We trace the movement from Wycliffe to Elizabeth I, uncovering how ordinary believers, not royal politics, sparked the transformation of English Christianity. This episode reveals how God used scholars, preachers, and martyrs to open the Scriptures to the people — long before Henry VIII ever broke with Rome.

Key themes:

• Why Wycliffe’s English Bible changed everything
• The Lollards and early persecution
• Tyndale’s New Testament and his final prayer
• Henry VIII’s political break vs. spiritual reform
• Cranmer, the Prayer Book, and Protestant identity
• Mary I’s counter‑reformation
• Elizabeth I’s lasting settlement
• How God works through Scripture, suffering, and ordinary believers

A clear, accessible journey through one of the most misunderstood periods in church history — and a reminder that God’s Word always finds a way.

Editor Pastor Ian Thompson

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Christians honour the fallen honestly, not selectively
• How soldiers on all sides believed they were defending their homes, families, and way of life
• Why motives in war are complex and rarely fit neat categories
• The difference between defensive and aggressive war, and why history is not always clear
• How Christians can remember courage without glorifying violence
• Why every fallen soldier—friend or foe—was made in the image of God
• How remembrance points us toward the hope of Christ’s Kingdom, where war is learned no more

This is a gentle, thoughtful, and deeply pastoral reflection suitable for Remembrance season or any time we consider the cost of conflict.

🕊️ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” 
🕊️ “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Many Christians feel caught between two eras — the last echoes of older moral frameworks and the full force of a rapidly changing culture. Pastor Ian reflects on what it means to be a “transitional generation,” shaped by the past yet living in a world transformed by the social revolutions of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Drawing on the great “between stages” of Scripture — the wilderness, the exile, the ministry of John the Baptist, and the early church — this episode shows that God often does His deepest work in seasons of transition.

We look at:

• how the church can rediscover holiness without harshness
• how believers can remain faithful when culture shifts
• why the collapse of cultural Christianity may be God’s pruning, not His judgement
• how the early church offers a blueprint for today
• what it means to be a signpost pointing to Christ in uncertain times

This is a message of hope, clarity, and calling for anyone who feels the tension of living between what the church once was and what God is shaping it to become.

Far from being a slogan of hostility, these three phrases become a call to Christian faithfulness:

• No Popery — not a rejection of people, but a rejection of any system that withholds Christ from the people. The gospel is for all, freely offered by God. (Romans 1:16)
• No Tyranny — a reminder that no one stands above the law, for all are equal before God and bear His image. (Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 16:19)
• No Arbitrary Power — a call for authority to be exercised lawfully, humbly, and with Christian compassion. (Micah 6:8)

This homily invites us to rediscover these old words as living principles for today: gospel freedom, equality under God, and compassionate, accountable leadership.

May these truths shape our hearts and our witness.

We look at why past generations — from Cromwell to Ryle — expected a physical restoration of Israel, and how their historical context shaped that reading. Then we step into the Hebrew roots of the word aliyah, discovering that its deepest meaning is “ascent,” not migration.

Through the lens of the New Testament, we explore how Jesus, James, Revelation, and Paul re‑centre the promise around Christ Himself. The true gathering of Israel is not merely a return to a place, but a return to the Messiah — the Ark of the Covenant, the Temple not made with hands, and the Holy Land in whom all God’s promises find their fulfilment.

This episode invites you into a quiet, contemplative ascent of your own — a “micro‑aliyah” of daily faith, rising toward the presence of Christ.

Why did King James II send seven Anglican bishops to the Tower of London in 1688?
In this episode of God Questions, we explore one of the most dramatic and defining moments in Protestant history: the Trial of the Seven Bishops.

We look at:

• the political and religious crisis under James II
• the king’s controversial Declaration of Indulgence
• why the bishops refused to read it in their churches
• the constitutional issue of royal prerogative
• the arrest and imprisonment of the bishops
• the dramatic trial and their unexpected acquittal
• how this moment helped trigger the Glorious Revolution

We also name and discuss the seven men at the heart of the conflict:

• William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells
• Francis Turner, Bishop of Ely
• John Lake, Bishop of Chichester
• Thomas White, Bishop of Peterborough
• William Lloyd, Bishop of St Asaph
• Jonathan Trelawny, Bishop of Bristol

This episode explains why their stand for conscience, law, and Protestant faith still matters today — and how their courage helped shape the freedoms we enjoy.

If you enjoy historical theology, Protestant heritage, or the story of how faith and law intersect, this is an episode worth hearing.

