Archive Publications










Thoughts about life and faith


I’ve been a Christian for over 50 years (since student days), but the past five years have been a time of huge spiritual change for me.

After losing my faith totally in 2012, I spent several unhappy years searching, but I have now found a wonderful new (to me) way of expressing my faith, which I long to share.

However, there’s a lot for me to process, and the change is ongoing, so I’ve tried to express my thoughts in words, as a way of aiding that change process (note that I sometimes disagree with myself!).

I have made those thoughts available here, with two aims: (1) that together we might grow in our relationship with God and with one another, and (2) that we might then be able to share that love with others.

FREE SAMPLE – 13 articles in one easy-to-handle pack!


Email alert? – If you want a heads-up each time I write an article, just let me know (paul@archivepub.co.uk).


Download my bibliography – well, some books I’ve read and found helpful

If you ever wanted (why would you?!) to look back for something I once said, you could download all the articles in one big file.


Here are my offerings so far:

319) ...with whom I am well pleased (18 March 2024)

318) Christian witness in a multi-faith society (16 March 2024)

317) The good news announced – God's great plan (10 March 2024)

316) Lent: negative or positive (7 March 2024)

315) Love and wrath – a short PS (3 March 2024)

314) Love and wrath – Part 3 (27 February 2024)

313) Love and wrath – Part 2 (24 February 2024)

312) Love and wrath? (22 February 2024)

311) Community rules OK? (13 February 2024)

310) Is your church all right? (11 February 2024)

309) “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (23 January 2024)

308) God is a realist (20 January 2024)

307) Two disparate threads? (9 January 2024)

306) But is Wright right?! (30 December 2023)

305) God communicates, we participate (23 December 2023)

304) Stable + inn + manger? Wrong, try again! (18 December 2023)

303) An amazing young lady! (16 December 2023)

302) Why bother praying?! (11 December 2023)

301) Advent: Some serious questions (4 December 2023)

300) Celebrate Advent? Are you sure? (30 November 2023)

299) Good News – really helpful translation (24 November 2023)

298) Good News – in the translators' hands (22 November 2023)

297) Good News – rebellion to restoration (20 November 2023)

296) What did Romans do for us? (15 November 2023)

295) Shining like stars IV – Freedom? (12 November 2023)

294) Shining like stars III (9 November 2023)

293) Shining like stars II (6 November 2023)

292) Shining like stars (4 November 2023)

291) Sin by definition (29 October 2023)

290) Will this split the church? (25 October 2023)

289) Teaching or indoctrination? (21 October 2023)

288) A totally different paradigm (17 October 2023)

287) Baby and bathwater (9 October 2023)

286) What is church for? (29 September 2023)

285) Standing against the moral slide (6 August 2023)

284) The trouble with Christians... (3 August 2023)

283) Gay marriage policies – implications (31 July 2023)

282) People, people, people (3 July 2023)

281) What did (the) Romans do for us?! (17 June 2023)

280) Why don't they believe? (Or, what is it they don't believe in?) (27 May 2023)

279) Spiritual schizophrenia in our DNA? (21 May 2023)

278) The lost message of Jesus? (18 May 2023)

277) Exam time: Alpha minus? (15 May 2023)

276) Romans trap? Maybe not! (14 May 2023)

275) Preaching(?) the good news (12 May 2023)

274) The death of a salesman (8 May 2023)

273) Seeing with fresh eyes (6 May 2023)

272) The bad news: The Romans Trap (4 May 2023)

271) All about change (1 May 2023)

270) I’m not ashamed of the gospel, but... (29 April 2023)

269) An uphill battle (26 April 2023)

268) What is your priority, relationships or behaviour? (23 April 2023)

267) Please break free! (21 April 2023)

266) Where is your BUT? (18 April 2023)

265) Arguing past each other (16 April 2023)

264) Two types of knowledge? (14 April 2023)

263) A total revelation – Fear is gone! (10 April 2023)

262) Put it to the test (9 April 2023)

261) Feedback – minor or major issue? (8 April 2023)

260) Constant Bible-inspired change (6 April 2023)

259) Guidance for gay Christians (5 April 2023)

258) One single simple issue (1 April 2023)

257) An ongoing learning situation (30 March 2023)

256) Facing reality (21 March 2023)

255) More and more militant! (17 March 2023)

254) Change? – When? Where? How? (16 March 2023)

253) A totally different perspective (9 March 2023)

252) Why do we need a new earth? (8 March 2023)

251) Journeying... how (not) to get lost (5 March 2023)

250) The Galatians show us the way (not) (28 February 2023)

249) Happy 80th birthday, Sybil! (21 February 2023)

248) Galatians’ rule, not OK (18 February 2023)

247) God’s Big Picture (15 February 2023)

