Bible teaching from Coleford Gospel Hall

Mark Hill opens with Luke 15 to consider the parable of the younger son who chooses independence from his father. By taking his inheritance early, the son creates distance and ends in destitution, feeding swine and craving husks. Mark uses this to ask whether listeners are spiritually lost or dead, stressing that the son’s own decisions brought separation.

Paul Young opens with 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 1-12, urging believers to walk, please, and obey the Lord. He presents the Christian life as a deliberate progression towards Christ’s likeness, rooted in moral necessity rather than optional choice. Using an illustration about a misunderstanding of faith and work, Paul Young stresses that salvation by grace must show itself in daily conduct. The introduction frames the passage as a call to abound in holiness, love, and honest ambition.

Malcom Horlock opens with Psalm 123, contrasting it with the familiar Psalm 23 to direct attention upward rather than backward or forward. Using the song of ascents as a pilgrim’s hymn, he explores how God’s people, beset by ridicule and contempt, turn their gaze to the one enthroned in the heavens. The structure of the psalm and its keywords - eyes, graciousness, and being filled - underline utter dependence on divine favour.

Mike Packer opens with Psalm 121 to explore what God offers, contrasting modern inward focus with the biblical call to look upwards. Drawing on the image of pilgrims climbing towards Jerusalem, he describes longing and fear, then points to the Lord as maker of heaven and earth. Personal testimony illustrates how trust in God brings release from baggage and assurance of care.

Eric Bermejo exposits Psalm 110 as a compact Old Testament blueprint for the Messiah, reading the psalm and demonstrating how it sketches both a photo‑fit of the Messiah and the stages of his programme. He surveys how the New Testament uses Psalm 110 (Matthew 22, Acts 2, Hebrews 1 and 10, Philippians 2, 1 Corinthians 15) to confirm six vital truths about Christ: his deity, incarnation, atoning death, resurrection and ascension, priestly perfection and promised return.The sermon mixes careful biblical exposition with memorable illustrations and pastoral application: harvest stubble in Spain, royal protocol at Buckingham Palace, a settee in the kitchen and the image of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. Eric urges listeners to preach and live the whole gospel, not just personal salvation, emphasising that resolution of the world’s ills depends on Christ’s dealing with sin and the fulfilment of his messianic reign. The talk is structured around six truths drawn from verse 1 and closes with a call to proclaim the kingdom hope now.

Michael Browne opens the fifth book of Psalms with Psalm 107, highlighting its structure around the number four. He stresses that the redeemed must speak of their salvation, noting that a godly life alone is insufficient without testimony. The sermon outlines four vivid pictures of distress - desert wandering, bondage, sickness, and storm - each met by God’s deliverance and a call to praise.

Eric Parmenter expounds Psalm 104 and the opening of John to show that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting Word who is God, Creator and the light of men. He offers close exegesis of John 1:1–18, relates the Word to creation (Colossians 1, Genesis), and affirms the Son's eternal deity (Hebrews 1) and life-giving role.

Eric Parmenter opens with Psalm 104 as the song of creation, contrasting its movement with the stillness of Genesis 1. The psalmist’s soul blesses the Lord through sweet meditation upon Jehovah as sovereign Lord, whose greatness and glory are revealed in majesty and light. This meditation centres on the Creator rather than the works themselves, leading to the New Testament revelation that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Jehovah, the one who created and sustains all things.

Glyn Davies preaches on the priesthood of Christ as presented in Psalm 110 and Hebrews, showing how the Lord uniquely combines the offices of prophet, priest and king. Drawing on the figure of Melchizedek and Psalm 85, he explains how Jesus reconciles righteousness with peace and mercy with truth without compromise, having paid the price on the cross.The message emphasises the practical outcome of that priesthood: because Jesus became man and was tempted yet without sin, he is able to sympathise and intercede. Glyn urges listeners to come boldly to the throne of grace, to rely on Christ’s ongoing intercession and to find mercy and help in times of need.

Ian Rees preaches through Psalm 73, unpacking Asaph’s struggle between the declared truth that God is good to his people and the upsetting sight of the wicked prospering. He traces the psalm’s shape - truth, trouble and triumph - showing how Asaph’s honesty about envy and near-stumbling leads to a decisive turning point when he goes into the sanctuary and sees things from God’s viewpoint.From that vantage point Ian draws out the consequences: the ungodly follow a slippery path that ends in sudden judgment, while the godly inherit God’s presence, guidance and eternal portion. Practical application presses believers not to envy the world, to draw near to God, to trust his counsel (Psalm 73:24) and to remember the ultimate difference between fleeting prosperity and lasting glory.