Philippians 10: Unity in the Face of Persecution

What's the best response to and safeguard against persecution? Unity. Jesus called His disciples to unity, and Paul repeats that call here for the Philippians. He urges them 'to stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.'

Philippians 9: A Life Worthy of the Gospel

A life worthy of the gospel is one in which each of us is growing to become more like Jesus and working together to spread the love and good news of Jesus to others. It's inner transformation and outward mission.

March’s Lesson: A far better question than “what is my calling?” is “what makes my soul sing?”

March's Lesson: A far better question than “what is my calling?” is “what makes my soul sing?” This post is the latest in a new series based on the main lessons I’ve learnt in 2020. Keeping up the habit I started in 2018, I write down one lesson that I’ve learnt each day. Then, each …

Lessons of 2019 – July

Lessons of 2019 - July.   This is the seventh part in a new blog-series about the lessons I've learned this year. Read the full into in the January post, but basically I'm sharing the stand-out lessons from the last year in the hope that they will inspire and encourage others, and I also want …

Stronghold 13: Ephesians 6:10-18 (The Armour of God)

Stronghold 13: Ephesians 6:10-18 (The Armour of God).   "10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against …

Ephesians Day 31: All the Time, in Every Way

Ephesians Day 31: All the Time, in Every Way. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (6:18)   When it comes to the armour of God there’s one piece that often gets forgotten: prayer. After detailing the different bits of the armour: footwear, belt, breastplate, helmet, shield …

Ephesians Day 30: Daily Armour

Ephesians Day 30: Daily Armour. “Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (6:11)   The armour of God is one of those cool sections of the Bible that really stands out to people. Most people can point to this bit in Ephesians even if …

Ephesians Day 29: Wholehearted Living

Ephesians Day 29: Wholehearted Living. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” (6:7-8)   It’s hard to be a Christian in the workplace, especially in a demoralised one. It’s hard to …

Ephesians Day 28: Model Marriage

Ephesians Day 28: Model Marriage. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (5:22, 25)   These verses are just as unpopular and misunderstood as v. 21 on submission. They’ve been misused and abused but they contain the best …

Ephesians Day 27: Mutual Submission

Ephesians Day 27: Mutual Submission. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (5:21)   Ours is a culture that doesn’t do submission well or often because all the emphasis is on self, rights and entitlement. We don’t like the word submission. That’s because all the connotations are negative. We’ve let the world define …