Tag: teaching

Starving for God’s Truth (Amos 8:11) 

A blank Bible on a lectern indicating a famine of God‘s word 

In Amos 8:11, the prophet delivers a stark warning from God: “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.’” This Old Testament passage describes a divine judgement where God withholds His word as punishment for persistent disobedience. In our modern day, surrounded by unprecedented access to Scripture, this warning remains profoundly relevant, exposing a spiritual famine amidst apparent abundance.

In ancient Israel, God’s word through prophets was a lifeline, guiding the nation in covenant faithfulness. When the people embraced idolatry and injustice, God’s response was sometimes silence—a withdrawal of His voice. Amos 8:12 elaborates, stating that people would “stagger from sea to sea… searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it” (NIV). This spiritual famine was a deliberate act of judgement, leaving the nation desolate. Similarly, Hosea 4:6 declares, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests.” Here, God links spiritual ignorance to rejecting His truth, a precursor to the famine Amos foretells.

Today, such a famine seems unlikely. Smartphones and tablets provide instant access to countless Bible translations, sermons, and commentaries. A quick search yields devotionals, theological podcasts, and Christian blogs (including this one ). Yet, Amos’s warning persists. Despite this digital abundance, many churches fail to proclaim the full counsel of God’s word. Some prioritise uplifting messages over the call to repentance and faith in Christ. Others dilute the gospel, avoiding the reality of sin or the truth that “there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This selective preaching creates a modern famine—not of Scripture’s availability, but of its faithful proclamation.

Consider the state of many churches. Is the gospel preached clearly, pointing to Christ’s atoning work and the need for repentance? Too often, sermons focus on self-help or cultural trends, neglecting the transformative power of God’s word. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that Scripture is “living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword,” yet its edge is blunted when churches sidestep its harder truths. This echoes the judgement of Amos 8:11: God’s word is present, but its clarity and authority are withheld from those who refuse to heed it. Isaiah 55:2 questions, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy?”—a challenge to those chasing spiritual substitutes over God’s truth.

This famine manifests in congregations unaware of biblical doctrines or unprepared to confront sin. It appears where the gospel is reduced to moralism, leaving souls hungry for the true “bread of life” (John 6:35). As believers, we must seek churches that faithfully proclaim God’s word in its entirety, urging repentance and pointing to Christ. We must also examine our hearts, ensuring we don’t contribute to this famine by ignoring Scripture’s call to holiness.

Amos 8:11 challenges us to hunger for God’s word, not merely its accessibility but its faithful preaching. Let’s pray for churches to boldly declare the full counsel of God, lest we wander in a self-inflicted famine, searching for truth we’ve chosen to ignore.

New Book Announcement! From Doubt to Disciples 

I am very excited to announce the publication of my second book! From Doubt to Disciples: Unlocking the Great Commission is now available on Kindle e-book and paperback from Amazon. 

A photograph of the book cover for From Doubt to Disciples: Unlocking the Great Commission by Andy Brown 

I began writing this little book a number of years ago, based on a series I had written on the blog about the Great commission. While the manuscript was mostly complete, it sat untouched for awhile… I like to think it was maturing! I was very pleased to complete the final edit and get it published this week!

With huge thanks to Andy B of the Berry Bunch and Pure 24/7 Radio, who kindly wrote the foreward for this book.

The book takes a deep dive into the words of the Great Commission which Jesus left us. the commission goes far beyond simply telling others about Jesus, although that is clearly a part of it.

To find out more, I guess you’ll have to read it…

From Doubt to Disciples on Amazon

Here is the blurb from the back cover:

Jesus’ final instructions weren’t just a suggestion – they were a commission. This book delves deep into the Great Commission as revealed in Matthew and Mark, culminating in the vital understanding from Acts: don’t go it alone. Explore the call to make disciples, baptise, and teach, and grasp the essential role of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling this monumental task. Discover how to move forward prayerfully and powerfully, playing your part in God’s enduring mission to the ends of the earth.

If you read and enjoy it, please do recommend to a friend or leave a review.

Finally, a massive thank you to everybody who follows this blog-sporadic as it is-and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for all that he has done for us. 

Just as He said He would – Andy Brown

On this Resurrection Sunday, I share the message I gave at last year’s sunrise service at our church.

He is risen! Just as he said he would! Praise the living God! 

