Malcolm Cox

Malcolm Cox

By Malcolm CoxReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
Download on the App Store

Malcolm Cox episodes

  • S2: "The Effects of Grace" | 1 Thess 5v12-28 | Malcolm Cox
    In this lesson on the last few verses of 1 Thessalonians we explore the way in which grace helps the community to function in a way that honours God.

    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
    30 min
  • S2 Ep406: Quiet Time Coaching Episode 406 | "Praying Together - Part 2” | How Prayer Can Unite Believers | Malcolm Cox
    Introduction

    • Why do we pray together with other Christians?
    • Let’s take a look at a classic passage about praying together
    • ““Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”” (Matthew 18:18–20 NIV11)
    • In this passage, Jesus teaches about the power of agreement in prayer and the importance of gathering together as believers.
      • Context

      • Jesus is addressing His disciples and teaching them about what it means to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
      • He starts off by warning them about causing others to stumble and then goes on to talk about the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness.
      • In verses 15-17, Jesus gives instructions on how to handle conflict within the church.
        • Explanation

        • "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (v. 18)
        • This verse emphasises the authority that believers have in prayer. We have the power to bind and loose things on earth, but only if we are aligned with God's will.
        • "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." (v. 19)
        • Here, Jesus emphasises the importance of agreement in prayer. When two or more believers come together and pray in agreement, God promises to answer their prayers.
        • "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (v. 20)
        • This verse highlights the importance of gathering together as believers. When we come together in Jesus' name, He promises to be present with us.
          • Application

          • As believers, we have been given the authority to pray and ask God for things. However, our prayers must be aligned with God's will, and we must be in agreement with other believers.
          • When we come together in Jesus' name, whether it's in a small group or a large church gathering, we can expect Jesus to be present with us.
          • Let's make it a priority to gather together with other believers and pray in agreement. As we do, we can work towards reconciliation and forgiveness, even in the face of conflict.
            • Conclusion

            • Jesus teaches us that when we come together in agreement and in His name, we have the power to bind and loose things on earth, and God promises to answer our prayers. Let's make it a priority to gather together with other believers and pray in agreement, knowing that Jesus is with us and that He will help us work towards unity and reconciliation within the church.
            Two final questions for this week:

            1. Do you find praying together unifying?
            2. If you are not praying with other Christians is it because you have relationship challenges?
              3. "Prayer is the oxygen of the soul. It is what connects us to the power source of God. When we pray together, we are breathing in the same oxygen, and it creates a sense of unity and oneness among us. Prayer brings us into the presence of God, and in that presence, our differences and disagreements seem small and insignificant. We become united in our pursuit of God and His will for our lives." 
              Tony Evans, Prayers for Victory in Your Marriage, 2018
              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, and leave a review.

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

              God bless, Malcolm
              6 min
            3. S2: "Praying Together Part 2" | Matthew 18:18-20 | Where two or three are gathered | Malcolm Cox
              In this podcast, I explore the benefits of praying with others. We start by discussing why we less frequently speak about praying together despite valuing and practicing prayer. Matthew 18:18-20 is our starting point, where Jesus expects us to pray together and offers inspiration as to why it is important.

              ““Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”” (Matthew 18:18–20 NIV11)Praying with others allows us to come together in a shared experience of faith and connection, which supports us in our spiritual journeys and provides a sense of community. When we pray with others, we can share our burdens and joys and feel a sense of belonging. It can also deepen our own prayer life, as we learn from others' experiences and perspectives, and gain new insights into our own faith.

              Moreover, praying with others can be a source of comfort and strength during difficult times. We know that we are not alone, and we can draw on the support and encouragement of the community. I offer some advice for those who want to start praying together, such as being open to the idea, starting with small and simple prayers, and being respectful of each other's differences.

              I encourage us all to experiment and explore praying together with our loved ones, family groups, or even beyond our regular church community in March. Individual prayer is crucial, but learning to be a praying community is just as important.

              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
              12 min
            4. S2 Ep303: Tuesday Teaching Tips | Episode 303 | "Pulverise Procrastination and Perfectionism" | Malcolm Cox
              Last Sunday:

              • Family bereavement
              • Plenty of study, not enough time for prep on the presentation
              • One of my better lessons - at least in the way it was received.
                1. Trust the text: Know it thoroughly. Study well in advance. It has power in itself.
                2. Trust God: How much do I trust God? Prayer was more important on Sunday morning than technical preparation.
                3. Trust congregation: How much do I trust the congregation in their motivation to learn and ability to do so?
                  4. Conclusion

                  • We are creatives - no creation is ever finished
                  • Send it out before ‘ready’ - who gets to decide what that means anyway?
                  • If a sermon is fully ‘finished’ it will likely be dead
                    • Why not sign up for AIM: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. 


