[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during August 2024]
With so many of our consumer products originating in the Far East we are becoming increasingly familiar with ‘Chinglish’, that sometimes-amusing form of English intended to provide instructions for the use of the product. The information may or may not be useful but at least we know how to read it, even if the message isn’t always clear. (more…)
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during August 2024]
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity
Our opening quotation comes from the first lines of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ published by Charles Dickens in 1859. The story is set during the French Revolution (1789-1799); the two cities in the novel are London and Paris, both cities were rife with moral corruption and anarchy. (more…)
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during August 2024]
During the past few weeks we have enjoyed a teaching series based on the book of Ruth. Four sermons and one ‘Going Deeper’ have given us plenty of things to think about.
However, is it appropriate to simply ‘enjoy’ these sermons? Indeed what is the purpose of a sermon? Is it simply a clause in the pastor’s contract of employment? Should it be more than an interlude of verbal entertainment? (more…)
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2024]
Those of us who follow the international news regularly will have noticed that the story of Ahab and Naboth recurs with almost daily frequency.[1]
The characters are different but the scenario is basically the same. A person in a position of power sees an adjacent piece of real-estate and decides that it would fit well within his own portfolio. He – or indeed, she – makes what they consider to be a reasonable offer for it and, if that is declined, then resorts to the use of deception, guile or blatant force. (more…)
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2024]
When Satan tempts me to despair or tells me of the guilt within …
As you look around on a Sunday morning and see all those super-saints worshipping God so confidently are you ever tempted to echo the words of a song rooted in a certain period in American history?
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2024]
Have there been times when you decide to hold your tongue rather than provoke a pointless argument over some minor matter? Or perhaps you prefer to be pedantic, setting the record straight at the risk of upsetting someone who has a different recollection of events. (more…)