Text: ‘Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content’ – 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NLT) Thought: Christmas will soon be upon us! Adverts scream out to buy, whether on the TV, in newspapers and magazines, via our mobile phones or alongside the bus shelter! Wherever people are and go, one can be sure adverts will be there too. Even in one of Africa’s poorest nations, I saw the Coca Cola bottles everywhere and Manchester United football shirts! Having just spent nearly three weeks in Burundi and Uganda, I couldn’t help but be struck by how little they do have of this world’s goods, yet at the same time, they exhibit a richness in faith, thankfulness and the ability to still laugh and smile. I ‘survived’ hotels without any water to wash with and was nearly electrocuted by poor wiring in the bedside lamp! My ten nights in Lira saw the power off virtually every day from 7am – 8pm, and even during the night, unable to cool the room and having to read...
Learn More
Text: ‘But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified’ – 1 Corinthians 9:27 Thought: September ’14 sees an exciting development – launching a midweek link group in Saltash. My wife Jenny is heading this up, commencing with a five week training programme on friendship evangelism, drawing on her skills as a personal development trainer. Giving an open-invitation to the church we attend in Plymouth, we were pleasantly surprised by the number who expressed an interest in doing the course, especially when the musicians’ practice night was changed so that people could come. As this launch came about quite suddenly, there is an air of excitement. However, as with anything we do or that needs to be done, there are some key steps. First there is: Desire – I want to! The old adage, “You can lead a horse to the water but you can’t make it drink” remains true when it comes to Christians sharing their faith on a one to one basis. Most want to do so, but many find it a challenge to say the least. They have a desire which is good, but this leads us on to the next step: Discipline...
Learn More
Text: ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you’ – Acts 24:25 Thought: Opportunities to do things come across our path every day. It’s all too easy to miss them, either deliberately or unintentionally. Sometimes we will never get that same opportunity again. Zig Ziglar, the well-respected motivational sales speaker, often recited a poem to would-be customers hesitating over spending their money, despite wanting the product. “The Bride, white of hair, is stooped over her cane, her footsteps uncertainly guiding. While down the opposite aisle, with a wan, toothless smile, The bridegroom, in wheelchair, come riding. Now who is this elderly couple thus wed? Well you’ll find when you’ve closely explored it, That here is that rare, most conservative pair, Who waited till they could afford it!” While Zig used this example as a way to overcome sales objections regarding the cost, it will strike a chord with many people about life in general. Sometimes we wait far too long to do things we really need to do now! The proverb says, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Unless we act on them, they become meaningless The Bible records when the Apostle Paul was under house arrest.¹ Felix, the...
Learn More
Text: ‘I go to prepare a place for you’ – John 14:2 Thought: Time has flown since the last Today’s Teaching due to moving house. What mixed emotions and feelings we have experienced during the last five weeks. There was delight in finally finishing with solicitors and having the removal company complete the planned two day move in just one day, thus avoiding the heavy rain. Also in discovering plants hidden beneath the over-growth and seeing our pictures up on the walls again. The experience of discouragement as the job list began to grow. We soon realised that more needed to be done than was first envisaged, but what to prioritise as we want everything done at once? So we had to discipline ourselves with a real determination to work slowly through the list, making the most of the lovely weather to sort out the garden, enjoying some barbeques and alfresco breakfasts, leaving the indoor work to the more cloudy and rainy days. Finally there is the desire not only to make our home a place to enjoy and invite people to, but to build bridges within our new community so we can share God’s blessing in our lives as well as our faith. An Open Home Day like...
Learn More
Text: Then an opportune day came – Mark 6:21 Thought: “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned”, so wrote William Congreve, the English Playwright, in ‘The Mourning Bride’. Herodias, wife of King Herod, seethed with anger over the way John the Baptist had denounced their marriage as unlawful in God’s eyes, because she had been previously married to Herod’s brother. Herod, fearing a populous revolt if he executed John, kept him imprisoned. But Herodias wanted much more than that, she wanted his blood! Every time John’s name came up in conversation served only to fan the flames of anger and revenge. Then one day, unexpectedly, Herodias’ chance came. Her daughter Salome danced during a banquet. Herod was thrilled and wanting to show his pleasure, invited her to ask for whatever she wanted. After consulting with her mother, Salome marched back in and asked for the head of John the Baptist. Herod’s heart sank, but rather than refuse the request and lose face amongst his high-ranking guests, he commanded it to be done. The Bible called it, ‘an opportune day’, but it became an occasion to do wrong. How much better it would have been for Herodias spiritually if she had told...
Learn More
Text: ‘I will arise and go to my father’ – Luke 15:18 Thought: Have you ever completely messed everything up? Jesus taught a parable about the Prodigal Son. It concerned a young man wanting to leave home, who having received his inheritance ahead of time, left for a far country. Away from family and their disapproving looks, he began to spend like there was no tomorrow. He soon attracted new ‘friends’, eager to benefit from such generosity and wasteful living. Life was good for a while, then trouble hit. His bank account ran down until it was empty. Then a severe famine engulfed the area making it almost impossible to survive living off the land. Now in dire straits, he tried to find employment, but jobs were hard to come by in an economic downturn. In desperation he took the only job offered – feeding the pigs. He was so hungry that even the pigs’ food looked appetising. Once the life and soul of the party, he was now forgotten by all those who had enjoyed his carefree living. Sometimes it’s only when we reach rock bottom that we start to look back at where it all went wrong. He thought of home and how even the hired servants...
Learn More
Recent Comments