Tagged with: theology
Theology Matters: The Trinity
| Fri Mar 3 '17
A.W. Tozer wrote: ‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.’ It was with this in mind that we decided to spend a day recently thinking about the Trinity. To many...
Theology Matters: The Trinity: Session 4: The Trinity and the Christian Life
| Wed Mar 1 '17
This final session considers what practical differences the Trinity makes to the Christian life, and how having an accurate view of the Trinity can enrich our prayer and our worship. Download the handouts.
Theology Matters: The Trinity: Session 3: Creation and Salvation
| Wed Mar 1 '17
What does the Trinity achieve? And what can we learn from looking at the activity of God in the world? This session considers the role of the Trinity in creation and salvation, and the difference it makes knowing we are...
Theology Matters: The Trinity: Session 2: How (not) to think about the Trinity
| Wed Mar 1 '17
How is the Trinity revealed to us? What does the interaction between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the gospels tell us about God’s eternal nature? And what are some helpful (and unhelpful) ways in which we can begin...
Theology Matters: The Trinity: Session 1: Introducing the Trinity
| Wed Mar 1 '17
The Trinity is a mystery: a deeply complex idea at the heart of the Christian faith. So if it’s a mystery, why bother thinking about it at all? In this first session, we introduce the idea of the Trinity and...
Pockets of Peace
| Fri Jan 13 '17
There I am, stood on the edge of a cliff, feeling the gentle hug of the wind and watching the crystal blue sea crash against the rocks. As I take in the beauty of the scene unfolding before me I’m...
What’s the Point in Morning Devotionals?
| Fri Jun 3 '16
I opened my eyes and it had happened again. My morning devotional turned into an extra 45 minutes sleep, which left me frantically running around trying to get ready for work. And so the cycle of guilt continued. Morning “quiet...
The Power of a Whisper: Recommended Reading
| Thu Apr 14 '16
One of the things that strikes me most when I read the gospels is the amazing sense of purpose with which Jesus lived. He seemed to know at any given moment where he should be focusing his energy and time....
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 12: Why did Jesus Rise?
| Sun Nov 15 '15
Easter Sunday is the climax of the story of the gospels. But its meaning can be just as perplexing to us as it was to the original disciples! What does the resurrection mean, and how does it change the way...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 11: Why Did Jesus Die?
| Sun Nov 8 '15
What are the historical reasons for the crucifixion of Jesus? And what did Jesus make of his own impending death? In this session we consider the Jewish charge, the Roman charge, and Jesus’ own understanding of the significance of his...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 10: The Coming of the Son of Man
| Sun Nov 1 '15
What is the ‘coming of the Son of Man’? When and how will it happen? And what should we make of Jesus’ end-of-the-world language in Mark 13? This session will use lessons we’ve learnt throughout the series as tools to help...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 9: Signs
| Sun Oct 25 '15
Why did Jesus spend so much time doing miracles? Some of them seem so strange, or arbitrary: is there a purpose behind them? This session will help us to understand and interpret Jesus’ miracles in the context of his wider...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 8 – Symbols: Temple and Torah
| Sun Jun 28 '15
In this seminar, Chris Oldfield and Liam Thatcher look at how Jesus treated the central symbols of Judaism. In particular, they consider what he had to say about the Temple and the Law Download the handouts that accompany this session
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 5 – The Big Story
| Fri Jun 12 '15
How do the gospels fit into the grand story of Scripture? How should we understand Jesus’ life, teaching, ministry, death and resurrection as a continuation of the biblical story? This session will help us to understand Jesus’ ministry in its wider...
