Christmas is a time of the year when a lot of families and extended families make the effort to gather together for a meal. These family gatherings can be a lot of fun as we catch up with relatives that we might not have seen for a while. We can share what we’ve been up... Continue Reading →
Harmony (Romans 15:4-13)
As we move towards Christmas, we might be hearing a lot of Christmas songs and carols. They can be ancient carols through to modern songs, sung by choirs, rock bands or vocalists in a wide variety of musical styles. One musical group with a pretty large following that performs Christmas music is called Pentatonix. Pentatonix... Continue Reading →
A Beautiful Temple (Luke 21:5-19)
Many of us might be able to understand what Jesus’ disciples were thinking in the opening verses of this week’s Gospel reading, Luke 21:5-19. They were walking with Jesus through the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, pointing out and marvelling at its ‘majestic stonework … and the memorial decorations on the walls’ (v5 NLT). Instead of... Continue Reading →
A Faith-Filled Investment (Jeremiah 32:1-3a,6-15)
Life was looking hopeless to Jeremiah in this week’s Old Testament reading, Jeremiah 32:1-3a,6-15. He was under arrest for speaking God’s word to his people. King Hezekiah didn’t like what Jeremiah was saying and so put him in prison. At the same time, the mighty and all-conquering Babylonian army was camped outside the walls of... Continue Reading →
Released (Luke 13:10-17)
Most dog owners would probably agree that their pets are happiest when they are running free. There are times when dogs need to be on a leash, such as when they are going for a walk in a public place. At other times, it might be necessary to tie them up, for example if visitors... Continue Reading →
Three Ingredients (Isaiah 1:1,10-20)
There are a few different ways to make pancakes. For example, we can buy a bottle of pancake mix from the shops, add water, shake, and pour the batter into a hot pan. Another way to make pancakes is to use a more complicated recipe using self-raising flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla... Continue Reading →
The Church: Christ’s Body (Colossians 1:15-28)
This Sunday St Peter’s is celebrating the 125th anniversary of their church building. For one hundred and twenty-five years God’s people have gathered in that place to hear the good news of Jesus, to welcome people into the family of God through baptism, and to receive the body and blood of our crucified and risen... Continue Reading →
Back to Basics (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell stories of conversations Jesus had with people about the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28). Jesus quoted the Old Testament when he said that the greatest command is to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), and to love our... Continue Reading →
Peace (Luke 1:68-79)
Finding our way from one place to another has become much easier since the Global Positioning System, or GPS, was invented. Finding our destination on a map, working out the best way to get there, and relying on someone in the passenger’s seat to give the driver accurate directions could get pretty complicated. It was... Continue Reading →
A Glimpse of Eternity (Revelation 7:9-17)
A few months before any new movie is released in the cinema, a trailer for the movie usually appears. We might see these trailers in a few different places: as advertisements on our televisions, at the cinema before we see another movie, or on YouTube. Their purpose is to give us an idea of what... Continue Reading →