Category Archives: Ken Noakes

Helpful Patterns!

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The beginning of the year is a helpful time to do a personal stocktake!

Let me try and explain. I suspect, that most of us would find that there is some kind of ‘pattern’ to our week – get up, breakfast, personal devotion, school/uni/work/home duties/appointments…, lunch, afternoon activities, dinner, and then whatever evening things we commit too, before falling into bed – ready to do it all over again!

Of course, this ‘routine’ will vary from person to person and from day to day. The point: we often construct our days and weeks according to ‘patterns’ which, frankly, help us stay sane.

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Sermon – Rejoice In The Lord And Be Glad (Psalm 32)

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‘Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!’ – Psalm 32:11

Sermon ‘Rejoice In The Lord And Be Glad’ (Psalm 32) by Ken Noakes is available in audio and video: http://bit.ly/2gQJCy7

Full Text and Workings for this Talk – Psalm 32

Read the Bible text: http://bit.ly/2hHaSnL

English Support Document PDF: http://bit.ly/2hLLnl7

Happy Thanksgiving

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

(Psalm 100)

Have you ever had one of those ‘flat days’ – you know those days when you just feel blar? (a technical term!!). A day when the idea of ‘worship’ or ‘praise’ seems so removed from your mental space – I have them often.

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Who is wise among you?

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Who is wise among you?

Be careful how you answer – because there are two different kinds of ‘wisdom’. On the one hand there is heavenly wisdom and on the other there is worldly wisdom.

A wise person, should probably examine themselves before they give an answer.Of course a Christian would want to say they were a ‘heavenly wise’ person. Indeed. Would others consider you to be?

James in his letter shows us the difference between these two kinds of wisdom – and helpfully suggests that the way to determine a heavenly wise person is to effectively ask those around them!

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Sermon – James vs Paul (James 2:14-26)

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Sermon on James 2:14-26  ‘James vs Paul’ by Ken Noakes – available to stream or download: http://bit.ly/2cy1cZz.

Read the Bible text: http://bit.ly/2chYc32

Full Text of this Talk and Workings – James 2:14-26

In this talk, the question of whether James and Paul are at odds theologically over what it means to be justified by faith alone or by works is raised. The discussion is large and so the sermon deals with it briefly, but suggests this paper (‘Is James at odds with Paul?’) for further reading if so inclined.

Please note: This is an academic paper, so it is long, at times detailed, and uses technical language (including greek). Further, the paper was written several years ago and since then I have changed my position on the late dating of the letter of James (as you would hear in the sermon, I know think it is dated early). Regardless, it I think is still helpful for an inquiring mind.

English Support Handout – James 2:14-26