Bøger af Andrew Goldsmith

Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth. Left undetected, ignored, or hidden in plain sight, these still have a destructive capacity, each like an unexploded bomb.Our soul is made to flourish in God's hands, our character is precious and intended to become more like that of Jesus, yet these seven deadly sins can ruin our relationship with others, rob us of joy with God, and diminish our life as a whole. Some deliberate and careful bomb disposal may be very timely.For each of these infamous seven, we can identify their presence in our world, how they impact us, and how they are excused, even. Then with the example and encouragement of the Bible, we look at what God might grow in our character instead: seven virtues.This practical and encouraging book helps expose some hidden dangers and, with God's help, to defuse their deadly potential.Includes discussion questions and Bible study material at the end of each chapter, suitable for personal study or small groups.Provides practical suggestions for dealing with these sins in our lives, and assembles a 'toolkit' to get to work on our growth."Andrew Goldsmith's fascinating analogy of Bomb Disposal and its every day application to the life of Christian discipleship is so powerful. He works with the biblical truth of our human condition, skilfully exposing the 'explosive ordnance' of the seven deadly sins and their opposite virtues. The courage, knowledge and skills of defusing and mitigating the potential damage of these spiritual IED's within a life of discipleship is a game-changer. This book is highly insightful in helping Christians to develop courage to live with authenticity and integrity in today's fast-changing, demanding world."Rev'd Jonathan Woodhouse CB - former Chaplain-General, British Army"Andrew writes from a Pastor's heart and understanding. He confronts the sin but provides a biblical framework and practical support which enables us to live the life of holiness as followers of Christ. This book is about being pastorally equipped to live in a sinful world. I will encourage the Pastors in my care to read Bomb Disposal. It comes with ready-made discussion starters and most importantly of all leaves us in the gracious fellowship of a forgiving God."Major Mark Herbert, Divisional Commander, The Salvation Army"Another valuable resource for local churches, tackling an important issue and with an emphasis throughout upon the grace of God, the title of the final chapter. Ultimately its intention is not simply to transmit knowledge but to effect transformation into the likeness of Christ ... highly recommended to individuals and groups who would benefit greatly from engaging with this stimulating and challenging material."Rev'd Geoffrey Colmer, Regional Minister and Team Leader, Central Baptist Association"It is completely grounded in the Word, offering extremely practical advice to some potentially crippling issues surrounding the seven deadly sins. I like that it has been tailored to appeal to a military audience although this book would be a welcome addition to anyone's library given that it is so relevant for the issues we face in the modern world. It would work in a study group or as a self-study. It really is a bomb disposal handbook for dealing with the seven deadly sins."SAC(T) Josh Marlow, 47 Eng Sqn, RAF

When Jesus said, 'Go and make disciples', he's very clear it's a priority, but it can be hard! Beyond the Sunday gathering, preaching and fellowship, life seems to get in the way at times. This book offers a new, effective tool aimed at equipping and nurturing people in Christian life. It presents a model of small groups - Formation groups. The idea is far from new, arguably it is ancient. Formation groups are small, intentional about discipleship - getting to the honest challenges of growing in Christ in our everyday life - and flexible to accommodate busy lives. This accessible and relevant book brings together the motivation and means to create such groups. There is clear and practical material for Bible study and questions to help us intentionally share aspects of everyday Christian discipleship, including relationships and family; character; money, work and time; godly goals and more. In Formation groups, we can simply encourage one another to apply scripture to our spiritual growth in Christ and to the hopes and concerns we face. We can help one another to be transformed. This practical book can get you started. ... Includes Bible studies on Philippians, Psalms and John's Gospel chapters 13-16. Separate discussion questions on areas of Christian life. The final chapter offers a brief insight into one church's experience of initiating these groups and the encouragement this has been.

