That Jew Died For You (Video)

The link to this site was sent to me by a friend who’s involved with Jews For Jesus. Having been to Auschwitz twice, I found it compelling. Tomorrow is Good Friday. In the face of tragedy or pain people often ask the question or level the charge ‘Where was God when…’ When I speak at our service on ‘Measuring the love of God – how long and wide and high and deep,’ my focus throughout this Easter weekend is to remember, whatever we go through – our God is right there, the suffering servant and the risen Lord.

Matty Hawthorne at Ivy Sharston.

Dropping the F-Bomb Judgment is God’s jobBut sometimes we think he’s too soft maybe? And 17 years later his brothers still mistrust his love Joseph said ‘Who made me God?! I’m not God!’ You meant to hurt me but God turned your evil for good Holding onto resentment closes down your wide angle lens It could be enormous or trivial The fire of anger is burning – do I get over it, or get over it Drop the f-bomb Forgiveness Because without that- bitterness is your only option From now on I route all my thoughts about that person from God. What weighs me down? What am I carrying around? Guilt – IOU Anger – U owe me Greed – I owe me (I deserve to indulge this) Jealousy – God owes me Forgiveness is setting yourself free- Don’t live with a clenched fist Or a clenched heart Show an open palm, this Palm Sunday: When Jesus came to show us forgiveness, how much it costs – And how that beats Everything with love. We can give grace if we […]

The Beautiful Gospel – Brad Jersak at Ivy – #Bgbg2 for @wtctheology

Brad hails from Canada and teaches Gospel Studies on the faculty of  Westminster Theological Centre (which I am delighted to be a trustee of and teach on). My notes from his talk last week. He talks fast so I got as much as I could!!  The beautiful gospel is of a God of unfailing love. It’s not a sales pitch I have to convince people of. A presentation that prisoners and the poor say ‘YES!’ to because it’s good news to them. The gospel in itself does not need upgrading. It’s a faith once delivered to the apostles from the Lord Jesus. But we need to be careful how we tweak our presentation of it, for every generation – so they hear it.  We can have approaches, but it’s not steps. He then showed us the gospel in chairs: with two chairs (one black and one white chair). How I heard the gospel first off: the version I came to Christ through – was the legal gospel. Composed by Calvin. Courtroom image. Sin is lawbreaking that must be punished. God can […]

Blah Blah Blah Preaching

You get no credit for looking in the mirror and knowing you’re a mess. What will you DO? You can memorise 12 great principles of successful marriage and still be instant messaging behind her back to that young girl in the office. It’s the same with money, parenting, or business. The blessing doesn’t come because I know. Or don’t.

Atomic Preaching #Bgbg2

I came to faith partly as a result of hearing one great evangelistic sermon, but later when I first started regularly attending church I figured sermons were just something you just had to get through 95% of the time, perhaps because purgatory had been abolished.

A God Shaped Dream – and how to hold onto it. #Bgbg2

Talk by Alan Taylor at Ivy Manchester Genesis 21:1-7   Sarah called her son Isaac because what they heard from God seemed so ridiculous to her, she laughed at the idea. Abram was promised a family, though his wife could not conceive. He would have lived in a place with a lot of stars out every night. His descendants would outnumber them. What do our dreams look like when they are fulfilled? It may be you’re in a hard time, struggling to hold on to your dream – hold on! God wants us to dream along with him, a good dream, a big dream – that brings joy to our hearts. When you read the Bible, ask; 1) Where does this story fit into the bigger story? 2) Where do I fit in this story? God’s dream for Abraham and Sarah was way bigger than a family, it was for them to be blessed to be a blessing – a family on mission. That’s our story now. We carry that too. Called out to bless the world. Isaac was laughter […]