11th November – Joshua #5 – The Gibeonite Deception
Desperate to avoid being slaughtered in a war with the Israelites, the Gibeonites employed a deception which fooled even Joshua. Were they an early example of what Jesus meant when he told the disciples to be “as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves”? (Matt 10.16 AV)
Sunday 4th November – Joshua #4 – Covenant renewal
At Shechem, between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, Joshua reminds the people of the terms of the Covenant God had made with them. Together they proclaim both the blessings and the curses associated with that covenant relationship. What does this teach us about our New Covenant relationship with God?
28th October – Joshua #3 – Ai (and Achan)
Today we tackle the serious issue of the total destruction of the populations of both Jericho and Ai, and the often expressed sentiment, “How can a God of love command such a thing to be done?! This is surely not the God we know!” Then, too, there is the matter of Achan carrying off some of […]
21st October – Joshua #2 – The walls came tumbling down
In this second of the series, Joshua receives instructions from the Lord himself as to the tactics to be used against Jericho; Rahab hangs the scarlet cord from her window; and we find out the amazing role that God has for her in His plans for our own salvation!
7th October – Joshua #1 – Two spies and a prostitute
The first in a short series on the Book of Joshua. What on earth were the two spies doing going to the house of a prostitute? Had the bright lights of Jericho gone to their heads? Are we ready to go to unlikely places, or speak to unlikely people, if God puts us in their […]
30th September – Harvest #2 – Pruning & Grafting
This week, we continue the harvest theme by looking at John 15 and Romans 11 – where we read about how the Father prunes vine branches and grafts olive tree branches. Talk about mixing metaphors!
23rd September – Harvest #1
Is thanking God for the harvest an outdated tradition? What are Jesus’ instructions to his followers regarding the harvest? What do they mean for us in practice?
16th September 2018 – Entangled
Following last week’s message about throwing off everything that hinders us from running the race marked out for us, today we look at the second part of Hebrews 12.1 – “the sin that so easily entangles”. How can we stop it from tripping us up?
9th September – Chimney cleaning season
Even though it may still be warm and balmy down here in the south of France, it is now time to book your chimney sweep appointment. The Bible may not mention cleaning the soot out our chimneys so that our fires burn brighter, but Hebrews 12.1-2 talks to us about getting rid of excess baggage […]
26th August – (In)dependent
Independence is often seen as freeing and a sign of strength and power. Often independence is seen as a positive trait, something to be sought after. “If you’re not independent then you must be dependent on something, and that is not attractive.” Beca Hamilton, however, shows us a radically different image of independence vs dependence in […]