Road Angel Halo Pro - Setup and Initial Use

Road Angel Halo Pro

I bought Road Angel Halo Pro for our new car.  This is the picture you will most often see.  It is misleading.  The camera had a bigger footprint than suggested by this image.

The camera comes in a nice cuboid box, with a 32 Gb SD and micro SD on the outside under the cellophane.

Installing it was 'fun', the sort of fun you don't want to have.  So, don't follow the instructions, because if you can't make it connect it will be stuck to your windscreen.  I did the setup with the camera on the passenger seat.

The camera provides a Wi-Fi SSID to connect to.  It's the only way to communicate with it.  To get the app I downloaded from the Play Store to connect I had to turn off my VPN (normal), and delete the VPN profile.  Not great.  Then comes the re-naming, so that it doesn't present default values to anyone standing outside my car.

1) rename the Wi-Fi and set a password.  Now essentially start set-up again.  Delete everything from the app.

2) rename the device and set a password.  Now essentially start set-up again.  Delete everything from the app.

One other thing that tripped me up.  It knows my time zone - London, but it chooses to display the date in m/d/yyyy (American) format. 

Now, and only now, stick it to the windscreen and put the cabling behind the various bits of interior decor (where you can).

Now to get the videos off I have to delete the VPN profile, stop my home Wi-Fi from autoconnecting , connect to its Wi-Fi and run the app.  Too much like hard work - there has to be a better way.

So that I know what's happening, when It's powered up, it tells me it is working in an English language voice, and it tells me it's got GPS the same way.  Just occasionally it shouts something in a language I don't understand. 

It will also report collisions with your car in a car park, when you're not there, but to make that bit work, you need to buy an extra connection kit - bit of a cheek, to advertise a feature like that, that I can't use out of the box. 

Which has this as a 'best buy'.  Well I haven't seen any of the others, but on what I have seen so far I wouldn't recommend it - but I'm stuck with it (literally).

 

 

The World is Changed

Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 1 March 2026 at 10:00

Recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nupbxKd6dbo from 33:50 to 48:08

Prayer Father God, speak into our shifting world. Open our hearts, steady our steps, and make us ready for the change Your Spirit brings. Amen. Introduction: The Shifting Soil "The world is changed," the ancient Treebeard says in Tolkien’s The Return of the King. "I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air." If you believe all the hype around the Gorton and Denton by-election, you may think I’m referring to that, after all there is a sort of plumbing connection. Things may have changed, but by-elections throw up strange results, so we have to wait and see. For the person of faith, those words carry a different weight. When God enters a life, the world doesn't just "shift"—it is fundamentally rearranged. The coordinates are reset. Today, we look at two biblical figures—Abram and Nicodemus—who saw their lives dramatically changed. One walked into the desert, and the other walked into the night, but both found that once God speaks, staying the same is the only impossible option. Others have experienced similar things over the centuries, so we will look at three of those stories, and then ask how God may be speaking to us.

Abram: The Courage of the Departure In Genesis 12, we meet Abram. We know little about him at that stage. We can work out that he is a Bronze Age herdsman, and we are told that he is seventy-five years old, (that’s even older than me!). He’s settled and established in Haran. There’s nothing special about Abram, he will make some bad mistakes later in his life. Then comes the voice: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” The Radical "Went" The most staggering line in this text is verse 4: "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him." Just like that! In our modern world, we want a five-year plan, GPS coordinates, and a guaranteed pension. All Abram had was a command and a promise of blessing. Perhaps that’s what motivates him to leave. The Nature of the Blessing God promises to make him a "great nation," but notice the why. God says, "You will be a blessing... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Abram’s change is geographical and will be generational. He had to move his body because God was moving the history of the world. Without Abram’s obedience, there are no Jews, so there can be no Christians, and no Muslims. With his move the world is changed.

Nicodemus: The Crisis of the Night Fast-forward to John 3. We meet Nicodemus, a man who has everything Abram’s descendants were promised: they are living in the land , they have status, knowledge, and religious authority. He’s heard things, seen things, that have challenged his understanding of God. So, he comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness. He knows the world is changing again, and he wants to be following God’s lead. But, he’s also afraid of those who are protecting the status quo. Born From Above Jesus meets Nicodemus’s polite flattery with a blunt response: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” The Limit of Heritage For Nicodemus, or for any Pharisee, being a child of Abram was the ultimate "golden ticket." But Jesus explains that the blessing of Abram—the physical lineage—is not enough. To see the Kingdom, you need a spiritual change. The kingdom of God is not a country; to live there, you need a new nature. Snakes on Poles Jesus reminds him of the bronze serpent in the wilderness. When the people were dying of snakebites, they needed to look up at the snake on the pole, then they would live. It’s a forerunner of looking up at the crucified Jesus on the cross and accepting that His death has paid for our lives. Jesus tells this scholar: "Your degrees won't save you. Only looking to the One who will be lifted up—the Son of Man—can heal you." For Nicodemus, the world changed when he realized God doesn't want our "best efforts" or our "religious traditions." He wants our death and our rebirth. Result for Nicodemas We know that the conversation with Jesus changed Nicodemus’s world. After the crucifixion, Nicodemus provided about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’s body for burial.

