Posts under ‘Reflections’

I was talking to someone recently about one of the biggest pressures which faces pastors. It is based on the chasm which can separate people’s expectations of you as a pastor (as if you were some kind of ’super Christian’) and the reality of one’s own sinful heart.

Here are a few observations.
There is, at [...]

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the London Men’s Convention. An excellent day with lots of challenging teaching and encouraging songs of praise. One of the phrases which has stuck with me and I continue to reflect upon came from Mark Driscoll’s helpful list of things that repentance isn’t. [...]

I was reading in John 5 this morning and I was horrified again by the reaction of the Pharisees (*) to Jesus’ work, and then even more horrified by the realisation that I can be like them so easily.

Do you remember the scene? There’s a man who has been paralysed for thirty-eight years (v5) [...]

I was reading Luke 23 recently when I noticed something I don’t remember having seen before. When Jesus has been returned to Pilate (and he and Herod have become all pally, v12), Pilate has three attempts to set Jesus free. Luke even highlights it by recording “for the third time he spoke to [...]

A new year, a new decade and good intentions as ever. This blog was a little neglected in 2010 – a year of great change for the author with the arrival of his first child. However, I aim to make use of the blog a little more this year, if time and discipline [...]

There has been a great deal of talk recently from our Coalition government about working together “for the national good.” This phrase, “the national good” seems to be trotted out every few minutes – as if there has been some dictat from on high that this is the preferred sound-bite of the moment.

What puzzles [...]

Tomorrow I will be having my first ‘annual review’ with two of the leaders in the church where I minister. It is useful to pause and take stock from time to time, so here are three reflections on how the year has gone…

Prayerlessness. I am saddened by how poor my prayer life has [...]

So I have been meaning to post some thoughts on the new BBC sitcom, Rev, but was waiting until I had watched the first three episodes to make fair comment.

But two of my friends have beaten me to it. Glen Scrivener highlights the importance of not being too earnest. He reckons the [...]

Recently, I was talking with a friend about the idols that tempt us and lead us into sinful behaviour, and I was struck by some parallels with ‘Boggarts’ in the Harry Potter novels. I don’t know whether I have read this somewhere else, or whether it was a genuine idea – so apologies if [...]

In a lot of British evangelical preaching, there is a focus on having ‘memorable’ points. The test of a good sermon has become whether or not a listener can recall the points, 1 week or even a month later. There is obviously some benefit in this approach. It will be helpful for [...]