Author: faithrootsdw

Three anxieties

Is it a sin to be anxious  or is it simply a mental health condition that you don’t have control over? I’ve heard both extremes.  In the church we often emphasis the former whilst it is increasingly the norm to hear people saying “I have anxiety” and using that as a reason not to be… Continue reading Three anxieties

Walking away from gossip and slander

In a recent study of Romans 6, I talked about sanctification and how we are tempted to see the Gospel in the following terms. I enjoy sin, it brings me pleasure but at a great cost, the penalty of death. Christ pays that price so I am free from hell but in return he expects… Continue reading Walking away from gossip and slander

Maybe we can sing a bit sooner …

This is a postscript to yesterday’s post about singing. No sooner was it up on the blog to read and the Welsh Government changed the dynamics a bit. They put out new guidance allowing for congregational singing. There were specific conditions attached including thorough risk mitigation and guidance about the prevelance of the virus in… Continue reading Maybe we can sing a bit sooner …

Cornerstone: From rejected to chosen (1 Peter 2:4-10)

Here’s the outline for my sermon at West Smethwick Congregational Church last Sunday Introduction Our context   Pandemic Increasing hostility to the Gospel local church feeling small and fragile Personal challenges  Big Picture … an Exodus/exile people (1:1)  But chosen and called by God to be different and distinct from the world around them. It was… Continue reading Cornerstone: From rejected to chosen (1 Peter 2:4-10)

More on slaves and the slave trade

Earlier this week in our #TheDailyDose talks I looked at what Paul had to say to Timothy about slaves and masters (1 Timothy 6:1-2).  You can listen back here. As I explain in the talk, the Bible’s handling of ethical questions around keeping and trading slaves has wider implications.  If the Bible permits slavery but… Continue reading More on slaves and the slave trade

When will we sing again?

Churches were looking forward to June 21st because we hoped that the final lifting of COVID restrictions would include removal of the requirements to socially distance, wear face maks and abstain from singing. I was never convinced that we would see all of that happening, I’ve heard people persistently push on social media and in… Continue reading When will we sing again?

Hope in the midst of disappointment

I mentioned in a previous post about how God’s Word acts as the VAR that revises our otlook on what we are seeing and experiencing. This week has not been a good week for hope. We should have been preparing for the final lifting of restrictions this coming Monday. Instead we are likely to be… Continue reading Hope in the midst of disappointment