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Springs Gushing Up to Eternal Life

“So, I see you are something of a prophet. Well then, riddle me this. Where does God want us to worship?” Top quality banter? Maybe. But to ask where we are to worship is to ask how we are to do it, which is to ask the most important question of all: who, or what, do we worship? Because, as Bob Dylan put it – everyone serves something.

Also, one of my favourite topics: ancient religions groups that are alive today, and was the Woman at the Well really a bit of a “loose woman”? Or was she the aunty of half the village, who’d lived through some tough times and was well worth listening to?

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sermons

You Must Be Born from Above

What does it mean to be “born again”? What is that stuff about the Moses and the serpent on a pole? And what does “for God so loved the world” really mean? And, finally, what does all this mean for us in the everyday reality of our lives?

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sermons

Vulnerability and Triumph

What does the story of Jesus temptation in the wilderness have to do with me? Did Jesus mog Satan into submission? Or is there something for both “the universe was made for me” and “I am nothing but dust and ashes” people?

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sermons

The Good News of the Transfiguration

How do we live? This is the fundamental question. Our lives are a cascade of objects and events, joy and sorrow, all conducted in front of the backdrop of a world which just continues on as usual no matter what is going on in our own lives. What do we make of if all? Is it ever possible to say of our lives “this is my life, I want no other?”

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deconstruct-reconstruct What actually is the good news

Jesus is Lord – and Putin Is Not

I was once asked to sum up the gospel in a sentence. I said this: Jesus is Lord. Why is this so controversial? Did you react a bit when I wrote it? It certainly caused quite a stir amongst the nice, well-meaning Christians in my group. Is this not very stark? Surely the idea of […]

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Emmaus Road

Easter feels a long time ago. The weariness of the lockdown wears on and on and, I don’t know about you, but it’s grinding me down. For instance, one of the highlights of my week last week was to sit in my car in the carpark of a local McDonalds eating a Sausage and Egg […]

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Christianity Culture and Society Faith Spirituality

The Good News and the Anxiety of Choice

What is the Gospel in our age of anxiety?

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Christianity Doubt Failure Religion sermons

Practice Resurrection: Easter Morning Sermon

What does the resurrection of Jesus mean? What is it to “believe” in the resurrection? Ultimately, does it, or anything, really matter?

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sermons Uncategorized

Called to be blessed, or to be a blessing?

Imagine that Jesus walked into our service here, today. I it’s likely that I would offer him the pulpit – even though I have worked pretty hard on writing my sermon. I can imagine myself taking a chair, leaning forward interestedly to hear what he has to say. This is more or less precisely the […]

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Christianity Faith sermons

The Book of Revelation and All Saints Day

What does the festival of All Saints have to do with understanding the Book of Revelation? Surely in this world come of age the time has come to turn our backs on such highly coloured images from our ancient past?

Or has it?