This month's most popular posts

  • Pete Greig: Prayer that’s Faithful, Faith-Filled, and Fully Awake. I was privileged to attend this year's Wildfires event. My first reflection is no wonder it's grown every year. I was invited in previous years and thought 'it's too far from Manchester' but I've realised it's not going to get ... posted on July 28, 2025
  • Sheep and Shepherds Preparing for next Sunday's Video talk, which we're filming later today, I found a great deal of interesting detail from this source, reproduced at www.baptistbiblebelievers.com Manner And Customs of Bible Lands by Fred H. Wight Copyright @ 1953 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Shepherd ... posted on December 10, 2013
  • Katia Adams. No Fake Fires – Let Wildfires Burn! "The Holy Spirit has been made like a drunk uncle at a wedding: still technically invited, but stuck in the corner in case he embarrasses us." posted on July 29, 2025

Doug Addison on Prophetic Evangelism

What a great night at Ivy Manchester! As promised – here are my notes from Doug’s teaching tonight. The talk will be up on the church website for download in a couple of days. People say ‘I’m spiritual, not religious’ The world has changed, evangelism hasn’t caught up. This is an addition to the toolkit: Prophetic Evangelism. 2 scary words! He’s been PRACTISING this for years. If we have a good product, with eternal benefits – but people don’t want it, we need a marketing meeting! We have had good intentions – but that’s not enough. We have to become missionaries to the UK. What do missionaries do? Figure out what people already believe. Study the language and the culture – fit the message into where people are. Not changing the message, just changing the way you share it. Most people are open to Jesus, and to the power of God. We have to come up with ways to connect with people. Today, if people are spiritual, that’s half way home – cos God is spiritual – and he’s in […]

When obedience gets annoying

I wrote a blog post about Catalyst earlier, I thought I made a fair point. Then when I went to bed and God spoke to me about it, and told me it didn’t pass the THINK test (is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind). I told him I thought it was okay. Ever tried telling God he’s wrong? So here I am tired, and deleting it. But feeling better. And looking forward to bed.

A way in the desert

There are a lot of desert experiences, in life and in the Bible. Jesus himself went through it. In fact Mark’s gospel says the Holy Spirit ‘threw’ him there! It’s natural for us to complain about being in the desert. It’s a bit of a Christian catchphrase – when you want to moan about God, but sound holy about doing it. “I’m going through a bit of a desert experience at the moment.” What do you do in the desert? There’s no map (you could try a piece of sandpaper I suppose). You don’t know where you’re going, how you got there or when you’re getting out. Can I make a couple of suggestions? 1) Listen to God. You’re in that season for a reason. It’s a test – but you’ll be blessed! God wants to teach you something – are you learning the lesson? The desert is where he breaks us of self sufficiency, or the need for self promotion. The desert is the place he teaches discipline and dependence on him. But our God makes a way in […]

Manchester Firsts.

Just reading the 4 page pull out in todays Manchester Evening News about the Urban Heroes awards ceremony we attended to celebrate the great work of the Message Trust got me feeling great about the city and hopeful for a fantastic future for people like Steph the overall winner and many more. So here’s a quiz. How many of these statements are true about the city I love to live in? Vegetarianism was founded in Manchester Suffragettes were founded in Manchester The TUC was started in Manchester The First Law of Thermodynamics was discovered in Manchester The world’s first Industrial Estate was built in Manchester The first computer was built in Manchester The first canal was made in Manchester The first Railway was in Manchester Rolls Royce started in Manchester The first submarine was made in Manchester The first British aeroplane was designed and flown in Manchester The first Transatlantic flight was from Manchester, by Mancunians The first permanent professional orchestra was in Manchester Top of the Pops started in Manchester Roget’s Thesaurus started in Manchester (bonus point – what’s […]

Daniel Fast : Consistency Counts

When you pray, when you worship – do you go for GOD?! Surely we want to encounter GOD!? We don’t just want answers – we want the One who is the Answer. We want His face not just his hand. We don’t just pray to meditate and think things through ourselves . Of course we want understanding and revelation and strength and wisdom and answered prayer– but not for their own sake!