Malcolm Cox

“Kingdom Come” podcast, episode 37
Would you like to know more about the heart of Jesus? If so, you’ve come to the right place.   
Welcome to the “Kingdom Come” podcast of the Thames Valley churches of Christ. For two months we are diving deep into the “Sermon on the Mount”, found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.  
These podcasts are designed to help us take these amazing words of Jesus and apply them to our devotional life. 
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected].

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.
“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John
mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox, 

“Kingdom Come” podcast, episode 36
Would you like to know more about the heart of Jesus? If so, you’ve come to the right place.   
Welcome to the “Kingdom Come” podcast of the Thames Valley churches of Christ. For two months we are diving deep into the “Sermon on the Mount”, found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.  
These podcasts are designed to help us take these amazing words of Jesus and apply them to our devotional life. 
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected].

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.
“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John
mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox, 

“Kingdom Come” podcast, episode 35
Would you like to know more about the heart of Jesus? If so, you’ve come to the right place.   
Welcome to the “Kingdom Come” podcast of the Thames Valley churches of Christ. For two months we are diving deep into the “Sermon on the Mount”, found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.  
These podcasts are designed to help us take these amazing words of Jesus and apply them to our devotional life. 
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected].

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.
“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John
mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox, 

Prepared for moments of privilege

There are special moments of privilege in life. Perhaps none more so than being asked to participate in a funeral. It's certainly wonderful to be at a birth, a baby dedication, wedding and other special events. For example, I'm looking forward to joining in the celebrations for Oge's somethingth birthday next month!

However, a funeral is summing up, a reflection, a final on a life. All other events are a beginning, or a new chapter.  just today I spent some time talking to Patricia Palmer about making arrangements for her mother's funeral. Sadly, joy died on New Year's Eve. I'll be taking the funeral this coming Friday. 

It put me in mind of how prepared I am for such events.  recently two friends of mine, Roger and Adam called me in the same week asking for advice about taking funerals. They had been asked to organise or participate in funerals in Birmingham and Glasgow. They called me because, in our fellowships in the UK, I probably have more experience of taking funerals the most. I'd hardly call myself an expert (!) but I've done a fair few funerals.

I was able to help them, but it occurred to me that I could be better prepared to offer advice for these moments of privilege. Therefore, I sat down this week and compiled a handbook for taking funerals. The booklet is a mixture of my own experience, materials from friends and other resources I have tapped into over the years.

If you're preparing to help at a funeral, or you might take a funeral in the future, file this booklet away. You may find it useful.

However, the broader point that occurred to me is about being prepared for these moments of privilege. Do you have one of these moments of privilege coming up in the near future? Perhaps at some point in 2020. Will there be a birth, a wedding, a special wedding anniversary, a significant birthday (you know, one of those with a zero at the end of it) or something similar? Why not prepare in advance?  start gathering ideas, resources and advice now, rather than near the time.

I hope that this week's podcasts, videos and other materials may help you to be well prepared for any moments of privilege which will come your way in the future.

Prayer requests

Please pray for me as I prepare the materials for the Watford teaching day which takes place on 29 February. 

Please pray for the class I will be teaching for the Thames Valley churches of Christ this coming Friday 7th February. We'll be looking at the theme of relationships from Matthew 5:21-48.

Please pray for my sermon for the Watford Church of Christ this coming Sunday 9th February. I've not yet chosen by text. Pray that I'll pick something which will edify and encourage my heart and the hearts of all those present.

Thank you for reading this far, and encouraging me in my endeavours to support our times of quiet with God, our corporate worship experiences, and the effectiveness of our preaching and teaching. I hope my uploads will help you to have beatitude-infused conversations this week.

If you know anyone who might enjoy these materials, please send them a link to my website (http://www.malcolmcox.org) and encourage them to sign up for this newsletter.

God bless, Malcolm

Do you ever have difficulty persuading your congregation to engage wholeheartedly with singing?  Perhaps you've tried everything. Rehearsing more thoroughly, picking familiar songs, pitching them in a comfortable key, making sure the words are visible, upping your game by leading with greater energy, praying passionately and specifically for the congregation to enjoy corporate worship.

