Jun 042014
 
Unity: one of my favourite things ever!

Last night my church did something that reminded me of one of my favourite things ever. It was a joint church prayer meeting. May not sound much, but I loved it. It embodied one of the best things ever: Churches being united. I grew up in a youth group run by people from a number of local […]

May 092014
 
Why aren't Christians very nice?

I remember one of the things I was taught at church as a child was this: being a Christian isn’t just about being a nice person. How true! A living Christian faith isn’t about being polite. We aren’t just called to be ‘nice’. We are called to be transformed, new people enlivened with the peace and […]

“Why am I a Christian? Habit.” – James Pollard

May 022014
 
"Why am I a Christian? Habit." – James Pollard

My next instalment in the “Why are you a Christian?” series is from my friend James. I owe a lot to James. He used to be my youth leader and has had a profound impact on my life. He was trying to teach me about Jesus, and he did that plenty. But on top of that, […]

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“I’m a Christian because I continue to believe it” – my mum

Apr 282014
 

Next up in my “Why are you a Christian?” series is my wonderful mum! Such a wonderful lady, to whom I owe so much and who inspires me greatly. Her name is Jo, she and my Dad will have been married 30 years in a few months (wow!) and she works for a school dealing with […]

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Easter, and living the great story of our faith

Apr 202014
 
Easter, and living the great story of our faith

Because of other commitments I haven’t been at home for the whole of Easter week in quite a few years. I’ve been home for Good Friday and then been elsewhere for Easter Sunday, or the other way round, or something else, but never at home for the whole of Holy Week. Until this year. This […]

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Mika’s limp: it’s like Jesus!

Apr 172014
 
Mika's limp: it's like Jesus!

Yesterday our dog Mika did something which was just beautiful. I want to tell that story for two reasons. First, it’s a great story, and who doesn’t love cute dog stories? Second, it encapsulates something of the beauty of what Jesus has done. (And I guess third, it’s a story about limping, so how could I not?) […]

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“I’m a Christian because Jesus is for real” – Cheryl Higgins

Apr 012014
 

It’s been a couple of weeks since the last “Why are you a Christian?” post, but I promise it hasn’t gone away. Still plenty more, and today I have a contribution from a friend called Cheryl. Cheryl is part of our church, and is also a member of the small group that Mel and I are […]

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“Jesus wants his church back” – Malcolm Duncan

Mar 212014
 
"Jesus wants his church back" – Malcolm Duncan

I want to share some words which I was deeply struck by and which I think are very important for the church in our nation to hear. I claim no credit for this post. The words are those of my pastor, Malcolm Duncan, and I reproduce them here with his permission. A little context. Two […]

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Mar 172014
 
Is doubt a sin?

I’d be lying if I said I never have doubts about faith. I cannot claim to fully understand God and it’s uncomfortable. I don’t want uncertainty, but where there is uncertainty, doubt is normal. Doubt is hard enough to live with. Trying to follow God who is so wonderful He eludes our comprehension is difficult. […]

Mar 162014
 

This is the 5th contribution to my “Why are you a Christian?” project, and it’s unique so far in that I’ve never met the contributor. It’s by Steve Curtis, who I know solely because we are fellow Christian bloggers. He blogs over at ‘In The Fish’ – do check it out! I’ve specifically chosen today […]