Author: faithrootsdw

Can I make sure that I don’t commit the unforgivable sin?

I recently wrote about the question “Have I committed the unforgivable sin.”   We’ve been working through Mark’s Gospel at our church and I preached on chapter 3 where the topic comes up when Jesus talks about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  In that section, Jesus says: 28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be… Continue reading Can I make sure that I don’t commit the unforgivable sin?

A stupid and sickening response to the latest horrific shooting incident

This week brought the sad and horrific news of another terrible shooting at a High School in Texas with 19 children among those murdered. In the United States, there remains a strong pro-gun lobby and that includes many evangelical Christians.  This is seen by them as a freedom issue.  They rely on the second amendment… Continue reading A stupid and sickening response to the latest horrific shooting incident

My Prime Minister went to a party and all I got was this lousy windfall tax

You may have seen this headline on Wednesday morning. Now, there may be good reasons and bad reasons for introducing new taxes but surely doing so when it officially goes against your political instincts and possibly your economic judgement isn’t good at all. Cards on the table, my personal instincts are towards keeping the tax… Continue reading My Prime Minister went to a party and all I got was this lousy windfall tax

Have I committed the unforgivable sin? (Mark 3:20-30)

It’s a question that someone may well have asked you at some point.  Perhaps you’ve even asked it yourself. The possibility that I could commit a sin which puts me permanently and irreparably beyond God’s love and forgiveness is terrifying. To understand what Jesus means when he describes a sin which is unforgivable, we need… Continue reading Have I committed the unforgivable sin? (Mark 3:20-30)

The Motley Crew (Mark 3:13-19)

Mark now summarises the gathering together of Jesus’ twelve disciples.  He’s already begun to tell us about some of them. Back in 1:16-20, we have seen him call and commission the fishermen, Sim and Andrew, James and John.  They are told: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17 Jesus’ call… Continue reading The Motley Crew (Mark 3:13-19)

Protecting leaders from exhaustion

I recently saw the question asked “what can churches and pastors do to protect against burnout?”  As you know, I prefer not to use the term burnout as it is often used as a cover for all kinds of things including depression and anxiety. However, presuming that we are describing here mental and physical exhaustion… Continue reading Protecting leaders from exhaustion

Why we cannot stay silent when antisemitism turns up in church

Another day and another church scandal relating to an evangelical leader drops into the mainstream news. As with the recent abuse scandals, the Stephen Sizer case has been rumbling away within conservative evangelical circles especially on social media and blogs.  Like with the other cases, the frustration felt by those who have been campaigning to… Continue reading Why we cannot stay silent when antisemitism turns up in church

Living through economic hard times, a practical suggestion

One of the big fears at the moment is that we are about to hit a recession.  A recession is a period of time, technically a minimum of two quarters (6 months), when the economy shrinks.  A shrinking economy is likely to lead to significant job losses as businesses cut costs to survive. Meanwhile, some… Continue reading Living through economic hard times, a practical suggestion

Recognised by enemies (Mark 3:7-12)

We’ve seen that Jesus is getting a lot of attention.  Crowds are coming from far and near, Judea, Galilee and Idumea (Edom) are mentioned here. This is causing problems for him because as his fame grows so do the crowds and this means that his movement and activities are restricted.  We’ve already seen an example… Continue reading Recognised by enemies (Mark 3:7-12)