Ever feel anxious? Check out the trailer for Living without worry by Dr Tim Lane, President of the Institute for Pastoral Care. Tim is currently speaking on this subject at locations around the UK, including at Word Alive. Find out more about the book at www.thegoodbook.co.uk
... continue reading
If you've got little ones that are finishing school for the Easter holidays today then you might be looking for ideas to help keep them busy over the coming weeks.
So with this in mind we've got 2 great books that will keep little hands busy, young minds engaged, and growing hearts full of the big truths that God wants to teach them, while they do activities that they love!
Whether your children love cooking, colouring, puzzles, drawing, simple crafts, interactive stories, games or messy play, these beautifully designed and well thought through resources will provide your children with great fun as well as spiritual sustenance as you enjoy the activities and the Easter break together!
Here's a peak at 'Jesus dies' from Bake Through the Bible... continue reading
We're very excited to be launching the website for Gospel Shaped Church this week. This is a huge project that we've been working on for a long time — and one that we hope will be of benefit to Christ's church for a long time to come. So if you're wondering what this resource is all about, gospelshapedchurch.org is the place to go to get the big picture of what it is, how it works and how it could help transform your church into the community you're called to be.
... continue reading
Diagnosis matters. When something is wrong with your body and you feel unwell, you need to know what you are dealing with. And that works for spiritual issues, too. For treatment to work, good diagnosis matters.
Defining Worry
So, what exactly is worry or anxiety? (I will use the words “worry” and “anxiety” interchangeably in this article.) It’s a condition common to virtually every human, in every society. Not many people are truly care-free. But what is worry?!
While various factors and components are very important, the Bible cuts deeper, because it says that worry is a deeply spiritual issue. This is not to say that the Bible ignores or disputes the mental, physiological, historical, social or environmental aspects of worry, but that it sees them all as part of a spiritual issue—that worry, ultimately, is a response to life lived in God’s world. Worry is, therefore, a response to God himself.... continue reading
Hi. I'm Michael. And I work for the JBI - the Jerusalem Bureau of Investigations. We're a bit like the police... we're on a mission to find the truth! To solve mysteries!
And so starts the way I like to spend an average day.
I am Michael, but I don't actually work for the JBI. What I do (amongst other things) is travel around the country with a rather grouchy puppet called Inspector Smart (who insists on calling me Mikey) and tell kids about Jesus... through song... and silly hats.... continue reading
Here are 6 ways we can avoid Bible-Reading damaging our health:
1. Read it (not notes!) Just read the Bible.
I think that Bible-reading notes can be helpful, but if you have never read the Bible without notes, can I encourage you to ditch them, at least for a while? Get used to reading the Bible as a book you can understand. Read it as that love letter from Jesus. Read it to find him. You do not need notes to get it.
2. Read all of it
And this applies to all of the Bible. It is all about Jesus. It is all good, exciting, beautiful truth about our Lord and Saviour. It centres on his cross, and it sings, whispers, heralds, shouts, cries and placards his name in every chapter.... continue reading
I think you could make a pretty good case that evangelicals don’t really know what worship is—or, at least, they don’t really know what worship fully is.
Scroll through your social media feeds on a typical Sunday morning and you will see lots of talk among your churchgoing friends about worship—but I’d be willing to bet that most of that talk is focused entirely on music.
But worship is more than a genre of music or one section of a worship service. Even to speak of worship largely in terms of a worship service is not to do the subject justice. We tend to talk in compartmentalized ways about something that by its very nature cannot be compartmentalized; because, according to the Bible, worship is every human being’s way of life. We are never not worshiping. We just can’t help it.
... continue reading
Have you ever walked right through the night? Maybe for fun? (I did it for a sponsored walk as a student.) Or maybe you'd broken down in the middle of nowhere? (Before the days of mobile phones.) How would you feel in the morning? (I had blisters like dinner plates.)
Now imagine the reason you've walked all night is to get some vital help. There's only one person who can help you - it's vital that they come back with you. How would you feel when you reach them? How would you feel when they tell you to go away?!
... continue reading
You can probably name a church in your community with a reputation for courageous defense of biblical truth. The preaching is strong, and discipleship involves a lot of good books from dead theologians. Another church you know is beloved for its compassion. Its food pantry is always stocked, and no one walks away empty-handed. Yet another church is all about fulfilling the Great Commission. They have the latest technology, the most energetic worship services, the most creative outreach strategies.
But where are the churches that are courageous, compassionate, and commissioned, all at the same time and among the same people? Where are the gospel-shaped churches that teach the Bible, love the poor, and reach the lost? If God’s Word is our timeless guide, then churches seeking after Jesus ought to share this core DNA even if they don’t agree on every theological detail, even if they’re located on opposite sides of the world.... continue reading
We're delighted to announce the impending launch of the first two modules of our Gospel Shaped Church Curriculum—developed with The Gospel Coalition. The first two of five modules will be available at The Gospel Coalition National Conference in April. To get a flavour of what is in store, take a look at the series trailer featuring Don Carson.
... continue reading