Happy Easter! It was my privilege to share for a few minutes this morning at our early morning sunrise service on this Resurrection Sunday. I share below a recording of the message which I hope you enjoy. May you be eternally blessed this Easter weekend! A message from Andy on Easter Sunday morningA message from…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/04/17/just-as-he-said-he-would/

Teach the Truth (Titus 1:1)

This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. 3 And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.

Titus 1:1-3 NLT
A teacher in a classroom

Let’s see if we can complete verse one today… to catch up on previous posts, have a look at – A Slave of God and Sent One.

We have seen that Paul introduces himself as both a slave of God and an apostle, who has been sent to proclaim faith to the chosen people of God. His mission goes beyond proclamation however, and also involves teaching.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of #God and an apostle of #Jesus #Christ. I have been sent to proclaim #faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. Titus 1:1 NLT #Bible

Part of Paul’s ministry was to teach people the truth about God, and to show them how to live godly lives. If we teach in any form, then this should be our ambition also.

Teaching the truth should be obvious, and yet we see countless examples of those who would teach something else entirely. Teaching falsehood can happen for a number of reasons, and not all of them malicious. Some teach out of ignorance, other pass on falsities they themselves have heard, and still others teach what they think will most benefit themselves.

I have no doubt that I have taught an untruth in my time… not through the means of personal gain, but instead because I misunderstood something in God’s Word and passed it along. Here and now, let me sincerely apologise for this, and please know that I endeavour to teach the full truth of God, and not my own version of it.

We who teach must live to higher standards, as James advises us, but must also be lifelong learners. No one reads the Bible once and has it all down and understood. It can take years of study to just get to the point of asking the right questions, and there are no shortcuts.

If you teach, take it seriously. A teacher must also always be a student of the Bible.

If you teach, take it seriously. A teacher must also always be a student of the Bible.

What do we teach? We teach the way to live godly lives. This is key. If our teaching does not inspire our audience to want to, and succeed in, living a holy life, then we need to consider our approach carefully. Our teaching may get applause, it may attract criticism, or it may lead to genuine repentance and the fruit of a changed life. Above all else, our teaching should draw people to God and it should instruct them on replacing sinful ways with godly behaviour.

What does godly behaviour look like? How do we spot a godly life over an ungodly one? Again, Paul helps us here with many of the points he will make in this letter. He will go on to tell us what our lives should look like, and things we should avoid. This is in the context of appointing deacons/elders in the church, but as I said before, even if we desire no such role or ministry, we can still strive for the  same standards.

That brings us to the end of verse one, and I hope you do not think I’m going too slowly here. These are important words which set up the entirety of the letter, and I do not want you to miss even one bit of it. Having said that, perhaps we’ll try to get through both verses two and three next time!

Thanks for reading.

UK Christian Bloggers – Andy Brown (Best of 2022)

For my final best of the year series of posts, I want to share one from the UK Christian bloggers.

Over the last year, a group of UK-based bloggers have been getting together regularly to pray and swap stories. It’s been a tremendous encouragement. I want to publicly thank each and everyone of them today.

If you are looking for something to read or watch, do check out their blogs. There is some wonderful material there and you will not be disappointed.



Hi! My name is Andy Brown, you may remember me from such blogs as andy-brown.org…! It has indeed been some time since my last proper post, although I have tried to share some older material and some great posts from friends and fellow bloggers. Life has gotten rather busy and my writing has suffered. I…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/06/18/uk-christian-bloggers/

Preaching to the Choir – Andy Brown (Best of 2022)

Are you preaching to the choir? Is that wasteful, or does the choir need your encouragement as well? It was a great pleasure yesterday evening to meet (on video) a couple of fellow Christian bloggers, and lovely to share some of our stories, questions and experiences of ministering through this medium. It was humbling to…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/04/09/preaching-to-the-choir/

The Berean Approach – Andy Brown

I don’t want you to just take my word for it… We take a little break from our current series on Psalm 103 to discuss something important. It is an immense privilege to share God’s Word with you through this blog, and I take that responsibility very seriously. But you, the reader, have a responsibility…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2018/04/12/the-berean-approach/

In At The Deep End – #TestimonyTuesday

I knew that I had a teaching gift long before I knew anything (really) about the Bible. I accidentally volunteered to lead a Bible study group once, when I very much considered myself to be a baby Christian! That is a story for another day perhaps…

I had been praying about how I might get an opportunity to teach a Bible message. And the Lord answered in a clear way.

