In this episode

Giving is itself a gift, and so is the ultimate act of giving. It is also costly, but if we want to be able to receive fully what the Lord has for us, we also have to be fully able to give everything He asks of us.

From 23 minutes to the end is a time of led prayer and ministry. You can pause it at any point if you wish to follow this ministry opportunity.

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you can do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

We tend to have a split view of our two main realities: the physical and the spiritual. Doing so creates a false sense of the true reality, which is to see them as one - each influencing the other. This talk helps to shed some light on how and why we should do this.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

The duration of torment in hell is an ongoing debate with strong feelings on either side. On one side, the question is: how can an all-loving God make someone suffer for eternity based on a temporal decision of rejection? On the other side, it is: if hell isn’t eternal, doesn’t that diminish the work of the cross? This is a huge and raging conversation that has resurfaced recently, that is far too big for my little space on the web! But I will tell the story that led me to write about this and highlight what I believe is a crucial contribution to the debate—something that seems to be absent from the debate, despite its significance.

Around a year ago, I was asked about my thoughts on hell and if I thought it was eternal. The question came from the anguish this person felt as they simply watched people passing by. The idea that people would be tormented for eternity, based on a temporal decision by an imperfect mind, was too painful to contemplate. The majority perspective is: yes, this is true, and reflects the urgent need for the gospel to be proclaimed by all Christians at every opportunity. But a genuine question requires a genuine, carefully thought-through response, so I began the quest for a more informed answer. Do I now have that answer? I’m still weighing it up! However, the traditional position I have always held (uncomfortably) has been seriously challenged. There are strong arguments on both sides, but I wasn’t prepared for how convincing the debate is for torment in hell being temporal. So please take note: this is not yet settled in my mind, and the content may provoke you!

It’s also important to note that the ‘temporal hell’ position still believes in eternal judgement and separation from God. The anguish and torment a person experiences in hell are full and without restraint.

The biggest challenge, as I considered the temporal perspective, was about the cross and all that Jesus accomplished. Doesn’t temporal punishment diminish this? I wrestled with this for a long time; I couldn’t get my head around how this could be answered satisfactorily. I also quickly realised how much we rely on the idea of eternal punishment to ‘entice’ people into the kingdom of God. Our go-to weapon of choice is to scare people into the Kingdom! “If you do not choose to follow Jesus, you will spend eternity tormented in hell.” The gospel we ‘sell’ is too often the proverbial ‘get out of jail card’. This approach, whatever the truth of it, misses the most beautiful thing about the gospel: all that we gain through a miraculous and most extraordinary relationship with the One who holds all things together.

I married my wife because of the most beautiful relationship we have, and because I couldn’t imagine life without her. That’s the torment: life without this person. I could never have come to that conclusion without first getting to know her and discovering what life would be like with her. This idea, and that of marriage, shouldn’t escape us here. If we want people to choose Jesus, just telling them that if they don’t they’ll regret it, is not enough. This is not an arranged marriage with a stranger; it is an invitation into a lifelong pursuit in a relationship with someone they’ve been introduced to. So the gospel isn’t ‘repent or burn’, it’s ‘come and see the most amazing Person you’ll ever meet’. (This reflects a number of stories in the gospels, particularly the woman at the well in John 4). Only through encountering Jesus can a life be transformed. It is then about imagining a life with Him that causes someone to choose Him above anything else.

I had to learn again what the gospel was truly about, without resorting to the usual scare tactics. But the challenge wasn’t just rediscovering the truth of the gospel; it was also about realising it’s more than mere words. Relationships are experiential—a series of encounters that lead us to a desire to pursue the relationship. But that wasn’t the end of it.

What is the crucial piece that seems to be missing from this debate? The Tree of Life. Despite all my searching, I didn’t encounter a single discussion that gave it any attention, yet it may offer the clearest evidence in favour of a temporal hell.

The Tree of Life appears only at the beginning of Genesis, and at the beginning and end of Revelation. (A ‘tree of life’ also appears in Proverbs, but not as a reference to the ‘Tree’). In Genesis 2:9, the Lord God causes trees to grow in the Garden of Eden, along with two special trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (the forbidden tree). In verses 16 and 17, the Lord God commanded Adam that he could eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Adam actually had permission to eat from the Tree of Life! The common conclusion here is that humanity would have lived forever if Adam and Eve had resisted the temptation to eat of the forbidden tree. In other words, had they done nothing, they would have lived forever. This is a presumed conclusion that is not written in the text.

