Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking at Witney Community Church, continuing their series on the book of Acts. We looked at the picture of the early church in Acts 2.42-47 (a passage I think I’ve heard more sermons on than any other, but had never preached on until this week!) We considered some of…
Tag: prayer
The Provocation of Hope
‘Hope is never mere, even when it is meagre. When all other senses sleep, the eye of hope is first to awaken, last to shut.’ (Gil-Galad, The Rings of Power, Season 1, Episode 5) I’ve been thinking recently about the theme of hope, prompted by a few verses from the Epistles (and that quote from…
Learning to pray on Gethsemane roundabout
This strange little roundabout is a few minutes from my house. The first time I walked across it, taking my then-five-year-old daughter to school, she declared: “Oh, I know this place from my Bible! It’s the Garden of Gethsemane.” It was a strange thing for her to say. Gethsemane in her storybook Bible looks far…
Eternal Prayers: Paying to pray on the blockchain
I often wonder what the Apostles would make of modern ‘Christianity’. If you could resurrect Paul for a week and get him to visit a selection of churches – or worse still, hand him an iPhone and let him scroll through Christian Twitter – what would delight him, and what would baffle him? What innovations…
Advent Reflection: Which prayer and which response?
Luke 1 begins with the story of Zechariah, a priest who ‘just happens’ to be in the right place at the right time, serving in the Temple at the altar of incense. An angel appears to him, declaring that his prayers have been answered and that he is to become a father. What seems like…
Living Sacrifice: Fire and Fuel (Romans 12:11-12)
Following Jesus was never meant to be dull. But often challenging seasons can rob us of our spiritual vibrancy. In this talk, Liam considers how we can cultivate a vibrant spiritual life rejoicing in hope, being patient in trials, and constant in prayer. Audio: Listen or download Here is a small-group practice to help you reflect…
Yokes, Yolks, and Scorpions
I’m currently wading my way through Chronicles, and recently read 2 Chronicles 10, where Rehoboam took over the Kingdom from his father Solomon. It’s a tragic period of Israel’s history, where Rehoboam abandoned the way of his Father (whose life is depicted fairly positively in Chronicles; less so in Kings), rejected the wisdom of the…
A Library of Liturgies
The Apostle Paul wrote that we should, ‘Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests’ (Ephesians 6:18) Sometimes it’s hard to know how to do that. I can find myself facing a particular situation and realising that I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how I feel…
Whose hand?
‘This hand is your hand.This hand is my hand.Oh wait, that’s your hand.No wait, it’s my hand!’ Joey Tribbiani In Acts 4, Peter and John have been released from prison. They return to the gathering of believers, tell them of the wonders God has done, and then together the church prays. It’s a powerful prayer,…
Kingdom Come: Healing (Acts 10)
Jesus regularly healed the sick as a sign of the Kingdom of God, and a foretaste of his plan to heal the world. In this talk, Liam looks at how we are also called and equipped to pray for the sick today. Listen or download audio
Liam Thatcher 