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Writing
    Not in Vain: 1 Corinthians Devotional
    Explore Lamentations
    eBook: Good News People
    eBook: Filtered Grace
    Gospel Coalition Articles
    Church Society Articles
    Threads Articles
    Explore Ecclesiastes
    Explore Galatians
    Evangelicals Now Articles
Book Reviews
Interviews
Join Us
  • Writing
    • Not in Vain: 1 Corinthians Devotional
    • Explore Lamentations
    • eBook: Good News People
    • eBook: Filtered Grace
    • Gospel Coalition Articles
    • Church Society Articles
    • Threads Articles
    • Explore Ecclesiastes
    • Explore Galatians
    • Evangelicals Now Articles
  • Book Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Join Us
That Happy Certainty - Gospel | Culture | Planting
Refill

The Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Weekend (22/4/18)

Seven up…

1) What is the Biggest Problem Facing Evangelicalism? Comfort. – This piece, by Stephen Kneale – who lives and ministers in Oldham – has been causing a stir all week on the internet. Are we gripped by the idol of comfort? Anecdotes abound about ministry jobs in the south-west of the UK getting vast numbers of applications compared to few, if any, in the north…

2) Stephen Lawrence’s father says he forgives his son’s killers – Encouraging to see the impact of the Christian faith on a tragic case, especially striking given the way its shadow of racial injustice has hung over the UK for the last twenty-five years.

3) Reading deeply – Tim Chester with some helpful questions to ask as we read the Bible and apply it deeply.

4) Your church’s Annual Meeting – essential Do’s and Don’t’s – A week late for me, but one to log for next year!

5) Songs from Word Alive 2018 – Olly Knight shares the different songs his band led during the congregational singing at the evening Celebrations at the Word Alive conference/holiday week this April.

6) 15 Things Seminary Teaches Me that My Busy Pastor(ate) Can’t – In response to the trend to minimise residential theological education for trainee pastors and ministers – and in specific response to a recent book, 15 Things Seminary Couldn’t Teach Me, this is a helpful – and encouraging – balance. Nearly three years since leaving theological college at Oak Hill, I’d give this a hearty ‘Amen’.

7) Listen to the Sick Beats of Rhubarb Growing in the Dark – For something a bit different, this is glorious…

 

On the Blog this Week:

Addict? (Christian Comment 21/4/18)

From the Archives:

The Difference between Wounds and Scars

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April 22, 2018by Robin Ham
Refill

The Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Weekend (15/4/18)

No Refill last week due to holiday. Lots of refilling needed.

Anyway, back with you now and here’s seven up.

1) Free Audiobook: ReSet by David Murray – I plugged Christian Audio’s free book of the month back in January. Now we’re in April and it’s well worth downloading. ReSet is about carving out a ‘grace-paced life in a burnout culture’. Really practical, holistic and there’s something about being read to in a mature Scottish accent. Did I mention it’s free? More accompanying resources here.

2) How to Plant a Church, Not a Service – This is a long-form article, but if y0u’re involved in church-planting – or any ministry, really – it’s a really valuable read. It takes down the ‘church-planting-is-sexy-myth’ pretty quick, and it’s big on realism, people and the steady plod. In other words, authentic ministry.

3) Reading is fundamental – to the family’s happiness – Not from a Christian perspective, but it certainly fits. Read to your kids. Even when they can read for themselves, read to your kids.

4) Unanswered Prayers Are Invitations from God – “Prayer has all the idiosyncrasies of a relationship because it is the way we relate to God.”

5) ‘Satanism became my life’ – Meet the devil worshipper turned ‘hipster’ vicar – Fascinating to see this autobiographical article on the BBC. You can also watch a five-minute film of Ben getting a tattoo to signify becoming a Christian and sharing his story here.

6) The Whole in our Holiness – The huge Together For the Gospel conference happened in Kentucky in the US this week. If you listen to one talk, then apparently this is the one to tune into. Ligon Duncan showcases the power of the gospel and challenges us to stop neglecting the call to social justice or loving our neighbour.

7) Get Paid to Watch Netflix – For something a bit different: “One-hour stand-up specials go by pretty quickly, but I’ve also been assigned a 60-hour Colombian crime drama about Pablo Escobar’s hitman…”

From the Archives:

What comes out first? or ‘Why what we say about others’ faults probably says more about our own’

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April 15, 2018by Robin Ham
Refill

The Easter Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Easter (1/4/18)

Sunday’s here and the tomb is empty.

He’s up, so heads up. And here’s seven up…

1) A Song: Jerusalem by City Alight – We’re playing this at Grace Church Barrow on Sunday. I love the way this track narrates the Easter story and goes forward to the end of history, capturing the wonder of it all: “See the King who made the sun / And the moon and shining stars / Let the soldiers hold and nail Him down / So that He could save them.” Some notes on playing it here. You can find the lyrics here and the chords here.

2) A Video: Glen Scrivener’s Divine Comedy, Human Tragedy – If you haven’t seen this yet, it’s a must. “What is life, what kind of tale? Comedy or tragic fail?” Some really impressive stop-motion to go with Glen’s creative gospelicious word-smithery.

3) An Album: Resurrection Letters, Volume 1 by Andrew Peterson – I linked to AP a few weeks ago, but now that his full Easter-themed album is out, I’m gonna have to point you in his direction and suggest you melt down all your Easter eggs, sell the pure chocolate off and spend your takings on this.

4) A Church Service: Highfields Cardiff on BBC Radio – If for whatever reason you’re unable to get to a church service this Easter Sunday, then why not listen to BBC Radio Wales’ recording of Easter from Highfields Church in Cardiff with Dave Gobbett. (Of course, you’re still allowed to listen even if you have been to church – it’s just 30 minutes!)

5) A Playlist: Easter Weekend (compiled by Music Ministry UK) – If you’ve got Spotify, then the lovely people at Music Ministry UK have compiled the perfect playlist for today. Happy listening!

6) An Article: It’s Time to Reckon with Celebrity Power – At Easter we see that Jesus’ way was the path of weakness and self-denial. This is a really important and timely piece – perhaps save it away for tomorrow’s holiday – as Andy Crouch reflects on the way in which the church has become awash with celebrity power and suggests some changes: “Celebrity combines the old distance of power with what seems like its exact opposite—extraordinary intimacy, or at least a bewitching simulation of intimacy.”

7) Another Few Videos: An Unexpected Letter – A couple of years old, but I’d not seen this before. Likewise, Lee Strobel has put together this little video looking at the evidence for the resurrection.

If You Missed It…

23+ Easter Videos for 2018

 

Divine Comedy by Glen Scrivener – A Review

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April 1, 2018by Robin Ham
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About Me

 

Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and ministry. I’m based in Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, England, where I serve a church family called St Paul’s Barrow, recently merged together from two existing churches, St Paul’s Church and Grace Church Barrow.

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“If we could be fully persuaded that we are in the good grace of God, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the Spirit of Christ, that we are the beloved children of God, we would be ever so happy and grateful to God. But because we often fear and doubt we cannot come to that happy certainty.”
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