I’m following up on the discussion around TV and pastoral visits from the other day with some further thoughts, less to try and reach a definitive answer on the original question and more to work through some things that started to come out of the discussion. One key thing that I think came out of… Continue reading TV, culture and curiosity
Tag: questions
When Scripture asks the questions
Steve Kneale has written helpfully here about what to do when a Bible passage doesn’t seem to be answering your questions. As Steve observes, it can often be the case that the passage simply isn’t intended to answer the question that you and me are asking. Indeed, it may well also be the case that… Continue reading When Scripture asks the questions
Is it possible to know what happens after death?
Remember the social media thread I shared the other day about the supposed lack of curiosity from evangelicals and how we don’t have questions. Well, the follow on conversation was fascinating. As is often the case, people who insist that there is no place for certainty appear to become very certain about that. Take this… Continue reading Is it possible to know what happens after death?
Questioning curiosity
Here’s an interesting one. Jemar Tisby wrote: Now, perhaps ironically, that in itself raises a whole load of questions that his approving audience don’t seem to be asking. The first one is this.” How would people have reacted if we replaced the words ‘white’, ‘evangelical’ and questions’ in that sentence?” A second question would be,… Continue reading Questioning curiosity
Gospel touch points
What are the key things you would want to cover in a conversation about the Gospel with people in your local community? I would suggest that there are five things we would want to talk about in any given situation. Now, how we talk about them, and even the order in which we talk about… Continue reading Gospel touch points
Pastoral care – hearing and listening well
An important part of offering pastoral care is the need to listen and hear well. Here are a few further thoughts on this. Prepare well. Prior to meeting up make sure you are aware of what the context and purpose of your time together is. It is often helpful to have thought through some specific… Continue reading Pastoral care – hearing and listening well
Because I say so? -what should I do with my doubts?
In presuppositional apologetics[1] one of the key arguments deployed for why we can trust the Bible is the claims that Scripture makes about itself. The basis for this argument is tht at some point, we have to accept that there is a final authority, an ultimate arbiter on belief. The question is “who” or “hat… Continue reading Because I say so? -what should I do with my doubts?
Pastoral Apologetics
Pastoral Apologetics My approach to apologetics is founded in the assumption that most people are not asking the types of questions that philosophers are asking. They are not trying to work out if there are proofs that there is a God. We have been conditioned into thinking that this is a reasonable question to ask… Continue reading Pastoral Apologetics
Whose questions are we answering?
“Jesus is the answer” was a popular Christian poster back in the late 20th century. “But what was the question?” was an equally popular graffiti response. Now as it happens, I believe firmly that Jesus is indeed the answer to the questions people have and to the root problem behind every problem this world faces.… Continue reading Whose questions are we answering?
Giving advice
Here are some thoughts on giving advice and opinions, especially in a church context. The first thing to say is that it is best not to offer unsolicited advice, it is very rarely welcome. Indeed, often when people tell you something, they are not particularly looking for advice. They are looking for three things The… Continue reading Giving advice
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