For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Mark 10:45It’s a critical verse in Mark’s gospel that sums up the kindness of Christ. It reminds us that Jesus came - not by accident but for a purpose. He was God who came from heaven to earth.We were in a great debt, enslaved to our sins. But this God, though He could have by all rights br...  Read More

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:18-20Ge...  Read More

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the ...  Read More

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.Genesis 1:3-4Growing up I had a friend who lost his mum at the age of 9. It left him with a Dad and two younger brothers. A house of three bo...  Read More

Q. 84. What doth every sin deserve?A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.Westminster Shorter CatechismI often get into a habit of congratulating myself. I’m a pretty good guy. I’ve never murdered. Never hijacked a plane. My police record is clean. And you know what… I reckon I’m not so bad that I or anyone as not-bad as me deserve hell. Most of ...  Read More

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.1 Timothy 4:7My grandmother is from another time. She was born one of eight children, in a small village in the east of Italy. Her marriage was arranged for her when she was 18 years to a man she had hardly met.She is a lady of deep superstition. We were warned never to wear dark clothes when we went to ...  Read More

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.Exodus 25:8-9Imagine something with me. Walking to the Win Entertainment centre. You go past Chicko’s…. Oh wait… So sad… Anyway. Across the road and into those big doors. You go into the arena. What have you come to see?No… Not the Hawks. Not...  Read More

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3We saw this yesterday. That a strong faith comes from craving the pure spiritual milk of the Scriptures. How do we turn from eating spiritual junk food that makes us feel full but gives us no nourishment? We memorise a passage like this one.M...  Read More

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.1 Peter 2:2-3Life is full of cravings. Family. Friendship. Fulfilment. Food. Fun. I’ve run out of f’s. Perhaps we could add one more. Faith.Deep down we need a mature and strong faith. A solid assurance of who God is and His love. A confidence in how to li...  Read More

The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 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 31:16-17We saw on Tuesday that we should rest well because when we do, we can work hard as those who work for the ...  Read More

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sistersRomans 8:28-29I don’t know about you. But I’ve made a lot of mistakes in life. I’ve made decisions that hurt me and many that hurt...  Read More

Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.Westminster Shorter CatechismWe have skipped a few. As much as doing twenty questions on the Ten Commandments would be beneficial - I do want to finish the Catechism in under a year!At t...  Read More