Dear Friends, What is the greatest thing in the world? There are a number of ways of answering that question truly. But we would be wide off the mark if one of our answers wasn’t ‘love’. In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul goes as far as to say that, among faith, hope and love,
Read moreDear Friends, I‘m what they call a ‘late adopter’. That is, I wait to see which way a new technology is going before I adopt it – in fact, it‘s usually on the way out by the time I get around to it! Some people would just call me slow. Being a late adopter does
Read moreDear Friends, It’s a challenge to know how best to encourage and inspire God’s people at the start of this new year. Some of you will be excited about what God may do this year, some apprehensive about what might happen, others disillusioned and not really expecting anything from God. Whichever of those best describes
Read moreDear Friends, We don’t know much about the shepherds who were the first to hear the news that, “Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, NIV). They were simply doing what shepherds do, living out in the fields and keeping watch over their
Read moreDear Friends, I belong to a ‘preaching group’. Half a dozen of us meet every six weeks or so to encourage one another in our preaching. The method is simple: we take it in turns to give a brief sermon outline, which is then lovingly mauled by the brethren (affectionately known as the ‘wolves’). Actually,
Read moreDear Friends, There’s some seriously good theology in the carols we sing at Christmas – which is a good job, or else we shouldn’t be singing them at all! For instance, how about this verse from ‘See, amid the winter’s snow’? (I hope we can forgive the reference to snow!) Lo, within the manger lies
Read moreDear Friends, I am reading a wonderful book called Embracing the Trinity, which has a chapter with the charming title ‘Within the Happy Land of the Trinity’. You may well be thinking to yourself, “Happy? Confusing, difficult, awkward, yes, but not happy.” The point, though, is not so much that we should be happy...
Read moreDear Friends, It would make an interesting and rewarding study to go through the New Testament, noting all the different ways in which Christian believers are described. In fact, here are two already: “Christian” and “believer”. And there are more than single word descriptions. Here is one I found while preparing...
Read moreDear Friends, Could anyone have missed the announcement this week that Prince William is engaged to Kate Middleton, and there will be a royal wedding next year? One newspaper had sixteen pages of coverage! Who would not want to wish them well, especially when he is likely to be king one day, and when we
Read moreDear Friends, Having the Spirit of God in our lives is not an optional extra for some Christians, a deluxe version of Christianity for those who want it. Being a Christian is more than believing the right things and living a good life; it means being changed by God himself, having his Spirit. That becomes
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