This morning’s topic of conversation in the barber’s is whether the universe is expanding or contracting. Seriously. I’m out my depth, so is the barber, but it’s clear that the likes of Brian Cox have put the stars on the agenda. Being out of my depth means there’s lots of places we can’t go. I
Os Guinness told a tale of an earnest young apologist trying to convince a sceptic that Jesus rose from the dead. After hours of argument about bodies and empty tombs, the sceptic caved in. “OK, you’ve persuaded me,” he said. “Jesus rose from the dead. So what?” Apologetics is about much more than arguments over
I have a theory about why most sermons have three points. No, it’s not that two’s not enough and four’s too many. and it’s not to do with Obama’s ‘Rule of Three.’ It’s to do with the way we preachers work. You spend hours in a week staring at the Bible passage you’re preaching on,
Jim Collins was on top form at the Global Leadership Summit this summer. He summarised his new book, ‘Great by Choice’, which I strongly recommend. But at one point he did something disturbing for a Brit – he attacked one of our national icons. Robert Falcon Scott is one of our heroes. Undeniably brave, and
I’m writing this eating my breakfast on the train. Which means a cup of rather weak black coffee, and a carton of microwaved stodge. Which brings me to preaching. Because I reckon we’re serving up a lot of microwaved stodge from our pulpits, and letting ourselves off the hook by quoting a bible verse or
So, you preached your heart out last Sunday, and you’re revving your engine for the next one. Prayer and the Ministry of the Word are setting your agenda, and your next sermon is an essential part of equipping the saints for their work of service. The Greek New Testament is sitting there waiting to be
A confession – I got this wrong in the past. Language of ‘finishing the race’ and images of batons being passed lead me to read 2 Timothy 2:2 individualistically, as if Paul wrote ‘And the things you have heard from me pass on to someone faithful, just as I have with you, and so the
“I don’t know how the church has grown. All I’ve done is teach the Bible.” The wise old Christian leader looked genuine enough, but I’m sure he was harbouring a secret. But because he’s a model for younger church leaders, they are going to think that he’s telling them the truth, and start to think
A wise pastor friend pointed out to me, “You get what you teach.” Which means that if we preach that evangelism is important, but don’t do anything about it, then what we actually teach is that Christians are people who talk a lot about evangelism but don’t do anything about it. Which makes a lot
Molten metal, not sprayed all over the foundry, but poured, deliberately, carefully into each individual mould. That’s the logic for what different groups call discipling, or one-to-one, or personal work. A life-changing gospel directed into an individual life. The wider world uses a similar idea with ‘coaching’, which is good, but often has the idea
There are nearly sixty New Testament verses which are about what are to do for ‘one-another’. That’s sixty verses we cannot obey if we don’t do church properly. Our problem has often been in seeing church as an event, which runs for an hour and a half with precious little room for most people present
Someone recently decided not to join a particular church. When he was asked why, he said it was a ‘Mary Poppins church – every Christian was practically perfect in every way.’ True story. That’s a church where no-one is wounded, and where no-one applies the medicine of the gospel to those wounds. There is no
I have honestly wondered about putting preaching so high on this list. Because it is such a biblically valid expression of Ministry of the Word, that some people act as if it is the only sort there is. Which suffocates the church. But it is vital. It’s rather like oxygen: I need oxygen in order
Ever since the church growth movement highlighted that we need Celebrations, Congregations and Cells, and the historians pointed out that revivals in the church frequently accompany the rediscovery of small groups, churches have become used to having small group bible studies as part of their life. Here’s a secret: put pastors on a platform, and
A young conference speaker was once asked how he found time to do all his studying. The clear, loud voice of John Stott replied from the other side of the room, ‘He doesn’t find time; he makes it!’ The first time the apostles would have realised that their decision to delegate in Acts 6 had
What is the heartbeat of our ministry? And what does that look like in daily life and planning? In a short series, we’re going to consider the central element, and what that means. Acts 6:1-7 was a clarifying moment for the early church. Burdened by the demands of spiritual growth and physical need, their structures
Evangelicals, of all people, are thought to be grace-less and hard, where the people who have gone soft or even abandoned the doctrine of ‘grace alone’ are thought to be loving, kind and accepting.
Seeing the world upside down is helpful. Australians are warm, friendly people, but above all they are direct. They tell you the truth and expect you to respond with the same candour. Here are five truths that I received between the eyes: 1. Sometimes standing still is success. A man who runs a major Christian
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My final Moore lecture is here: ThePointoftheSword
