Sinking to the bottom of the ocean, Jonah must have felt his life was over, but God had other plans. In this talk from Oxford Community Church, I look at Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish, and what it tells us about the nature of salvation.
Reading Roundup: Seven books I read on holiday
One of my favourite things about a summer holiday (apart from family time, swimming, and sampling all the cheese and pastries France has to offer) is getting an opportunity to read. In particular fiction, and books I struggle to get to through the rest of the year. Here are some thoughts on the books I’ve…
A God-given Name
There’s a moment I love in the story of David, when he and Bathsheba have a child, who would go on to become Israel’s wisest king and build the Temple for God’s presence. His parents named him Solomon, which is a solid name. It’s related to the Hebrew word shalom, so it means in essence:…
A Living Community
At Oxford Community Church we are currently in a series on Community Groups, and this Sunday I co-preached on one of my favourite gospel stories in Mark 2 Four men bring their friend to Jesus, seeking healing. When faced with a crowd blocking their way, they take a courageous choice to do whatever it takes…
Venom and Antivenom: A Gospel Metaphor
Tim Friede has been bitten by snakes more than 200 times and received 700 injections of venom. Now his blood could save hundreds of thousands of people. It’s an imperfect gospel metaphor to be sure, but it’s not bad. The Seed and the Serpent From its opening pages to the closing ones, Scripture uses…
The Death of David’s Innocent Son (2 Samuel 12)
There are stories in Scripture which, honestly, I struggle with. One of them comes in 2 Samuel 12, when the Lord took the life of David’s innocent son. The context for this is the sin of David against Bathsheba and Uriah. The King summoned Bathsheba to his courts while her husband was away and, presumably…
The Banished are Beloved: A Holy Week reflection on David’s Sons
This week I’ve found myself reading through a rather unpleasant stretch of 2 Samuel – the story of David’s sons, Amnon and Absalom. These chapters are full of violence, abuse, manipulation and heartbreak. They’re not enjoyable to read at any time of year. Reading them on Holy Week, however, adds an extra layer of poignancy,…
Project Weekender: The Empowered Life
A few weeks ago I spoke at Project Weekender, a 24-hour conference for students and 20s passionate about seeing God move in their generation. It was so much fun – and I was delighted to discover I wasn’t even in the top 10 oldest people in the room! The event was hosted by my good…
“Yes, and…” A prophetic principle from improv comedy
When learning to prophesy, I often find that people fall into one of two mistakes. They’re paralysed by overthinking or limited by underthinking. Some people feel they need the entire prophetic word clear in their mind before they step out and share it. Every detail. Every word. Perfectly honed and clear. And unless they are…
The Friendship and Fruit of the Holy Spirit
On Wednesday evening, I enjoyed a conversation with my friend Mark Gyde. For the past 15 years Mark has hosted a weekly webcast with Barry Adams, and it was fun to join him this week, to talk about ‘the friendship and fruit of the Holy Spirit’. We reflected on the good character of the Holy…
Liam Thatcher 