On Saturday night at Bible by the Beach we welcomed Terry Virgo from Newfrontiers to speak, he spoke on Jesus walking on the water… here was his basic outline:

Mark 6:45-52

He sends them into the storm – he loves you just as you are, he loves you too much to leave you as you are.

He saw them in the storm – all is laid bare before him, he sees even through the darkness.

He saved them in the storm – he took the initiative, walking on water (this is truly God).

You can purchase a video DVD, an audio CD, or an MP3 download of the talk at the Bible by the Beach website.

I think Adrian has arrived – he’s the guy sitting at the front with the Mac. You should start getting some live blogs from him as well now. Oh and he’s organized a bloggers meet up – 1pm tomorrow at T-Co.

Terry Virgo was interviewed at the start and told us how he came to faith through the conversion of his sister and the preaching of John Stott. He also spoke about the influence of MLJ and others. He also spoke about NWA and his excitement about coming back and Christian unity.

A guy called Lance recited the reading in a dramatic way – nice. Jesus is popular, he spends time with the outcasts – and that upsets the Pharisees. Jesus is bringing God to the people, he’s healing and forgiving. So he tells some stories -something lost, then found, then a celebration!

Terry told a story of losing his daughter on a beach in Spain, his desire to keep looking until he found her, and his joy in finding her safe and bringing her back. Dickens called this parable ‘the greatest story ever told’.

The story is of a father and two sons. The younger son makes an ‘Adam-like’ decision to escape from the father. But he finds the world without his father isn’t great, it’s not realistic and the money, friends and circumstances are here one day and gone the next. So he ends up with the pigs with everything gone, he’s left with the reality of himself, knowing his weakness, his failure, his sin… and he’s given up the hope of being a son – I’ll just be a hired hand.

But Jesus shows us what God is like… The father is looking for him, the fathers love remains for him. Just like the outcasts who Jesus hangs out with – God is compassionate, he has mercy for them. Then he runs, he pulls up his coat, abandons any decorum, hugs him and kisses him. The robe, ring, sandals… the son doesn’t need them or deserve them, it is pure blessing, then they celebrate.

Then we meet the tragic figure of the elder son, the one who doesn’t celebrate, the one who confuses sonship and slavery – the Pharisee. He’s forgotten God’s grace, he exposes his self-righteous, religious heart. The emphasis in on himself, he doesn’t know the fathers heart.

The father says remember who the ‘sinner’ is… they’re your brother. These are the people to whom the fathers heart goes out. The younger son came home, but for the elder son the story is left open, because he’s speaking to the religious people. Jesus came to win the lost, and he’s on his way to Jerusalem to die for sinners. He calls us back and sets us free. Abandon any religion and throw yourself on the mercy of God.

Tim Chilvers is associate minister at Christ Church Surbiton. Like me, he’s from an Anglican church, like me, he went to the Brighton New Frontiers conference, and like me he’s just been interviewed about his experiences of the conference by David Capener.

Good interview. Sounds like we both had a similar overwhelmingly positive experience there (with a few little niggles).

Now quite why anyone would want to interview me I don’t know, frankly I am dull and unworthy of having my life or thoughts shared with anyone! But, a guy called David Capener (blogs at thebroadcast.org.uk), who is a New Frontierser from Norfolk is doing a series of interviews with non-NewFrontiersers about their experiences of New Frontiers. So there’s a little bit of background on who I am and some of my thoughts shared in light of attending the Brighton Conference. Check out the interview here.

Adrian Warnock interviews Mark Driscoll – videos here

Mark Driscoll reflects on his time in the UK here and here

My posts on Together on a Mission 2008

My posts on the Dwell London conference

Mark Driscoll’s pastors training track (audio) – Be Radical Plant Radical Churches

Together on a Mission 2008 (audio) – Main Sessions

Off to CYFA camp in Colwyn Bay (sunny North Wales tomorrow) – 10 days of fun, hard work and learning lots about Jesus from John’s Gospel.