. Stillness is not passivity; it's a posture of trust enabling us to listen before we take the next step of obedience.As Exodus 14 leads into Exodus 15 we discover that rescue leads to worship. The Hebrews didn't just survive, they sang! Is this something we can transfer into our own lives? Do we let our hearts sing as we walk with God through our own lives?God is still teaching us the same rhythm: hold your peace, listen, move, and trust Him with the outcome.ReflectionWhere have you experienced a time where you thought you were ready but God said not yet?When fear starts talking, what kind of story does it usually tell you (about God, yourself, or the situation)?What does "reverse gear" look like for you when life feels hard (withdrawing, overthinking, anger, numbing, people-pleasing, etc.)?Where might God be asking you not to force an outcome, but to trust His direction one step at a time?What would worship-as-response look like for you this week. Not just expressing our feelings, but a way of saying, "God has done it" or "God is with me"?A simple practice for this week: HOLD YOUR PEACEIf you find yourself spiralling, reacting, or feeling overwhelmed, try this (even for 60 seconds):P — Pause Slow down and don't react straight away.E — Examine Notice what you're feeling, wanting, and assuming.A — Attend to God Pray and bring this moment under Jesus' lordship.C — Choose Take the next faithful, loving, truthful step.E — Entrust Leave the outcome with God.You don't have to do this perfectly. The point is simply to make space for God before fear takes over.If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 6 - Where is the Lamb? As we have already seen, the plagues aren't God losing His temper. They are God exposing false gods, handing people over to what they insist on trusting, and repeatedly inviting repentance. The story isn't just about one stubborn man. It's about an entire death-shaped system. An empire built on fear, power, and the lie that some lives matter less than others. Pharaoh embodies it, but the machine is bigger than him.When we get to Exodus 12, we find God finishing His work to bring "judgment on all the gods of Egypt." The plagues pull the mask off a whole way of life. The Nile, the sun, livestock, even Pharaoh himself. Each one is exposed as impotent, empty, and ‘unable to save’. And then we arrive at Passover.Modern ears find it stark. The death of the firstborn is grievous. It's meant to be. It forces us to face a sobering truth: evil, when welcomed in, does not stay small. Egypt had already ordered Hebrew sons to be killed and had chosen a world where that kind of violence was permitted. The night of Passover is a terrible moral symmetry in a world where death has been normalised because it is now Egypt’s firstborn who are the target and the Hebrew’s who are shielded.But even here, something deeper is happening. We often picture "Passover" as God skipping certain houses. But the language hints at something richer. God does not merely avoid the marked homes. He stands over them. He shields. He covers. The blood is not a sign to keep God away. It is a sign of refuge. This house belongs to Yahweh. Outside that protection, people are handed over to the destroyer whose way of life they have chosen. Inside, they are covered over by mercy.And Jesus uses this event as the key to explain what He came to do.The Gospels spend extraordinary space on Jesus' final week because the cross is the centre of the story. At the Last Supper, Jesus doesn't give a lecture explaining His death. He gives a meal. Herbs for bitterness, because evil and suffering are real and God does not ask us to pretend otherwise. Bread for urgency, because salvation calls for a response. A step. A decision to seek shelter. Wine for promise, because God binds Himself to His people.And the Lamb? In Matthew's account we hear about the dipping bowl for the herbs, the bread, and the cup, but the lamb is conspicuously absent. Not because there is no lamb, but because Jesus is the Lamb. In Exodus, God judges a death-world and makes a doorway through judgment by a lamb handed over in the people's place. In the Gospels, Jesus is handed over by Judas, by leaders, by Pilate, and ultimately He walks into the "hour of darkness" so that darkness can spend itself on Him. And because He is handed over, we can be covered.Under Him there is protection. Safety. Deliverance. We don't talk as much about the blood of Jesus as Christians once did. But Scripture does. The blood of Jesus is not superstition. It is shorthand for the finished work of Christ. It means guilt is removed. It means accusation loses its voice. It means you belong to God. And it means the destroyer does not get the final word. Passover isn't a religious tradition to admire. It's a shelter to step into. A God who stands between HisYou can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 5: Who is the LORD, that I should obey Him?In this podcast we spend time in the Exodus story asking a question that still sits behind much of everyday life, whether or not we notice it: "Who is the LORD, that I should obey Him?"Pharaoh doesn't doubt God's existence. He questions God's right to rule. And everything that follows in Exodus 5–12 is God's response. These are not random acts of power, but a revelation of reality itself.We see that the plagues are not just about showing Pharaoh God's power; they are also about defeating Egypt's gods and exposing the deeper assumptions Egypt lived by - assumptions that didn't feel like "religion" at all but felt instead just how the world worked: Life comes from the Nile. Security comes from power. Stability comes from control. Worth comes from success.God doesn't debate those assumptions. He shows that they cannot be trusted and that He alone is Lord.That's what brings the Exodus story uncomfortably close to home. Most of us don't bow down to false gods. We simply assume them. We assume money will keep us safe. That control will keep us steady. That comfort will make life good. That success proves our worth. And most of the time, those assumptions work… until pressure comes.Exodus shows us that when false gods are asked to save us, they don't just fail, they enslave. Anxiety rises. Rest disappears. Fear takes over. And when those "realities" start to collapse, people either harden like Pharaoh or begin, slowly and imperfectly, to trust God again.The gospel doesn't just expose what can't save us, it replaces it. Where false gods collapse under pressure, Jesus carries the weight. And He carries us with Him.Reflection:In the plagues, God exposes the things Egypt trusted to give life and stability. As you look at your own life, what things have you tended to rely on to keep everything "working"?When something you rely on feels shaken, what usually happens next for you? Do you find yourself anxious, defensive, or more open to trusting God? What might that reveal about where your security has been coming from?Can you think of a time when something that felt solid in your life failed, but God proved more faithful than you expected? How did that experience shape your view of Him?The plagues expose what can't give life, but they also point toward the freedom God is offering. As you reflect on your own life, you might be aware of something that isn't quite right — perhaps there's fear, control, or the need to keep everything together. Instead of stopping there, can you imagine what freedom might look like in that area if God were at work?What