J John
The power of quiet, steady, unspectacular ministry for God
Many Christian heroes made a difference to the world by travelling it; Charles Simeon made a difference by staying in the same place ministering for fifty-four years.
The black minister behind a famous revival that transcended race and class
News of what was happening at Azusa Street spread both by word-of-mouth and through the press â who were not just critical of the 'one-eyed black minister' and the 'fanaticism' but also offended by what were soon remarkably interracial meetings.
Augustine of Hippo: a genius who was prepared to be a servant
St Augustine may be 'the most influential figure in Christianity after St Paul', and for good reason.
John Chrysostom, the 4th century archbishop who fought corruption and helped the poor
Rejecting all attempts to pressure or limit him, the Archbishop of Constantinople attacked extravagance and immorality, and did all he could to deal with corruption within the church.
Harriet Tubman: a woman who did great things for God despite having so little
Harriet Tubman suffered all the brutalities of slavery: starvation, whippings, beatings and a particularly severe head injury that left her with lifelong problems. Yet amid this suffering, she was part of a dynamic church culture that gave her a firm faith in Christ.
Billy Bray: the tin miner evangelist who always rejoiced despite bitter poverty
Life was tough in the mining communities of early nineteenth-century Cornwall and Billy was always a poor man living amid bitter poverty. Yet every mention of him speaks of his extraordinary joy, happiness and cheerfulness. We who live easier, richer lives could benefit from his depth of unshakeable joy.
Josephine Butler's work to free women from the evils of prostitution is as relevant now as it was a century and a half ago
Josephine Butler is little known today despite being one of the most important Englishwomen of the nineteenth century, working tirelessly for decades to rescue prostitutes and prevent women being trafficked into prostitution.
Why William Wilberforce is a hero of the faith
Although William Wilberforce is remembered mainly for leading the battle against slavery, he did an enormous amount of good in many other areas.
Living in times of turmoil, there is something Christians must remember
We have no option but to be involved in this world's affairs, but in all our involvement we must constantly remind ourselves that we are people of the Kingdom of God and we have a loyalty, morality and destiny.
God, Christians and the rainbow
God uses the rainbow to speak of his offer of forgiveness, peace and hope for the world beneath him. So why don't Christians use the symbolism of the rainbow more often?
Don't rush for the exit!
There is a temptation to mentally 'rush for the exit'; to put, without any thought, the whole two months or so finally and completely behind us. Haste can be a dangerous thing and let me suggest four things that we shouldn't forget.
In memory of Ravi Zacharias
I am very grateful that I learned two big things from Ravi.
The recipe for resilience
Any realistic view of existence acknowledges that life is full of events that appear from nowhere then either trip you up, wear you down or knock you over so you end up on the floor counting your bruises. Under such circumstances we need to get up!
What does Easter mean?
The important and unmissable part of the Easter story is that it is not merely about humanity in general; it is about you in particular.
Three words of hope to help you handle self-isolation
It's vital to take charge of the situation and not let the situation take charge of us
What we can learn from Martin Luther about living through this time of coronavirus
Although we find the present COVID-19 pandemic unusual, it's worth remembering that if you look back over history it was a rare generation that didn't have to grapple with such things as the Black Death, plague, cholera or the like.