Awakening to grace

Author Michael Jensen, explains how he came to discover amazing grace for himself…

My own awakening to free forgiveness—to God’s grace—came when was about 16 years old.

I am, as I said, the eldest son. And I was the eldest son of a ministry family. I went to church and Sunday school, and never really rebelled. I knew all the answers, and it was kind of nice being a bit of a specialist in at least one subject on the school timetable (I went to a church school).

I was not much of a rebel, at least not publicly or openly. Mainly, I wanted to keep the appearance of being onside with the whole Christian thing, and I wasn’t courageous enough to be defiant.... continue reading

I've got a friend who struggles with...prayer

I’m guessing it’s not just me. Most of us know what it’s like to be keen to pray for a while but then slump and find ourselves struggling to send up anything more intimate than a panic-laden arrow prayer when a crisis hits. But even though we know what it’s like to be there, many of us flounder when a friend asks us for help to tackle the poverty in their prayer life. Here, continuing our Wednesday afternoon pastoral series, are our tips on how to help someone get their praying back on track:... continue reading

If grace is free, is it worth anything?

In his parable of the pearl, Jesus wants us to think very deeply about what is precious to us.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. - Matthew 13 v 45-46

Imagine a merchant. His business is perhaps the sale of fine jewels and luxury goods. And he’s in search of fine pearls. Why? Because he is a merchant. He’s a businessman, looking to make a profit.

And make no mistake, pearls were the most precious jewel of the ancient world. The historian Suetonius, wrote that the Roman general Vitellius, emperor for eight months in 69 AD, financed an entire military campaign by selling just one of his mother’s pearl earrings.... continue reading

On to a Good Thing

1. Integrity ebook just £4.99 (50% off) until midday thursday

Get Integrity by Jonathan Lamb for just £4.99 here

2. Kevin DeYoung's reflections on his trip to England

In this article Kevin DeYoung shares some light-hearted and some more serious reflections on his recent trip tto England

3. Summary of all the books of the Bible in 20 minutes

Jason Derouchie and Andy Naselli walk us through the whole Bible in under 20 minutes.

4. Paul's Missionary Journeys Tube Map

A London Underground style map of Paul's missionary journeys as detailed in Acts 13 - 28.

5. What Not To Say to Someone Who's Suffering

A helpful article on what you shouldn't (and what you should) say to someone who is suffering.

6. And finally...

This week's video of the week, The Questions Christians Ask Trailer

Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk

If Jesus died for my sins, why do I still feel guilty?

As Christians, we need to take the truth of what Christ has done for us and apply it to our own experience, so that we believe it in our minds and feel it to be true in our hearts. Sometimes we know in our heads—Christ has paid for all our sins and I’ve been forgiven—but we don’t feel it. Having faith means believing this is true and enjoying the grace in which we stand. And we need to be specific in applying it to ourselves.

If you feel guilty, ask God by his Spirit to put his finger on the particular sin. Confess that sin to God and turn from it. Acknowledge that Christ has died for that sin and thank God for that. Take a Bible verse about what Christ has done and take God at his word. Ask God to help you feel that truth applied to this particular sin.... continue reading

Integrity ebook - 50% off until midday Thursday

How many times do we read of a political scandal? From Profumo to Sarkosi, it's been going on for years! In the celebrity world, people promise much and deliver little. Many in public life appear to be one thing but underneath lies a different story. We put our trust in many people of different types in various parts of our lives and in return I guess expect an honesty and openness, an integrity consistent with their position. But that doesn't always happen, does it? So why is integrity so rare?

In his book Integrity, Jonathan Lamb examines the issue in key Bible passages and interweaves them with examples from everyday life. Whether in responding to criticism, exercising authority, coping with failure, handling money or struggling with personal weakness, this book is a call to live consistently in the light of gospel priorities. Only then will our lives speak authentically to a sceptical world.

Read more HERE and get the ebook for just £4.99 until midday on Thursday. Simply use code inte0214 at the checkout.

Why we need the cross

If you did a street survey asking people what the cross means to them, unless they’ve just stepped off a passing spaceship, most would still get the link with Christianity. But beyond that it’s anybody’s guess. For some, the cross is just the Christian equivalent of the Golden Arches on a McDonald’s restaurant—an easily recognisable logo stuck on buildings to tell you where to find a church, if you’re that way inclined.

For others, it’s a cool design to have tattooed somewhere on your body, alongside a yin-yang or your star sign. Or a lucky charm to hang round your neck, bringing good fortune and warding off any vampires who happen to be in the neighbourhood.... continue reading

Getting the heart of the gospel crystal clear

Questions we have to focus on as Christians can come and go. When a major disaster happens somewhere in the world, we find ourselves talking about God and suffering. When a question about a moral issue comes up, we find ourselves needing to articulate and defend the Bible's teaching on it to a sceptical and hostile society.

But some questions never go away for believers, because they come from the heart of our faith in Christ. That's why I'm delighted to have been part of pulling together the two latest books in the Questions Christians Ask series - because they aim to bring clarity and understanding to two subjects at the epicentre of the Gospel: the cross and forgiveness.

And having clarity on these areas of understanding is not simply an exercise in orthodoxy. Both authors introduce their books by showing that understanding properly what God has done in Christ on the cross; and what God's grace in Christ really is, have a huge impact on every area of our lives. Here are some thoughts that resonate many believers:

• "I know the gospel, but why does my heart feel so cold towards God for so much of the time?"
• "I know I'm forgiven, but I'm still plagued by a sense of guilt over things I've done in the past"
• "How can I grow more spiritually?"
• "What does it mean to become properly Christ like?"
• "How can I get out of the spiritual rut I’m in?"
• "Does God really love me?"
• "How can I grow more spiritually?"
• "Is God really going to accept me when I die?"
• "Where can I find the power to change?"

The great news is that all the answers to these common experiences can be found when we focus on properly understanding the cross of Christ and God's offer of grace to us in the gospel.

For the rest of the week we'll be running extracts on the blog from both books. We hope these tasters lead you to bury yourself in these subjects, and grow in your confidence and assurance as a follower of Jesus.