Tag: Preaching

‘…or Scythians.’  What the British Museum just taught me about evangelism

There is a small but astonishing exhibition at the British Museum at the moment, Scythians: Warriors of ancient Serbia. The Scythians were a wide-ranging group of aggressive tribes, nomadic because of the inhospitably of their land, and superb with horses.  They were also astonishingly artistic and superb at their craft: their abilities with gold and

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When the passage doesn’t produce a sermon – five useful questions to ask.

I took the passage to a local coffee shop, and watched the customers. What does this passage have to say to 21st century urbanites, most of whom gave up on the god-idea years ago? How does this prise open their questions, address their fears and hopes, shift their distracted focus onto Christ?

Seven steps to preaching a long biblical book (Jeremiah)

Let me ask you the obvious question: have you ever actually read Jeremiah? I don’t mean, have you read the famous bits, and I don’t mean have you read it sequentially in your quiet times over a series of weeks. No, I mean, have you read it, all the way through, in a sitting.

Me neither.

So, by way of going back to basics, here’s how I approached a whole book – by some estimates, the longest book in the Bible.

Beautiful ambition

Do you have a passion to see the lost found, and the found built up? Do you have a desire to see the gospel understood, churches planted, men and women converted, children growing in their faith, and for you to be playing a part in that for the rest of your life? Do you treasure your time in God’s Word, and love to see it opened among his people so they are dazzled by his wonder? Then you’ve identified what he means to aspire and desire this noble task.