Something to think about

With Patrick Boyns.

When we are tempted, it’s because we are ‘lured and enticed’ by our own desires. And then, James says, the desire, when it has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived my dear brothers and sisters.

James doesn’t mince his words. He’s not inclined to ‘beat around the bush,’ as it were, but he means what he says, and he says what he means. If we begin to dabble with our desires – with our desires for things we know are not good for us – sooner or later we’re going to put them into practice.

And then, when we’ve become more than accustomed to putting into practice the things we desired that were not good for us … they’ll be the death of us. It’s a natural progression – there’s no getting away from it. To dabble with unhealthy desires is to dabble with death.

The addictive power of desire lies in its deception. We need to open our eyes and see our desires for what they really are. Only then can the truth really set us free.

Broadcast on 19th June 2022

Scriptures referred to: 

Luke 9

John 8

James 1

And reference is also made to the film: “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”

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With Jack Paton.

There are many dimensions of our life in God that we don’t understand and we may not understand until we are seated around the heavenly banquet. But in preparation for that day, I am keeping a track of a long list of questions that I personally want answered.

The Godhead is definitely one of those difficult, challenging, thought-provoking doctrines of our faith. But we should not think of it as an exam question – a test – that must be answered before we will be admitted into the presence of Jesus. Rather, it is ultimately a very practical doctrine with radical consequences for Christian life. 

Throughout John’s Gospel we are given glimpses of the Spirit. And in John’s Gospel the Spirit is associated primarily with Jesus. In fact, we are told that Jesus “said this about the Spirit which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified”

The Godhead is about relationship and indwelling. It is about collaboration and the self-communication of God. The Godhead is about our invitation into the Godhead by Jesus in the power of the Spirit. And it is about our mutuality with each other, guiding, speaking, and declaring to one another the glory of God. The Godhead is our way of life made possible by God.

Broadcast on 12th June 2022

This talk is based on John 16:12-15, and refers to other passages from John’s Gospel.

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With Patrick Boyns.

As far back as Abraham, God spoke of kings being among his descendants, and his grandson Jacob essentially foretold the royal line of David. But first, God would give to Israel the sort of king that Israel deserved – like the kings of the nations around them – and it wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience. 

Once the people had learned what their sort of king was like, God “provided for himself a king” – a man who was “after his own heart” – he would serve God by ruling over the kingdom of Israel. His name was David. And he reigned for forty years. 

Centuries later, the angel Gabriel comes to speak with Mary, of Nazareth, to tell her that she is to have a child: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

Forget the mere seventy years of this Platinum Jubilee – King Jesus will reign forever … there will be no end to his kingdom. Forget the mere seventy years of this Platinum Jubilee – King Jesus will reign forever … there will be no end to his kingdom. 

Broadcast on 5th June 2022

Scriptures referred to: 

1 Samuel 13,16 

Ezekiel 34,37 

Matthew 1 

Luke 1 

Ephesians 1 

James 2 

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With Patrick Boyns.

Our true identities have nothing to do with our physical composition – nothing to do with our appearance or physical attributes – our true identities have to do with things far deeper than this. Somewhere, stamped upon our souls are the words: “Made in the image of God.”

It’s why we are precious in the sight of God. It’s why we can love God with our whole being. It’s why we are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. The whole DNA of humanity traces its way back to the heart of God.

When Luke, in his Gospel records the genealogy of Jesus, he traces the ancestral line all the way back to Adam whom he says was “the son of God”. Maybe the world doesn’t know it, but that’s where we’ve come from! That’s whose we are! That’s WHO we are!

Scriptures referred to:

Psalm 19:1

Genesis 1:27

Leviticus 26:12

Hosea 1:9

John 1:10–12

Romans 9:25–26

1 Peter 2:9–10

1 John 3:1–3

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With Jack Paton.

Our actions show God’s glory, too. At least, we are charged that it will be so. Jesus prayed , “All mine are yours and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them.” Here, in the midst of this highly theological passage, is no sign of Paul’s dictum that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Here the focus lies on promise and possibilities, looking at the fullness of God’s gifts: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one … so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

As was true for Jesus, is true for us. We cannot fully show the glory until we have accepted the work God has sent us to do. Or, more positively, we show the glory as we complete that work.

