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I'm trying something different at my homegroup this week.
As we're starting looking at the book of James, we're going to read the whole thing in one as a starter to the series. I'll ask individuals or pairs (if enough turn up!) to focus their minds particularly on a specific chapter. But from everyone at the end of reading right through it, I'll ask them two questions:
We'll then think a bit about the context, author and first readers of the letter by looking at the opening few verses and the closing verses.... continue reading
Are you a hero or a zero? A success or a failure? A winner or a loser?
Meet an ordinary man called Gideon; aka "Loser Boy". He's the weakest son of the least-important family; and he's hiding in a winepress - a hole in the ground - hoping no one notices him. Not much of a hero. But he's a man that God uses to his honour and glory. It's a great story. A true story. And one that has masses to teach us and our young people today. Which is why we're so excited to be launching a brand new book for teenagers this week all about the actions of God in the life of Gideon: Hero by Jonty Allcock.
Here's a sneaky peek at the start of chapter 4:... continue reading
This week we're thrilled to be launching a third book in our new series, Questions Christians Ask: Marcus Nodder's, What happens when I die?.
If we're honest, most of us wonder. The majority of us know what it is to be bereaved and to think about where our loved one has gone. Many of us will have pondered our own future. What will it be like to die? Will we recognise our loved ones? Are there rewards in heaven? Will we see our pets again? Are ghosts for real? These are just some of the questions that flit through our mind - and some of the questions that are tackled in this great new resource from The Good Book Company.
Here's what the book says about the important question of whether we go straight to the Lord's presence when we die or whether we experience soul sleep ...... continue reading
We don't like to think about him much. Indeed, we're not called to think about him a great deal. But in any battle, it's useful to know at least a little about your enemy. Did the devil make me do it? by Mike McKinley - the second book in our new series, Questions Christians Ask - is a short introduction to Satan, demon and evil spirits. In just 80 pages it aids us to understand what we need to know about the devil without encouraging us to delve too deep into things that are bleak and unhelpful. Questions covered include:
To give you a taste this great little resources, here's a short extract:... continue reading
This week we're thrilled to be releasing 3 great little books in a our new series: Questions Christians Ask. These short, accessible resources are designed to give bite-sized, biblical answers to the kinds of questions that flit through our minds from time to time.
If you - or someone you know - has questions about the Holy Spirit, Who on earth is the Holy Spirit? is for you! Covering commonly asked questions like:
Tim Chester and Christopher de la Hoyde's book is a helpful introduction to the third person of the Trinity. And here, to whet your appetite, is a little extract:... continue reading
Linda walked up to me after church, a cup of coffee in her hands. As we exchanged pleasantries, she suddenly said: “I’m a bit confused. A friend has been talking to me and she says that we all become ghosts after we die. That’s not right … is it?”
What do you say?
We were studying John’s Gospel in homegroup, and had finished reading chapter 16. Dave, always enthusiastic to ask his questions, got us started by saying “I like to think of the Holy Spirit as a kind of electricity that keeps us going...”
What do you say?
Most of the youth group had been to see the movie, and it was the subject of an excited discussion as I walked up to them. “It’s really scary to think that the devil can just take people over like that,” said one girl. “But at least you wouldn’t be responsible for the stuff you did when you were possessed,” a boy replied.
What do you say?... continue reading
This year, The Gospel Coalition National Conference (starting in the US on Monday 8th April) is going to be focusing on Jesus' mission in the Gospel of Luke. It looks as if it's going to be a great conference and if you're interested you can follow events at the conference using #TGC13. To mark the start of the conference The Good Book Company in partnership with The Gospel Coalition are offering a free series of daily devotionals based on Luke for your mobile device.
The Good Book Company's Explore App offers devotionals for your phone or pad so you can study God's word wherever you are and whenever you want. Each study will refresh and encourage your walk with the lord as it points you to His word. Explore doesn't simply tell you about a passage of scripture - it takes you into the passage, through a mixture of questions about the text, short summaries and helpful links to other parts of the Bible. Then it helps you bring the passage into your own life through application and prayer pointers. It's ideal for anyone wanting to continue, add to or re-establish a good habit of reading the Bible every day. Each devotional is suited for new Christians and more mature believers, and comes with the passage and any cross-references attached and is based on the ESV translation. Users can either choose dated material, which works through the whole Bible in around seven years; or to download devotionals on a particular book of the Bible. Contributors include Timothy Keller, Mark Dever, Graham Beynon, Christopher Ash, Mike McKinley and Tim Thornborough.
