In Depth:  faith

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A message to those who are doubting

A message to those who are doubting
Alistair Chalmers
Alistair Chalmers

There are moments in the Christian life when faith feels sturdy and sure, and others when it feels as thin as glass. Prayers seem to fall flat. Scripture feels dry. Christian music maybe doesn’t lift your heart as it once did.

For many Christians these seasons can be unsettling, even frightening. We can wonder whether something has gone wrong with our faith, or worse, with us.

Can you inherit faith?

Can you inherit faith?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

We greatly appreciate the blessing of being brought up in a Christian home, but does this guarantee children from Christian families will all be converted?

A recent study by Pew Research Center conducted across the world showed that Christianity and Buddhism don’t have a very high success rate of passing on faith through the generations.

A word to those discouraged by hypocrisy & scandal

A word to those discouraged by hypocrisy & scandal
Russell Moore
Russell Moore

'Can you give me a reason why I shouldn’t just give up on religion altogether?'

Before the young man finished his question, I already knew the basics of what he was going to say because I hear it all the time.

Have we forgotten the joy of obeying Christ?

Have we forgotten the joy of obeying Christ?
Tim Vasby-Burnie
Tim Vasby-Burnie

We've all had the experience of ticking 'Yes I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions' as we install new software, take out some insurance or sign up for a new social media platform. Sometimes we are even forced to scroll through the small print before we can click 'Yes' - but do we ever actually read the text?

I did once, when agreeing to a cash-back offer that came with a new phone - I wanted to know exactly when I needed to send the company copies of my bill. It was a hassle, but worth it for the savings.

Strong meat for the heart

Strong meat for the heart
Caroline Haley

Book Review AN ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL: Beholding the cross and resurrection

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Waiting for the Lord
Now This

Waiting for the Lord
Bill James
Bill James

We can sometimes feel that we aren’t making any difference. Perhaps we thought and prayed about how to vote in the General Election, but ended up with an MP, or a government, which we did not choose.

That can be true in church life as well, or a difficult situation at work; however hard we pray, and seek to do the right thing, we are not seeing any progress. We might be tempted to give up, stop praying, and doubt whether God cares about the situation. Or perhaps be tempted to take matters into our own hands and get angry, vent our frustration, and respond in a less than godly way.

Are we throwing away our time?

Are we throwing away our time?
Billy Hill

‘I only have a minute. Only sixty seconds in it. … Just a tiny little minute. But eternity is in it.’ Those words by Pastor Benjamin Mays remind us again of just how precious the God-given gift of time is. Life is made of moments and none of us have an infinite supply.

The Bible has many metaphors that illustrate just how brief and temporary our existence is here on earth. It’s described as a breath, a flower that fades, and a wisp of smoke that appears for a little while. It’s a sobering thought that should you reach 80 years of age, you will have lived for around just 4,000 weeks. Life, we often learn too late, is in the living. Most people leave this world with a few pounds in the bank, but all of us leave it with no seconds on the clock. Time, therefore, is infinitely more important than money. Once it’s gone, all the gold in the universe can’t buy back a single moment.

The cross: suffering, substitution, satisfaction

The cross: suffering, substitution, satisfaction
Conrad Mbewe

This Easter, this short book extract helps us focus once again on the message at the heart of the Christian faith – the cross.

When we think of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to redeem us from death, we must see His work of redemption under three important categories.

Have you grown in faith through the pandemic?
the ENd word

Have you grown in faith through the pandemic?
Elizabeth McQuoid
Elizabeth McQuoid

‘Haven’t they grown!’ seems to be a well-worn phrase as we emerge from lockdown and meet up with young people and children we haven’t seen for more than a year.

Women who weren’t pregnant last time we saw them now have babies in their arms, tweens have become fully-fledged teens.

When God says ‘go!’ and you say ‘no!’

When God says ‘go!’ and you say ‘no!’
David Nixon

Has there ever been a time when God has called you to ‘GO!’ and you’ve replied ‘NO!’? If you’re anything like me, then the honest answer will be: yes.