We explore the trap set by the Pharisees, the silent tension of Jesus writing in the dust, the meaning of the stones they carried, and the Old Testament imagery behind His actions. This episode uncovers why the most dangerous place in the story isn’t where you think it is — and why the safest place for any sinner is always at the feet of Jesus.

Whether you’ve ever felt exposed, ashamed, or unworthy… or whether you’ve ever felt the pull of self‑righteousness… this story holds up a mirror for every one of us.

In this episode we cover:

• Why the Pharisees’ legal case was a deliberate trap
• The meaning of halakhah (“the way to walk”) and how it was weaponised
• Why Jesus wrote in the dust — and how Jeremiah 17:13 unlocks the meaning
• The sins of the poor vs. the sins of the religious
• Why the elders dropped their stones first
• Why mercy and justice must meet together
• What “Neither do I condemn thee… go and sin no more” really means
• Why the only safe place for a sinner is at the feet of Jesus

This is a message of hope for the broken, a warning for the proud, and a reminder that the Cross and the Second Coming are both present in Jesus’ final words to this woman.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God could forgive you, this episode is for you.

Whether you are new to Christianity, returning to faith, or simply curious, God Questions offers short, biblical, and trustworthy teaching on topics such as salvation, grace, repentance, the Trinity, the image of God, and what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

Every episode is designed to help you grow in understanding, strengthen your faith, and see the beauty of God’s truth in Scripture.

If you have a question about God — this is the place to start.

In this episode of God Questions, Pastor Ian explores one of the most quoted — and most misunderstood — statements in Scripture: “God is love.” 
Many today use the phrase to justify anything, excuse everything, and silence every call to repentance. But the love of God revealed in Scripture is not indulgent, sentimental, or permissive. It is holy, purifying, and transforming.

Drawing from 1 John, the ministry of Jesus, and the dramatic conversions of Zacchaeus and Saul, this episode shows that God receives us as we are — but never leaves us as we are. His love rescues, restores, confronts, cleanses, and makes us new creations in Christ.

If you’ve ever wondered what agapē truly means, why divine love is better understood as charity (self‑giving, covenantal love), or why holiness is inseparable from love, this message will strengthen your faith and sharpen your understanding of God’s character.

Key themes:

• “God is love” — what it means and what it does not mean
• Holy love vs. cultural sentimentality
• Christ as the revelation and measure of divine love
• Transformation: Zacchaeus, the woman caught in adultery, Saul/Paul
• Why God’s love calls us to repentance and holiness
• Becoming a new creation in Christ

Perfect for:  
Believers seeking clarity, new Christians learning the foundations of God’s character, and anyone wrestling with modern distortions of biblical love.

Rather than treating baptism as a ritual or a ticket to salvation, this episode explains it as a Spirit‑led milestone — a response to God’s work already happening inside a person. Pastor Ian unpacks why the desire for baptism begins with the Holy Spirit, how water acts as a public seal of an inward faith, and why the heart matters more than the method.

The episode also tackles a question many people struggle with: Is infant baptism valid? Pastor Ian explains how the act can be meaningful when it is later owned through confirmation or personal declaration of faith.

Whether you’re new to Christianity, preparing for baptism, or simply trying to understand what the Bible teaches, this episode offers a clear, gentle, and accessible guide to the meaning of Spirit and water, obedience, and the lifelong journey of discipleship.

Rather than assuming listeners already understand the doctrine, this episode explains the difference between the universal offer of salvation and the personal response required to enter the kingdom of God. Ian unpacks why repentance is more than feeling sorry, why faith must lead to transformation, and why religious identity or moral behaviour alone cannot save.

The episode also examines the cost of discipleship — the surrender of the old life, the turning of the heart toward God, and the obedience that flows from genuine belief. It is a call to honest self‑examination, showing that salvation is a gift offered to all, but received only by those who truly follow Christ.

Clear, direct, and accessible, this episode helps listeners understand what Jesus meant by the narrow gate, and why the path of faith is both costly and life‑giving.

This episode explores how that repeated pattern leads to the Covenant of Grace, fulfilled at the Cross. Ian explains how Jesus Christ succeeds where humanity never could, taking the weight of faithfulness onto Himself and securing a promise that cannot be broken.

Clear and accessible, this episode helps listeners understand why salvation rests not on human performance but on God’s persistence, and why the eternal covenant offers real assurance for every believer.

