PREACHED BY PHIL ARNOLD ON JULY 23, 2017 AT JCC, HEREFORD. A FURTHER MESSAGE IN THE SERIES 'OUT OF THE WILDERNESS' Introduction 1. Creating space 2. Reclaiming space 3. A seismic change: change the default Prayer response Introduction God is doing a new thing, Isa. 43:19, and He wants us to join Him in it. That is a call to 'come out of the wilderness' and raise our expectation of what He will do in our lives. Part of that is taking back time and opportunity for Him – reclaiming spaces. As disciples of Jesus, we make space in our busy lives – or … [Read more...]
The Narrow Way
Unity is a choice to follow what God is saying The path that leads up to Table Mountain, Crickhowell, almost disappears at times Matt. 7:13 NET 13Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Introduction EVERY day we are faced with choices. Some are routine and trivial. We're talking here about the more than trivial choices, choices of direction or … [Read more...]
The slow drift from truth – how deception comes
In pursuing a Bible study on verses that mention both truth and falsehood, I have been reminded again of a recent prophetic word, Jeremiah 9:1-9. Jeremiah is in a situation where many exhortations to seek God again and return to His ways had been ignored; the national disaster, the sacking of Jerusalem was imminent. In all of this, those who were appointed to speak truth were doing the opposite and misleading people, which takes us to the well-known "peace, peace" verse: Jer. 6:10-14 (excerpt) 10 ...the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; … [Read more...]
Trusting in the unseen
Household gods of the Old Testament era “Am I a God near at hand only, not a God when far away?” In Jeremiah’s time, a god that was close at hand was a pagan god figure you could see and carry around – god in your pocket, if you like. The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob was ‘far away’ or at least, unseen and only experienced by faith. When the going gets tough, the tough get going – according to the popular saying. Get going with what? Get going with whom? Live the Way of Jesus How we see God is crucial to how we set about this. To live the Way of … [Read more...]
Jurgen Kopp, a Christian football manager – how will he ‘play’ it?
New manager: Jurgen Kopp appointed to Liverpool FC – October 8, 2015THE great football managers are often charismatic, but seldom in the sense of faith and they're known more for being feisty than friendly.Some of the most effective 'old school' managers are notoriously aggressive and foul-mouthed at times – and they get results. Although I think this way of leading is fading, and so it should.Jurgen Kopp, appointed today as manager of Liverpool FC, is clearly an outstanding manager – and he is also a Christian believer who is not shy about speaking … [Read more...]
How to tell your story
Gentleness and respect? TV soaps rely on abrasive dialogue to maintain pace in a storyline – and they portray a world which is not about love and grace. The lifegiving kind of story Everyone who has met with Jesus has a story. You may have heard some arresting ones at baptisms – stories of a real life turnaround. Maybe your story (and mine) seem mundane by comparison. Less memorable, perhaps – but more accessible and easier to connect with. Your story is what God uses. Here's how to tell your story and how to coach others A ‘Cross and Switchblade’ … [Read more...]
Less complicated? How we are, how we say it, not just words
Non-verbal: It's the parts that are not words that communicate the most INTRODUCING this theme in Blue Run I mentioned Philemon Philemon 4-5 as a Bible character with a reputation that had gone far beyond him. As well as being a man of clear faith and conviction, he was someone who was known for his love for others – specifically within the fellowship of Christians, but we may assume that he was known as an approachable person by those outside the faith. When we come to know Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives, a heart transplant takes place. We … [Read more...]
Evangelism made a bit less complicated
This is one of the ‘frequently asked questions’ I hear about living the Jesus life. “I want to share my faith with others – but I don’t know how to do it.” Everyone is looking for a winning method to win people to Christ. I have worked with evangelists, and watched what they do, and tried to find a winning method. But when you’re fixated on looking for the wrong thing, you close yourself off to other possibilities. Including right ones! The winning method doesn’t work because we don’t do the winning – the Holy Spirit does. But we have a role to … [Read more...]
Seven signs that harmony with heaven needs tuning
Matthew 20:20-21 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” The verses in Matthew 20 (read also Jesus’ response!) highlight the kind of ‘flesh’ issues which rise up and need to be tackled honestly before we can find real, spiritual, heaven-harmonies … [Read more...]
Failure to Fruitfulness 1: Jeremiah at the Potters House
Foot power: Potter working with the traditional 'double wheel' which the word in the passage refers to Jeremiah 18:1-6 (ESV) 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 “O house of … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next Page »