What keeps you from enjoying the prospect of future joy? And would you say you enjoy God now? I regularly meet Christian leaders who have sacrificed their joy on the altar of their busyness. They don't have capacity or space left to enjoy God any more. They have simply filled up all their time and God-directed spiritual life goes out of the window
Read moreJoy in Jesus; Philippians 3
Here is my Sunday morning message on Finding Joy in Jesus, preached at Rock Baptist Church Cambridge
Is Christianity All About Being Religious?
Religion is not Christianity. In fact it is the denial of Christianity. Christianity says I need Jesus to do it for me. Religion says I will do it myself by performing the religion. Christianity is Jesus and Levi. It is a place, a relationship with God for messed up people where he offers forgiveness, adoption, acceptance, power to change. A church is a family of sinful people who are loved by God and precious to him. He invites everybody in, including me and you. There is not a single person in this room, a single person in this world, who isn’t messed up. There is no one who is perfect, least of all people who are relying on religion. There is nobody who doesn’t need this from Jesus.
Is Christianity all about being religious? Of course it isn’t ladies and gentlemen. If Christianity was about religion then Levi wouldn’t get a look in and neither would any person who was honest about their own failings of life and heart. Jesus Christ is the opposite of religion, he says in the Bible that he loathes religion, he confronts it all over the place, and He is Christianity.
Read moreIs Jesus Compelling?
Are there Christians who don't find Jesus completely compelling? I think there are. I chatted to a friend last week and concluded we both know people who are happy for other Christians to sacrifice and take risks to try to spread the gospel but who wouldn't dream of doing do themselves.
Read moreThe Transforming Power of Jesus
we tell them. “I don’t act this way because I am a good person. I act this way because Jesus is my King and my righteousness.” And you will be laughed at and you will get despised and scorned but you will be doing Acts 3. And some, gloriously, will see the miraculous work God has done in us and will hear the explanation and they will repent and turn to him just as we have done.
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