Tag: Spiritual Growth

Joy, part 9. Ephesians 5 teaches us to give thanks always and for everything. This is easy when life is good. But doing this when life is hard produces real evidence that God is at work in us.

Joy, part 8. The gospel transforms us from death to life. In this we take off the ‘old self’ and put on the ‘new self’. But how do we go about doing this in our ordinary, everyday lives?

There’s many verses that we’re likely to find on Christian fridge magnets. This probably isn’t one of them: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2).

Blueprint, part 6. It’s been observed that where fatherlessness increases, atheism increases. The experience of growing up without a dad is increasingly common in the UK. To address the men in our church, we have a tremendous responsibility and privilege … Continue reading “Temple: Purity, Passion & Presence”

Blueprint, part 3. Jesus is the true vine: the one who which all the life, the goodness, the power and the grace of God flows through. It’s only when we’re connect to Jesus that our lives bear fruit.

The life of the church needs both the eucharistic depth and the charismatic heights. Like jumping on a trampoline: your height is produced by your depth. You can’t have one without the other.

Part 3. Most of us don’t like to think of ourselves as sheep. We prefer to think of ourselves as rugged, sovereign, independent, I-did-it-my-way individuals. But the lives we lead and the choices we make are suspiciously similar to everyone … Continue reading “Jesus: The Good Shepherd”

Part 7. The third person of the trinity is often the hardest to relate to. It’s easy to understand the Father, and the Son, because these roles are very normal to us. But we can easily think of the Spirit … Continue reading “The Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life”

Part 3. Looking at John chapter 13: when the servants weren’t around to do the essential but dirty work, Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed his disciples feet.