Friendships that inspire…
Perhaps you have come across Gordon MacDonald’s classic, Restoring your Spiritual Passion. It originally came out in 1986, and is memorable on many counts, but perhaps the one that first springs to mind is MacDonald’s description of 5 kinds of people that you come across in ministry (and indeed, not just in ministry, but in all walks of life) and the impact they have upon your spiritual passion and zeal. The MacDonald taxonomy describes each of the five types with 3 letters and then pithily summarizes their likely impact on your spiritual passion with a single word… There...
Read MoreAbout the blog and a holiday…
Thanks for your continued support and interest in this blog. I have been really encouraged by the warm response of so many of you. There have now been well over 6000 visits to the site – it has significantly exceeded my expectations. More importantly, several people have contacted me to ask me if they can use material from the site in church newsletters or in sermons or as resource in a unit they are teaching. My answer is always the same: YES – that is why I write, and I can’t tell you the pleasure it gives me to think that the material is sometimes helpful. When reusing...
Read MoreThe Spirit that gives life: Audrey’s story
It is possible that at 75 years of age Audrey Francis is the oldest student at Vose – I am not sure. What I am sure of is that she is one of our most engaged and engaging students, and that her life speaks of the reality of God, or of the Spirit that gives life, which was the theme of her recent chapel talk at Vose where she shared her life story. I found it both inspiring and encouraging, and am confident you will too. As you read it, imagine it being spoken in Audrey’s gentle Irish voice. Perhaps as you do, you will hear the Spirit that gives life speak to you. Bible Reading:...
Read MoreAbout a book: Could it be God?
Yesterday I received the rather exciting news that a British publishing house, Bible Reading Fellowship, are offering me a contract to publish a collection of my articles from Perth’s Advocate newspaper. I have been producing a monthly article for the Advocate for over 10 years now, and they have selected their 90 favourite columns and will bundle them up into a book entitled Could it be God? The blurb about the book reads: In a series of pithy, poignant and profound readings, this book explores the intersection of faith and life. Spotting parables in the everyday, it equips readers to...
Read MoreConducting a Spiritual Audit: A First Fifteen of Questions…
Have you ever asked, “so how do you measure spiritual growth?” Sermon after sermon challenges us to commit to grow spiritually, or to become more like Jesus, but how do we know if we are getting there? Are there any signs we can spot that reassure us that we are heading in the right direction? Back in 1998 Fred Smith wrote a wonderfully insightful and oft quoted article on conducting a spiritual audit. In it he poses 12 questions we should ask. It is probably because I am writing this as rugby world cup fever heats up, and with the three countries I have the closest links to...
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