I’m sure that all Christians have heard glib, basic conclusions in Bible teaching in churches. Maybe you’ve heard a preacher tell you that God is love or God is in control. Or a Bible study leader tell you that you should love God and not money, or that you should tell other people about Jesus. …
It is that time of year when I need to plan what I want to do around the weather forecast. For the past few weeks, it has rained a little on most days and a lot on others. Outdoor activities have needed to be cancelled or moved around at times. Plans to do the washing …
We live in a world which values extroverts very highly. School children are marked on contributions in class. Job interview processes always include evidence of teamwork. TV shows and movies portray typical social lives as being dominated by attending parties and large social gatherings. We all love someone who loves people and is in their …
A few weeks ago, our family went through the usual seasonal cold and flu time. All of us were sniffing, tired, and had sore throats. Nothing too extreme, nothing that even needed a doctor’s visit, just the common cold. Yet this relatively minor ailment led to some missed work and school days and our usual …
Sometimes the right words, said at the right time, can change someone’s life. Encouragement has the power to really make a difference to people, yet it is a rarer thing than it should be. Christians live in a world that is not our home, a world full of discouragement. We feel the pressure of our …
I am the father of three boys. We have a family tradition to measure every child’s height on their birthday. The fast-growing teenagers always look forward to the confirmation that they have grown a lot, especially if it means passing the height of one of their parents! There is much banter about who is taller, …
By the time you read this, I will be on a Sabbatical from my usual ministry. I have been pastoring now for almost 18 years, and ironically after a time of significant growth and encouragement in the church, I am feeling a bit run down and tired. My denomination allows pastors to have a Sabbatical …
Those who are not married and those who are married are of equal value in God’s sight. All people are made in the image of God. All Christians are saved only by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for our sins. In no way does our marital status impact whether …
When people get married, you often see a familiar pattern emerging. Instead of spending time with their friends as they used to do, all of their time is now devoted to their spouse. They stop going to parties and their previously-large social circle begins to shrink. It is this phenomenon that the Skyhooks sang about …
All relationships have emotional ups and downs to them. There are times when you feel close to the people you love and times you do not. That’s true in friendships, between parents and children, and also between married people. We don’t always feel the same about the other person day to day or month to …