The price of freedom I was reading about the unwanted fame of a well-known musician. He was in shell shock, they said. He never wanted this sort of attention. His freedom was taken away; he spent much...

We suffer as Christ suffered This study is the twenty-second in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (1 Peter – read in 9 minutes) …to the degree that you share the sufferings of...

Reaching out to the lonely Are you a fan of the Beatles? If so, you may remember their well-known song, Eleanor Rigby. In the chorus they sing, ‘…look at all the lonely people, where do they all...

Encouraging encouragement If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of someone’s less than successful attempt at encouragement, you may relate to what I once heard a pastor say –...

What do we live and die for? For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (NIVUK) What matters to you most? What is it that shapes your priorities? What is it that motivates you?...

The promises of God For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV) Abraham believed in God’s...

The secret of Bletchley Park  Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our...

The restless soul  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your...

Perfect, complete, lacking nothing  This study is the twenty-first in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament  (James – read in 9 minutes) For as the body without the spirit is dead,...

Describing the indescribable Have you ever tried to describe a moment so wonderful that it defies your best efforts? How do you describe the feeling of watching the sunset over the mountains or the...

Relax and rest Not long ago, I stumbled over a bump on the sidewalk and ended up sprawled all over the hard cement. I was embarrassed, but the only other damage was a few bruises and bent eyeglasses....

The meat of the matter One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who...

All one in Christ Jesus There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (NIVUK) The first female Cabinet...

Lay down your life “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NIV) Our Lord and Saviour Jesus laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16). He did...

The God of all comfort Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those...

Christ is the best This study is the twentieth in a series of studies on the books of the NewTestament (Hebrews – read in 27 minutes) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time...

Born again As a Christian, you are probably familiar with the metaphor of being ‘born again.’ Jesus used it when talking to Nicodemus to try to explain the radical difference that one must undergo...

Comfort in our suffering When a child is hurt, the mother or father rush to comfort the little one. Hugs, kisses and soothing words don’t make the pain go away, but they go a long way toward easing...

Can debt ever be a good thing? Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8 (NIV) No one likes to be in...

The Mighty Fortress The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:11 (NIV) Recently my wife and I visited the ruins of Harlech Castle in North Wales. This castle was built...

The baptism of Jesus  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied,...

Set your heart Since, Then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1 (NIV) There is a definite pull in this...

The power of reconciliation This study is the nineteenth in a series of studies on the books of the NewTestament (Philemon – read in 2 minutes) … yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of...

Two kinds of people in the world Have you ever heard someone say, ‘There are two kinds of people in the world’? This is usually followed by a joke or some oversimplified statement about people....

No one wants to do it One word could be used to describe all of human history: suffering. Everyone who has ever lived has had to suffer. No one asked for it, no one wants it and most have wondered why...

Sincere Christian love Love must be sincere. Romans 12:9 (NIVUK) Have you noticed how often we human beings say things we don’t really mean? Sometimes it can be a trivial matter – for example, we...

Christ’s teaching on prayer “This, then, is how you should pray…” Matthew 6:9 (NIV) I remember being asked by a young member of our congregation how they should approach the practice of...

Being willing to listen Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:2 (NLT) We live in such a hectic, busy world, and it’s so easy to be distracted by one thing...

He watches over you! The Lord watches over you… Psalm 121:5 (NIV) I am seeking to memorise a new Psalm; Psalm 121, a short but sweet Psalm of encouragement. It is a Psalm of ascents, meaning that...

‘…all that is necessary for a Christian to know and to live’ 1 This study is the eighteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (Titus – read in 4 minutes) …in hope of...

He sees the heart I once saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said, ‘I don’t know why judges get paid so much. I judge everyone for free!’ Unfortunately, this funny line has a lot of truth in it....

God is always with us Just a little heads up – it’s less than five months until Christmas! We’ll soon be seeing trees and decorations, along with the incessant jingle bell-type...

A living sacrifice Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God… Romans 12:1 (NIV) When I was 11 or 12,...

Open the eyes of my heart. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. Genesis 21:19 (NIVUK) Have you ever completed a...

Open 24/7 “Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear” Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) We drove two hours to get there. She threw up the whole way, and I had to hold...

God’s love is boundless For [Christ Jesus] is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its...

Preach the word!  This study is the seventeenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (2 Timothy – read in 7 minutes) But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the...

Busy work Have you ever been assigned ‘busy work?’ I despise doing ‘busy work?’ It’s the type of work that doesn’t have a purpose except to keep you…well…busy. Sometimes this happens...

The longings of God As humans, we all have longings. The dictionary defines longing as “a strong desire especially for something unattainable: craving.” Longings can be good and they can...

Mercy for the guilty God has found everyone guilty of not obeying him. So now he can have mercy on everyone. Romans 11:32 (NIRV) However good we may think we are, we all know we are not perfect. Even...