Far as the curse is found (Deuteronomy 28:15-16)

We have seen that life in the presence of the living God is about blessing.  In Genesis 1-3, this blessing is seen in terms of provision and protection for God’s people in the place he has given them. For Adam and Eve, that meant in the Garden of Eden. For Noah, this meant life on… Continue reading Far as the curse is found (Deuteronomy 28:15-16)

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?

Does the Bible talk about money more than it talks about love, heaven and hell?

The short answer is “No.”  If it did, then you would notice it as a recurring theme when you are part of a church where expository preaching is practiced.  You would either notice that the preacher kept, accurately and transparently showing how the text applied to your wallet, or you would wonder why the preacher… Continue reading Does the Bible talk about money more than it talks about love, heaven and hell?

The Prosperity Problem

We know there’s something bad out there called “The Prosperity Gospel.” We know it’s bad because most preachers and pastors will quickly tell us that it’s wrong and that they don’t teach it. However, I’m not sure that we quite grasp exactly what the problem is. The risk then is that we can end up… Continue reading The Prosperity Problem

All Our Sickness … All our Sorrow

All our sickness, all our sorrowsJesus carried up the hill.He has walked this path before us,He is walking with us still;Turning tragedy to triumph,Turning agony to praise,There is blessing in the battleSo take heart and stand amazed.[1] But he was pierced for our transgressions;  he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement… Continue reading All Our Sickness … All our Sorrow