So now we come to – arguably – the most important event in the old testament: the only one Israel…
Exodus 12 – Passover, part 2
Last time we fed on Exodus 12’s amazing picture of how God sets people free. Israel were enslaved; just as…
Exodus 14 – the Red Sea
So we reach the Red Sea. We know this story well… What we may have forgotten is the surprising thing…
Joshua 9 and 10: Joshua’s Most Puzzling Section – and Genocide??
Today’s is a puzzling section. So, three major spiritual lessons, and some suggestions about the puzzles… In chapter 10 God’s…
Exodus 16
Exodus is one of God’s two foundational books; showing us just how God sets people free. But last time we…
Exodus 17 – the cruciality of prayer!
Now for Exodus 17. A weird story, but one hugely helpful for our imaginations! Here God records the first battle…
Exodus 19 – Sinai: what’s different, what isn’t
And so we reach Israel’s breathtaking encounter with God’s holiness at Sinai. One of the greatest moments in history, one…
Tolkien/God
The Lord of the Rings is a lengthy volume (and this is an extended post)! So it may be wise to…
The End-Times(1): What Happens Next? And Might It Happen Soon?
Jesus is coming back to earth to reign, and very possibly in the not too distant future! This is one…
Ecology And The Bible
Sometimes the Bible is surprising! COP27 has finished, reminding us all that climate change is looking like a massive, worldwide…
Ten Commandments 1 and 2: Keep God First!
The first two of Exodus 20’s Ten Commandments are about idolatry; why? Is God still saying anything relevant through them…
Our Future(2): What’s This About The Rapture?
Let’s recap from our companion post about the `tribulation`. The Bible seems to say that, before Christ returns as King,…
Ten Commandments 3: Honour God’s Name!
This time and next we’re feeding on two very practical expressions of worship. What can we learn from what God’s…
Our Future(3): So How Does Ethnic Israel Fit In?
‘I will create Jerusalem to be a delight, and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take…
Our Future(4): What Happens After Jesus Returns? What’s This About The Millennium?
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion…
Ten Commandments 4: Protect Your Day For Joy!
Make absolutely sure you all have a day off each week! (Even your animals, Ex 20:10!) This is the very…
Wondering About Heaven!
What’s heaven like? And why wonder about heaven anyway? Why? Well: because anything we’ll be doing for the next million…
How Does A Fantasy Like Tolkien Have A Worldview?
To many readers the whole idea of describing a writer like Tolkien as a ‘Christian fantasist’ may seem highly peculiar.…
Ten Commandments 5: You and Your Parents
Just one of the ten commandments has the promise `So that you may live long in the land`, and it’s…
Joshua 14: Dream Big Dreams!
Today’s section of Joshua is marvellously encouraging! And it’s a great (even amusing!) picture to absorb for our longterm personal…
Ten Commandments 6: Murder And Other Things We Do Like That
Next Exodus commandment: `You shall not murder.` Well, I imagine not many murderers are reading this. (Although Billy Graham’s wife,…
Ten Commandments 7: Gouging Out the Roots of Adultery
Next comes sex… `You shall not commit adultery`, says God in the next of the ten commandments. How can this…
Ten Commandments 8: Theft And Other Things We Do Like That
God’s eighth commandment: `You shall not steal.` We don’t need this one, do we? I mean, it’s obvious. `Honesty is…
Ten Commandments 9: Why “All Liars Go To Hell” (Rev 21)…
Ninth commandment: do not lie. And it would be so great to live somewhere where people didn’t… … Somewhere where,…
Ten Commandments 10: The Root Command? (part 1)
`Don’t covet`: God’s tenth and final commandment. A surprisingly vital one: Edith Schaeffer says it’s the root of many of…
Ten Commandments 10: The Root Command? (part 2)
`Don’t covet`: the tenth, final commandment. As we listen to God, coveting and materialism prove unexpectedly major issues for each…
What’s So `Refreshing` About The Old Testament Laws? (part 1)
We’ve fed on the 10 commandments. But how, if at all, do we feed ourselves on the old testament’s minor…
Reasons For Faith Course: session 1, notes afterwards
Why are we doing this? We’re doing it because God never told us `just believe`. 1 Peter 3 says `Always…
What’s So `Refreshing` About The Old Testament Laws? (part 2)
`The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul`, sings David in Psalm 19. `Oh, how I love your…
Reasons For Faith Course: session 2, leader’s notes
Open in prayer. Who had the opportunity to share some of last week’s material with someone who’s not yet a…
Reasons for Faith Course: session 2 handout
JESUS, TRIUMPHANT OVER DEATH…… CAN WE BELIEVE IT? What everyone agreed: Jesus died and was buried…. …
The Old Testament Laws and Slavery
Sometimes people say: How can you see the old testament law as God-inspired when it tolerates slavery? Well, the first…
Reasons for Faith Course: session 2, notes afterwards
? How could a good God allow so much suffering? The Bible teaches no easy answers to this question. At…
Is Jesus Here In These Ex21 Laws?