might it look like this week to respond like Israel rather than Pharaoh: not hardening your heart, but loosening your grip and choosing trust, even in a small way?If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 4: Faith Under PressureIn this episode we look at a hard but deeply real theme: faith when life gets worse, not better.We begin with the story of a man called Peter, whose life seemed to unravel layer by layer. Just as he found faith and hope, and even stood ready to be baptised, he was arrested and sent to prison. What looked like everything falling apart was, in his words, the place "God finished setting me free."That story leads us into Exodus. When God first spoke freedom over Israel, their lives didn't immediately improve. Pharaoh tightened the pressure. Work increased. Hope rose, but so did resistance.We see a pattern that runs through Scripture and, often, through our own lives: right when freedom draws near, resistance intensifies. But hard times do not automatically mean abandonment. Pressure might not mean God has withdrawn. Sometimes it means the battle has shifted.When the people cried out, "If God is bringing freedom, why is this getting worse?" God didn't give an explanation. He gave Himself."I AM." "I HAVE." "I WILL."Faith, we saw, is not built on what is loudest (pain, pressure, fear) but on what is truest: who God is, what He has already done, and what He has promised to do.We also connected this to Psalm 22 and to Jesus. Jesus cried out in real anguish, yet the psalm goes on to declare who God is (I AM) and what he has done (I HAVE) which enables him to commit himself to God (I WILL). His faith did not remove the cross, but it carried Him through it, trusting in resurrection beyond what He could see. Because He entered suffering, we are never alone in ours.Communion then made sense in a fresh way. We live between redemption accomplished and fulfilment still coming. Between "It is finished" and "Your kingdom come."So this week, the question is not simply, "Are things getting easier?" but, "Where am I learning to trust the I AM in the middle of what is?"As you reflectHave you ever experienced a season where following God seemed to make life harder before it got better? What did that do to your faith?When pressure hits, what tends to take the lead in your response? Emotion (e.g. anxiety, frustration, sadness); Willpower (e.g. "I've got to fix this"); Overthinking (e.g. trying to solve every angle in your head); Something else?How do you see your response play out, and how does it affect what you do next?Which part of God's response speaks most to you right now: I AM, I HAVE, or I WILL? Why?If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 3: What's in a Name?In this talk we explore Exodus Ch. 3 which records the moment Moses encounters God at the burning bush. A strange sight gets his attention… but what really changes him is not the fire, it's a name.At first, God introduces Himself as Elohim which means the Mighty One. But then something shifts. God says: "I am Yahweh… I have seen their misery… I have heard them crying out… I am concerned." It's the first time this personal name is spoken in Exodus expressing not just power, but presence.But Moses keeps things formal. He responds to Yahweh like He's still just Elohim. Maybe you recognise that: when God feels distant. When it's safer to keep Him at arm's length. Because if He really knows you, your story, your shame, maybe He'll back away. But Yahweh doesn't. Instead, in his response, he reaches past his guilt, past his hiding, past his shame -  and in answer to Moses' question, "Who Am I?", calls him by name and simply says, "I will be with you." God isn't scared off by Moses' past. Moses' shame doesn't disqualify him - because there is no sin in us that exceeds the grace that is in God.Then Moses asks, "Who shall I say sent me?" This is no longer about Moses,  it's about God and in response, God reveals His personal name: you can say Yahweh sent you, not Elohim, but Yahweh. It's a name that invites Moses from distant awareness into deep relationship. A name that connects a wandering man to a faithful God. A name that says, "You are no longer alone. I am with you. I am for you. I know your name... and now you know mine."Whilst it may not be your usual listen, here is a song called 'Who Am I?' by Casting Crowns, that might help you reflect on some of the truths we looked at: https://youtu.be/3rT8Re1EIQc.As you reflect:When life is hard, how do you relate to God? Do you find yourself speaking to Him like He's distant (Elohim) — or personal (Yahweh)? What does that reveal about how close you feel to Him?Have you ever kept God at arm's length? What was going on at the time? What helped you move from formal faith to a more personal connection?Is there a part of your life you're keeping hidden — out of shame, fear, or self-protection? What might it look like to let God meet you there — not to condemn, but to call?Think about the "fire" in your life — a difficult experience, a trial, a loss. How might God have been present in that fire? Did it shape you in ways you couldn't see at the time?Moses asked, "Who am I?" — and God answered, "I will be with you." If you asked God that question today, what fear or insecurity would be behind it? And what might it mean to trust His answer — not "You're enough," but "I am with you"?God's name is not just a fact — it's an invitation. What would it look like this week to walk in deeper relationship with Him — not as a distant figure, but as Yahweh: the God who sees, hears, and stays?If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 2: Fear and FaithfulnessIn this podcast we continue in the book of Exodus, looking at chapter 1 & 2 and the world it describes - a world shaped by fear. Pharaoh isn't threatened by rebellion or violence, but by fruitfulness. Israel is multiplying and flourishing, and he panics. That alone says a lot. Fear doesn't always wait for danger. Sometimes it shows up when things are going well.We saw that fear often begins with distorted vision. It sees blessing as threat, difference as danger, and growth as loss. And once fear takes hold, it reaches for control, even if others have to pay the price.Scripture helps us name what's happening beneath the surface by using two images that run all the way through the Bible.The first is the serpent which represents deception. It whispers lies about God, about scarcity, and about self‑protection. It tells us there isn't enough, that God can't be trusted, and that we must secure ourselves before someone else takes what's ours.The second is the city which represents fear organised into systems. It's what happens when those lies get embedded into cultures, policies, and ways of life that operate without reference to God. Fear stops being just a feeling and becomes a structure that shapes how people live.Pharaoh embodies both. He believes the serpent's lie, and then builds a city shaped by fear and control.But Exodus doesn't just expose fear. It also shows how fear begins to unravel, not through loud defiance or heroic power, but through quiet faithfulness:Midwives who choose to fear God rather than obey a fearful systemA mother who entrusts her child to God when control runs outA sister who stays present when it would be easier to look awayA daughter of Pharaoh who chooses compassion instead of complianceNone of them overthrow the city. None of them silence the serpent by force. But each one refuses fear's story, and