Other useful Easter resources: Did Jesus rise from the dead? I believe in Jesus: a sermon on the Trinity and the Resurrection A Good Friday Sermon A sermon on Jesus’ Resurrection and its implications for us (Romans 4:25) At Jubilee Church I preached yesterday’s sermon. Here are some notes from the sermon with some extra material woven in. Earlier today on Twitter somebody asked why people would wish each other a “happy” Good Friday. It begs the question why we... Read more
Phillip Yancey has written a very moving and helpful piece on untangling profound suffering, and how it actually can point us to a deeper, more profound faith, especially when seen through the lens of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Entitled National Tragedy and the Empty Tomb, the whole thing is worthy of you reading it this Easter, but the following paragraph jumped out at me, speaking of Desmond Tutu’s reaction to sitting through South Africa’s Truth and Reconcilliation Commission Hearings, Tutu emerged... Read more
I had a great time today as a guest on Kevin Boling’s radio show talking about the resurrection of Jesus. It is encouraging to see every Easter the increase in interest in my book. But, in a way, the fact that this all comes mostly at Easter time is proof positive that the book, and the ideas in it are still very needed. I am sure that books about the cross of Jesus are bought all year round. It is... Read more
With John Piper retiring as a pastor, it is a reminder that many of our Evangelical leaders of today are, to say it delicately, of such an age that transition is inevitable over the next few years. It is easy to forget that these leaders themselves built on a foundation laid by others who went before them. That knowledge, and our faith in the sovereignty of God should make us full of faith for the future. One such great of... Read more
Lex Loizides is a great friend of mine, and a very gifted church-based evangelist who has faithfully served God over several decades all over the world. His wisdom in helping new Christians in legendary. In this book Lex skillfully guides those beginning a lifetime of following Jesus. It makes the perfect gift for any one who just became a Christian. You can get his book on Kindle in the USA and UK stores: US amzn.to/XxjcBH UK amzn.to/11xtV24 Read more
While I know that not everything done in every megachurch is helpful, Ed Stetzer has done us a great service in debunking many myths about megachurch. But I also know that too many seem to have a fundamental problem with large churches, as though God hated them all. It’s really odd, because what such people conveniently forget is that the first church was a mega church on its first day: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there... Read more
I find the following quote on prayer from Spurgeon striking, much as the last one I shared. It depresses me therefore how hard I often find it to pray myself. I am grateful to God that I am slowly learning. I don’t hesitate to admit that the person who has taught me most about this is my own pastor, Tope Koleoso. He touched on the importance of prayer in his well-received talk at this years Desiring God conference. I am therefore... Read more
Regular readers will know only too well that I have been looking afresh recently at the life and writings of Spurgeon, in preparation for a planned documentary for which a team of my friends are currently seeking crowd-sourced funding. Reading Spurgeon afresh, it has struck me again just how much he has to teach us. God seems to have uniquely gifted him with great insight into a broad range of subjects, as I am sure you have already seen in... Read more
Hold the presses! For the first time since the Reformation a Protestant has something nice to say about the Pope. OK, that’s maybe an exaggeration! But seriously, I have been reflecting on the list of “Most influential Pastors on Twitter.” It struck me that Christians are very good at criticizing other Christians, and especially those who are in any way successful. There are times when it is right to point out another’s flaws. We may even hold doubts about the... Read more
Frank Viola was kind enough to interview me about my book: As we consider Easter this year, I want to draw attention to my friend Adrian Warnock’s recent book Raised with Christ. The book is an excellent treatment on the resurrection of Jesus . . . why it’s important and how it applies to our lives today. Adrian Warnock blogs at Patheos, and serves on the leadership team of Jubilee Church, London. He is passionate about refocusing the church on the resurrection. He... Read more
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