I knew a man called Maurice Smith. Thousands of people knew Maurice, because he was a prominent leader in the charismatic/House Church movement in the second half of the twentieth-century. He travelled widely in the UK and the USA, addressed meetings in locations as varied as London's Albert Hall, and private house front rooms, and … Continue reading The preacher who couldn’t dissimulate
I don't recall ever hearing a sermon based on Philemon, and I probably wouldn’t have started this study but for a question from a friend.
I like music, especially when it’s worship with real passion. I don’t mind if its loud. It’s OK if it has a beat, because I enjoy a charismatic knees-up! Music has been a major part of my life and still matters to me. In the 60s I was in the popular Christian rock band, The Pilgrims [i] , who were once introduced at a big concert in central London as “not only the best but also the LOUDEST Christian group”. So, I know how to be loud for God. But the best thing I’ve learned since those days is to value silence – but now I’m talking about prayer.
Most of us mess up occasionally, and it’s natural to feel embarrassed about it. We may chide ourselves for our mistakes, but it’s not those fleeting moments of self criticism that worry me. My concern is for people who continually put themselves down – and especially those who think that’s what God expects of them. It does no honour to the Gospel to declare ourselves “miserable sinners” after we have received salvation – and it’s bad for our mental and spiritual health.
Don’t be afraid of doubt. OK, it may feel like a threat, but you can also treat it as a tool to help you dig down to the solid ground of your real faith. I'm avoiding the adjective “true”, because it’s so often used in a negative way. “True Faith” (note the capitals) implies a set of beliefs that we have and they don’t. My real faith consists of the things I believe deep down, and those beliefs have been tested again and again – by doubt.
Christians across the world have been praying for Ukraine, but are we praying for Russia?
As we grow older, consider this – it’s OK to leave footprints that people may choose to follow, but it's not OK to leave holes that people will feel obliged to fill. That’s the difference between management and leadership. It’s the difference between commanding and inspiring. It’s the difference between taking and giving.
The Prodigal Son's father as viewed by the Son. What does it FEEL like to be forgiven when you know you've really messed up?
The spiritual life is characterised as a walk - why is that? And what does it entail?
We live in a world that expects us to project an image – and, for many people, their image comes out of the wardrobe. We spend so much of our life trying to fulfil a role that we easily lose sight of who we really are. Do you want to pray from your heart? You’d best start by discovering what’s in your heart.
Derrick John Phillips 