Small is beautiful?

I've been loving listening to 'Dinosaurs will die' by NOFX recently.  Great band.  Great song.  Thoughtful lyrics too about the music industry.

The punk in me loves bucking trends and leapfrogging right over the organised system of things, especially when they're driven by money.  'Underground', 'small', 'personal', 'real', 'honest' - these are all words that appeal to me and I think for good reason but is small always good?  I admit I have a bias towards narrow appeal but what if there was something big that was good - even better than anything or anyone else?

As well as being a punk, I'm a Christian and that means (to start with) that I believe in God - the one who's bigger than any of us and better too.  I believe he's the ultimate and that we can know him personally and live for him and expect big things to happen.  Big but not big because of money or commercial success - just big because it's God and he does things big.

So what's this about?  I'm not sure.  Maybe that I shouldn't always be instinctively against things just because they're big and organised.  We should be more discerning than that.  Maybe when God has anything to do with anything, big budgets might be a part of it and maybe even commercial 'success'?  Who knows?  One thing's for sure though, only the best good things will survive when everything else dies out.  Dinosaurs will die and in the meantime, I'll try not to be so skeptical.

Mark blog

  1. Intro - The action is go!
  2. Mark 1:1-8 - Big plans, big news
  3. Mark 1:9-20 - Drop what you're doing
  4. Mark 1:21-45 - The mission kicks off
  5. Mark 2:1-12 - Forgiving sin and proving it
  6. Mark 2:13-17 - Sick and stuck
  7. Mark 2:18-22 - Not so fast
  8. Mark 2:22-3:6 - Troublemaker
  9. Mark 3:7-12 - Pulling a crowd
  10. Mark 3:13-19 - Choosy
  11. Mark 3:20-34 - Forget about it
  12. Mark 4:1-20 - What does it take?
  13. Mark 4:21-25 - Show time!
  14. Mark 4:26-34 - Seeds  
  15. Mark 4:35-41 - Quite a storm!
  16. Mark 5:1-20 - Not about pigs  
  17. Mark 5:21-43 - Touch
  18. Mark 6:1-6 - Prophet or loss?  
  19. Mark 6:6-13 - Over to you!
  20. Mark 6:14-29 - Herod's guilt
  21. Mark 6:30-44 - Feeding 5000   
  22. Mark 6:45-56 - Walking on water
  23. Mark 7:1-23 - Religion sucks!  
  24. Mark 7:24-30 - To the dogs
  25. Mark 7:31-37 - Ephphatha!  
  26. Mark 8:1-21 - Miracle meal and missing the point
  27. Mark 8:22-30 - Opening eyes physically and spiritually  
  28. Mark 8:31-38 - Cross words
  29. Mark 9:1-13 - A rare glimpse!  
  30. Mark 9:14-29 - Prayer power
  31. Mark 9:30-37 - True greatness  
  32. Mark 9:38-42 - Starting where people are
  33. Mark 9:43-50 - Cut it off!  
  34. Mark 10:1-12 - Promises, promises
  35. Mark 10:13-31 - Childlike or richlike?  
  36. Mark 10:32-34 - Monumental predictions!
  37. Mark 10:35-45 - The power of serving  
  38. Mark 10:46-52 - Seeing things
  39. Mark 11:1-11 - Donkey  
  40. Mark 11:12-26 - Angry like Jesus
  41. Mark 11:27-33 - Questioning authority  
  42. Mark 12:1-12 - In for the kill
  43. Mark 12:13-17 - Right on the money!  
  44. Mark 12:18-27 - Resurrection and marriage
  45. Mark 12:28-34 - Love God, love others  
  46. Mark 12:35-44 - Looking carefully
  47. Mark 13 - The end of the world  
  48. Mark 14:1-11 - Anointing and betrayal
  49. Mark 14:12-26 - The new Passover  
  50. Mark 14:27-31 - Known failure
  51. Mark 14:32-42 - Suffering for suffering  
  52. Mark 14:43-52 - Jesus is arrested
  53. Mark 14:53-72 - Unfair trials and bitter tears  
  54. Mark 15:1-20 - And justice for all
  55. Mark 15:21-32 - Crucified and mocked
  56. Mark 15:33-47 - Jesus: dead and buried  
  57. Mark 16 - Jesus is alive!
Back to Bible book blogs

Micah blog

  1. Micah 1-4 (idolatry, injustice and ideals)
  2. Micah 5-7 (brutality, humility and hope)
Back to Bible book blogs

Ecclesiastes blog

  1. Intro 
  2. Ecclesiastes 1 (meaningless) 
  3. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (satisfaction)
  4. Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 (wisdom)
  5. Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 (work)
  6. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (time)
  7. Ecclesiastes 3:9-22 (legacy)
  8. Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 (solidarity)
  9. Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 (political leadership)
  10. Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (awesome silence)
  11. Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 (contentment)
  12. Ecclesiastes 6 (struggle)
  13. Ecclesiastes 7:1-5 (choices)
  14. Ecclesiastes 7:6-12 (practical wisdom)
  15. Ecclesiastes 7:13-18 (a mixed bag)
  16. Ecclesiastes 7:19-29 (schemes)
  17. Ecclesiastes 8:1-8 (authority)
  18. Ecclesiastes 8:9-17 (justice)
  19. Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 (death)
  20. Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 (up-side down)
  21. Ecclesiastes 10:1-4 (stay calm)
  22. Ecclesiastes 10:5-11 (risk)
  23. Ecclesiastes 10:12-15 (words)
  24. Ecclesiastes 10:16-20 (laziness)
  25. Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (invest)
  26. Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 (youth)
  27. Ecclesiastes 12 (now and forever)
Back to Bible book blogs