Three Moments of Modern Rebirth God does not stop speaking. He continues to disrupt comfortable lives. Let’s look at how that "The world is Changed" moment looked for three people in the last couple of centuries. 1. Hudson Taylor: The Finished Work In 1849, teenage Hudson Taylor was bored in his father’s library. He picked up a gospel tract (a pamphlet), thinking he’d read the story at the start and skip the "sermon" at the end. But he was struck by one phrase: "The finished work of Christ." The Result He realized that if the work was finished, there was nothing left for him to do but accept it. That was the moment his World was changed. That realization eventually drove him to China. He didn't just go as a colonial missionary; his approach was revolutionary. He changed his clothes, his hairstyle, to look like a local, and lived as a Chinese man to reach the interior. Because of a pamphlet, the China Inland Mission was born.

2. Mother Teresa: The Thirst In 1946, Sister Teresa was already a nun, teaching comfortably in a school in Calcutta. On a train journey to Darjeeling, she heard a voice within her heart. It wasn't a call to become a nun—she already was one. It was a "call within a call." The word she heard was: "I thirst." The Result She realized Jesus was thirsty for the love of the poorest of the poor. She left the walls of the convent, traded her habit for a simple blue-bordered sari, and walked into the slums to care for the dying. Everything about her life, and the world's view of mercy, was changed on that train ride.

3. Brother Andrew: The Step of Yes In the 1950s, a young Dutchman named Andrew was recovering from a war wound. He picked up a Bible and began to read it like a man dying of thirst. In 1952, God spoke a simple invitation to his heart: "Yes." Andrew responded by saying, "Lord, as I take my first step forward, will you consider this a step towards complete obedience to you? I’ll call it the step of yes." The Result God then gave him a specific word from Revelation: "Awake, and strengthen what remains." (Rev 3:”) Then "God's Smuggler" began driving a Volkswagen Beetle full of Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. He changed the face of the persecuted church because he was willing to say "Yes" to a God who makes seeing eyes blind at border crossings.

4. Me Not all experiences that the Bible reports are for everyone, but this is one I can identify with. I didn’t warn you about this at the start, because I didn’t want you to leave. For me God’s word came through a “Gifts” survey, that Peter Sandberg ran. It was intended to help us, and the church, identify our gifts. The Result For me that came out as teaching. It set me on a path that led me to lead Explorers, then Pathfinders, and finally to offer myself to be trained as a Reader. Speaking to Us Today If the world is changed, and if God is still speaking, what does that mean for each of us? As an Individual You may be here today like Nicodemus—respected, "fine," but carrying a restless heart. Perhaps you’ve been relying on your "good person" resume. Jesus is whispering the same thing to you: It is not enough to be improved; you must be made new. What is the "pamphlet" or the "train ride" moment God is offering you today? Our world is changed when we stop asking God to bless our plans and start asking God to give us His life. Final Prayer Lord God, You who called Abram out of Haran and Nicodemus out of the dark, call us now. We confess that we often fear change more than we love You. Shake the foundations of our self-sufficiency. Give us the courage to go where You lead, the humility to be born anew by Your Spirit, and the heart to be a blessing to a world that so desperately needs Your light. May we leave this place knowing that because of Christ, the world—the whole world—is changed.

 References

https://desperatepreacher.com/texts/gen12_1/gen12_1.htm

https://www.preaching.lexiwiki.com/2025/03/sermon-on-nicodemus-let-us-seek-truth.html

https://www.quotes.net/mquote/120314

https://clip.cafe/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-2001/the-world-changed/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Taylor

Commentry - expositor's bible Commentry vol 2 (Genesis)

Commentry - expositor's bible Commentry vol 9 (John)

 

Love on a Mountain Top (2)

The sermon was preached at St. Mary the Virgin, Little Burstead  on 15 February 2026 at 10:30.

It is referenced on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=857263363934973 

and Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVB-u0qikOY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

Abstract:  This sermon was made from a copilot re-write of https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2023/02/mountain-top-experiences.html, which I asked it to make more 'punchy'.  The result, after some further edits is below.

Mount Hermon

Prayer

Lord God, meet us on the mountain of Your presence. Open our eyes to Your glory, steady our hearts with Your love, and prepare us to follow you in the journey ahead. Amen.

Introduction

As we approach Lent, we’re thinking about mountain‑top experiences—those moments when God breaks through with clarity, power, or love. The phrase is usually a metaphor, but in both our readings today, it’s also literal. God meets His people on mountains, and what happens there changes everything.