In Genesis 3:22, after they had eaten of the forbidden tree, God said that they might also take “from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”. Only by eating from the Tree of Life would they have lived forever. That’s why God banished them from the Garden, so that they could not eat from it and live forever. At this point, the text suggests that living forever was directly connected with eating from the Tree of Life. God didn’t want them living forever now that they had eaten the forbidden fruit (and therefore become ‘like God’)—banishing them from the garden sealed their fate that they would ‘surely die’ from that day. And, (my conclusion) had they eaten from the Tree of Life, they perhaps would not have eaten (by choice or by force) from the forbidden tree. Eating from the forbidden tree meant they could not live forever because they no longer had access to the source that enabled them to live forever, the Tree of Life.

Fast forward to Revelation. In chapter 22, we have a wonderful picture of the Eternal City, where the Tree of Life stands. The leaves (not the fruit) are for the “healing of the nations” (v2), and yield twelve kinds of fruit every month, always in season. In the remaining seven verses of the chapter, access is granted or denied both to the City and the Tree (v14+19). Access to the Tree of Life that was denied at the beginning of Genesis is now fully restored. Why is that important? The answer is in Revelation 2:7: “To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” Jesus grants us access to eat of the Tree of Life, and, as we know from Genesis, eating its fruit will enable us to live forever. Only through access to the fruit of the Tree, and permission to eat it, can anyone live forever.

So, does this imply that the eternal life we gain through Jesus Christ is granted only by eating the fruit of the Tree?

This alone may be a significant revelation to many, but it’s there in Scripture. What else does this revelation show us? If the only way to live forever is by eating the fruit of the Tree, which is only available to those who enter the Paradise of God, then it stands to reason that those who cannot eat of it will not live forever. The question is, then: how would it be possible for people to exist in eternal torment if they cannot live forever? I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:28: “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Here, the Greek for hell is Gehenna, which is a place outside the old city of Jerusalem). This is referring to God, who can destroy both the body and the soul. If the soul is never destroyed but lasts in eternal torment (or heavenly bliss), why would Jesus say this? It would be nothing more than an empty statement that says He could, but would never actually do it. Have you ever considered that the soul can be destroyed? Why would Jesus tell us this? Is this a reference to the eviction from Eden so that the fruit of the Tree of Life couldn’t be eaten from? And is this what God meant when He said, in reference to eating the forbidden fruit, “in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17)? It is likely that ‘in that day’ that they ate of the fruit, they were then banished from Eden (see Genesis 3:6-8, 22-24) and death became their inevitable end.

Is eternal life (meaning eternal existence) only granted to those who have access to the fruit of the Tree of Life? If so, what about those destined for hell who don’t have access? Will their eternal existence be cut short? I have to seriously consider the real possibility that hell and its torment aren’t what I originally believed. This is really thought-provoking for anyone who has held the traditional belief, and we must decide whether it changes anything.

This isn’t to try to persuade you one way or the other, but to publicly grapple with the full picture that Scripture paints for us. The tenets of the Christian faith remain: the need for repentance and salvation is as imperative as it always has been—the torment no less diminished—and eternal condemnation and separation from God intact. This is also not an attempt to make what lies beyond more palatable, but has come from my personal pursuit in the Scriptures and (hopefully) at least some inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

As I said at the start, I am still working through my personal position, but it is pretty compelling. In the meantime, the gospel message for me has become richer and deeper through this exploration, which is no bad thing.

Let me know your thoughts on this, especially if there’s anything I’ve missed; and I mean on this directly, not your general view of the afterlife!

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

There are many problems with Western Christianity, but there’s one that keeps jumping out at me, and I have to address it. It could just be me…but I don’t think it is!

I love to hear stories of how God has moved in people’s lives. Telling stories encourages, brings hope, stirs faith and glorifies God. Stories transform an idea, ground theory, and add reality to theological concepts. They remind us that our faith is experiential and that God is always present.

