Mary’s song of praise – the Magnificat. If we were good Anglicans we would say those words together every week as part of our worship. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ, Mary’s song of praise helps us to understand…
16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the…
10 ways I can share my faith this Christmas Christmas is almost here again!!Cards, Presents, Decorations, Parties, even Carol Singing. And so many people missing the point completely! They’ve thrown out the baby!! So this year let’s make a real effort to reclaim Christmas for…
One of my favourite jokes of all time comes Disney’s Musical, “The Lion King.” It stars Simba the young lion born to be the Lion King and his friends Pumba the Warthog and Timon the Meercat. One day Simba was unhappy and grouchy and depressed.…
The informal title I have given to this series of sermons on Isaiah would be The Gospel in the Old Testament. Because the Prophecies of Isaiah are so significant in foretelling the coming of God’s Messiah and the Salvation he will bring. We haven’t begun…
There is a rather nice book with the inspiring title of “The Bible – the Best Bits” which does exactly what it says on the tin. So I thought for our last sermon in this series we could look at Acts – The Best Bits.…
Ten years ago I experienced a revelation. I was watching The Doctor’s Daughter, the 6th episode in the 4th series of Doctor Who with David Tennant playing the Tenth regeneration of the Doctor and Georgia Moffet playing his cloned offspring, Jenny, The Doctor’s Daughter. A…
In recent years the misleading idea has become popular that everybody will be saved. That is a false hope. Not only are there so many specific passages of the Bible which teach that some will be saved but others will be lost. There is also…
On his way to Damascus, was Saul of Tarsus hit by a bolt of lighting? That’s the latest theory to explain Paul’s conversion. A certain Dr. John D. Bullock, from Dayton, Ohio, delivered a paper on his theory at the American Academy of Opthamology and…
SING 34 At your feet we fall ISAIAH 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings:…
If you are sick you go to a doctor. If your spaniel is sick you go to the vet. If you need legal advice you ask a solicitor. For pensions and investments you go to a financial advisor. But what do you go to see…
I was reading a discussion among clergy on Facebook the other day about the Lord’s Prayer. One of them asked an interesting question about “Give us today our daily bread.” When we pray the prayer and ask for our “daily bread” is that asking merely…
The story of Paul and Eutychus is much loved by preachers. It is a timely warning to every member of any congregation who runs the risk of dozing off during the sermon! Acts 20:9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who…
The Song of the Vineyard Isaiah 5 1 to 7 Last week Shilpi reminded us of the words of Jesus in John 15, “I am the true vine.” I did not know that when I was planning for this evening but as it happens, this…
The Asuza Street Revival began in Los Angeles in 1906 and continued through to 2015. There were miracles of healing and deliverance, speaking in tongues and testimonies of dramatic conversions. It was the birth of the modern Pentecostal movement which led in turn to the…
God likes mountains! In the NIV the Bible mentions mountains 308 times and hills 237 times and that doesn’t include specific mountains such as 22 mentions of Mount Zion or 21 of Mount Sinai. God likes mountains. We really miss out in Essex because we…
“What must I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” The story so far. In our morning sermons before the holidays we were following the apostle Paul as he travelled preaching the gospel and planting churches around the…
From the earliest days of the church the Book of the prophet Isaiah was known as “the Fifth Gospel” or “the Gospel in the Old Testament.” In the 4th Century Jerome wrote that Isaiah “should be called an evangelist rather than a prophet because he…
Read the whole story of Jesus: the entire New Testament in thirteen weeks in an order which builds up your understanding week by week. Here is a pattern of readings covering the whole of the New Testament in thirteen weeks, reading on 6 days each…
Making Disciples One-to-One “Spiritual friendships” “Soul friends” “Prayer buddies” “Spiritual direction” “Spiritual formation” “Mentoring” Most Christians would agree that meeting One-to-One for prayer and encouragement is a great idea. But very few actually do it. Here are practical resources to help believers at every stage…
My new book on helping Christians to be ready to take every opportunity to talk about Jesus. Order your copy from me for just £5 plus £2 P&P. Email peter@pbthomas.com PART 1 – QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK What is salvation? What is the point of life?…
