If as a church, we don’t respond to brokenness and mess, then here’s what we’re preaching:
‘Our God is too small. And your problems are too big’.
So begins one of Emma's best posts...
Tag: recommendations
Trinity Day – Mount Pleasant Baptist – 2 April 2011
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Swansea is holding another Trinity Day.
10am-3pm, 2nd April 2011.
This time the topic is Heaven and Hell.
Paul Blackham will speak on heaven and hell in the former prophets.
Richard Bewes will discuss the pastoral importance of the subject.
And Martin Downes has prepared (as ever) a brilliantly incisive talk on heaven and hell in church history.
No doubt Bells Hells will get a mention.
Cheap at twice the price - £10
Please book with Jo Smallacoombe by calling the church office: 01792 412128
Anyone going should comment below - perhaps there could be some rendez-vouses.
Pearls of great price
There are thousands of great blogs out there which I haven't come across, but for my money Dave Kirkman's 48 Files is the second best blog in human history. (Ok maybe third - it goes, A New Name, daylight, then The 48 Files. But third is still pretty good.)
Just check out these from the last week alone...
How to consider faithful followers of another religion? A brilliant analogy
Why university years are so fruitful for the gospel. (No, not because there's a magic receptivity-window of four years in the life of the middle class!)
What is faith? Faith is receiving the gift. NOT a condition for receiving the gift.
The outgoingness of God's glory. Father to Son to church and out.
And many, many more...
Check out Swivel Chair Theology
David Matcham has a brilliant blog called Swivel Chair Theology
I've particularly enjoyed his posts on The Three Repentances where he exposes the dysfunctionality of cycles of sin and abjection before God (we want to be abject!), and The Problem of Homosexuality in the Light of the Trinity.
Enjoy.
Dave Bish: The Necessity of Atheism?
Absolutely bang smack spot on from Dave Bish:
The question isn’t so much is there evidence for God, but do we like him?
Words to live by. See the whole short article.
Sermons by Pastor Mark Anderson
The Old Adam has often linked to his pastor in the past and the sermons have been well worth a listen. But now he has the mp3s for download so you can stick em on your phone etc.
They are wonderful. Just listened to"Two Christian paradigms" on John 3 and it gladdened my heart no end. Go and listen.
And here are more resources by Pastor Mark Anderson.
The Protestant Grace Ethic
I’ve been listening to some thought-provoking lectures by Vishal Mangalwadi on how the bible has shaped the West. This one entitled, “Why Are Some Rich While Others Are So Poor” speaks of how traditional cultures have handled wealth. Those without the influence of the bible have only known two responses. Either you horde it or you display it. You either stock-pile it for a rainy day or you show-case it for prestige. In neither case will your economy grow.
But, in the west, Christians did this new thing – they re-invested it. Mangalwadi points to things like “the parable of the talents” or the injunction to “love thy neighbour” as giving Christians this new idea – to put wealth to work. He also points to the impact of the priesthood of all believers, releasing believers to work at all things “as unto the Lord.” This gives rise to the protestant work ethic and incredible wealth-creation.
I’m sure all those ideas should go into the mix. But I wonder whether the Protestant Grace Ethic needs to have a hearing here. The bible is always linking grace and money (see these examples in Ephesians for instance). It is the peculiar “idea” of the gospel that heavenly wealth comes down upon us not so that we may boast, nor that we might keep it to ourselves. (And not even that we should repay the Benefactor (some kind of spiritual feudalism?)). We are given an overabundance of undeserved grace in order that we might overflow. Isn't this the most fundamentally liberating "idea" to grace the West?
Take a look at TenLooks
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!” – Hebrews 12:2
For every look at self—take ten looks at Christ!
–Robert Murray McCheyne
Hin-Tai and Chris have a brilliant new blog that you should all add to your readers. It promises to be Christ-centred, trinitarian, affective and pastoral. Four thumbs up.
In his latest post, Hin-Tai wrestles with the desire to have a Christ-exalting blog while resisting the self-absorbing pull of blogging.
How Great A Salvation
Rich Owen preaching on Manasseh's conversion - 2 Chronicles 33. Awesome!
Book By Book – Free DVD
It's meaty, it's heart-felt, it's Christ-focused. It's Matthew Henry for a television age.
I can give no bigger recommendation than this: my mother's bible study group have done every single one of them back to back. They get to the end of one study, shop around for another pre-produced study then go straight back to book by book for more! Once you've had steak, why settle for a cheese sandwich?
Do you run a home group bible study? Do you have responsibility for home groups, adult education classes, etc? Check out Book by Book.
You can watch sample episodes on the site - e.g. Exodus with Joseph Steinberg. Highly recommended.
And you can get a free sampler DVD here.
US readers can purchase here.