Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
Recorded on location at the Palace of Diocletian in Croatia.
From Jerusalem to Illyricum … this was the geographic extent of Paul’s mission activity. And though we know nothing in particular of what he did in these parts, we know that Christ was working through him to bring salvation to those lost in this life.
I am actually in the city of Split – an ancient Roman city made particularly famous for its associations with the emperor Diocletian. He ruled at the end of the third century A.D. and instigated the last and most brutal persecutions of followers of Christ within the empire.
It is not unusual for those who choose to live lives apart from the ways of the world to be shunned and even hounded today. But there are times when such rejection reaches extraordinarily extreme levels, And such was the time of the Roman Emperor, Diocletian.
Broadcast on 28th August 2022
Scriptures referred to:
Romans 15:17–22
Philippians 3:20-21
2 Timothy 4
1 Peter 1:3-9
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
Recorded on location at former RAF Douglaswood in Scotland.
It’s hard to believe that once this place was such a strategic part of our national defence. Of course, much has changed over the years, but the need for defence has always been a part of the story of human survival.
When this site in which I’m standing was operational as a means of frontline defence, it was able to see the unseen enemy. Within a range of about eighty miles, it could detect enemy aircraft that might pose a threat to national security, long before they could be seen by the naked eye, or even heard from below.
To see the enemy before the enemy can be seen is to gain a significant advantage, and can provide much needed time to be better prepared for the battle. So Peter warned his readers to “Be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” So we are to keep a watchful eye and not be caught unawares. We are to be watchful … as a watchman who looks out for the dangers of an approaching army.
Broadcast on 21st August 2022
Scriptures referred to:
1 Peter 5
John 8, 12
Ephesians 1, 2, 3, 6
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jon Galloway.
Broadcast on 14th August 2022
This talk is based on Ecclesiastes 3
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Mark Hill.
Broadcast on 7th August 2022
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jack Paton.
Psalm 138 is classified as a psalm of thanksgiving, sung in the voice of an individual person. It is well established that such individual psalms can also reflect and express the experiences of a community.
There are plenty of opportunities for us, as congregations, to reflect on what is happening when we hear and read these words.
Broadcast on 31st July 2022
This talk is based on Psalm 138
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Steve Whitehead.
Our tongue is in many ways what reveals our hearts to the rest of the world. People will judge us by what we say and how we say it. I'm not talking about accents here, whether regional or class. How we say something can mean different things depending on tone of voice.
I like the figures of speech that James employs in his description of how dangerous the tongue can be. They tell us much about the world in which James lived and by and large they communicate clearly to us today.
None of us truly controls our tongue. Admitting the fact is a start. With God's spirit to guide us, we can aim to do better. And when we fail, as we surely will, we can respond like David in godly sorrow and genuine remorse and be confident that in God our Father, we have forgiveness through his Son, our Saviour, Jesus.
Broadcast on 24th July 2022
This talk is based on James 3.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
Prayer had never been heard this way before. But such was the experience of God as Father that dominated the public life of Jesus – from the Jordan River to the cross on which he died. So when it came to Jesus teaching his disciples to pray, not only does he address God as his Father, but he teaches them to do the same!
There is a very real sense of familiarity in addressing God as our Father, and it is a familiarity that lies at the very heart of the message of Jesus, who died that we might live, and that we might live having been born of God.
This ‘Father-child relationship’ into which we have been called in Christ is, by definition, a most intimate relationship. It lies at the heart of God’s purpose for humanity. So let us pray, not as those who find comfort in their rituals of religion, but as those who find strength and blessing in our loving, intimate relationship with the Father.
Broadcast on 17th July 2022
Scriptures referred to:
Jeremiah 31:9
Isaiah 63:16
Luke 10; 23
John 1; 11; 12; 17
Ephesians 1
Quote by: Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
I suspect that I may not be alone in having started certain tasks, but never quite getting around to finishing them. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if some of us might have some sort of unfinished project hiding somewhere around the house – or in the workshop or somewhere.
I know that it can often be something of a challenge to begin a new project, or activity, or whatever it might be – but it can sometimes be an even greater challenge to keep going, and see it through to the end. And that is particularly true when we run into difficulties, or something seemingly more urgent demands our attention, and then we never quite get back to doing whatever it was we were doing before.
But there are some things in life which are worth pursuing with every ounce of effort we possess – and nothing more worthy than the journey upon which we embark when we begin to walk with God. That is, quite simply, worth giving up all other pursuits to pursue.
Broadcast on 10th July 2022
Scriptures referred to:
Matthew 13
Galatians 5
Hebrews 12
1 Corinthians 9
2 Timothy 4
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jack Paton.
The reason why the people of Nazareth reject Jesus has never been entirely clear to me. I would have expected a small town would celebrate a local man making good in the world. The text suggests an initial positive reception, but somewhere everything seems to change. Why might this be?
