1 Peter 2.4-10. Having focused so far exclusively in this series on what people wrote about Peter, we now look at what he himself wrote. In his first letter Peter describes the church as a temple - the place where people encounter the presence of God, where heaven meets earth. But this temple is not made of limestone, mortar, timber and glass, but of transformed human lives, filled with the Holy Spirit. Are you a “living stone”? 23 November 2025.

Acts 11.1-18. In Acts 10 and 11 Peter is involved in an incident that sees the gospel break free from its exclusively Jewish roots and start to propel outwards towards the ends of the earth. But Peter’s friends are freaked out by this and confront him angrily about it. How is Peter going to turn this sudden crisis into a window of opportunity? 16 November 2025.

Acts 9.32-43. The early church continues to grow in numbers and expand outwards under Peter and the other apostles’ leadership. Many signs and wonders are done in Jesus’ name as they preach the gospel. But raising the dead? Peter had witnessed Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter in Luke 8. But now he is asked to raise a dead woman named Tabitha. Will this challenge prove to be a bridge too far? 9 November 2025.

Acts 4.1-31. Following the healing of the lame beggar (Acts 3), it all kicks off because the religious authorities can see public support for the new Jesus movement is exploding - at their expense. Peter and the apostles are roughly treated and strictly forbidden to do anything in Jesus’ name. How will Peter lead the Christian response? And how should we respond to public pressure to be silent about our faith? 2 November 2025.

Acts 3.1-16. Peter’s day is interrupted by a man begging at the temple gate. As it happens, Peter and John (who is with him) don’t have any cash on them, but they do have faith in the power of Jesus Christ. So Peter tells the man, who is lame from birth, to get up and walk in Jesus’ name, and then helps him to his feet. When Jesus said that his followers would do the mighty works he did - and greater ones still - this episode shows that he meant us to take him at his word. Apologies; the first minute or so of Phil’s talk is missing from the recording. 26 October 2025.

Acts 2.14-41. After the resurrection, restored by Jesus, Peter is a changed man. After Pentecost though, he is a new man. Peter is unrecognisable from all that came before once he is baptised in the Holy Spirit. How would you respond to Peter’s first sermon if you were listening in that day? 19 October 2025.

John 21.1-19. After Peter’s threefold denial, the risen Lord Jesus offers him a way back. Standing by a charcoal fire, which must have reminded Peter of his dismal failure, Jesus pointedly asks Peter three times if he really loves him. Once that is affirmed, Peter is entrusted with spiritual leadership. How can we move on from our own failures and show that we love the Lord? 12 October 2025.

Luke 22.31-62. His threefold denial, predicted beforehand by Jesus with pinpoint accuracy, is probably the thing Peter is most remembered for. Despite his protests that he would never deny his Lord, fear overtakes him and his night ends in catastrophic failure. What instruction and hope can we take from this story? 5 October 2025.

John 13.1-17. On the night he was betrayed, denied and abandoned, Jesus ate a last meal with his disciples and interrupted proceedings to wash everyone's feet. Peter vigorously protested. Why was this so countercultural and what does it have to say to us in our very different culture? 28 September 2025.

Mark 9.2-13 and 2 Peter 1.16-18. Imagine standing with Peter, James, and John as Jesus is suddenly transformed before your eyes, shining with a brilliant heavenly light. What did this awe-inspiring event mean for Simin Peter then, and what does it mean for us now? 21 September 2025.

Mark 8.27-38. Within a minute, Peter goes from hero to zero as his prophetic revelation of Jesus' identity is followed immediately by a hell-inspired attempt to divert Jesus from his saving mission. How can we in turn grow in our expression of the prophetic and avoid getting it all wrong? 14 September 2025.

Matthew 14.22-33. How do you move away from anxiety, towards trust in Christ? This well-known story of Peter's adventurous but wobbling faith has much to teach us about fixing our eyes on the Lord and keeping them there when it's tempting to divert them towards what scares us most. 7 September 2025.

John 1.40-42 and Luke 5.1-11. Simon Peter must be the most loveable and endearing of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Who cannot identify with his journey of faith, punctuated with human failings? But Jesus called him first and invested in him most because he saw particular qualities in him - qualities he longs to see in us too. 31 August 2025.

Ruth 4.1-22.
 Chapter 4 of Ruth completes the story arc from ruin - to refuge - to redemption. After a last minute twist, Boaz marries Ruth, becoming her and Naomi's “guardian-redeemer.” Ruth then bears a child who will become King David's grandfather and feature in Jesus' family tree. The story of Ruth shows how God's wise sovereignty cannot be derailed, which is an unspeakably precious truth for us as Christians.
 17 August 2025.

Ruth 3.1-18. With the barley harvest now over and eligible bachelor Boaz showing no romantic interest in Ruth, Naomi devises a high-risk plan to bring matters to a head, which Ruth bravely delivers. As Christians, we live by faith, not by sight, and are called to a life of obedience. So this chapter is rich with truth for us as well. 10 August 2025.

Ruth 2.1-23. Back in Bethlehem, a destitute Ruth gleans barley in the field of a wealthy landowner called Boaz. He notices her hard work, protects her and provides for her. It dawns on Naomi that Boaz is a relative and potential “guardian-redeemer,” offering both Ruth and Naomi a glimpse of hope. In all this, God is subtly but decisively at work. 3 August 2025.

Ruth 1.6-22. Following Naomi’s series of tragic sorrows at the beginning of chapter 1, she decides there is no future for her in Moab, and makes plans to return heartbroken to Bethlehem. One of her daughters-in-law, Orpah, opts to remain in Moab but the other, Ruth, in a breathtaking display of love and loyalty, proves inseparable. Ruth’s kindness and faithfulness echo the grace that the Lord shows to us. Just as Ruth accompanies Naomi home, Christ walks with us through life’s deepest disappointments. 27 July 2025.

Ruth 1.1-5. The Old Testament book of Ruth is a beautiful short story of calamity, loyalty, vulnerability, hospitality and opportunity, with growing romantic suspense. Through all the changing fortunes of the story’s characters, the author skilfully shows how God slowly but surely weaves his grander purposes of grace and redemption into the everyday ups and downs of our lives. But the first five verses of Ruth 1 could hardly supply a more tragic introduction to the story… 20 July 2025.

Philippians 4.10-23. The letter to the Philippians draws to a close with some final remarks from Paul before he signs off and sends his letter on. The end of the letter focuses on giving and gratitude, and it has much to say to us about generosity and God’s supply of all our needs. 13 July 2025.

Philippians 4.1-9. How do we live in harmony with people we don’t really get on with? How do we live stress-free instead of with constant anxiety? As Paul prepares to sign off his letter to the church in Philippi, he shows two women who weren't getting on how to live in peace with each other before giving two keys to unlock personal peace; leaving things with God instead of worrying, and focusing thoughts on wholesome things rather than on unhealthy things. 6 July 2025.