This past Sunday I preached on Faith from 2 Kings 4 at Jubilee Church London’s Wood Green site. Here is the audio, the notes follow. In some circles today we can over-react to certain extreme teachings and feel nervous about even talking about faith, but as Hebrews 11 tells us, without faith it is impossible to please God! We must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. So, if you are eager to please God,... Read more
Perhaps the recipe for success on Twitter is posting the right proportion of some or maybe even all of the following types of tweet. When someone posts too many of any individual variety of post it can certainly be off-putting in my view. A balanced diet is definitely best, and yet some of these types of tweet should be more used than others. One thing for sure, however, once you have read this list you will never be able to... Read more
I joined Greg Surratt and his other guests for a conversation about social media and Christian ministry. I certainly enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you will. Make yourself a coffee, sit down, relax! You can also check in for future hangouts or view previous ministry hangouts can be viewed on YouTube and they make a great resource. Some highlights of our session included the following: A claim that anyone who says they never check their social media stats is... Read more
Is good old fashioned pastoral care in danger of dying out?. What people in your church need more than anything else is to be cared for in a biblical and non-patronising way. Churches which embrace, quite rightly, principles that aim to help them grow are in danger of forgetting that God calls us as the Church to be directly involved in each other’s lives. We ARE our brother’s keeper. Pastoral care is not professional counseling. It is not therapy. It... Read more
Interesting article from the New Scientist: In a global study published last year, we showed that 79 per cent of people with depression had experienced discrimination in the previous year (The Lancet, DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61379-8). More than 1000 people were interviewed across 35 countries, and a remarkably consistent picture emerged: such experiences are common and may severely limit how far people with mental illness can lead normal lives. Almost a quarter, for example, said they had been unfairly rejected when applying for jobs.... Read more
Church planting remains one of the most important activities that we can do. Watch this interview between veteran church planter Terry Virgo and a young planter, Chris Taylor, working into The Hague, in Holland. The needs of mainland Europe are great, but our God is greater!. Read more
I am in the middle of one of my long blog series. Today there is a significant change in what I am addressing, however. So far, I have essentially been saying “mental illnesses are real, you should not be afraid to seek medical help,” from today I will be arguing for the other side of the same coin, “the Bible has a lot to say that is relevant for those with mental illnesses, and can help all of us live... Read more
UPDATE: This outline was preached on Fathers day 2014 with some additional material. CLICK HERE As a free gift to my hardworking pastor readers, here is a draft sermon outline that I hope will prompt an idea for any of you still preparing your sermon for tomorrow. Romans 8:14-19 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption... Read more
This is a question that I know troubles many Christians. Some believe that secular counseling has no place, and that Bible-based pastoral care is all that is needed to bring about change in people, whatever their problems. Others believe that a Christian counsellor should be used, and that such a counselor should integrate both Biblical concerpts and theories from their secular training. Still others feel that if a person is seeing a therapist or counsellor, the pastoral team can wash... Read more
The following are steps that we can all take to promote our mental health and wellbeing. It is not just those that have a recognised mental illness that should practice steps to protect and improve our well-being. Many today complain of non-descript “stress” and “overwork” that can be early warning signs of future problems. These steps will help many with a mental illness, but should not be seen as replacements for going to see a health professional. The strength of... Read more
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