On Sunday I had the privilege of speaking at Carterton Community Church, continuing their series on life in the Spirit. After a fantastic time of worship (it was one of those precious times when I didn’t want it to end TBH, and was reluctant to start preaching!) we looked at what it means to be…
Category: God
This section won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but here are my musings on faith, preaching and theology.
Romans: A Letter that Makes Sense of Life
The book of Romans is arguably the most important letter ever written. But for many readers – and certainly for many preachers – it can be a daunting book to dive into. So for those keen to explore this letter, Andrew Ollerton’s latest book is a fantastic resource.
Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit
On Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at Henley Baptist Church, where I was asked to speak on the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5.13–25. We looked at what the fruit of the Spirit is, how it grows, and what it means to walk in step with the Spirit. If you fancy giving…
God: The Just and Gracious Judge
On Sunday I continued our series at Oxford Community Church on the character of God, and I spoke on the theme of God as the Just and Gracious Judge. In particular we considered: We covered a lot of ground! I trust some of it will be helpful to you. If you’re interested, you can check…
To us a child is born (Isaiah 9.2-7)
On Sunday I had the privilege of speaking on the throne titles of the Messiah in Isaiah 9. This amazing passage, written 700 years before the coming of Jesus, introduces him as the light who breaks in to the darkness of the world. In this talk, we consider how Jesus is: If you’re interested, you…
The Messiah formerly known as Prince of Peace
It’s nearly Christmas. Which means it’s that time of year where Isaiah 9 gets its annual outing. This is an amazing chapter, prophesying the birth of the Messiah, who will bring great light to people walking in darkness. And he shall be called, ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9.6) There is so much in…
2022 Reading Roundup
It’s that time of year where people humblebrag about how much they read, under the pretence of making recommendations for others. You can hardly move on Twitter for end of year reading lists. And Phil Whittall’s roundup of roundups takes it to an Inception-level extreme – lists within lists. As Qoheleth might have said, ‘Of…
Learning to Listen in a Lonely World
‘You can be lonely anywhere, but there is a particular flavour to the loneliness that comes from living in a city, surrounded by millions of people.’ Olivia Laing – The Lonely City In her haunting book, The Lonely City, Olivia Laing explores the theme of loneliness, especially as experienced in urban contexts. Loneliness is not…
Living Sacrifice: Four talks on Romans 12
Last week Helen and I had the privilege of speaking at a weekend away for Wheatley Community Church. It was such a fun weekend getting to know them better, and serving them. We were certainly grateful for the way they welcomed and embraced us as a family, and I also loved the opportunity for me…
Joseph and Restoration (Genesis 42-45)
On Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at Oxford Community Church, continuing a series on the life of Joseph. We looked at Genesis 42-45, this long stretch in which Joseph is reunited with his brothers after 22 years. But rather than revealing his identity to them immediately, he puts his brothers through a series…
Liam Thatcher 