I have had the privilege of studying theology for 7 years by now. I did 2 years at a Bible College and am currently in my 5th of 6 years at seminary (part-time). Studying theology is an absolute joy, most of the time. I enjoy delving into the depths of Biblical truths, wrestling with core doctrines and understanding historical figures and moments that have changed the church. However, not all of it has been fun.Continue reading “Did God really say…”
Beyond the Big C
Suffering and pain are a part of life, aren’t they? Maybe it’s your suffering or that of a loved one but we all, to one degree or another, suffer in this life. As a pastor I often sit with people who are hurting, some from physical suffering, others with mental and spiritual suffering. People ask the questionsContinue reading “Beyond the Big C”
Don’t treat them like a hired hand…
I recently attended a conference for church leaders; it was a great time of fellowship with others in full-time ministry and a great opportunity to sit under the teaching of God’s Word. In one of the sessions the speaker touched on the well known passage where Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd in John 10. But his focus was not on the identity of Jesus, but instead the responsibility of the pastor in the passage.Continue reading “Don’t treat them like a hired hand…”
The Pastor’s Life…
There are countless books out there describing the job description, responsibilities and difficulties of the life of a pastor. There are plenty of books that tell the stories of wonderful faithful pastors who have fought the good fight. But there aren’t that many well-known books that are written about the pastor’s personal and spiritual life. Sure, you’ve got a few general books, but I’m taking about the specifics of what the life of a pastor should be like with real examples of how it played out. That’s where this book come in. Continue reading “The Pastor’s Life…”
Everyone’s a theologian…
If you read this blog regularly or if you know me and have spoken to me at all, you’ll know that I like theology. I enjoy discussing deep questions about the Bible, God and all doctrines pertaining to Christianity. I enjoy listening to and reading other perspectives that I don’t agree with to gain a better understanding of what other brothers and sisters in Christ believe.
But often I’ve heard people say “I don’t like doctrine or theology, it’s quite divisive. I prefer to have a childlike faith and leave the deep thinking to others”
I get what people are saying, Continue reading “Everyone’s a theologian…”
Who is Jesus?
I was in a shop yesterday and got into an interesting conversation with the shop keeper. The gentleman was a Sikh and we got chatting about the materialistic nature of Christmas today among other things. My wife said something along these lines “as Christians we believe that the real meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the son of God, who came into the world to bring life and forgiveness. That is the real gift and meaning of Christmas.” The man agreed. Yes, maybe he was just being polite, but it got me thinking ‘people really don’t know who Jesus is, what he claimed or what he did’.Continue reading “Who is Jesus?”
My story of suffering…
For the past few years I’ve poured many hours into the topic of suffering. This is because I am a pastor at heart and I care for the concerns and pains of those around me. However, there is also a personal reason and that is that I too suffer.
In October 2013 I woke up one morning with a severe migraine that would not shift, Continue reading “My story of suffering…”
Joy in the sorrow
One of the topics that I’ve done a lot of reading on over the years, due to my own personal experience of suffering, is the very relevant topic of suffering. There are plenty of books out there on the theory of and theology of suffering and plenty of books full of testimonies of people have or are suffering. These are books that I’ve benefitted from but I really wish they didn’t have to be written. But I must say that this book made me cry Continue reading “Joy in the sorrow”
Equip and enable women to serve…
Women’s ministry is seen by many churches as a nice thing to do, it normally involves afternoon tea and craft events. Whilst men’s ministry involves curry nights and watching the football or rugby. To unpack all of that is a whole different blog post in itself. But here I want to stress the importance of Continue reading “Equip and enable women to serve…”
Unexceptional
What do you think the responses would be if you asked the average Christian; what is ministry? I think people would say Pastor, elder, they may say student pastor, youth pastor, children’s and families worker, but it generally stops there. Sadly, one of the things that is lacking in so many churches is someone who is intentionally doing ministry for women. Continue reading “Unexceptional”
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