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Legalism – Small Group discussion

Here’s a study/discussion I put together. There are some scenarios for you to work through at the end to help you think through some practical implications. Some may seem a bit far fetched, though they are all probably more realistic than we might wish. Each will help us to think through a practical example of… Continue reading Legalism – Small Group discussion

Your sermon was too short

I saw a quote the other day “If you have a 4 minute sermon, speak for 4 minutes. Don’t waffle for 40 minutes.” There’s good advise there. One mistake we can make as preachers is to go on for too long. We can go on beyond the attention span of the congregation but we can… Continue reading Your sermon was too short

Now I am your child ….

One of the greatest risks to God’s people is amnesia, that we forget what God has achieved for us and who we now are. When we do this, then we are prone to the subtle and seductive charms of those who claim to be offering a better deal. A look at the text (Read Galatians… Continue reading Now I am your child ….

Preachers – don’t over apply

Preachers tend to fall for one of two dangers. Either we can focus so heavily on the exegesis and exposition of a Bible passage, we make very clear what it means but we forget the application. It’s all very interesting but it doesn’t really land in a way that is practical and relevant to the… Continue reading Preachers – don’t over apply

The Archbishop, The Prayer and The Father

Over the weekend, the papers reported that the Archbishop of York was questioning the words of the Lord’s Prayer as “problematic.” The Guardian wrote “The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be “problematic” because of their patriarchal association.”[1]… Continue reading The Archbishop, The Prayer and The Father

Women and men – are there responsibilities the other way?

Bear with me, I’m about to step into a potentially explosive minefield. If there’s anything that is likely to cause a lot of heat on social media it’s someone writing about how people dress and act. A little while back a pastor went on a bit of a rant about women wearing yoga pants (leggings… Continue reading Women and men – are there responsibilities the other way?

Build this house

This week’s #FaithrootsPodcast on 1 Chronicles 17. Arks, Temples, Priests and Kings in a post exile Judah Key dates David’s idea (v1-2) Nathan corrected (v3-15) “David’s house will be everlasting, ultimately secured in God’s love. The future of David’s kingdom would be wholly different from the uncertainty and disaster that befell Sau’s reign.”[1] Key things… Continue reading Build this house

Regression – Galatians 4 overview

Paul develops the theme of Law’s temporary responsibility by fleshing out the image of a guardian that looks after the young child. During childhood, it is impossible to tell the difference between children and slaves, both are restricted, both under compulsion, both unable to make decisions for themselves. In other words, prior to the coming… Continue reading Regression – Galatians 4 overview

The Truth about Cats and Dogs

This was the opening illustration and title of a series of talks I did for a church on the weekend away several years back. I asked the question “What is the difference between cats and dogs”. There are two answers. The first is : When you welcome a dog into your home, feed it, provide… Continue reading The Truth about Cats and Dogs

Brothers and sisters in Christ

I want to spend a bit of time here talking about how men and women should relate to one another in God’s family and I specifically want to put the focus on how men relate to women. Regular readers will know that I’m a complementarian. This means that I believe that men and women are… Continue reading Brothers and sisters in Christ