The big theme in Matthew 8 is “Faith”. There is a leper who comes to Jesus pleading to be clean and to be healed. A centurion comes and begs for his servant, many come to Jesus looking for healing. Finally, two demon possessed men are set free. However, in and among these stories of faith… Continue reading Fear and Faith in Matthew 8
Category: Bible Study
Health check (Proverbs 16)
Have you been for a health check-up recently? Eyes, teeth, heart … maybe the full MOT. How did you get on? Have you ever done one of those life check-ups? How’s your overall well-being? This isn’t just your physical health but how are you doing emotionally, is your life a success, what’s your status -financial… Continue reading Health check (Proverbs 16)
Belching (Proverbs 15)
Better out than in! The famous response to a good long and loud burp. Of course burps and other wind related emissions tend to be signs of a badly troubled digestive system! So I think we can easily get the point when the NLT colourfully renders Proverbs 15:2 as The tongue of the wise makes… Continue reading Belching (Proverbs 15)
Work Matters
I’ve been writing about the importance of rest over the past week or two but we cannot talk about rest without talking about work. It is that point which influenced my last article on the matter. In that article, I responded to a question about why we do not give enough attention to the part… Continue reading Work Matters
What is peace? (Ephesians 2:1-14 and Matthew 8:23-27)
A few years back I was thinking about the nature of church life. I came up with a brilliant phrase to describe it “Messy Church.” “Brilliant,” I thought, “I’ve even got a potential best-selling book title there!” There was just one problem -someone had already coined the phrase to describe midweek children’s and families outreach. … Continue reading What is peace? (Ephesians 2:1-14 and Matthew 8:23-27)
Home (Proverbs 14)
One of my favourite places to visit is Blenheim Palace. It’s an impressive tourist attraction, an elegantly designed building set in acres of beautiful parkland. As well as being a tourist attraction, it’s actually the home of the Marlborough family. However, a number of commentators have observed that it wasn’t so much designed to be… Continue reading Home (Proverbs 14)
Exploring Forgiveness and Repentance
I’ve been writing a little recently about forgiveness. It arises out of our recent studies from the Sermon on the Mount. It also relates to some other things I have written recently about our pastoral responsibilities to victims of abuse and to those accused. So, I was interested to see the other day that my… Continue reading Exploring Forgiveness and Repentance
Grace Culture – the importance of swift repentance and forgiveness
I believe that a grace culture is one where we are quick to seek forgiveness, express sorrow and repentance, to offer forgiveness and to seek reconciliation. This reflects the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount which is all about what it means to be saturated in God’s love and grace so that we enjoy… Continue reading Grace Culture – the importance of swift repentance and forgiveness
Truth (Proverbs 13)
Pinocchio is a puppet who just wants to be a normal boy. You’re probably familiar with the story. Whenever he tells a lie, his nose grows a little longer. Most of us probably wish that this would happen to the people we were dealing with. Then we’d be able to tell if they are telling… Continue reading Truth (Proverbs 13)
Discipline (Proverbs 12)
How do we respond to the challenges of circumstances around us? During COVID-19, I believe I’ve seen three unhelpful responses to circumstances. The first is to leap in and announce that this is a plague and therefore judgement from God. Usually, such firm pronouncements come with an opinion on the specific sin we have committed.… Continue reading Discipline (Proverbs 12)