All faith stories (testimonies) are encouraging in some way, but by far the greatest are those of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Their salvation story is the greatest miracle and the most significant transformation that anyone can have. Death to life, reconciliation, new creation, dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of Light, despair to hope. It doesn’t get bigger or better than that!

So, what’s the problem? Watch the video clip below, just 30 seconds of it from 18:40 (the video should play from there). It’s a J John video on natural evangelism, and it captures the problem startlingly well.

Did you see it? There are two key moments in the video: an entire tribe coming to faith, and the 39 giants around the village. The ‘39 giants’ gets gasps of wonder, cheers and applause. The salvation of an entire tribe gets barely a whisper! Don’t we just love signs, wonders and miracles; and yet we pay little attention to the greatest and most important of all.

The Western church continues to demand a sign with an insatiable appetite, but isn’t moved by what it sees and ignores its call to the greatest of all. We’re no better than the crowds in John 6, when Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000, and then the same crowd demanded a sign from Him to prove who He was! We keep asking for more and yet do not use what we have. We look for ‘signs’ for comfort and strength, but do nothing after being comforted and strengthened. We hear the stories of salvation, but we are not moved by them, and yet we hear stories of something supernatural, and we stand and cheer. We’ve got it all wrong, and it’s no wonder we look with envious eyes at those places where God is moving, wondering why we don’t see it where we are. In Luke 15, is the joy in heaven over signs and wonders, or over every person that comes to faith in Christ? The answer should set the way for us to follow. Back to the video, that could have been in any of our Western churches, and we would most likely have responded the same.

The next time you hear a salvation story, make a big deal of it, even if you’re the only one; it stands as a reminder to others for what should stir us to great joy. You can still celebrate the signs and wonders, but we need to be excited about the things heaven is excited about. Signs, wonders and miracles, in themselves, do not bring people into God’s Kingdom, only salvation. That’s why heaven gets excited about it. Seek after the miracles, signs and wonders if you want, but seek more eagerly after the souls of the lost. The signs and wonders aid us for that purpose; they stand as witness to the power and presence of God so that people will listen to our proclamation of Christ Jesus and the need for salvation.

I think part of our problem is that stories of salvation are far too few, and so we lean on the stories of miracles to give us comfort; that God is still with us and still in charge. In Acts 4, the gathered Christians prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel in the face of persecution, and the place they were meeting in was shaken. We are more likely to pray for the building to be shaken than for boldness to go out and proclaim the gospel!

Let’s turn this around in our Western Christianity. God IS present with us with all His power; so let us go out in boldness to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, and lean on the inspiration and equipping of the Holy Spirit, trusting that He will do His part as we do ours.

Let’s join all of heaven and celebrate loudly the greatest stories of all - salvation!

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

In this episode

The Ten Virgins at the beginning of Matthew 25 is familiar to many of us, but there is still much to draw from it, some things you may not have come across. Who are you in the story? Your answer may not be the same by the end!

I’ve kept some of the conversations where useful, even though you only hear my responses, and cut the gaps in other places. At one point, there is a brief musical break, which indicates a break in the evening for group work, and you can pause the audio for your own processing.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

From being welcomed as a king to being rejected as a criminal, Jesus’ journey and the central story of our faith unfolds through a series of extraordinary events in just a single week that change the course of history. It’s time to pause, reflect, celebrate and be changed through an act of love we will never truly and fully grasp.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

When you think of the term ‘corrupt’, what comes to mind? Perhaps criminal, illegal, immoral and unethical activity. You wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, but I believe we need to broaden our understanding for a more meaningful interpretation and application.

Think of the hard drive in your computer. These days, they are most likely solid-state drives (SSDs), which means they have no moving parts, are silent, and more closely resemble memory chips (RAM). However, you may still have a hard disk drive (HDD), which is mechanical, and you can hear it when it is reading or writing data. When the disk becomes damaged and data is inaccessible, the disk is ‘corrupted’. When the disk is corrupt, it means it is broken in some way and no longer able to do what it was made for. This points to a definition we too often overlook.

When we look at institutions and label them corrupt, we generally mean something sinister, but we also need to think of them as broken and no longer able to do what they were made for or set up to be. We do, but too often as something separate from being corrupt, instead of being part of the corruption. We see corruption as stemming from evil, rather than evil stemming from what is corrupt—broken.

Why is this distinction important? Because it changes us and how we engage with the world.

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”. Then, in verse 27, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” In Genesis 3, we have the fall of humanity, and so, through being removed from God’s presence, the image of God in humanity becomes corrupt. Yes, evil takes its place in the human heart, but as a result of corruption—a broken humanity that is no longer able to do what it was made to do.

From here on, humanity is centred on establishing its own image. In Genesis 5:3, it says that Adam “became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.” Look at the parallels with Genesis 1:26:

This continues as we see later how Israel wanted a king (other than God) just like other nations (1 Samuel 8:4-5), and how kings build statues that pointed people away from God and to their own likeness, in some way. While the image and likeness of God is about creation, life and goodness, the image and likeness of a broken (corrupt) humanity is the opposite. When something is corrupt (like data on a hard drive), the original is there, and we can catch glimpses of it, but the original is irretrievable without external intervention. Without help, we are without hope; the image and likeness of God in everyone is corrupted, and we are separated from our eternal place with Him.

If we cannot help ourselves, what can we do to restore what has been corrupted? Thankfully, the image and likeness of God has been preserved. When God brought Adam into the world, He created a template for humanity to remain whole in God’s presence. When the template Adam carried was corrupted, God sent into the world a second (Last) Adam who was/is the complete and uncorrupted template. The first was raised from the earth, the second sent down from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:44b-49). This is the Son of God, incarnate in Christ Jesus. “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

As an aside, an ‘image’ can be taken of a hard drive in its complete form and stored somewhere, so that should the drive become corrupted, it can be restored from the uncorrupted stored image.

The hope we have is in His capacity to restore the image and likeness of God in us. Like clay in a potter’s hands (Jeremiah 18:6), He remoulds us and conforms us “to the image of His Son (Jesus Christ)” (Romans 8:29). This remoulding, conforming, is the process of “being transformed into the same image [of God] from glory to glory” (1 Corinthians 3:18), and becoming a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) in the Potter’s hands. The old self has been corrupted, but the new self is who we are in Christ, the likeness of God, created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Back to the distinction I started with: perhaps we are wrongly seeing corruption as stemming from evil, instead of evil stemming from what is corrupt. James acknowledged in 3:9 that we “have been made in the likeness of God”. Out of the corruption of that image, we are broken and unable to fulfil what we were made for, and from there come corrupted thoughts, words and actions. Something (or someone) that is corrupted is a victim of its (their) broken state. Don’t mistake this as excusing the evil that we see, experience or inflict, but we shouldn’t take a sledgehammer to a broken computer because it can no longer fulfil its purpose! We tend to condemn that which is broken and throw it away. Including people.

However, consider the potter: “the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make” (Jeremiah 18:4). What is broken, corrupted, can be saved. In terms of things, we can fix, get new parts or recycle. In terms of people, they can be made new because there is an image worth restoring, and there is One (and only one) who can restore it.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood”. We are not to take the proverbial sledgehammer against what is broken, what is corrupted, just because people can no longer fulfil their purpose. Instead, we take it (the sledgehammer) to what exploits the corruption: against “the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The institutions of our land are broken (corrupt) because their creators are broken (corrupt). Battling against the people will not result in fixing what is broken. Battling against the institutions will not result in fixing what is broken. The weapons we have are spiritual, which means the battle is spiritual; and the sinister purpose isn’t simply to destroy humanity but more intentionally to rise up against any knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). In other words, to prevent the restoration of the image of God in humanity.

Remembering what and where the battle is, and who it is against, equips us to fight the true enemy—the one who seeks to take what is corrupt and manipulate it to his own ends as an act of rebellion against God. The weapons we have been given are for that purpose. The rest of our equipping is to bring what is corrupt to the One who is able to restore the original image.

We have a great and wonderful job to do!

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

In this episode

The focus of this teaching follows on from ‘Prophecy and Presence’, which was given on 16th November. In this talk, I explore the nature and types of prophecy in both the Old and the New Testaments, and how we are to engage with it today.

