7 “When my life was ebbing away,    I remembered you, Lord,and my prayer rose to you,    to your holy temple.8 “Those who cling to worthless idols    turn away from God’s love for them.9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,    will sacrifice to you.What I have vowed I will make good.    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”Jonah 2:7-9One of the hallmarks of previous generations was a dee...  Read More

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.2 Timothy 2:1-2I’ve been reading a book on the 14th century - when the bubonic plague decimated the populations of Europe (up to 50%!).It made me very thankful for our government. Aft...  Read More

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.Westminster Shorter CatechismI don’t know about you - but I’m not great at being told how to do something. Give me a task - no worries. Let me figure it out. In my own way....  Read More

Trust in the Lord with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6One of the greatest lies that our culture ever told was that a godly existence = condemned to a boring vanilla life. To think that you might only ever have sex with one person or no person. Or that you wouldn’t enjoy the pleasures of drug exp...  Read More

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.Jonah 1:17It was only 2021 when a scuba diving lobster fisherman in Cape Cod (USA) was accidentally sucked into the mouth of a humpback whale. For 30-40 seconds. He went to hospital with significant tissue damage but no broken bones.Why only 30-40 seconds? Well, humpback whales...  Read More

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving...  Read More

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 15:5-6From before we even planted Village Church, Romans 15:5-6 has been my prayer. One of my experiences of Church has been division. No, not at Village (so far). But bef...  Read More

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.Jonah 1:3Have you ever tried to ‘flee from God’? No, probably not physically - although maybe you tried.But maybe think of it this way. Have you felt/thought God was telling you to do someth...  Read More

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.Psalm 107:21We’ve talked a few times about what we give thanks for. And I reckon, most of us are still in the boat of giving thanks most of all for things that make our life easier, safer or more enjoyable.We thank God for the food He gives. For the shelter. For the friends and family we love. For the job o...  Read More

Q1. What is the chief end of man?A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.Westminster Shorter CatechismOver the coming weeks/months - it’s going to be Theology Thursdays using the Westminster Shorter Catechism as our textbook. This helpful document was put together by some faithful Christians in the 16th century to help God’s people learn what the Bible says about well… every...  Read More

Is not wisdom found among the aged?Does not long life bring understanding?Job 12:12One of the great signs that a civilisation has lost the plot - is when it starts to ignore older people’s wisdom. Have you noticed this? There’s been a shift in where wisdom can be found. It’s not in old people but in the young. Think of Greta Thunberg.Or maybe it’s not about old/young. It’s about profile. Isn’t it ...  Read More

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”Jonah 1:1-2Wicked is such a strong word isn’t it. No wonder we have tried to mutate it into a word that means something entirely different.But when you dig into it - it’s easy to get onboard with calling Nineveh a wicked city. The non-Biblical s...  Read More