I argued in a previous post that when looking to see if a church is healthy, there is one essential, governing mark presented in the Bible and that is love. A few years back, Mark Dever wrote “9 Marks of a Healthy Church.” In it he proposed a list of marks that were important to… Continue reading Healthy Church – marks that flow out from the one mark (love)
Category: Discipleship
Rival Kings (Matthew 2:1-12)
Herod saw Jesus as a rival to his power. However, Jesus was the rightful king and Herod was no match for him. We can allow idols to become rivals for our affection for Jesus. These can be things we enjoy like food, relationships, sport etc, good things like going to church, serving, charity or things… Continue reading Rival Kings (Matthew 2:1-12)
What does the Bible say about giving?
The Prosperity Gospel deal is that if you give the right amount of money to the right pastor and he gives it the right blessing then you will be blessed in your personal finances. In other words you should tithe. I think that well-meaning Evangelicals come unstuck on the question of tithing. Or to go… Continue reading What does the Bible say about giving?
So should we talk about money in church?
There are all sorts of reasons why, as a pastor of a church in urban Britain I feel uncomfortable talking about money and particularly about giving. These include It’s just not the done thing in polite circles! To an English man, talking about money is like talking about politics and religion. I can’t avoid one… Continue reading So should we talk about money in church?
The Scandal of the Evangelical Heart
In 1994, Mark Knoll wrote “The scandal of the Evangelical Mind” in which he protested at what he perceived as a lack of willingness to think deeply and carefully among evangelicals. He identified an anti-intellectualism within our movement. Rachel Held Evans became a notable doubter/sceptic of evangelical faith and in 2013, she wrote: The questions… Continue reading The Scandal of the Evangelical Heart
Do we have grace?
I first heard of Vernon Higham when Wesley Aiken, pastor at Rochester Baptist Church came back from a holiday. Higham had been the visiting speaker at the church where Wesley’s family went on their holidays. Wesley described this frail elderly man taking to the pulpit and preaching a gospel sermon about the grace of God… Continue reading Do we have grace?
False teachers, abusers and cults (2 Peter 2:10-16)
I’ve spent some time on Faithroots talking about the problem of abuse and bullying in the Church. This has been in response to some very public scandals in the last year or two relating to high profile church leaders and organisations. It also relates to things I have observed more widely in church culture. High… Continue reading False teachers, abusers and cults (2 Peter 2:10-16)
Putting God First
What do you put first in your life? It might be job, education, your football team, your family. Many of you will say “I want to put God first.” But what does that mean? It might mean some sacrificial decisions, perhaps a willingness to give up your job and comforts for full time Christian work.… Continue reading Putting God First
Meeting “The One”
The other day as part of #AfternoonTea, we talked about relationships and the question of “Is there the one?” In other words, does God have one specific and ideal partner in mind for you who will complete you in every way. In classic style, I responded with the good old “No and yes.” Now that… Continue reading Meeting “The One”
Victory and the Church on Display (Sealed with the Spirit Part 4)
In the fourth part of our look at the work of the Holy Spirit, how we know him and experience his work in our lives, we complete the background look at the context of Ephesians 1:13 which talks about being sealed with the Spirit. The goal of the Holy Spirit is to enjoy God (himself)… Continue reading Victory and the Church on Display (Sealed with the Spirit Part 4)
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