There are two surprising things in Luke 1. The first is that the Gospel and the nativity story starts not with Mary and the birth of Jesus but with another baby. It starts with the angel of God appearing to an aging priest called Zechariah and telling him that he and his wife Elizabeth will… Continue reading Where is the focus?
Category: Bible Study
Word
Here’s our latest YouTube video. This is part of our Advent theme “The Promise.” On YouTube, we are going to be looking at the first few verses of John’s Gospel. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
Confusing promises and the promise
One of the reasons people become disillusioned with God and walk out on church is that they believe that God has failed them, that he has let them down by failing to keep a promise. Now, if God has not kept a promise, then there are four possibilities, either God does not actually exist in… Continue reading Confusing promises and the promise
The Serpent Crusher
Do you trust people to keep their promises? It is almost a year now since we had a General Election in the UK, meanwhile the US have just had their presidential election. The politicians made all kinds of promises. Do you think they are keeping them? Of course apart from the promise to “Get Brexit… Continue reading The Serpent Crusher
Far as the curse is found (Deuteronomy 28:15-16)
We have seen that life in the presence of the living God is about blessing. In Genesis 1-3, this blessing is seen in terms of provision and protection for God’s people in the place he has given them. For Adam and Eve, that meant in the Garden of Eden. For Noah, this meant life on… Continue reading Far as the curse is found (Deuteronomy 28:15-16)
The Sweet Exchange (Reformation Reflections)
Sorry for the delay in getting this one out. Here’s the final in our mini series on justification and righteousness.
Every Blessing you pour out (Deuteronomy 28: 1-14)
I want to do two things before we delve into the detail of Deuteronomy 28 that will hopefully be helpful. First of all, I want to outline a bit more about what a Biblical Covenant is and where we fit into the picture. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. It usually includes long… Continue reading Every Blessing you pour out (Deuteronomy 28: 1-14)
How might the Psalms help us in our walk and worship?
Yesterday I wrote about why we do not need to sing the Psalms. In response, I’ve heard from people about how helpful they personally and their churches have found singing them. It is important not to confuse two things here. It is very different to say “you don’t have to sing them” to saying “you… Continue reading How might the Psalms help us in our walk and worship?
What do you see (Matthew 11:1-19)
What do you see when you look at the world around you? The chaos and uncertainty around a contested Presidential result? The devastation caused by a global pandemic. The ongoing climate change crisis? The division and hurt of racism? What do you see when you look at your own life? Weakness, failure, shame? The drudgery… Continue reading What do you see (Matthew 11:1-19)
The Curse
Covenant History blessed in God’s presence, cursed by exile from it To understand the Covenant ceremony, we need to go back to Genesis 1-3. God creates a good world and also plants a beautiful and secure garden for the first humans, Adam and Eve, to live in. Adam is commissioned to tend to the garden… Continue reading The Curse
