The weekly Sunday worship service at my church starts at 10am. Often about 30% of the congregation is actually there by 10am, rising to about 80% by 10:20. Some stragglers turn up as late as 10:45 on most Sunday mornings. Speaking to friends from other churches, I learnt that this kind of tardiness is not …
The Old Testament of the Bible is generally far less understood by Christians compared to the New Testament. After all, the New Testament is the climax, and we have letters which give direct teaching to us. Do this, think like this, avoid this. We know what to do with this kind of thing, while the …
Most Christian churches would claim to deliver sermons that are based on the Bible. Yet even a cursory listen of sermons from different places based on the same Bible are markedly different! Clearly what people mean by ‘Bible-based’ varies from place to place. Here are some ways you can work out if a sermon is …
In a world where ‘science’ is trusted implicitly, where actors in white coats sell us shampoo or convince us of the improvements in the latest vacuum cleaner, it can seem odd for someone to say that the Bible is true. Many just assume that science is reliable and true, and the Bible falls into some …
One foundational truth that the Bible teaches is that all people are made in the image of God. It’s right there in the first chapter of the Bible, in Genesis 1:26-27. This means that all people in some way are like God. An image of something in the ancient world could mean a statue that …
Even among Christians, the Old Testament is often feared and avoided. After all, in the gospels we can read what Jesus said and did himself, and in the New Testament letters we get great advice aimed at Christians. The Old Testament is full of laws, ancient history, and strange poetry. It might be best to …