Malcolm Cox

6th Commandment: Every Learner is Different so… Differentiate. Introduction Our preaching and teaching will never be perfect. But can we be effective? That’s a noble aim.  “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11) A note from the previous episode  We were very blessed to have Mike Desouza speak for us in Watford on Sunday as a visiting speaker. He finished in enough time that we could have some discussion after his lesson. We took five or maybe 10 minutes to have some sharing from the congregation about points he had made that touched people’s spirits. Point of clarification Unless you are speaking to a small group, you can never know all the differences in your audience. Those differences include cultural, educational and social background, personality, familiarity with Scripture, length of time as a Christian, current circumstances of their work and family life, current sta

At the time of releasing this recording I shall back from my annual spiritual retreat, but on another trip together wit my friend Douglas Jacoby. This is the third of three episodes on the value of taking a spiritual retreat and some tips to make such a retreat as meaningful as possible. Today I will focus on reviewing a spiritual retreat. Review Your Experiences ‘Two weeks after your retreat is over, try writing in your journal about the experience. Perhaps more acutely than on the last day of your retreat, you will be able to sense the ways your retreat has changed you. You will see how a closer relationship to God is at work in your day-to-day life." Griffin, 89 - Look at the diary of your trip. What happened and where? What were those experiences like? You might find looking at photographs helps you to remember. I take quite a lot when I go away. The pictures are helpful visual cues to refresh my memory about the experiences. - If you took a theme scripture with you, review it once again and note how y

Introduction This is probably the deepest class on the topic of unity It is the hardest to teach, it might be the hardest to hear it is tough to teach, because this angle on unity can easily be misunderstood, and I am very conscious of only scratching the surface It is difficult to hear for some because it may trigger memories of ungodly experiences However, submission is spiritually enriching or we would not see Jesus modelling it. We might need to be re-educated as to what submission means, but it is something we do not need to fear. More a devotional than a teaching class With those thoughts in mind, let's take a look into the Scriptures as to the connection between submission and unity Submission to the Father ““My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34 NIV11) “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38 NIV11) “Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, a

5th Commandment: Great learning is more important than great teaching. Introduction Our preaching and teaching will never be perfect. But can we be effective? That’s a noble aim. “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11) Point of clarification Jesus was a master-teacher. His listeners learned, not simply heard what he was teaching. How do we know? We know this because people wrote down what he taught - even though it was delivered in an oral-learning culture. We also know this because lives were transformed. People gained the courage to live his teachings even though it got them beaten up imprisoned and killed. That is some powerful and effective teaching. His audience did not just hear what he said, they were taught, learned and changed. 4 Tips to give you the best possible chance to help your listeners learn 1. Use a variety of teaching styles. Some people seem to react bett

At the time of releasing this recording I shall be on my annual spiritual retreat. This is the second of three episodes on the value of taking a spiritual retreat and some tips to make such a retreat as meaningful as possible. Some of the following ideas come from my experience, and also a book called ‘Wilderness Time: A guide for spiritual retreat’ by Emily Griffin. Today I will focus on planning and enjoying a spiritual retreat. Planning the retreat Pray about taking a spiritual retreat. Don't just assume that by taking a retreat that you will be automatically appropriately spiritually minded on that retreat. Pray to be prepared. Ask God to move in advance to prepare you through your circumstances of life as well as your inner spirit. Discuss how you're going to make this retreat work if it affects anybody else. If you are a parent or somebody with other responsibilities make sure people understand what you're doing and will support you, or at least not get in your way! Pick a date. Give yourself ple

Tuesday Teaching Tip 319 | The Ten Commandments of Effective Teaching and Preaching | Malcolm Cox 4th Commandment: Respect the time Introduction Our preaching and teaching will never be perfect. But can we be effective? That’s a noble aim.  “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11) Point of clarification Jesus spoke briefly on occasion, and at length on others (sermon on the mount; 3 days of teaching leading up to the feeding of the four thousand in Mark 8). Paul spoke for several hours in Acts 20:7. There is no such thing as a universally ideal length for a lesson. It all depends on the context and the skills of the speaker. Some people can be captivating for an hour. Some most certainly cannot. However, a wise speaker will have a sober estimate of their ability to hold an audience’s attention, and a healthy respect for the occasion and what is appropriate.  These tips will

