I’ve argued in a previous post that self-knowledge is critical for anyone who is serious about pursuing godliness and serving others. It is the junior partner to the knowledge of God, but it is still essential. As I stated there, the basic reason for this conviction is theological. However, I also think that self-knowledge is important because of observation. Over the years, I have witnessed people come unstuck, and it often appeared to me that many of these cases were because they didn’t have a good understanding of themselves.
Monthly Archives: September 2009
Fixed NIV fixed by fixers with a New new NIV
Life
The New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible was good. Really, really good. So good that even the bits that weren’t quite as good were still pretty good. I used mine as my regular daily Bible for many years. (more…)
Who’s telling the story?
Life
One of the things that I’ve learned over the years is that it’s always a good idea to know who’s telling you the story and why they are telling it. These are particularly important questions to ask when it comes to telling the story of sex in our society. (To see why telling the story of sex is important, see my original post on writing an evangelistic talk about sex.) In God’s kindness, while wandering aimlessly around the net earlier in the year, preparing for a talk on pornography (there’s a theme here!), I stumbled across a fascinating masters thesis on sex in advertising by Ilona Pawlowski at Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand. (more…)
A bad case of mother guilt
Everyday Ministry, Sola Panel
I’ve been feeling pretty guilty recently. What have I been feeling guilty about? I’m a mum, so you shouldn’t have to ask! Like so many mothers, I feel guilty because I’m not doing enough for my family. I’ve been trying to juggle too many things, and I’m worried I’m neglecting my children. (Actually, I don’t think I am when I’m thinking logically; if anything’s neglected, it’s only the dust balls. But guilt doesn’t think logically.) (more…)
Writing a difficult letter home
Everyday Ministry
Going on to the mission field for the first time is full of new experiences. We’ve been in Mexico for six months now, and the list of things I’ve learned in that time is as long as a Mexican bank queue (but also quite funny in some places!). As well as learning how to eat a shredded tongue taco, one important issue I’ve had to think about is what to say when you write a supporters newsletter. (more…)
Self-knowledge, godliness and ministry (Part 1)
Pastoral Ministry
I have come to the point where I think self-knowledge is one of the great overlooked virtues in the path to godliness and effective ministry.
Laying the foundations at Church by the Bridge
Pastoral Ministry
One to one: The essential ingredient of pastoral care
Drawing on Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor, David Williams explains to pastors why one-to-one Bible reading is well worth their investment. (more…)
Fighting the new fight
Resource Talk, Sola Panel
If you were a youngish Christian in the 1980s, it is almost certain that, at some point, someone would have pressed a copy of John White’s The Fight into your hands and urged you earnestly to read it. It was simply one of the standard Christian books of the era, and for several good reasons.
Review: ‘You Can Change’ by Tim Chester
Review, Sola Panel
You Can Change: God’s transforming power for our sinful behaviour and negative emotions
Tim Chester
IVP, Leicester, 2008. 192pp.
Picking up Tim Chester’s You Can Change, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a self-help book. It has all the trappings—a title promising transformation, testimonies of change, an invitation to choose a personal “change project”, ten chapters with titles like ‘What would you like to change?’ and questions for self-reflection. You Can Change is designed to communicate to a society obsessed with personal change, but it turns the self-help genre on its head. (more…)
Sticking it to the man
Up front
It is almost a given today that history is oppressive. That is why there has been so much hoo-ha about how it has been taught over the last 30 years. Everybody wants their say: if you’re a woman, you need a woman’s history; if you’re gay, you need a queer history; if you’re black, you need a black history, and so on and so forth. The making of many histories is itself a reflection of the priorities and, on occasion, the pathologies of modern society. How long, one wonders, before we get a history written from the perspective of Frank Sinatra impersonators, ginger haired people and compulsive hand-washers? (more…)
Learning to read the Bible one to one
Everyday Ministry
Russell de Vries has known Jesus all his life. He grew up having been taught the gospel by his parents, and remembers car conversations about the sermon and Bible during the trip home from church each Sunday. The Bible was an integral part of church and home life. Yet in spite of all this, the idea of regularly meeting one to one with someone to read God’s word was a totally foreign concept to Russell. (more…)
Women, awkwardness and one to one
Many women find doing one-to-one Bible reading awkward and uncomfortable. But, as Isobel Lin suggests, a little awkwardness can be a good thing. (more…)
Gospel Convictions: Revised
When we distributed a draft version of our ‘Gospel Convictions’ statement in our 21st birthday issue (in April this year), we hoped that our sharp-eyed, Bible-tuned Briefing community would help us improve the statement with their feedback. We haven’t been disappointed! Our sincere thanks to all who took the time and trouble to respond. (We’ve published all the responses on our website if you’re interested in wading through them 1) (more…)
Why we still need ministry apprenticeships
Col Marshall tells us why we are in as much need of ministry apprenticeships today as ever. (more…)