Friday, February 27, 2015

Lent 2: Deny, Take up, Follow

Mark 8:31-38
My devotional reading for Lent (Tom Wright's Lent for Everyone) had me reading Luke 6:20-27 on Friday, where Jesus seems to give folk a little poem to help remember His teaching.
Here these words of Jesus, and let them minister to you:

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Dare to be a Disciple 1

Dare to be a Disciple 1
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This course has been born out of a conviction that I have, in my 22 years as a preacher, teacher and pastor, concentrated too much on making converts and too little on making disciples. I have come to the realisation that the two are not the same. Jesus command is "Go and make disciples", so
Introduction
Welcome to Dare to Be a Disciple, our first Discipleship course for 2015, coinciding with Lent. Over the next 5 weeks we are going to explore discipleship.
Be warned: 
Discipleship is not easy
Discipleship is a command
Discipleship is not an option for born again believers, but
Discipleship is a choice you have to make.

So, come on, Dare to be a Disciple.

Dare to be a Disciple: Introduction

Dare to be a Disciple Introduction
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This course has been born out of a conviction that I have, in my 22 years as a preacher, teacher and pastor, concentrated too much on making converts and too little on making disciples. I have come to the realisation that the two are not the same. Jesus command is "Go and make disciples", so

But, "What does that mean"

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Lent 3: Do You Really want to Go with Jesus?

"If any of you want to come with me," he told them, "you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me." 

There are things that Jesus said that we often wish He hadn’t said.....…things like forgive one another....or, love your enemy,...or, when someone hits you, turn the other cheek.....or, be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect......or open your homes to strangers.....or, if you call your brother a fool you are a murderer..................Things we wish He hadn’t said.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Fifty Shades of Grey: My Thoughts

18 February 2015

Dear AMC and wider JohnWesleyProject.com Family,
 There has been a great deal of hype around the book, and especially the film, Fifty Shades of Grey. I haven't read the book or seen the film, but I have followed the press coverage and some blogging on the subject. The church, and especially her preachers, are not given the task of telling people what they should or shouldn't do, other than to preach the message that we are called to live lives that are holy to the Lord and that holy living includes discerning, avoiding and renouncing evil. Our task as preachers of the gospel is more to equip disciples, and perhaps followers, to discern satan's temptations, which, as we all know, can be very subtle. None of us should be behaving the way we do

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Lent 1: Return to the Lord Your God

As we look this week at Jesus baptism, followed immediately by His being sent into the dangerous wilderness for forty days, only to emerge to hear that John had been imprisoned, these words (from Arthur Burt's Pebbles to Slay Goliath) resonate:
"The Christian life is not hard to live - it's utterly impossible to live !
Only One can live it ! Let Him ! In you."
Here are the readings for Sunday 22 February:

Ash Wednesday: Rend your heart and not your garments

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

So when you give to the needy.....And when you pray,....When you fast,
In this season of Lent, let's remember that Jesus said when, not if.
Let's reflect on what these words (from Joel) mean for us in 2015
Rend your heart and not your garments.
And let us pray with the Psalmist:
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.
Here are the readings for Ash Wednesday:

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly


Hear the Gospel according to Isaiah:

The Lord is the everlasting God, 
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

How do you feel today...flying, running, walking...perhaps you'd like to add one...crawling.