The Explore series on the Gospel of Luke, written by The Good Book Company's Senior Editor Carl Laferton, comprises 105 studies. Until the end of June you can download the first 35 for free, and be thrilled, for the first or thousandth time, by the Lord Jesus and His life, love, words and deeds. To access your 35 free devotionals. search for "Explore Bible" in the App Store or Google Play, download the app and then in the "Read" section select "TGC Luke 1 - 9"
As a taster, you can access pdfs of the first three studies here.
NEW! THE MODERN LIFESTYLE BIBLE VERSION
Struggling with difficult Old Testament passages? Tired of challenging Bible verses? Finding your conscience inconveniently pricked by Scripture?
Most of us will have felt like this sometimes. But now you can put all that behind you with a stunning new Bible—The Good Book Company's Modern Lifestyle Bible.... continue reading
Taken from Mike McKinley’s Passion: How Christ’s Final Day Changes Your Every Day.
1. ‘Adam said to God: “My will, not yours!” But Jesus said: “Even though it will cost me everything, let your will be done, not mine.”’ (page 21)
2. ‘Judas is a chilling reminder to us that you can’t rely on your past experiences as an indication of your current spiritual condition’ (p 30)
3. ‘The question isn’t whether we’re guilty: it’s how we deal with that guilt. Do we seek to shift it; seek to work it off; carry it till it crushes us; or give it to Jesus?’ (p 38)
4. ‘Finding God guilty of blasphemy is like a group of nine-year-olds in an art class finding Michelangelo guilty of crimes against art, and of producing fake copies of Michelangelo paintings… only infinitely worse.’ (p 50)
5. The reason that Jesus was not after a political kingdom was not because it was too big a thing for Him, but because it was far too small. The entire Roman empire couldn’t contain the kingdom that He did want to establish.’ (p 64)
6. ‘There is a cross beam firmly fixed on the shoulders of every human being on the planet. Simon of Cyrene just had the opportunity to have it made visible to him for a brief time.’ (p 93)
7. ‘God’s Son knew what we would turn out to be like, He knew all of our failures and sins and weaknesses; and He died for us anyway.’ (p 103)
8. ‘God is far more interested in the state of your soul than He is in delivering you from your present circumstances.’ (p 114)
9. “At different times and in different ways we will all have Joseph of Arimathea’s choice presented to us: will we risk standing with Jesus whatever the consequences, or will we play it safe?’ (p 134)
10. ‘For Christians, death may seem untimely, feel painful, appear tragic; but we can die peacefully as people who know we are going to be with the Lord, the Lord who hung in the darkness so that we can live in eternal light with Him.’ (p 135)
To read between these lines, get a copy of Passion for 15% off.
The only right motivation for serving or obeying Christ Jesus is love. It sounds so simple and obvious; but we find it so very easy, and it appears so very natural, to serve for any and every reason other than love. We serve to earn blessing (or even salvation); to pay Jesus back, as though he’s not generous; to be noticed by others or be part of an in-crowd; we serve because we think Jesus needs us to, as though if we don’t serve, His mission will fall apart.
We serve for all kinds of reasons other than the only one which Jesus asks for, looks for, and is pleased by: love.
And when we serve in love, everything changes.
Think about an act of service for a moment, maybe something you do in church, at home or at work. Choose something repetitive—a way you serve others every day or each week. Now ask: If I do that act of service as a way to earn God’s love or blessing, or to impress others or be needed by others, what will it do to my heart? One of two things. It will fill your heart with pride, if you’re noticed or needed, or if you consider that now you have deserved God’s blessing. Or it will fill it with despondency or bitterness, if you feel you haven’t had the praise you deserve, or if God doesn’t do for you what you think He should.... continue reading
