How to Receive a Compliment
I find that a lot of Christians (me included) are very bad at receiving compliments. Often, we are downright fearful of them. It is almost as if a compliment is a foreign and dangerous virus.
What Does It Mean to Drink of Jesus?
Christians are often so accustomed to Biblical language that the strangeness of its metaphors is lost on us. A classic example of this is John 7:37 where Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink”.
Do You Realise that You’re a Missionary?
The stupendous truth is that we are commissioned in secular roles for a spiritual vocation. Our noble challenge is to take up the elements of a mundane life and to offer them as nothing less than a burnt offering to the glory of God.
Doing More vs. Doing Better
I think most of us at Holyrood long to be able to do more missional events as a congregation. Yet, many of us are aware that resources are limited in terms of people, energy, and time. Let’s be praying that God continues to draw in new church members who have a vision and passion for local outreach. But while we wait for such prayers to be answered, let’s do something more. Let’s also look for ways to improve our shared life so that more outreach can happen – not by doing more – but by doing better.
Five Reasons to Reconsider Infant Baptism
The primary actor during baptism is not the person being baptised, but the God who is affirming past promises. Baptism is less of a sign of ‘my’ commitment to God than of God’s commitment to ‘us’. What the water of baptism symbolizes is that God will indeed do all that He has promised on behalf of His people. He will take us from death to life, cleanse us of sin, and fill us with His Mighty Spirit.
Seven Reasons to Say the Lord’s Prayer Daily
We are defined most deeply and permanently by a relationship to our Creator. God preceded us, made us, and loves us. Therefore, the only way to know ourselves is to know Him; He alone can tell us who we are.
Your Body Is Not Your Own
This is why resurrection is essential to our hope. Our humanity requires that we not just have a mind to contemplate but feet to stand on. Without bodies, we are not ourselves. We are made to dance, eat, and sing, not just reflect, admire, and adore.
Five Lessons on Becoming a Missional Church
I’ll never forget a moment that happened last Thursday night. It occurred toward the end of the meal as trays of delicious and beautiful desserts were being passed around tables. There was a look on the faces of people all around the room. It said this: “Who would do this!” People were astounded by the generosity of the evening. It surpassed what was expected – perhaps what even seemed reasonable.
Such astonishment is a foretaste of grace.
The 7 Biggest Lies that Christians Tell, Everyday
To walk into a Church is to see a middle class gathering of professional people who are put together, well-dressed, and orderly. The unspoken message is clear: we are not messy people in need of divine grace. To appear this way is to tell the unchurched a lie. The world needs to see that the church today is like the church that gathered around Jesus during his earthly ministry. We are a motley group of sinners who have no hope apart from God.
