Have you ever been led to feel as though your pain is just a tool to God? Perhaps others have praised the fruit of any difficult times you have experienced, but your battle-scars are left unacknowledged and untended in the light of the good they have brought about. Maybe, you think, you shouldn’t mind them as much as you do. ... continue reading
We’ve all known people who seemed to face extraordinary adversity. For many, one catastrophic event marks their life for many years. Others experience difficult circumstances in waves. Nothing seems to work out for them. They nearly always end up disappointed, and those around them are perplexed as to why it’s happening.... continue reading
I believe that God still arranges encounters with us. I believe this from my own experience, but more importantly for historical reasons. The Bible is filled with examples of God encountering men and women in unusual places and revealing Himself in powerful ways. God spoke to people in history in unmistakable ways. He speaks to us in the present day through the Scriptures and His Holy Spirit. He answers prayers and meets needs. He still speaks.... continue reading
Watching a child leave home for the first time is a painful challenge. You want them to find their footing in Jesus, especially in a culture that keeps on changing.
To help, we’ve put together eight of our recommended books to give to students leaving the nest. Read on to find the best one for the student in your life.... continue reading
Luke’s account of the actual resurrection is remarkably spare given its significance in the gospel message; he simply reports the words of the angels: “He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:6). ... continue reading
After days of debate, the Church of England voted in February to offer blessings in church to same-sex couples. Although ministers can choose not to do so, it puts them and their church families in an extremely difficult and painful position. One particularly difficult accusation that is often levelled at those who refuse to bless same-sex relationships is that their refusal causes deep damage to individuals.... continue reading
As concerns with mental health continue to grow, it can be useful to understand mental health better. However understanding, in and of itself, is not enough. We still need to wrestle with the question: what, as a church, can we do to help those who are suffering? Or maybe, even, what should we do to help those in our congregations who are finding life hard? Before exploring ways to help, there are two important things to note:... continue reading
Struggles with mental health are on the rise. Anxiety, depression and many other diagnoses besides are becoming increasingly common in our congregations and communities. All of us will know someone who is finding life desperately hard. Many of us reading right now will know the awfulness of a persistent low mood or a relentless fear that taints every day. ... continue reading
Most of the times I have read Habakkuk, I have moved quickly past verse 5 to the rest of the book. But verse 5 actually contains wisdom for us about how to live through moments of God’s silence. It is, after all, the exhortation that God himself gives to a man who has been living with that experience for some time.... continue reading
The following is an extract from Chapter 13 of The Songs of a Warrior, an imaginative yet biblically faithful account of the first two kings of Israel by Katy Morgan. This extract retells the story of Samuel’s visit to David told in 1 Samuel 16 v 1-13 and the story of how David started off in Saul’s service documented in 1 Samuel 16 v 14-23. ... continue reading
