Sermons
Sunday, 1st March, 2026
The Induction of Reverend Jeryl Bayona.
Our service today was led by our Moderator, Rev Bryan Pickard. Rev Paul Kerley, the South East Baptist Association Regional Minister conducted the actual induction, and the address was given by Rev Dr Myra Blyth, Tutor in Pastoral Theology at Oxford University.
The Induction is in two parts:
Rev Dr Myra Blyth reflects on the brilliance of the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mt Horeb and the darkness of crucifixion on Mt Calvary. Both events show God’s glory but in different ways. The glory of God cannot be contained and spills out through all the earth:
Sunday, 22nd February, 2026
Our service today which was to be led by Gareth Woolcott, had to be cancelled at short notice due to a power failure at the school. We were unable to access the entire site.
Sunday, 15th February, 2026
Our Pastor, Jeryl Bayona asks the question, “What changes when God reveals Himself to us?” Jeryl brings Matthew 17 v 1-13 and 2 Peter 1 v 12-21 to life.
Sunday, 8th February, 2026
Sue Cunningham is our speaker this morning and brings a message of love from Judges 3 v 12-30.
Sunday, 1st February, 2026
Our Pastor, Jeryl Bayona leads our worship this morning and poses the question, “What does life with God look like?” Jeryl opens up the scriptures in Psalm 15, Micah 6 v 1-8, 1 Corinthians 1 v 18-31, and Matthew 5 v 1-12.
Sunday, 25th January, 2026
We welcome back Phil Cook from Lancing Tabernacle for our service this morning. Phil brings a timely and challenging message from Nehemiah 2 as we consider, Investigation, Cooperation and Determination in our call to be spiritual wall builders where God has placed us.
Sunday, 18th January, 2026
Our pastor, Jeryl Bayona, brings affirmation from Genesis 16 and Psalm 139 that ‘God knows and sees each one of us’.
Sunday, 11th January, 2026
We welcome back Erik Cornellise from Eastbourne. Erik brings a word for the New Year from Matthew 13 v 44 -46 and encourages us to start digging for hidden treasures!
Sunday, 4th January, 2026
We welcome our new pastor, Jeryl Bayona, who conducts his first service as minister of Downs Baptist Church. Jeryl brings a new year message from Mark 4 v 35-41 entitled, ‘When the waves rise.’
Sunday, 28th December, 2025
No recording today as we held an open communion service.
Sunday, 21st December, 2025
Rose Barden, one of our Deacons, leads our Carol Service. Below are three short snippets of our family time together as we celebrate the wonder of the Christmas story:
Sunday, 14th December, 2025
Gareth Woolcott, one of our Deacons, leads an All-Age Nativity Service this morning For a flavour of our time together, Gareth brings a short talk where he asks whether we would prefer to be a shepherd or a wise man!
Sunday, 7th December, 2025
Richard Brunton from Living Hope Ministries is our speaker today. In the first recording, Richard brings us an update of the ministries work. The second, focussing on the dreams of Joseph in Matthew 1 and 2, Richard teaches us that dreams are important.
Sunday, 30th November, 2025
We welcome back David Wise from Shoreham Baptist Church. David brings a message of hope from Isaiah 52 v 13- 53 v 12 for the 1st Sunday in Advent.
Sunday, 23rd November, 2025
Sue Cunningham is our speaker and brings a powerful message on the meaning of the “Grace” in 2 Corinthians 13 v 14 and of which we have become very familiar within our services today.
Sunday, 16th November, 2025
We welcome back Lloyd Cummings, Head of Mission at Brighton and Hove City Mission (BHCM) who reads the whole story of Jonah and brings a message encouraging us to ‘Go’!
Sunday, 9th November, 2025 – Remembrance Sunday.
Maeve Whitchurch is our guest speaker this week and brings a message from James 1 v 19-27.
Sunday, 2nd November, 2025
Sue Cunningham, one of our members, is our speaker today. Sue’s focal point is the story of David and Saul in 1 Samuel 23 v 24 – 1 Samuel 24 v 22 culminating in Psalm 57.
