When you think about it, your birthday is kind of weird. Each year, you have an entire day dedicated to being celebrated, sung to, stuffed with cake, and congratulated by everyone around you, for something that you contributed absolutely nothing to. You got born. Your contribution to the day of your birth, was, well, not exactly something you can boast in. If you don’t believe me, just ask your mother.... continue reading
For more than a century, atheists have prophesied the coming of a brave, new world where belief in God is no longer necessary. Religious decline, they say, is the inevitable result of scientific progress, and soon religion will be enshrined in the museum of historical artifacts along with the sundial and the gasoline engine. The Beatles’ John Lennon captured the growing consensus back in 1966 when he said, “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I will be proved right.”... continue reading
Very little can compare to time spent reflecting on the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior. That’s what has made Lent so special to believers all over the world since its formation in the fourth century. Starting February 22, we encourage you to join your brothers and sisters in Christ in a joyful meditation on the life of Jesus!... continue reading
Two disciples decide to trail Jesus as he leaves the Jordan River: the first is Andrew (the brother of Peter), while the second is generally speculated to be John (the author of this narrative). On the surface, it seems relatively straightforward. Andrew and John hear John the Baptiser proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God!” and begin following Jesus as he makes his way back into town. Jesus, likely hearing footsteps trailing him, turns and asks what they want.... continue reading
The rough and tumble of the last few years have revealed a message Christians cannot hear enough—“Love your church.”
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There was a time not so many years ago when I was weary and jaded toward church, but even then, I could have given you a lengthy checklist of what a healthy church should look like.... continue reading
2,000 years after the church began, in the increasingly post-Christian West, it’s tempting to wonder if secular voices are right when they claim that Christian churches are passé, on the wrong side of history, or even downright damaging.... continue reading
If you lead or are a member of a Bible study group, you'll be familiar with some common difficulties. How do you explain difficult words and concepts? How do you lead a group towards the same objective? What are the best questions to ask? And crucially, how do you arrive at suitable applications from the passage for yourselves in good time to really think through what God's word is calling you to? ... continue reading
While teaching Crosslands students a course on discipleship, I couldn’t find a resource that allowed the students to apply the principles they were learning on the ground - something that was a gospel-centred which they could use with new believers or weary Christians. So I had a go at writing a workbook that would fit the bill! The result was Life With Jesus. ... continue reading
Genuine happiness is to be found in following the pathway of obedience.
This is not the way the world sees it. In 21st-century Western culture, personal happiness and obedience to an authority are held to be mutually incompatible. But the Bible is clear: it is by obeying that we find ourselves “blessed.”... continue reading