Theology Matters: The Gospels
| Thu May 14 '15
If Jesus wanted people to understand his message, why did he speak in cryptic little parables? What did he mean when he spoke about the Kingdom of God, and why did it excite some people and annoy others? What did...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 4 – Purpose: Luke and John
| Sun Feb 15 '15
Each of the gospels tells the story of Jesus in a particular way, for a particular purpose. In this session, Liam Thatcher looks at Luke and John and tries to work out why they emphasise certain themes and what particular points they are...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 3 – Purpose: Matthew and Mark
| Sun Feb 8 '15
Each of the gospels tells the story of Jesus in a particular way, for a particular purpose. In this session, Liam Thatcher and Andy Tuck look at Matthew and Mark and try to work out why they emphasise certain themes...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 2 – Genre
| Sun Feb 1 '15
What are gospels anyway?! Why do we have four of them? And why are there differences between the accounts? How were they written? And what are the particular challenges involved in reading them? This session will give some guidelines for...
Theology Matters: The Gospels: Session 1 – Context
| Sun Jan 25 '15
What was first century Israel like? Who were the main players of the day? And into what kind of world was Jesus born? This first session of Theology Matters will help us to understand the historical background of the gospels...
Theology Matters: The Gospels
| Thu Jan 8 '15
It has been said that the Bible is “like a river; broad and deep. Shallow enough here for a lamb to go wading, but deep enough there for the elephant to swim.” Wading. Swimming. I don’t know about you, but...
Theology Matters: Resurrection: Resurrection in the Epistles
| Sun Nov 4 '12
In this, the third and final week, we look at the theme of resurrection in the New Testament letters, and try to piece together a picture of what life after death might look like. Download the handouts.
Theology Matters: Resurrection: Resurrection in the Gospels and Acts
| Sun Oct 28 '12
This week, we look at the Gospels and the book of Acts and consider how the resurrection of Jesus affected the way people thought and preached about him. Download the handouts.
Theology Matters: Resurrection: Life After Death in the Old Testament
| Sun Oct 21 '12
What does the Old Testament say about life after death? What were people expecting to happen to them beyond the grave, and how did their understanding develop across the centuries? Andy Chevalier takes us right through the Old Testament, and...
Theology_Matters_Revelation: New Creation - Revelation 21-22
| Sun Jul 29 '12
What is God’s final plan for creation? This week we come to the end of our series on Revelation by looking at John’s incredible description of the New Creation, full of rich imagery and incredible hope. We will see what...
Theology_Matters_Revelation: The Millennium - Revelation 20
| Sun Jul 15 '12
As the story draws towards a close, we read that Christ will reign for 1,000 years. Little in Scripture has caused more debate than these chapters. What is the millennium, when will it happen and how is it relevant for...
Theology_Matters_Revelation: The Woman and the Dragon - Revelation 12-13
| Sun Jul 8 '12
Revelation 12 and 13 are some of the most confusing verses in Scripture. Winged-women, multi-headed beasts and a cryptic number: 666. What do these pictures mean, how on earth are they relevant to us, and what sort of hope should...
Theology_Matters_Revelation: Seals, Trumpets and Bowls - Revelation 6-11; 16
| Sun Jul 1 '12
John describes a series of shocking events: natural disasters, plagues and catastrophes falling upon the Earth. How should we interpret these? Are they literal predictions of a bleak future? How and when might they happen? And what do they tell...
Theology_Matters_Revelation: The Lamb and the Throne - Revelation 4-5
| Sun Jun 24 '12
John’s first glimpse into heaven is a dazzling picture: strange creatures, precious jewels, and a dramatic scene with thousands of worshippers. Here we look at the Lamb on the Throne in Revelation 4 and 5, learn to interpret the symbols...
Theology_Matters_Revelation: Apocalypse Now? - Revelation 1
| Sun Jun 17 '12
Confusing symbols, mysterious imagery, and sometimes unpleasant descriptions make Revelation daunting to read and difficult to understand. How much is it a prediction of the future? How is it relevant today? And how should we go about interpreting it? In...
If God, Then What?
| Fri Mar 9 '12
I live in the same part of South West London as a prominent food critic. As soon as somewhere new opens locally he reviews it, which has led to some great culinary discoveries! So on the one hand it’s a...
LittleBig Church: God Gives Gifts - Ephesians 4:7-16
| Sun Jun 26 '11
In Ephesians 4, Paul speaks about gifts that God has given for the strengthening of the church. What are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers? Do these roles still exist today? And what difference do they make to the way...