Today's passages are: 1 Peter 3.1-7; Titus 2.1-5; Ephesians 5.21-33; Colossians 3.18-19; Galatians 3.26-29; Romans 16.1-2; Romans 16.7 For the notes, go to this address for the pdf: https://www.malcolmcox.org/men-and-women-in-christ-1-peter-37-and-other-scriptures-malcolm-cox/ Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

This time next week I shall be on my annual spiritual retreat. I'm going back to the same place I went for last two years. A tiny cabin in the woods in the county of Hampshire in the south of England. This is the first of three episodes on the value of taking a spiritual retreat and some tips to make such a retreat as meaningful as possible. Some of the following ideas come from my experience, and also a book called ‘Wilderness Time: A guide for spiritual retreat’ by Emily Griffin. Today I will focus on what a spiritual retreat is, and some reasons to take one. Firstly, it should be said that not everyone can take extended time away like I can. I will be away for three nights. The significance of taking a retreat is not about the length, but about creating space to listen to God. Even if you can only take a morning, an afternoon or one day for this spiritual practice it will be valuable. God can make a lot out of a little, can't he? A spiritual retreat is a deliberate move into the wilderness and away fr

Introduction - Healthy unity depends on two things — truthfulness and grace in Christian relationships. An overemphasis on truth leads to a culture of judgment. An overemphasis on grace leads to a culture of sentimentalism. - Jesus came ‘…full of grace and truth.‘ John 1:14. Our congregations will be healthily unified if we imitate him and develop a culture of truth-speaking and grace-giving. - - - Truth-Speaking “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;” (Zechariah 8:16 NIV11) - A vision of a healthy future for God’s people post-exile “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV11) “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25 NIV11) - Has truth-telling been a problem in the Ephesian church?  Matthew 18:15–20 - What is the goal?

Introduction Our preaching and teaching will never be perfect. But can we be effective? That’s a noble aim. “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11) Point of clarification These tips are not about becoming an entertainer or performer. They are aids to help your hearers pay attention, focus, understand, absorb and apply God’s truth. 5 Tips 1. Answer the question, “Why should they listen to me?” for yourself. Connect your listeners to that point at the start 2. Vary pace, tone, pitch - let your emotions affect your voice as you would in a conversation 3. Get into Scripture early in the lesson 4. Use stories, preferably about real people, and yourself (mostly self-deprecating, but not self-indulgent). 5. Talk about Jesus I would like to know what you think of these ‘commandments’ and tips. What is missing? Which ones interest you the most? Conclusion Next week: 4th Commandmen

Introduction  Studying Anna for a sermon led me to some unexpected insights about her devotional life. It inspired me to put a multi-episode series together.    The Text   “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36–38 NIV11)  How can we sum up Anna’s relationship with God?  Anna recognised Jesus as Messiah and it delighted her.   Mary the mother of Jesus was the first person to have the good news announced to her. Simeon recognises Jesus as the Messiah he was promised to see. But Anna is the first person to understand fully and proclaim the good news — and she is a woman. God chose the unexpected to see an

A sermon for the Watford church of Christ Dr Douglas Jacoby was our visiting speaker. He helped us explore the story of Ruth - and unlocked some deeper meanings most may have missed.  Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before

2nd Commandment: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevent Poor Performance. Introduction Our preaching and teaching will never be perfect. But can we be effective? That’s a noble aim.  “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11) Point of conviction Preparation does not begin the moment you are asked to speak, given a preaching assignment or teaching opportunity. It starts as we carefully, deliberately, consistently study the Scriptures day by day by day. Regular study prepares us to teach a text because we are better able to put it into context with the rest of God’s Word. How was Peter able to stand up and preach the first ‘Christian’ sermon in Acts 2 blending together his experiences of Jesus, prophecy from Joel and Psalms into a message that resulted in the baptism into Christ of at least 3,000 people? In part it was because of the 3 years of instruction by Jesus, including the