246) Compromise on what? (12 February 2023)

245) What most hinders the good news? (5 February 2023)

244) The pastoral implications (1 February 2023)

243) The sanctity of marriage (28 January 2023)

242) Grace and Truth (20 January 2023)

241) False guilt can be a killer (19 January 2023)

240) Your turn to respond (15 January 2023)

239) When feelings run high (15 January 2023)

238) When push comes to shove (13 January 2023)

237) Guilt by association? (11 January 2023)

236) Following in faith (not fear) (9 January 2023)

235) What is sin? Part III (5 January 2023)

234) What is sin? Part II (4 January 2023)

233) Mind change motivation (3 January 2023)

232) Screwtape rides again (31 December 2022)

231) Words are powerful but potentially harmful (28 December 2022)

230) What is sin, anyway? (26 December 2022)

229) Christian innoculation (24 December 2022)

228) The way God works (21 December 2022)

227) What a strange and amazing story! (17 December 2022)

226) A game of two halves? No, just one single goal! (14 December 2022)

225) The history of God and the world (11 December 2022)

224) Continuing discussions (10 December 2022)

223) A response to my enquiry (7 December 2022)

222) A genuine enquiry (6 December 2022)

221) The plain teaching of Scripture?! (29 November 2022)

220) Ethics, attitudes and people (27 November 2022)

219) Persons matter (26 November 2022)

218) Metanoia rules! (19 November 2022)

217) Get your metanoia right! (12 November 2022)

216) A question of morality? (9 November 2022)

215) We’ve been brainwashed by the church! (31 October 2022)

214) Parenting: message, mission, method (23 October 2022)

213) Unjustifiable genocide! (9 August 2022)

212) Justifiable genocide? (7 August 2022)

211) What’s this ‘Holy Communion’? (15 July 2022)

210) The way ahead – random thoughts on the journey (3 July 2022)

209) What should we be praying for? (7 June 2022)

208) Thanks for the prodigal sermon (22 May 2022)

207) Who’s prodigal now? (20 May 2022)

206) God can’t do that! (29 April 2022)

205) Who is my neighbour? (21 April 2022)

204) It’s a caricature, I know (3 April 2022)

203) The genius of God – the folly of man (7 March 2022)

202) What shape is your church? (5 March 2022)

201) Totally unreasonable love (21 February 2022)

200) “O Love that will not let me go” (20 February 2022)

199) “And ye shall be my ...” Be my what?! (19 February 2022)

198) A vision for world evangelism? (13 February 2022)

197) Evangelism as relationship (30 January 2022)

196) Evangelism as Decision–Discipleship (26 January 2022)

195) Back to first principles – evangelism (21 January 2022)

194) Why Fact or Friction? (30 December 2021)

193) Jesus, Fact or Friction (full draft) (27 December 2021)

192) Jesus, Fact or Friction (8 December 2021)

191) New gospel, new evangelism (25 November 2021)

190) The story of King Jesus = the gospel (21 November 2021)

189) Keep the gospel at the centre! (20 November 2021)

188) First-century explosion? (18 November 2021)

187) The story of King Jesus = the gospel [N.B. work in progress] (13 November 2021)

186) Wheat and weeds – learning from my/our mistakes (9 November 2021)

185) Good news? Good news? Good news? (6 November 2021)

184) Good news – Mk III ! (1 November 2021)

183) 50 Shades of Black (wheat and weeds) (30 October 2021)

182) Good news – Mk II (25 October 2021)

181) Good news? (20 October 2021)

180) Jesus on Genesis 3 – ‘The Fall’ (20 October 2021)

179) Full Circle – but I’m still wrong (16 October 2021)

178) Full Circle – now in sharper focus (12 October 2021)

177) God’s progressive revelation (9 October 2021)

176) Theology grounded in reality? (4 October 2021)

175) My final article? (25 September 2021)

174) Image is everything (22 September 2021)

173) What is truth? (20 September 2021)

172) Old Testament rules (19 September 2021)

171) Punishment rules (17 September 2021)

170) Your image of God creates you (16 September 2021)

169) Fact or fiction? Discuss. (15 September 2021)

168) Adam and Noah – Check your doctrine (11 September 2021)

167) Bible bashing – Beware cherry-picking! (9 September 2021)

166) Bible bashing – Old Testament (6 September 2021)

165) A game of three halves (4 September 2021)

164) Journeyings – Where did it go so horribly wrong? (31 August 2021)

163) Journeyings – What went wrong? (30½ August 2021)

162) Journeyings – Where are we going? (30 August 2021)

161) A bridge too far – CS Lewis (25 August 2021)

160) A bridge too far – John 3:16 (16 August 2021)

