Fire in the Booth

Dropped my first freestyle. I wish. Not quite as exciting but still kind of cool.

Had fun recording the audiobook version of my book with @ladbrokeaudio.

Took a long time but had a great experience. Big thanks to Neil the producer and @ivpbooks. #themorebooks#audiobook

Watch the videos I took on the day here.

The story behind the book

When Elizabeth from IVP first approached me with the idea of writing MORE > Real I wasn’t hard to convince. I loved the idea and had a few things I needed to get off my chest.

I’ve spent the last decade watching friend after friend walk away from Jesus and I’ve come close myself. It’s caused me to wrestle with some uncomfortable questions.

Jesus said that he offers ‘life and life to the full’ and the Bible claims that we can ‘taste and see that the Lord is good.’ If that’s God’s promise then why do so many people reject it? Why do so many people walk away? And not just teenagers but these are my friends in their twenties and thirties and beyond – people who have been in church for years.

Is it that God isn’t good or is it that people haven’t ‘tasted’ the real thing?

If indeed God is good then have we misunderstood what it means to experience him? Have we presented a relationship with God that’s not based on the reality and truth of the gospel. I think we have, and I think we need to talk about it if we want to have genuine relationships with God.

In MORE > Real we look at central aspects of following Jesus, what’s fake and what’s real. Exploring how we relate with God and how we relate with other.

We look at heartfelt, raw prayer, authentic and vulnerable relationships, the growth and faith that’s possible during times of doubt and disappointment. We explore the hope and happiness that’s available for us to taste and see when we really know who Jesus is and all he’s done.

This book, like the others, points readers back to the Bible and encourages them to mine the eternal truths that it contains. Its accompanying, free study guide (available at ivpbooks.com/more-resources) enables readers to use the book in both devotional and small group settings.

My prayer is that this book saves someone from walking away from church or walking away from God. My prayer is that no one else feels alone. My prayer is that every reader would come away with a greater peace, greater confidence and greater desire for authentic relationship with God and others.

From Prostitution to Hope

I had the privilege of filming this wonderful lady. 
She shared her heart-breaking story of drugs, abuse and prostitution. Her life was transformed and the amazing team at the Jericho Road project had a lot to do with it. 

This month Jericho Road are celebrating their 15th birthday. I want to give a huge thank you to everyone involved with the incredible, life-changing work that you do.

A Decade Since DTS

10 years ago today I began one of the most significant adventures of my life.

It was something that shaped who I am, shattered my faith, and set the path for the following years.

18 years old and barely able to grow a beard, I rather nervously flew out to America to spend 5 months with a Christian organisation called YWAM (Youth With A Mission). I joined with 50 other young people from around the world to do a DTS (Discipleship Training School) in the idyllic small town of Lakeside, Montana. After a few months of theological training (and many games of Dutch Blitz, Mafia and Signs) a small group of us went to Thailand. There we taught English, worked with local charities, and helped rebuild houses destroyed by the tsunami.

While I was having the most fun I’ve ever had, underneath it all was an increasing spiritual and psychological turmoil. I began to question to my faith and eventually decided I was pretty sure God didn’t exist.

Through this whole process I had the realisation that when you boil it all down there’s nothing more important than getting the answers to these two questions:

1. What’s the meaning of life? 2. What happens when I die?

I devoted the next year to answering those questions. After wrestling with the issues I came to my conclusion. I still didn’t have all the answers to all my doubts but I knew this much was true: Jesus was God, and that following him was our purpose in life, and way to heaven.

There’s more to the story, and plenty has happened since – if you want to see the video of me explaining it a bit more in depth you can check it out here.

A decade on I want to remember all that’s happened. It’s so easy to forget and take things for granted. I also want to say hi to all those who did the Fall DTS 05 in Montana with me. You guys are amazing and I think of you often.

Sam + Catherine

Had the real privilege of spending a few hours with Sam and Catherine on their wedding day.

One of the highlights was seeing their young son, who was also best man, doing an amazing job of organising people, helping out, and delivering a hilarious and heartfelt speech. 

Here are a few moments from the special day.

Bromley House Library

Nottingham is a wonderful city full of lots of attractions, history, shopping, bars and restaurants. But perhaps it's biggest hidden gem is Bromley House. 

Tucked away in the heart of the city centre, this independent library is spread over three floors of a beautiful Georgian townhouse.

It's such a unique and quirky building and environment. I can genuinely say I have never been anywhere quite like it.

Trying to produce a short promotional video that captured and condensed the heritage, warmth and character of the library certainly wasn't easy but was definitely a lot of fun. 

A big thanks also needs to go to the very talented Hannah Barnett for producing the backing music.