The identity of Jesus is a consistent issue in the Gospel of Mark. In this gospel we hear the opinions of rulers, religious authorities, of crowds of people, disciples, and indeed family members. But for Mark, as our author, the important question keeps coming around to “who do you — the reader — say that Jesus is?” And if you do honour Jesus as a prophet (or more than a prophet), what does that make you? Does it mean new allegiances that supersede traditional country and family values? As you answer those questions, Mark is leading you into a confession of faith.
We do have one thing those early disciples did not, and it makes all the difference. We have experienced the faithfulness of God in Jesus crucified and risen. So, we may marvel at the unbelief around us, but still we go forth, proclaiming and practicing our faith in Christ.
Broadcast on 3rd July 2022
This talk is based on Mark 6:1–13, and refers to other passages from Mark’s Gospel.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Mark Hill.
Jeremiah is probably not regarded as one of the most cheerful books or maybe the most cheerful characters in the Bible, but if we think only of that then we'll miss out on what lessons there are for us to benefit from. There is actually a lot of encouragement that can be received from this book and this character, along with the things he went through and the way he dealt with them.
The things that happened to Jeremiah and the circumstances that he faced are not too far removed from the attitudes that exist against God’s people today – and certainly against the truth of his word. In many instances, those who purport to be speaking on behalf of God today don’t actually say a lot of what God would want them to say.
Perhaps one of the greatest causes of atheism is hypocrisy amongst those people who claim to believe in God. There's no need for hypocrisy, there's no need to be mere ‘church members’ – there is a need to stand firm and speak the truth of God's word and live according to the truth of God’s word … to know why we believe what we believe and to not hold back from speaking the truth.
May it never be said of us I can’t hear what you’re saying, because your actions are so loud.
Broadcast on 26th June 2022
This talk is based on Jeremiah 1
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
When we are tempted, it’s because we are ‘lured and enticed’ by our own desires. And then, James says, the desire, when it has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived my dear brothers and sisters.
James doesn’t mince his words. He’s not inclined to ‘beat around the bush,’ as it were, but he means what he says, and he says what he means. If we begin to dabble with our desires – with our desires for things we know are not good for us – sooner or later we’re going to put them into practice.
And then, when we’ve become more than accustomed to putting into practice the things we desired that were not good for us … they’ll be the death of us. It’s a natural progression – there’s no getting away from it. To dabble with unhealthy desires is to dabble with death.
The addictive power of desire lies in its deception. We need to open our eyes and see our desires for what they really are. Only then can the truth really set us free.
Broadcast on 19th June 2022
Scriptures referred to:
Luke 9
John 8
James 1
And reference is also made to the film: “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jack Paton.
There are many dimensions of our life in God that we don’t understand and we may not understand until we are seated around the heavenly banquet. But in preparation for that day, I am keeping a track of a long list of questions that I personally want answered.
The Godhead is definitely one of those difficult, challenging, thought-provoking doctrines of our faith. But we should not think of it as an exam question – a test – that must be answered before we will be admitted into the presence of Jesus. Rather, it is ultimately a very practical doctrine with radical consequences for Christian life.
Throughout John’s Gospel we are given glimpses of the Spirit. And in John’s Gospel the Spirit is associated primarily with Jesus. In fact, we are told that Jesus “said this about the Spirit which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified”
The Godhead is about relationship and indwelling. It is about collaboration and the self-communication of God. The Godhead is about our invitation into the Godhead by Jesus in the power of the Spirit. And it is about our mutuality with each other, guiding, speaking, and declaring to one another the glory of God. The Godhead is our way of life made possible by God.
Broadcast on 12th June 2022
This talk is based on John 16:12-15, and refers to other passages from John’s Gospel.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
As far back as Abraham, God spoke of kings being among his descendants, and his grandson Jacob essentially foretold the royal line of David. But first, God would give to Israel the sort of king that Israel deserved – like the kings of the nations around them – and it wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience.
Once the people had learned what their sort of king was like, God “provided for himself a king” – a man who was “after his own heart” – he would serve God by ruling over the kingdom of Israel. His name was David. And he reigned for forty years.
Centuries later, the angel Gabriel comes to speak with Mary, of Nazareth, to tell her that she is to have a child: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Forget the mere seventy years of this Platinum Jubilee – King Jesus will reign forever … there will be no end to his kingdom. Forget the mere seventy years of this Platinum Jubilee – King Jesus will reign forever … there will be no end to his kingdom.
Broadcast on 5th June 2022
Scriptures referred to:
1 Samuel 13,16
Ezekiel 34,37
Matthew 1
Luke 1
Ephesians 1
James 2
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
Our true identities have nothing to do with our physical composition – nothing to do with our appearance or physical attributes – our true identities have to do with things far deeper than this. Somewhere, stamped upon our souls are the words: “Made in the image of God.”
It’s why we are precious in the sight of God. It’s why we can love God with our whole being. It’s why we are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. The whole DNA of humanity traces its way back to the heart of God.
