It’s a question that someone may well have asked you at some point. Perhaps you’ve even asked it yourself. The possibility that I could commit a sin which puts me permanently and irreparably beyond God’s love and forgiveness is terrifying. To understand what Jesus means when he describes a sin which is unforgivable, we need… Continue reading Have I committed the unforgivable sin? (Mark 3:20-30)
Tag: Biblical Studies
How do we approach studying Mark’s Gospel?
It is possible to work through the Gospel in one of a few ways. This might include Picking up a number of themes and tracing them through the Gospel as a series of sermons on The Kingdom of God, The Son of Man, Suffering and the Cross etc. A longer and detailed series might have… Continue reading How do we approach studying Mark’s Gospel?
Some big themes in Mark’s Gospel
Kingdom The theme of God’s kingdom is significant to all of the Gospels but particularly stands out in Matthew and Mark. Matthew refers to it as The Kingdom of Heaven, this links to a Jewus reluctance to even speak out God’s name so that other words are used in place of “God” or “YHWH.” Heaven… Continue reading Some big themes in Mark’s Gospel
The nature and purpose of Mark’s Gospel
It is worth thinking a little bit more about the nature and purpose of the book by considering its style and structure as well as comparing it to other examples of literature both ancient and moder. This will help us consider how we should approach it in terms of preaching and teaching. One recent obsession… Continue reading The nature and purpose of Mark’s Gospel
Mark’s Gospel – a bit of background
Over the next couple of months I’m going to be working through Mark’s Gospel here. This coincides with a teaching series that our church are doing on the book but I also hope that the resources will be helpful to others seeking to read or teach through the book. Often it is impossible to cover… Continue reading Mark’s Gospel – a bit of background
Remember
One of my favourite Old Testament books is Deuteronomy. Towards the end of our time at Bearwood I had the opportunity to teach through the book with the team. Here’s the initial guide to teaching the book with a focus on the first 11 chapters and some example talks. I’m hoping to update this to… Continue reading Remember
Contextual visions and dreams
If you’ve not had chance to yet, do have a listen to last week’s Faithroots Podcast where I was talking to Jonny Mellor of Church Central and Sputnik. Jonny helpfully gets us thinking about the way that Christians should engage with the arts and culture generally. In the conversation we talk about Daniel as a… Continue reading Contextual visions and dreams
Return of the King -download
I love the book of Revelation. The imagery in the book is vivid, the plotline exciting and this book keeps pointing to our certain hope in Christ and the wonders of future new creation. However, it’s an often misunderstood and misused book. Revelation has become the scene of many unseemly scraps between Christians becoming dogmatic… Continue reading Return of the King -download
Blessing from nowhere
I was talking with my friend Dan James about sermon he was preparing for his church on Haggai 2 the other day and was struck by something fascinating. Have a look at Haggai 2:10-19. What stood out to me was verse 19: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree,… Continue reading Blessing from nowhere
A small matter and a heart matter (Romans 2:14-21)
It has been a contentious week when it comes to identity and status. Did you pick up in the Meghan and Harry interview that so much of the fall out between the Sussexes and the Royal Family (not forgetting the media and the UK in general) was to do with the status of their son… Continue reading A small matter and a heart matter (Romans 2:14-21)
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