Introduction Studying Anna for a sermon led me to some unexpected insights about her devotional life. It inspired me to put a multi-episode series together. The Text “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36–38 NIV11) What do we learn about Anna’s relationship with God? Her personal times of worship led to a natural enthusiasm to tell others about the works of God. Anna is in tune with God. There's something about her devotion to him which puts her in the right place at the right time to notice what God is doing. Luke tells us that, ‘at that very moment’ she approached the family of Jesus. It seems that

This is a very Thames Valley specific class series, but the principles will apply elsewhere. Nothing is broken, but that does not mean we should not strengthen what we have because greater strain is coming in the future. When unity is unattended to, it does become weaker. These classes will discuss attitudes and actions that can strengthen our unity. If you have not listened to the sermon from a recent Sunday I suggest you do so. Today's class is focussed on building unity between our groups. The pdf with notes and scripture references can be found here: https://www.malcolmcox.org/complete-unity-class-2-how-churches-are-unified-with-one-another/  Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How G

1. Lydia, 16.13-15, 40 A. Lydia’s Background Geography - Lydia’s origins Murex 10,000 snails = 1.4g dye 1 piece of clothing Restricted who and where could be worn Philippian river B. What do we know about Lydia? 16.13-15, 40 C. Why is Lydia named? Only one in Acts 16 Phil 4.2-3: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” ‘Rather should the words of the Torah be burned than entrusted to a woman. Whoever teaches his daughter the Torah is like one who teaches her lasciviousness.’ First century Rabbi, Eliezer Philippian church -- Female Foundation Paul not disappointed he did not find a man - did not see it as a lesser option Book of Philippians indicates a thriving congregation exists and was not harmed by female foundation and leadership Female Leadership - Ho

Introduction We all wish to be like Paul and Barnabas:  “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11) This series aims to help us in our effectiveness. Today we tackle the first ‘commandment’. Know thy content, backward and forward, for your students’ respect and attention begins here. Before we progress to the practicals, it is important to grasp two points Mastering content is not the same as mastering a topic. The reality is that none of us ever know everything it is possible to know about a subject. But, you can master the content of your lesson.  Your ‘content’ is a combination of what you want your listeners to interact with — the facts and information you feel will be helpful to them and to which you hope they will react — and the material that you hope will aid their interaction with that information (illustrations, stories etc). As an example, in Acts 2 Peter’s speech

Introduction Studying Anna for a sermon led me to some unexpected insights about her devotional life. It inspired me to put a multi-episode series together. The Text “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36–38 NIV11) What do we learn about Anna’s relationship with God? Her disciplined devotion to God enabled her to recognise when He was a work. Notice that Anna approaches Jesus and his parents. They are not presented to her. She goes to them. Simeon had been told to expect something special, “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved

Introduction Do you ever wonder if your teaching is effective? Do you sometimes sense your preaching might not have the impact you had hoped? If so, you are like 99% of the speakers I know. The other 1% are deluded.  “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11)While it is not healthy to be paranoid about our effectiveness, nor can we  ever measure it empirically, there is a place for considering whether we have set ourselves and our listeners up for success. How to be ‘effective’ — not just skilled or accurate — is what we will explore in the next 10 episodes of these teaching tips. The Plan Our material is based on something my friend, and excellent teacher, Rob Payne sent me. His adapted ‘10 commandments of effective teaching are based on an article from Douglas Jacoby’s site. You can find the original here: https://www.douglasjacoby.com/the-ten-commandments-of-teaching-by-bria

In the latest of our teaching classes on tricky passages about men and women, we explored 1 Timothy 2 verses 8 to 15. A PDF of my notes is available on the website. Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm