Malcolm Cox

Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip wrapping up the 30-part series based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot. I’m not going to attempt a comprehensive summary, but instead offer a charge. Preach Christ John the Baptist heralded the Kingdom, Jesus preached the arrival of the Kingdom, and he sent his followers to do the same. The good news is that the kingdom is here, and all can enter to receive the life of Christ. Make that the core of what you preach. In other words, teach doctrine, but preach Christ. Explain the text and its meaning, but do not make the text the point - instead elevate Jesus. Convey your convictions, but do not let your personal agenda obscure Jesus. Contemplate these statements of the Apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 1.23 - “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” 2 Corinthians 4.5 - “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ s

You can find the show notes as a pdf here: 

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 528 | New Creation Series — Part 20 | “New Creation - New Direction” Part 3 | Malcolm Cox Introduction A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’.  The premise of this series is that God is loving us into spiritual character growth. Jesus is the inspiration for that spiritual character. We are being transformed into his likeness. 2 Corinthians 3.18 “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”How does this happen? A key aspect is following Jesus and living as a disciple. Following Jesus changes us, and those changes help us follow him. Today, some thoughts on learning to follow Jesus. Learn his story Learning Jesus' teachings is helpful and vital. As far as we can tell, he spent more time teaching than anything else. Mark 4.2 “He taught them many things by parables, and

Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  "Good speakers aren't born. They're made. And a congregation can play an enormous role in growing up a perpetual crop of good speakers." 144 Good notice Training and mentoring Further education "The first preachers of the gospel were men without any advanced education. However, they had received training from Jesus or his apostles. And they were a mighty army indeed!" 148 What are your thoughts on the ideas Bercot raises?  Conclusion Next time, we will wrap up the series Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so. Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching. Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life. Contact us here with enquiries: courses@aimukandireland.com   The website can be found here: https://aimukandireland.com   Please add your comments

Introduction  A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’.  The whole premise of this series is that God is loving us into spiritual character growth. The inspiration for that spiritual character is Jesus. We are being transformed into his likeness.  2 Corinthians 3.18 “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”  How does this happen? A key aspect is following Jesus, living as a disciple. Following Jesus changes us, and those changes help us follow him. Today, some thoughts on the cost of not following Jesus.  The Cost of Not Following  For some disciples the cost of not following Jesus was too high. Consider what happened when Jesus made this outrageous statement: John 6.56 - “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” The consequences were dramatic; however, a few had

Teaching Tip 370 | “Plain Speaking - listeners' pet peeves” | Malcolm Cox  Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  "Whether you're someone who preaches regularly or only occasionally, here's some feedback that your listeners would like to tell you but probably never will." 139 Rambling Lack of eye contact Monotone Too many Scriptures Apologising at the start Wishy-washy Weird volume changes Chip on the shoulder Bad habits Grooming What are your thoughts on the points Bercot raises?  Conclusion Next time, we will explore growing good speakers. Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so. Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching. Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life. Contact us here with enquiries: courses@aimukandireland.com   The website can be found here: https://aimukandirelan

Introduction  A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’.  The whole premise of this series is that God is loving us into spiritual character growth. The inspiration for that spiritual character is Jesus. We are being transformed into his likeness.  2 Corinthians 3.18 “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”  How does this happen? A key aspect is following Jesus, living as a disciple. Following Jesus changes us, and those changes help us follow him. Today, some thoughts on the cost of not following Jesus.   Costs and Benefits  Jesus invited people to follow him. Some of those invitations sounded attractive. Can you think of some?  Followers will find life and light, never be thirsty, and become cared-for sheep. Some invitations were challenging. Again, can you think of some? Can you drink

You can find the sermon notes here: https://www.malcolmcox.org/?p=33620 Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Teaching Tip 369 | “Plain Speaking - preaching with power: prophetic preaching” | Malcolm Cox  Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  Bercot emphasises the conversational nature of speaking, but there is a place for the prophetic, by which he means those speakers who convey a sense of dramatic urgency. "Typically, their goal is to convict their hearers of sin and for the need of repentance. They don't want to make their listeners comfortable; they want to make them uncomfortable. They often seek to bring their listeners to a life-changing decision right there and then." 135 Bercot offers the following thoughts. No scowling Prayerfulness Giftedness What are your thoughts on the points Bercot raises?  Conclusion Next time, we will explore listeners' pet peeves. Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so. Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching. Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to

Introduction  A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome back to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, one model that may help us understand how God changes us. In previous episodes we have explored the nature of spiritual growth - that it is both practical and mystical. This week we take a look at a model of spiritual growth put forward by Dallas Willard - something he called, "The golden triangle of spiritual growth". By the way, before we go on, both he and I would be appalled if the model came across as a formula. Centred in the mind of Christ   The mind is our centre. How we think shapes everything. We need to centre in the mind of Christ if we are to see transformation. That way we learn to see things the way Jesus sees them. We learn to see Father God the way he sees him, we learn to see ourselves the way he sees us, and we learn to see other people the way he sees them.  1 Corinthians 2.16  ““For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” Phili