in choosing love, they begin to loosen its grip.And in Jesus, we see that same pattern brought to fullness. Where fear says, "Take," love says, "Give." Where fear says, "Save yourself," Jesus lays His life down. His is the love that casts out fear, not by force, but by faithful presence.ReflectionHere are some simple questions to reflect on this week, either on your own or with others:Where might fear be shaping the way I think or act?Do I ever see others' blessing as a threat to my own?Which of the women's responses in Exodus 2 resonates with your own story right now? Like the midwives, are you being called to quietly stand your ground against the serpents lies and choose what's right, even when it's costly?Like the mother, are you learning to release something precious and trust God with what you can't control?Like the sister, are you staying close and watching carefully, ready to step in when the moment comes?Like Pharaoh's daughter, are you in a position to use your influence to show compassion and protect the vulnerable?What would choosing love over fear look like in this season of life?You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usThe Exodus Way Part 1: A God Who RescuesIn this podcast we begin a new series of teaching around the book of Exodus. Exodus is not just the story of Israel escaping Egypt. It's the pattern the Bible keeps returning to as it explains who God is and who we are through the story of a people in bondage, held by a power that refuses to let go. In the darkness of that captivity, we are introduced to a God who hears the cries of His people and rescues them. God makes a way where no way seems possible.This is not just the story of a people held in captivity in Egypt, it's Jesus' story … and it's our story too.Whether you're feeling stuck, tested, or tired, Exodus shows us that God isn't just rescuing people from something. He's rescuing them for something. To form a people who know Him, walk with Him, and are changed by His presence.If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in! Prayer and Reflection: The Journey AheadAs we enter this Exodus series, let's ask God not just to show us the destination but to help us trust Him in the wilderness. Pray for hearts that are soft, lives that are teachable, and a church that longs not only for rescue, but for deeper formation. "Teach us your ways, O Lord, that we may walk in your truth." — Psalm 86:11You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usInhabiting the Gospel Part 4: Who the Bible Says We Are The Bible says we are God’s handiwork and thus a most wonderful creation. Sadly, too often, as we journey through our lives, we forget this and allow the world to define us – our friends, our family, our selves. The enemy delights in distracting us from becoming the person God wants us to be. This sermon seeks to make us think about this truth and how we should define ourselves in Christ.If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usInhabiting the Gospel Part 3 – Guarding Our HeartsIn this sermon, Dean looks at our hearts. Jesus said that it is not what goes into our mouth that defiles us, but what comes out. What we say, and what we do, all come from our hearts. If we truly want to inhabit the gospel and transform our walk with Jesus, we need to pay attention to our hearts.If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usInhabiting the Gospel Part 2: Making and Inhabiting SpaceWe continue to work through this series on  how to not only live but inhabit the Gospel story. We know what Jesus did during His life, and we know the promise of what is to come but, in between, there is now. This is the space that we occupy.In this sermon, using the story of Elisha and the widow of Shunem (2 Kings 4 v. 8-37) Dean explores what happens when we make a space for God in our lives.If you find what Dean has said interesting and have a question, please use the 'Ask Dean' link to get it to us as we will try to put together a Q and R podcast in due course. Thank you for your support and for listening in!You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usInhabiting the Gospel Part 1 – Hearing the Gospel AfreshIn this new series of sermons, we are challenged to look afresh at our relationship to the God who fashioned every detail of our lives and the world around us and who, recognising our inability to live in the way He intended us to, sent His Son to walk among us. He did all of this out of the abundance of his love for His creation.We know the story of the Gospel: that Jesus died for our sins and three days later, rose from the grave. His death and resurrection was witnessed by many and neither the Jewish or Roman authorities could, despite their deep interest in doing so, could refute this truth. Jesus said that all who believe in Him will be adopted into his kingdom and become coheirs. In John 14 v. 1-6 Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would not have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”And when his disciples expressed doubts that they knew the way, Jesus added, “I am the way, and the truth and the life.”ReflectionWe are not so unlike the Twelve disciples. We can sit in the presence of the Lord every minute of every day just as they sat in his presence. But how well do we know our Master’s voice? As we reflect on this fresh re-telling of the Gospel can we say that we have embraced its message in every aspect of our lives? The challenge Dean lays down to us today is not to just know the Gospel, but to step into the Gospel.This sermon was preached in January 2025.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usDaniel Part 8 – Daniel’s Epiphany!What, you might ask, has Daniel got to do with the Christmas story?In this epilogue to the Daniel series, Dean bridges the four-hundred-year void between Daniel, as he lived and followed God faithfully in Babylon, and the events of that night when Mary and Joseph trusted God in Bethlehem.Most people are familiar with the scene: Mary gives birth to Jesus in a stable because there was nowhere else she could stay in Bethlehem. We can probably name all of the key characters in that scene: we have Mary, Joseph and of course Jesus; there are normally a few animals; and then there are the visitors – the shepherds and the wise men.But who were the Wise Men – sometimes called ‘the Magi’? Why were they there? Where did they come from? The most exciting part of studying the Bible, is when connections across time and space are made and we are able to see how joined up God’s plans really are. This is one of those lovely moments.If you have any questions about the series and the teaching that we have received, please use the link to send it to Dean.The Daniel series was preached in the weeks up to Christmas in 2024.ReflectionAs we come to end of this series consider reading through the whole book again. It won’t take very long. Consider how Daniel lived as a captive in Babylon? He did not isolate himself from it, but there were things that he would not do too. Consider how he and his friends dealt with the difficulties that they faced. Reflect on the level of trust that they had in God. Do we really live in such a different situation? We live in a world that is filled with all sorts of gods and that has no time for God. Is Daniel speaking to you today?You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usDaniel Part 7 – Not Just Forgiven …In this teaching on the last two chapters of Daniel we are taken on a journey through