I have heard people say that they don’t feel that they feel connected to the local church family that they go to because there is no-one there who is like them. Perhaps this could be said by a young person in a church mainly populated by middle-aged or older believers. Perhaps this could be said …
If you asked someone who was not a Christian to describe what Christians are like to you, you would get a range of answers. On the negative side, some might say that we are hypocrites or bigots or judgemental. On the more positive side, others might say that Christians tend to nice or friendly or …
All Christians and churches are keen to see people become Christians. We plan and pray for evangelism. We get trained in basic gospel outlines to help people understand who Jesus is and why they should care. And we celebrate when someone professes faith or is baptised. That’s all great! Yet let’s think about the next …
The instruction in Colossians 3:5 is a quite unusual one to our ears. We are to put what is earthly to death. When those words turn up in other places in the Bible, they usually mean what they literally say, to kill something or someone. But here the idea is not literal but is just …
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 …
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 …
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 …