Give God the whole orange
Are you or have you ever been a glory thief?
Spurgeon says glory thieves are like those who suck all the goodness out of an orange before giving it to God. Instead, we need to give the Lord the whole orange, juice and all.
William Bagshawe: preaching the word in season and out of season
It’s a gloriously starry night. The moon lights up the countryside in an eerie silver light, revealing tree lines, gorges and valleys. Perched on the side of a craggy moor, inside the ruins of an ancient chapel, a group of peasants, men and women, huddle around a number of small lanterns. Lookouts are posted. All around there is an air of nervous expectation.
What ever happened to Sunday evening worship?
It’s now a common occurrence for churches to only have a single service on a Sunday. We spend time dining, socialising and finishing off our chores or even a day out shopping. The evening service is disregarded as we fill our time with other things.
Mr Cynic and Mrs Spiritual: two approaches to Christianity and politics
Christians are often unsure about involvement in politics. Throughout history, church and politics have never mixed particularly well. Once again mutant forms of Christian nationalism are on the rise. So you might think we can be excused if we’re a little standoffish.
Early or Late? Dating the Gospels
Questions regarding the Gospels’ legitimacy, authorship and date have been debated from when they were first written to now. But does any of this really matter? Does it actually make a difference to us as we read our Bible?
Balthasar Hubmaier: a greater theologian than Calvin?
I recently attended a study week with Josh, my co-writer at Eat Write Sleep. Around a nice, roaring fire in a Country Manor on the Welsh border, he asked an interesting question: ‘Who are your top ten theologians?’ His point being that the vast majority of them were Presbyterians…
The H word
Hell. It’s probably the topic that Christians, myself included, least want to talk about. But is there a more needful topic in our day? Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the Bible.
To death with respectable Christianity
There is a form of Christianity that is very respectable in its own eyes.
It doesn’t swear or make rude jokes.
It wears a nice shirt on Sundays.
It’s quite middle class and quite comfortable.
But is it right?
Taking time to stop
We live in a society like no other. Our phones are never more than arm’s length away, and every other minute there is some new news, notification, podcast episode—you name it—information is readily at our fingertips. But information overload is not wisdom. We need to take time to stop.
Are you sure you really want revival?
There seems to be a stirring in certain parts. Something’s happening out there. Whispers of a ‘Quiet Revival’ are getting louder. Perhaps God is on the move? We might pray vaguely for revival, but have we thought that revival might not mean what we think it does?
Hark! the herald angels sing
The group of scruffy shepherds on the hillside huddled closer around their campfire. It would be a long, cold night, keeping watch over their flocks of sheep and goats. But their night was about to take a fateful turn.
Tips on reading Christian books
Things happen when people pick up books and read them. Books fire up the mind and awaken the imagination. When we put down our phones and pick up books, especially good books, our lives are changed.