All articles by Jeff Lucas
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Regular ColumnistsWhen a stripper came to church
Source: Steve Hamblin / Alamy Stock Photo Back in the wonderful days when I had hair, Larry was my hairdresser. He used to do a fine job with my copious mop. Sadly, the passing of time means the mop became a stranded peninsula, and what used to ...
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Regular ColumnistsGod isn’t a cosmic policeman. He’s so much better than that
There have been times when I’ve viewed God like a cosmic policeman, admits Jeff Lucas. But he isn’t the God of the gotcha. He’s good.
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas: My embarrassing first love stories
The author and teaching pastor doesn’t want to go back to his first faith. But his first love is another matter
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Regular ColumnistsThose awkward moments where we say ‘I’ll pray for you’ … and then don’t
We’ve all made this mistake…but in 2024 let’s pledge to do better, says Jeff Lucas
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Regular ColumnistsWhen preachers get it wrong
Jeff Lucas on having to apologise for a thoughtless comment made while in the pulpit
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Regular ColumnistsEvery follower of Jesus should be a lifelong learner
We won’t graduate until our last breath, says Jeff Lucas. And even then we’ll be translated into an eternity of delightful discovery
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas is home alone!
Macaulay Culkin is in his 40s now but, for many, he will forever be Kevin McCallister, the precocious eight-year-old in the blockbuster 1990 comedy Home Alone. For those unfamiliar with the film, Kevin’s parents take off for a Christmas in Paris, unaware that they have left their ...
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas on why he doesn't say Grace before meals
Perhaps you’ve been there. A family from church invite you for a meal. You don’t know them well, but are pleased by the opportunity. You chat while you wait for the food, and then, as the plates arrive, tension grips you. You glance around the table, ...
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas is on a health kick. Here’s the secret to his success
Negotiations are not allowed, says Jeff Lucas as he explains how anchor habits are helping him stay fit
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas on the ‘mortifying’ moment the police stopped him
Decades ago, when my wife, Kay, and I were courting, we would exchange excruciating love letters loaded with syrup and spirituality: “Dear Kay, I love you so much, hallelujah, praise the Lord, but not as much as I love Jesus, glory to God.” Yuk. We were ...
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Regular ColumnistsA stunning sight
It was one of those: Is this God speaking to me? moments. Seemingly from nowhere a thought surfaced, and the persistent luminosity of it made me wonder if the Holy Spirit was broadcasting on my personal wavelength. Some believers insist that their lives are punctuated with ...
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Regular ColumnistsThe pressure to impress
I was eagerly looking forward to my annual school reunion. Inevitably, we’d pass the hours reminiscing about the classes we’d loved and loathed, the girls we’d fancied, the pranks we’d played. Our gaggle of teachers had included a few rather odd characters. There was the chemistry ...
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Regular ColumnistsOur church has banned cheesy Christian signs. There's a better way...
Source: Flickr / au_tiger01 Recently we decided to add a digital notice board to the outside of our church building. Some might feel this is an extravagance, and many churches would not have the resources (or desire) to spend money on signage, but a road study revealed ...
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Regular ColumnistsMum’s dementia
Looking back, it wasn’t the greatest idea. The care home had warned me that my mother was just days from dying. Agitation was robbing her of sleep and so I decided I would sit with her through the night. Mum was at the end of a ...
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas: ‘A night intruder tried to break into my house’
Night intruders are usually experts in stealth. They silently tiptoe through the shadows, eager to break and enter without detection. But when an uninvited visitor recently stopped by our home at 3am, he loudly announced his arrival. I woke up with an adrenaline-fuelled start. Why on earth ...
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Regular ColumnistsThe Cwtch
It is one of my earliest childhood memories. I am probably not more than two or three and there is music playing on the radio. Suddenly my dad picks me up, gently wraps his arms around me, and begins to slowly dance with me. I can still ...
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Regular ColumnistsJeff Lucas: Breaking the silence about depression in the Church
My landing on Planet Church in 1975 was not without turbulence. Those Christian people seemed very strange. But I am so grateful for the local church that welcomed me in as a brand-new Christian. I became a believer after attending a service of baptism by full ...
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Regular ColumnistsI wasn’t well behaved at Trooping the Colour, but now I’m so grateful for the Queen’s steadfast example
Jeff Lucas shares a story from his childhood, when he attempted to interrupt the Queen’s official birthday celebrations
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Regular ColumnistsDoes Jesus want me on his team?
There were just ten seconds left in the game, a dreary nil-nil draw. Sensing that victory was still possible, the crowd tensed as my friend John carefully placed the football to take the corner. The crowd hushed and I realised that I was unmarked, at least ...
