Category: Discipleship

Policing temptation with what we wear

Social media is a dangerous place to go if you are worried about causing offense. Twitter in particular is a place where the compression of communication can lead to a lack of nuance and much misunderstanding. Of course it works well if your desire is to be provocative. But plenty of pastors have come unstuck… Continue reading Policing temptation with what we wear

Singing Lessons

In recent posts I’ve suggested we might need to be cautious about the assumption that the 19th July will immediately inaugurate the return of full churches, no masks and a return to congregational singing. I suggested that an interim step might be to encourage different parts of the congregation to sing either a whole song… Continue reading Singing Lessons

The better prize

Football doesn’t matter. It’s just a game. Try telling that to those young lads who gave their all last night and finished the game, exhausted, drained, on the floor with disappointment.  Try telling it to Sanchez and Saka who must carry the emotional scars of having missed penalties in a major tournament final and perhaps… Continue reading The better prize

How to pray – Asking for help to know and do God’s will

I’ve been recording some little talks about how to pray based on the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6. Here’s the latest which focuses on the bit of the prayer which says “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” What and where is God’s kingdom? How do we do the will… Continue reading How to pray – Asking for help to know and do God’s will

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

The Goal

Before becoming a pastor, my role in industry was to do with process and system design implementation and improvement. One of the key thinkers or gurus in this area was a man called Eli Goldratt.   Goldratt wrote a book called “The Goal” which set out his thinking in the form of a story about a… Continue reading The Goal