The spiritual growth of children is an important matter. And whether we belong to a church that offers services of thanksgiving for children or one that baptizes infants, if we’ve made a promise to God to help a child get to know God better, it’s vital that we take that promise seriously.
But, if you’re anything like me, it can be hard to work out how to encourage a child that you don’t see every day, or even every month, to look to Jesus.
So here are our top tips to help us all fulfill our roles as sponsors or godparents:... continue reading
The Bible Refers to Jesus' Wife, Too
Gay couple turned away from B&B wait for damages verdict
Would you Adam and Eve it? Eastenders is inspired by Sodom and Gomorrah, says producer
Black Christians See No Clear Options Between Obama, Romney
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Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that soap operas like Eastenders tackle some gritty ethical issues. I'm in no position to speak authoritatively on The Young and the Restless, but in Britain the stuff of soaps touches on very real (if often overblown) issues in daily life. In Eastenders, assisted suicide, paedophilia and a gay muslim sham marriage have been some of the recent storylines. Some may dismiss it as tawdry, sensationalist or immoral, but the inspiration for the writers comes from somewhere very different, according to a former series producer and storyliner.
The Bible!... continue reading
Special launch offer!
You can buy The Hard Corps on our UK website or our US website. Use the code hardcorps at checkout and get 25% off!! This offer is available until the 30th of September.
The public launch is at the Acts29 event in Manchester, UK this Saturday. Chart topping rapper Lecrae is speaking and doing a gig in the evening. Purchase your tickets here.
We'd like to say a massive thank you to 2V design for making the video. It was a pleasure to work with a brother in Christ who made into reality the vision we had for the trailer. It's been a pleasure to work with you throughout this process.
Later this week we're launching a great new book for men, The Hard Corps. Here's a little taster to whet your appetite. Pre-order with a great launch offer.
Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day. 2 Samuel 23 v 9-10.
Question: What happens to the kid whose dad was named after a soon-to-be-extinct giant bird and whose granddad had a name that only donkeys could pronounce?
Answer: He grows up to become an Old Testament Samurai legend with a razor-sharp blade and a freakishly strong grip!... continue reading
Spotted this van on my way into work the other day. Another fine example of the British habit of naming local businesses with a memorable pun that would make a worthy headline in a tabloid newspaper. It's right up there with "Curl up and Dye" (a local hairdresser), the Cod Father (a favourite fish and chip shop) and the hard to beat Florist Gump - no need to tell you what they sell!
The intriguing thing about this play on John Newton's famous hymn is what it tells us about our culture. For a name like this to be effective, it needs to resonate with people. For them to see it, smile, get the reference and feel warm about the cheeky friendly chappies who will then come and replace your windows for you. And it's the recognition factor that makes this interesting.... continue reading
In last Monday's post I gave some thoughts on matching song themes with preaching, the liturgy of a service and he liturgy of the church’s calendar. Today, some further considerations for choosing songs for Sunday worship.... continue reading
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."
James 1 v 17-18
The firstfruits were the first part of the harvest that spoke of even more to come. This means that we can know victory now, by turning away from ourselves and looking to the Father of lights to see the gifts He gives us. And we can know that ultimate victory is guaranteed us, not because of how good we are, but because of who God is — our unchanging, gift-giving, life-promising Father.
Ever counted how many times you look in the mirror each day - and why? Maybe it's to check your hair or whether you have spinach in your teeth. Maybe it's to make sure your clothes look "right". Maybe it's a glance that fills you with despair as you spot an unwanted bulge, a new grey hair or a pimple.
Our relationship with ourselves is under the microscope as a fashionable trend has developed in the US for women to go on a mirror fast (The Guardian and BBC). The idea is to go a whole month, or even a year without looking in the mirror. The offending objects are covered over with towels or banished from the bedroom and hall. The result, say enthusiasts, is that, remarkably, your self image improves! Mirror fasters report that constantly checking out your own image actually leads you to become far more critical of yourself than others. And although there are inconveniences the overall results are a greater freedom and confidence in yourself. Mirrors effectively give you greater control over your appearance, while at the same time robbing you of your confidence about how you look!... continue reading