While I was at university (during this time), I attended the Christian Union meetings. I often arrived early to help set up chairs and whatever else needed doing. On this one occasion, the man scheduled to come and speak to the group had unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute.

I remember vividly the look on the organiser’s face as she said, “What are we going to do! We’ve got X number of people coming!” I say “X” because I really do not remember how many were coming!

In a small voice, I said, “I can speak, if you want me to…” About what, I had little idea! “Would you!” She asked excitedly. “Sure,” I said, excitement growing inside of me. In that moment, I knew that this had been my answer to prayer and that this was the opportunity God had blessed me with.

Grabbing a Bible, reviewing the passage, and praying as much as I could with what time I had, I “prepared”.

The crowd gathered and I stood up to speak. This is when the miracle happened… words came out! And they were not wholly nonsensical, as I recall!

I often think of this verse, when I remember that night:

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

Luke 12:12 (WEB)

He certainly did that evening!

I’m pleased to report it was the first of many times God would give me the privilege of speaking to a group of Christians about His amazing Word. Mostly, I am slightly more prepared than that first time!

I praise and thank God He was in charge that night, and indeed – every night!

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say – Luke12:12 #Bible #Jesus #Christianity

Hope Comes Looking (audio)

It was my pleasure to share in the teaching at our churches Lent meeting last week. we were considering the subject of hope, and looking at four encounters from the book of Luke-chapter 8.

I share below a recording of the message I gave, and hope it encourages you today.

Psalm 32 – Sermon

A few years ago I gave a sermon on Psalm 32, and was reviewing my notes from it this morning.

It is one of the penitential Psalms, or Psalms of repentance. It is a wonderful set of verses, and I share below the audio message I gave at the time.

Do have a read of the whole Psalm before listening, as it is not included in the recording.

Teach Them

The Great Commission #5

Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)

The substance of our Christian lives ought to be different from that of the world. If we talk the same, act the same, think the same, and do all the same things that the world does, then we must question whether we are truly born anew. Disciples are not meant to be the “same” as those who follow their own fleshy or sinful desires.

If that is a shock to you, then perhaps the Great Commission has yet to be fulfilled in your life. Maybe you have believed in Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, yet no one has taken the time to teach you to obey.

And so, we come to the third part of the Great Commission which Jesus gave to us. To teach disciples all that He commanded.

Obedience may not seem like a very exciting topic to you, yet it is crucial we learn to observe what Jesus told us to do. It will lead us to God’s kind of success, blessing and most importantly, the glory of God.

Having made disciples, and baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, we must then teach them. This task will take a lifetime, and most people (myself definitely included) are slow learners!

Where do we begin? I suspect there is no right or wrong answer to this, and it might be different for everyone.

Firstly, we are to teach people to obey all that Jesus commanded. We might strictly interpret this to mean following only the red letters in our Bible, and thus dismissing most of the epistles and the entirety of the Old Testament… I do not think this is so however!

Every Scripture is God-breathed and[a] profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16 (WEB)

The entirety of Scripture, the totality of God’s Word in both the Old and New Testaments, the letters, the history and the prophecy are all inspired by the Spirit of Christ. In my opinion, it is all to be taught and learned.

Now can you see why it might take a lifetime?

How can we teach the entirety of the Bible ourselves? Again, I believe it is a team effort. If you are a pastor, or are called to teach, then it might be more obvious how you can fulfil this part of the Great Commission. Use your pulpit, wherever it is, and teach the people to obey Christ. You may lead a church or be privileged to speak at one, you may write a blog or books, or you may be recording and sharing videos on YouTube or other media platforms. All of that contributes to the teaching of God’s people.

For the rest though, who do not have such platforms, or who do not feel called to teach, how can they comply with Christ’s instruction to teach?

Parents can and should teach their children. Older members of the church family may instruct the younger. The members of a small group will encourage and challenge one another, whether they are leading the discussion or just participating. As we do life together, the church ought to be helping each other to grow in faith and obedience.

Even if you personally have little opportunity to teach someone with your words, let your actions be the lesson.

If you have little opportunity to #teach someone with your words, let your actions be the lesson. #Bible #Jesus #Christianity

Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (WEB)

Here, the apostle Paul, urges the Corinthian church to follow him, as he follows Jesus. Imitate me, he cries, as I imitate Christ. This is not easy, and if we take a hard look at ourselves, we may not feel like the best examples of Jesus’ lifestyle. But each of us should be striving forward to observe what Christ has taught us, and as we do, let us bring others along for the ride.

