As Bible teacher Brian Johnston explains, Mark's Gospel answers the two most important questions that can engage the human mind - who is Jesus is and why did he die? That makes it essential reading for us all - and this accessible commentary unpacks all the key elements:
CHAPTER ONE: JOINING THE DOTS
CHAPTER TWO: JESUS CAN DEMAND ALLEGIANCE
CHAPTER THREE: THE IMPACT OF JESUS’ TEACHING
CHAPTER FOUR: HOW TO LISTEN WELL AND GAIN INSIGHT
CHAPTER FIVE: THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM: SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS AND CURE
CHAPTER SIX: THE CHANGING OF AN ERA / MOVING INTO GENTILE TERRITORY
CHAPTER SEVEN: GAINING INSIGHT AT LAST
CHAPTER EIGHT: SEEING HALF THE PICTURE
CHAPTER NINE: LOSING LIFE, DENYING SELF AND BECOMING LITTLE
CHAPTER TEN: SAVIOUR OR JUDGE?
CHAPTER ELEVEN: VARIOUS CONFLICTS IN THE TEMPLE COURTS
CHAPTER TWELVE: THE END OF THE TEMPLE AND MUCH MORE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: RECLINING AT TABLE
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BETRAYED, DENIED AND VERY ALONE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE KING WHO STUMBLED TO HIS THRONE
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE MOST IMPORTANT PRESS RELEASE IN HISTORY
Daily headlines remind us that this world is broken in so many different ways; an honest look within ourselves reveals deep problems, too. Bible teacher and missionary Brian Johnston pinpoints the same cause and the same solution – God's sending of His Son on a mission that would lead to a cross to save us from the consequences of sin – and offers a challenge to accept or reject it.
Jovial Johnners was the doyen of cricket commentators, as well as a consumer of chocolate cake, a reporter, presenter, quizmaster and much-loved voice at State occasions. For nearly 50 years the ever-affable, always enthusiastic Brian Johnston brought warmth and wit to a wide range of BBC programmes - commentating for Test Match Special and the Boat Race, reporting for In Town Tonight and presenting Down Your Way, playing games on Twenty Questions and Trivia Test Match, and describing Royal events such as the Coronation and the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Here, selected and introduced by his son Barry, is the best of Johnners at the Beeb, a marvellous kaleidoscope of the man at the microphone. The gaffes and the giggles are all included here, of course, helping to make an unforgettable portrait of this inimitable raconteur.
Down Your Way was one of the most popular programmes on BBC Radio from 1946 until 1992. Every week the presenter would visit a different city, town or village in the UK and interview six local people about its history, traditions and customs. Brian Johnston presented the series for fifteen years and for this recording, his son Barry has selected more of the fascinating people and places that his father visited on his travels. Brian meets famous people such as the former England footballer Nat Lofthouse, Australian cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman, and steeplejack and TV personality Fred Dibnah, as well as marvellous local characters, including the British snuff champion, a lady gurning champion, and a Scottish sheep shearer. He also takes a boat trip down the River Thames, visits Tower Bridge and Abbey Road studios, and goes to Salisbury Cathedral and Wigan Pier. This delightful recording illustrates the rich and colourful heritage of the people and places of Great Britain.
When Brian Johnston died in 1994 at the age of 81, the Daily Telegraph described him as 'the greatest natural broadcaster of them all'. In this delightful reading from his autobiography 'It's Been a Lot of Fun', Brian recalls his schooldays at Eton and Oxford, his early career in the family coffee business in the City, Hamburg and Brazil, and his service as a Technical Adjutant in the Grenadier Guards during World War II. In January 1946 Brian joined the BBC Outside Broadcasts Department. For the next 48 years he presented hundreds of programmes on radio and television, from 'Let's Go Somewhere' to royal weddings and 'Down Your Way', but he was probably best known as a cricket commentator and he became a national institution on 'Test Match Special'. Recorded in 1990 when he was 77, Brian tells some of his favourite stories and gaffes in this cheerful look back at a unique career behind the microphone, a life full of lucky breaks and private disappointments, but always a lot of fun.
Brian Johnston, aka 'Johnners', the BBC's long-time cricket commentator, is the umpire in this test of wit and general knowledge, as two teams try to score the highest number of runs under his watchful eye. In these four episodes, team captains Tim Rice and Willie Rushton are joined by Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer, Bill Tidy, Caroline Quentin, Bernard Cribbins and Robin Bailey. But which questions will they go for? The easier 'single' worth just one run? Or will they try the harder question and attempt a 'boundary' (four runs)? Can the batting team reach six questions (an 'over') before the other team gets a go? And there's every chance that calls of 'Howzat!' or 'Bouncer!' can interrupt play... With questions that include trivia and unusual facts, hear the stumps fly and the wickets fall in these four wonderful episodes.
Down Your Way was one of the most popular programmes on radio and spanned six decades. Every week the presenter would visit towns and villages throughout the UK, discovering fascinating people and places. Brian Johnston presented the series for fifteen years and 733 programmes. For this recording, his son Barry has selected the most eccentric, famous and interesting people, and the most colourful places, that his father visited on his travels. Along the way Brian meets such famous people as Sir Roger Bannister, HRH Prince Philip, Denis Compton and John Laurie (Private Frazer in Dad's Army), as well as Frank Searle, who has spotted the Loch Ness Monster. Brian also takes in Land's End, Alice Springs, and even goes underground to visit the Cabinet War Rooms and the Bank of England's gold vault. Released for the first time on audio, this recording includes part of Brian Johnston's final programme. It presents a timeless view of Britain, a land peopled by countless characters among its rich heritage.
