Tag Archives: read

Gospel Consequences and Tough Love

We have the gospel of life, the world needs to to hear it. It won’t unless we persist in prayer and in sharing the truth with family, friends and neighbors. One of the consequences of living a godly life is persecution. Jesus warned his followers they would face persecution but to be of good cheer because He had overcome the world,John 16:33. Mention of persecution was not a one off. You will find this idea repeated in Matthew 5:10-12, Matthew 10:23, Matthew 24:9, Mark 10:30, and John 15:20 In the current economic crisis people are struggling for something or someone … Continue reading →

Challenge for 2009

Yesterday at church we had some of the members of the Huskisson Scripture Union beach mission team come to join us for the day. What a great service! The first song our music team sang, ‘People Just Like Us,’ made me think of my daughter over the other side of the world but doing exactly the same as what we were doing, worshipping Jesus. As the song says, ‘All Over the World people just like us are following Jesus, we’re worshipping Jesus.’ At about that time our daughter was giving her testimony in a service thousands of miles away. That … Continue reading →

What Would You Force Your Spouse To Do?

I know the word “force” seems a little strong, and generally speaking in a healthy marriage you’d never think of “forcing” your spouse to do anything, but there could come a time when force is needed. For instance, say your spouse was witness to some injustice, either at work or on the streets, but they were afraid of speaking up. You know speaking up’s the right thing to do, but you can’t seem to convince them. Until you get the bright idea to force them to, either by driving them to the police station or setting up a meeting with … Continue reading →

What a Joy!

Church this morning was great, even if I did manage to muck up the bible reading by starting to read the wrong passage. I started in 1 Thessalonians instead of 2 Thessalonians. I kept thinking,‘Gee this sounds different to what I read earlier in my New American Standard Version at home’ Good reason for that! Anyway, I was gently corrected and started on take 2. I was thrilled with the songs we sang this morning. We started with By the Cross which has long been a favorite of mine. I love the jazz feel of the tune, not to mention … Continue reading →

5 Tips for Combating Loneliness

If you’re struggling with loneliness what can you do about it? Here are 5 tips for combating loneliness. Join a church if you don’t already belong to one. If you do and you’re not making good friends there, then maybe you ought to start looking for another spiritual home where people are actively trying to live out the Christian life and that means connecting with others and putting ourselves out for others. Don’t just go along to church on Sundays but become involved – join a bible study group? There you will get to know people in a more relaxed … Continue reading →

Why Should You Leave a Church?

On my last blog I suggested there are times when we should leave a church – if the church and its leaders are not faithful in the teaching of God’s Word and do not accept basic tenets of the Christian faith. These basic tenets include: Jesus is the Son of God who came in Human form Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. The bodily resurrection of Jesus. I was brought up in Anglican churches which regularly said the Nicene Creed. They are the tenets of faith. By saying them we agree that we believe … Continue reading →

When Should You Leave a Church?

The other day we looked at the impossibility of finding a perfect church. In that blog and another one I suggested what to me, are the essential points to look for in a church. But when should you leave a church and move on to look for another spiritual home? It is a problem we have come up against several times in our lives. In our home bible study group we’ve been studying John’s letters. Last week we looked at 2 John and John’s love for those who were ‘walking in truth’ verse 4, as some in the church were. … Continue reading →

Baby Blessings: An Alternative to Traditional Church Ceremony

Baby blessing is a ritual that is becoming increasingly popular with new parents. Read on to learn about baby blessings and see if this is something that is right for your baby and your family. A baby blessing is a welcoming and blessing ritual for your baby that isn’t associated with a particular church or religion. While people who are unfamiliar with this practice may think it is something new age or without an element of traditional religion, this is far from the case. A baby blessing can encompass many different ideas and meld together religious beliefs and traditions. In … Continue reading →

The Older Couple at Church

When my mom was living with us, Wayne and I made it a point to take her to church on Sundays. She was Catholic, we’re not, but the Sunday after she died, we made a point of going to her church anyway. It was part of our own private memorial to her. We arrived a little early and took a seat in one of the back pews where we’d sit with my mom. I immediately started looking for them –the older couple Wayne had spotted the first Sunday we’d gone with my mom. “Aren’t they cute?” he’d leaned over and … Continue reading →

Welcome Or Not – part 2

Supposing someone walks into your church. They are not dressed the way people in your church normally dress. In fact, as you look at them you, can’t help yourself from making a snap judgment. They look like a bit of a loser. Here is a helpful article that reminds us not to make those snap judgments and yes, I admit to having been guilty of them myself at times. We need to show love to those who enter our churches. Why? Because that’s what Jesus did. Jesus never worried about whether people were, what society would call, losers. Some of … Continue reading →