Pastor Martin

Emma’s got some Reformation Day Lutheran gold here.  Which reminds me of these, also from his Galatians commentary: “The genius of Christianity takes the words of Paul “who gave himself for our sins” as true and efficacious. We are not to look upon our sins as insignificant trifles. On the other hand, we are not [...]

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Creation to New Creation – Bible Studies

I just discovered these again, having written them ten years ago.  It was back before we knew the dangers of Comic Sans font, so please forgive me.  I post them here, more for my own filing than anything else! Study 1 – Creation Study 2 – Fall Study 3 – Incarnation Study 4 – Cross [...]

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Happy Reformation Day

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A couple of King James articles what I wrote

Here’s one for IDEA magazine: What is the most famous verse in the Bible? Think of your instinctive response. Was it John 3:16 by any chance? If so, we may have understood the Bible and our faith too narrowly. Consider these contenders for the mantle of ‘Most famous Scripture’: “By the skin of my teeth.” “No [...]

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Some thoughts on our ‘personal problems’ [repost]

1) This is the occasion for change not the reason for change. It’s great if you’ve come to some sort of crisis moment.  It’s good that you want to change.  But you ought to know that this is the struggle of your life. I don’t mean: This is the struggle of your life.  I mean: This is the struggle of [...]

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Happy Friday

Here’s my Friday challenge.  Resist the urge to watch the whole thing….  

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Christianity is identical with the religion of the patriarchs

Dan Hames eats patristics for breakfast, that’s why he glows with an ancient and other-worldly glory. He passed this onto me today from his studies in Eusebius.  This is from Timothy D. Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius, 1981, p. 126–127 ‘Christianity, for Eusebius, was not a new religion but the primeval religion from which the traditional religions of [...]

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Outgoing 7B – Buried part two

Outgoing – Session 7 20 October 2011 Buried – part two Audio Full Text Powerpoint We’re enslaved to our passions:  Ephesians 2:1-10 In Adam we are dead, dominated and damned. Sinners are as open to the gospel as Lazarus to Christ’s word! . In what ways are we free? In what ways are we enslaved? [...]

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Outgoing 7A – Buried part one

Audio Full Text Powerpoint Outgoing – Session 7 – 20 October 2011 Buried  RECAP:  Since God is Giver – what is sin? Sin is not receiving Sin is not about behaviour, it’s about being. .   Common Objection: “Sounds like I’m born sick and commanded to be well. How is that fair?” . THIS WEEK:  [...]

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Empty Chair Leaves a Hollow Feeling

Daniel Blanche has some excellent thoughts on the empty chair at the Sheldonian Theatre tonight. Any temptations to gloat (and I have plenty) surely come from a deep insecurity over the self-evident Lordship of Christ.  An insecurity which philosophical arguments will not assuage but foster. Go and read Daniel’s blog.

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My new favourite painting

Many more by He Qi here. And here’s why I love it.    

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Clear Your iPods – Here Comes the Good Stuff

Mike Reeves at Transformission Today - thanks Bish for organising and making available! 1.Who is Jesus – is your God Jesus-less? 2.What has Jesus done – do you really know the gospel? 3. How does Jesus really feel about you? Also – Mike at New Word Alive 2010 Matters of the Heart 1 – How to enjoy [...]

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3-2-1 Evangelistic Outline

Kevin De Young’s set out a ‘Christian Worldview’ summary which is hung on four pegs: 1-2-3-4. The idea inspired me to have a go at my own: 3-2-1. Three – Jesus keeps talking about His Father and the love they have shared before the world began. And He does everything in the power of the [...]

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Outgoing 6 – What kind of gospel?

Audio session 1 Audio session 2 Text session 1 Text session 2 Powerpoint Outgoing – Session 6 – 13 October 2011 Dead RECAP:  Our God is more wonderful than we can imagine! . Therefore, what is sin?  Discuss . “The Fall” is living apart from the Life-Giving God . The Head takes creation with Him [...]

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Happy Friday

Christ the Truth – your ‘go to’ source for incisive political comment…   More bad lip-reading here. And you have to love John Clarke and Brian Dawe… More from them here.

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We don’t need better preachers… [repost]

We don’t need better preaching, we need a better gospel. Yes I’m being provocative and hyperbolous.  Let me remind you that this is a blog. What I mean is this: there’s a lot of focus on becoming better preachers.  The real need is to preach a better gospel. These thoughts were prompted by a Spurgeon comment [...]

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Wolves in wolves clothing

The Episcopal Church of the USA versus the Anglican Church of North America as told by Mollie Hemingway of the Wall Street Journal (via Gene Veith). When the Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, N.Y., left the Episcopal Church over disagreements about what the Bible says about sexuality, the congregation offered to pay for [...]

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Evidence for God – William Lane Craig Lecture this afternoon

This lunchtime (1245 in the UK) William Lane Craig will give a lecture entitled “The Evidence for God.”  You can watch it live here.  His other engagements in the UK are listed here. UPDATE: Apparently the video will be here in the next few days.  In the end I didn’t get to hear more than [...]

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