History and shown how what was relevant to Daniel, was relevant to the people who lived around the time of Christ, and remains relevant to us as we live our lives today.Daniel had lived his life in Babylon. He had faced the challenge of living in a land that did not share his love for God and that often did all it could to destroy him for his faithfulness. Indeed, the whole book of Daniel shows us that the world we live in, is not so different to that which Daniel inhabited. He served a God that the world around him did not. Does that sound familiar? Have you ever considered that we too, live as captives within Babylon?In an impressive sweep through History Dean shows how the final chapters of Daniel apply again and again to the experience of humanity. Empires, regimes and tyrants continually rise but inevitably, no matter how strong they appear, fall too. The message that we are given through this teaching is that God has everything covered. He will restore His good world in every detail. Drawing from Dietrich Bonhoeffer Dean shows us that no matter how dark the times can appear, we are to remain strong and faithful, like Daniel, and keep going. In these times of darkness, we are to draw on ‘the light’ and remember that we are not just forgiven but, through Christ, are victorious. The final words of Daniel are there for all of us: “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (Daniel 12 v.13) God asks no more than we stand and remain faithful, because He has done everything already, when He died and rose again.ReflectionIt is easy to feel overwhelmed as we live our lives. Whether it is through being consumed by the daily drama of the doom-mongering within the news cycle or suffering within our personal lives. It is perhaps easy too, to live from day to day as one who is forgiven but not really very happy.In Psalm 23 we are encouraged to see God as our shepherd, and one who attends to our every need. He leads us to rich pastures and quiet waters to nourish us. And when it is time, he takes us to new places. As we journey, times can become dark and scary, yet, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and staff.” Imagine you are walking though a valley. One side is sunny with warmth and buzzing insects, and the other, colder because it is in the shadow of a peak. You hear a noise. It worries you, so you hide behind a boulder – and in so doing become detached from your guide and find yourself alone and cold. But the encouragement of this psalm is to stay close to Jesus even when there is darkness and cold, for He is with us, His rod and staff, all that is necessary for a shepherd to deal with the dangers of the wilderness, they comfort us. The psalm goes on to show how Jesus anoints us in the presence of our enemies and lays out a banquet for us. Read this powerful psalm slowly, pray that God will enable you to inhabit it and speak to you in your situation through it. May it warm your day You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usDaniel Part 6: You are Precious to MeAs we move through the Book of Daniel, we find ourselves in Chapters 8-12. Daniel is an old man. We know he has been faithful to God throughout his life because we have listened to his story. And for this faithfulness, he is told that he is greatly esteemed by God. He has been exiled into a foreign land; his name has been changed to reflect the gods of Babylon; he has been forced to grow up and serve the rulers of Babylon throughout his long life, but he has never once forsaken his God.In these chapters, Daniel has a series of very ‘Revelation’ style dreams and visions. He sees strange beasts doing extraordinary things and he is overwhelmed. But within the complexity and dread that defines his meeting with God through this experience, Daniel is greatly affirmed and reassured as he meets the Jesus we see in the transfiguration and in the annals of the Book of Revelation.  At the core of this message today, is God’s expression of deep love for Daniel: you are precious to me. God is working in our lives as He was in Daniel’s. And He is doing so much more that we can see. Ultimately, our job is to be like Daniel: stay faithful and, in Christ, stay strong … oh, and in answer to the big question of these chapters regarding how long it will be before God restores his good world … “In a little while.”ReflectionAs you reflect on this message, consider Daniel’s faithfulness. Consider how challenging it would have been to live in Babylon, a civilization that embodied practices and values that were so opposed to the God of Israel. Is that so different to your own life as a Christian in a world that embodies those same values? If you have any questions as you think about this sermon, why not put it to Dean through the link available? You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usDaniel Part 5 – Faith in a Den of Lions.Today we look at one of the best-known stories in the Bible. Darius is the new emperor, and he is encouraged by his advisors to issue a decree that no-one could pray to any god other than to the king, for a month. The decree demands a response from everyone in the empire; it demands a response from Daniel.The manoeuvres behind the decree demand greater scrutiny before Daniel’s response is understood because it was brought about by those who wanted to bring Daniel down. They had tried to find ways to discredit and destroy him, but he was just good. He was honest, diligent and trustworthy, and for these reasons had been elevated, within Darius’ empire, to a position of great responsibility. The only thing that Daniel’s enemies could attack him with was his faith and commitment to his God. Daniel had a choice:He could comply with the decreeHe could carry on praying to God in secretHe could carry on praying to God morning, noon and night, as was his customEvery day, wherever we are and whatever we do, we face the same challenges. The Bible says that if we are faithful then we will be persecuted for our commitment. We will be denounced and accused, just like Daniel, and our instinct may be to panic or to try and justify ourselves. That’s not what Daniel did. He found himself in a deeply unjust situation, but what he did was what he always did. He trusted God. The secret to Daniel’s faith and steadfastness was not prayer at a time of crisis, it was a commitment to prayer and a devotion to developing an intimacy with the God he trusted, every day of his life. In the moment of crisis, he could stand, because he could trust that God would vindicate him.