What a Mountain‑Top Experience Gives You

When we speak of a mountain‑top experience, we mean a moment of revelation—something that opens our eyes, strengthens our faith, or redirects our life. It might have been joyful, terrifying, or overwhelming, but it was unforgettable. For some, it was the moment of conversion. For others, it’s the memory that still carries them through dark valleys.

A Scary Mountain: Abraham and Isaac

Before we look at Peter, James, and John, remember that fear on the mountain is nothing new. In Genesis 22, Abraham faces the most disturbing command imaginable:

“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love… and sacrifice him.”

Isaac was the child of promise—the one through whom God said He would build a nation. So what is God doing? He is revealing something Abraham needs to know: Does Abraham now trust God’s love more than his own plans? Because Abraham has tried to implement God’s prophecy in his own way. He had a son – Ishmael, by Sarah, the servant girl.

And at the last moment, on the mountain, God provides a ram. Isaac lives. God keeps His promise. Abraham learns that God’s love is not fragile, not fickle, not dependent on human understanding or effort. That mountain-top experience marked him forever.

Have You Had One?

If you’ve had a mountain‑top moment, revisit it. Let it speak again. Ask what God taught you then—and whether you’re still living from that truth now.

What You Need for a Mountain‑Top Moment

These moments often come when distractions fall away. Mountains—literal or metaphorical—strip life back to God and you. No noise. No crowds. Just space to listen. That’s why people still climb hills, walk in woods, or sit by the sea. We long for the clarity that comes when everything else is quiet.

Moses on the Mountain (Exodus 24)

Moses and Joshua climb Sinai to receive the commandments. They wait six days before God calls Moses higher, then he remains there for forty days.

Forty

Forty is the number of testing in the Bible. Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness tested and prepared Him. Moses’ forty days tested Israel. Could they remain faithful while their leader was gone? The answer, as chapter 32 shows, is that they spectacularly failed. Before Moses returns, they are worshipping a golden calf.

Mysterious God

God appears mysterious, distant, even frightening. Only Moses may approach. The cloud of fire rests on the mountain—the same presence that guided them, fed them, protected them. Mount Sinai is not a volcano, this isn’t the story of superstitious people worshipping what they don’t understand. God is forming a people, teaching them how to live, and giving laws remarkable for their justice, compassion and concern for the poor and the foreigner . This is love in a form we often forget: love that shapes, disciplines, and teaches.

The Transfiguration

Now we turn to another mountain. The location isn’t the point—Tabor, suggested by Origen and the closest, or possibly Hermon. Or Sinai, as some try to make it. What matters is not which one, but what happened there.

Six days after Jesus began speaking openly about His death and resurrection, He takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. Perhaps they needed a different perspective. Perhaps they needed to see more than they could understand.

Glory Revealed

On Sinai, God’s glory was a consuming fire. Moses didn’t see it directly; the people did. But on this mountain, the glory shines from Jesus Himself:

“His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.”

This is not a separate pillar of fire. This is God’s glory dwelling in a person—someone they have walked with, eaten with, laughed with. Moses and Elijah appear, representing the Law and the Prophets. Everything God has done is converging here.

Peter’s Fear

Peter blurts out a plan to build shelters—tabernacles—perhaps trying to freeze the moment, perhaps simply terrified. Mark tells us he didn’t know what to say. Before he can finish, a bright cloud envelops them, and the voice speaks:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

They heard those words at Jesus’ baptism, but this time the command is added: Listen to Him.

And this time, they fall on their faces in fear. They are closer to God than they have ever been.

Jesus Supersedes Moses

Then Jesus touches them. “Get up,” He says. “Don’t be afraid.”

The cloud lifts. Moses and Elijah are gone. Only Jesus remains.

We cannot stay on the mountain. The point is not the experience itself but what it prepares us for. As they descend, Jesus tells them to keep silent until after His resurrection. The moment was for them—to strengthen them when everything later seemed lost.

They would remember the glory when they saw the cross. They would remember the voice when they heard the crowds. They would remember the mountain when they walked through the valley.

And they would know:

Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus is the beloved Son.

Jesus is the one who reveals God’s love most clearly—on the mountain and on the cross.

The Challenge for Us

Mountain‑top moments are gifts, but they are not the goal. The goal is what happens after:

- Will we listen to Him?

- Will we trust His love when the cloud lifts?

- Will we follow Him into Lent—not chasing spiritual highs, but letting God test, shape, and strengthen us?

God’s love revealed on the mountain, is proved in the valley. Lent invites us to walk with Jesus there.

Amen.