When Luke, in his Gospel records the genealogy of Jesus, he traces the ancestral line all the way back to Adam whom he says was “the son of God”. Maybe the world doesn’t know it, but that’s where we’ve come from! That’s whose we are! That’s WHO we are!
Scriptures referred to:
Psalm 19:1
Genesis 1:27
Leviticus 26:12
Hosea 1:9
John 1:10–12
Romans 9:25–26
1 Peter 2:9–10
1 John 3:1–3
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jack Paton.
Our actions show God’s glory, too. At least, we are charged that it will be so. Jesus prayed , “All mine are yours and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them.” Here, in the midst of this highly theological passage, is no sign of Paul’s dictum that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Here the focus lies on promise and possibilities, looking at the fullness of God’s gifts: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one … so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
As was true for Jesus, is true for us. We cannot fully show the glory until we have accepted the work God has sent us to do. Or, more positively, we show the glory as we complete that work.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Steve Whitehead.
Believers, though, have a more optimistic belief. We know that God is in control. To quote the hymn: "This is my father's world." When God is ready to bring this planet to an end, then that's what he will do. No one knows how, but it will happen. As to the when, it is a good principle to allow the Bible to tell us what we need to know. And when we're approaching tricky subjects, to look first at straightforward passages and allow them to shape our understanding of the tricky bits.
So when his disciples asked Jesus about when the end was going to come, this was his reply. "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey ..."
Scriptures referred to:
Matthew 25
Mark 13:32–37
1 Corinthians 15
Reference was also made to:
"I Wish We’d All Been Ready" by Larry Norman
"Built For Glory, Made To Last" by The Lost Dogs
The book of Revelation
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Mark Hill.
What does hospitality really mean? It really is not just about having your friends around for a coffee it's not just about inviting your friends around for supper it's taking in complete strangers maybe that are lost and have nothing. Can we only practice hospitality when people are fleeing from war-torn or economically distressed areas or might we even show it to our next-door neighbours, to people in the town where we live.
Very often hospitality isn't about just having your friends around it's about those strangers about the people that we don't really know those who are in need who really do need feeding because they have no food not someone to try something new on top of everything else that they have but those who have nothing.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jack Paton.
Our passage depicts a community immobilised by fear after Jesus’ crucifixion, and Jesus’ task is to re-mobilise them. The inherent risk to the disciples is precisely why trust is needed. Risk and trust go hand-in-hand; the amount of risk one is willing to take is dependent upon the amount of trust one has. One does not need to risk anything in order to trust; however, one must take a risk in order to engage in trusting action. Risk is the indispensable ingredient that transforms trust into trusting action.
So this highlights the pivotal nature of the resurrection appearances for the formation of the disciples—the very risky post-crucifixion situation is the fertile ground upon which their trust in Jesus can grow. But vulnerability is something that we also consistently avoid. But could it be that from the example of Jesus and the disciples in our passage – could vulnerability be an opportunity for growth? How can trust grow – trust in God, trust in each other as fellow believers – if we avoid all risk?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Patrick Boyns.
The more we are able to see things from an eternal perspective – through the eyes of God, as it were – the more we see the temporal nature of this physical realm in which we currently and physically reside. But this world is not our home – we are made for grander things. We are made for realms invisible to human eyes – for places we cannot even begin to imagine in our present state. Isn’t that amazing?!
As a child learns to see that the beauty with which we are surrounded was made by hands we cannot see; so we are learning to look beyond what we can see, to all that lies beyond. And if the beauties of this world cause us to wonder of the one who made us, so that same awe and wonder lead us to contemplate yet greater glory to come.
Scriptures referred to:
Psalm 19:1
Ephesians
1 John 1:1–2; 5:11–13
1 Corinthians 2:9
Reference was also made to:
"All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Cecil Frances Alexander
"The Lord's My Shepherd" from Psalm 23
"Jerusalem" by William Blake
“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman–Turner Overdrive
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Jon Galloway.
David's idea of green pastures and quiet waters is probably different from ours are mainly because those things are very rare in that country, especially the part of the country he was from. There in Judah or Judea it's hot, it's dry, it's rocky, it's wilderness. But you can see how that picture would appeal to David as a place of comfort and peace when you're surrounded by something that's the opposite of it. Visiting Engedi, where David hid from Saul with his men, you find a place in the midst of the wilderness that has fresh water, it has green plant life. A lot of gazelles hop around in that area. But the overall picture we find here in Psalm 23 is one of comfort, peacefulness and great blessings.
Where do these come from? They are what someone who's serving God receives, not only in this life, but in the life to come. This is from God's goodness, God's love. Yet we look at the world we are living in today. War dominates our news. The scenes we see each day from our various news outlets are far from the picture that David depicted. We see death and devastation. We see homes and schools ruined, bombed, entire towns obliterated. We see atrocities. And we wonder, where is the peace?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