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usDaniel Part 4 – The Writing on the Wall … but NeverthelessIn today’s sermon focusing on chapter 5, we look at one of the most sobering moments in the book of Daniel: when God communicated directly with the king of Babylon by writing a message on his wall.Decades have passed since Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself before God. Babylon has changed kings again and again, and now Belshazzar sits on the throne—proud, reckless, and blind to the danger right outside his walls. While a Persian army surrounds the city, he throws a drunken feast and toasts his idols with the stolen goblets from God’s Temple. In his pride he believed that the walls surrounding Babylon were unbreakable… until they weren’t!But even in his eighties, Daniel is still God’s man inside Babylon. Forgotten for years, pushed aside politically, overlooked by those in power ... but nevertheless, he stands ready. He walks into the king’s court with no ambition, no fear, and no desire for reward. He knows the real throne he serves. He knows the One who truly rules.Daniel reads the writing on the wall: your days are numbered, you’ve been weighed and found wanting, your kingdom will fall. It’s justice… but it’s also warning. Because the same message is true for every human heart.And yet—here’s the hope of the gospel—nevertheless, God has made a way. What was written against us has been wiped clean, nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ. Our days are numbered, yes. But in Christ, our lives are redeemed. Our failures don’t get the final word. His mercy does.This week is about facing truth with humility… and discovering the God who meets us with grace.ReflectionTake time to reflect on what the ‘... but nevertheless God’ means to you. Have you hidden yourself behind walls of your own making and design? Are they as deep as a tennis court is long and do you believe that they are impenetrable? What does a God who gave Himself for all of our sins in a sacrificial act on a cross mean to you?There is a prayer that you can pray with Dean towards the end of the sermon if you feel that you would like to accept God’s invitation to come into your life - or indeed, if you feel that you would like to refresh your commitment to Him as you've drifted a little, over time. But as you consider doing this, you may, as we all do, wonder why or how God might forgive you of all the things you have done in your life. If this is you, then here are a few things you need to know:Luke Chapter 15 v. 11-31 – possibly the most important parable of all! Romans Chapter 8 – if you are up for a whole chapter, but if you want a focus, try verses 38-39. If you like music, then there are many songs and artists that you could listen to, but you could consider looking up Don Francisco - he may not be your normal musical brew, but his lyrics are very sound. You could try, 'Too small a price' and 'I don't care where you've been sleeping'.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usDaniel Part 3: Godly ConfrontationToday we are in Daniel Chapter 4. We’ve talked about standing out, standing firm, and standing in faith—but today we’re talking about something far less comfortable: standing up for what’s true.Daniel 4 reminds us there will be moments when following Jesus means lovingly confronting someone who’s on the wrong path. Not in arrogance. Not in anger. Not as the “Bible police.” And not avoiding it in the name of niceness. Two extremes pull us off course—some people never confront, and some confront with no love at all. But godly confrontation is different: it’s prayerful, careful, humble, and always aimed at restoration.Daniel shows us how. He stands before King Nebuchadnezzar—the most powerful man alive—and says the hard thing, not to shame him but to help him turn back to God. “Please accept my advice… stop sinning and do what is right.” His courage didn’t come from pride. It came from love. From wanting the king to know the goodness of God.And that’s what this week is about. There will be moments when God calls you to stand up for someone, not against them. To speak truth gently. To risk the awkwardness. To care more about their spiritual future than your present comfort.Because when we confront with humility and the goal of restoration, God uses it—not to tear people down, but to bring them back to life.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usEntering the Enemy’s StrongholdsToday we step further into the unbelievable story of how four young men found themselves in the heart of Babylon—facing a culture that looked impossible to break through. In this part of the story, the king of Babylon had a dream that he wanted his wise men to interpret. But there was a snag - he wasn't prepared to tell his wise men the dream. They had to tell him both what his dream was and what it meant - or be executed!It was a dire situation that Daniel and his friends found themselves and yet, God had a plan. In a world obsessed with magicians, psychics and an empire that valued wisdom above all else, God was about to show Babylon a wisdom no other god could match. Daniel lived ready-grounded, faithful, humble, and aware that God had put him exactly where he needed to be. And that’s the challenge for us. God isn’t asking us to be impressive or powerful—just surrendered. To “drill” into culture with understanding, and “blast” when truth demands it. To stand out with wisdom, conviction, and humility in a world that often feels unbreachable.Because when we stop trying to be strong in ourselves and start standing in God’s strength, everything changes.As you go into this week Remember that whilst the world happens to us, we also happen to the world. Can we replicate Daniel's wisdom in our little worlds? Are we ready to serve God in that moment at work or in the home when we are challenged with that direct question? How might we be better prepared?You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usFaithful ExilesThis is the first of a series of powerful talks on the Book of Daniel drawing out the theme of "outstanding faith" in challenging times. Daniel’s story begins in 605 BC, when Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Judah and exiled much of its population —including Daniel. Babylon’s strategy was to assimilate the brightest youths, changing their language, culture, and even names to erase their identity and faith.Daniel, however, chose to stand out—not by resisting every change, but by drawing a clear line where it mattered most, in this case, by refusing food offered to Babylonian gods. This act symbolized his commitment to God. This is a powerful message that challenges us to reflect on how the example Daniel sets relates to our own times. If we are faithful to Christ’s teachings, we will inevitably find that being comfortable with the world will be a challenge. How do we live within a society that often has very different benchmarks to those contained within Scripture? When do we draw a line in the things that we do and in the way that we live, and how do we stand firm when the pressure of the world is bearing down on us?Christians are called to be faithful exiles, influencing the world while remembering they belong to a greater kingdom.As you go about this week:Reflect on what it means for Christians to be faithful exiles within the world we live in today.Are there areas in your life where you are allowing the world to define you at the expense of what matters? Pray that the Holy Spirit will show you how you to respond as you reflect, and how you might better mirror the example of Daniel. This series of talks were preached to the Church in Leominster in the run up to Christmas 2024.