159) A bridge too far – Penalty! (15 August 2021)

158) A bridge too far (12 August 2021)

157) Changing our minds (11) – The good news (10 August 2021)

156) Changing our minds (10) – New (old?) reading of Genesis 1–3 (8 August 2021)

155) Changing our minds (9) – The bad news (8 August 2021)

154) Changing our minds (8) – The letter kills (6 August 2021)

153) Changing our minds (7) – Beware of binary thinking (3 August 2021)

152) Changing our minds (6) – Thinking about sex (29 July 2021)

151) A history of the world on an A4 sheet (23 July 2021)

150) Changing our minds (5) – The Flood (19 July 2021)

149) Changing our minds (4) – Reinterpretation (16 July 2021)

148) Changing our minds (3) – A game of two halves (13 July 2021)

147) Changing our minds (2) – Explosion! (12 July 2021)

146) Changing our minds (11 July 2021)

145) A history of the world in under 500 words (7 July 2021)

144) People’s problem is God (28 June 2021)

143) The death of a salesman (27 June 2021)

142) ‘Are we nearly there yet?!’ – the gospel in 250 words (26 June 2021)

141) Full circle (13 June 2021)

140) Penal substitution: true or false? (09 June 2021)

139) God’s Trojan horse ploy? (18 May 2021)

138) Do you have faith? (09 February 2021)

137) Do you possess eternal life? (03 February 2021)

136) Emmanuel – God’s presence is with us (14 December 2020)

135) Purpose, problem and a 2000-year plan (15 November 2020)

134) Reading the Bible backwards (11 October 2020)

133) Genesis – creation and evolution (6 September 2020)

132) Genesis – a glorious panorama (4 September 2020)

131) Genesis transforms the Sabbath (2 September 2020)

130) Another penny-drop book (14 August 2020)

129) Is the Bible inspired? (27 July 2020)

128) Greg boyd is wrong (20 July 2020)

127) Misusing God’s power (20 July 2020)

126) The Good News just got gooder (14 July 2020)

125) Greg Boyd spoiler (11 July 2020)

124) What is God NOT like? Part 2 (10 July 2020)

123) Jehovah Jireh, our provider (17 May 2020)

122) Sin is Love rejected (30 Apr 2020)

121) Hallelujah! I'm saved! (24 Mar 2020)

120) Buy a virtual dog (20 Mar 2020)

119) What is God NOT like? (14 Mar 2020)

118) Original sin (9 Mar 2020)

117) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (8 Mar 2020)

116) Taking the Bible more seriously (6 Mar 2020)

115) Good news! Good news! (1 Mar 2020)

114) Good news, bad news (1 Mar 2020)

113) Relationship from beginning to end (18 Feb 2020)

112) Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (16 Feb 2020)

111) The big, Big, BIG GOSPEL! (14 Feb 2020)

110) A book for Lent? (11 Feb 2020)

109) Where are we going now?! (07 Feb 2020)

108) Learn from Cadfael and Father Brown (04 Feb 2020)

107) The Ultimate Parent (26 Jan 2020)

106) Why do you study the Scriptures? (19 Jan 2020)

105) Who would be a Roman Christian?! (15 Jan 2020)

104) I am not ashamed of the gospel (12 Jan 2020)

103) Humpty Dumpty was wrong … and right (09 Jan 2020)

102) Those terrible four-letter words (02 Jan 2020)

101) Homosexuality – The jury’s out (30 Dec 2019)

100) Homosexuality – A real problem (28 Dec 2019)

99) Paul was a Pharisee! (26 Dec 2019)

98) Sensing what God is doing – a look back... and forwards (23 Dec 2019)

97) Attitude, attitude, attitude (20 Dec 2019)

96) Knowing right from wrong (18 Dec 2019)

95) Why is it so revolutionary?! (16 Dec 2019)

94) Sola fide II – more pre-flight checks (14 Dec 2019)

93) What do we learn from history? (13 Dec 2019)

92) Sola fide – justification by faith alone (12 Dec 2019)

91) Our father – the kingdom prayer (11 Dec 2019)

90) View from a drone 3 – Prepare for take-off (05 Dec 2019)

89) View from a drone 2 (01 Dec 2019)

88) The Bible clearly teaches (30 Nov 2019)

87) The view from a drone (25 Nov 2019)

86) What is the Church like? (01 Nov 2019)

85) A total reconnect – Heaven and earth (31 Oct 2019)

84) A total disconnect (28 Oct 2019)

83) A paradigm shift (19 Oct 2019)

82) A totally different view (14 Aug 2019)

81) Christianity and Islam (24 July 2019)

80) The tree of life (6 July 2019)

79) Death by dogmatism (2 July 2019)

78) Learning from Tim’s research (26 June 2019)

