Layers of tradition have both elevated Mary in an unscriptural way and partly obscured the New Testament picture of her. In this series from 1981, Dick seeks to restore the original painting by removing those layers and examining the biblical record in Luke's Gospel. In so doing, he discovers something more wonderful still, transcending even the loftiest of traditions. 

The first two chapters of Hebrews introduce key themes of the letter: the final word of God and the finished work of Christ. The knowledge of God has been mediated through human writers and language; angels have also played their part. Finally, God has spoken and acted through his Son. What then is required of us now?

In this extended lecture given to the St Helen’s staff team, Dick approaches one simple question from several different angles. Why did Paul write to the Colossians? Why is his letter in the New Testament? And what is its message to us today?

Dick’s purpose in this talk series is to discover the structure of John’s Gospel and how it carries the message of the book. Aimed in the first instance at the Bible teacher, it lays out foundations on which a sermon series can be built, starting with the towering Christ of the prologue.

Jeremiah 2:1–19 laments the spiritual decline in Israel following the brief high point of Josiah's reforms. In this short series, Dick explores the contemporary application of the passage to us today. As knowledge of the real God gives way to empty religion and worldly ideology, how can the decline be reversed?

Why were the Pharisees so opposed to Jesus? Mark 7 reveals that the answer lies deep in Jesus' diagnosis of the human condition, a state so dire that only the costliest action could cure it. Religion was impotent and hostile to God’s word. But how is that ancient conflict relevant today?

The 'lost and found' parables of Luke 15 form an excellent starter text for Bible teachers. They encapsulate important facets of the gospel and biblical theology, underlining the seriousness of sin, the value of all human life and the unfathomable love of the heavenly Father who seeks to rescue the lost.

Do humans hate God? Surely, at worst, they just don't care? Expose them to the claims of Christ, however, and a deep-seated antagonism, previously hidden, will often surface. Only a miracle can turn hatred into love—and that can be wrought only by the God who is love.

1 Timothy is said to be about details of church order. But in this series on the first seven verses of chapter 2, Dick shows that these details are, in themselves, only of secondary importance. They all serve one overarching divine purpose, unique in its nature and universal in its scope.