Sometimes we think of the Great Commission as only relating to evangelism. I hope these words have shown you that it is not so. Fulfilling this Commission does, of course, involve telling others about our faith, but it also encapsulates our journey into maturity as believers. I do not think there is one Christian who can claim to observe all that Jesus commanded us, and so we are all to keep walking with Him, bearing fruit and growing in faith.

What will you do?

I want to ask you:

  • How well do you feel you obeying Jesus at the moment?
  • What is your “pulpit”? i.e. in what ways can you be a teacher and encourage others to obey Christ?
  • What one thing can you do to be a better example for Jesus?

False Teachers

Listening to some Christian radio the other day, the person being interviewed happened to mention the name of a fairly well-known speaker who I listen to quite often. They suggested this person was a “false teacher,” and make a passing remark about why they thought that.

I then did what I probably should not have done… (check out my series on Proverbs for advice on wise choices!). I googled! A few simple key words led me straight to a web site which laid out in detail why this particular preacher was a false teacher. Naturally, they had links to other Bible teachers I am familiar with, and foolishly, I clicked.

Before long, I had a whole list of so-called “false teachers” to deal with. This was, of course, just one opinion, but I personally find it difficult once seeds of doubt have been sown.

We should be wary of false teachers:

But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2 Many will follow their immoral[a] ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. 3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.

2 Peter 2:1-3 (WEB)

There are clearly false teachers in the world and in the church, proclaiming a distorted gospel which is no Gospel at all. Some deny Christ, and others deny the truth of the Bible. We must be on the look out for such people, and defend the faith against those who would malign it (to borrow from Peter’s words above).

There are clearly false teachers in the world and in the church, proclaiming a distorted gospel which is no Gospel at all. #Bible #truth #Christianity

This is a very difficult issue however, and the problem with being deceived is that you do not know about it, otherwise you would not be deceived at all. How do we guard against such things? I will give you my thoughts shortly.

Before I do, I want to point out that there is no ministry of criticism. The website I stumbled across yesterday listed many preachers and their faults, but gave little or no alternatives. It is no one’s job or calling to simply point out what everyone else is doing wrong. We should be alert to false teaching, and address it appropriately when we encounter it, but that is very different to setting yourself up as the Gospel police.

So how do we defend against false teaching? Here are a few thoughts.

Know your Bible

You cannot hope to detect falsities if you do not know the truth. Set about knowing the Scriptures for yourself. If someone makes a claim which is clearly contrary to what the Bible says, you know you can safely dismiss it.

When travelling on a journey, you need to know your route. If you know the destination and how to reach it, then you will soon know if you take a wrong turn. If you know now the destination nor the path to get there, every road looks the same.

Systematically study the Word of God. Let Scripture speak for itself. Let it be its own defence. One verse out of context does not a doctrine make. Scripture must be interpreted in the light of other Scripture.

Know the teacher

Get to know the Bible teacher you are listening to, and I do not mean personally (although that is always helpful!). Find out a bit more about them. Anyone who’s anyone can get a website, write a blog or publish a book these days (including me) and unfortunately that does not always qualify them to speak into your life.

Jesus said:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV)

If the teacher is bearing bad fruit, then I would suggest not listening to them, even if they are charismatic, interesting or exciting – or if everyone else listens to them.

If they are bearing good fruit, then it gives you confidence that they are at least attempting to follow Jesus.

Listening to the radio or watching Christian TV makes it very difficult to be a fruit inspector however. What someone portrays on screen may be very different to what they are like behind closed doors. Be discerning, do your research (bearing in mind it is easier to criticise than anything else) and measure what you hear against the Bible.

Know the Truth Giver

If you have made every effort to get to know the teachers you are following, and based that against your hopefully good knowledge of the Bible, then the last and most important point I can make is this – know the Bringer of Truth.

However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.

John 16:13 (WEB)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He will guide you. Do not attempt to follow the Spirit without first knowing your Bible, as it can be all too easy to be deceived if you do. But, the Spirit, hand in hand with the Bible, will lead you into all truth.

Avoiding false teachers is not as easy as it might seem. If you search for anyone on the web, you will find something wrong with them. We are all imperfect, and not one of us has complete understanding. All we can do is be mindful of false teaching around us, take the steps above and ensure we are following Christ and bearing fruit.

May the Lord protect you from all falsehood and deception, and may the Spirit of Truth bless you with insight and understanding. In the name of Jesus! Amen