Rev. Craig Lynn preaches 2 Samuel 19:8b-43 at evening worship on Sunday 14th June 2026 in First Ards.

David begins his return to Jerusalem after Absalom’s rebellion has collapsed. But his homecoming isn’t simple or triumphant. The kingdom is unsettled, former rebels are afraid, loyal servants are wounded and old divisions remain. Through Shimei, Mephibosheth and Barzillai, we see three different responses to the returning king: guilty people seeking mercy; wounded people loving the king more than his gifts; and faithful people serving quietly. But David’s return also exposes the limits of his reign. His mercy is imperfect, his justice incomplete and his kingdom still divided. This passage points us beyond David to Christ, the true returning King, who brings perfect mercy, perfect justice and perfect peace.

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Luke 11:14-26 at morning worship on Sunday 14th June 2026 in First Ards.

Jesus reveals that the world isn’t spiritually neutral. When he drives out a demon and restores a man’s speech, some are amazed, while others accuse him of working by Satan’s power. Jesus shows that the kingdom of God has come in him: the stronger man has arrived to overthrow the strong man. This passage warns us not to settle for respectability, religion, or an ordered but empty life. The real question isn’t whether we’re impressed by Jesus, but whether we’re with him. Christ alone conquers evil, forgives sin, fills empty hearts by his Spirit and makes sinners his own.

David Logan preaches Romans 5:1-8 at evening worship on Sunday 7th June 2026 in First Ards.

Christian hope isn’t wishful thinking, it’s a certain hope grounded in what Jesus has already done. Because we’ve been justified by faith, we have peace with God and can rejoice in the hope of His glory. That hope is also a living hope, strengthened even through suffering as God produces perseverance, character and deeper confidence in Him. And it’s an overflowing hope, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit so that it spills out in worship, encouragement, service and witness. The church becomes “the hope on earth” as God’s love in Christ becomes visible through His people.