Sunday, 26th October, 2025
Jeryl Bayona returns for a third visit, this time with his family, and is ‘preaching with a view’ to becoming our next pastor.
Jeryl’s message focuses on humility and he connects scriptures from Psalm 65, Joel 2: 23-32, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 and Luke 18: 9-14.
Sunday, 19th October, 2025
Today, Gareth led an Open Communion Service. It was a lovely family time of sharing answers to prayer, praise and intercession.
Two passages of scripture were shared which you might like to meditate on over the coming week.
1 Peter 5 v 5-7 – Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Psalm 62 v 1-2 – Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I shall never be shaken.
Sunday, 12th October, 2025
We celebrated Harvest today and our gifts will be given to the Woodingdean Food Hub. Mike Cabe from CAP (Christians Against Poverty) is our speaker and brings a message entitled “The Jesus Way”. Half way through Mike’s message is the audio from the latest CAP video.
Sunday, 5th October, 2025
We welcome back one of our former pastors, Graham Horsnell who leads the Deanland Wood Park Community Church in Hailsham. Graham brings a message based around Acts 2 and 4 entitled “Day by Day”.
Graham’s message is split into two parts as we are unable to record a video audio due to copyright licensing regulations.
Sunday, 28th September, 2025
Gareth Woolcott, one of our Deacons is our speaker today and brings a message from 2 Corinthians 4 and James 3.
Sunday, 21st September, 2025
Jeryl Bayona returns for a second visit and leads our service today. Jeryl’s speaks from Psalm 139, affirming us all that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and gently encouraging us to do our best with what we have been given.
Due to an unforeseen power failure to the recording device, the last part of Jeryl’s message is missing and so there is a summary below:
Insights from Jeryl’s last visit to us: Speaking about DBC:
- Jeryl felt God was saying, “you can’t say it in words, but you really want to serve God!” We were encouraged to be ourselves and to serve Him with what we have. God has a purpose for each of our lives.
- “This is a singing church.” We were encouraged to keep it going and not to fake it. Some people enjoy singing and some just like to listen but are taking it in. God is gracious. Just do it, as God is worthy of our worship and praise. Jeryl’s studies have shown that those that truly worship remember more of the message!
Sunday, 14th September, 2025
We welcomed back Erik Cornellisse. After the tragic events in Utah this week, Erik brings a message focussing on Hebrews 13 v 8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.”
Sunday, 7th September, 2025
Sue Cunningham is our speaker today and brings a lovely message based on verses from the Psalms entitled, The Hand of God.”
Sunday, 31st August, 2025
We welcomed Jeryl Bayona from Oxford for his first visit to DBC. Jeryl brings a message entitled ‘Confidence to Care’ and brings thoughts from Psalm 112, Hebrews 13 and Luke 14.
Sunday, 24th August, 2025
Graham Dawson from Holland Road Baptist Church was our speaker. Graham brought a very thought-provoking message from Matthew 18 v 21-35 – The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.
Sunday, 17th August, 2025
Jac Parsons, our former Moderator, is our speaker today. Jac brings a very practical word from the Feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14 v 13-21), about us making a difference by using what we have to serve God.
Sunday, 10th August, 2025
Today we welcome back our missionary friends Dave and Anna Garlick from Mano y Mano ministries in Ecuador. Dave brings an update on the work in the first audio clip and preaches from 2 Corinthians 5 v 14-21 in the second. Dave’s message is entitled, “a Focused Centre.”
Sunday, 3rd August, 2025
We welcome back to DBC, Steve Wood, who brings some very interesting insights on the significance of a donkey in the story of Jesus coming to Jerusalem as king on that first Palm Sunday. Steve’s passage is from Matthew 21 v 1-11.
Sunday, 27th July, 2025
Gareth leads our All-age service based around 1 Timothy 6 v 17-19, where we get to think about “What is treasure?”
