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...

A pearl of great value ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.’ Matthew...

A new identity Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he [or she] is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)  An identity crisis is defined as a period...

My everyday life He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is...

A letter from a father to a son This study is the sixteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (1 Timothy – read in 9 minutes) Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing...

Blessed to be a blessing There is a popular old hymn called “Count Your Blessings”. The chorus simply says:  Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath...

Normal but not normal A few years ago, my husband got together with some guys in the neighbourhood to play poker. When someone mentioned to the group that he was a pastor, a couple of them got funny...

The Lordship of Jesus …‘Jesus is Lord’… Romans 10:9 (NIVUK) In the ancient world the title ‘Lord’ could be used in a variety of ways: to a subordinate, it could mean ‘sir’; on the lips...

Keep up the chatter! Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared...

I am safe There is a wildfire nearby; we are about 10 miles from its start, and it is slowly creeping toward us. I have been following it closely as a fire can do anything it wants. It has become the...

All alone It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (TPT)...

A message of comfort and hope amid persecution This study is the fifteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (2 Thessalonians – read in 5 minutes) …do not grow weary in...

Consulting the physician I recently went to an oil change station to have my vehicle serviced. As I was waiting, a lady came in and approached one of the technicians and told him that her car stopped...