Malcolm Cox

“Kingdom Come” podcast, episode 1   Would you like to know more about the heart of Jesus? If so, you’ve come to the right place.     Welcome to the “Kingdom Come” podcast of the Thames Valley churches of Christ. For two months we are diving deep into the “Sermon on the Mount”, found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.   These podcasts are designed to help us take these amazing words ...

Reflection on 2019 A short bit of script this week - the details are in the podcast. Are you taking time to reflect on the lessons God has taught you this year? I heartily recommend you do so. This was my task on Friday. The podcast contains more information about how I conducted this review. I hope my podcasts and other materials this week will help you to reflect on what God has been teaching...

As of the time of recording the new year is almost upon us. Do you have a big hope for the corporate worship in the year ahead? Whilst we cannot predict the ways in which God made refine us, teach us and shape us in our leading of corporate worship in 2020, there’s no harm in settling on at least one main hope for the future 12 months. As someone once said, “If you aim as nothing you are sure t...

As of the time of recording the new year is almost upon us. Do you have a big hope for your times of quiet with God in the year ahead? Whilst we cannot predict the ways in which God may refine us, teach us and shape us in our relationship with him in 2020, there’s no harm in settling on at least one main hope for the future 12 months. As someone once said, “If you aim as nothing you are sure to...

This year God has used you in your teaching and preaching. Other people have been blessed by what you have shared. But, what has God taught you about teaching and preaching? It’s important from time to time to pause and reflect. Moses reminded the people of Israel that they must not forget what God had taught them: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the thi...

Welcome to loveI love a warm welcome, don't you? I saw the sign above on Monday when I went to pray in a new place - Phillipshill Wood in Chorleywood. It was part of my preparation before popping off to  Rootz (https://www.facebook.com/RootzCafe/) Café to finish writing the last of the sermon on the Mount class series. I would have enjoyed my walk in the woods without the sign, but it added som...

This year God has used you in your leading of corporate worship. Other people have been blessed by the way you have served. But, what has God taught you about leading corporate worship?  It’s important from time to time to pause and reflect. Moses reminded the people of Israel that they must not forget what God had taught them: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not f...

It’s important from time to time to pause and reflect. Moses reminded the people of Israel that they must not forget what God had taught them: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV11) God knew ...

Last night I finished reading a booklet by Nicky Gumbel. A paragraph moved my spirit and I thought I’d share it with you today.  We don’t have so much of the teaching focus today as an inspirational focus. It is vital we remember how precious this book is that we speak and preach from. Here below is a quote from the booklet: “About 16 years ago I was on holiday with my family in Central Asia, p...

We know our entire lives are an act of worship and a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-3). But is our corporate worship meant to be a sacrifice?  Today I'm bringing you some thoughts inspired by the book “for the audience of one” by my Mike Pilavachi. In the book he references 2 Chronicles 7:1-6 and the extraordinary corporate worship experience at the dedication of the temple. As Mike writes, “Thi...

Learning to be familyPenny and I and our son Fred made a quick trip down to Bristol last weekend. We went to see our daughter Lydia and her husband in their new home. It was our first time seeing them together in their own place. What a joy! "Thank you" to Lydia and Bintesh for welcoming us and putting us up in such style. We were also very blessed to spend time with his brother, Ketul, and his...

Today I bring you a reflection on renewing our inner world based on chapter 9 of the book “Unloading the Overload: Stress management for Christians” by Chris Powell and Graham Barker. Do you ever feel overloaded? Are you feeling it right now? Is it having a positive or negative effect on your times of quiet with God? Let's look today at how renewing our inner world can make all the difference. ...

I’m reading “Preaching and Preachers” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. In the second chapter he makes the claim that part of preaching’s effectiveness is its unique role as a shared learning experience. He attacks the misguided notion that individual learning can replace corporate learning. Let’s examine this topic today. He writes: “Cannot all you want to be done equally well by reading - reading boo...

Inspired by the beauty around me As you probably know I'm preparing a teaching and preaching series on the Sermon on the Mount for the Thames Valley churches of Christ (http://www.tvcoc.org) in the first two months of 2020. Getting the lessons written to a good standard and on time is the biggest challenge I'm facing right now. Of course, it's also the greatest privilege!  The plan has been to ...

Are you familiar with Dave Eastman’s work at Life Changing Worship (https://www.lifechangingworship.com/) ? There’s some really helpful material there including some video teaching on the word ‘halal'. I dowloaded a video on the Hebrew word “Halal” and used it to introduce our corporate worship this last Sunday in the Thames Valley churches of Christ. Then we song two songs connected with that ...

In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12.  We're trying to figure out what each beatitude means for us practically and how that affects our relationship with God, and in particular, our times of quiet with God. The reason this is on my mind is because I am preparing a teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley churches of Christ (http://www.tvcoc.org...

I’m reading “Preaching and Preachers” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. In the second chapter he makes the claim that preaching’s aim is to replace ignorance with knowledge. How does that fit with your view of preaching’s purpose? I include teaching with preaching in this regard. Let’s examine this topic today. It’s undoubtedly the case that humankind’s preeminent problem is ignorance. Ignorance of our...

