Category Archives: Uncategorized

When I was young, my sister and I used to make bread. Nothing fancy. Quite the opposite. This bread had no yeast. It was just flour and water made into small buns about the size of a golf ball, baked in the oven and only edible if eaten when hot. To be honest, the onlyContinue reading “Use the Yeast”

Last Sunday I went to visit at a church that I had not been to before. Afterwards I went back to the home of a couple of friends who are part of that church family and was treated to an excellent lunch and a very pleasant afternoon. As I sat in the church meeting, IContinue reading “Looking for Church”

You probably know the famous words in Isaiah chapter 54: “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; …. Isaiah 54:2-3 NIV One version has it like this: “Increase isContinue reading “It’s time to be flexible”

There we are. I’ve said it. Splanchnizomai! Something Jesus had in abundance. Something we could do with in abundance. What is it? It’s compassion. But as we shall see in a moment, it’s compassion with a twist. How did I get to be thinking about this, you may ask. Well a train of thought startedContinue reading “SPLANCHNIZOMAI….(splash-need-zum-eye)”

“Where in the world did the Church so often get the idea that from then on (from when we became Christians), it was all about being part of a nice Christian community, becoming nicer people and helping others” I wrote that sentence in last weeks blog. it is not a critical statement but a factualContinue reading “Not time to settle down”

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this or not, but the gospel of John is a re-write of the book of Genesis. The first three words of the gospel are a clue- “In the beginning….” We start with Sovereign God intervening in the world that He has made. The result of that intervention is aContinue reading “Choose the right Tree”

We are entering a new season. In the church, the whole church landscape, not simply the local expression that you might be connected to, things are changing. God is making the changes. Because He wants His Church back, to do with it what He wants. The days when we have Church for our benefit andContinue reading “Moving the pieces on the board”

Here’s a popular job interview question – “if you could live your life over again, what would you change?” The interviewer is hoping for a moment of honesty, where the candidate might share about something that went wrong in their (working) life and how they addressed the issue and how that reflects on their suitabilityContinue reading “A second attempt….”

When you read the title you maybe filled in the phrase with the words “that is higher than any other name” or perhaps some other words from the bible or from a song that you know. The Name of course is Jesus. I met Him when I was 28. I had heard about Him, butContinue reading “There is a Name….”

Have you ever had this happen to you – you wake up in the morning and within minutes a memory of an event in your life flashes across your mind. The event is not a positive one. You linger on the memory for a moment and the video begins to play. In a millisecond youContinue reading “Crushed before your cornflakes”

Ok then; you’re walking down the road and you pass a church. There’s a big notice board outside with a brightly coloured poster with the following message…. NEXT WEEK’S MESSAGE: HOW THEN SHOULD WE LIVE? – DON’T MISS IT What’s your reaction? “I wouldn’t miss that for the world; that’s going in my diary now”Continue reading “The rubber hits the road”

If you haven’t read last weeks blog. Understanding the gospel more…. it would help you to do that quickly now because this one follows on. You will remember that I asked you to imagine a family that were friends of yours, with 4 children living in a 2 bedroom dilapidated house, and to imagine that youContinue reading “Gospel = Good News = Freedom”

Imagine that a family that you cared for a great deal lived in an small and cramped house. They have 4 children and only 2 bedrooms, one bathroom and an outside toilet. The house is old, dilapidated, needs re-wiring and modernising. The roof leaks, there is no central heating and the garden….well….we’ll come onto theContinue reading “Understanding the gospel more….”

The truth is that for years I never understood the gospel properly. I was in the position that countless Christians are in; they are saved, they love Jesus, but they don’t fully understand the gospel and all of what Jesus has done for them. Let me tell you about my experience. When I was 28Continue reading “I didn’t understand the gospel fully!”