Are You Ready For CHRIST? Advent Sermon Idea

Thought I’d throw out my recent sermon about why Advent is about more than waiting for Christmas – it’s about watching for Christ. Are you ready for Christmas?Probably not. Join the club. Are you ready for CHRIST?I hope so. From Bethlehem to the Beginning We all know the first Christmas happened at Bethlehem, but the truth is it was promised from the very beginning. Before the foundation of the world, God – who has good plans and purposes for us – knew we would need a Saviour. All of the Old Testament is the story of how He prepared the world for Jesus’ first coming. But Advent doesn’t begin at a manger.It begins with a message: He will come again. Every year at Ivy we like to do things a little differently, so we will talk about the second coming of Jesus before we rush to the Nativity, because we need to remember where the story is going: forward, not back. Knowing who Christmas is about helps us avoid going mad at Christmas. No need to plunge into the December debt spiral. Rein it in […]

Thoughts On Hearing That My Friend Eric Delve Has Gone Home To Be With Jesus.

I believe Eric was the finest preacher to reach ordinary people that the nation has produced in his generation. He was also my spiritual Dad, and not just by his message but his mentoring, prayer and support.
I loved his laugh, and shared many of his heartfelt tears too as he prayed for the people. He was incredibly open as a Pastor to care deeply for people