For many people in the 1950s, smoking and drinking a lot of alcohol was just normal. It was what everyone did. All the celebrities smoked; all social events centred on alcohol. No-one yet knew of the risks of these behaviours and the damage they were causing to their bodies. If you were to ask someone …
It is common for people around us to say that all gods are the same. Or to broaden it beyond actual gods, whatever you choose to live for is fine. You do you. Yet even a cursory glance at this idea will reveal that not all gods are the same at all. As one psalmist …
When we are trying to communicate the Bible to people, we need to consider both sides of the bridge. Firstly, and most importantly, we need to understand the word of God well, spending time and effort in understanding what God is saying in this particular passage. And secondly, we need to understand the people being …
Preachers need to think about a lot of different things. It is hard work to interpret and explain God’s Word faithfully and well. A great deal of theological training goes into teaching the original languages, theology, Bible interpretation, and church history. All of this is critical. Yet preachers also need to consider how to connect …
Most Christians are used to listening to sermons, but how well do we really listen? I have had the privilege of growing up in church and often attended multiple services when I was younger. I have probably listened to at least a couple of thousand sermons in person, not counting conferences and online listens. On …
We all know that we should be reading our Bibles. We know it is important for us. Yet it can seem like a chore at times. Like taking medication, which we know we might need, we do it but don’t always enjoy it. It is good for us, but it is not always fun. Compare …
The Bible is a big book, and we live in an era where most people do not read big books. While the literacy rate is very high in most countries, our attention is drawn in so many directions and fractured in so many ways that focussed attention on one book seems so difficult. It’s not …
Happy new year! A new year always makes us think of new possibilities. Perhaps you are making plans for the new things you want to do this year. Perhaps you have made new year’s resolutions. You might have signed up for that gym membership, enrolled in that new course, or decided to try a new …
The world seems out of control right now, don’t you think? There is a war in the Ukraine that has now dragged on for a long time. The Middle East, which is often unsettled, seems more divided than ever with active war zones in different places. There are countless refugees stranded from their homes around …
I read a lot of books, and this has been a year particularly full of reading due to my Sabbatical mid-year. I have found that the act of reading longer-form pieces of writing like books is revolutionary in a world that is full of swiping from 10 second video to 10 second video. Having to …