Before we leave the `minor laws` of Exodus 21… Is Jesus here in this apparently obscure section? If so it’s…
Exodus 24 – Now The Old Testament Starts?
Now for Exodus 24: a hugely important and helpful – if puzzling – chapter. Because, if we can grasp it,…
Old Testament intro course: whole-course handout
[What follows is a handout you may find useful if you’re teaching something based on this Old Testament introductory course.…
Reasons For Faith Course: session 3, leader’s notes
Open in prayer. Who had the opportunity to share some of last week’s material with someone who’s not yet a…
Exodus 25 to 40: The Amazing Tabernacle
Now whatever’s this? Most of Exodus ch25 to ch40 is about the tabernacle, and God’s exact (25:9,40,27:8) instructions how to…
Exodus 32 – The Golden Cow (part 1)
Now for the last big story in Exodus. The golden cow: the catastrophic sin through which 3000 people died and…
Reasons For Faith Course: session 3, notes afterwards
? Isn’t the church evil? When people ask this question we have a great chance to explain the difference between…
Exodus 32 – The Golden Cow (part 2)
We’re feeding on Exodus’ last big story – the golden cow: the disastrous sin through which 3000 people died and…
Exodus 32 to 34: Prayer And The Glory Of God
Exodus 32: Israel comes within 30 seconds of being obliterated. Wonderfully, one man’s prayer saves the day. How? It’s astounding.…
Joshua 20 to 23: How To Make The Blessing Last
We’ve been learning, through Joshua’s remarkable book, what marks God’s people if they’re moving into victory. And we want to…
God Is Most Great! – Why?
Just what is it about God that is so great, so significant, so wonderful? This comes from a joint Muslim-Christian…
Reasons For Faith Course: session 4, leader’s notes
Open in prayer. Who had the opportunity to share some of last week’s material with someone who’s not yet a…
Exodus 28,29,39: The High Priest – Showing Us Jesus
Every Bible book gives us something joyfully unique. Hebrews adds to everything we know about Jesus that He’s our `Great…
Reasons For Faith Course: session 4, notes afterwards
? We’re a pluralistic society. Our world has many sincerely-held beliefs. How can there be only one true faith, how…
Exodus 40: What Exodus Was For!
And so we come to Exodus’ end. It’s always good to watch how a Bible book closes! This is how…
Joshua 24: Making My Own Discipleship Last
Here we are at the end of Joshua. It’s been a fantastic journey, watching what marks God’s people if they’re…
Easter Rising: an easter poem
… But it was not a smooth crucifix, lilies at its foot and at its head a pale light. It…
What’s So `Refreshing` About The Old Testament Laws? (part 1)
How, if at all, do we feed ourselves on the old testament’s minor laws, such as we hit in Leviticus,…
Some Tools For Reflection At New Year…
Just thought I’d post some questions I find helpful in reflecting at new year: either on our own with God,…
What’s So `Refreshing` About The Old Testament Laws? (part 2)
`The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul`, sings David in Psalm 19. `Oh, how I love your…
Gideon – The Book Of Judges Speaks To Our Pain
What might be God’s path to bring us to major triumph? Gideon’s history blesses us by showing how, unexpectedly, our…
Leading An Evangelizing Student Group
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Timothee Joset’s `Priesthood Of All Students`
I’m posting this critique having seen this book described as a successor to my history of IFES Day of His…
Judges 11: Did Jephthah Really Burn His Daughter To Death?
Atheists often quote Judges 11, Jephthah and his daughter, as a case of human sacrifice that shows how utterly inhuman…