Rather than treating prophecy as prediction alone, this episode explains how Jeremiah used God’s word as a moral mirror — exposing hypocrisy, injustice, and empty religion in his own generation. Ian shows how the same patterns appear today, especially when a nation relies on its history, symbols, or institutions while neglecting the obedience God desires.

The episode also considers the role of the Church in times of spiritual decline, calling believers to genuine repentance and renewed faithfulness before consequences take root. Clear and accessible, this reflection helps listeners understand how Jeremiah’s message speaks into the present moment and why prophetic truth still matters.

Drawing from the Nicene Creed, Ian explains why this confession is not a human invention but a protective wall that guards the biblical gospel. The episode unpacks titles such as Lord, Christ, and Son, showing how they reveal Jesus’s divine nature, eternal existence, and unique relationship with the Father.

Listeners are guided through the difference between Christ’s eternal sonship and the created status of Adam or the adopted status of believers. Ian shows why Jesus must be both fully God and fully man for salvation to be possible, and how the early Church used this truth to resist false teachings.

Clear and accessible, this episode helps listeners understand why the identity of Christ is essential to the Christian faith and why the Church must hold firmly to the biblical confession of Jesus as the only‑begotten Son.

The episode explains the medieval Catholic understanding of the Mass as a true, sacramental re‑presentation of Christ’s once‑for‑all offering — an unbloody participation in the Cross. Ian then outlines why the Reformers rejected this view, arguing that it risked undermining the sufficiency of Calvary and Christ’s unique role as the sole mediator.

Listeners are guided through the Reformation shift toward understanding the Lord’s Supper as a thanksgiving meal, a memorial of a completed sacrifice, and a moment of spiritual communion rather than an ongoing propitiatory act. The episode also highlights what Protestants believe believers do offer: spiritual sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, and obedience.

The episode traces the practice from ancient purification rituals to its formal adoption by the medieval Church around AD 850. Ian explains why Roman Catholic tradition views holy water as a sacramental — a blessed object meant to remind believers of God’s protection and presence.

The episode then examines why the Reformers rejected the practice, arguing that it lacked biblical authority, encouraged superstition, and conflicted with the priesthood of all believers. By comparing these perspectives, Ian highlights deeper differences in how various Christian traditions understand grace, clerical authority, and the role of Scripture.

Clear and accessible, this episode helps listeners see how the debate over holy water opens a window into larger questions about worship, symbolism, and the unique place of baptism in the Christian life.

Drawing from a Reformation‑era sermon, Ian explains the Protestant conviction that purification comes not from a place like Purgatory, but from a person — Jesus Christ. The episode contrasts the medieval belief in a purifying fire with the biblical teaching that Christ’s finished work is fully sufficient to cleanse, forgive, and prepare the believer for eternity.

Listeners are guided through the central claim: “We do not need a purifying fire because we have a purifying Saviour.” Ian shows how preparation for heaven rests on grace, not delay; on Christ’s completed sacrifice, not on post‑mortem suffering.

Clear and accessible, this episode helps listeners understand why Protestants reject Purgatory, how Christ’s work provides complete assurance, and why the gospel offers confidence rather than fear.

Rather than offering a simple intellectual answer, Ian explains how Christian theology understands pain through the lens of freedom, a developing creation, and above all, divine solidarity. God is not a distant observer but one who enters human agony through the Cross, sharing in the world’s wounds rather than standing apart from them.

The episode also highlights the place of honest lament in the life of faith, showing that Scripture allows — and even invites — believers to bring their deepest questions to God. While the reasons for tragedy often remain mysterious, Ian points to the hope of future restoration and the assurance that God walks with humanity through its darkest moments.

Ian explains how Scripture presents God as both sovereign Creator and relational Father, holding together absolute authority with intimate care. The episode shows how this truth protects believers from modern forms of idolatry, vague spirituality, and the fear that the universe is chaotic or impersonal.

Listeners are guided through the distinction between God’s creative power and His paternal love — expressed uniquely in His relationship with Jesus Christ and extended to humanity through adoption. This theological framework acts as a protective wall, anchoring Christian belief in a personal, purposeful, and singular God rather than human speculation.

The Pastor shows how the Creed anchors Christians in historic doctrines such as the Trinity, the person of Christ, and the nature of salvation. The episode also highlights why Protestant Dissenters can embrace the Creed as a faithful guide: it clarifies what the Bible teaches while keeping the authority of Scripture firmly in place.

 Clear and accessible, this introduction invites listeners to explore the Creed as a pastoral tool that strengthens worship, deepens understanding, and provides spiritual security within the framework of traditional Christianity.