Sermon Series: Witnesses for Christ
Sermon Title: Boldness in the Face of Opposition
Bible Passage: Acts 4:1–21
Preacher: Mitch Cornford
Date & Time: Sunday, 25 January 2026 | 6:00 pm

In Acts 4, the first miracle-fuelled witness of the church is met not with celebration, but with resistance. Peter and John are arrested, questioned, and warned to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. Yet instead of retreating in fear, they speak with remarkable clarity and courage. Boldness in the Face of Opposition explores where that courage comes from—and why it still matters today.

At the heart of their boldness is the gospel itself. Peter proclaims that Jesus Christ, whom the leaders crucified, has been raised from the dead by God, and that salvation is found in no one else. The same name that brought healing to a broken man now stands as the only hope for a broken world. Opposition cannot silence this message, because it is rooted in the power of the risen Christ.

This sermon will show that gospel boldness is not confidence in ourselves, but trust in Jesus. The apostles are ordinary, untrained men, yet their courage exposes an extraordinary reality: they have been with Jesus. Even when threatened, they choose obedience to God over approval from people, convinced that what they have seen and heard cannot be kept quiet.

As part of the Witnesses for Christ series, this message will challenge and encourage us to stand firm in our faith. In a world that may resist the claims of Christ, we are called to speak the truth in love, trusting that the same gospel that sustained the early church still gives boldness, hope, and life today.

Sermon Series: Witnesses for Christ
Sermon Title: Who Holds the Power?
Bible Passage: Acts 4:1–21
Preacher: Joe Upton
Date & Time: Sunday, 25 January 2026 | 9:30am

In Acts 4, the joyful witness of the early church collides head-on with opposition and authority. Peter and John are arrested, questioned, and warned by the very powers that once condemned Jesus. Yet the real question beneath the tension is this: who truly holds the power?

In Acts 4, we will see that although religious and political leaders appear to control the situation, the authority of God cannot be silenced. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly proclaims the gospel: Jesus Christ—crucified by human hands and raised by God—is the cornerstone, and salvation is found in no one else. The risen Jesus stands at the centre of their courage, their message, and their hope.

This passage reminds us that the gospel often provokes resistance because it challenges false sources of power and security. Human authority can threaten, intimidate, and restrain—but it cannot forgive sins, raise the dead, or change hearts. Only Jesus has that power. The same Lord rejected by the leaders is the One God has exalted, offering salvation and new life to all who trust in Him.

This sermon will encourage us to consider where we place our confidence. Like the apostles, we are called to obey God rather than people, to speak what we have seen and heard, and to trust that the power of the gospel is greater than any opposition we may face.

Sermon Series: Witnesses for Christ
Sermon Title: The Unexpected and Unsurprising Healing
Bible Passage: Acts 3
Preacher: Isaac Baker
Date & Time: Sunday, 18 January 2026 | 6:00pm

In Acts 3, God works in a way that is both startling and strangely familiar. A man who has never walked is suddenly healed—and yet, for those who know the heart of God, this act of power is no surprise at all. In The Unexpected and Unsurprising Healing, we will explore how this miracle captures the very nature of the gospel: God interrupting ordinary life with extraordinary grace.

The healing at the temple gate is unexpected for the man who asks only for coins, but unsurprising because it flows from the name of Jesus Christ. Peter makes clear that this restoration does not come from human strength or spiritual effort, but from faith in the risen Jesus—the One whom the people rejected, crucified, and yet whom God raised from the dead.

This sermon will trace how the miracle becomes a message. The crowd is confronted with their sin, yet also invited into hope. Through repentance and faith, God offers forgiveness, renewal, and “times of refreshing” through Christ. The same Jesus who healed a broken body now offers healing for broken hearts, calling all people to turn to Him and live.

As part of the Witnesses for Christ series, this message will remind us that the gospel still surprises the spiritually poor, while remaining wonderfully consistent with who God has always been—gracious, powerful, and faithful to save. We are called, like Peter and John, to be witnesses who point beyond the miracle to Jesus, the crucified and risen Saviour, in whose name true healing is found.