"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." - VoltairE

Showing Tag: "jesus" (Show all posts)

Picture This Thought - Champagne [Celebration and fun]

Posted by Anne Witton on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, In : Video 
A reflection on how we sometimes take ourselves too seriously and there is plenty of joy and celebration at the heart of the Christian faith. We talk about the joyful times that Jesus has with his disciples and little children and that he had an attractive character rather than being a sombre moralist. And we reflect on the ultimate celebration that all Christians are looking forward to.


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How much do we want God?

Posted by Anne Witton on Friday, August 26, 2022, In : Reflections 


Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12: 1 – 2a

I want to have a richly satisfying, intimate relationship with God but at times I haven’t been prepared to put any effort in. I know that I’m saved by grace and that I’m sustained by grace alone and ...

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Adultery and lust - Matthew 5: 27 - 30

Posted by Anne Witton on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, In : Talks 
As part of our Sermon on the Mount series at church, I gave a short talk on Jesus' teaching about adultery and lust from Matthew 5: 27 - 30.



Talk outline:

  1. The problem of the heart

    “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

    (a) The Bible doesn’t say that sex is bad

    (b) Jesus is talking about all forms of sexual immorality

  2. Our heart condition is serious

    “...

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He must become greater; I must become less

Posted by Anne Witton on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, In : Reflections 


Lockdown is hard and many of us are struggling to feel good about ourselves. As we are all cut off from community and being driven online we need to guard against getting our value from Facebook likes, emojis, and cheap uplifting sentiment shared online. Instead we need to look to God for our worth and value. We are made in the image of the divine creator and that fundamentally shapes our identity and tells us who we are and why we matter.

But that’s not the end of the matter. There is a dan...

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Picture This Thought - Microphone [Spreading news - Easter special]

Posted by Anne Witton on Monday, April 20, 2020, In : Video 
A reflection on how the good news of Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection spread in the early church and how we can take up the challenge of Jesus’ Great Commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.




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Palm Sunday sermon: Matthew 21: 1 - 11

Posted by Anne Witton on Sunday, April 5, 2020, In : Talks 
This sermon was originally part of Durham Road Baptist's online service on 5 April 2020.

If you want to explore more about who Jesus is, the Bethinking website is great.

Find a church near you on the Evangelical Alliance church finder page.



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Stations of the cross - 15 video meditations

Posted by Anne Witton on Saturday, April 4, 2020, In : Video 
In preparation for Easter, our church has produced 15 short video meditations centred round the stations of the cross. Each short video features a Bible reading, reflection and song to help us focus on Jesus' journey to the cross.

I hope these bless you in your own faith, and please feel free to share with others.


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Picture This Thought - Robin [Transformation]

Posted by Anne Witton on Monday, November 25, 2019, In : Video 
Becoming a Christian involves radical transformation as we become more like Christ. How can our lives look distinctive as God transforms out beliefs, thoughts, character and behaviour?


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Picture This Thought - Poppy [Remembrance]

Posted by Anne Witton on Sunday, November 10, 2019, In : Video 
A reflection on the importance of remembrance and the significance of the Lord’s Supper in reminding us of the ultimate sacrifice to bring us life, freedom from oppression and liberty from evil.

Psalm 77: 11 - 12

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.’

Luke 22: 19

And [Jesus] took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for y...

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Isn’t it all about rule-keeping?

Posted by Anne Witton on Thursday, January 17, 2019, In : Reflections 


This is a question I’ve been asked a number of times recently when it comes to my Christian faith. It is a common perception that Christianity is about trying to be good by following a set of rules so that you will earn a reward and avoid a punishment. Many people see Christianity as a reward-based religion, but in fact nothing could be further from the gospel of grace. All other religions have essentially the same basis - that humans try hard to 'be good' or obey commands and then maybe if...

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Retreat Guide 2019 - The Sermon on the Mount

Posted by Anne Witton on Friday, December 14, 2018, In : Resources 


The Agapé New Year Retreat Guide 2019 is now available for you to use and share. It goes through the Sermon on the Mount over five days, reflecting on these radical words of Jesus to inspire us for the next year of following him. It includes biblical contemplations and reflection to help get the year off to a good start. Each session takes about 30 mins, but there are options for further exploration if you choose.

