It’s not very often you get to celebrate your birthday on Easter. In fact, most people never will. It only ever falls within a narrow band of 6-8 weeks, so if you weren’t born in March or April you’re out of luck. I’m sure most people don’t give a fig, of course, and I didn’t even think of it until I woke up this morning.
Category Archives: Faith
Leaving Church
Image via Wikipedia
No, not altogether.* Yesterday I announced my resignation from EBC. It’s a pretty big deal for us after 8 years serving there. That’s the longest I’ve been in a church and virtually the only church our kids have known. In fact, 8 years is the longest we’ve lived anywhere in our adult lives.
So, what next? I have no idea! Continue reading
Understanding atheism « Who Made God?
Thought this article might be of interest to some people.
The most effective response to the new atheism is to show to your friends and neighbours that genuine science is actually more consistent with the biblical world-view of an all-wise God ‘who made the world and everything in it … [and] gives to all life and breath and all things’ (Acts 17:24-25) than with naturalistic philosophy masquerading as science.
A short Bible devotion on some marks of spiritual growth
A short Bible devotion on some marks of spiritu…, posted with vodpod
A short Bible devotion on mentoring
Epaphras was a companion of Paul who first preached the gospel and started the church in the city of Colossi. In this Bible moment on Col 1.7 we look at Epaphras’ mentoring and team relationships.
1st collector for A short Bible devotion on mentoring
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Grace – the Key to Growth
Grace – the Key to Growth, posted with vodpod
Debriefing Conferences
I get to go to at least a couple of conferences each year, usually by myself. Recently I went to one on Cross Cultural Teams with a friend. We made sure we had all the electives covered and after we’d had time to digest the conference a bit, met to debrief. It was a helpful exercise, not only for us to distill the useful content into some kind of plan, but also to provide feedback to the conference organisers. A few things came out that we’re able to use practically. There was also some good stuff for personal reflection. Continue reading
Hope – the Source of Faith and Hope
A Bible Moment for today (sorry for the voice sync issues).
Seeking God’s Face
Something I put in our church newsletter today…
Give praise to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing of him, sing his praises;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Ps 105.1-4
Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who do not put their trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Saviour.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Ps 24.3-6
When I was courting my wife, I would constantly be seeking her face. Even before we started dating, my friends knew I was smitten (and mercilessly reminded me) because when she walked in the room she had my attention! Once we were officially an item, I may have had her photograph in my wallet but that wasn’t the point – I didn’t want her picture, I wanted her presence. I didn’t just want her in the room, I wanted her to notice me (oh the torture in those days before I knew whether she had noticed me or not). Continue reading
Called to Declare His Praises
Image by ashley.adcox via Flickr
Some thoughts I wrote for our church newsletter this week.
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- 1Pet 2.9-10
You and I were made to worship
You and I are called to love
You and I are forgiven and free
- from “Made to Worship” by Chris Tomlin
True worship does not come by trying to work up the right feelings or singing the right songs or performing the right rituals. True worship begins with knowing God, what he’s done and who we are in him. Continue reading
