Malcolm Cox

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) Point of clarification I vividly remember my wife telling me after church one day, “I don’t like it when you shout”. At the time I argued the point claiming that I was not shouting, simply excited. On reflection (and listening to the tape - yes, it was that long ago), I had to agree with her. What in my ears was ‘enthusiasm’ was in her ears shouting. I was confusing volume with enthusiasm. The two are not the same. There is a place for shouting — “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you, I whom you have delivered.” (Psalm 71:23 NIV11) — but it is rarely in preaching. Public speaking is a conversation more than

The more I study the Bible in detail, the more I realise I need a better handle on the big picture.  As I mentioned in last week’s episode, several things have come together recently to help me make the decision to read the entire Bible in 12 months. The two sources of inspiration for this decision are my good friend Douglas Jacoby who has been doing this for years, and the fact that studying texts in detail has required me to look at the rest of the Bible's teaching on the topics raised there.    Is this something you might consider? If you would like further motivations for reading the Bible in 12 months, here are some given to me by chat GPT! See what you make of these…    1. Spiritual Growth: Engaging with the Bible regularly allows individuals to deepen their spiritual understanding and connection with their faith. It provides insights into the core beliefs and teachings of their religious tradition.      2. Comprehensive Understanding: Reading the entire Bible in 12 months ensures that you cover both

A sermon for the Watford church of Christ. 1. Huldah, vv14-20 A. What was an Old Testament prophet? QUESTION: Definition? A ‘covenant enforcer’ B. One of a few female prophets The others: Miriam, Deborah, and Isaiah’s wife (Exod 15:20; Judg 4:4; 2 Kgs 22:14; Isa 8:3). No sense this wrong No sense should be a man Contemporaries: Jeremiah; Nahum; Zephaniah; Habakkuk C. Knew the Bible Knew the book - even though lost Knew it was Scripture Knew how to interpret into her time 2. Josiah, vv8-13; 23:1ff A. Strikes against him Evil grandfather and father - 2 Kings 21:6; 21:20-22 Tragic family - 2 Kings 21:23-24 Evil societal religious culture - 2 Kings 23:6, 7, 10, Evil leadership culture - 8/4 His elders and betters had got it wrong Not a victim B. Spiritual Integrity Enquire of the best person - even if not conventional. Wants to know how much authority this book has Wants to know what it means for him C. Renews covenant & Passover 23:1-3, 21-23, 25 Urgent, thorough, self-motivated, brave Consequence

7th Commandment: They won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. 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) Point of clarification A church leader once contacted me asking for advice. They had someone in the congregation who was a good student of the Bible and an able presenter. He liked to preach and teach. He taught accurately and with conviction. However, the congregation did not warm to his speaking. The problem as it was explained to me was that this person turned up late to meetings, did not engage with the fellowship, and was not connected relationally to the rest of the congregation. Those he spoke to did not sense he cared. I won’t make

You have found a teaching class for the Thames Valley churches of Christ. This week we take one of Douglas Jacoby's lessons and add some questions to facilitate personal and group reflection on the message of the wonderful little book of Philemon. 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

The more I study the Bible in detail, the more I realise I need a better handle on the big picture.  Several things have come together recently to help me make a big decision. What is that decision? To read the entire Bible in 12 months. This is part one of a two-parter on the topic.  Perhaps this decision does not seem such a big deal to you. Indeed, many years of my Christian life I have read the entire Old and New Testaments within 365 days. But I haven't done that for some time. Why? Partly because it got stale. Partly because I found myself needing to study Scripture in more detail. The amount of time involved focusing on a book of the Bible or a topic seemed to get in the way of more voluminous reading. Of course, detailed study and extensive reading or not necessarily mutually exclusive. However, my perspective has changed. Why? For two primary reasons. The first is spending more time around my good friend, Douglas Jacoby. He has read through the entire Bible almost every year of his Christian life.

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