Applying the Bible to real life I've had a rough week of health. A throat infection and stomach bug. Hence a shorter newsletter today. If you've been a subscriber for a while you will know I'm studying the Sermon on the Mount in depth in preparation for a teaching series next year and a teaching day in February.  The following passage was my focus earlier in the week: “So in everything, do to o...

“Let’s lead worship in such a way as to edify the church.” Have you heard that phrase, or something similar? Sounds noble. It’s got a nice Biblical ring to it. But what does it mean? And how does it inform the way we lead corporate worship? Let’s have a look today at what it means to lead worship to edify the church. First, what does the word mean? The Greek word translated ‘edification' is, “o...

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10–12 NIV11) What does it mean that p...

The 'sermunion’ has become more and more popular. In case you are unfamiliar with the phenomenon, it involves combining the sermon and communion. Most commonly ending with a prayer before taking bread and wine. I would guess that we do something like this once a month or so in the Watford Church of Christ. The topic came up in conversation last week with my friend, Rudie and I thought it would ...

 “Should Christians be involved in Politics?”  SCRIPTURES  (1 Timothy 2:1–8 NIV11) (Romans 13:1–5 NIV11) (Luke 20:21–26 NIV11) (Titus 3:1–2 NIV11) (1 Peter 2:12–17 NIV11) (Matthew 28:18 NIV11) (Colossians 2:9–10 NIV11)  Discussion  “Christians should be involved in politics” “Christians should not be involved in politics”  Politicians of christian faith  William Wilberforce:  “Never, never will...

When to cut and run Not long ago it rained heavily during the night.  I went out for my morning prayer walk as usual. The ground was sodden. I decided to take one of my less commonly used routes through the conservation area on my way back to the house. I like it because it's particularly quiet. It's rare to come across another human being. However, I was aware that it often floods after heavy ...

I visited an old friend, Harry Hardy, last week. It was great to catch up over a cup of tea. It had been too long! I came away with several blessings. Sweet fellowship, personal encouragement and a boot load of books. Harry was clearing out. One of those books has the title, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God”, by Andy Ritchie Jr.  On pages 4 and 5 of the first chapter (“What is worship?") th...

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NIV11) What does it mean that peacemakers are children of God? And how is this connected to the kingdom of heaven? In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12.  We're trying to figure out what each beatitude means for us practically and how that affects our relationship with God...

This week I read an article in Premier Christianity magazine with the title, “The case against Sermon-centric Sundays”.  To quote from the subtitle, “Skye Jethani explains why digital technology is disrupting our 500 year old emphasis on lengthy Sunday sermons”. Skye reviews the way in which technology has historically influenced communicating the gospel. Scrolls became codices which became pri...

The value of inspirational locations I'm developing a teaching series on the Sermon on the Mount. It's awesome. Exciting. And overwhelming! My procrastinatory tendencies have been heightened by the enormity of the task. A task, I might add, that I set myself!  Fortunately I have a friend. She (Karen) helped me reconnect with a similar past task successfully completed. A key component of that su...

I have been thinking about this year's carol services for the Thames Valley churches of Christ and the Watford Church of Christ for several months. However, I sat down to write out a draft order of service more recently. I’ll share with you what we are doing this year (you can access the TV service here, and the Watford service here), but I'd like to know what ideas you have. Our format is base...

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NIV11) What does it mean that the pure hearted will see God? And how is this connected to the kingdom of heaven? In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:5:3-12.  We're trying to figure out what each beatitude means for us practically and how that affects our relationship with God, and in particu...

I am continuing to receive very helpful feedback from the three-part series I taught recently for the Thames Valley churches of Christ. Here is a second excerpt from an email I received from Celia Forbes of our sister congregation in Birmingham: "2) Why do I speak? I speak to help people to find strength in God (Romans 1:11; 1 Samuel 23:16). I appreciate that we absolutely need close relationsh...

“The Most Important Memory” Luke 22.14-23 Introduction Why do we remember events?  Why did God give us a memory? Assertion: To enable us to create a better future A better future depends on a healthily remembered past Question: What methods did God use to help his people remember the right things in the OT?  Question: What methods did God use to help his people remember the right things in the ...

Where did the time go? On Thursday this week we went out for a Chinese meal to celebrate my son's 30th birthday. It prompted all the usual clichés such as "where did the time go?" As you can imagine, my post on Facebook regarding the birthday garnered many comments. Some flattering, some scary and some rather cute. "Thank you" for all of them. Our son doesn't like cake (I know - how does he cop...

Do you ever encounter the following situation? The worship team are ready, the lead worshipper asks the congregation to move to their seats and prepare to sing, the song begins, people in the congregation continue to chat and we don’t have full participation until the third verse, or even the second song. What’s your reaction as a leader of worship? Frustration? Confusion? Even anger? Or perhap...

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7 NIV11) What does it mean that the merciful will be shown mercy? And how is this connected to the kingdom of heaven? In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:5:3-12.  We're trying to figure out what each beatitude means for us practically and how that affects our relationship with God, and in pa...

I am continuing to receive very helpful feedback from the three-part series I taught recently for the Thames Valley churches of Christ. Here is an excerpt from an email I received from Celia Forbes of our sister congregation in Birmingham: Good morning Malcolm, Thank you so much for your inspiring and truly thought-provoking lesson. I'm deeply impacted by the idea that God prefers to speak thro...

The tale of two cathedrals Penny and I took a few days away in the north-east of England this last week. We were visiting her aunt and uncle as well as getting a few days away to ourselves near the quaint town of Filey. Having been away there's a lot to catch up on, so forgive the short newsletter this week. What I will say however is that I had the blessing of praying in two different kinds of...

In the first chapter of his book “Sing!”, Keith Getty argues persuasively that we are designed by God to sing. The quality is not the issue, nor the competency. If we can speak, we can sing. Both forms of sound are simply airwaves moving over vocal chords. He lays out several good reasons for all Christians to sing congregationally (regardless of musical talent), but I won’t go over those now. ...

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 NIV11) What does it mean that hungry people will be filled? And how is this connected to the kingdom of heaven? In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:5:3-12.  We're trying to figure out what each beatitude means for us practically and how that affects our relation...

“They Spoke So Effectively” Acts 14.1 Class 3: “How to speak” Delivery; dealing with nerves; use of A/V; voice; style QUESTION: “What are the most challenging aspects of presentation?” Personal  Nerves  Exodus 4.10-12 “I’m e…………” instead of, “I’m frightened” God is with you: Acts 18.9-10 Unworthiness: Isaiah 6.5-9 Practical Voice Notes Impact Personal sharing Audiovisual Titles Practicals God-f...

Salt and lightThe more I study the Sermon on the Mount, and especially the Beatitudes, the more it's changing the way I view my responsibilities as a Christ-follower. The quote above from the book "Fearfully and Wonderfully" by Philip Yancey and Dr Paul Brand, reminds me of the way God works. He does not come to us in a way which compromises choice. He speaks through people more than he speaks ...

What’s one of the tell-tale signs a worship leader has understood their role? It’s revealed by which of these two questions they ask themselves at the end of church service: Question one: “How did I sing today?” Question two: “How did the congregation sing today?" While the first question has its place (especially if you saw people wincing!), the second question is more relevant and, in fact, m...

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5 NIV11) What does it mean that meek people will inherit the earth? And how is this connected to the kingdom of heaven? The blessing is paradoxical.  The proud, boastful and pushy seem to inherit the earth in our experience. In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12.  We're trying to figure ou...

“They Spoke So Effectively”, Acts 14.1 Class 2: “What to speak about” How to pick a passage/topic; text or topic; lesson planning tips. QUESTION: “How do we know what to speak about?”  Intersection of:  C………………  C………………  1. Text Different types: Word Verse Passage Narrative Exegesis / Eisegesis  What …….it mean? What …….it mean?  2. Topic  Biographical Doctrinal Lesson planning tips Templates Q...

“The Excitement of Bewilderment with God”, Acts 16:6-10  How might bewilderment be necessary and helpful? 1. God closes and opens doors A. Negative information B. Positive information Discussion: “Have you ever had a ‘strange’ experience of God opening or closing a door?”  What did you learn from it? 2. How to respond with faith “How did Paul and his companions respond to God opening and closin...

The podcast version of this week's newsletter In celebration of the future A slightly shorter note this week since I'm in a season of more frequent teaching, preaching and preparation. The future is unknown. We don't even know if we will have tomorrow (James 4:14). But that doesn't mean we can't look forward to the future with joy. Someone said, and I'm sure I'm paraphrasing with errors here, "...

Last week the title of the Sunday Sample was, “The worship leader is pastor and prophet (https://www.malcolmcox.org/the-worship-leader-is-pastor-and-prophet/) ”.  We discussed the way in which we viewed our role. Musician? Worship organiser? Worship leader? How about Pastor (Shepherd)? How about prophet? I was really pleased to see a comment on this broadcast from my old friend Reeta. Truly thi...

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4 NIV11) What does it mean that mourners will be comforted? And how is this connected to the kingdom of heaven? In this series we are immersing ourselves in the beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12.  We're trying to figure out what each beatitude means for us practically and how that affects our relationship with God, and in particula...

As mentioned last week, I started a new series for the Thames Valley churches of Christ on “effective speaking”. Our first class, last Friday, was focused on the topic of why we preach. At the beginning of the class I asked the group for reasons why they think we preach or speak in church? Here are some of their comments:  “To lead the spiritual atmosphere of the meeting”; “passing on the messa...

“They Spoke So Effectively” Acts 14.1 Class I: “Why we speak” Our motivation, aims, purpose in speaking. The activity of God in speaking. Find a God-inspired motivation and you will find something to say, and the motivation to say it. Introduction QUESTION: “Why do we speak in congregational gatherings?”  Biblical ‘speaking’ QUESTION: “What are some of the ways God ‘spoke’ to humankind in scrip...

Courageous Humility “Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled...