Author: ed

Both our passages of Scripture this week (John 15:1-8 and Romans 11:11-24) are based on horticultural metaphors. I’m not much of a gardener myself, but both of them are really helpful for showing us the dependent nature of the Christian

Romans 9-11 are probably the trickiest and most mysterious chapters in Paul’s letter. In the space of just 3 ½ pages of our pew Bibles, Paul expresses his intense sorrow that most of his contemporary countrymen rejected Jesus, then plumbs

This week’s passage opens by asking an excellent question. If justification comes purely as a free gift and our good works don’t contribute to it, why can’t we just sin as much as we want? After all, if God is

Here in the UK, the fourth Sunday in Lent is traditionally a time to remember – and give thanks for – mothers. Scripture teaches us to honour our mothers and to remember how much their care and provision shapes our

Some of the most iconic moments in cinema history involve an unexpected plot twist. Done well, it can be the making of a film. Apparently, the Empire Strikes Back’s “No, Luke, I am your father!” was such a closely guarded

Most of us have household objects that we use for something different to the thing they were made for. Perhaps it’s a straightened-out paper clip we use to press hard to reach buttons, or a book that’s acting as a

Sometimes, when we look at the state of the world, or think about something that’s going on in our community, we find ourselves asking “Why on earth doesn’t God do something?” It’s a question that’s asked many times, by many

Last week, in Isaiah 55, we saw that God is making an open invitation to come and find satisfaction in him. This week, God addresses two groups who may have been tempted to think that this invitation doesn’t apply to

Last week, in Isaiah 55, we saw that God is making an open invitation to come and find satisfaction in him. This week, God addresses two groups who may have been tempted to think that this invitation doesn’t apply to

If there’s one thing that comes across loud and clear in our reading today, it’s that Jesus’ mother is blessed. At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel had already said she was ‘highly favoured’ (Luke 1:28). Today, Elizabeth, inspired by the