That’s it folks we are over the line, we have passed the turn off signs, we cannot pass go and collect £200, it is November which means that Christmas is just around the corner. Do not panic!
As this Christmas season approaches people get excited, present are bought, carols are sung, meals are being thought through and flights are being booked. Adverts and songs and people tell you that this Christmas will be different, that there will be no arguments and that a miracle will happen and everything will be happy. People are looking for a better Christmas.Continue reading “An even better Christmas”
Effective evangelism…
“Unfortunately, I have found that many Christians think of evangelism the same way, foisting Christian beliefs on strangers in chance encounters. The problem with this approach is that the gospel requires a radical life change, and not many people are about to listen to strangers telling them to change the way they live. What do they know about others’ lives? On the other hand, if a true friend shares the exact same message with heartfelt sincerity, speaking to specific circumstances and struggles, then the message is heard loud and clear. Effective evangelism requires relationships. There are very few exceptions.”
Nabeel Qureshi, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
the status of sex…
“Nothing in the Bible encourages us to give sex the exalted status it has in our culture, as if finding our purpose, our identity, and our fulfillment all rest with what we can or cannot do with our private parts.”
What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Godly conflict resolution…
“Focusing on God is the key to resolving conflict constructively. When we remember his mercy and draw on his strength, we invariably see things more clearly and respond to conflict more wisely.”
Ken Sande, The Peacemaker
Good theologians…
“We’re good theologians if what we say and think about God lines up with what Scripture says and affirms. We’re bad theologians if our view of God is vague, unbiblical, distorted, or based on our own opinions.”
Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters
Authentic worship…
“The better (i.e., the more accurately) we know God through his Word, the more genuine our worship will be. In fact, the moment we veer from what is true about God, we’re engaging in idolatry. Regardless of what we think or feel, there is no authentic worship of God without a right knowledge of God.”
Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters
Judged intolerant…
“If [Christians] are judged intolerant in the new sense, the price of escaping the charge is too high to pay: it would mean abandoning Christ.”
D.A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance
Love came down at Christmas
I know that it is only November but I thought that I’d plug just a small book before we get the onslaught of jingle bells, happy little elves and a big man wearing red with a white beard. I know, I also think that I’m loosing my mind! Christmas is a funny time of year, for some it brings happiness and joy whilst for others it bring back bad memories and pain. If you were to ask people what they enjoy most about Christmas you’d hear things like; time with family, good food, time off work and some good TV (this point is debatable!).
But if you ask people what Christmas is about you’d probably get the answer that it is about love and peace, this is probably helped by the song played in shops up and down the UK Love is all around by Wet Wet Wet. But what is this love?Continue reading “Love came down at Christmas”
The Intolerance of Tolerance
One of the court cases that has been in the news recently revolves around tolerance, Ashers bakery and a cake. A customer asked for a cake that was clearly supporting homosexual marriage and the baker refused to make the cake; that was back in 2014.
Along the way the Ashers and other evangelical Christians have been called monsters, old-fashioned and intolerant, but what do people mean when they speak about intolerance? Our world, or at least the West, seems to be absolutely obsessed with tolerance but the irony in this is that we, as a society, are not tolerant at all.Continue reading “The Intolerance of Tolerance”
Walking with God through pain and suffering
This blog was started back in April and the two topics that have been most read over these past months have been on the topics of depression and suffering. Suffering is a big and relevant topic for so many people because we all suffer, some at different levels and intensity than other, but suffering nonetheless.
A number of years ago I read Walking with God through pain and suffering and I remember how good a book it was, both intellectually challenging but also written with pastoral warmth and care. I recently had to re-read the book for my Bachelor of Theology degree and was reminded of how good and relevant this book is, therefore, here’s a wee review.Continue reading “Walking with God through pain and suffering”
Chalmers' Blog 