References 

Age of Anxiety

 Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 8 Feb 2026 @10:00

Recorded : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq2zMJ_vNnQ starting 32:20 to 48:56 

Prayer Father God, calm our restless hearts, grant wisdom, and fill us with Your peace as we explore anxiety's challenges together today. Introduction After looking through these verses that we read today, it seemed that the common thread was worry. I’ve heard that the present age is called the Age of Anxiety, especially for younger people. I thought that was just for the last few years, until I discovered that W. H. Auden wrote a long poem called “The Age of Anxiety”, which was published in 1947. I haven’t read it. It’s timing, more than anything else made me think that the title could probably cover all of the last century up to the present day.

Evidence & Causes Surveys by the World Health Organisation and others suggest that about a third of adults report symptoms of anxiety strong enough to affect their everyday lives. The world is an unstable place: 2 world wars took up much of the first half of the last century. Then came the Cold War, and the threat on nuclear annihilation which is still with us and perhaps more likely now that the ‘START’ Treaty has expired. Closely followed by terrorism threats from various parts of the world, and the wars that followed. In this century we’ve had the threat of climate collapse, which is still there, of course. Then there was a financial crisis, and the COVID pandemic. Now we have the world order becoming unstable, and the threat of a third world war. Economy & Technology If all these national and global things were not enough, we have a slow but steady loss of economic well-being, and a world where technological change happens much faster than we can adapt to it. That’s social media, information overload, and the rise of the always connected workforce. Personal Worries I don’t know about you, but for me, most of my worries come from more personal issues. Problems in my own life, and the lives of my family and friends. Some of those are related to some of the issues I have already mentioned, some are just the uneven progress of life.

The World’s Response The world’s response to worries seems to vary from tea and sympathy – which may make the worry worse; to the “problem shared is a problem halved” approach. Unless the person we are sharing with is willing to take some action on our behalf, nothing really changes. Another response is the “Hakuna matata” approach. It is a Swahili phrase made popular by Disney’s Lion King. It means “there are no worries”. It is literally just denial, and if we’re worried about something denial is not going to work. Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry be Happy” seems to push the same idea. If you want to be in de-nile, visit Egypt. Ignoring or denying your worries will only make them worse.

Romans reading In the reading from Romans, Paul acknowledges our present sufferings, which, of course, include our worries. He says these sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. In other translations it says “revealed for us”, or “revealed to us”. While that is an interesting discussion, for our purposes today it is not important. The glory is there and we are involved. He ties the destiny of the whole of creation, to the destiny of human beings. The picture is that God put creation under our feet, and as a result, creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth as it waits for its liberation from decay by the Children of God – that’s us. It’s also us, who have the first fruits of the spirit, and we groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption to sonship. This is our hope, this is the salvation that we are hoping for. Perhaps the way Paul puts it can be a little confusing, but he is trying to express the enormity of it. A view Tom Wright compares it to coming across a view. If I was to do that it would be the view from Symonds Yat rock. If you visit the rock, you will, after long climb, find yourself on top of a relatively small rock. There will probably be loads of people there. The view stretches for miles in many directions. It’s almost like looking at a map, but it’s real, and it will take your breath away, if you have any left from the climb. That’s the sort of view of salvation that Paul is aiming at. If we can grasp that view and really get hold of the meaning, our current troubles will also begin to hold less significance for us. Because the glory of the Lord will start to be revealed.

Hope This is our hope. “For in this hope we were saved.” Paul says. The 1991 Snyder study and others that followed say that hope reduces worry. There are mechanisms discussed in the studies, but for our purposes we are better to stick with Augustine who said: “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” Worry is reduced by a sense of purpose, a desire for something greater, better.

Matthew Reading Jesus has an altogether different approach. His message is much more personal. He is telling his audience not to worry about certain things. Before we have a closer look at that we must set some context. Plan your life. “Do not worry about your life” does not mean “Do not plan for the future”. Proverbs 21:5 tells us: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” And in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master entrusts his servants with the money and expects them to put it to work. Those who succeed and return a profit are rewarded, those who don’t are punished. Eric Delve A long time ago, in a world that was so different from the one we live in now, and before I was Christian, I was taken to see an evangelist called Eric Delve. His passage for the night was this one from Matthew. He spent a long time trying to explain how birds build barns and store things in them. It was quite hilarious. That’s part of the point of this passage. It’s supposed to be humorous. We miss that partly because of the translations and partly because we are not stood in front of Jesus watching his mannerisms. I’m not going to try to repeat Eric’s performance, you’ve already had the best of my humour, and you know I’m in denial. Peer Pressure Jesus is talking about worries caused by peer pressure. What you will eat and drink, what you will wear – means will you look good to those around you? Will you fit in? Will you keep up with the Joneses? Birds of the air Jesus then cleverly begins to strip away the unnecessary worries of their (and our) lives. First, the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap, but God feeds them. So do some of us, because we enjoy watching them on our bird feeders. You can see that they do have to do work. Feeding on a bird feeder is easier than feeding in the wild, perhaps, but there is still work to do. They have to find the food, and peck away at it while watching for predators. In Jesus’ day there was only feeding in the wild, and in the wild, where no one is watching, your heavenly father is feeding the birds. In Matthew 10, Jesus says: 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. So we don’t have to worry, our heavenly father can be trusted to look after us even if we don’t sow or reap. Flowers of the field Now Jesus moves on to the flowers of the fields. Picture a meadow in summer, the grass is growing, there are all sorts of flowers providing a splash of colour, blues, yellows and reds, amongst the green grass. A glorious view, one you may be able to sit and appreciate while you eat your picnic. In just a few weeks it will be harvested, or thrown on a bonfire. The flowers do not even work, they do nothing, they simply exist on what is around them. Yet even Solomon, Israel's ever richest king, was not dressed as spectacularly as that field. Your heavenly father looks after them and gives them growth. So we don’t have to worry, we just have to have faith that our heavenly father will look after us, because if we are worth more than sparrows, we are definitely worth more that flowers. Kingdom / tomorrow Instead of worrying about all this trivia, we should seek mainly be seeking God’s kingdom. Everything else will follow from that. Even tomorrow. There are enough things to be dealt with today, without fretting about tomorrow. Paul’s Vision So, here we are back to Paul’s vision where everything will be “brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” We have that hope of being son’s and daughters of God, and living in His kingdom forever. It starts when we accept Jesus and acknowledge that his death and resurrection pave the way to God. That’s the time when the hope is established within us, and the seeking begins, because we are not completely redeemed yet. With this hope and the purpose of finding God’s kingdom, we have more important things to think about than the day-to-day worries, that we all have. Longer Well, I know I’ve taken a bit longer than usual, but don’t worry, our heavenly Father will still get us home in time for Sunday Lunch.

Close I’d like to close with the serenity prayer, perhaps we could say this together. The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

References

https://www.rhynecats.com/notes/dougadams.html

https://www.pastorandpen.com/blog/2023/4/12/groaning-with-hope-romans-818-25

https://www.blog.desperatepreacher.com/sermonbuilder/Epiphany-A/8e/homily.htm

https://www.blog.desperatepreacher.com/sermonbuilder/newsermons/dealing_with_the_enemy_within.htm

https://www.praywithme.com/serenity-prayer.html

Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 10 p93, 94, 95

Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 8 pages 179,

 

https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/hope.html

https://www.careershodh.com/snyders-theory-of-hope/

https://genius.com/Bobby-mcferrin-dont-worry-be-happy-lyrics

 

 With thanks to Google's Gemini for the catroons

What do you want?

This sermon has not been preached.

Reading Isaiah 49:1-7; John 1:29-42

Prayer

Father God, open our hearts as we gather. Teach us to seek Christ with honesty and courage, and to follow where he leads, just as those first disciples did. Amen.

Prologue

Since Christmas, we have been looking in different ways at the start of Jesus’ ministry. John starts by telling his readers who Jesus is, then we watch as that becomes clear to the people around him, or they avoid the truth. The other gospels tell about Jesus’ beginnings as stories of his birth and childhood, and how he was recognised.

Introduction

All the Gospels mention John the Baptist to a greater or lesser extent. This morning we see John doing the job he was sent to do. That was to point out the Messiah to the people. John has disciples of his own, they have come to him to repent and be baptised. The act of baptising is what is going to reveal to him who the messiah is. He has seen the spirit of God come down and remain on Jesus, so now he knows. John’s job now is to send people to Jesus. He is not to hang on to his disciples, but to pass them on.

Calling Disciples

We are used to Jesus calling the disciples, perhaps by walking past them and saying ‘follow me’. That isn’t how it always happens. Here we see the new disciples being told to follow Jesus.

Lamb of God / light for the Gentiles

They are told he is the Lamb of God. John has already explained that the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

The title “Lamb of God” is found only in John.

I wonder if John’s disciples were aware of just how far that title went.

As we heard in the Isaiah reading:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

These were young men, with little eduction, so I doubt they would understand the enormity of what was happening. But like good disciples, they do as they are told and follow Jesus.

Follow

It’s quite difficult, I think, to get a proper picture of just what’s happening here.

They are at Bethany, on the other side of the Jordan. There are two Bethanys, so this is how this one is distinguished. John is there baptizing, so there are a lot of strangers about. People have come from far and wide to see him and be baptised, there are also a number of highly sceptical religious leaders. Jesus has also been baptised – that’s how John knows who He is.

These two are following Jesus, but it isn’t like someone following you down the High Street. The tone when you turn around and ask “What do you want?” is completely different. Their following is not creepy or threatening in any way.

What do you want?

Nevertheless, Jesus still has to turn around and ask them the question. “What do you want?”.

It seems a rather vague question. If I ask you, “What do you want?” I wonder how you’d respond.

“I want this sermon to end”

or perhaps it would be more philosophical

"I want peace of mind." or

“I want wars to stop”

Context

Without context, it’s difficult to know what I’m really asking. We all have so many different wants.

So let’s set some context to the question Jesus is asking. Firstly, remember that the two would be disciples have come to him at the direction of John the Baptist, so it is reasonable to assume that the context is within discipleship somehow.

Secondly, our translation does not help. The Greek word translated ‘want’, is more usually translated ‘seek’, which is true in most of the other places it is used in the NT, and also true of a lot of other translations of the Bible.

So, perhaps we can better understand the question as “What are you seeking?”, or “What are you looking for?”

If I was to ask you, “What are you seeking?”, I’m pretty sure that I’d get a very different answer. So, what are you seeking? – Think about that, while we hear what the two disciples said.

The Answer

If you thought the question was a bit vague, the answer will seem very odd indeed. They answer Jesus’ question with another question.

“Where are you staying?”

This is apparently a middle eastern way of saying that they want to get to know you better. So we might have said something like, “Can we be friends?”.

Although I don’t think I’ve said that to anyone since I was six.

What were they seeking?

It all begs the question, “What were they really seeking?” They had been followers of John, and therefore presumably baptised by him. So they understood that they needed to get right with God, and that was definitely something they were seeking.

The Messiah

Expecting the messiah and looking out for Him had become something of a national obsession with the Israelites at that time. They were desperate to get their country back from the Romans, as the oppression they perceived was getting worse and worse. For devout young men, this is also a priority.

Jesus invites them to where ever he is staying, and they spent some time with him. It’s 4pm, and the day, which starts and ends with sunset, is really nearly over. Sunset is around 5:30pm. I suppose talking with Jesus for an hour or an hour and a half is a pretty amazing experience.

Invite

Andrew was clearly impressed, so the next day he takes his brother Simon to meet the messiah. There is no evidence that Simon was one of John’s disciples, but judging by Andrew’s reaction, they were both looking for the messiah.

Simon → Peter

Jesus sees something in Simon, that he did not see in Andrew, and gives him the Aramaic name Cephas, which means Peter.

Our Seeking

Andrew, his friend and his brother were all wanting to find the messiah, but for those of us who have found Jesus already, there are also other things we can seek. If you haven’t found Jesus already, you may be seeking other things, that will ultimately lead you to Jesus.

Hidden, but not very well hidden around the church are six things that we might be seeking. If you could find them and bring them to me that would be very helpful.

Wisdom	James 1:5 — If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, … and it will be given to you.
Peace	Philippians 4:7 — “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Strength	Isaiah 40:31 — “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…”
Love	1 John 4:7 — “Let us love one another, for love comes from God.”
Guidance	Psalm 32:8 — “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go
Protection	Psalm 91:2 — I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Closing Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you asked your would-be disciples ‘What do you want?’. Today, as your disciples, we want you to draw us ever closer to you. Grant us wisdom to discern your way, peace to steady our hearts, strength to follow faithfully, love that reflects your own, guidance for each step, and protection in all we face. Send us out as seekers who have been found by you. Amen.”

A Fountain for the New Year

Preached at Anisha Grange on 11 January 2026 at 15:00 (not recorded).

Reading: John 7:37-44

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this new year and for your presence that is always with us. Open our hearts today to hear your voice and refresh our souls with the living water of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Introduction: The Promise of Something New

I know we’re almost 2 weeks into the new year now, but I think it’s still early enough to wish you all a “Happy New Year”. The new year is often a time when we reflect on the past year and decide that we would like to make some changes. This might result in a New Year's resolution. Maybe you still do that, or maybe you used to. The last one I made was years ago and is the only one I’ve ever kept. “No more new year’s resolutions”. That doesn’t mean that I don’t make changes in my life, it’s just that they don’t follow a calendar schedule.

Feast of Tabernacles

In our reading today, Jesus has been to the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s one of three Pilgrimage Festivals, where the Israelites were expected to visit Jerusalem. It is a seven-day harvest festival. One of the rituals is the water-drawing ritual. Fresh water was drawn from the Siloam Spring, located outside Jerusalem. Moving water, such as from a spring, was known as living water. As the flasks of water were brought into the Temple through the Water Gate, trumpets sounded fanfare. A priest would pour a flask of this freshly drawn water onto the corner of the altar, along with the regular morning offering.

The Invitation: "If Anyone is Thirsty"

At the end of the festival, picking up on the theme of living water, Jesus stands up and cries out: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink." The symbolism would have been obvious to them.

For us, perhaps think about a hot summer day after a long walk. There is nothing quite like a glass of cold, clear water. It revives you. It makes you feel human again.

Jesus isn't talking about a dry throat here; He is talking about a dry spirit. Sometimes, life can feel a bit "dry." We might feel lonely, or tired, or wonder what the purpose of this next year is. Jesus looks at every person here and says, "If you are thirsty for peace, if you are thirsty for hope, come to me."

