Showing results by author "Tim Chester" in All Categories

Many of us often think how wonderful it must have been to experience Jesus’ physical presence as he walked on earth, without realizing that we can experience the joy of his presence and companionship here and now. In Enjoying Jesus, Tim Chester looks at how Jesus acted and interacted with people in Luke’s Gospel. But he doesn’t leave it there. He looks at how Jesus relates to us in the same way now, by his Spirit. Listeners will be helped to understand how they can enjoy a close relationship with Jesus in their everyday lives.

This collection of eighty theologically rich and beautifully written prayers and meditations, adapted from Puritan prayers and prose, will enrich and deepen your prayer life. While retaining the dignity and beauty of the original language, Tim Chester has updated key words and phrases, making the book accessible to modern listeners. Each prayer combines beautiful words with profound truths. Listen during personal devotions or use to lead rich and deep corporate prayers to give weight and majesty to gathered times of worship.

If Christ is our Lord, then we are his servants, and if he is our teacher, then we are his pupils. Following Christ is a multi-faceted responsibility. We should remember: Every true disciple is a listener. We are both rational and emotional. We can discern God's call and will. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit, a core ingredient of discipleship.

Christianity is not a religion, but God's good news for the world. This implies that it has both a divine origin and a human relevance: it comes from God and it speaks to our condition. So, before we ask, 'What is the gospel?', we need to ask, 'What is a human being?' Radical indeed is the discipleship which takes all of this and Christ's lordship seriously. It's nothing short of a life-changing message.

We have a God-given responsibility to infiltrate the world, listening to the world's challenges, but also to bring our own challenge to the world by sharing the good news by word and deed. We look at four aspects of mission: The uniqueness of Jesus, the chief foundation of Christian mission. The nature of God himself, and mission coming from his heart. Mission in word, but also in works. A clear and fresh vision of Christ. We look at the model, the costliness, the mandate, the motivation and the urgency of the mission to which we are called.

Tim Chester invites a new generation to experience the Christian life as John Stott envisioned it - not simply a theological puzzle to be solved, but the daily practice of humble service and compassion found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We believe in God, we serve God, we trust God, but would we say that we enjoy God on a day to day basis? What exactly does a personal relationship with God look like, and how is it even possible? This seminal work by Tim Chester shows us how we can enjoy God in every moment of every day, whether we are experiencing good times or hard times; whether we are changing diapers, or stuck on a train. He explores how the Father, the Son and the Spirit relate to us in our day-to-day lives, and how to respond.

Numerous books set out to help Christian parents in the challenging mission of raising their children well - so what's different about this one? Well, the answer's in the title! It's not about how the gospel fits into Christian family life, but how family life should fit into the gospel - God's greatest purpose for this universe, achieved in Christ.

This study guide on Christian marriage focuses on how the Gospel shapes the practical realities of everyday life. Author Tim Chester lifts the lid on many of the common pressure points that modern couples face and shows how a proper understanding of the Gospel can shape a response.

Lots of extraordinary stuff happens in the Bible. People walk on water. People touch handkerchiefs and are healed. People disappear into the sky. Did these really happen? What was their purpose? And do miracles happen today? In this warm and accessible book, Tim Chester looks at the Bible’s view of the existence and purpose of miracles and gives a careful and balanced view on whether healings and other miraculous things happen today. It will help Christians to explore these questions and others regarding miracles, signs, and wonders, and know how to pray.

Meals have always been important across societies and cultures, a time for friends and families to come together. An important part of relationships, meals are vital to our social health. Author Tim Chester sums it up: "Food connects." Chester argues that meals are also deeply theological - an important part of Christian fellowship and mission. He observes that the book of Luke is full of stories of Jesus at meals. These accounts lay out biblical principles. Chester notes, "The meals of Jesus represent something bigger."

In this audiobook, Tim Chester makes a compelling case that God has given us truth we can touch for a reason: the sacraments embody the promises, grace, and presence of Christ. He looks throughout the Bible to explain how the sacraments are intended to actually shape Christians' lives by giving us physical bread, wine, and water we can point to as an expression of our union with Christ. The aim is to help listeners treasure baptism and Communion and approach them rightly so churches can receive the full benefit God intends them to physically bring us.

Many people find it easy to understand about God and Jesus,but struggle to understand quite how and where the Holy Spirit fits in to the picture. Who exactly is he? And how does he work in our lives? These short, simple books are designed to help Christians understand what God has said about these questions and many more in the Bible. Suitable for all Christians - especially those who are struggling with questions about who the Holy Spirit is.

“Here is rock: all else is sand,” was J.C. Ryle’s description of the Bible in the 18th century. Whether the challenge has been tradition or reason, or experience in more recent times, the Scriptures are still supreme today, God-breathed, reliable and trumping all other authorities. Yet the supremacy of Scripture is not some dictate imposed by a faceless despot. Far from it! Scripture’s words are those of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his people.

Should we wait for a personal word from the Lord, perhaps delivered by some mysterious process? Does God have anything to say about the daily matters that concern His people? Can the Bible be involved in helping us understand the will of God for our lives, considering that it was written when so much that is familiar to us was not dreamt of yet? The dangers of personal decision and guidance without considering our relationship with others, particularly the believing community, are raised. Tim Chester addresses the issues and provides clear, thoughtful biblical answers.

The church lies at the center of God's purpose. Christ gave himself 'to purify for himself a people that are his own'. But when we think about church, there's the tension between the ideal and the reality. The former is beautiful: God's special treasure, the covenant community, a haven of love and peace. The latter? A motley rabble needing constant rebuke and exhortation. Here we focus on the ideal, on what God intends his church to be, while all the time keeping in view the reality, so that we can grasp the changes that need to be made.

Scripture has brought us light in darkness, strength in weakness, comfort in sadness. It isn't difficult to endorse the Psalmist's experience that the words of God are 'more precious than gold... sweeter than honey'. So it's distressing to watch the Bible being dislodged from its position of authority, not only in our nation but also in the church. Here we focus on the urgent need to continue in, respond to, interpret and expound God's Word.

Marvel at Jesus’ glory with these daily reflections on the transfiguration. This devotional looks at the transfiguration of Jesus in depth, giving listeners a glorious lens through which to view Jesus during Lent and Easter. As we see Jesus in all his glory, we will be reminded of how marvelous he is and how brilliant our future with him will be. We will be moved to worship Jesus with our whole lives, giving thanks for all that he is and all that he has done.