Nothing wrong with any of these. Many of my videos and podcasts cover such topics. But now and again we need to go back to basics. Something I've been reading has reminded me of this.

I’m in chapter 3 of a terrific little book “Sing!”. It’s written by the Getty’s. The title of the current chapter is, “Compelled to….Sing!”.

Their focus is on the principal that people in touch with their salvation love to sing. They feel compelled to sing. No one has to force them, manipulate them or cajole them into it.  Quoting Bob Kauflin, “Worship isn’t primarily about music, techniques, songs or methodologies. It’s about our hearts. It’s about what and who we love more than anything."

The key verse about a healthy compulsion is, 

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15 NIV11)

As much as we are compelled by the love of Christ to live for him, it surely must follow that it compels us to sing for him. The Gettys put it beautifully, “I sing because I’m free to run from all that tore me apart and to run to all that makes me whole.”

Time and time again in the Scriptures people respond to God’s revelatory salvation with songs of praise. Let’s take a quick look at the examples they mention in the book.

The first song: Exodus 15

The songs of battle: Judges 4/5; 1 Chronicles 15; 2 Chronicles 20:21-25.

The songs of David: Psalm 117:1; Psalm 96:2; Psalm 105:2; Psalm 40; Psalm 31.

The songs of the prophets: Ezra 3:10-13; Nehemiah 12:27-29; Isaiah 52:9; Jeremiah 20:13; Zephaniah 3:14.

A song that sustains the prisoners: Acts 16:25 (see Romans 8:38-39)

Perhaps your congregation don’t need so much a reminder to sing, as a refresher on the significance of their salvation. Not only salvation. Also the wonderful nature of God in his patience with us as Christians. The extraordinary nature of his ongoing grace. The victories in Christ that he has given us. Seeing friends saved, people married, children of members becoming Christians, spiritual and emotional transformation and much more.

You may say, “Well, fair enough, but that’s the job of the preacher.” I would suggest that a leader of worship cannot hide behind someone else if the corporate worship is not all it could be. Perhaps you need to speak more. Perhaps not. We all have different gifts. But even if you are not to be the person inspiring the members to recall the wonders of their spiritual freedom in Christ, you could be the person to prompt others to do so.

Three teaching suggestions for inspiring your congregation to sing with all their hearts:

God’s nature. Teach on his love, forbearance, long-suffering, kindness and patience - “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” (2 Peter 3:15 NIV11)

Personal salvation. Take people back to when they first got in touch with God’s love and then God's saving power in baptism - “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1 NIV11); “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39 NIV11).

Promises.  Remind people where they are going. Moving into ever-increasing Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18) and trusting that our labour in the Lord is not in vain - “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10 NIV11); “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV11).

Either yourself, or the person best suited by gifting could deliver these lessons as the sermon, or a mini-lesson at some point in your Sunday service.

This isn’t a quick fix. It is relatively simple to adapt the pitches of songs to make them more singable. But to teach and preach in such a way as to inspire wholehearted devotion is quite another matter. One lesson won’t fix it. Actually probably shouldn’t. Not if it’s going to have any depth.

As Jack Hayford said (writer of the classic song “Majesty”), “It’s easier to teach a congregation the Bible than to teach them how to worship.” It may be harder to teach to worship from the heart, but it is worth it and our God deserves it (click here (https://www.jackhayford.org/teaching/articles/the-birth-of-majesty/) for the story of how he came to write the song).

Question for today: “What have you seen done effectively that inspires a congregation to sing from the heart?"

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

“Kingdom Come” podcast, episode 30

Would you like to know more about the heart of Jesus? If so, you’ve come to the right place.   

Welcome to the “Kingdom Come” podcast of the Thames Valley churches of Christ. For two months we are diving deep into the “Sermon on the Mount”, found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.  

These podcasts are designed to help us take these amazing words of Jesus and apply them to our devotional life. 

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

“The Day Jesus Played A Practical Joke”

Luke 24.13-35

Introduction

Question: What examples of Jesus ‘pretending’ can you see?

Discussion

Question: Why did he ask, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

Question: Why did he ask, “What things?”

Question: Why did he ask, “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

Question: Why did they recognise Jesus when he broke bread?

