Today, the peers will be debating the third reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. Christians have been encouraged to lobby and pray. Last week, a local church was lambasted in the press for allegedly refusing to welcome a homosexual couple into their service. And every day, as such stories get debated in public and private, real people struggling with same-sex attraction get stuck in the middle. What does that feel like? We talk to one evangelical woman who struggles with same-sex attraction to find out.
How long have you struggled with same-sex attraction?
The thoughts began when I was at primary school. I knew I was different at the point when my friends were starting to talk about boys. I wasn't interested. I wanted to find out more about girls. It's been part of my life ever since.... continue reading
This summer, I have the privilege of reading through Graham Beynon's, Mirror Mirror with a friend at church. We're looking at one chapter a week, each dripping with exciting gospel truth. And this afternoon, weather permitting, we'll be sitting by the Thames, watching the ducks and reveling in God's grace as described in chapter 5.
In that chapter, there's a wonderful reminder of who we are if we are in Christ. We are undoubtedly sinners, but that's not the end of the story! Here's what's true of me, my friend and Christians everywhere. Please enjoy reveling with us in these truths today:
Wonderful news!
We are thrilled to announced that, at the National Brazilian Christian Publishers´Fair held in São Paulo, the Portuguese version of Christianity Explored – Investigando o Cristianismo – won the prestigious ARETE AWARD in the Evangelism section as the best foreign publication, translated into Portuguese. [Arete being the Greek word for “Excellence”]. It is such a privilege to receive encouragements such as these...
Of course, while awards are lovely, what we want to see most from Christianity Explored is gospel fruit and the news from Brazil on that front is even more wonderful!
One local church mobilized the whole congregation for a seven-week mission entitled "Journey for a new life through Christianity Explored". They had no less than 50 groups running - most in homes, but one or two in factories, one in the shopping centre, and one in the local square organised by the youth. So far there have been 15 baptisms - with more to follow. One homeless man was baptised on Sunday night – he's a new man now clothed in righteousness and, after he was baptized, his new church family gave him physical new clothes to wear and are now helping him find a job as well.
Please do praise God for the wonderful way the Christianity Explored material is being used in Brazil and please do continue to pray for the growth of the Kingdom in that beautiful nation.
This past Saturday evening New York City saw the launch of a new author and a great new resource. Bernard Howard, son of Lord Michael Howard (former leader of the Conservative Party in the UK) is ministering at Christ Church in the West Village, NYC. Howard was on hand at Elsa's to sign copies of his new book, The Book of the Covenant. The event saw a venue full of loyal fans and curious NYC locals. It was great to be able to provide copies of the book direct to Howard's readers. Of course, everyone was anxious to get their copy signed and have a chat with him about his thoughts on the covenants. It was the first time several of those in attendance had come into contact with The Good Book Company. But others, some from as far a field as Perth Australia, had a good knowledge of our resources.
Don't forget that over the rest of the month you still have an opportunity to pick up this great title and interact with Mr. Howard via Facebook or Twitter regarding questions and comments you might have. To get the book at a discount for the remainder of the month, be sure to use code: acctheo at check out.
I'm trying something different at my homegroup this week.
As we're starting looking at the book of James, we're going to read the whole thing in one as a starter to the series. I'll ask individuals or pairs (if enough turn up!) to focus their minds particularly on a specific chapter. But from everyone at the end of reading right through it, I'll ask them two questions:
We'll then think a bit about the context, author and first readers of the letter by looking at the opening few verses and the closing verses.... continue reading
I still remember the moment when I first walked down into the Norrington Room of Blackwell's bookstore in Oxford. It would have been the mid 90s, when I was a teenager. The experience brought home to me, more forcefully than any statistic, that I would go to my grave having read only a tiny proportion of the world's books. The Norrington Room was at one time (and it may still be) the largest single room selling books anywhere in the world. It has more than three miles of shelving in an open plan layout that leaves you gasping, overwhelmed by the vast quantity of book spines - each spine representing months or years of labor by someone passionate about their subject.
With so many books filling up not just the Norrington Room but our global shelf-space, and only a limited number of years to do our reading, it seems fair to require every new book to have a solid rationale for its existence. You could call this the Norrington Room Test. So, with that in mind, how would I defend the publication this year of my Bible overview, "The Book of the Covenant," especially given the large number of Bible overviews already available?... continue reading
Are you a hero or a zero? A success or a failure? A winner or a loser?
Meet an ordinary man called Gideon; aka "Loser Boy". He's the weakest son of the least-important family; and he's hiding in a winepress - a hole in the ground - hoping no one notices him. Not much of a hero. But he's a man that God uses to his honour and glory. It's a great story. A true story. And one that has masses to teach us and our young people today. Which is why we're so excited to be launching a brand new book for teenagers this week all about the actions of God in the life of Gideon: Hero by Jonty Allcock.
Here's a sneaky peek at the start of chapter 4:... continue reading
This week we're thrilled to be launching a third book in our new series, Questions Christians Ask: Marcus Nodder's, What happens when I die?.
If we're honest, most of us wonder. The majority of us know what it is to be bereaved and to think about where our loved one has gone. Many of us will have pondered our own future. What will it be like to die? Will we recognise our loved ones? Are there rewards in heaven? Will we see our pets again? Are ghosts for real? These are just some of the questions that flit through our mind - and some of the questions that are tackled in this great new resource from The Good Book Company.
Here's what the book says about the important question of whether we go straight to the Lord's presence when we die or whether we experience soul sleep ...... continue reading
We don't like to think about him much. Indeed, we're not called to think about him a great deal. But in any battle, it's useful to know at least a little about your enemy. Did the devil make me do it? by Mike McKinley - the second book in our new series, Questions Christians Ask - is a short introduction to Satan, demon and evil spirits. In just 80 pages it aids us to understand what we need to know about the devil without encouraging us to delve too deep into things that are bleak and unhelpful. Questions covered include:
To give you a taste this great little resources, here's a short extract:... continue reading
This week we're thrilled to be releasing 3 great little books in a our new series: Questions Christians Ask. These short, accessible resources are designed to give bite-sized, biblical answers to the kinds of questions that flit through our minds from time to time.
If you - or someone you know - has questions about the Holy Spirit, Who on earth is the Holy Spirit? is for you! Covering commonly asked questions like:
Tim Chester and Christopher de la Hoyde's book is a helpful introduction to the third person of the Trinity. And here, to whet your appetite, is a little extract:... continue reading