You don’t have to be strong to come to Jesus. You only have to be thirsty.

The Promise: Streams of Living Water

He goes on to say something incredible in verse 38. "Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water." The word translated as ‘heart’ literally means ‘belly’, but if we used that, it would give completely the wrong idea. In our culture, the heart represents the centre of our being.

Notice He doesn’t say a "trickle" or a "drop." He says rivers.

In Ezekiel 47 there is a vision of a trickle of water leaving the temple. It becomes a stream then eventually a river of pure water that empties enough water into the Dead Sea, one of the saltiest places known. There is so much of God’s water flowing that the Dead Sea is purified.

Even if you feel like you don't have much to give right now, God’s Holy Spirit is like a spring that never runs dry. This means that in this coming year, we have a source of joy that doesn't depend on the news, or our health, or even how we feel when we wake up.

This "Living Water" is the Holy Spirit, that John says is promised in v39. It is God’s own presence living inside us, refreshing our hearts even when the world outside feels weary.

The Response: Who is This Man?

In the final verses (40-44), we see the crowd arguing. Some say, "He is the Prophet." Others say, "He is the Messiah." Others are sceptical because of where He came from.

They were so busy arguing about the details that many of them forgot to actually drink.

As we start this year, we don't need to have all the answers. We don't need to understand every mystery of the Bible or know exactly what the future holds. The question for us isn't "Can I explain Jesus?" but rather "Will I trust Him?"

A Prayer for the Year Ahead

As we head into this New Year, remember that we carry a fountain within us.

• When we feel worried: Drink from His peace.
• When we feel lonely: Remember His presence.
• When we feel like the "old me" is tired: Let His "Living Water" make us new.

God isn't finished with our story. Every morning is a new beginning, and His ‘living water’ is flowing today.

A Short Closing Prayer

Lord, we thank you for these dear friends. As we begin this New Year, refresh our spirits. When we feel thirsty for hope, remind us of your promise. Let your Living Water flow through our hearts.

Amen.

 

References 

 

John for everyone, part 1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot

The sermon was developed from a 'Gemini AI' script 

 

 

Reset

Preached at Christ church, Billericay on 4 January 2026 at 10:00

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW4Tstb0kFo, from 28:55 to 42:34

Prayer

Gracious Father, we come seeking your presence and your wisdom. Speak to us today, and help us to walk in the grace you so freely give.

New Year

Well, although it’s not our new year, the church year starts at Advent, it is still the civic New Year, so I should wish you all “Happy New Year”. The start of the new year can be a bit of a reset. As we reflect on 2025, and decide that we’re not going to do that again, or we need to do things better, or at least differently. This is where new year’s resolutions come from. It’s common to think of improving our diet, reducing alcohol, taking more exercise – which seems to be the cure for most of our ills, these days. Suddenly, people join the gym.

Perhaps you are going to try a spiritual reset. To try to read your bible more, or pray more.

Quit Day

The problem is these things rarely last. The second Friday of January is being called “quit day” (there’s already a TV advert showing a crowd of people leaving a gym). That’s next Friday, only 9 days into the year. Mostly, it’s better to change your habits when there’s something more impactful than a calendar date.

If you’re going to try a spiritual reset, the first ‘in-church’ prayer evening is next Wednesday at 7:45pm, two days before ‘quit day’.

Jeremiah

In the Jeremiah reading, the Israelites are in a bad way. Jerusalem has been defeated. They are tired and possibly injured by the war. They have been forced across the desert by their enemies. It has been a long and difficult journey. They feel abandoned by their God:

Psalm 137:4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?

Here, we see God is promising a return from exile. Not only that, but the return will be easy, as we see from 31:9.

They will come with weeping;
    they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
    on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,
    and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

The promise should reset their thinking, allowing them to focus more on the future than the past. They will still have a lot of thinking and praying to do as they try to understand the disaster that has befallen them. Their thinking has to turn from “why did God abandon us?” to “why did we ignore God and His love for us?”.

What it teaches us

The experience of the Israelites, is no different from the experience of so many people in our world today. Millions have been displaced by war, or famine. They will all feel abandoned, and will not understand the culture of the countries they end up in. They just want to go home and resume their normal life.

Gaza refugees

I was struck by the scenes of the refugees in Gaza when the fighting stopped. Endless streams of people, carrying what little they had left. Making their way along the wide dusty road, with piles of rubble, destroyed homes and businesses, on either side, heading back to their homes – if they even existed now.

Like the Israelites, they will face the painful work of rebuilding and re‑thinking their future.

John 1

John, on the other hand, doesn’t want there to be too much of a reset in people's thinking as they read his Gospel. Today we are looking at his prologue. John is setting the scene, and providing the context for the story of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.

Unlike the other gospels, where the question “Who is this man?” is slowly uncovered, John dives straight in.

