God will give you something to say

“During the eight months when I jog outside in Minnesota, I regularly carry booklets and Gospels of John in my pocket. I pray for guidance for someone to talk to about Jesus, and for the help of the Holy Spirit in what to say.

It is usually quite early in the morning, and I am running in what most people would call ‘the inner city.’ If I find a guy standing alone, I may stop and say, ‘Good morning! My name’s John. I run through the neighborhood and pray for people. Is there something I can pray about for you?’ From this point on, it is unpredictable. …”

– John Piper shares some encouragement at Desiring God.

Five Bible inputs to grow, grow, grow

“At one recent conference Rico Tice spoke about reading the Bible on four different levels. I am going to borrow his framework and develop it in my own way. So here are five Bible inputs that will help you grow upwards in Christ. …”

– At Unashamed Workman, Colin Adams shares some great ideas about Christian growth.

The Archbishop’s Christmas message 2016

“From politics to personal life, what more do we want for Christmas than people who will tell us the truth?”

Here is the text of Archbishop Davies’ message: Read more

Christian in a Muslim Culture: The Intriguing Insights of an Egyptian Bishop

“Bishop Mouneer Anis, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt, and Presiding Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, delivered the ninth annual ‘Moule Memorial Lecture’ on 8 June 2016 in Cambridge. …

The topic of Mouneer’s lecture was “My Experience of Christian and Muslim Relations in Egypt”. As the title suggests, the bishop drew on personal experiences to speak about living as a Christian minority in a Muslim culture.”

– At The Australian Church Record, Steve Tong shares some insights from the lecture.

That’s Christmas!

That's Christmas! from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

We’ve linked to this video before – from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate. It’s well-worth a re-run, and features input from Dr. Paul Barnett.

The value of teaching Books more than once

The latest from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate:

“Why is it valuable to teach through Bible books more than once? What are some advantages of teaching books numerous times? Why do people often object to teaching books of the Bible more than once? Doesn’t St Helen’s just teach the same couple of books each year? How can we get better at repeating books in our regular Bible-teaching programmes?

In this month’s Preaching Matters, Charlie Skrine talks about his experiences of teaching books several times, and why it is important for the church.”

Healthy churches around the world

The latest 9Marks Journal is out. Editor Jonathan Leeman writes,

“The Journal topic of healthy churches around the world was Dever’s idea. I was doubtful at first. But – goodness – was I wrong!

This might be one of my favourite Journals to date. It’s sort of like Tim Keesee’s wonderful book, Dispatches from the Front: Stories of Gospel Advance in the World’s Diffcult Places. The difference is, the authors provide frontline reports on the state of churches. How are churches doing in Brazil, Iran, Cameroon, Albania, China, Singapore?

Are they preaching the Bible? Proclaiming a biblical gospel or watered-down substitute? Pursuing corporate and individual holiness? Pursuing evangelism? Practicing church membership?

The planting and growing of healthy churches is how we will best fulfil the Great Commission”

– Download the current issue from 9Marks.

Risen — Articulate 4 from the ACR

The Australian Church Record is continuing to republish Archdeacon T. C. Hammond’s encouraging notes on The Thirty Nine Articles.

“A weary world gropes for security and struggles against insidious and often victorious evil. Remedial measures are entered upon with high hopes. Recurrent malignancy seems to mock our best endeavours. Jesus Christ is the answer to our heart yearnings. He conquered death and is coming again in judgment.”

– Read the full post, originally published in The Australian Church Record, April 28, 1955.

Related: The Thirty Nine Articles.

Holy Trinity Adelaide Christmas billboard

Here’s a clever and thought-provoking poster from Holy Trinity Adelaide.

The Well Good News of Christmas

Here’s a Christmas video for kids (and their parents), produced by The Bible Society in the UK.

How to Grow a Family Ministry

Pete Tong has been writing a three part series, at The Australian Church Record, on How to Grow a Family Ministry.

Part 1 – Passion and Vision.
Part 2 – Theological Convictions.
Part 3 – An integrated family ministry.

Where next on same-sex marriage?

Church Society has published online an article by Director, Lee Gatiss. It will be printed in the Winter 2017 edition of Crossway.

Entitled “Where next on same-sex marriage?”, it focusses on the situation in the Church of England, though with reference to the wider Anglican Communion

“So, we have completed more than two years of ‘facilitated’ or ‘shared conversations’ about sexuality issues in the Church of England. This was encouraged by the Pilling Report a few years ago, as the way forward on this issue. But what happens now that the conversations have ended? And what, if anything, should be done?

There are various potential options for the future of the Church on this subject. Some have listed only the different ways in which so-called ‘traditionalists’ might be hived off into a ‘safe space’, or leave the Church altogether once the liberal triumph is complete. But it is far from inevitable or desirable for that to be the outcome.

Others have seen the options as merely extremes: adopt gay marriage or stay as we are; with a third way (’pastoral accommodation’ of prayers for same-sex couples, but no change in doctrine) seen as a nice compromise in the middle. But this is tendentious: there are far more options than merely these three, and no-one is happy with the status quo.

In the article linked to below, from the forthcoming issue off our magazine Crossway, I explore in more detail 6 possible ways forward. So explore with me what those might be …”

– Read it all here.

Sexual Revolution, Same Old Revolution

“The sexual revolution here in the twenty-first century is not a new revolution, but a continuation of the one that has dominated humanity since our earliest days.

This revolution began when a man made a choice to declare independence from God. He wanted to be autonomous, he wanted to make his own way in the world, to answer only to himself, to shake himself free from the oversight and accountability of his Creator.

But more than that, he wanted to destroy that Creator, to escape his watchful eye, to stamp out the imprint of himself this Creator left on every human soul. For man knows he is guilty before this Creator. He can doubt it or deny it, but he can never fully shake it. To get out from under his guilt he must get out from under his Creator. To kill his guilt he must kill his Creator.”

– Read the full post from Tim Challies. (Image: Tim Challies.)

Also see:

Seven Reasons You Should Not Indulge in Pornography – Andy Naselli.

Pornography: still an issue? – Meagan Bartlett, Australian Church Record.

New Advanced Diploma of Bible, Mission and Ministry from Moore College

“For many years Moore College has offered both a Diploma of Bible and Missions and a Diploma of Bible and Ministry alongside its degree programs.

Now these courses have been improved, upgraded into an advanced diploma and combined in the new Diploma of Bible, Mission and Ministry, commencing in Semester 1, 2017. …”

– News from Moore College.