77) A growing understanding (23 June 2019)

76) How do we communicate God’s love today? (22 June 2019)

75) What is (the kingdom of) God like? (18 June 2019)

74) ‘And here is the news...’ (9 June 2019)

73) What is the gospel? (5 June 2019)

72) Fear-based religion (19 May 2019)

71) Love cuts the Gordian NOT (19 April 2019)

70) SUMMARY – The more beautiful gospel (updated: 23 June 2019)

69) The offence of the gospel? (17 April 2019)

68) Spiritual warfare works (16 April 2019)

67) The insidiousness of sin (11 April 2019)

66) What is God really like? (8 April 2019)

65) More feedback (6 April 2019)

64) Communicating the gospel (5 April 2019)

63) More matters arising (4 April 2019)

62) Applying the more glorious gospel to real life (3 April 2019)

61) Yet more glorious! (1 April 2019)

60) Bloody hell! (29 March 2019)

59) The most important person in the world (27 March 2019)

58) Matters arising – Comments about evangelism (25 March 2019)

57) Restoration, restoration, restoration! (24 March 2019)

56) Who needs evangelists?! (23 March 2019)

55) The gospel, Brexit and world domination (22 March 2019)

54) God’s rescue plan (IV) – How big is your cross? (21 March 2019)

53) God’s rescue plan (III) – Christ’s loving sacrifice (17 March 2019)

52) God’s rescue plan (II) – Salvation as healing (16 March 2019)

51) God’s rescue plan (15 March 2019)

50) The universal gospel (14 March 2019)

49) The scandal of the cross (IV) – The suffering servant (13 March 2019)

48) The scandal of the cross (III) – A plea for help (11 March 2019)

47) The scandal of the cross (II) – Preach the gospel (10 March 2019)

46) The scandal of the cross (10 March 2019)

45) What is the Bible? (IV) – Relationship-based interpretation (8 March 2019)

44) What is the Bible? (III) – How does God communicate? (4 March 2019)

43) “Feast on God’s word” (2 March 2019)

42) Finally, a faith that I can be really proud of (24 Feb 2019)

41) What is the Bible? (II) – reprise (22 Feb 2019)

40) Inoculating your children (21 Feb 2019)

39) Love is not binary (18 Feb 2019)

38) Have I got all the answers? (17 Feb 2019)

37) Are you ashamed – for not preaching the gospel? (16 Feb 2019)

36) What is the Bible? (controversial) (14 Feb 2019)

35) A panoramic view of the gospel (II) (12 Feb 2019)

34) A panoramic view of the gospel (8 Feb 2019)

33) Your final answer? (6 Feb 2019)

32) Does God heal today? – Faith and fear (1 Feb 2019)

31) What is the gospel? (28 Jan 2019)

30) How do outsiders view us? (19 Jan 2019)

29) Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done (16 Jan 2019)

28) Is the New Testament a reliable document? (6 Jan 2019)

27) “Repent, for the end of the world is nigh!” (4 Jan 2019)

26) Back to Adam and Eve (4 Jan 2019)

25) Praise God for the creeds! (28 Dec 2018)

24) Communication, communication, communication (15 Dec 2018)

23) Does God ever get angry? (14 Dec 2018)

22a) Gospel in chairs script (Word file) (10 Dec 2018)

22) Gospel in chairs script (10 Dec 2018)

21) How can I enter into this relationship? (9 Dec 2018)

20) Thy will be done (7 Dec 2018)

19) What is the gospel? (3 Dec 2018)

18) The wrath of God again (1 Dec 2018)

17) What is God really like? (28 Nov 2018)

16) Creeds as relationship (7 Nov 2018)

15) And finally...” (4 Nov 2018)

14) “The wrath of God is being revealed” (29 Oct 2018)

13) Feedback (28 Oct 2018)

12) Religion or relationship? (27 Oct 2018)

11) Core beliefs? (26 Oct 2018)

10) “Why did Jesus die?” (12 Oct 2018)

9) “Full of grace and truth”? (8 Oct 2018)

8) “The wrath of God is being revealed” (2 Oct 2018)

7) Is Scripture infallible? (16 Sept 2018)

6) A penny-drop moment (8 Sept 2018)

5) Interpreting Scripture (6 Sept 2018)

4) Centrality of the cross of Christ (5 Sept 2018)

3) How do we relate to the OT? (28 Aug 2018)

2) What did Jesus do? (18 Aug 2018)

1) Rebuilding my faith (18 Aug 2018)

0) Reflections on 50 years as a Christian (mid 2017)

Thanks for bearing with me. Please pass the URL of this page on to anyone who might be interested.

If you want an email when I produce a new episode, please let me know.

Article in Diocesan magazine

Cover photo of magazine