Laurence introduces Stephen Blake for a new 3 part series on aspects of church history.  For this episode they look at the Christian practice of baptism from the early church, through the Middle Ages and beyond.  How and why does it change over time, and does it matter?  Listen in and tell us what you think!

Ever wondered what it was like to be part of one of the earliest Christian communities in the 1st century?  Follow along with Laurence and Paul's thought experiment as they attempt to place a 21st century consciousness into the body of a 1st century Christian!  They explore the where, when, what and how of a Christian gathering around 65AD and think about what we might recognise and what would feel different.  This starts to reveal which aspects of Christianity should be protected from change, and where we should be flexible, all in preparation for our forthcoming series on aspects of church history.

For our first episode in 2022, Paul and Dan close out our series on Revelation.  They discuss the final sequence of seven bowls and tie them in to the previous groups of seven seals and trumpets.  They then tackle the question of how God will intervene in human history - will it really be as warlike as the language sounds in Revelation?  Finally they close the series by exploring the wonderful imagery of the New Jerusalem and think about what that could mean in reality!

Laurence and Dan focus in on just one phrase: Jesus' statement that "I and the Father are one" in John 10v30.  They explore the context and the debate that Jesus was having with the people of his day. From this it becomes clear that the phrase shouldn't be a theological battleground but is part of an intensely profound and practical theme for the lives of believers in Jesus which weaves through all parts of the New Testament. We hope you enjoy our last episode for this year, thanks for listening, stay safe and we'll be back next year, God willing.

This episode continues our exploration of the book of Revelation. Paul and Dan consider the middle section - chapters 12-14 - the section with the weird and wonderful beasts!  By focusing on the characteristics of 3 symbolic creatures; the dragon, the beast of the sea and the beast of the earth, they uncover a subversive message for Christians in the 1st century but also relevant for any age of history.  And yes, they discuss the mark of the beast and the number 666 - finally!  

Laurence welcomes a new guest, Jeremy Pearce, for this episode to talk about practical ways of getting to know Jesus. Using the apostle Paul's experience as a template they discuss how to see Jesus as a real person even though we only have written accounts in the Gospels to work with.  But, just as we change when we know and love someone really well, knowing Jesus should change us too. Enjoy this conversation on a deeply personal and profound aspect of being a Christian in the modern world.

Paul and Dan get back to looking at the book of Revelation.  This is the fourth in the series now and they dive into the 7 seals and the 7 trumpets to unpick the pattern and try to imagine what messages the early Christians would have taken from it.  They find that the way the sequences of images are communicated continue to confound the expectations of the hearer.  But as they unfold, two powerful lessons for Christians of any age emerge - listen in, see if you can hear what a 1st century Christian might have heard!  

We're always encouraging people to read their Bibles and we often suggest starting with the Gospels.  Josh and Paul discuss what you're likely to come across if you're a new reader of the Bible, coming to the Gospels for the first time. What's the historical basis behind it all? How do you deal with all the miracles?  They consider ways to think about both what Jesus said and what he did, and what to look out for as unique and special in Jesus that is 'proclaiming the kingdom of God'. They finish up by thinking about how faith might develop from reading the Gospels.

Paul and Dan spend some time in this episode talking about hell. No doubt all sorts of terrifying images come to mind with that word!  By building it up gradually from the Biblical words Sheol, Hades and Gehenna they arrive at what seems to be a coherent picture. But it's also a hopeful picture which makes sense in the light of a moral God who has shown himself in the face of Jesus as full of grace and truth.  Listen in and tell us what you think!