NEW: Aren't all religions just the same thing really?
We might have heard the non-Christians we know say things like: “Religions are all the same really. The specifics don’t matter that much.” But when we put this to the test, we see the specifics are a big deal. All religions have such different starting points, end goals and ways to live—it’s hard to think they can all be equally…
A Good Workman
Sovereign Intervention
Barbara grew up under the care of the British government in the 1960s, but when she turned sixteen, she and her newborn son Simon became homeless. The state was no longer obligated to provide for her at that age. Barbara wrote to the Queen of England for help and received a response! The Queen compassionately arranged for Barbara to be given a house of her own.
The Queen of England had the right resources to help Barbara, and her compassionate assistance can be seen as a small picture of God’s. The King of heaven knows all of our needs and sovereignly…
God Looms Larger
Giles Kelmanson, South African game ranger, described the incredible scene: two honey badgers battling a pride of six lions. Although outnumbered, the honey badgers refused to back down from ferocious predators ten times their size. The lions thought the kill would be simple, but video footage shows the badgers walking away with something like a swagger.
David and Goliath offer an even more improbable story. Young, inexperienced David confronted the fierce Philistine Goliath. Towering above his young combatant, Goliath possessed brute strength and unrivalled weaponry—bronze armor and a lethal, razor-edged javelin (vv. 5–6). David, a fledgling shepherd, carried only a slingshot…
Starting Now
When my oldest sister’s biopsy revealed cancer in late February 2017, I remarked to friends, “I need to spend as much time with Carolyn as possible—starting now.” Some told me my feelings were an overreaction to the news. But she died within ten months, and even though I had spent hours with her, when we love someone there’s never enough time for our hearts to love enough.
The apostle Peter called Jesus’s followers in the early church to “love each other deeply” (1 Peter 4:8). They were suffering under persecution and needed the love of their brothers and sisters in their…
Practicing What We Preach
Pastor and spiritual writer Eugene Peterson had the opportunity to hear a lecture by Swiss physician and highly respected pastoral counselor Paul Tournier. Peterson had read the doctor’s works, and admired his approach to healing. The lecture left a deep impression on Peterson. As he listened, he had the feeling that Tournier lived what he spoke and spoke what he lived. Peterson chose this word to describe his experience: “Congruence. It is the best word I can come up with.”
Congruence – it’s what some refer to as “practicing what you preach” or “walking your talk.” John stresses that if any of…
Every Story
I opened the whimsically illustrated children’s Bible and began to read to my grandson. Immediately we were enthralled as the story of God’s love and provision unfurled in prose. Marking our place, I turned the book over and read the title once again: The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name.
Every story whispers His name. Every story.
To be honest, sometimes the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is hard to understand. Why do those who don’t know God seem to triumph over God’s own? How can God permit such cruelty when we know that His character is pure and that…
How can I make God the centre of my social media?
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
The Bible says that we all need to feel good and satisfied; to live with meaning and purpose. But the problem is, when we’re obsessing over our social media profiles, we’re looking for those things in the wrong place. So how can we keep God at…
Where does Christianity fit with all the other religions?
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
From meaningless existence to reincarnation or life after death, you can live your life for loads of different faiths, causes and religions. So how do we know Christianity has it right? Can we mix the religions up a bit to suit what we want? Can we…
What’s so bad about porn?
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
Looking at porn is exciting to start. Yet it’s not long until it takes over, demands our attention and, too late, we realise it won’t let us go. It affects our self-esteem, our relationships, our ability to open up, our expectation of sex and our mental…
Who am I?
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Does our Instagram account make us who we are? Or is it our school grades? Or the amount of friends we have? Or what our parents say about us? Is it a bit of a mix? The Bible tells us there is a better, more secure…
What’s so bad about gossip?
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
The world of gossip quickly fills up with stress, anxiety, outsmarting each other, split friendship groups, backstabbing, trolling and loneliness. Maybe you think this booklet is going to be all about telling you to STOP right now! But what if actually there’s a plan that’s better…
What difference does God make when I feel depressed?
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
Have you ever felt like giving up? Do you go through times when you just keep spiralling downwards with no way out. Maybe you felt really low for a long time after you lost someone close. Maybe you feel like depression is always hovering over you,…
Do I have to go to church?
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
Do we really have to go to church? Couldn’t we just go to youth group meetings and skip Sunday mornings? Or even just do our Christianity by ourselves? Church is actually a really important part of our life with God. It’s an exciting place to grow,…
Big Questions about . . . sin
Read the full booklet here. Watch this space for when the print version becomes available
Sin is a little word, but it seems to come up a lot in sermons, youth group and Bible studies. But what exactly is it? Things we want to do, but know we shouldn’t? Should we secretly love it or only ever hate it? And is…
