Abide In Me

The Spirit is the one who teaches us about Jesus when He comes to dwell within us. "But it is the Spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand." Job 32:8 Without the Spirit we are immature in Christ and can lack discernment, as we are told in the letter to the Hebrews. The Holy Spirit renews our mind so we can understand spiritual things and He cleanses the intentions of ou...

The Book of Ecclesiastes is one of the wisdom books in the Bible. It centres around the futility of life and can seem like a strange book to be included in the scriptures, yet it perfectly reflects how many of us feel on a daily basis. The words of the "Preacher" help us to feel less alone in our despair and remind us to focus on God when life seems confusing. It's a book that many people neglect,...

The Greek word used for "Fellowship" in the New Testament is "Koinonia". It means a deep spiritual partnership. We are to have fellowship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit and each other. This doesn't just mean being part of a church, praying, singing and talking to each other each week. This is an intimate relationship, where we support each other in suffering and encourage each other in our walk with...

"Blessed is the one who isn't offended by me." Matthew 11:6 Many people were offended by Jesus when he walked on earth, including his own disciples. He wasn't doing what they expected him to do. He wasn't spending time with the "right" people and even though he taught with authority, his teachings were often offensive to those who heard them. Why aren't we offended by his teachings today? Is it be...

In this episode, I speak about what it means to have freedom in Christ. To be "in Christ" means to have a relationship with Him so that we can do the things He calls us to do and live the life He calls us to live. But how do we know whether we are in Christ and how can we make sure we aren't abusing the freedom He has given us? Many of the arguments between believers are around what we should or s...

In this episode, I talk about God's eternal call to His people. He says "Hineni", which means "Here I am" in Hebrew. We see this expressed in the Book of Isaiah where God is constantly calling His people back to walk in His ways. I talk about the ultimate expression of this call in Jesus' self-sacrificial death on the cross. The Word of God came to dwell with us in the flesh, saying "Here I am" to...

In this episode, I talk about the marks of a true Christian as outlined by Paul in his letter to believers in Corinth. Many people think that being a Christian means that we are to be nice people. But Jesus didn't die for us so we could be nice people, He died so we could be reconciled to God and become real people; true humans just as God originally intended. Many Old and New Testament passages s...

In this week's episode, I delve into Exodus 14 where God parts the Red Sea in order to save the Israelites from destruction. God is testing their faith and says to them, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Even though they believed in God and even feared Him, they still did not have faith that He could save them. What does this story tell us about ourselves? How will we handl...

In this week's episode I talk about three different worldviews and their response to human suffering. Should we have faith in humans to solve the world's problems? Or will Artificial Intelligence give us the answers? Both humans and technology are flawed but if we have faith in our Creator and his sovereignty, might and faithfulness, we will feel more stable in times of suffering. Support the podc...

In this week's episode I talk about the difference between "Jesus: the religion" and "Jesus: the reality". After two thousand years of church history, I ask if we have fallen into the trap that the apostle Paul warned us against by being embroiled in "vain discussions" that lead us away from our faith? Jesus called his followers to simply believe in him. He said that his sheep hear his voice, but...

In this week's podcast, I talk about God's steadfast love and the healing power of His word. How does God's love differ to our love for each other? God's love often includes discipline, which means we can be left to our own devices until we freely turn back to God for healing. God's word heals us, which is why we need to abide in His word by reading the Bible, but also by hearing what He is saying...

In this week's episode, I talk about Jesus' instruction to His disciples to abide in Him by abiding in His words. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you." John 15:7 The words we speak to each other and our own thoughts affect us deeply, so how much more will Jesus' words transform our inner selves? Is this the reason that the Bible and Jesu...

In this week's episode I discuss the power of the spiritual disciples, such as meditation, and how best to use them. Many of us have been taught that to be disciplined is to do the same things in the same way every day and if we deviate from this routine we are undisciplined. I use Richard Foster's book, "A Celebration of Discipline" to dispel this myth and talk about how the spiritual disciplines...

In this week's episode I discuss the connection between idols and morals. Idolatry may seem like an outdated concept to many, but we all have idols that can take the place of God in our lives. I talk about modern day idols and the morality that is born out of following them. I speak about why idolatry is seen as one of the worse sins and how it is linked to modern New Age practices. Support the po...

In this week's episode, I begin to explore what "The Gospel" is and why we should care about it. The word "Gospel" means "good news" and the Merriam Webster dictionary describes it as " the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation." It tells us who Christ is, what it means to be in the Kingdom of God and how we can be saved. Unfortunately, many people are apathetic towards this...

In this week's episode I talk about forgiveness, sin, repentance and free will. Did Jesus teach universal forgiveness, or are there things we need to do to receive it? Are we to forgive those people who are unrepentant? Will Jesus forgive those who don't believe in Him? Are there some things that are unforgivable? Support the podcast @ buymeacoffee.com Bible references: Matthew 18:21-25 (Seventy T...

In this week's episode I talk about why many people who are sincerely seeking God do not find Him. I talk about unconscious barriers that may keep us from experiencing God's presence; the reason why we need to examine our expectations of God; and what God requires from those who seek Him. Support the podcast @ buymeacoffee.com Bible References: Book of Job; Paul's Conversion, Acts 9:1-19; Whoever...

In this week's podcast I talk about the difference between having knowledge about God versus knowing God. Why do so many people run away from having a relationship with their Creator? Are they scared of being judged, or angry about the suffering they have endured? I discuss how different personality types seek to know God and also delve into the reality of heaven and hell. Support the podcast @ bu...

In this week's podcast I talk about the dumbing down of our society and how we can learn to see through the media spin and the many wolves in sheep's clothing that want to lead us away from the truth. "One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people's motives, make bold asserti...

In this week's episode I talk about the nature of criticism and how it is different to having true discernment. I also pay homage to some of great teachers and resources that led me to appreciate the diverse doctrines within the different Christian denominations. Support the podcast @ buymeacoffee.com Bible References: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 (Is Christ Divided?), 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (Judgement Sea...

In this week's podcast, I talk about the Apostle Paul and how his life can be a template for us when we are seeking a relationship with God. I also talk about the importance of the resurrection of Jesus, why this is the central teaching of Christianity and why it matters to all of us today. Support the podcast @ buymeacoffee.com Bible references: Acts 9:1-22 (Paul's conversion), Galatians 1:13-18...

In this episode I talk about the ideas behind modern spirituality, which has at its foundation the philosophy of Perennialism; the idea that all religions have a common core and that there are many paths to God. But what is missing from this kind of religious pluralism? Even though these ideas seem accepting and tolerant, could they in fact be leading people down the garden path and away from God?...