Q&A blogs

Here's where we've done question and answer sessions and I've blogged my answers (most recent first), hoping they might be helpful.

HEALTH WARNING: Please don't take my word for anything.  I'm trying to get my best thoughts from God's words in the Bible, which is why I point to parts of it in my answers.  I strongly recommend studying the Bible to see what God says.  Also, I'm learning!  The careful reader will notice my views have shifted on some things over the years that this blog has been running.  I've left everything in because it shows something of the journey I've been on.  That said, I hope my answers will help you on your journey too! :)

If you can't find your question, you can message me.
Also check out these video clips and discussion questions.

Jun 2019 at St Peter's School
Answers from youth leaders on suffering, God, the Bible, sex, doubts, Jesus, becoming a Christian, relationship with God, love, hell, the Holy Spirit.

Jan 2018 Weymouth Family Church
Fine without God, healing, disasters, reading the Bible, evangelism, western church, prayer, discipleship, injustice, purpose, colour, making a difference, other faiths, atheism, trinity.

Jan 2018 Youth Club at Cornerstone
Reasons for believing, creation, LGBTQ, suffering, Jesus, the end of the world

Jan 2018 Mega Club at Cornerstone
Jesus, God, creation, healing, etc.

Jan 2018 Our Citygate Community Group
Healing, hearing God, homelessness, giving, poverty, eldership, Revelation, love, children, animals, baptism, tattoos and piercings, divorce, inequality, God's sovereignty

Nov 2015 Off The Wall at Belmont
Forgiveness, following Jesus, science, eternity, Christians, jokes, the Bible, drinking, divorce, war, God's existence, doubts, intervention, denomonations

2014 Off The Wall at Belmont
Natural disasters, suicide, poverty, punishment, chickens, relationships, sex, homosexuality, assurance, forgiveness, church, heaven.
   
Feb 2012 Soul Cafe/Jam Club
Favourites, unanswered prayer, love, the Bible, childbirth, sexism, Jaffa Cakes, God, The Big Bang, high school, wars, natural disasters, religion, languages, self.
 
Nov 2011 ECCU
Guidance, healing, angels, Israel, killing, war, abortion, forgiveness, losing faith, living dangerously, alcohol, suffering, prayer, violent video games, OT adultery, sex, 'good lies', Bible burning, favourite Bible verses, unborn children, sexism, sharing scripture, OT/NT contradictions.

Mar 2011 The Big Question at Kings School, Ottery
Is religion good for society?  Should same sex couples be allowed to adopt?  Does prison work?  Should fertility be left to nature?

Aug 2010 DCYC
Drugs, sex, love, abortion, homosexuality, heaven, the Bible, other religions, TV, politics, prayer, personal vision, partying, temptation, God's gender

Jul 2009 Off The wall at Belmont
Suffering, abortion, unforgivable sin, suicide, self-harm, drinking, going out with a non-Christian, fashion, Jesus, God's plans and our free will, Satan, doubts, romance, finding God, family, church, dreams, creationism and evolution, etc

More

Uncover by UCCF 
Lots of videos of qualified experts answering 7 of the biggest questions people have about Jesus.

One Minute Apologist
Another Christian answering questions in short video form.

Reasonable Faith
Christian and Philosopher - William Lane Craig's site.  Stodgy articles for the scholarly AND some snappy videos for simpler people like me!

Bible book blogs

Here's some books of the Bible I've blogged my way though, trying to helpfully unpack and apply to our lives today...

 Home

Tutor group blogs

Brief blogs with videos, discussion questions and prayers for tutor groups or other small groups.
  1. 58
  2. Bungee
  3. Carlsberg
  4. Christian 
  5. Facebook
  6. Firework
  7. Is this it?
  8. Lecrae  
  9. Make it stop
  10. Outdoors
  11. Questions
  12. Refugee
  13. Religion
  14. Story from North America
  15. Thou shat not  
  16. Transient Global Amnesia
  17. Broken
  18. Gospel
  19. Penn
  20. Head
  21. Skater
  22. Mez
  23. Anywhere but here
  24. God
  25. Sex
  26. Mind Control Fungus
  27. Saw
  28. Jessica
  29. Porn
  30. Symmetry
  31. Moments
  32. Man cold
  33. Nail
  34. Teachers
  35. Ready to fall
  36. Friendship