Grace and Truth at Christmas
At Christmas, attention is often given to atmosphere: lights in dark streets, familiar music, generosity, and a vague sense that this is a time for goodwill. Yet beneath the cultural layers lies a striking claim made by one of Jesus’ closest companions. Reflecting years later on the life he had witnessed, John wrote: “The law…
The Great Commission and the Ministry of Reconciliation: A Long Overdue Conversation
Most Christians have been taught to place the Great Commission at the centre of Christian mission. And rightly so—Jesus’ words in Matthew 28 carry enormous weight. But Scripture also offers another “commission,” articulated with equal clarity and depth by Paul, which he calls: “the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:18–19) Far from being optional or…
Before the Sword, the Peacemakers: Rediscovering the Sermon on the Mount’s True Lens
ChatGPT said: Here is a deeper reflection on how Christians often fail to use the Beatitudes as the intended interpretive framework for understanding the rest of Jesus’ teaching—including “not peace but a sword,” divorce, anger, oaths, retaliation, and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. I’ll keep it clear, structured, and theologically serious. Reading…
Wisdom – One Prayer Bound to Be Answered
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) There are two pitfalls we Christians can fall into when reading this verse. If neither of these describes you—if you already know for certain that you lack wisdom,…
No Hay Condenación Para Los que Están en Cristo Jesús!
Cayó la ficha Agradezco a Dios que finalmente acepté y entendí esta verdad a los 30 años de edad y no dos o tres décadas más tarde (o peor: nunca). Aún así, habría sido bueno entenderlo mucho antes, y es por eso quiero compartirlo. Personalmente nunca fui de juzgar a los demás, y menos aún…
No Condemnation for Those in Christ Jesus!
The penny dropped I thank God that I finally accepted and understood this truth earlier this year at just 30 years of age, and not two or three decades later (or even worse, never). Still, it would have been amazing to truly understand it a lot sooner, and that is why I think this is…
Metric or Imperial – Let the Craft Have its Say!
The noise surrounding which system is better has gone on long enough and has not led to any useful conclusions. So rather than add to the noise, I would like to touch on the relevance this may have for the Craft, and suggest a pragmatic approach. My view (based on what I’ve learnt as Paul’s…
The No 4 and No 4 ½ Bench Planes: It’s the Width of the Sole – Not the Width of Cut!
Many beginners in hand-tool woodworking face the dilemma of choosing a first bench plane. Unfortunately, most resources attempting to provide orientation are unhelpful, to say the least, in that they fail to consider the fundamental question: what will the plane be used for. Instead, the issue tends to be address in a highly speculative manner,…
The Paul Sellers’ Router Plane – An Independent Tool Review
Around September last year, Paul came up with a router plane designed to be made by woodworkers of any skill level using only basic tools and materials. This router was Paul’s solution to a very real problem, which is the high prices of commercially available routers, be that new or used (the router being one…
‘Sellers Roof’ Workbench – a Bench Worth Making
This workbench was made according to Paul’s design, which is based on the traditional English Joiner’s workbench. Paul encourages all beginners in hand-tool woodworking to make a workbench very early in their journey, if not as a first project. It’s a rite of passage, to use his own words. Of course, it always takes some…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Paul's Apprentice 