Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 5:33-39 at morning worship on Sunday 15th June 2025 in First Ards.

When questioned about fasting, Jesus responds with three vivid images: a wedding; a patch; and a wineskin. Each of them reveals that He hasn’t come to improve religion but to replace it. In this sermon from Luke 5, we see that Jesus brings joy, new life and a fresh start, not something to sample, but Someone to follow.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Timothy 3:16-17 at evening worship on Sunday 8th June 2025 in First Ards.

This sermon kicks off our new series, Faith FAQs, where we’re asking and answering some of the big questions of the Christian faith.

Is the Bible reliable? Can we really trust what it says? In this sermon, we consider the Bible’s own claims about its authority and truthfulness and we explore the reasons Christians believe it is the inerrant Word of God, breathed out by Him, trustworthy in every part and sufficient for all of life. If the Bible is what it claims to be, it changes everything.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 5:27-32 at morning worship on Sunday 1st June 2025 in First Ards.

Jesus’ call to Levi wasn’t about worthiness or reputation, it was a call of pure grace. In this sermon, we see how Jesus not only calls sinners but shares His table with them, welcoming the unlikely and the unwanted. And we’re challenged to respond: will we grumble at grace, or will we open our homes and lives, making space for others to meet Jesus too?

(And apologies for the slightly dodgy audio in the middle of the sermon. The sound desk had a moment and the Craig had to go old-school, lungs only!)

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 10 at evening worship worship on Sunday 25th May 2025 in First Ards.

David extends kindness to the Ammonites, but his peace offering is rejected, his messengers shamed and a war erupts that didn’t need to happen. In this sermon from 2 Samuel 10, we explore what happens when grace is misread as a threat, how pride escalates conflict and how David’s battles point us forward to a greater King, our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who offers kindness but will one day return as a conquering King. Will we receive His kindness or reject it?

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 5:17-26 at morning worship on Sunday 25th May 2025 in First Ards.

When a paralysed man is lowered through a roof to Jesus, the crowd expects a miracle of healing, but Jesus sees a deeper need. In this sermon from Luke 5, we explore how Jesus’ authority goes far beyond restoring broken bodies; He forgives sin. This isn’t just a story about a man who walked again, but about a Saviour who knows the heart, meets us in our greatest need and offers us something far greater than we often expect. How will we respond to His authority?

Rev. Michael Bostock preaches Psalm 74 at evening worship on Sunday 18th May in First Ards.

Psalm 74 is a contemplative prayer in the face of spiritual ruin. With the temple destroyed and God’s name dishonoured, Asaph pleads with the Lord not for comfort, but for God’s glory to be restored. This sermon reflects on the relevance of that prayer for today’s church, in a time of confusion, compromise and cultural darkness. How should God’s people respond? With serious, heartfelt prayer rooted in God’s past faithfulness, present promises and enduring power.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 5:12-16 at morning worship on Sunday 18th May 2025 in First Ards.

A man covered in leprosy comes to Jesus with a desperate request, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” What unfolds is a powerful moment of grace. Jesus touches the untouchable and speaks cleansing with divine authority. This passage reveals not just the compassion of Christ, but His willingness to restore the broken and welcome the outcast. It also shows us His quiet strength, as He withdraws to pray in the midst of growing fame. What kind of King is this? One who cleanses, restores and communes with the Father.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 9 at evening worship on Sunday 11th May 2025 in First Ards.

In this account from 2 Samuel 9, we see King David reach out in kindness to a forgotten, broken man named Mephibosheth. It’s a picture of grace: covenantal, undeserved and deeply personal. David’s mercy mirrors the greater mercy of God, who seeks out sinners, not for what they offer, but for the sake of His Son. Just as Mephibosheth is lifted from Lo-Debar and seated at the king’s table “like one of the king’s sons,” so too are we, through Christ, welcomed into the household of God. The kindness of God is still seeking, still welcoming and still transforming lives today.