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usWhen Heaven Touches EarthAs we complete our walk through the Book of Revelation, we find ourselves reflecting on the big picture of the Gospel story: that Jesus will return and that heaven and earth will be made new.And in reflecting, we are drawn back to what we know of Jesus from the time when He walked with us within our world. When Jesus first came into our world, He came not as a warrior astride a mighty steed, but as a weak and vulnerable infant placed in a manger. And that manger was a door. It was a place where Heaven and Earth touched and God entered our world. You might have noticed that the Bible describes a sorry tale of humanity. Through the whole of the Old Testament, we see God reaching out to the people that He made, but instead of taking His hand, humanity rejects Him and goes its own way. In so doing, everything goes wrong. There are high points and glimmers of hope in the figure of people like David, but even these are snuffed out by our instinct to be our own god, make our own decisions and reject God’s invitation to life with Him.Into this mess, a baby was born. The door to heaven opened and God came through it into our world: Jesus, the babe in the manger and the man who felt sand in his toes, the breeze on his cheeks and the heat on His back. The itinerant preacher who drew to himself an eclectic mix of disciples and followers, taught, healed and loved His creation. In His life, Jesus reissued His invitation to life with Him in person. He lived and loved and died for His creation. Yet, Jesus’ message of hope and healing was not welcomed by everyone. The political and religious powers of the day did not see an invitation, they saw a threat, and so they conspired to kill the man who offered them life. But the twist was, that whilst Jesus was killed on that cross, He rose from the grave 3 days later. The power of sin and death broken, defeated. And as He met with His disciples and many other witnesses, He still had in His hand, His invitation. It starts with love and it ends with love, it has each of our names on it and it offers us life with Him.Today’s service is a baptism service for a member of our community. Having witnessed the baptism, a friend came forward and asked Dean if she could be baptised too. Together, they have accepted Jesus’ invitation. You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usLast Things Last:  We Will See His FaceThere are times when the world feels a little thin, as though creation itself were sighing for something better. Scripture names that ache for us. It’s hope, humming beneath everything, reminding us that we were made for a world we have not yet seen.In this talk we step into the final movement of Last Things Last, and it isn’t a vision of escape or fear. It is a vision of arrival. Revelation 21–22 opens like a window in a stuffy room: “Behold, I am making everything new.” The Lamb who conquered is revealed as the Lamb who restores. Heaven descends, earth is renewed and God dwells with His people again.John’s closing vision isn’t a map of the end; it's a promise of a new beginning. A world without decay. A future without fear. A God who bends low to wipe away every tear. It comes to us as both prophetic unveiling and tender invitation: come, drink, belong.As we gather, we follow that vision to its centre. The city bright with God’s glory, the river that heals the nations, and the breath-taking promise that one day we will see His face.We linger there for a moment, because this is the heartbeat of Christian hope. Not just the end of pain but the beginning of unhindered presence. The God who Moses could not look upon, who prophets glimpsed only in flashes, will one day lift His gaze toward His people, toward you, without distance, distortion, or fear. Every longing that never quite settled, every moment of worship that felt too small, every prayer that brushed the hem of His nearness… all of it was pointing toward this: the day when the veil finally lifts and we see Him face to face.And so Revelation finishes with hope stirred, faith strengthened, and Jesus finally and fully revealed for us.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usLast Things Last – The Rider and the Fall of Babylon In this talk we find ourselves in one of the most powerful parts of Revelation: chapters 17 to 20. And at the heart of it all, the message was simple and steady: Babylon falls. The Lamb reigns. The throne still stands.Revelation reminds us that evil isn't just about personal choices. It becomes a whole system. A way of life. It finds its way into governments, economies, and everyday habits. Sometimes it feels like the very air we breathe. That's what Scripture calls Babylon.But the good news is that Babylon always falls.Not because we rise up in power, but because Jesus already has. The final battle isn't a bloodbath. It's a revealing – that’s what apocalypse means. Jesus rides out on a white horse, already bloodied from His cross (Revelation 19:13). He wears the crown He won through love. He doesn't raise a sword. His Word is enough and his enemies are scattered.The gospel announces that He is risen. He is King. His kingdom cannot be stopped. Whatever its timing, the promises it holds are already true in Christ, and we can walk in them now.We reign with Christ — now."God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms…" — Ephesians 2:6Jesus is Lord — now."…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord…" — Philippians 2:10–11Satan is bound — now."How can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?" — Matthew 12:29 "He disarmed the powers and authorities… triumphing over them by the cross." — Colossians 2:15We don't need to wait for the kingdom, because His kingdom is already here and as a result we can experience the freedom that Christ gives:We can walk in forgiveness now.We can receive His strength now.We can pray for healing and trust that His power is at work in us now.Right now, in the middle of this present age, we can live as people of the age to come.Reflection Questions for the Week Ahead:In what ways do you see Babylon's atmosphere — the pull of comfort, power, or compromise — in your life or culture right now?Where are you tempted to believe that evil is winning? How does Revelation 17–20 reframe that fear?Where do you need to expect more of the life of the age to come — freedom, forgiveness, healing, courage — in your walk with God today?You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usLast Things Last - Behind the CurtainIn this talk we continue our journey through Revelation, this time stepping behind the curtain to see what's really going on beneath the surface of History.Revelation 12–14 doesn't just show us events. It reveals the powers behind those events — the dragon of fear and deception, the beastly systems of counterfeit power, and the subtle pull of counterfeit religion. In every age, they whisper the same demand: "Bow to us and you'll be safe." But the Lamb calls us to something deeper. Not to give in to the systems and patterns of this world; not to be seduced by self-preservation but to follow the way of surrender to the lamb; not to be coerced by fear but persevere with faithfulness; not to give up in compromise but to stand firm in our allegiance to our King Jesus.The question is,  "Whose mark will we bear?" Revelation shows us that every person is marked — either by fear or by faith, by the patterns of the world or by the way of the Lamb. In our thoughts, our actions, our decisions, and our allegiance we are those who are called and equipped to live for the kingdom of God.Within this talk, reference is made to the work of Open Doors in Africa. If you are interested in the work of Open Doors, an organisation dedicated to supporting the persecuted Church, please use this link to take you to their website and to the material referenced within this talk. https://www.opendoorsuk.org/magazine/You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usLast Things Last – Seals, Trumpets and BowlsIn this powerful message we zoom out and look at Revelation chapters 6–16 through a wide-angle lens: the seals, trumpets, and bowls. These chapters are intense, layered, and