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

So, Jesus is the Word, who was with God, and who was God. We see the beginnings of Trinitarian understanding here, though John’s main emphasis is on Jesus as Creator. Verse 3 links Him back to creation. All the “God said” verses in Genesis chapter 1 are Jesus, the Word creating everything.

That alone, is not enough, John also tells us that the Word has life, the implication being that all life comes from Him, and Him alone. His life is what gives us our ‘light’. The light Christ gives us is what awakens and shapes our moral conscience. It’s that quality within us that enables us, encourages us to do good.

As James 1 say

¹⁷ Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. ¹⁸ God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created.

Darkness

There is also a darkness inside each one of us, which again goes back to Genesis and the story of how sin entered the world. The darkness though has not overcome the light.

I remember being on a small, narrow gauge train. We were on the first carriage, sat sideways, back to back with the people on the other side. Maybe 8 to a carriage. The little diesel engine groaned as it took us into the mountain - up hill. The driver was telling us about the mining operation, and reminding us to keep our heads down. The miners had followed the seam, it was a bit twisty in the little tunnels. Then we stopped, and the driver told us that he was going to switch the lights off so that we could see the conditions the miners worked in.

It was completely dark. You couldn't see a centimetre in front of you. On the dashboard there was the tiniest dim red light. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The darkness had not overcome it.

John the Baptist

Next John introduces John the Baptist, so I’m guessing the people he was writing for will have heard of John the Baptist, and perhaps some of them were even following his teaching. John the Baptist was only a witness to the light, and that light, Jesus, was coming into the world.

He came to that which was His own – the Israelites, the descendants of those who had returned to Jerusalem and later been conquered again. They were now so far from really understanding God, that they did not recognise Him when He arrived. He was rejected by their religious leaders, well, most of them. To those who did recognise Him and welcome Him, He gave the right to become children of God.

Children of God?

If we choose to accept that right, it forms the basis of our relationship with God:

We can speak directly to God in prayer (Heb 4:16).

We are not condemned for our sins, but forgiven. (Ro 8:1)

We will inherit eternal life (Ro 8:17)

but the offer also comes with responsibilities:

Love your neighbour (Matthew 22:39)

Do justice and love mercy (Micah 6:8)

Forgive others (Matthew 6:14–15)

Care for the poor and oppressed (Isaiah 1:17)

Accepting that right, is a major reset in anyone’s life.

The birth

In verse 14 we are told that the Word, became flesh, this is as near as John gets to a birth narrative. Rather than concentrate on the baby, because that’s not really relevant to a prologue, we are told that the one and only Son, is full of grace and truth.

Grace

God has already been gracious in His dealings with the Israelites, He has given them the Law and the Prophets to guide them, but they have chosen to ignore both. Even when they suffered the consequences of their action, He rescued them and returned them to their land. Now there is more grace from God, as He sent His son to guide all people everywhere. This is not a reset in God’s thinking, this is part of His long term plan.

Reset

If we are going to take this opportunity to reset our thinking, to review our spirituality, to determine to go in a better direction, let’s remember the grace that we have been given, and determine to have that same grace with others that God has with us.

In 2025 the world seems to have become a darker place, with more wars and hatred. So, let us shine Jesus’s spiritual light on the world. We can either be a reflection of Jesus’s light, [Show a mirror] or we can be a refraction of Jesus’s light [Show 'Dark side of the Moon cover'], and just pass on some of what we receive. This light cannot be overcome, it will continue to shine however deep the darkness gets, until perhaps it is the only thing we can see.

Or, it could become so bright that it's the only thing we can see 

Amen.

References 

• https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/jesus-the-word-become-flesh-in-john-1/
• https://mypastoralponderings.com/2025/01/03/living-in-the-real-world-with-god-my-sermon-on-john-11-18-and-ephesians-13-14/
• https://www.mfbc.org/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Hand-Out-for-John-1.1-18-Sermon.pdf
• https://shortpowerfulsermons.com/john-11-18-in-the-beginning-was-the-word/ 
• https://biblehub.com/q/archeological_proof_of_israel's_regathering.htm
• https://biblehub.com/q/Archaeological_proof_for_Jeremiah_31_events.htm
• https://www.bibliaplus.org/en/commentaries/138/peter-petts-commentary-on-the-bible/jeremiah/31/7-14
• https://desperatepreacher.com/sermonbuilder/a_2c.htm
• https://desperatepreacher.com/sermonbuilder/newsermons/close_to_the_fathers_heart.htm
• https://youtu.be/5VJMgzvrTZA?si=d_Z5BxkJpkKBHV2m. The prologue 
• https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-of-christmas-3/commentary-on-jeremiah-317-14-10
• https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/31/3211800/0/en/Why-Most-New-Year-s-Resolutions-Fail-by-January-And-How-to-Make-Them-Stick-in-2026.html