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With Steve Whitehead.

Believers, though, have a more optimistic belief. We know that God is in control. To quote the hymn: "This is my father's world." When God is ready to bring this planet to an end, then that's what he will do. No one knows how, but it will happen. As to the when, it is a good principle to allow the Bible to tell us what we need to know. And when we're approaching tricky subjects, to look first at straightforward passages and allow them to shape our understanding of the tricky bits.

So when his disciples asked Jesus about when the end was going to come, this was his reply. "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey ..."

Scriptures referred to:

Matthew 25

Mark 13:32–37

1 Corinthians 15

Reference was also made to:

"I Wish We’d All Been Ready" by Larry Norman

"Built For Glory, Made To Last" by The Lost Dogs

The book of Revelation

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With Mark Hill.

What does hospitality really mean? It really is not just about having your friends around for a coffee it's not just about inviting your friends around for supper it's taking in complete strangers maybe that are lost and have nothing. Can we only practice hospitality when people are fleeing from war-torn or economically distressed areas or might we even show it to our next-door neighbours, to people in the town where we live.

Very often hospitality isn't about just having your friends around it's about those strangers about the people that we don't really know those who are in need who really do need feeding because they have no food not someone to try something new on top of everything else that they have but those who have nothing.

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With Jack Paton.

Our passage depicts a community immobilised by fear after Jesus’ crucifixion, and Jesus’ task is to re-mobilise them. The inherent risk to the disciples is precisely why trust is needed. Risk and trust go hand-in-hand; the amount of risk one is willing to take is dependent upon the amount of trust one has. One does not need to risk anything in order to trust; however, one must take a risk in order to engage in trusting action. Risk is the indispensable ingredient that transforms trust into trusting action.

So this highlights the pivotal nature of the resurrection appearances for the formation of the disciples—the very risky post-crucifixion situation is the fertile ground upon which their trust in Jesus can grow. But vulnerability is something that we also consistently avoid. But could it be that from the example of Jesus and the disciples in our passage – could vulnerability be an opportunity for growth? How can trust grow – trust in God, trust in each other as fellow believers – if we avoid all risk? 

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With Patrick Boyns.

The more we are able to see things from an eternal perspective – through the eyes of God, as it were – the more we see the temporal nature of this physical realm in which we currently and physically reside. But this world is not our home – we are made for grander things. We are made for realms invisible to human eyes – for places we cannot even begin to imagine in our present state. Isn’t that amazing?!

As a child learns to see that the beauty with which we are surrounded was made by hands we cannot see; so we are learning to look beyond what we can see, to all that lies beyond. And if the beauties of this world cause us to wonder of the one who made us, so that same awe and wonder lead us to contemplate yet greater glory to come.

Scriptures referred to:

Psalm 19:1

Ephesians

1 John 1:1–2; 5:11–13

1 Corinthians 2:9

Reference was also made to:

"All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Cecil Frances Alexander

"The Lord's My Shepherd" from Psalm 23

"Jerusalem" by William Blake

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman–Turner Overdrive

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With Jon Galloway.

David's idea of green pastures and quiet waters is probably different from ours are mainly because those things are very rare in that country, especially the part of the country he was from. There in Judah or Judea it's hot, it's dry, it's rocky, it's wilderness. But you can see how that picture would appeal to David as a place of comfort and peace when you're surrounded by something that's the opposite of it. Visiting Engedi, where David hid from Saul with his men, you find a place in the midst of the wilderness that has fresh water, it has green plant life. A lot of gazelles hop around in that area. But the overall picture we find here in Psalm 23 is one of comfort, peacefulness and great blessings.

Where do these come from? They are what someone who's serving God receives, not only in this life, but in the life to come. This is from God's goodness, God's love. Yet we look at the world we are living in today. War dominates our news. The scenes we see each day from our various news outlets are far from the picture that David depicted. We see death and devastation. We see homes and schools ruined, bombed, entire towns obliterated. We see atrocities. And we wonder, where is the peace?

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