not always easy to wrap your head around. But when you step back, a pattern begins to emerge.Each cycle begins with suffering and the chaos of earth. Each ends with thunder, lightning, and the shaking of heaven and earth, pointing to the "Day of the Lord" when Jesus returns to make all things right. In each one, a question is raised and answered. It's not random. What looks like disorder is actually moving somewhere, toward a day when evil ends and the Lamb reigns.For those crying, "How long, O Lord?" there is a day coming when your hope will be seen and fulfilled.For those despairing over corrupt nations and unjust powers, there is a day when their kingdoms will fall, and God's mercy will still reach out.For those overwhelmed by evil, there is a day when justice will roll down. Evil will be judged. But for those in Christ, that judgment has already been carried by the Lamb.These cries echo through history, into the present, and on into the future.But the message is clear: There is a day coming, a day when evil will be ended once and for all, when the proud will bow, and when the broken will be healed.Until then, we hold on, not in fear or panic, but in hope. Because the One who opened the scroll is the One who was slain, and He will finish what He started.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usIn this, the third in a series of talks on the Book of Revelation, we hit pause in all the chaos  that we have experienced thus far, and turn our eyes upwards. John is taken behind the curtain of heaven and is hit with a truly amazing scene.He sees the throne, solid and unshaken, and he hears voices crying out, "Who is worthy?"That question hangs in the air. Because in God's hand is a scroll, His plan for justice, redemption, and renewal; and no one is found worthy to open it.John weeps. Because if no one can open it, the story can't move forward. There is no hope for humanity.But then everything shifts.The elder says, "Don't weep. The Lion of Judah has triumphed."And when John turns to look at the lion, he doesn't see a Lion.He sees a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.It’s not roaring. It’s bleeding and yet, it’s standing. The experience is shocking and against expectation.Jesus is the lamb and the lamb is worthy, not just because He's powerful, but because He gave Himself up for us. And heaven erupts within John’s vision with the acclamation, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain."This acclamation is the anchor we come back to in Revelation and in life. The throne is not empty. The Lamb is not defeated.He is worthy, He has conquered, and He still stands.This is a special episode of our podcast because the message that you will hear was given on a day when someone asked to be baptised. We have included what she had to say about her journey to faith at the end of Dean's talk.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usLast Things Last - To the One who ConquersThis week we continue our Last Things Last series, looking at Revelation chapters 2–3 and Jesus' words to the seven churches.Each message ended with the same phrase, "To the one who conquers…"But conquering in Revelation isn't about domination. It's not crushing enemies or winning arguments. It's about staying faithful when it costs the most. It's love that doesn't give up. It's obedience that outlasts emotion. It's worship that endures in the fire.However, we see there are two main ways to respond to tribulation:Give in — compromise our convictions.Give up — quietly quit and walk away.But there is a third way: receiving the victory that Jesus has already won for us. "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."— 1 Corinthians 15:57You don't win Jesus' victory by willpower. You walk in it by receiving it. It is something He gives and something we must keep receiving. Victory isn't something we earn; it's something we live from.Revelation is often seen as all about a future tribulation and while there is a case that things may get worse, John says he's already "a partner in the tribulation." For the first readers and for millions of Christians around the world and throughout history the pressure had already begun. It's not something that is coming. It was something that Christian's were experiencing in John's day, and it is something that Christian's are experiencing right now. Maybe the reason we don't instantly recognise this in the west, is because we can be the ones who are more tempted to give in and accept the comfortable road. Comfort dulls us. Compromise weakens us. There are, however, many in the world today, who can relate to John's world. But Jesus strengthens us all. Here's the message of these chapters: You can't receive victory if you're living in compromise or relying on your own strength. But to the one who stays faithful the one who loves, endures, and holds fast, Jesus promises that you will conquer, because He already has.And to those who keep going, Jesus offers breath-taking promises:To eat from the tree of life. To be given hidden manna and a new name. To be clothed in white and never blotted from His book. To be made a pillar in His temple. To sit with Him on His throne. These are not small things they are the inheritance of those who hold fast when the world says, "Let go."For those who have suffered horrendously who have lost, grieved, and walked through darkness hear this, you are seen. Your pain is not overlooked or forgotten. Your tears are not wasted. Tribulation is not the last word. Jesus is.The One who was slain still walks among His churches, and He will wipe away every tear from every eye. He keeps giving victory to those who refuse to quietly quit and those who refuse to compromise.So as you go into this week, receive his victory. Be persistent. Stay awake. Stay in love. Stay true."To the one who conquers, I will grant to sit with me on my throne."— RYou can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usLast Things Last – The Revelation of Jesus ChristOn this podcast we begin a new teaching series which we are calling, "Last Things Last", exploring the book of Revelation, not as a code to crack, but as a vision to receive.Revelation often brings to mind beasts, battles, and barcodes. But it opens with a much simpler and more stunning line: "The revelation of Jesus Christ."Not fear. Not confusion. Not chaos.Jesus.This book shows us the Jesus we still need to see. Not just the baby in the manger or the teacher on the hillside, but the risen, reigning King who walks among His people and holds all things together.John, who had known Jesus for decades, sees Him again in glory and falls at His feet as though dead. That's what happens when you truly see Jesus. That's what Revelation invites us into.So, as you go about this week, lift your eyes. Don't just look for answers, look for Jesus.Because when you see Jesus as He really is… everything changes.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usFirst Things First – Faith from First to LastSome seasons feel like winter — cold, slow, and uncertain. The skies are grey, and it's hard to imagine anything changing. But faith is like stepping outside in shorts and sandals on the first warm day of spring. It's not denial. It's not hype. It's a response to something real — a crocus flower poking through the snow, a promise that spring is coming.That's what Hebrews 11 is all about. Faith is not just positive thinking. It's not mental gymnastics to convince ourselves everything will be OK. It's living considering what we hope for — because God has already proven Himself faithful.Faith starts with reason. Like Sarah, we "consider Him faithful who made the promise." Like Abraham we "reason' that he is faithful and able to fulfil his promises.Faith grows through obedience. Like Abraham, who acted even when he didn't know how God would come through.Faith holds steady in hardship. Like those who didn't see the miracle in this life but still believed.Faith is the substance of what we hope for. When we act in faith — forgive, trust, obey, risk, pray — we touch the edges of the world God is bringing. We aren't pretending something is true we begin to experience the thing we hope for.Maybe your prayers haven't been answered yet. Maybe you're waiting, wondering, doubting. That doesn't mean your faith has failed. Even when snow falls on the crocus, spring is still coming.So don't shrink back. Live by faith. Start with reason. Step with courage. Trust Jesus — not just in theory, but in action.This Week:What would it look like for you to live by faith this week?Is there something God's calling you to do that makes no sense unless His promise is true?Is there an area where you've been stuck in thought — but now is the time to act?Is there someone you need to forgive, or a place where obedience seems costly?Pray for courage. Ask for the empowering grace to do what you never thought you could. Faith is not just about changing your world — it's about God changing you as you trust Him.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usFirst Things First: Love the Lord Your GodThere's nothing better than simply being with the one you love. No agenda, no to-do list — just presence.This week, we heard a strong but tender word from Jesus in Revelation 2 — a letter dictated directly to His church.He begins with celebration:"I know your deeds, your hard work, your perseverance."But then He says something that takes the air out of the room: "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first."Not lost it. Left it.Not fallen out of love, just slowly drifted, distracted, or dulled.We've all felt it in marriage, family, or friendship — the slow fade that comes when love is assumed rather than pursued. When life gets full, we start running on autopilot.And that's how it happens with Jesus too.We still believe.We still behave.But the fire has cooled.So what does Jesus say?Remember.Repent.Redo.Go back to the simplicity. The sweetness. The stunning realisation that you were rescued, not by your knowledge, your behaviour, or your gifting, but by grace. This Week: Return to First LoveLet's make space this week to pause and re-centre our hearts on the love of Jesus.Ask yourself:Am I cultivating love for Jesus, or coasting on familiarity?Has good stuff (even church stuff) taken the place of what matters most?When was the last time I simply told Jesus, "I love You"?You were made for this love. It is not fragile or fickle. It is fierce, forgiving, and forever.Take time this week to say, "Lord, I love You" and let His love stir your heart again.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usFirst Things First: Love Thy NeighbourIn this talk, we explored one of Jesus' most famous teachings—the story of the Good Samaritan. The conversation started with a big question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"But it was a test. A performance. A set-up.Jesus flipped the script—not by narrowing the answer to a category of people to love, but by broadening the call to become a person of love.The question isn't, "Who is my neighbour?"It's, "Am I living as a neighbour?"The expert in the law wanted minimum requirements.Jesus called for maximum transformation. Not love for show. Not love for those who "deserve it." But love that sees. Love that stops. Love that shows mercy.That kind of love is not natural.It's not self-generated.It's Jesus-shaped.He is the Good Samaritan who found us in our need, carried us in His grace, and paid the cost of our healing with His life. Now He sends us out to "go and do likewise."As You Go About This WeekAm I becoming a person of love?Where am I tempted to pass by instead of stop?Is there someone God is asking me not just to tolerate—but to love?You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usFirst Things First: Of First Importance  What would you say is the most important thing in your life?This week, we explored what Paul calls the message of first importance: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not just as a doctrine to understand, but a reality to rejoice in.Do you remember the joy of your salvation? The freedom, the relief, the wonder of knowing your sins were forgiven? That you were loved—not because you earned it, but because of grace?Sometimes we lose that joy. We drift into performance. We hear the "You must" of the Christian life louder than the "Christ has." We begin to live as if the gospel starts with what we do, rather than what Jesus has done. When this happens it is the road to being miserably saved.But the gospel is good news, not good advice. It's not a to-do list. It's a Ta-dah!  Jesus is the fact. The truth. The joy.Because He is, we are. Because He has, we have. Because He will, we can. Because of what he has done we can rejoice and be glad.If your joy has felt low, don't try harder. Come closer. Return to the gospel. Let the Holy Spirit remind you of all that has been done for you:You are forgiven.You are free.You are His.Let's ask Him to restore to us the joy of His salvation.🧭 As You Go About This WeekAre you carrying the gospel like a burden or receiving it as a gift?Where have you reversed the grammar — are you trying to earn what God has already given to you?Is there something you do that you haven't yet connected to God's purpose and power in your life?Let Jesus be the "Ta-dah!" at the centre of it all — not just a part of your life, but the foundation of it.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Contact usFirst Things First – Seek First  In this podcast we explore the idea of "The List of God," how Jesus doesn't call us to squeeze Him into our lives, but to surrender our lives to Him.We all have and live by lists: to-do lists; bucket lists; shopping lists. We even have ‘someday’ lists. But Jesus doesn't say, "Add me to your list and put me first." He says, "Lay down your list. Take mine."He tells us to, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)Seeking the kingdom first isn't about making sure God is the top of our list. When we do this we still own the list and decide what's on it. Seeking first the kingdom is where His Kingdom becomes the list—the starting point, foundation and the centrepiece. Not because our needs don't matter, but because our lives don't work when they're ordered around anything less than His reign. Jesus doesn't want to rubber-stamp our plans. He wants to rewrite them in light of His Kingdom.This isn't about doing more. It's about living differently.As you go about your week, pause and ask:Am I adding Jesus to my plans, or am I being led by Him?Is there something I need to surrender that's on my list but doesn't add to my life?Is there something I do that I haven't yet learnt to connect to God's purpose and power in my life?Let's be people who seek first His Kingdom, not just on Sundays, but in every decision, relationship, and moment of ordinary life.You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text.Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.