What were the consequences of these experiences with Jesus?

What does this mean for you today?

Let Jesus s……..to you

Let Jesus be your h……………

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”” (Luke 22:19 NIV11) 

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

“Kingdom Come” podcast, episode 29

Would you like to know more about the heart of Jesus? If so, you’ve come to the right place.   

Welcome to the “Kingdom Come” podcast of the Thames Valley churches of Christ. For two months we are diving deep into the “Sermon on the Mount”, found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.  

These podcasts are designed to help us take these amazing words of Jesus and apply them to our devotional life. 

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

Jesus the practical joker

Was Jesus a practical joker? Is that too irreverent a question for you? I posed this idea on Sunday for the Watford Church of Christ. We were taking a look at Luke 24:13-35.  The recording of that sermon will go up later on today (Sunday) and a link will be added to next week's newsletter.

There's a tremendous amount of humour on the road to Emmaus. Perhaps not for the two people who Jesus came across. But certainly for the reader. I reckon Jesus had a twinkle in his eye when he asked the question, "What things?" when replying to their incredulity that he might not know what happened in Jerusalem.

Whether or not we can truly characterise Jesus as a practical joker, this passage illustrates one very important aspect of the way Jesus treats the fearful, the doubter and the confused. He is patient.

Those two people on the road to Emmaus were walking with “their faces downcast” (Luke 24:17). Haven't we all felt like that? If this text teaches us anything, it's that, with Jesus present, there is always hope. Whatever your past week has contained, good and bad, easy and difficult, comprehensible or incomprehensible, you can move forward with hope if you allow Jesus to speak to you and to be the host of your life.

Cleopus and his companion began their journey discouraged but ended it filled with zeal. My hope would be, no matter what your last week has contained, or even today, and no matter any level of discouragement, that you might find, by the power of the Spirit that the strength is available from God for you to move forward in hope. 

May my articles, podcasts and videos help you along your 'Emmaeus' road this week.

Prayer request

Please pray for me as I prepare the materials for the Watford teaching day. 

Thank you for reading this far, and encouraging me in my endeavours to support our times of quiet with God, our corporate worship experiences, and the effectiveness of our preaching and teaching. I hope my uploads will help you to have beatitude-infused conversations this week.

If you know anyone who might enjoy these materials, please send them a link to my website (http://www.malcolmcox.org) and encourage them to sign up for this newsletter.

God bless, Malcolm

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

“Kingdom Come”

Sermon on the Mount Series: Seventh Lesson

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matt 5:9

QUESTION: What impact is the series having on your faith so far?

Peacemakers:

Not appeasers

Not peacekeepers

QUESTION: “What is the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking?”

1. Peacemaking in the Bible

God

Sending his prophets, the ‘covenant-enforcers’

Bringing his people back, Zech 8.8, 10.10 (search “bring them back” and similar phrases)

Jesus

From enemies to friends: Eph 2.11-22, Col 1:20. 

Peter’s restoration: Matt 26.74, Luke 22.32, John 21.

Paul

Corinth: Starts church (Acts 18); Sends a letter (lost, 1 Cor 5.9); Chloe writes to say all is not well (1 Cor 1.11; 7:1); Paul sends Timothy with a letter (1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10); Paul visits (2 Corinthians 2:1; 12:14); Paul sends Titus with a letter (lost, 2 Corinthians 2:4, 12ff; 7:5-8); Paul sends another letter (2 Corinthians); On his way to Jerusalem Paul visits Corinth (Achaia) to collect money for poor Christians in Judaea (Rom 15.25-27).

Philemon: Case study for personal study.

2. Peacemaking in life

[See the more extended notes in the additional handout for this verse]

It’s costly 

Time: listening to people

Energy: physical, emotional

Spiritually: prayer

It’s worth it 

God at work creating something beautiful

Rewards of becoming more like Jesus

QUESTION: “What situations has God provided in which you could act as a peacemaker?” “Both for people to find peace with God, and for people to find peace with one another?”

How can you develop a peacemaking spirit? Reflect on the peace you have with God, Matthew 18.21-35. Pray the beatitudes.

QUESTION: How will this verse affect the way you live this week?

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,