Tag: The Gospel

Did the Archbishop preach the Gospel?

Before the funeral, there was a lot of talk about the fact that 4 billion people would be listening in and the responsibility therefore on the shoulders of the Archbishop of Canterbury to “hot it out of the court” and “smash it” by giving people the Gospel, full barrels. I must admit that I’m a… Continue reading Did the Archbishop preach the Gospel?

The Queen’s last lesson

There’s been a lot of talk about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon at today’s funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Some people have expressed hope that he’ll really hit home with the Gospel.  Others have expressed the same but with a strong conviction he will fail and almost a desire to see that happen. … Continue reading The Queen’s last lesson

Worth doing twice (Mark 8:1-7)

Sometimes I wonder what tone Mark expects us to read different episodes from his Gospel in and where the emphasis is.  I imagine that 8:1 is meant to sound something like: “and the people ran out of food AGAIN.” We’ve been here before, and at first sight it looks like Galileans were poor planners.  This… Continue reading Worth doing twice (Mark 8:1-7)

Why not have a look at First Look with some friends this Autumn?

First Look is a resource available from Faithroots that introduces participants to the life, miracles and message of Jesus over four sessions culminating with his death and resurrection. It’s based on the eye-witness accounts that Luke’s Gospel introduces us to. The four parts are How can we know about Jesus? Who is this man? What… Continue reading Why not have a look at First Look with some friends this Autumn?

God’s Growing kingdom (Mark 4:26-34)

The imagery throughout Mark 4 is centred on this small seed which gets planted, buried in the ground and begins to grow. Yes there’s this period of time when it’s hidden from sight, when n-one knows what happens, yes there are the obstacles: birds, rocks, thorns but growth and fruitfulness is inevitable. That’s what we… Continue reading God’s Growing kingdom (Mark 4:26-34)

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?

Healthy Biblical Counselling

In previous articles I’ve shared my concerns regarding some aspects of Biblical Counselling. Some approaches lead you towards what risks being harsh and legalistic counselling. This arises out of an assumption that we can resolve a problem by identifying and stopping the sin that caused it. This leads, in my opinion to a shallow engagement… Continue reading Healthy Biblical Counselling

Can I say to an unbeliever “God loves you?”

At least one pastor on social media doesn’t think so. This raises some interesting questions. The first of which is can we through a quick scan through Acts draw such a dogmatic conclusion as that the apostles “never” did something. Interestingly, if we are looking for examples from New Testament narrative, my friend -and experienced… Continue reading Can I say to an unbeliever “God loves you?”

The advanced training every pastor needs

I’ve just been on a training course for three days up in Manchester. It’s quite a bit of a sacrifice for a proud Yorkshireman to be that side of the Pennines but also to be spending time away from home. The course was to do with providing coaching for church planters. So, on the one… Continue reading The advanced training every pastor needs