It is near the end of a school term and the kids are getting tired. And not just the kids. Many people have been feeling tired. These past few months have been unusual in many ways and the many changes have been wearying. It is possible to feel a little less bright than usual. This …
King Solomon famously had 700 wives. That’s mind-boggling. I’m not sure I even know 700 people, let alone understand all that goes into having 700 wives! This raises lots of questions in our minds. How did the scheduling work? Did he have favourites? How did he even remember their names? There is one question that …
We all settle into routines and habits after a while. After the rapid changes we experienced at the start of this pandemic, for many of us life has settled into a different ‘normal’. This has meant working from home and experiencing church via online services and Zoom Bible studies. It felt strange to start with …
One thing that strikes even the casual reader of 1 Kings is the sheer wealth of Solomon. Chapter after chapter describe his building projects, his food, his trading partners, and his exotic animal collection. He was so wealthy that his ivory throne stood out in an age when kings often flaunted their wealth, and he …
When I was a university student, I became a member of the local church that I had grown up in. I distinctly remember the first congregational meeting I ever attended. There was the kind of pressing, controversial issue found in churches everywhere: the organ had recently died. This was in a church that had (at …
Do you get wiser as you get older? Is it fair to say that, in general, those who are older are wiser? Instinctively, most of us would like to think this is true. And it often is! As we grow older, as we have more experiences and make more mistakes, we should learn things. And …
Organisation matters. If we are organised and use our administrative gifts, it will mean that we are more likely to do what we promise to do. It will mean that we don’t forget the important things we need to do. And we will reflect our Heavenly Father, who loves order. Solomon’s kingdom in 1 Kings …
Some people love to make lists and plan out their diaries. They know what they need to do and when they need to do it by. I am one of those people. I always have a lot of diverse things to do and responsibilities to manage; if I don’t make some kind of plan, things …
Our lives are messy and complicated. All of us are sinners in all kinds of ways, people who would rather run our own lives instead of doing what God wants. There are times when we feel this very strongly. Perhaps I am not good enough for God? Maybe God is interested in saving good people, …
Jesus is the King of the whole world. That is the essence of the gospel. When you look for the shortest expression of the gospel in the Bible, it is “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor 12:3, 2 Cor 4:5). Jesus is God’s chosen King, the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the one with all …