A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit. The spirit of the Lord will rest on him.Isaiah 11:1Full Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10 & Matthew 1:1-17It’s the second day of the first week of Advent. A week of hope. A week to reflect on the anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.And so, we draw from the period of the exile of Israel. I want you to t...  Read More

The LORD God said to the serpent,       “Because you have done this,       cursed are you above all livestock       and above all beasts of the field;       on your belly you shall go,       and dust you shall eat       all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman,       and between your offspring and her offspring;       he shall bruise your head,       and you shall bru...  Read More

29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”Mark 8:29Tomorrow we start our Advent Blog Series - in anticipation of Christmas, the celebration of the arrival of the Messiah.But today, let’s remember who it is we are anticipating. The Messiah. God’s promised King who comes to save His people from their sins.Questions/Thoughts/Tips:Say the passage ou...  Read More

Greet one another with a holy kiss.2 Corinthians 13:12No. It’s ok. I’m not going to suggest we start doing this. I don’t think Paul is either (well, not exactly). In the Greek/Roman world of the early Church, similar to perhaps modern day France or Italy (before COVID), some form of kissing on the cheek was standard practice. It’s a physical gesture that indicates welcoming and closeness. It’s a c...  Read More

The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ”Exodus 31:16-17Just like I’ve had a poor relationship with work, the same is true with rest.I used to think that rest was d...  Read More

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”Revelation 4:11Like most of us, I am in awe of God’s creation. As I write this blog, I look out to the mountains and the sky, the sun is just rising. The birds provide the soundtrack backed up with the faint sound of waves crashing. No human technolog...  Read More

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?A. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.Westminster Shorter CatechismWhat do eggs and ice have in common? Both favourites of Youth Leaders to illustrate the Trinity. The truth is that no illustration from our world can truly captur...  Read More

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:“‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance;we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors...  Read More

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.Colossians 3:23-24I’ve always had a patchy relationship with work. I like it, but I hate it. Like many of you, I don’t want to work. So when I see Paul say, whatever you do, work a...  Read More

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.Mark 1:17-18The process of memorisation is a critical part of a process of change. Changing us to be our new self in Christ. We have been called to a new identity and a new purpose. Like the disciples, we are all charged with the growing of the kingdom of God. For some, that w...  Read More

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;...  Read More

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built ...  Read More