.
Paul's defence of his ministry:
  1 Thess 2

- Lack of trickery & people-pleasing
- Relational: lived amongst them

What Paul’s ministry does look like:

Steward (v. 3 - 6)
Approved by God
Status

Mother (v. 6b - 9)
Hard-working
Loving
Nurturing
Shared lives

Father (v. 10 - 12)
"Devout, honest, faultless" NLT
Urgent
Encouraging

Herald (v ( Read more... )

Will Rubie:  1 Thess 4

How to live one's life (literally, how to walk)

- Not an an admonishment from Paul but an encouragement: 
("we ask you & we urge you")

- To be sanctified, to be holy as God's holy people
- As a reflection of the character of God: connected to beauty & glory & splendour

re: v.7  that God called you (when we became ( Read more... )

.
The Golden Calf: Exodus 32
"God Dwells Amongst Us" series - Will Rubie :

What is the experience,
what happens when God is absent or distant?

For the Israelites, silence from the heavens means a lack of security & direction
.... their desire to see something tangible, to fill the void leads to idolatry;
NB: the people do not stop worshipping ( ( Read more... )

.
Colossians 1  v. 1 - 14
Paul prays & thanks God for the Colossians growing faithWho ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

'straining toward what is ahead, I press on'

... but sometimes I just want to pause, rest & savour,


( Read more... )

Amaryllis (belladonna)

My obsession with root words & classical allusion continues through the simple but significant gift of a flower and a journey and an observational lesson in growth & change.


( Read more... )

So ends another Ps&Gs sermon series with new questions raised, challenges set and pledges made as we set our feet & faces to seek God's way with all of our selves. To keep track for myself of new things discovered & key verses...
(& here, particularly indebted to Dr. Chris Mackel & the excellent studies written for HG);

- Beginning to read from ( Read more... )

Philippians 1 & 2

Philippians 3:

relationship over ritual

Context - the challenges ('those dogs'):
Gnoticism: a separation of spirit & matter; sin could be dealt with through improved knowledge. Combatted by reference to the centrality of Christ in Creation & in God's redemptive plan.
Judaisers: Orthodox Jews professing themselves to be ( Read more... )

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
  and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

... Endure hardship as discipline...  God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant ( Read more... )