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 525 | New Creation Series — Part 17 | “New Creation - New Change Part 7” | Malcolm Cox Introduction A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, some concluding thoughts on how God changes us. Many of us grapple with: “I want to change, but can I?” The answer is a resounding yes. Not only can you change, but you should also expect it. 1. Dissatisfaction is a sign of grace Think about what is it that you want to change in your spiritual life. How do you feel about it? Are you frustrated you are not 'already there'? Change takes time, often a long time, but the desire to change is a sign that God’s grace is already at work within you. This is a powerful reminder that you're not alone in this journey. 2. Follow the pain One profound piece of advice is to "follow the pain." No one changes until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change. This pain, though uncomfortable, is actually a gift. It’s a catalyst, driving

Teaching Tip 368 | “Plain Speaking - preparing an expository sermon” | Malcolm Cox  Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  Bercot focuses on topical sermons because "they are usually the easiest for beginning speakers". However, he has a helpful chapter on expository sermons. Bercot offers six steps. 1 paragraph Natural divisions Propositions Connections Main theme Illustrations What are your thoughts on the steps Bercot proposes?  Conclusion Next time, we will explore preaching with power. Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so. Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching. Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life. Contact us here with enquiries: courses@aimukandireland.com   The website can be found here: https://aimukandireland.com   Please add your comments on this week's top

Introduction  A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, some more thoughts on how God changes us.  This week we take a look at some practicals of spiritual growth put forward by Richard Foster. His bio can be found here, and many helpful articles here. His book, Celebration of Discipline changed my life.  Foster offers us a list of twelve spiritual disciplines as outlined in the picture below.  Foster's teachings offer a modern take on ancient practices, designed to help us grow closer to God. We'll not unpack the disciplines today (read the book!), but we will explore some key principles.  1. Spiritual Disciplines require self-discipline, but self-discipline is not what changes us  Richard Foster’s approach to spiritual disciplines isn’t about self-discipline. You see, self-discipline can only take us so far. It doesn't have the power to conquer habitual sin or bring about deep, lasting change. For that, we need something more profound – we need inner transfo

Introduction
 A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, the connection between being a new creation and change.  How do we change?
Last week we explored the nature of spiritual growth. That it is empowered by God, aimed at Christlikeness and enabled by Jesus. “[We]…are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NRSV) This week we will take the last point further and look at some key principles of spiritual change. Spiritual growth is: 1. Both practical and mystical Our main avenue for spiritual growth is to walk with Jesus as one of his followers - just like they did when Jesus was on this earth. On one level, simply saying 'yes' to Jesus' offer of friendship is all that is needed. As someone said, ‘Proximity makes disciples’. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that th

Teaching Tip 367 | “Plain Speaking - make your devotionals special” | Malcolm Cox  Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  "A good devotional…should immediately capture your listeners' interest and sharpen their appetite..." Bercot offers the following thoughts. Short A stimulus 1 point 1 illustration Immediate application This recording comes out after I'm will have done something like this at one of our services in Watford. I want to help the congregation - and especially the children - to engage with the theme of the service, which is a special emphasis on the Lord's supper. At the beginning of the service I will be talking about favourite meals and sharing one of mine. I also have an illustration involving a voucher for the "just eat" service. What are your thoughts on the techniques Bercot raises?  Conclusion Next time, we will explore preparing an expository sermon. Has today’s tip been worth two minu

Introduction A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, another model that may help us understand how God changes us. This week we take a look at a model of spiritual growth put forward by James Bryan Smith. By the way, I heartily recommend his book, The Good and Beautiful God. You can also find helpful articles written by him on the Renovare site.  Smith's model is a variation on the model developed by Dallas Willard and Trevor Hudson in previous Quiet Time Coaching episodes.  We will focus on the key difference - 'Adopting the narratives of Jesus'. His key idea is that we have a narrative in our minds about how we are doing spiritually, who God is, how he views us, what he wants from us and how we grow. However, our narratives are not always accurate. Thus, it is critically important we allow the narratives of Jesus to shape our own.  "Our family, cultural and even religious narratives might have their roots in the kingdom of this world. As Christ-followers we

You can find more notes on this lesson here: https://www.malcolmcox.org/who-is-rich-luke-16-19-31-malcolm-cox-09-june-2024/  Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Teaching Tip 366 | “Plain Speaking - Reading Scriptures with Zest” | Malcolm Cox  Introduction Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  "...it's of utmost importance that when you read from the Bible, it enhances your sermon rather than detracts from it." 112 Bercot offers several tips. Five are below. Check your references Read an intelligible translation Repeat the Scripture reference Pause before reading Read with expression. For example, think of how different Matthew 5.3 sounds when we read it with meaning. What are your thoughts on the techniques Bercot raises?  Conclusion Next time, we will speak about the special place for devotionals. Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so. Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching. Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life. Contact us here with enqu

Introduction A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, another model that may help us understand how God changes us. This week we take a look at a model of spiritual growth put forward by Trevor Hudson. His model is a variation on the model developed by Dallas Willard we explored in QTC 521. See a picture of the model here. Hudson's take is very similar to Willard's. We will focus on the key difference - community. However, first a brief comment on what he calls the "Divine friendship with the Trinity". "Redeemed people are redeemed to God and to his community. God is Community, and so are his people. We need to recover a proper appreciation for the Trinitarian doctrine of God, and noting how it affects thinking about community." 'A Particular People -- Toward a faithful and effective Ecclesiology' -- Inagrace T. Dietterich Bear in mind that this model is no formula. In community with individuals Our closest relationships are the litmus test of our growth.