On last year’s Christmas list I mentioned to Santa that I’d like a copy of Focus by Daniel Goleman. 2016 was going to be a year of concentrated effort, where I pick off one task at a time and get things done. Goleman was to be my tutor in single-mindedness. 10 months on and I’ve […]
I’ve been struck once again by the reminder that the simple things in life so often are the most important things. And it’s those simple things that we can lose site of as our lives invariably tend towards the complex. As my wedding anniversary approaches I find myself flustered, as I can’t quite locate the […]
Evangelism is a spiritual struggle. It’s a bloody, vicious war. There is no Geneva Convention or International Court of Justice imposing civility. Our enemy is not a gentlemen and he is out to totally, utterly ruin all that you love, cherish and seek to protect.
In this war we have been given tools, and I believe the role of persuasion – arguing, illustrating, and questioning – is a weapon that we are to deploy in this war.
Timothy was told by the Apostle Paul to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). We’re shown that evangelism is both a task, as well as an office or role (Ephesians 4), and a task that in the Great Commission (Matthew 28) all Christians are called to.
As we think through how to use persuasion in evangelism here are 8 points to remember.
A friend and I were having a conversation recently. “I was so left,” he said, referring to his political persuasions. “That was my background,” he explained. “When I then, later on, began to ask why I thought that way, I began to change my mind on a few things.” This interested me. My friend (now […]
The political landscapes of two countries I love greatly are currently swaying like a suspension bridge in an earthquake. On my side of The Pond a referendum on membership to the European Union is to be held this coming Thursday. The implications of this vote are potentially huge. Across the Atlantic and, 8 years on from […]
Life is busy and increasingly full of digital distractions. We must take stock of our time if we are to faithfully follower Peter’s command to ‘always be prepared to give a defence’.
Embed from Getty Images I remember listening to the radio as Manchester United beat Bayern Munich in extra time to win the 1999 Champions League final. There’s something slightly magical about listening to a game, having to rely on the commentators description of the events unfolding before their eyes, reconstructing it in my mind. Perhaps […]
Love is one of the strongest desires of the human heart and yet we live at time when deep loneliness abounds. But what clues do our deepest longings offer us about ultimate reality?
In February 2016 I gave several talks at the University of Glasgow looking at some of our deepest desires – meaning, purpose, hope, truth, and love – and how the Christian message speaks to them. On the Thursday I spoke on ‘Uncovering Truth’ in, rather fittingly, the university’s debating chamber. Here’s that evening’s talk:
It’s that time of the year again. American leaders square off against each other in a bid to win their party’s nomination, and then ultimately – with the approval of the majority of the nation – the job of President of the United States. It’s a time of campaigning, rallying, and slogan raising. I remember […]
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