Posts from July 2020

Posts from July 2020

You Really Need to Read the Bible

“Sometimes I put off or just forget to drink water. I get to lunch time after a few cups of tea and a coffee or two, and I have a headache. ‘Why?’ I ask myself. And then I remember: ‘Water, that’s it, I need water!’ Unlike anything else that I might grab in a weak or distracted moment—another coffee, a coke or a coffee frappe through the Golden Arches drive-through (true confessions here)—water never disappoints. Nothing replenishes and refreshes like…

God’s Sovereignty and Our Responsibility

“God is sovereign in creation, providence, redemption, and judgment. That is a central assertion of Christian belief and especially in Reformed theology. God is King and Lord of all. To put this another way: nothing happens without God’s willing it to happen, willing it to happen before it happens, and willing it to happen in the way that it happens. Put this way, it seems to say something that is expressly Reformed in doctrine. But at its heart, it is…

A Mid-Year Bible-Reading Checkup (Don’t Give Up!)

“Six months ago many of us were excited to kick off the year with a new Bible-reading plan. We had the plan printed out and the Bible laid open and the time set aside. We began with a lot of discipline and enthusiasm. But along the way, life happened. We missed a day here and there, then missed a week, then realised we had fallen far behind. Now, halfway through the year, many of us have given up and are…

You Are Not That Special – The Glory of Ordinary Christianity

“This is where we need to hear a clear, and sometimes forceful, voice say, in love, You are not that special. You are not an exception to the basic laws and ordinances of human society, and as a Christian, you are not an exception to the ordinary means and patterns of the Christian life. You are not a cut above the rank-and-file in the world, and especially in the church. You are not exceptional in the ways you like to tell…

Offer Advice Very Carefully

“Giving advice goes poorly so often, it is worth more careful thought about how we give it. We all need advice. We seek it every day. That is a wise and natural part of being a creature rather than the Creator. But we also know that advice can run from helpful to horrible, and it can bless a relationship or hurt it.” Read more…