Today, we find ourselves watching more YouTube and Netflix than ever and picking up the iPad to surf the internet or listen to a podcast. Is there any place in your schedule left for that time to be still?
Read MoreBut this is not about your face. The point is you can never reach the end of reflection or pin it down to a formula or an approach – and if you try, I suggest you will quickly become bored and stale in your sketch-life! Or worse, become too critical and self-righteous.
Read MoreJesus' mercy transcends barriers of race, gender, space and time.
Read MoreHave you ever felt like there was pressure on all sides? A time when peace was hard to find? You are busy and when you stop, your mind is full of thoughts and your heart just races. It is difficult to sleep, and you feel wrung out, empty and exhausted. All that David had at the Cave at Adullam was the Lord.
Read MoreIn the same way, you can have a moment reading the scriptures and in prayer but it fades – you cannot live in the past memories. Rather those past memories encourage you to go, and taste again!
Read MoreAs in John's other letters he frequently refers to "love" and "truth" inseparably.
We agreed that by the truth he means the gospel truth.
This precious truth binds all Christians in his love as they work for his glory.
John has no greater joy than to see his loved ones walking in the truth
Putting on clothes like this is a faith step, and a physical step of action, belief and attitude that we practice. Here, our the physical reality of the old nature is challenged by faith. And like a doctors coat, we allow the clothes of Christ to influence our thinking, our attitudes, our hearts. This is faith at work in a very practice sense.
Read MoreRemember People// People matter more than work!
Read MoreThroughout this letter John inseparably combines love and truth. We must love but it must be governed by the truth, a topical subject presently. John warns not to give any hospitality to or even greet the false teachers.
Read MoreThe best thing a dad can do for his kids is to really love their mother. More than giving “things”, more than fancy holidays, more than expensive schools. Really love their mother.
Read MoreWhat you meditate on, works its way out in your daily living. If we meditate on good things, those things also work their way out. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report.
Read MoreDietrich Bonhoeffer said “Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes.”
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And I understand well why Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus calls us to be childlike. But why? There are many things about children that we can disregard. Things like tantrums, selfishness, immaturity, lack of wisdom... but there are also many things about children that we should seek after.
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And I understand well why Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus calls us to be childlike. But why? There are many things about children that we can disregard. Things like tantrums, selfishness, immaturity, lack of wisdom... but there are also many things about children that we should seek after.
Read MoreJesus went all the way to cross - He counted the cost and He was prepared to pay. And His resurrected life is now offered freely to all. Jesus offered His life, like seed scattered by a farmer, freely and willingly. Jesus did not reconsider giving His life based on results, that is, our acceptance of His salvation. Rather Jesus made every preparation to help us be His disciples - Jesus has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and He does call us to live with intention and faith, building and provisioning for others who we invite to join Jesus on the Road.
Read MoreWhen we see what God has done through Jesus, we see the love, care, grace, mercy, power and wisdom of God. It changes our whole attitude towards God, the family of God and the whole meaning of life. What command of God is too burdensome in the light of this? What can Satan possibly throw at us to take away what God himself has sovereignly provided us? In Christ, we are more than conquerors over the world (Rom 8:37).
Read MoreThe nature of true fatherhood includes all the normal traits we admire and celebrate - provider, carer, giver, teacher, example...and the list goes on!
But what about vulnerable?
As we stepped out in our faith, those dreams and desires that God had placed in our lives started to become a reality. When we exercised faith, our confidence and reliance on the Holy Spirit increased, and God performed an amazing work within us.
Read MoreGod took the initiative to mend our broken relationship with him.
This is a lesson for our own broken relationships with others.
We agreed that there are times in every Christian's life, when faced with our own failures, we ask questions, like “Am I really saved?” “Do I have eternal life?”
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