For a flavour of our time together head to:
Sunday, 20th July, 2025
Sue Cunningham, one of our members, focuses on Jesus, the Lamb of God. Sue’s chosen reading is John 1 v 29-34.
Sunday, 13th July, 2025
David Wise from Shoreham Baptist Church joins us today and brings a message from Psalm 90 encouraging us to “number our days” and make every day count!
Sunday, 6th July, 2025
Our Moderator, Bryan Pickard is our speaker today and brings a timely word from Ezekiel 47 v 1-12 and inspires and encourages us to believe and trust the Lord for more!
Sunday, 29th June, 2025
Rob Brand, one of our Deacons leads our service this morning. Rob brings a very interesting, informative and interactive message as he focuses on how people in this country perceive Christians and Jesus.
There are a some spaces during Rob’s message so please bear with the recording. You may find it helpful to engage with his teaching by having a piece of paper and a pen ready to think about the questions posed.
Sunday, 22nd June, 2025
We welcomed back Richard and Elaine Brunton from Living Hope Ministries. Richard gives an update on the work and speaks on 2 Corinthians 2 v 1-17.
Sunday, 15th June, 2025
Gareth Woolcott led our Fun Day Service focusing on the story of Jonah where we all thought about second chances!
For a flavour of our time together, head to the recording below:
Sunday, 8th June, 2025 – Beach Service
Our service was not recorded this week as we decamped down to Rottingdean Beach for our annual Beach Service.
Sunday, 1st June, 2025
We welcome back Graham Jefferson who brings a really practical message from Acts 1 v 1-11 on being His witnesses.
Sunday, 25th May, 2025
We welcome a former pastor of DBC to our service this morning – Graham Horsnell. Graham speaks about anxieties and worry and takes Psalm 55 as his passage.
Sunday, 18th May, 2025
Gareth leads our Open Communion service this month and shares a few thoughts from Psalm 91:
Sunday, 11th May, 2025
John Cassé, one of our members, leads our service this morning. John brings a message from Acts 8 v 1-8, 26-40 about Philip the evangelist.
Sunday, 4th May, 2025
Our Moderator, Bryan Pickard returns to bring a church update and also a message from Psalm 46.
Sunday, 27th April, 2025
We are joined this week by our friends from Seaford Baptist Church – Tom and Rosemary Batts, who lead our time of worship, and Roger Case who brings a message encouraging us to focus on the One who is in control (Psalm 29).
Sunday, 20th April, 2025
Gareth leads our All-age Easter Sunday celebration. Part of the service has been recorded for a flavour of our time together:
Sunday, 13th April, 2025
Jez Taylor from Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne joins us today and brings a message for Palm Sunday from Matthew 21 v 1-11 focusing on Jesus, the King that gives, the King that knows and the King that rescues.
Please bear with the recording as we experienced some intermittent interference this morning.
Sunday, 6th April, 2025
Maeve Whitchurch joins us again this Sunday and brings a different perspective on the parable of the Good Samaritan. It really set us all thinking!
Sunday, 30th March, 2025
We welcome back Erik Cornelisse who brings an engaging message for Mothering Sunday as we focus on two mothers – Jochebed and Mary.
Erik’s message has had to be recorded in two parts :
Sunday, 23rd March, 2025
David Wise is our visiting speaker this morning. David continues our series on the parables of Jesus and brings a challenging message on the parable of the shrewd manager from Luke 16 v 1-13.
Sunday, 16th March, 2025 – Unfortunately due to some technical issues, we were unable to record Bryan Pickard’s message. Our sincere apologies!
Sunday, 9th March, 2025
We welcome back Graham Jefferson to DBC this morning. Graham brings a word concerning encouragement – what it is, why it is necessary and how we can encourage one another. There is a pdf sheet below that you can print off and complete while listening to Graham’s message if so desired!
Encouragement worksheet – Graham Jefferson 09.03.25
Sunday, 2nd March, 2025
Sue Cunningham is our speaker this morning and brings a message from Psalm 104 v 10-24. We can learn a lot from the birds!