19 July 2020Blind Bartimaeus Receives His SightMark 10:46-52 As a child and young teenager, I had almost no Christian upbringing. Atheism was the only choice on offer. Science, I was told, prohibits any belief in God and thus all religion is nonsense. And as so often is the case now belief in God was not even […]
HA Daily Devotions: July 13th – July 26th Monday July 13th – David the Shepherd BoyRead: 1 Samuel 16:7 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’Reflect: Saul […]
Reflection on the Widow of NainLuke 7:11-17The loss of a loved one if you have experienced it can be a dark, isolated lonely place. It can take time to heal and come to terms with and sometimes people never come to terms with the loss of a loved one.This woman had already lost her husband. […]
Reflection on Zacchaeus’ storyLuke 19:1-10 For our reflections in July and August we are taking different characters in the Bible and asking the questions who are they and what was life like for them before they met Jesus, how did they meet him and what changed for them.Today we are thinking about Zacchaeus.Often we are attracted […]
Holy Apostles Devotions 29 June – 12th July 2020 Monday 29th June Read: 1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life […]
Self- ControlProverbs 25:28 (NLT) “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” Titus 1:8 “Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” What does it feel like to be out of control, to lose your rag, to say things that you shouldn’t have, to […]
Reflection on Gentleness based on Philippians 4:5 & Ephesians 4:2I am reading a fascinating book at the moment called ‘Why do so many incompetent men become leaders’? One of the author’s central arguments is that self-confidence is commonly mistaken for competence. Numerous studies have shown that when a job applicant displays confidence in their application […]
Holy Apostles Daily Devotions 15-28 June 2020 Sharing Stories In these devotions we are thinking about different people who met Jesus and wondering what story would they tell of how their lives changed as a result. Monday 15th June Joseph’s Story Read: Matthew 1:18-25 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord […]
14 June 2020 Faithfulness 2 Corinthians 5:6-7“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” Luke 16:10“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who […]
“Goodness” & “Kindness” – Ephesians 4:32 / Psalm 23:6 / Romans 2:4 William Wordsworth said: “The best portion of a man’s life – his little, nameless, unremembered acts of “kindness” and love”. Frederick Faber said: ““Kindness” has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence or learning” There are, other quotes I could have used, but space […]