Understand the Bible

What makes us happy in the end? Is it more and more stuff? In this passage from Ecclesiastes, we hear about how we need to prioritise relationships over things.   Read the passage online: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eccl+4&version=NIVUK   See more, including a free course to learn the Christian faith, and lots more Christian resources, at https://understandthebible.uk   Facebo...

Do you ever have nights when you can't sleep because you're worried or anxious? What do you do during those moments? Here David's Psalm gives us some helpful practical advice about what to do.   Understand the Bible - teaching the Christian faith online. Subscribe to receive these thoughts, and more, every week.   Lots more available on the website - https://understandthebible.uk   Facebook: https...

How do we make sense of the world when it seems so confusing? Why do bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people? How do make sense of the chaos that seems to happen to all of us?   Read the passage online: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eccl+3&version=NIVUK   See more, including a free course to learn the Christian faith, and lots more Christian resour...

Do you ever feel like your troubles are overwhelming? Do you ever wonder how you're going to cope? Learn from King David in this Psalm how we can deal with these times. Lots more available on the website, including a free programme to learn the Christian faith - https://understandthebible.uk Social Media: Facebook - Twitter Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

Where do you look for satisfaction - family and friends? work? projects? money? In this sermon we think about what really satisfies. Read the passage online: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eccl+1%3A12-2%3A26&version=NIVUK See more, including a free course to learn the Christian faith, and lots more Christian resources, at https://understandthebible.uk Facebook - https://facebook....

A special one-off edition. Some guidance from the Bible about how to break free from pornography. Porn is a huge problem and many people struggle to break free from it. I can understand that from my own experience. But there is help available.    The Fight the New Drug website is excellent with lots of helpful information: https://fightthenewdrug.org/   Understand the Bible - teaching the Christia...

Psalm 2 is all about who God's true King is. Despite all appearances to the contrary, God is still in control. Lots more available on the website - https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

We live in a society that doesn't want to talk about death. And yet, death should actually be our teacher. This is what the book of Ecclesiastes is all about. See more, including a free course to learn the Christian faith, and lots more Christian resources, at https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

This is the first of a new series of weekly reflections. We'll be working our way through the Psalms, in order - so of course, we started with Psalm 1 today. Psalm 1 is a 'black and white' contrast - the difference between the righteous and the wicked. But what exactly makes the difference between them? It's a great Psalm to kick off with today. Understand the Bible - teaching the Christian faith...

I think the lockdown has revealed the truth about us as a nation in ways which might not have happened otherwise. Psalm 2 is the message that we as a church and we as a nation need to hear at the moment. Understand the Bible - teaching the Christian faith online. Sign up for the free online programme. See more at https://understandthebible.uk Facebook - https://facebook.com/bible.understand Twitte...

What's the difference between Christianity and other religions? At the end of the day it comes down to grace. This is an absolutely fundamental thing to grasp about Christianity, and Titus 3 is all about grace. See more at https://understandthebible.uk Facebook - https://facebook.com/bible.understand Twitter - https://twitter.com/UnderstandTheB1 Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.s...

Are sermons there for entertainment? Knowledge transfer? Moral instruction? Here we learn from Paul's testimony about what Biblical teaching should be. A sermon on Titus chapter 2.   Apologies from the little interruption in the middle from my 3-year-old daughter.   I finished the sermon with the Valley of Vision prayer "Living for Jesus" but was interrupted so I didn't include it in this video -...

In last week's sermon we looked at the positive requirements on a pastor to be people of integrity and to teach sound doctrine. In this sermon we turn instead to how pastors are supposed to defend the faith from those who would oppose it.   See more at https://understandthebible.uk  Facebook - https://facebook.com/bible.understand Twitter - https://twitter.com/UnderstandTheB1 Get full access to Un...

Integrity is a quality which seems to be increasingly absent from many leaders in society today. But God calls every Christian, especially leaders, to a life of integrity.   See more videos and the teaching programme at https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

Part of a series called "Encouraging Prayer" - focussing on an area of prayer that we don't often think about: praying for spiritual growth, especially for others. See https://understandthebible.uk for more Facebook: https://facebook.com/bible.understand Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnderstandTheB1 Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

What is the purpose of the clergy? Social workers in collars? Entertainment? Providing food for thought? Titus was written to a pastor, and it helps the whole church to understand their purpose and importance.   See more at https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

We are living in the era of the Selfie. Recently two American academics wrote a book called "The Narcissism Epidemic" - everyone is obsessed with themselves and their own 'brand'. But that is not Jesus' way - what he says in this passage is very counter-cultural and we need to hear it.   See https://understandthebible.uk for more like this. The quote from No Little People at the end which I unfort...

Jesus disabuses us of our notions about what life in the future will be like - it's so much more than we think, not less! See more at https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus' words in this passage are famous: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's". But what does he mean, and what is the Bible's view of how Christians should relate to earthly authorities? See more at https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

Who is your authority in life – who do you listen to? A sermon on Luke 20:1-19. See more at https://understandthebible.uk Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

This is a sermon which is traditionally preached on Palm Sunday before Easter (Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King) - but we're going to be thinking about the question: what is true spirituality? Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

This is the first of a series on "Encouraging Prayer" at our church. In this sermon we look at Jesus' prayer from John 17 and how it encourages us to pray - both that we should pray, and what we should be praying for.   See more: https://understandthebible.uk Great Clacton on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4IHJzq_Dc-txp8oE0DlUhg Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substa...

How does God want us to use the things he gives us? Lessons from a slightly puzzling parable.   Originally recorded as part of the Wednesday Worshippers livestream on the Great Clacton Parish channel.   See https://understandthebible.uk for more. Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

They say "A picture is worth a thousand words" - well in this case, we are given a picture of salvation. See https://understandthebible.uk for more. Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

The last of our lent series on repentance - turning from sin. How do we walk as children of light? The answer is actually quite surprising...   The passage is online here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians+5&version=NIVUK   The Doctrine of Repentance is available in lots of places online e.g. as a PDF here: http://www.onthewing.org/user/Watson%20-%20Repentance%20-%20Modern...