Means and Ends

So, as we’ve seen, God does not treat the world as a tool to be used.  He’s not in the whole creation-salvation thing for what He can get out of it.  He’s in it in order to pour Himself out.  This is His glory – it is His eternal nature to love the other.  That’s what it [...]

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Seminars on the Word of Christ

Dave Bish has five seminars I gave to some UCCFers on Monday and Tuesday.  I had no idea at the time, but apparently they add up to six and a half hours! It was basically Three-fold Word stuff with some other teaching thrown in – Doctrine of God, Christ in Exodus, Trinity in Isaiah, David [...]

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The Threefold Word – Seminar part 2

PREVIOUS SESSION AUDIO FULL TEXT Christ must be proclaimed biblically. John 5:37-47 My job is not to speak about the bible. My job is to speak about what the bible speaks about. We don’t minister the word in order to give a “take home point.” We offer a take-home Christ! . Christ must be proclaimed biblically [...]

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The Threefold Word – Seminar part 1

AUDIO FULL TEXT HANDOUT PART ONE When I say “The Word of God” what springs instantly to mind? . Genesis 15:1-6 1 Samuel 3:1,7,19-21 Psalm 18:30 Psalm 33:4-6 Jeremiah 1:4-10 John 1:1-3 Acts 6:7; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20 1 Thessalonians 2:8-13 Hebrews 4:12; 13:7 . How do we make sense of the various ways “God’s Word” [...]

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Acts 6:1-7 sermon (and Walter Brueggemann video)

Here’s my Acts 6:1-7 sermon audio. But this two and a half minute video from Walter Brueggemann says what my sermon says far better and more concisely. My sermon text is below…

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Moving away from morsels

Last night we had a home group bible study with the folk who have graduated from Christianity Explored.  Here’s what we’ve been studying: Week 1: Galatians Week 2: Ephesians Week 3: Philippians Week 4: Colossians Last night was week 5:  Romans 1-4 (though we stopped at the end of 3 because everyone was blown away!) When [...]

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Original Languages

A couple of years ago I wrote about preachers disagreeing with the translation.  In comments I got asked about whether preachers should know (at least something of) the original languages of Hebrew and Greek.  Here’s what I said: I am not at all naturally inclined to study languages myself so I’m not writing as a [...]

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I’m tired of demolishing the sacred-secular divide: I believe in priesthood

Now that I have your attention… I’m getting very wary of arguments that run like this: “Hey man, we’re not medieval, we’re protestants, there’s no secular / sacred divide.  Therefore it’s not that everyone should join Navigators – they can join Goldman Sachs, it’s all equally cool.  Cos, hey, Genesis, the Lord is a worker [...]

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Woe to you when all men speak well of you…

A Letter of John Newton On the Snares and Difficulties Attending the Ministry of the Gospel: If opposition has hurt many, popularity has wounded more. To say the truth, I am in some pain for you. Your natural abilities are considerable; you have been diligent in your studies; your zeal is warm and your spirit [...]

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Is she a doubler?

Today I heard one more story of a keen young gospel soldier recently married.  From what I can tell the wife is feeling abandoned, isolated and increasingly desperate.  And the husband is pressing on in his ministry service for the Lord! If I had a minute with the young gun I’d ask him to read [...]

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Discover Cor Deo

Peter Mead and Ron Frost are thrilled to invite you to “Discover Cor Deo.”  (And Mike Reeves reckons you should go too!) Among other things Cor Deo runs a training programme in which a small group of men join the mentors for an intensive full-time programme of study and ministry. The first part of the [...]

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Good news for the poor

Social engagement or evangelism-only?  . What is the mission of the church?   Here are three factors that unnecessarily polarize the debate: . 1) We think in terms of church programmes.  We frame the whole debate in terms of how many of our 15 scheduled hours of church-run activity must be devoted to helping the [...]

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The Gospel and Social Action – Paul Blackham

This video is very well worth the ten minutes plus. .

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Happy Friday

Some great moments… From Justin Taylor .  

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Here is a trustworthy saying…

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…  (1 Timothy 1:15) It’s a wonderful motto for gospel ministry.  Here is the heart of all Paul does.  But when he relates it, he can’t help but add his autobiography ‘…of whom I am the worst.’ Some ministries are good on the first half of the [...]

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Successful and troubled

Thinking and preaching through 1 Corinthians recently, it’s so stark what a mixture the Corinthian church was. Successful and troubled.  Their congregation contains former male-prostitutes, idolaters, thieves, drunkards and swindlers (6:9-11).  What a work of grace to convert this lot from their dark past.  As this motley bunch meet together, called saints by the Father [...]

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Dan Allender – The Psychology of a Pooped Pastor

The Wounded Heart is my favourite Dan Allender resource. (see previous post).  But here’s one that’s $95 cheaper (i.e. free).  A talk entitled The Psychology of a Pooped Pastor His main point is that the problem is not Pooped Pastors but Pissed Pastors.  (By the way Mum, by pissed he means angry – it’s an [...]

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A theology of preaching – part 2

Go to theology network for the full paper on preaching.  I’ll post it here in chunks.  Be great to talk about it if you want to comment. The Speaking God Let’s begin at the beginning.  Our God is the Speaking God.  The eternal life of Father, Son and Spirit has ever been an out-going, communicative [...]

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