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.
Tag: preaching
Questioning Keller’s 200 Terrible Sermons
“For the first 200 sermons, no matter what you do, your first 200 sermons are going to be terrible.” I’ve encountered this quote from Tim Keller a good many times, and have found it to be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it’s hugely releasing to know that you’re not going to be perfect…
My favourite ‘celeb’ preacher: why I guarantee you can’t name him
If I asked you to name your favourite preacher, I wonder who you might choose? I would probably struggle to limit it to one. I could possibly give you a top five. There are various men and women from whom I’ve learned enormous amounts, and who have influenced different aspects of my own preaching. Some…
Parting reflections on preaching, from me and Paul.
This coming Sunday I am preaching my final sermon at Christ Church London. It’s already pre-recorded for our online service, and I’ll get to preach it live at two of our services. Having worked for this church for twelve years, it’s a strange experience full of mixed emotions. Helen and I feel full of excitement…
Unwanted retronyms and the physicality of preaching
Retronym (noun). A new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish the original referent of the existing word from a later one that is the product of progress or technological development. An acoustic guitar was simply a ‘guitar’ until the electric version was created. Then a new name was needed for the…
Millican’s Law for Preachers
This week we concluded a five-week preaching course at Christ Church London, by reflecting on the emotional and spiritual life of the preacher. Over the years, I’ve learnt so many things about the practicalities of preaching, crafting sermons, the art of delivery… I have plenty more still to learn. But the most precious lessons I’ve…
How to Reach your Context
What is contextualisation and how should we do it? A recording from a recent online hangout for The Broadcast Network (video)
On Enjoying Difficult Sermons
Five good reasons, and one bad reason, for why I enjoy preaching sermons on difficult passages.
The Waiting Wall
A preaching illustration about sin and the stuff we keep hidden inside.
Technology and Multisite Preaching. Or ‘Did Jesus eat chia seeeds?’
So with my tongue lodged somewhere in the vicinity of my cheek, here are four vaguely interconnected observations from my first stab at live multisite preaching.
Liam Thatcher 