The Good News produces the Good Life
The Good Life makes the Good News look Good.
Category: sermons
Daniel 5 Sermon
Comfort, Comfort My People
Our comforts never work.
In fact those with the greatest "creature comforts" often have anxiety, stress, depression and dissatisfaction through the roof.
What gives true and lasting comfort?
Isaiah takes us to the depths, then raises us to the heights. In Chapter 40:1-8, God gives three messages to be proclaimed by a human voice. And here's the essence of these messages: Take heart... Judgement is coming... You're all perishing.
That's a shocking way to comfort a people but if we follow Isaiah down, he'll raise us up to true and everlasting comfort...
Christmas: The Fairytale Come True
The final Hobbit movie is now out: The Battle of the Five Armies. The whole series of Hobbit films takes 9 hours to watch but the book, written by JRR Tolkein, takes about 5 hours to read. I’d still put money on more people going to the movies to see it. But the Hobbit is a Fairy Story – a tale about Middle Earth – about Hobbits and Dwarves and Elves and Orcs. It’s make believe right? There’s no truth to stories like these, is there? They’re just fantasies – they’re about Dragons and magic rings, there’s nothing real about these stories, is there? It’s all just escapist entertainment, right?
That’s what CS Lewis thought, at one point. CS Lewis went on to write the Narnia books but to begin with, Lewis was not a believer in God nor was he a believer in fairy tales. He loved fairytales. But he thought they were “Lies breathed through silver.” He said this to Tolkein while they were walking along the Cherwell River in Oxford – they were both Oxford dons. CS Lewis was then very shocked by Tolkein’s response. Tolkein, who was a Christian – a very devout Catholic – said to Lewis “No. They are NOT LIES.” Fairytales are NOT LIES. What on earth could Tolkein mean?
Well he spells it all out in an essay called “On Fairy-Stories.” And he says, there’s something in fairy stories that appeals to our deepest intuitions about the way life ought to be. And in all fairy stories you’ll find some combination of the following:
Love without parting.
Life triumphing over death
Good triumphing over evil.
Heroes winning through sacrifice...
LISTEN:
Some Recent Talks and Resources
A new paper for Union Theology: Intimacy With God.
My other resources for Union Theology
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Some 2 minute answers to questions about evangelism
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A longer seminar about Gospel-Shaped Gospelling
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Two evangelistic talks for St Nick's Sevenoaks
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My talk on John 1:1-18 for students in the South East starts around the 10 minute mark...
Short Sermon on Matthew 3
The Sermon features 12 minute sermons from some wonderful preachers. Check it out.
They've also let me on. Here's the first to be released: Jesus' Baptism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtPocOchec0
Sermons: John 11 and Matthew 17
“Baptism Saves You” and “Mary, the Mother of God” – Two Sermons
It was a great privilege to preach at Worthing Tabernacle last Sunday. They love Jesus and love His word. And they graciously allowed an Anglican to preach to them on how "baptism saves you" (1 Peter 3:8-22) and on "Mary, the Mother of God" (Luke 1:39-56).
Those weren't really my titles. In the morning I spoke about the "U-shaped" life - the life of cross and resurrection that we've been given in Christ. Then in the evening I spoke of the revolution in our views of God, grace and glory that Jesus brings.
The U-Shaped Life - 1 Peter 3:8-22
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The God, Grace and Glory of Jesus - Luke 1:39-56
Independence and Freedom in Christ
Here's a little 5 minute topical talk I gave this lunchtime. To be honest it basically "on the hoof" but perhaps the way in to the gospel through the referendum might be useful to you in conversations / talks. If you like the idea of it, steal it. If you hate it, say why in comments so I can get better...
I began with the Scottish independence referendum. My way into the gospel was simply to say that it's a mature democracy which allows its members to go their own way - to hand them over to the independence they want. In the Bible, God also hands us over to independence but then hands over Christ. When Christ brings us home, then we're truly free. Sorta thing.
Not that the "Yes" campaign is sinful or that union with Westminster is anything like union with Christ! But if you talk about the referendum people will listen...
Sermon: Jesus in the Old Testament
Reading Between the Lines 1 - Jesus in the Old Testament from CCK on Vimeo.
For more on Jesus in the Old Testament go here