                    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. 

                    Keep calm and carry on teaching.

                    God bless, Malcolm
                    10 min
                  • S2: Joy in the mourning, episode 19
                    These are my occasional unedited reflections on the death of my mother. Today, I share some thoughts on the recent death of my father-in-law, John, Bartley. I am exceedingly sad over to death, but the abiding feeling in my heart, is one of deep gratitude. 
                    7 min
                  • S2: "Report from the Teleios Conference on Gen Z" | Malcolm Cox
                    A few thoughts I shared with the Watford church as a result of attending the Teleios conference in Oklahoma.

                    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
                    7 min
                  • S2: "What Happens to Dead Christians" | 1 Thess 4vv13-5v11 | Malcolm Cox
                    1. What will happen to Christians living and dead? 4:14-18 

                    QUESTION: What comes to your mind when we talk about the second coming of Jesus?

                    A. Sequence
                    Jesus comes back victorious
                    The ‘sleepers’ resurrect 
                    They and anyone alive at the time join Jesus in eternal life

                    B. Everyone will notice
                    ‘One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven!’’ J. B. Phillips translation

                    C. With Lord forever - excellent outcome!

                    2. What will happen to people without Christ? 5:1-3

                    Do not know date
                    Do not speculate

                    A. Thief - Unexpected

                    B. Peace and Safety - False confidence

                    C. Labour pains - No way out - inevitable

                    We are called to be awake and sober so as to help these people


                    3. Who we are & how to respond to who we are. 5:4-8

                    A. Awake, not asleep / Sober, not drunk
                    Take yourself seriously - you matter in the kingdom of God

                    B. Faith, Love, Hope
                    Do a Bible study on these themes

                    C. What does this mean?
                    Help one another - written to a church

                    Conclusion, 5:9-11

                    God’s aims for us, & our response

                    Are you afraid of death?
                    Are you afraid of judgement?
                    Does it bother you that you do not know when Jesus is coming back?
                    What does it mean to put on faith love and hope?
                    God’s hope is that we will live - differently - with confidence 
                    God’s aims are that we benefit from the confidence of our destiny beyond this 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
                    31 min
                  • S2 Ep302: Tuesday Teaching Tips | Episode 302 | "Learning from our compliments" | Malcolm Cox
                    Are we learning from our compliments to help us continue to grow? I share an experience I had this last Sunday.

                    Straight-talking
                    “What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”” (John 7:36 NIV11)

                    Questions
                    “When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.” (Matthew 17:25–26 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
                    7 min
                  • S2: "Our Father Who Art In Heaven" | Matthew 6 | Douglas Jacoby
                    Our friend Douglas Jacoby was the visiting Speaker on the 5th of March 2023.

                    He spoke on the Lord's prayer from Matthew 6:9–13.

                    We hope you find this recording to be a blessing.

                    You can find more materials on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj9Qa8D9zumJZdoAtARDUww) and website (https://watfordchurchofchrist.org).

                    Most Sundays we gather at the West Watford Free church, 10:30AM. 

                    The address is: Tolpits Lane, Watford WD18 6NU

                    You can contact us on: [email protected].

                    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
                    23 min
                  • S2 Ep405: Quiet Time Coaching Episode 405 | "Praying Together - Part 1" | Malcolm Cox
                    Why do we pray together with other Christians?

                    This week, I recorded the first of two classes on praying together. We looked at the praying church and the expectation that Jesus had of his disciples praying together. You can find it here (https://youtu.be/20-iUjHSlMw) and here (https://audioboom.com/posts/8259191). So today, I ask, what prevents us from praying together more often? Is it pride, Satan, practical challenges, fear, or not knowing how…?

                    This week I prayed with two members of my congregation over the phone. Unfortunately, they both live in places that make it difficult for us to physically meet to pray, but why should that be a barrier? Of course, it wasn't what they or I would prefer, but it was much better than not doing it. On both occasions, praying with Simon and Gbemi lifted my spirits. Part of the reason was that we were praying together and talking for a few minutes before we prayed, catching up, sharing our hearts, our needs and what was going on in our lives.

                    I am reminded that before "discipling partners" was invented, we had "prayer partners". Is it worth revisiting this idea? What difference might it make if you had a regular prayer partner or prayer partners?

                    Two final questions for this week:

                    1. What do you find most meaningful about praying together with another Christian?
                    2. What barriers do you face in praying together more often with other Christians?

                    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, and leave a review. 

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

                    God bless, Malcolm
                    6 min

                  About Malcolm Cox

                  From the publisher's feed

                  Malcolm Cox. Enjoying communicating the depth & relevance of the Bible to life today. Author of 'An Elephant's Swimming Pool' about John's gospel. For theology and spirituality see: