Four ways of understanding the BiblePart 4 - Flourishing This year, I want to learn how to study the Bible focused on Jesus, and it will have 4 parts. Jesus Context Fruitfulness Flourishing I put "People being allowed to flourish" into AI, and this is what came out. Flourishing. It has different meanings to different …
Tag: Advent
Explore Four Approaches to Understanding the Bible
Four ways of reading the Bible - Advent 2025 I'm a logical person, and I wholeheartedly believe that while logic is a great starting point, it’s just the beginning of the journey to truly hearing God's word through scripture. There are exciting ways to gain a deeper understanding, and I’m thrilled to share my experiences …
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Praying without words
Praying outside the box day 1 Advent 2024 It's like the earworm of a catchy song you don't particularly like and can't shake. You know the thing, it can be embarrassing if you suddenly break into the song where you can be heard and the earworm is from the Bodyform advert. If you have no …
Eleven different ways of experiencing Christianity
In a podcast I listened to Brian McLaren said that he had been through several different stages of being a Christian and that every Christian he knows is a mixture of several of these traits. I am going to look at this list through Advent this year. None of them is wrong when taken in …
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No escape — Matthew 19:1-2
The Kings Instructions Advent 2021 There is a pattern emerging. Jesus has something to do but the pressure of the crowds and their expectations of who they thought Jesus is is preventing this from happening. Jesus crossed over the River Jordan to escape before, the crowds followed before and Jesus healed their sick before. A …
The King’s Instructions
The teaching of Jesus in Matthew chapters 19 to 22 Advent 2021 I have been looking at Matthew's Gospel since 2015 out of order, which is why I have a link at the bottom of each post, in case anyone wishes to go through it in order. This is the last section which I shall …
Is this capitalism? – Matthew in Advent day 19
Last Saturday (it will be linked at the end of this post) I wrote of the traditional interpretation and why I have always felt wary of it, because the traditional reading takes takes the Greek talenta, a large sum of money, translated traditionally as talent but in the NIV as bag of gold, and makes …
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Love
Holy Trinity Church, HuddersfieldSunday 20th December 2020 It was like watching a scene from the transporter room in Star Trek. At the end of the sermon retired vicar John became Vicar Mike, similar jumper and shirt colours added to the effect. It was the fade they used in editing, one merging fairly quickly into the …
Use what you are given? – Matthew in Advent day 18
"You know sometimes words have two meanings," wrote Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin's Stairway to heaven, and it is true. Several passages in the Old Testament have an immediate meaning to the people at the time and then a further Messianic meaning, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As Christmas is almost upon us I will take …
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Are you ready? – Matthew in Advent day 17
In just one week it will be Christmas, are you ready? Have you bought and wrapped the presents, bought all the non perishable food so the last week is as smooth as possible? Or are you a stereotypical man? Men, rumour has it, though I have not met one who admits to it, start their …
Making an ass of myself 