This is where my faith-based podcasts come in. I was first introduced to some preachers from around the world when I first started getting into God properly and haven’t stopped listening since.

I have dabbled with a number of different speakers over the years but below are the ones I listen to regularly and try and keep up to date with:

Andy Stanley (North Point Community Church)

http://www.northpoint.org/messages

Andy Stanley (along with the brilliant Louie Giglio) was the first preacher I listened to from another church. He heads up one of the largest churches in America and is a very gifted speaker. He is in his 40s and is very down to Earth in the way he speaks. I find the topics he covers excellent for new Christians and even though he is usually quite light on the doctrine I still find his talks excellent to listen to.

John Piper (Desiring God)

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/

I would describe John Piper as being at the opposite end of the spectrum to Andy Stanley. I first came across him when when I was still new to the Christian world and found him to be a little heavy and hard to listen to. Coming back to him years later I find him amazing. He seems to know so much about God and the bible and this shows in his very comprehensive messages. He is currently preaching his way through the book of John and has been for well over a year now. Full of doctrine and a definite pick for anyone that wants to learn more about their bible and God.

Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church)

http://www.marshillchurch.org/

Where would a list of preachers be without Mark Driscoll. A man who is still very young for a preacher in his late 30s he has an approach to God and the bible that just rubs off on any of his listeners. He is the only person I know who can bring humour and deep conviction to a message with ease. He is very tough and holds nothing back in his messages but talks with such love that you can’t help but be gripped. He has recently started a series with the aim to preach through every chapter of the book of Luke in 3 years. A stunning speaker and highly recommended to everyone.

Matt Chandler (The Village Church)

http://www.thevillagechurch.net/

I have only been listening to Matt Chandler for a little while and found him to be a very good speaker in the Mark Driscoll mould. Sadly, late last year, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and understandingly hasn’t been speaking for a while. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and young family.

Mark Thornett, Nigel Howarth and Colin Thornton (Gateway Church Swindon)

http://gatewaychurchswindon.org.uk/audio/

And how can I complete a list of preaches without mentioning my own church? While I don’t listen to the online recording often as I usually listen to it first-hand I do recommend it to anyone in the Swindon area if they are interested in finding a local church or just getting an idea of what our church is like.

View the entire series

“”Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” – John 3:26-30

In the ESV version that last sentence is translated as “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The reason behind this statement is so amazing and so challenging to all of us.

John the Baptist has gone ahead of Jesus and had been baptizing in His name for a while before Jesus started His ministry. During this time John had gathered himself a collection of his own disciples. However, as the truth of who Jesus was started to become known people started to leave John and followed Jesus instead.

Imagine this. One day you are working hard for God and people from all around are following you and looking up to you. Then they all start to leave to follow someone else and you are left with nobody.

The natural impulse in this situation is to feel negative and bitter and either resent the people for leaving or be envious of the man they have chosen to follow instead.

However, these people left to follow Jesus. The messiah. The lamb of God. The Christ.

John knew what he was on the Earth for. It was to prepare the way and then hand over the limelight to the son of God. This he did with great joy and gladness.

He knew that he must decrease in order for Jesus to increase.

This is the challenge for all of us Christians: How can we decrease ourselves more and more so that Jesus can be increased? Where are we being looked up by other Christians where we need to give the glory to Jesus.

It is so easy to take pride from leading a good Christian life and having people admire you for it. But it is not us that people are called to follow; it is Christ.

We do you need to humbly decrease so that Jesus can be joyfully increased? I can think of plenty of places for me!

This was loosly based on yet another John Piper talk. Listen/read the whole thing here

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15

Whenever I had read this verse in the past I had always glossed over the fact that Jesus compares himself to a snake. The snake in the bible is most famously used to portray Satan in the garden of Eden. This does not make the snake a good animal to compare yourself to.

So why does Jesus compare himself to a snake in this scripture?

First let’s understand which snake he is referring to:

“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” – Numbers 21:4-9

This is the snake Jesus is referring to and as soon as I read this passage my heart lept. This snake that Moses put on a pole was put there so that all who look upon it will be healed. Sound familiar?

Everytime Jesus talks about being “lifted up” he is referring to his death and resurrection (see also John 8:28 and John 12:32). So what he is alluding to is when Jesus is crucifed and dies for us, anyone who believes in him and “sees” him for who he truely is will be saved. Just like those that look at the snake will be healed.

I find parallels in the bible like this absolutely amazing. It always increases my faith when I see Jesus alluding to old testament passages which actually talk all about him. It’s amazing that if you read the old testament in light of Jesus it is revealed to say so much more. God is amazing!

This post was based on a talk by John Piper. To listen/read the whole talk visit desiringgod.com

“This is where I get the image that prayer is a wartime walkie-talkie, not a domestic intercom. It exists for advancing the mission, not for calling the butler to turn up the thermostat. Not that God is opposed to practical, nitty-gritty daily prayers. He simply wants all of them to relate to the mission of your life—that his name be glorified, that people live for fruitful ministry” – John Piper

I heard this tonight while listening to a preach by John Piper.  It really made me stop and think: Do I use prayer for selfish things in my life or are my prayers all about God and the advancement of His kingdom?

It’s so important not to fall into the trap of me, me, me prayers and to remember that it’s all about Jesus. We are to pray everything in His name and to only pray for things that will glorify the father.

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:13-14

His preach then led into three practical teachings about prayer:

1. Set aside a set time each day, and don’t leave prayer to chance.
2. Combine prayer with reading the Bible and take what you find in the Bible and turn it into prayer.
3. Pray in concentric circles and make the aim of each circle the glory of God.

This third suggestion is my favourite but needs a little more explanation:

“You can work from outside in, or from inside out. For example, pray for your own soul, then for your family, then for your friends and colleagues, then for your church, then for wider ministries and the global mission of Christ, and then for the political leaders of the land.” – John Piper

If you want to listen/watch the full message from John Piper or read a transcript of the preach you can find it on desiringgod.org