At several points in this teaching, there is a brief musical break, which indicates a break in the evening for group work. At the end is a time of prayer for exercising the prophetic gift. Some gaps have been left, which you can use for yourself, as well as a couple of prophetic words I received during this time. Feel free to pause the recording during the musical breaks and the gaps during prayer, so that you can engage, look up Scriptures, and perhaps even use it in a small group context. As much as possible has been kept for your benefit so that you gain from the whole of the evening. I hope you find this helpful.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

Hope is powerful, and Scripture is full of it. I take a look at some of the themes of hope in the New Testament, which concludes on the source of our hope. Speaking through personal story, I also highlight what hope looks like for disciples of Jesus, and how we demonstrate it in the world.

During the talk, I refer to an image depicting Moses, which is included below.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

In the early days of January (2026), I received a word from the Lord. I wasn’t specifically looking for one, but the Lord dropped something in my mind; something I didn’t realise I would experience so immediately and severely in my personal life. “A year of war”, is what I heard. The emphasis was unusual; it wasn’t the act of war itself, but on the purpose of this year of war. Two phrases followed quickly: “battle-hardened” and “battle-ready”.

Being battle-ready means: a military unit or individual that is fully prepared and equipped to enter combat immediately. This implies being trained to the required standards, equipped, structures in place, logistics organised, and operational plans rehearsed. It does not necessarily mean they have fought before — only that they are prepared to do so.

Being battle-hardened means: a military unit or individual that has extensive real combat experience and has adapted psychologically and tactically to the realities of war. This implies experience under live fire, exposure to casualties, stress, and uncertainty, practical adaptation to enemy tactics, refined instincts that only come from real combat, and emotional resilience. It does not necessarily mean they are battle-ready, due to exhaustion, depleted resources, etc., only that they have experience of real combat.

So, a unit or individual can be battle-ready but not battle-hardened (well-trained but inexperienced), or battle-hardened but not fully battle-ready (experienced, but low on supplies or reorganising).

I was reminded of how the British Army has been involved in the training of Ukrainian soldiers for their defence against the Russian invasion. In the beginning, it was heavily one-way—the British Army leading the way. However, it is now much more of a two-way exchange as the Ukrainians bring increasing experience of modern warfare in a real-life context. Britain hasn’t had this kind of experience for decades, and the British army might like to think it is battle-ready, but Ukraine is battle-hardened.

The Lord was reinforcing the importance and necessity to be BOTH battle-ready and battle-hardened. Though we may prefer just the former over the latter! To be fair, it is only the former that we really have any control over; the latter is determined by how we respond to a battle we may find ourselves in. When the Lord said ‘a year of war’, He was pointing to the year as a time of preparation for war through the experience of war. We can be battle-ready in many ways, but to be fully prepared for what is still to come, being battle-hardened requires having real experience. Personally, this is what most of this year has been so far!

Scripture warns of “wars and rumours of wars” (Matthew 24:6), among other things, but “all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (verse 8). This means there’s more to come; see verses 9 to 13 for some of those things (which we also see now). When Scripture speaks of the things still to come, there is one key thread through it all: endurance, or perseverance. Resilience is built through experience. As ‘soldiers’, we don’t necessarily choose to go to battle, but becoming battle-hardened often comes when there’s no other choice. To be “one who endures to the end” (verse 13) means to resist the temptation to take another route when there is a choice, and not give in when there is no choice.

Being battle-ready means being prepared now for whatever is to come, and we can do that through spending time with God in prayer and in His word, through meeting together and encouraging one another, standing together in all circumstances, pushing ourselves in boldness and faith, and being obedient to the Lord in all things. We might not know what is coming, but trusting in the Lord in all things will make us ready.

Readiness is one thing, but having battle experience is quite another. It’s not ‘safe’ being a Christian; God will allow us to be tested! We don’t like this, but it’s often the only way to stretch and grow our faith and trust in Him. If the Lord leads us into a battle, it is with the knowledge that the ultimate victory is won. But what does victory look like to God? Certainly, His Son dying on a cross was a victory path.

This raises so many questions around how we perceive and value our lives, which battles are ours to fight, and what kind of battles we are fighting. This is a subject of its own!

Jesus tackles this directly; in Mark 8:35, He said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” The context is the feeding of the four thousand. This came some time after feeding five thousand, and now, after this second miracle of multiplication, the disciples were discussing their lack of bread (just one loaf) in the boat for the handful that were present! They then witness another miracle of healing. Peter declares that Jesus is ‘the Christ’ and Jesus immediately begins telling them He will suffer. Peter’s divinely inspired acknowledgement of Jesus as the Christ is followed by a very human (even satanic) response. This is what leads Jesus to say to Peter, “...you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s”, and then into verse 35 above.

Jesus demonstrated through the miracles that He is the Sovereign Lord over all things. Nothing can hold Him back, not even the laws of nature. His victory had already begun, over His [human] mind and emotions (He was tempted in every way, but overcame - Hebrews 4:15), and over creation. Sin and death were victories to come through His death and resurrection. He didn’t choose the path for victory, but was fully obedient to the Father.

Our victory doesn’t lie in us choosing our own path—that would undoubtedly lead to us saving our own lives—it is through unwavering obedience to our Father. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21, “To live is Christ and to die is gain”. This is Paul’s win-win battle cry! To live as Christ is the path that leads to being battle-hardened, and to accept that to die is gain is the path that leads to being battle-ready.

The challenge we face is twofold.

Are we ready to ‘live as Christ’, like Paul did, regardless of what that meant enduring? Are we ready to count everything as ‘loss for the sake of Christ…in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as [our] Lord…so that [we] may gain Christ’ (Philippians 3:7-8)?

Are we ready to lose our lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel, and believe that in doing so will save it (Mark 8:35)? Losing our lives can mean anything from fully denying ourselves and taking up the cross and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24), through to “dare even to die” (Romans 5:7).

Many have said that when someone becomes a Christian, they are born into a battle. Ignoring the battle doesn’t save them from it, nor does fighting any battle they choose to fight. Instead, we are to follow the Lord’s lead wherever He may take us and into whatever battle He chooses.

I and others in my family have sought to follow the Lord. This has led to many victories in the face of the impossible. We have sought to be battle-ready. We have faced many battles, and we have grown in battle-hardiness. We still wrestle and struggle, we still get it wrong, we still often try to fight in our own strength, we still become battle-weary, and even in victories, we can still be battered and bruised by the battle. But we are in the Lord’s army, He is our Captain, we trust His leadership, and the victories and glories belong to Him. His is the only true banner to rally to. Our lives belong to Him, purchased for a great price, and He is worthy!

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

Happy New Year! I hope you encountered Immanuel over the last couple of weeks, and you’re ready to embark on this new season we call 2026. It’s already begun, ready or not…!

Thank you to those who have paid, subscribed and followed, for showing your love, support and interest. Thank you, too, to those who have anonymously stopped by to read or listen. I do hope the articles and podcasts have encouraged you in your faith as you walk with Jesus every day. I’m looking forward to journeying together through this year, whatever it brings. And whatever it brings, know that Jesus is always near, His strength and peace to lean upon and His guidance through the Spirit ever-present.

In the latter half of last year, publishing articles tailed off quite a bit, and for that I apologise, especially to those who had come to expect regular content. A lot happened over those months, and I couldn’t find the space I needed. I’d rather hold off and post something worth reading than simply churn out for the sake of it. This year seems to be heading off with the same pace, and with more things to come, but my hope is to ‘be better’. At what? Well, everything! Most of these ‘happenings’ have been good ones (phew!), but change always creates turbulence and impacts capacity.

Much has happened that I hadn’t seen coming. Some are sad, some are bewildering, and some are exciting, but all have future impact. Most of this I’m still working through, even as I anticipate this year containing more of this to come! A friend spoke yesterday on ‘making room’, and I have realised that this is something I haven’t done enough of.

What does this year mean for you? What are your hopes, your dreams, or your uncertainties or dread? What needs attending to for you to move forward? What are the hindrances, and are these on repeat year after year? For our hopes and dreams to be truly God-inspired (and not of our own making), we have to overcome the hindrances that get in the way of looking ahead clearly. When we look at the future ‘through hindered eyes’, our ability to see is obscured by fear, panic and despair on the one hand, and over-zealous or misdirected thinking on the other—both of which are survival mechanisms.

