Ministry types?
I was struck recently by a friend’s comment about the different sorts of people who find their way into training for ministry. His contrast was between those with personalities at the introverted...
View ArticleResilient resolutions
New Year’s resolutions. Remember those? How are you doing? Healthy eating, more exercise, a better routine, more reading, more Bible reading, more prayer… Chances are, though, you’ve struggled....
View ArticleScorning its shame
Shame keeps us from doing things. It stops us owning up to mistakes we have made. John realised with a jolt that the figures in the presentation he was giving were completely wrong, because he had used...
View ArticleChild Proof: Parenting by Faith, not Formula
If there’s anything that makes me feel guilty it has to be parenting. A sense of failure, shame, and ‘maybe they’ll turn out all right despite me’ never seem far away. What’s going on? No doubt I’ve...
View ArticleThe Certificate Course comes to Sheffield
Kenny Larsen and Sonia Crossley are leading the new Sheffield venue for the Certificate Course starting in September 2019. Sonia is married to Jim and has four children. She works part-time at Christ...
View ArticleDavid Powlison – with thanksgiving to God
On Friday 7th June at 11am with his family at his side, David Powlison, the Executive Director of CCEF, was taken to glory to be with the Lord for ever. David was diagnosed with an inoperable stage IV...
View ArticleI lack nothing
One of the joys of my commute to work is cycling across a large common where a small herd of cows roams freely. I love the way they lounge so happily in the morning sun, well fed and contented in their...
View ArticleDiehard Sins
Ste Casey suggests some summer reading: Diehard Sins: How to Fight Wisely Against Destructive Daily Habits, by Rush Witt The diehard sin in my heart leaves me exhausted, down-hearted and doubtful of...
View ArticleWaiting
Have you ever gone for a walk on a cloudy day and, to your surprise and delight, the sun unexpectedly breaks through the muted sky? Suddenly the entire landscape is changed by its light and warmth and...
View ArticleWaiting is a battlefield
Part One of this blog established that Christian believers are a waiting people – ours is the task of living in the “not yet” as we wait for our King to return. Though it may be a part of our calling,...
View ArticleEmotions – friend or foe?
The author and counsellor Ed Welch describes emotions as the language of the heart. You can see his point. When we share our deepest longings or admit our darkest fears, we speak emotionally. Or at...
View Article“I just want life to be normal again!”
Sarah* has been through sudden and unexpected trials recently. She has been laid low by acute illness. Her close family members have significant troubles in their work and relationships. Sarah has been...
View ArticleHe’s in the boat
I recently had the privilege of attending the CCEF National Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. The conference title was Anxiety and the God of Peace. I heard Robyn Huck of CCEF New England connect...
View ArticleIn defence of joy
Ahh, Christmas! ‘Tis the season to be jolly, ’tis the season of festive cheer. It’s the happiest time of the year, after all. Bah! Humbug. What is it about Christmas that seems to draw out the very...
View ArticleWhy we can be thankful for the thankless
Perhaps, like me, you had to be nagged and cajoled as a child to write thank you letters after Christmas to relatives for their gifts. I didn’t see the point of doing it – I’d rather get on with the...
View ArticleImproving my conversations
Talk less. Listen more. Put the screen away. Enter every conversation assuming you have something to learn from the other person. There is no shortage of conversational tips to be had – tips that I...
View ArticleHidden hypocrisy
Jesus spoke frequently about the problems of hypocrisy – not least in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Watch out’, he said, ‘for false prophets, they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are...
View ArticleIsolation and community
As we absorb the government measures for containing the coronavirus, people are starting to work out how to do life in these difficult times. Some – the elderly and those with long-term health...
View ArticleEaster: An end to isolation
In days dominated by the ugly experience of isolation behind closed front doors to try to flatten the death curve, Easter crashes gloriously in. Not only is it the time when, on our daily exercise, we...
View ArticleWhen children are anxious
Many children in the UK are anxious. This is not surprising. We live in a broken world which leaves all of us feeling vulnerable and uncertain of the future, especially in our current situation. The...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....