Dear Friends, I was reading the Bible with someone this week when we came to these words: “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore” (Hebrews 13:13) – where “him” is Jesus and “outside the camp” refers to him being crucified outside the city. It’s a call to be
Read moreDear Friends, You may have thought this was yet another article about Brexit; you’re probably relieved to hear that it isn’t. It is indeed about whether to leave or to remain, but it concerns the Church of England rather than the European Union. That’s the question that many conservative evangelicals are asking as they see
Read moreDear Friends, A week ago I heard two talks on youth culture (yes, really!), and one thought in particular has stayed with me. The speaker was talking about the importance of encouraging young people to ‘Choose Jesus.’ Following Jesus, now more than ever, is a deliberate choice. No-one is simply going to drift into...
Read moreDear Friends, Mosques in Birmingham are on heightened alert after five were attacked in the early hours of Thursday morning. The five mosques are in the Aston area and at least one attack involved using a sledgehammer to break windows. We can imagine how we would feel if we found our church buildings attacked. Adil
Read moreDear Friends, Esther was a teenager when Boko Haram militants attacked her village in Nigeria’s Borno state. She spent three years in captivity. Offered the choice between marriage and slavery, she chose to be a slave. She was still married off to a man who already had three wives. Intimidation and sexual abuse...
Read moreDear Friends, I probably don’t need to tell you what these names have in common. If so, then it’s easy enough to find out on the internet. They have all become toxic in recent months, accused of things like sexual abuse, racism and child abuse. And they’re not the only ones. The list could be
Read moreDear Friends, You may have heard the news that Michael Green died peacefully on Wednesday 6th February following a brief illness. Many of us will remember Michael with great fondness and enormous gratitude as a persuasive evangelist, distinguished theologian and engaging author. Even at St Stephen’s we have reason to thank God...
Read moreDear Friends, Do you believe that God has every detail of your life in his hands? The places, the events and the times? That’s what the Bible says! In our evening services, we have been seeing God’s providence in the story of Joseph, in which his brothers clearly intended to harm him yet wonderfully “God intended it for
Read moreDear Friends, In some ways the Christian life is really very simple: it’s all about love. First of all, it’s about God’s love for us. Apparently it’s not that easy for us to grasp that we really are loved by God, small, weak and sinful creatures that we are. So Paul feels the need to
Read moreDear Friends, What do you think you’re coming to when you walk into church? Your answer to that question will affect how you come: gladly or reluctantly; regularly or occasionally; asking what you’ll get out of it or seeking to serve others; expectant or resigned. So what are we coming to? The New Testament word
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