Why does the Bible include lots of ancestral lineage in the middle of a story, e.g. Nehemiah?

Christians haven't always been keen on Christmas. Oliver Cromwell famously banned it during his time as Lord Protector (1653-58) – markets were ordered to stay open on Christmas Day, and in London soldiers went on patrol seizing Christmas dinn...

When Jesus gave the great commission he said to make disciples from all nations. What does the original word for 'all nations' mean and suggest? If Jesus were giving his parting words here and today, what might be his instructions?

The other day, someone pulled up in a brand-new Tesla. It stood out, not just because of its sleek shape and immaculate sheen; it stood out in a car park crammed with CO2-spouting, planet-heating fuel guzzlers...

The great drama of Scripture continues with the Patriarchs, the first members of the family who were to become a nation.

Psalm 91 is a beautiful song that speaks of trust in God in the darkest of times. Because of its references to 'diseases' and 'plagues', it seems to be designed for what the world is going through at the moment with the coronavirus.

When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, he gave them no course book or lecture series but a simple, 60-second prayer. It’s been at the heart of Christian worship ever since.

Out of all the billions of people in the world, no two people have the same fingerprints. Each one of us is unique, and that uniqueness is far more than skin deep.

Easter is a time when Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. The story is so significant that it is told in all four Gospel accounts in the New Testament.

What was the significance of anointing someone’s head with oil when Psalm 23 was written and what does it reveal about God and his relationship with us? Mark Woods explores this powerful picture of the way God welcomes us into his presence.

Translating the Bible can be a difficult task. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to keep everyone happy.

‘I’m a school chaplain in a secondary school and a huge part of my role is providing bereavement support for children who have experienced bereavement or grief. Nationally, one child in every class will have experienced some sort of bereavement. ...

‘The passage that means the most to me is Isaiah 41.10 which says, “Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand.”

‘During the pandemic, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The verse that helped me was a verse that’s been with me all my adult life, Psalm 16.8, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken”.

I’d not long retired and was just going through the motions of day-to-day life. I was looking for a new place and purpose. So, I went to a retreat centre in Wales for a few days.

Isaiah 40 is the most important passage to me. My father was dying of cancer. He had lost a lot of weight and looked like a young man again, the young man we saw in family photos.

The passage that means the most to me is Psalm 23. I was head girl of the church choir in a high Anglican church. We sang this at Christmas Midnight Mass when I was about ten years old, and I sang the solo.

I was homeless, living in a shop doorway in London Bridge. My life was turmoil. I was homeless because I was addicted to drugs and had been shunned by my family, who were Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I used to be a detective in the police. My faith is fresh compared with my life. I only got baptised eight years ago. I started Bible College 18 months ago and when I arrived, I had a fright.

When I was 19 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. There was pain, but I got on with my life. In 2016, I was diagnosed with ME and from there my life was tough, because I couldn’t work full-time.