It’s ok – we can still pray
A few weeks ago, in an important test case, Bideford Town Council was banned from having prayers as part of its formal meetings. This weekend, if the Press is correct, that ban has been overridden by a special order written by the government. That’s alright then! We can kill unborn babies, consider new ways of breaking up families, idolise wealth and status, and educate our children that life began by chance but at least we can still pray at council meetings. I did wonder though, assuming that most councils are not majority Christian led, why praying was even on their agenda. Who do they...
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Nahum 3 – Learning from history
As we conclude this prophecy about Nineveh we see the reality of God’s judgment. There are good reasons for it, it will expose our shame and shatter our trust in material things. These words had a fatal reality for the Assyrians. They are words of warning for us which drive us to Jesus Christ who suffered the judgment that we deserved. To listen to Mark Ventham preaching from Nahum 3 at Christ Church on Sunday evening 19th February 2012 use the links below. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also...
Read MoreJohn 18:1 to 14 – Arrested
John 18 turns from Jesus speaking to the dramatic narrative of his arrest and trial. Even in these few verses the nature and work of Jesus is on display. We will see that he is the everlasting Son of God who is absolutely determined to obey his Father so that none of his disciples will be lost. To listen to Graham Nicholls from John 18:1-14 at Christ Church on Sunday morning 19th February 2012 use the links below. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your...
Read MoreOverheard in Brighton
An afternoon out in Brighton is always an educational experience. Of particular note last weekend were the fragments of conversations we heard. Two young ladies in a café, one asks the other: Are you in a relationship? I didn’t hear the answer. I wondered the context. Why the enquiry? Was it her friend? If she’s a friend, why doesn’t she know that already? If not, why did she ask? Our society recognises the value of friendship and family but seems to have lost the commitment to protect family and friends by shaping love in the way God wants us to. On the other side of the...
Read MoreWhitney’s death is our death
Whitney Houston dies in a hotel room in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. I guess all of us were sad to hear the news. She had an amazing voice. She had natural beauty. She had an authentic story: gospel choir singer turned global superstar. However, I doubt many of us were surprised at her untimely death. If you saw any of her recent performances you would observe that she was obviously losing control. Probably we think we could be that rich, famous and beautiful and cope with it much better. But are we that different? Her death prompted a phone-in debate on BBC Radio 5 Live entitled “Can an...
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