Category: Ministry

The heart of the matter is who Jesus is

When we visited the market last Friday, I talked with a guy who had had a chat with the JW’s the same morning. I’ve met the guy before and had some friendly chats, but nothing deep. I had seen him chatting with the JW’s the same morning and started the conversation on that subject. He hinted that we were all taught the same. Off course this made me jump. After talking about various things for a while, I came back to that subject. And told him frankly that the JW’s didn’t really teach the same things we did. The heart of the matter I told him is who Jesus is. Their Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.

Isn’t that the heart of the matter? Isn’t that what makes the difference between true christianity and any other religion: who is Jesus Christ? That will be the main thrust of Sunday’s sermon on John 12:12-19: who is Jesus for you? There is only one right answer.

A day in Lannion

I was invited to preach in Lannion on Sunday. So we went along as a family and joined the church for Sunday worship. We had a warm welcome and a good time. I preached on Titus 2:11-14: we need the gospel daily because it is the foundation of all Christian life.

The service was followed by a fellowship lunch in a building that the church had borrowed for the occasion, just outside Lannion. It was great. The sun was shinning and it was like a summer day, in October.

Later, we went to the seaside with some friends from the church. Again, it felt like we were in June. the beach was packed with people. When we left around 6pm, there were still people in the water, and some people were still making their way to the beach. I have a few pictures on my phone and will try to post them for you to see.

Preaching in Lannion

I am preaching in Lannion tomorrow. Lannion is about 30 minutes drive from Guingamp, not far from the coast. It is an important center for new technologies. I will preach on Titus 2:11-15: The gospel is not only for salvation, but the foundation of the whole Christian life.

The whole family has been invited to come with me and to come to the fellowship lunch that will follow the service. We are looking forward to visiting this church. The forecast is for another sunny and hot day, so we may try to go to the seaside in the afternoon.

Are we taking the gospel for granted? Assumed Evangelicalism

I think we do, and unless we make the conscious and deliberate step to go back to the gospel explicitly, we will soon be facing some problems (which are already appearing it seems. Read this article on the subject: Assumed evangelicalism, some reflections en route to denying the gospel. It had been sitting on my reading pile for a few years and I read it at last Saturday evening.