Author: faithrootsdw

Sealed with the Holy Spirit

Sealed with the Spirit A few articles back I began an in depth look at the work of the Holy Spirit. This was prompted by a provocative article by Matthew Mason where he argued that Conservative Evangelicals suffer because they lack a functional doctrine of the Holy Spirt and a meaningful experience of him. I’ve… Continue reading Sealed with the Holy Spirit

#Coronavirus – why do the rules have to be so strict?

You are driving down the street and you see one of those road signs, it has a red outer circle and on the inside it says 30. What does the sign mean? That’s obvious isn’t it? It means you could probably get away with driving at 40 miles per hour! There is something about our… Continue reading #Coronavirus – why do the rules have to be so strict?

Justice and Salvation (2 Peter 2:4-10)

Introduction Last time, we saw that we have to be on the look out for false teachers.  However we also saw that despite their sneakiness and arrogance, false teachers cannot avoid God’s judgement. However, how can we be sure that they will receive justice and how can we be certain that in the meantime and… Continue reading Justice and Salvation (2 Peter 2:4-10)

If it feels like excommunication, you are probably doing it wrong

At the start of the Coronavirus lockdown when we began discussing what we should do as churches, one of the main areas of debate was about whether or not we could and should still share the Lord’s Supper (communion). All sorts of reasons were given on both sides of the debate. As you know, I… Continue reading If it feels like excommunication, you are probably doing it wrong

Learning the wrong lessons: virtual church and remote pastoring

What happens to church during lockdown?  There are essentially * answers to that question Option 1: Physical gathering never mattered much, the spiritual was always what mattered and therefore virtual online church is great. It is at least the equal if not better than physical gathering in buildings. Option 2: It is impossible to physically… Continue reading Learning the wrong lessons: virtual church and remote pastoring

Assurance and Security – Can I be sure I am saved and can I lose my salvation?

In today’s “Afternoon Tea” session we were talking about assurance. We had a couple of questions about salvation. “Can I know that I am genuinely saved?” and “Is it possible to lose your salvation.” When we are talking about these questions we tend to use two terms. Assurance is about knowing for certain that I… Continue reading Assurance and Security – Can I be sure I am saved and can I lose my salvation?

Learning the Wrong Lessons: Lies damned Lies and Statistics

Every day brings more news about new coronavirus cases and a rising death toll.  The figures are put under intense scrutiny. Questions being asked are Is the rate of infection increasing or slowing? Is the figure accurate, does it confuse those who die from an illness with those who die with?  Does it include all… Continue reading Learning the Wrong Lessons: Lies damned Lies and Statistics

Rest: Sabbaths, cycles, recessions and plagues

I remember listening to a lecturer at University argue that you could track world economic activity against 50 year cycles. Each cycle would include a period of growth and a period of decline.  He argued that in fact there was little that government intervention could do to change the overall direction of things. In his… Continue reading Rest: Sabbaths, cycles, recessions and plagues

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Whilst working through Mark’s Gospel in early 2015 at Bearwood Chapel, we kept coming  back to some questions that followed a theme: “What stops me?” “What stops me from seeing God for who He is?”                                                                   “What stops me from worshipping?” “What stops me from truly knowing God?” “What stops me from trusting and taking God… Continue reading Who is the Holy Spirit?