Some questions seem like massive obstacles to faith and to exploring Christianity further. How would you answer these: Is there a God?Hasn't science made God irrelevant?How can a good God allow suffering?Isn't Christianity basically just a myth?What is the meaning of life?Big Questions outlines a 5-week course for any church to run, exploring and engaging with some of the biggest questions which our friends, family, colleagues and culture ask.Clearing the way to presenting and hearing the very good news of Jesus Christ is always important. This course encourages and enables the church, bringing all the materials and practical tips together to make Big Questions happen.An accessible, thoughtful introduction to these key questions, to equip the church and engage your community. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'This brilliant outreach resource is a gift to the church. The five talks offer satisfying answers to the questions of our day and present them in an accessible style.' Rev Malcolm Hazell, Union Baptist Church, High Wycombe'Arising from a very encouraging experience of a number of Big Questions events, Andrew Goldsmith has written an accessible, informed and engaging guide to some of the questions that face those exploring and grappling with Christian faith, making a case for Christianity which is 'good, true, reasonable, compelling and attractive'.' Rev Geoffrey Colmer, Regional Minister and Team Leader, Central Baptist Association'Many times as a church leader I was asked how ordinary Christians without a theology degree could learn to answer their friends' questions about suffering, the evidence for God's existence or the interplay between faith and science. At the time it was not immediately obvious to me what resources I should offer them. This book, however, comes now as a very helpful and comprehensive tool for leaders who want to create space for the kind of conversations where both these ordinary Christians and their friends can begin to get to grips with big questions.' Dr Chloe Lynch, Lecturer in Practical Theology, London School of Theology'Seeing as most people in the UK wouldn't venture over the threshold of our church buildings, Big Questions challenges us to go and meet in 3rd spaces to connect people with the very good news of Jesus. This is an excellent resource, tried and tested with careful research from years of practice. Andrew has produced a valuable gift for the church to help us actively connect with people in the UK with the most common questions they are asking.' Rev Chris Duffett, Evangelist, The Light Project'The conflict between science and faith is a common perception within popular culture. Summarizing material from a wide range of sources, Andrew affirms the value of both, helping people to faith to appreciate the value that science brings to our understanding of creation. Whilst not everyone will agree with every point, I commend Andrew for encouraging debate in this important area which I am sure the material will do, helping people to get a bigger understanding of life, faith and the cosmos.' Rev Dr Dave Gregory, Croxley Green Baptist Church. Dave worked previously at the Met Office, European Weather Centre and Hadley Centre on clouds, weather forecasting and climate modelling.'Big Questions is really helpful in engaging with those who would describe themselves as agnostic or atheist in a way that isn't defensive, enabling truth-seeking discussion in a neutral environment. This book is a brilliant overview of how the course runs and the values that drive it. The talks have also been a good starting point for crafting our own, and I hope others find this course as helpful as we have.' Rev Simon Cragg, Christchurch Welwyn Garden City

In 2020 during a time of coronavirus, the people of Ampthill Baptist Church were in lockdown - scattered, not gathered. The church building was closed but the church remained very much alive. One part of our encouragement in our faith in Christ was to share a range of biblical reflections. Each Thought for the Day let the Bible speak into our life, struggles, hopes, experience and faith.These varied items are brought together here, to celebrate God's faithfulness and provide a range of inspirational, thoughtful and creative meditations on God's life-giving and powerful word. The contributions each take a verse or two of the Bible with a Thought for the Day flowing from that, drawn from across the church family. Also included are many stunning full-colour images with Bible verses, created to accompany the weekly written pieces, and reminders of God's promises today.All profits from sales of this book will be split between two Christian charities: Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Open Doors.www.maf-uk.orgMAF's vision is to see 'isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in Christ's name.' They use aviation and technology, because in many places those are the only ways to reach isolated people in need.www.opendoorsuk.orgOpen Doors works in over 60 countries, supplying Bibles, training church leaders, providing practical support and emergency relief, and supporting Christians who suffer for their faith. Over 260 million Christians are persecuted for their faith worldwide. In the UK and Ireland Open Doors works to raise awareness of global persecution, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians.

Corruption is a problem in prisons about which we hear very little, except when there is an escape from custody or other scandal that makes the media. The closed nature of correctional institutions has made the activities that go on within them less visible to the outside world. While some persons might be inclined to dismiss correctional corruption as an issue, this view ignores the scale of criminality and misconduct that can go on in prison and the impact it can have upon not just the good order of the prison or the rights of prisoners but on the prospects for successful reintegration of ex-prisoners into society.This book is the first to examine the phenomenon in any detail or to suggest what might be done to reduce its incidence and the harms that can arise from it. Andrew Goldsmith, Mark Halsey and Andrew Groves argue that it is not enough to tackle corruption alone. Rather there should be a broader attempt to promote what the authors call ¿correctional integrity¿.