Jesus famously said that those considering following him should first count the cost. His point was that they were going to face persecution and have to be willing to give up their life. They would lose friends and influence for the sake of the Gospel but the Gospel is worth it. Jesus’ words were not… Continue reading The cost
Tag: mission
Ephesians and mission
What does Ephesians have to say about the mission of The Church and our part in it? Well, to start with, it begins with the mission of God. It is the Father himself who chooses to love and bless us by seeking us out when we were far off, dead in sin, aligned with and… Continue reading Ephesians and mission
The Lord’s favour
We now arrive at one of those big hitter chapters in Isaiah, one of the best-known parts of Scripture and the bit that Jesus takes and makes his manifesto at the outset of his ministry. Having seen how Isaiah has built up to focus on the Servant as the one who ushers in God’s reign,… Continue reading The Lord’s favour
Why is Jonah in the Bible?
Our church are currently studying the book of Jonah on Sundays and in our midweek Life Group. It’s a fascinating story but unusual in the Bible in that it focuses not on God’s plan for Israel but takes the action many miles away to a pagan city. So why is it there and what is… Continue reading Why is Jonah in the Bible?
Saying goodbye to mum: Between joy and grief
On December 2nd at just around 4am in the morning, my mum went to be with her Lord and Saviour. It has been a roller coaster 10 days prior to this. Mum had gone into hospital the week previously for planned surgery knowing that at her age there were risks but confident in Jesus that… Continue reading Saying goodbye to mum: Between joy and grief
What shall we do with Halloween?
It’s strange isn’t it that October 31st has become quite the big deal in some ways, yet less so in other ways. In fact, that’s true of this time of year generally. Back when I was a child in the 1970s-80s, there were things that were big about late October/early November. Bonfire Night was fast… Continue reading What shall we do with Halloween?
Greed, taxes, values and vision
Yesterday I wrote about how Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng had got into trouble despite seemingly having a shared vision. To be absolutely clear, whilst I find politics and economics both very interesting discussions, my aim in that article and this isn’t to provoke debate on those two things but rather to try and suggest… Continue reading Greed, taxes, values and vision
Reflections on Commonwealth Games outreach
Just a couple of months back and it felt like the Commonwealth Games were going to go by pretty much unnoticed by Christians/churches. A few years back when the news first emerged that the games were switching from Durban to Birmingham, we had been asking the question “are there opportunities for churches to witness?” but… Continue reading Reflections on Commonwealth Games outreach
Recycling and making it hard for people to do what we expect of them
Apparently, Birmingham has the dubious honour of being ranked at the bottom of the recycling table with only 22.5% of waste being recycled. Having lived here for a month, I’m not surprised. Our recycling centre (what we used to call the Tip) is closed currently and our recycling is collected fortnightly. At least we know… Continue reading Recycling and making it hard for people to do what we expect of them
Travelling Light (Mark 6:6-13)
Jesus has called twelve followers to specifically be with him as disciples. The number twelve was symbolic. If he was the new king of Israel, then they represented the beginning of new Israel, twelve apostles for twelve tribes. Now, he sends them out. They become involved in his mission, apostles are those who are commissioned… Continue reading Travelling Light (Mark 6:6-13)
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