Stirling Theological College Principal's Devotions

Holding Up Half the Sky: A Biblical Case for Women Leading and Teaching in the Church. By Rev. Assoc. Professor Graham Joseph Hill.

Women have played significant roles in ministry and leadership throughout the history of the church and the pages of the Bible. Today, women make up more than half the church, and do much of the mission, ministry, and discipleship in the life of the church. But women have often been held back from ministry roles. Graham Joseph Hill outlines the biblical vision for women in ministry and leadership. He offers a biblical and passionate call for women to be released to teach, to lead, to preach, to serve, to pastor, and to minister in every area of the church. The Bible paints a radical vision of women, empowered and emboldened for full ministry participation in Christ's church. The biblical vision for women and for their role as teachers, witnesses, disciplers, and leaders transforms not only personal lives, but also the church and the world. This book offers a biblical case for women teaching and leading in the church. Hill then explores practical ways that we can empower and release more female leaders in the church, and ways that we can amplify the voices and honor the gifts of women in the way Jesus intended. Together women and men can revitalize the church and renew the world.

"Hide This in Your Heart" sermon (Ps.119:11 and 2 Tim.3:14-16) - by Graham Joseph Hill

Hiding God's Word in your heart restores your spiritual passion.

Memorizing the Bible has been proven to be an essential, life-giving practice for spiritual growth. Those who memorize passages from the Bible can point to how it's given them greater assurance of God's love and a deeper understanding of how to follow Jesus.

This sermon goes with the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Michael Frost. "Hide This in Your Heart: Memorizing Scripture for Kingdom Impact." NavPress, 2020.

Buy the book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hide-this-in-your-heart-michael-frost/1136591162

Or buy the book here: https://www.bookdepository.com/Hide-This-is-Your-Heart-Michael-Frost/9781641582049

See a webinar on how to memorize the Bible, here: https://grahamjosephhill.com/bible-memory-challenge/

#HideThisInYourHeart #BibleMemoryChallenge

The Bible presents God as a just God who calls for justice among his people, for creation, and in the world. We know what justice is when we know who God is. The just nature of God defines our understanding of justice.

Danielle Strickland speaks of the biblical triangle of faith, mercy, and justice. "Our relationship with God could be described as a triangle of faith, mercy (or peace) and justice. Scripture does not present them as competing aspects, or suggest that one flows out of the other; rather, they are a triangle that forms the basis of our relationship with God. Each text [Mic 6:8, Mt 23:23, and Rom 14:17] places justice or righteousness first on the list. Justice is not an optional extra. It is our first activity. Justice is the first and primary demand that God places on his people. As a God of justice (or righteousness), he expects that we, his community, be his agents for bringing justice to bear in the world; to usher in a just society without discrimination and wit fair treatment and equality for all." Danielle Strickland, Just: Imagine: the Social Justice Awakening (Milton Keynes: Authentic, 2009), 24-25.

The series draws upon the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Lim called "Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World." Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Our-Broken-Humanity-Revitalizing/dp/0830845410

Series 1: Ten Practices that Heal a Broken Humanity (Practice Five - Restore Justice)

Henri Nouwen says there is "the power that oppresses and destroys... I want to show how that power is disarmed through powerlessness, and finally, I want to proclaim the true power that liberates, reconciles, and heals." It's in embracing vulnerability and powerlessness that we discover the true power of Christ.

The series draws upon the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Lim called "Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World."

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Our-Broken-Humanity-Revitalizing/dp/0830845410

Stirling Theological College, Principal's Devotions, Episode 5: Relinquish Power (Series 1: Ten Practices that Heal a Broken Humanity)

#HealingOurBrokenHumanity

The Bible makes it clear that repentance is essential for discipleship, change, and spiritual renewal. But talk about sin and repentance seem to have fallen on hard times. Our witness, integrity, and community depend on a spirit of repentance. The Spirit of Christ calls us to repent of our personal and corporate sins, our pursuit of power and control, our confusion of religious patriotism with Christian discipleship, our sanctioning of violence and oppression, our embrace of exceptionalism instead of humility, our fostering of antagonism and division, our justification of racism and sexism, our closed hearts toward immigrants and refugees, our exploitation of the earth and the poor, and much more. Like lament, repentance is the pathway to a new life in Jesus Christ, to a community known for its reconciliation and integrity, and to a credible witness.

The series draws upon the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Lim called "Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World."

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Our-Broken-Humanity-Revitalizing/dp/0830845410

Stirling Theological College, Principal's Devotions, Episode 4: Repent Together (Series 1: Ten Practices that Heal a Broken Humanity)

#HealingOurBrokenHumanity

Prayers of lament are central to Scripture, and especially the book of Psalms. More than a third of the Psalms are laments. These Psalms of lament focus on deep regret and sorrow for the sins and travails of a nation, and as a cry for God's intervention. The people address these laments to God. They describe the lamentable situation. They confess their sin and complicity and sorrow. They call God to intervene, and to change the situation. And they offer thanksgiving and praise to God, in trust that God can and will bring change. These Psalms provide a model for contemporary lament.

Lament is an expression of deep regret and sorrow. It is a personal and corporate response to many things: evil, sin, death, harm, discrimination, inequality, racism, sexism, colonization, oppression, and injustice. Lament is about mourning the painful, shameful, or sorrowful situation. It's about confessing sin and complicity and sorrow. It's about calling God to intervene, and to change the situation. And lament is about offering thanksgiving and praise to God, knowing that God will intervene, and bring change, hope, and restoration.

The series draws upon the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Lim called "Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World."

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Our-Broken-Humanity-Revitalizing/dp/0830845410

Series 1: Ten Practices that Heal a Broken Humanity (Practice Two - Renew Lament)

Jesus calls us to reimagine the church as the new humanity in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:15).

What does Paul the Apostle mean when he speaks about "the new humanity in Christ"? Paul means that Jesus Christ has done away with the old divisions and enmities. Christ has abolished the old divisions based on culture, politics, race, religion, law, gender, social standing, and so on. "Christ is all in all," and has brought us together, from every nation, language, and people, as "one new people." This doesn't rid us of our Jewish or Gentile (or American, Korean, Australian, Chinese, Rwandan, Brazilian, Native American, etc.) cultures, identities, and unique contributions. But, now, our primary identity is in Christ, and in the fact that he has made us "one new people" in him (Ephesians 2 to 4, Colossians 3, and Galatians 3 and 6).

The series draws upon the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Lim called "Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World."

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Our-Broken-Humanity-Revitalizing/dp/0830845410

Series 1: Ten Practices that Heal a Broken Humanity (Practice One - Reimagine the Church)

Every week our Principal posts a video devotion or message. Our hope is that these will help you explore Christian faith and practice, and grow ever more deeply in love with Jesus Christ, as you follow and serve Jesus in the church and the world.

This first introductory video discusses "the power of practices" to change lives, the church, and the world.

The series draws upon the book by Graham Joseph Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Lim called "Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World."

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Our-Broken-Humanity-Revitalizing/dp/0830845410

Series 1: Ten Practices that Heal a Broken Humanity (Introduction to Series 1 - The Power of Practices)