A couple of days ago I received an Ice Bucket Challenge on Facebook. I was delighted—and have decided not to do it. Here’s why.
I had actually started to work out how I could perform the challenge in my allotted 24-hour period (if this blog has completely lost you, the Ice Bucket Challenge is where a friend nominates you, you give a donation of £3 or more to a particular charity, film yourself tipping a bucket of icy water over your head within a day of receiving your nomination, and then challenge some friends to do likewise). Then a Christian who is wiser and more thoughtful than me encouraged me to just check that I was thinking Christian-ly about it. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much at all. But the Bible tells me to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10 v 5). Every thought—even thoughts about ice buckets and giving to charity.
So I thought about it. And as I did so, I ended up deciding not to be part of it. Why? Well, here’s where I’m at. First and foremost, this is not an issue of Christian obedience. I’ve watched (and laughed at) Christians far more godly than me doing the Challenge, and I’m not saying they were disobeying Christ. If ever there were an issue where the Bible does not speak specifically, tipping ice-cold water over your own head would be it.
But I am saying that my best attempt at thinking with Christian wisdom is suggesting to my conscience that I shouldn’t do it. Here are my five reasons:... continue reading
Porn in unexpected places
I walked down the office carrying a pile of pornography. I'd wrapped it in two bags so my colleagues wouldn't see it, but I still worried. What if I tripped and broke my neck? After failing to resucitate me, the first thing people would discover was my pile of porn.
Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but is a salutary tale nonetheless.
It started on my ride to work. The subway under the A3 always collects litter - usually crisp packets, coke cans and the odd condom. Not cards. Not a full pack of playing cards. And certainly not pornographic cards. I glanced down as I wheeled the bike through the tunnel, wondering who'd dropped their playing cards, to be faced with umpteen nude women. I was slightly shocked, but late for work so kept on going.... continue reading
We're conscious, here at The Good Book Company, of our need for prayer. We want to be working in God's strength - for God's glory - in God's Kingdom not just pottering about doing what we think is good and right. If you could remembers us in your prayers occasionally, that would be so much appreciated. To that end, this Wednesday we're continuing to pop up some prayer requests - asking you to pray for us department by department. This week, the creative team:
At our end of the office there are seven of us, who select and initiate publishing projects, who encourage and interact with authors, who edit, design proofread and nurse those books to the point where they are ready to be printed and deployed to edify, encourage and challenge. We sometimes even write whole resources ourselves!... continue reading
1. Six ways your iPhone is changing you
Own an iPhone? Love it? Tim Chester helpfully gives us 6 things to think about...
2. On Coming Out
In the wake of Vicky Beeching's recent announcment that she is gay, here are 4 articles that shed some interesting light on the issue.
3. Struggling to organise your prayers?
PrayerMate is a Christian prayer app that seeks to help you actually pray for all the people and causes you care about.
4. 10 greatest Hymns of All time
Well, according to Tim Challies anyway. Here are his 10 favourite.
5. Time to get back into your Quiet Times?
Our video of the week this week is an encouragment, with the holidays ending, to get into new habits of reading the Bible. We think Explore Bible reading notes will help with that:
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
God is a generous God. He gives us life, salvation, hope and a whole host of gifts so we can serve him and each other in the local church.
We don't deserve the gifts God gives us but we can make sure we use them well - humbly, lovingly, enthusiastically and for his glory. And we can make sure we hone them, so we learn more about what the Bible says on teaching, caring, administrating, encouraging, welcoming, evangelising as the years go on and become more aligned to God's desires.
That's where some structured studying can help.
In the busyness of preparing talks and craft activities, it can be easy to lose sight of what it means to teach the whole counsel of God to the children in our care. Beneath the piles of paperwork, we can forget just how missional administration truly is. Amid the texts and calls from hurting friends, we can let our eyes shift away from the pastorally liberating words of truth found within the pages of Scripture. Setting aside some time to study can help put all those things back on the map.
So this term, whether you're interested in Administration, Mission and Ministry, Pastoral Care, Women's Ministry or Youth and Children's Work, why not set aside some time to do one of The Good Book College's short courses?
Biblical, accessible and practical, these distance-learning courses will inspire you to read God's word and encourage you to serve God's people. All in the comfort of your own home without the pressure of fixed deadlines.
For more details and to enrol online, click HERE.
The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea –
the Lord on high is mighty.
Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days.
Psalm 93
Whenever we talk about abortion, it's important, as Christians, to say three things:
But for those in society who don't agree with those statements ... Dawkins is right.
Here’s why.... continue reading
Travelodge removes the Bibles from its rooms on grounds of 'diversity'. Were Satanists complaining?
Iraq crisis: Cameron warns of IS threat to UK
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's first Australian interview
Australia to offer refugee visas to Iraqi Christians and Yazidis
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
Summer camps can be great times of growth. Young people seeing Jesus for the first time... Teenagers getting equipped to be faithful witnesses at school or college ... Sins being addressed and lifestyles turning around ... Leaders sharpening their teaching gift as they handle tough questions from curious minds ... But once summer draws to a close, the excitement (along with the exhaustion) of Bible camps can begin to disappear. And as our excitement dissipates, so our prayers can drift into oblivion too.
So, how can we keep praying for our young people and fellow leaders? Here are five ideas - to put into action before we all forget!... continue reading
Reading the little book of Obadiah in the light of current world events can be a useful exercise. It shows us a glimpse of God's character and heart in the face of atrocities committed against his children.
God's people had been betrayed, attacked, robbed and cut-down in ways too gruesome to contemplate. And, in the face of such awfulness, Obadiah reminds us of three important things: God has seen, God is angry and God will act to bring justice and judgement on those who have acted so badly.
The message - seen through the lens of the cross of Christ - brings a wider context, a sense of hope and a clearer perspective to modern times.... continue reading
