Jesus is the name he received at that first Christmas—and it’s a name that is wonderfully familiar to us. And yet, the New Testament also speaks in at least three other places of Jesus receiving another “name.” So what is this name—and how might it breathe fresh life into our worship of Jesus this Advent season?... continue reading
Work— like many other things in life- is a means of finding happiness. It’s designed by God and is a good thing. It’s a good hook for the right things, but too weak to hold our hopes for total happiness.... continue reading
Somehow our awareness of sin and fallenness has made us suspicious of over-enjoying anything. This is a problem, and not just because it’s a drag. It’s a problem because it’s not how the Bible depicts how life should be.... continue reading
I recently set out to try and inspire churches in the UK with thoughts and ideas from around the country that would make life easier this term and leading up to Christmas. We’re all getting a collective sense that most (if not all) of our “usual” activities are not going to happen.... continue reading
Pastor after pastor says they are struggling to hold a church together in unity. Just as responses to the pandemic divide society deeply, so they divide churches, sometimes bitterly, with some really keen to be braver and more adventurous (within the government rules) and others desperately cautious.... continue reading
Most of us would like to take a break from the stream of negative voices in our minds. My friend and millions of others claim that they’re able to do that by practising mindfulness. In recent years there’s been an explosion of books, apps, colouring books and even recipe kits claiming to help people become more mindful. So what exactly is this trend, and where has it come from?... continue reading
Change really happens as we articulate one truth that we’ve learned, and store up the truth in our hearts. We’re quick to put in the effort to help our kids learn maths equations to pass exams. Exams that in the end got cancelled, but do we ever invest even a fraction of that effort into learning treasure that is of eternal value?... continue reading
A brief scan of the comments section of a Christian website or a YouTube video will give you abundant proof that believing right doctrine— in this case, that God is sovereign over human affairs—is no guarantee of love. Knowledge puffs up (1 Corinthians 8 v 1), especially knowledge about God. Anyone who increases in knowledge risks arrogance—a risk multiplied when the subject is God.... continue reading
Let’s be honest. Many of us have struggled to keep our faith as vibrant as it was before the Covid crisis, and this is in large part due to the restrictions placed on church life. Pastors have been floundering, parents have been frustrated and the rest have been flummoxed by the disruption to our usual ways of fellowship.... continue reading
Don’t you wish there was another way? Aren’t you exhausted by the constant arguing? Don’t you wish we’d all start listening, and that Christian spaces, be they physical or virtual, could feel more like heaven than hell? Does it concern you what tribalism is doing to our witness? Do you worry that the “others” may have a point and you’re missing out on something God is offering you, but you daren’t put your head over the parapet of your team’s trench and make that point?... continue reading