Get your free 2019 retreat guide here (PDF download)


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The Kindness Instinct

Posted by Anne Witton on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, In : Reflections 


When something annoying happens, what response comes instinctively to you? I often find that I start the day with the right intentions to be godly in everything I do and then someone cuts me up in the car, or I get stuck behind a slow pedestrian or behind a pensioner trying to pay by cheque in a shop and immediately the grump is unleashed. I’m often ashamed of the first word that pops into my head when I bash my shins on the bath.

The truth is that my instinctive and impulsive responses are ...

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Giving what is most precious: Lessons from a young boy and his Easter egg

Posted by Anne Witton on Thursday, March 29, 2018, In : Reflections 


When I was younger, my family and I were often on holiday over Easter. Mum and I had a tradition that we’d always go to the Easter service at the local church, which I really enjoyed.

One Easter, we were on holiday somewhere in Wales and I was sitting in the pew next to a young boy and his mother. As is traditional at many churches on Easter day, all the children were to be given a chocolate egg at the end of the service. The little boy next to me clearly knew about this custom and was eager...

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Doesn’t religion treat women terribly?

Posted by Anne Witton on Tuesday, May 23, 2017, In : Apologetics 


One of the many reasons that I love Jesus is his radical approach to women. At a time when women were treated as possessions and had virtually no voice in public life, Jesus unequivocally saw women as equal in worth and value to men.

Luke 7: 36 - 50 records the account of Jesus eating at a Pharisee's house when a prostitute weeps over his feet, kisses them and pours perfume on them in an intimate gesture of devotion. It's hard to describe how shocked and horrified the Pharisee (an up...


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Lessons

Posted by Anne Witton on Monday, August 31, 2015, In : Reflections 
Today I wanted to share with you a lovely poem written by my friend Lindsay Reid from her collection 'Certain Joy':

Lessons

I saw in Him a light that was unfading,
I saw in Him such power that demons fled,
I saw in Him a truth beyond all knowledge - 
Oh teach me Lord, I said.
He bent and poured some water in a basin,
Washed His disciples' feet. They don't deserve
Such treatment Lord! I told Him but He answered
First you must learn to serve.

I saw in Him a future shining brightly,
I heard in Him a voice ...
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God's Big Story in 10 videos

Posted by Anne Witton on Thursday, July 23, 2015, In : Resources 
My colleague Duncan has been working on an exciting project to help tell the gospel story through a series of 4min videos, all shot with the gorgeous backdrop of Newcastle and the surrounding area.

God's Big Story gives an overview of the story of the Bible in 10 parts and helps us to reflect on our own life in light of it. The videos take us through Creation, Fall, Patriarchs, Exodus, Kingdom, Exile, Messiah, Church, Judgement and New Creation.

There is an accompanying handout with the script,...
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Why Ben Folds made me cry (And other reflections on emotion)

Posted by Anne Witton on Thursday, July 2, 2015, In : Reflections 



I’m quite an emotional person and find that there’s something cathartic about a good cry. And I don’t just cry when I’m upset. I sometimes cry when I’m angry or frustrated, or every when I’m bowled over by joy.

I went to see Ben Folds performing with the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage last year and it was so jaw-droppingly sublime that I found tears of happiness rolling down my cheeks. I felt alive!

When I became a Christian, it was drummed into me that feelings may or may not foll...


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Open to ridicule? [Move magazine feature]

Posted by Anne Witton on Thursday, April 23, 2015, In : Move magazine 
If you're an Agapé supporter, you will hopefully have received the latest edition of Move magazine full of fascinating articles, ministry updates and prayer points. The article to catch my eye this time was written by my friend Joel who is on staff in Birmingham. Here he challenges us to be open to ridicule for our faith:



Two thousand years ago Jesus and his message were frequently ridiculed. Today if Jesus is mocked should Christians protest and demand respect or grin and bear it, or neither...

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