I’m reminded of two Scriptures:

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2

Even at our best, we don’t see things fully as they are—we won’t, we can’t. Even more so as we look toward the future. As we see things dimly and only in part, we need a Spirit-transformed renewal of the mind to discern His will and a Spirit-empowered life to obediently walk in His ways. When we see as He sees and do as He does, only then can we even begin to say we can look through unhindered eyes. Transformation changes priorities and perspectives. We need this if we want to become more like Jesus, so be prepared: changed priorities ahead!

As I look ahead, I know I need to make room for my continued transformation into His likeness by spending more time with Him, so that I can look forward with a clarity I now feel I don’t yet have, but desperately need. I want to live this life His way…and I know changes are ahead if I am to have any hope of fulfilling what He has called me to.

I invite you to join me on this shared journey of transformation (change) for a closer walk with Christ, and a future that looks more like His plans than ours. And, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a)

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

In this episode

This was the fourth Sunday of Advent, the final Sunday before Christmas. The readings were Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25. I tackle the confusing ‘engaged' but married’ Scripture, and exhort believers to follow the biblical pattern to be heralds of the gospel.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

Bringing together the first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation to see amazing parallels of God’s story, with a focus on “Let there be light”, bringing light and hope into the world. This connects well with the first day of Advent.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now

In this episode

The focus of the evening was worship and prayer, and this teaching on prophecy and presence aimed to give us an understanding that prophecy points to presence and comes out of presence - the Presence of God.

At several points in this teaching, there is a brief musical break, which indicates a break in the evening, whether for prayer, sharing, or worship. As much as possible has been kept for your benefit so that you gain from the whole of the evening. I hope you find this helpful.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

How does 1 Chronicles 16 speak into our context and time? This is partially personal and local to our context, but it has much to say for yours too. We must heed what the Lord is speaking to us, both through Scripture and through the revealed word for today. One will not contradict the other, so we must pay careful attention to what is and isn’t being revealed.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

We can easily romanticise the spirituality of the past and somehow try to reclaim it for today, but we often forget the true reality of the historical context. So, what are we really searching for? This short message seeks to provide an introduction to the answer to that question. It begins with a prophetic picture, which, while relevant to the time and context, may be of interest to listeners.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

These are two things we struggle with today, and the world doesn’t make it any easier! As always, the Scriptures both challenge and encourage us in how we live by faith; “For God has given us a faith we have still yet to fully discover and fully unleash!” The key Scriptures for this talk are 2 Timothy 3.14 – 4.5; Luke 18.1-8.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

In this talk, I focus on two questions: What does the Kingdom of God look like? And, what does the Kingdom life look like? The key Scriptures for this talk are Daniel 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, Philippians 2:12-16.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

This talk begins with looking at the importance of thankfulness, which Paul clearly wrote about and modelled. Our walk of love and faith in Christ is costly because we are choosing (daily) to put Christ first and live our lives His way, and not our own. The story of Philemon gives us a glimpse into this. The key Scriptures for this talk are Philemon 1:1-21; Luke 14:25-33.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode

In this episode

Shortly before I stood up to speak, an Iranian was interviewed in the service. They had become a Christian and had to flee their country because of persecution. It was a powerful and moving story, and one that reflected the series we were preaching on. I began speaking by quoting the words of the song we had just sung: ‘My Jesus, Me Saviour.’ You will notice I struggled to speak at first! This is an important message to the whole church.

This is part of a series on ‘Revelation 1-3: the 7 churches’, which can be found on SoundCloud. The key Scriptures for this talk are Revelation 3:7-13; John 10:1-10.

Get in touch

If you want to get in touch about something in the podcast, you do so at podcast@steveweatherill.com. You can also like and follow the Tulips podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you enjoy the podcast, then please do leave a review or comment where you’re listening from – and why not share it with someone else too!

If you would like me to speak at your service or event, or contribute an article, please get in touch at ⁠connect@steveweatherill.com.

Credits

Music Composer / Writer / Author: KROTOV VLADYSLAV, IPI: 378003660, MoodMode