But not because you were wanting to be disobedient, but rather because you were feeling disabled by inadequacy. In those moments the soundtrack playing inside your head is like Robbie Williams’ hit track ‘I love my life’ played backwards. You don’t hear the words: ‘I am wonderful, I am magical, I am free’; instead you rehearse the lyrics: ‘I am weak, I am sinful, I am unable’.

Rediscovering the sheer beauty of God
the ENd word

Rediscovering the sheer beauty of God
Jeremy McQuoid
Jeremy McQuoid

I was interested to hear Matt Redman, the celebrated hymnwriter, lamenting the fact that we lack hymns on the topic of holiness. I think he’s right.

When I am searching for a closing hymn on holiness after I preach, my ‘go to’ hymn is Purify my Heart. Holy, holy, holy is the other one, but beyond that I am stuck for any clear, singable hymn that my congregation will recognise.

Why I still believe in the Church: the weak shame the strong

Why I still believe in the Church: the weak shame the strong
Duncan Forbes

We’ve seen too many abuse scandals come to light in the Church, and sadly, statistically speaking, there are many more to come.

It’s tempting to turn away from the Church when well-known leaders are found out to be abusers. This temptation increases as we see other leaders fail to make the Church a safe place: Some leaders have clearly been complicit in abuse, even if they haven’t directly abused anybody themselves. Other leaders have been silent, failing to speak up about what they know, failing to be a voice for the voiceless. Some have spoken up, but have ‘sin-levelled’, thus minimising abuse, contradicting Christ (Matt. 18:6), and broadcasting an ‘all clear’ message to predators. No wonder some of us are tempted to give up on the Church.

‘My desire for sound doctrine lacked Christ…’
the ENd word

‘My desire for sound doctrine lacked Christ…’
Jeremy McQuoid
Jeremy McQuoid

What is the gospel? There is something inside me that loves to pick up books with that kind of title, in the hope that they weed out unsound doctrine.

Specifically I look for a faithful description of sin and the wrath of God, and a clear exposition of justification by faith alone. So I was hit between the eyes when I read Paul’s opening to Romans, the book which defines the gospel most systematically.

Rich Christians should repent

Rich Christians should repent
John Benton

Why is the Dead Sea dead? It is because, although the Jordan river flows in, there is no outflow.

The water runs into this great lake, but there it stays until it simply evaporates under the heat of the middle-eastern sun. The Dead Sea is left with high concentrations of salt in which nothing can live. Its salinity is something like 34%. Instead of being a place of life it is sterile.

We need more lived experience of Christ

We need more lived experience of Christ
David Robertson
David Robertson

The church is the bride of Christ. The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. The church is beautiful, glorious and victorious. Which is why the gates of hell loathe the church and will never cease to rage against her.

There is a fierce battle which will not be over until the final day. When Paul gathered the Ephesian elders in Miletus he reminded them how valuable the church is – it is the church of God which He bought with His own blood (Acts 20:28), but he also warned them that savage wolves would come amongst them and would not spare the flock. This was so important to Paul that he spent three years day and night warning them with tears. I suspect that today we would regard Paul as a bit odd; we would turn a deaf ear, tell him to lighten up and not to be so negative. We pay lip service to acknowledging sin, spiritual warfare and the dangers of apostasy.

Mary Gladstone 1926 – 2020

Mary Gladstone 1926 – 2020
Julia Cameron
Julia Cameron

While Mary Gladstone’s name may not be widely known, the fruit of her labours is clearly evident.

As a new Christian at Cambridge, she and her friends befriended an unconverted fresher, Helen Roseveare, later to become one of the foremost missionaries of the 20th century.

Longing for resurrection

Longing for resurrection
John Benton

One of the most popular TV programmes during lockdown has been the BBC’s The Repair Shop. It became regular viewing for many on those lonely Wednesday evenings when all the news seemed so gloomy.

People bring their old broken or damaged treasures to the Weald & Downland Living Museum, where a group of expert craftsmen and women led by Jay Blades work to restore them – astonishingly often making things like new. I think it has encouraged a lot of people with time on their hands in lockdown to take a mental break from the crisis and enjoy a few hours concentration and having a go at mending or making a few things themselves. It’s a gentle, fascinating watch.

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