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...

Exchanging bad for good A line from an old country song says if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Another old saying is that bad things come in threes. Sometimes life is...

Sacrificial love I am so concerned about my people, who are members of my own race. I am ready to be cursed, if that would help them. I am even willing to be separated from Christ. Romans 9:3 (NIRV)...

Steadfast Stephen …They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit… Acts 6:5 (NIV)  If someone asked me which book in the Bible is a good place to start, I would probably recommend...

Salvation in a nutshell ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave...

Making the right change “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 (NIV) We have been confronted with the need to make more changes around the...

Jesus Christ will return This study is the fourteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (1 Thessalonians – read in 8 minutes) Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1...

The whole world When reading scripture, it is often helpful to take a step backward and forward—to look at a scripture from a bird’s eye view. Jesus’ most quoted saying is John chapter 3 verse...

Surrender for freedom Wait – what? We don’t usually use those two words in the same sentence. Surrender is the last thing most people think of because we’d all rather fight and win,...

Lost for words …at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for.  But the Holy Spirit rises up within us…pleading to God with emotional sighs… Romans 8:26 (TPT) I...

Live in community …in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5 (NIVUK) Our culture is an individualistic one. Just think of how many times you...

Being confident I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being...

God is in the streets Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning...

Christ is enough This study is the thirteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (Colossians – read in 8 minutes) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over...

Granny’s Lake Years ago, a young woman married into a family who owned some farmland. The land was on a small mountain full of fruit trees and open fields. A perfect place to raise a family. But...

A gem of grace Reading the Bible can be like mining for treasure and it’s great when we discover something new or see a verse in a new way. We also have the benefit of the labour of other...

Abba, Father  …And by him [The Holy Spirit] we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ Romans 8:15 (NIVUK) A key role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian is to assure us that we are God’s children...

Forgiven denial  “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”  Matthew 26: 34 (NIV) After listening to a recent message in...

True renewal You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say ‘it is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint. Isaiah 57:10 (NIV) I felt drawn...

Unto you I lift my eyes Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Psalm 123:1 (NKJV) Target fixation is something that I began as I started riding motorcycles. As one of my...

All things through Christ This study is the twelfth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (Philippians – read in 9 minutes) …but one thing I do, forgetting those things which...

Better well done… There is a saying that goes, ‘Better well done than well said.’ This phrase wisely reminds us that words can sometimes be empty, and our actions often say much more about...

Instead Driving around the area where I live I often see signs in people’s yards supporting various causes or ideologies. A common one is “choose kindness.” I suppose they believe...

The unbelievable and outrageous truth Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… Romans 8:1 (NIV) This is a verse that provides comfort, reassurance and hope. It’s...

Conviction not condemnation There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (ESVUK) It’s easy for Christians to fall into a form of legalism without realising...

What is in a name? I am renewing a project in my yard this summer. It had gotten way overgrown and in need of a new start. As I was washing some of the bricks that I had put around a small water...

Noticing, attending, and wondering Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19 (NIV) Realising God is dwelling within and among...

The lens of eternity This study is the eleventh in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (Ephesians – read in 12 minutes) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called...

Three responses When it comes to responding to all that’s wrong in our world—oppression and captivity, hunger, and broken health, good people being cast down while the wicked are promoted—we...

Engaging with the Spirit Putting on Jesus (or spiritual transformation) begins with faithful acceptance of everyday problems followed by interacting with the Holy Spirit. This includes being aware of...

A double-minded man … For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18 (NIV) Paul’s famous struggle laid bare in chapter 7 of Romans has been described as spiritual...

Prayer is not easy …We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26 (NIVUK) This weekend will be a time of national prayer for...

Life in the Body Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep...

A personal appearance It is hard to find quiet time for me. Life is loud here most of the day. I understand why Jesus would leave the group in order to connect solidly with his Father. So, when I was...

Obedience to what law? This study is the tenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (Galatians – read in 13 minutes) “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness...

False assumptions A friend of mine was taking a web design class and one of the assignments was to find a poorly designed website to improve by redesigning it. One day one of her classmates asked her...