The team of twelve disciples travelling with Jesus are feeling under great strain. He’s talking about dying and they don’t know where that leaves them. He speaks of riches yet also of persecutions. He strides towards Jerusalem ahead of the
And so it begins
Mark’s gospel is the announcement of the coming of God’s king: Jesus, a king whom none can ignore. He begins with a dramatic opening as God sends a prophesied herald to start the ball rolling. John comes to warn the
The Son of God (HCTW 1)
He Changed The World – for an introduction to this series of talks, please click the title. Mark 1:1-13Using the player above you can listen to/download the talk, which also includes the Bible being read out. Once you’ve listened, take
Igniting anger
Certain words, phrases or ideas can get us excited. Public speakers know this and make use of the trait. With a weak speaker that may be their way of masking the poverty of their words. The trait can also be
Have you washed?
Rituals are found in human societies across the world and often come with a strong pressure to conform. First century Judaism had quite a few, developed from the Old Testament (Mk 7:1-13). However, the reason for them is not always
John the Baptist, RIP
Jesus’ kingdom has been expanding, with people from across the Mediterranean world entering into it. Yet suddenly we meet a group who seem anachronistic – part of a much earlier stage in the story of Jesus. So why are they
Invasion
Landing on a heavily defended beach is the stuff of nightmares, as soldiers wonder if they’ll ever get off the sand alive. In a similar way, Paul & his team must have wondered how far they’d get when the Lord
Baptism in the Spirit
What is ‘Baptism in the Spirit’? Is it, as some say, a personal experience given by the Lord to a Christian, in which he/she receives the Holy Spirit in a fuller way and is thus empowered to: pray better, know
Now I see
Moments come when the world looks different to us. The most dramatic feel like the world will never be the same again. Saul of Tarsus experiences that here in his conversion to Christ. In the first eight chapters of Acts
No longer a dry tree
To join Jesus’ church ought to feel like coming home to God, it ought to feel like you’re finally fitted into where you belong. Jesus showed this in the way he treated social outcasts (Lk 15:4-10) and in our verses