Huge Church Controversy: Do you know about it?

What do you prefer? The gospel, or controversy? No, really?

I mean, would you have read this blog if the title was just “Amazing Gospel: Do you know about it?” (And are you about to give up because you’ve realized there is no great controversy you’re about to find out about?)

Titus 3 is about the gospel—the gospel of God’s appearing in grace through Christ in the past, and of God’s appearing in glory through Christ in the future. And Paul tells us to “stress these things” and devote ourselves “to doing what is good … excellent and profitable for everyone”.... continue reading

Perspectives

I'm tired. It's been a tough day at work. The to-do list is calling. And the meal isn't going to cook itself. All I want is a quiet night. Every bone in my body is screaming for a few moments of peace. And just then, the phone explodes into action. I'm not talking about a pleasant "dinner invitation" phonecall - I'm talking "one of those" phonecalls. One of those circular calls of desperation.

It's not that I don't love my friends with severe mental health struggles - I am privileged to have them in my life - but the phonecalls, oh the phonecalls can be so hard. The suicidal intentions that are no longer an isolated act of desperation but a daily topic of conversations; the irrational arguments that involve dragging the reputation of others through the mud or the wild tangents that are almost impossible to follow - these are the fodder of the recurring conversations that can easily last an hour or more unless boundaries are put down (and a "you don't really care about me" rant risked).... continue reading

On to a Good Thing

1. Cross Examined ebook just £5 till midday Thursday

Get the ebook version of Cross Examined by Mark Meynell for just £5!

2. Bible Debate: Steve Chalke & Andrew Wilson

Justin Brierley hosts a series of debates between Steve Chalke and Andrew Wilson. Watch Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

3. Infographic: The New Calvinism

An infographic from Tim Challies, ‘Where Did All These Calvinists Come From? A Visual History’.

4. The Problem with Jesus

An article from our very own Carl Laferton at Desiring God.

5. And finally...

This week's video of the week, ‘Something More’ by Moving Works:

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

Are you feeling awesome?

Welcome to March 10th: international day of awesomeness.

I kid you not ... a bunch of laugh-loving people are inviting you and I to spend today displaying awesome acts. Their strapline: no-one's perfect but everyone can be awesome! The ideas are diverse but, at their heart, quite simple - validate someone else's awesomeness, affirm your own awesomeness - then do something awesome (be that having an amazing meal or doing something profoundly life-fulfilling) and blog about it. The primary aim is to have fun. Lots of it!

On balance, I don't think I'm going to be engaging with this day of awesomeness in any specific way but it did get me musing on the journey to work today ... As Christians:... continue reading

Fighting the Monday feeling

‘Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendour,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honour come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.'

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

How to calculate your true value (this post includes a ready reckoner)

Is your value higher than you think? Or lower? And can it be both?

Here's part of a self-help email that popped into my Inbox this week:

"Unless we value ourselves enough to say no to certain people and situations, while even explaining why that is, we devalue ourselves. No one will place a greater value on you than you place on yourself."

After tussling with that for a while, I've drawn three conclusions:

 ... continue reading

Teaching Deuteronomy

Making sense of the Law
Do you struggle with the Old Testament? In particular what do you make of the Old Testament laws? What about “make tassels on the four corners of your cloak”? (Deuteronomy 22:12). Or the instruction to stone a rebellious son? (Deuteronomy 21:21) Should we just pass over these passages, and be a little embarrassed that they exist in our Bibles?

Paul Barker – minister, author and teacher - has written a new book Teaching Deuteronomy designed to help pastors and bible teachers in the developing world to faithfully explain and apply these difficult scriptures. It is part is part of the Good Book Company’s Pray, Prepare, Preach series.

In it, Paul provides a useful checklist when looking at Old Testament laws and how to work out their application in today’s world: What is the reason for each law? Try to think, “What is the reason for the law?” Some laws may have the reason to love your neighbour. Some are about worshipping only God. Some are because the people of Israel must be different from other nations. Some laws are about safety. Some are about fair justice. Some protect the poor. It is not always easy to find the reason for a law. What is the reason for the law that you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk? It is hard for us to know. But probably the reason is to stop the people of Israel following the behaviour of people of other religions.

 ... continue reading

3 in 10 children don't know that Easter is from the Bible

As churches throughout the country prepare to get into high gear for their Easter outreach, a report by the Bible Society offers some sobering perspectives on how we need to share the good news today. The study revealed a generation of children with little knowledge of the most important stories forming the basis of Christianity, and parents who often knew little more. The poll of 800 children between the ages of 8 and 15, and 1100 adults found that:

• 3 in 10 children did not know that the story of Jesus' birth came from the Bible
• A similar number did not know the story of the crucifixion was in the Bible.
• Almost half did not recognise the story of Noah's Ark as coming from the Bible
• Many children confused Biblical stories with plotlines from well-known films like Harry Potter.
• A quarter of adults thought that the story of Superman was in the Bible