Retribution or reconciliation. What does the cross mean to you? And are you able to fit together Jesus' sermon on the mount with your understanding of the cross ... Read on
Accurately handling the word of truth. See the clash between the establishment and the sidelines. Slavish acceptance versus honest questioning. Eliminating no-think areas! ... Read on
Trust. Obey. Change. Jesus said some very strange things. Here is how one of them relates to you. ... Read on
A chat with John - "The moment". Our dad, Zebedee, had several fishing boats, and he had quite a few people working for him at one time. Course, he was devastated when James and I left. ... Read on
Redefining God's character. What is Jesus talking about in his mountain sermon. Is it simply a way to a kinder life, or something much more radical? ... Read on
How to read scripture. How did Jesus read scripture? How did Paul quote the Old Testament? And how is it 'breathed by the Spirit'?... Read on
The vengeance virus A pandemic in Christendom, rooted in history. We like what you do, Jesus, but we don't like what you say! ... Read on
It is about relationship If relationship is at the heart of God's good news, why do we find it so difficult? Have we even begun to follow Jesus?... Read on
Are you avoiding inconvenient scripture? Are you mentally accepting truth, but doing everything you can to wriggle out of living it? Jesus was saddened by that kind of behaviour... Read on
A chat with John - "The storm". We were at the lakeside by six, the sun still not above the mountains. Jesus turned up at about quarter past, looking dog-tired. I'm not surprised! The previous day ... Read on
What kind of faith saves us? There are so many conflicting answers! Much has distracted us from the simplicity of the Gospel. Our Christian institutions, our denominations, our desire to systematise belief... Read on
Is God really violent? For many years, I was able, somehow, to read the Old Testament, without noticing the genocide, racism, infanticide, slavery, and polygamy. And I've listened to preachers being highly selective... Read on
Hosea - a truly prophetic life. An attractive wife chosen by God, three children named by God, it could have been perfect. But God's plan is to change Hosea so that his message is crystal clear ... Read on
Why do Christians make up rules? Christians love rules. If there's not a rule about something, we'll make it up. The Bible has got no rules about cinemas or smoking or the communion table cloth or countless ... Read on
Jesus gave up literally everything! Ever thought how many different things you own? What do you reckon? 600 books. 100 bits of crockery. 25 pairs socks. 20 biros? Maybe its 500, 1000, maybe 5000? But He ... Read on
Due to the work of the ASA you don't see them so often now, those Before and After adverts! Usually two small pictures - on the left is the flabby man, the right is the same man - but wait. What happened?! ... Read on
One Way - Jesus - Really? Ok! How? Dear Sir, I am a new Christian, but I am struggling with the claim that the only way to God is Jesus Christ. I wonder about all those sincere Buddhists, Muslims, Confucians... Read on
The big picture? What is God doing? For Jesus' disciples, the three years were a roller coaster ride! Every day eventful, which they would never forget. They must have wondered how it would all pan out in the end... Read on
What does the transfiguration really mean? How many sermons have you heard on the transfiguration? And pretty much each time, the message was, 'Spiritual experiences are great, but you have to “come down from the mountaintop”... Read on
The non existence of eternity. Why do we talk about time and eternity when the Bible doesn't? I suspect it is another case of trying to simplify what the Bible says, to make it accessible. Which as ever, leads to all sorts of problems!... Read on
God gives up his rights! Remember Jeremiah? He wakes up one morning, and God says “Go visit the potter.” And at the potter's house he hears God say, 'I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you... Read on
Jesus' violent parables. Many of us Christians pick up the Bible in our right hand, then pick up our rose-tinted spectacles in the left. We are thus enabled to read straight past all the 'awkward verses' that those without... Read on
The apostle John finally got it ... after living every day with Jesus for three years! Have you got it yet? John sees a busy crowd, pushing and shoving, shouting and laughing. Jesus sees a man alone, among the people, isolated, cut off... Read on
Are you divisive, exclusive and theologically correct?Are you tribal with your own definition of orthodox? Are you dividing the body of Christ? What is your definition of what one must believe in order to be 'in' versus 'out'...Read on
Jacob! What really happened at Jabbok? The situation was desperate. Jacob was more alone than he has felt for a long time. He last felt like this at Bethel where his bitter flight from home brought him, weary and in turmoil...Read on
Today's words and metaphors!Are you sharing the blessed gospel, or chatting about God's good news? Are you drawing the lost into your fellowship, or making friends? Are you preaching sanctification, or helping others live as whole people?... Read on
Did you know you're a Work In Progress? Men, do you wish you had those well defined pectorals, strong biceps, a washboard stomach? You will never become one of those muscle-bound men by eating fried breakfasts! Ladies, do ... Read on
Today, God wants to work through you! Yes, even you! The picture of God we have in the Old Testament is of one who imposes his all powerful, irresistible will on people and nations. Then Jesus comes ... Read on
The significance of Palm Sunday. Anyone could see it was getting out of hand. In recent weeks, the crowds had been getting bigger, the momentum was building, and it began to feel like a revolution...Read on
The right kind of unity. As Jesus moved towards the cross, his vision became focussed exclusively on what mattered most. The remaining time could be counted in minutes. So we must pay particular attention to the prayer... Read on
Meeting with God. All of those stories about loss that Jesus told ended up with people meeting together, perhaps recounting the hard work of recovery and reconciliation. Does your prayer time provide opportunity to 'listen and chat' with God ... Read on
What happens when you die? A fair number of people in the church do not believe in the resurrection or hold a watered down version of it! Resurrected in spirit form, they say. Resurrected in the minds of his followers... Read on
Are you truly free or penned in by the past? The closer we look at human cell metabolism, the clearer it becomes that we are looking at biochemical machinery. Scientifically, our physical construction cannot result in freewill... Read on
The 2004 Tsunami. Why? Of all the things that differentiate us from animals, perhaps the deepest is our ability to ask “why”! For hundreds of millions of people, this last week we have been asking, "Why?" ...Read on
