Christ the Truth: Recent Episodes
Glen Scrivener
This will probably be my last post here for a while. This week I've been in Covid-jail so I've written a flurry (Preaching that Cuts Like a Hammer, Let the Law Speak to Your Flesh, and Take Heart: God is Disciplining You). But now the 2nd red line has nearly faded so I'll soon be ...continue reading "Undercover Jesus"
Let's build on the last two posts (here and here). They happened to be about preaching but they raise a deeper question about listening to God. Are we hearing God's challenges to us? Might God be speaking to us in the specifics of our lives but we're deaf to it? Spoiler alert: the answer is, ...continue reading "Take Heart: God is Disciplining You"
We've been talking about preaching that cuts like a hammer. Such preaching has an impact, but it's not incisive, it's blunt. There's a power to it but it's also vague and leaves you feeling battered. Last time we saw two problems: firstly, a failure to distinguish law and gospel (and to properly preach the latter); ...continue reading "Let the Law Speak To Your Flesh"
This was the way an American visitor described to me the preaching he'd heard across many UK churches: "It cuts like a hammer." This is not how cuts are meant to be made, nor how preaching should feel. But there was something about the description that rang true. Have you heard preaching that 'cuts like ...continue reading "Your Preaching Cuts Like A Hammer"
I once preached in a pub. There was a gospel choir giving a concert and I said a few words here and there. While the choir was doing its thing I spotted a pretty young blonde in the crowd eyeing up the female conductor with weapons grade jealousy — a mixture of awe, scorn and ...continue reading "Two Kinds of Beauty"
I've just returned from Unbelievable the conference. It was brilliant to be there with Justin Brierley, Andy Bannister, Sharon Dirckx, Ruth Jackson and many others. I launched my new poem, "Given." Words here. Together with Andy Bannister we attempted to answer the top 5 hardest questions asked by the Unbelievable listeners (Why hell? What about OT wars? ...continue reading "Answering Tough Questions"
We want community and we want inclusion. But how do we have both? Because a community is not a random collective. A community is a unity. And it's unified around something or towards something. Sometimes it's united against something. Better if it's united for something. But whatever the principle of unity there is an inner ...continue reading "Inclusive Community? Pick one."
Want the gospel to go forwards? Lock your church doors. Here's Vishal Mangalwadi on how the gospel transformed church and culture at the time of the reformation: Before the Reformation, Roman Catholic Churches were open seven days a week in Holland. The devout went to the church whenever they wanted to meet with God. They ...continue reading "The Missional Necessity Of Keeping People Out Of Church"
Listen (and subscribe!) to the Evangelists Podcast where I elaborate on all these points... What is Pentecost? In the Jewish calendar (see Leviticus 23), Pentecost is the "Feast of Weeks". It's held 50 days after "Firstfruits." At "Firstfruits" you have tasted the goodness of the coming crop. At "Pentecost" the harvest comes in. In the ...continue reading "Getting Pentecostal"
Haven't blogged in ages, so let me catch you up on some of what I've been doing... Did you see our Christmas video? And Easter? Recently I was invited to the Yorkshire Gospel Partnership to talk about glorification. I spoke of our past, present and future in God's glorious life. THE PAST - ...continue reading "Recent Talks and Videos"
As I prepare a sermon on Revelation 1 for this weekend it strikes me that three lessons from this chapter should be followed by any would-be interpreter. 1. The Bible interprets the Bible Not the newspapers. Not modern resonances. There's a reason Revelation comes at the end of the Scriptures. It picks up and weaves ...continue reading "Three Ground Rules For Understanding Revelation"
DOWNLOAD VIDEO If I should die think only this ... A bullet flew by that did not miss... What story of the war is told? Romance bright or horror cold? Triumph's tale or tragic loss, the iron or the wooden cross? Lost lament or victor's boast? Full brass band or lone last post? Heroes, villains, ...continue reading "Video For Remembrance Day"
Revelation 1:9-20: Overwhelmed By The Son of Man DOWNLOAD AUDIO http://www.worthingtab.org.uk/download-file/audio/20161016-service-am.mp3 Work in Proverbs DOWNLOAD AUDIO http://www.worthingtab.org.uk/download-file/audio/20161016-service-pm.mp3