What’s evangelism? #exponential

1) Billy Graham ~ Proclamation 2) Dawson Trotman – Disciple making 3) John M Perkins – Social justice ‘Momma will ask me, what did u do for people like me?’ 3Rs 4) John Wimber – Power! Many of these have been individualistic 5) Hybels. The local church is the hope of the world; church growth/ church planting Acts 2 recovered. But we can end up too focused on numbers that way so… 6) Shane Claiborne – Alternative counter cultural communities. Radical reimagining of the neighbourhood. And we can end up that way not focusing on the word- so, back to Billy! All these models are needed Which should you do? Do what you do best! Affirm all these models, they’ve all been used by God through history so the church grows through history, not transfer.

Can a nation be changed? Nicky Gumbel at #exponential #bgbg2

Luke 5: One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding round him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ 5 Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ […]

#GoodFriday Alan Taylor – how do we measure God’s love for us?

Ever fallen to your knees in prayer? What does it take to bring you to your knees? To pray on your knees. It has to be pretty serious to bring us to our knees. Eph 3:14-18 says that’s what Paul does when he prays that people would understand the love of God in Christ He prays that they’d get it. A lot of people don’t get Good Friday Why is it Good? Why does Jesus dying bring us peace? We need to learn – at the cross – that the love of God isn’t something you earn or deserve, just receive. Jn 17:26 Jesus measures out the love for us At the cross. At how high and wide and deep and long it is. We measure out our accomplishments & achievements to get our value The world says I will love you IF it’s always conditional We try and fail to get our love that way. God measures out his love for us and fits it to us Who would die for you Put themselves under a bus for you […]

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 […]