When the people came to John to be baptised, he insisted that they showed the fruit of repentance. When Jesus came to Zacheus’ house, he ensured that he give back to those he had defrauded and then to the poor. In Ephesians 2, we are told that we are saved by grace for good works.… Continue reading The fruit of repentance
Category: Discipleship
How do we help people bring their lives into the light?
I’ve been reflecting a little more on the topic of brining our lives out into the open and into the light. Luke 8:16-18 says: 16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in… Continue reading How do we help people bring their lives into the light?
Buried he carried my sins far away
It’s a line in the hymn “living he loved me”. The chorus goes Living he loved me, Dying he saved me, Buried he carried my sins far away. Rising he justified, freely for ever. One day he’s coming, oh glorious day. I’ve written recently about life between death and resurrection. I’ve talked about the way… Continue reading Buried he carried my sins far away
Jeff the low stakes prophet
I recently saw this video from Lutheran satire. Here are some reflections. First the video may play into a stereotype of Charismatic prophecy, people talking to their experience and with it the status of their ideas, with a “thus says the Lord”. Now, it is fair to say that I have encountered people who either… Continue reading Jeff the low stakes prophet
When Saturday comes: between death and resurrection
One of the themes we recently picked up on over Easter was that the whole of history is death and resurrection shaped because it is centred on, points to and is shaped by the death and resurrection of Jesus. This means that our lives are death and resurrection shaped too. This is both in the… Continue reading When Saturday comes: between death and resurrection
Forgiveness: Can I forgive someone who has not repented?
Here’s my response to a question I’ve seen asked recently.
What is fasting really all about? Should Christians fast or not?
We are just over a week away from Easter. In some church traditions, the period leading up to Easter is meant to be marked by fasting during Lent. Similarly, of course, Advent would have marked a period of fasting up until Christmas rather than an excuse for a daily chocolate! Now, I’m from a background… Continue reading What is fasting really all about? Should Christians fast or not?
What you really should be saying to me about regular Bible reading
I’m not quite sure why Ian Carmichael picked on me in particular in his article about poor Dave who gets asked about what he’s learnt from his Bible reading recently. As it happens, I enjoy reading, both my Bible and other books. I suspect “Dave” is being used as the typical church member. There after… Continue reading What you really should be saying to me about regular Bible reading
The problem with seeker senstive church
The other day I responded to the question about whether or not we should be making it harder or easier for people to join our churches. I argued that it was both yes and no. In so doing, I mentioned that the “high bar”/”make it harder” approach had originated really in rection to “seeker sensitive… Continue reading The problem with seeker senstive church
Do we need ‘less Bible’ in our Youth Ministry?
Robin Barfield writes in Evangelicals Now, asking if we have too much Bible in youth ministry. There are some reasonable questions in the article and it’s worth a read. Specifically, the central point is true, it is too easy for us to be on “transmit” to the point that we don’t listen and we don’t… Continue reading Do we need ‘less Bible’ in our Youth Ministry?
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