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.

Ricky Ferguson (ruling elder in Ballyhenry Presbyterian Church in the presbytery of North Belfast and Ireland Team Leader for Wycliffe Bible Translators) preaches Isaiah 55 and shares about the work and witness of Wycliffe, one of our mission partners, at morning worship on Sunday 11th May 2025 in First Ards.

What happens when people hear the Word of God in their own language? Lives are changed. Hearts are opened. Nations are reached. In this message, we reflect on Isaiah 55:10–11 and hear powerful stories from the work of Bible translation with Wycliffe, including how one word in one language unlocked the gospel in a whole new way. God’s Word doesn’t return empty. It accomplishes His purpose. And as we partner together, through giving, praying and going, we can be part of that great purpose: that everyone might hear the voice of Jesus in a language they understand.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 5:1-11 at morning worship on Sunday 4th May 2025 in First Ards.

Peter thought he knew what he was doing, until Jesus stepped into his boat. This isn’t just a story about fish. It’s about a call that confronts, convicts and transforms. Jesus interrupts Peter’s ordinary day with a command that makes no sense, “let down the nets” and Peter obeys. The result? A miraculous catch, but more than that, a man undone by holiness. Peter falls at Jesus’ knees, not in pride but repentance. And Jesus lifts him. “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” It’s a call not to part-time religion but full-time surrender. Peter leaves everything. Will you?

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 1 Peter 1:3-9 at Easter morning worship on 20th April 2025 in First Ards.

Peter doesn’t begin with problems, he begins with praise. Jesus is alive and that changes everything. His resurrection gives us new birth into a living hope, an inheritance that can’t perish, spoil, or fade. That hope holds in suffering. Even when faith feels fragile, God keeps us. Our future is secure, not because we’re strong, but because Christ is risen. So take heart: we don’t follow a memory, we follow a living Saviour. And because He lives, we live too.