Teaching for today

If we are to be bold in standing for Christian truth, especially under pressure, it is vital that we are convinced that the Bible is true and without error in all that it affirms. This includes the Bible's teaching on science, history and morality as well as theology.

Suffering is surely something that no Christian can escape, yet there is much confusion on this subject. The idea of a sovereign God allowing tragedies to occur is one that all Christians struggle with, but we know that it is often through suffering that our relationship with God is deepened.

We all have routines of eating, sleeping, work and leisure, yet many Christians neglect personal discipline in their spiritual lives. Godly habits become the means that God uses to work His grace in our lives.

Prayer sustains and nourishes the Christian. It is a litmus test of our relationship with God. It is the means whereby we can bring all our anxieties and needs before the Lord. Failure in our prayer lives inevitably leads to weaknesses in other areas.

In this lecture Dr Nick Needham explores the relevance of the early Christian church to us today. To this end he highlights a number of key figures and events in the first 500 years of the church.

In a fallen world, how is it that unbelieving men and women are capable of great acts of kindness, can experience a measure of joy and happiness, and possess wonderful skills and talents? Why does God cause "his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45)? The doctrine of common grace powerfully explains the world we live in and how we should act towards unbelievers.

Does the Bible only concern itself with personal piety? Or does its authority extend across other areas, such as work, entertainment or even the life of our nation? The Psalmist says that "The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7b). To heed the words of scripture in all that we do is not only obedient but also wise. In this lecture, Gareth Burke will help us to see more clearly the application of God's wisdom to the whole of life.

History shows that Christians have long had an influence for good on the world around them. In this lecture, Ranald Macaulay will explain how the Christian faith has had a profound impact upon the moral and intellectual foundations of British society. Christians have pioneered advancements in civil liberty, education, health care and democracy. The past should help and encourage us as we look to the future.

In this lecture Nick Needham focuses on Jeremiah 29:7: "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Dr Needham helpfully draws out the parallels between the exiled Jews in Babylon and Christians today.

As well as being a formidable preacher and church leader, Thomas Chalmers also orchestrated many social initiatives especially in regard to education and poverty. He believed that the Church should be fully involved in the nation's life, but he also sought to guard the gospel. So he insisted on the rights of a church to appoint a believing minister, rather than have one imposed upon them by a land owner. The Government refused this right and so Chalmers led the Disruption of 1843 where one third of the ministers left the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland.