What will you discover today?

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  The Secret of Contentment: Rejoice in Christ

  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 4:4,6-7 — I’ve been thinking a lot about contentment in the past couple of years, and have been struck by the fact that we can choose to be content. As Paul says in Philippians 4:12, ‘I have learned the secret of be...

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  The Secret of Contentment: Grow in Christ

  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14 — Did you make any New Year’s resolutions this year? No, me neither. These days just getting enough d...

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  The Secret of Contentment: Live Like Christ

  Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16 — One sure sign of a discontented person is their tendency to grumble. I’m sure you know people for whom every bus journey, every supermarket visit, every email from their boss is a cause to moan, complain, and see the worst. And that was even before the days of mas...

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  The Secret of Contentment: Live for Christ

  The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. PHILIPPIANS 1:18 — Paul wrote to the Philippians from a Roman prison. He’d lost his freedom, he’d lost his ministry…you’d think he would be weary and discouraged. Instead, his letter bubbles over with joy, going so far as to say that he has ‘learned to be content whatever the circumstances’ (4:11). In this short series, we are going to look at just a few of this letter’s wonderful teachings t...

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  Christmas Illuminations: The Light Has Come

  ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’). MATTHEW 1:23 — ‘God with us – you’re kidding me! Where was he when I lost my job this year? Where was he when I was home alone for nine months? Where was he when my dad died without his family at his bedside? “Immanuel – God with us”? You can take that Christmas card and put it straight in the bin.’ I wonder whether Mary felt like binning the angel’s message when she and Joseph had to flee to Egy...

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  Christmas Illuminations: Waiting in Hope

  But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. MICAH 5:2 — Last week, my husband, son, and I felt so happy to be able to meet with our best friends after weeks of just being able to chat over Zoom dinners. Only allowed to meet outdoors, off we trotted to my local zoo’s light festival, complete with our Christmas hats and matching Rudolf masks. As I entered the zoo illuminated with the vibrant c...

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  Christmas Illuminations: Peace in the Particular

  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. ISAIAH 9:6-7 — Jennifer and Manish are still dealing with the fallout from choos...

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  Christmas Illuminations: The Light Dawns

  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ISAIAH 9:2 — This Advent, everyone’s waiting. But alongside the Christian tradition of waiting expectantly to celebrate the birth of the Saviour, the world waits to be saved from COVID-19. And, interestingly, both forms of waiting use the same language: of ‘light breaking through’. Earlier this month, when the first promising signs from vaccine trials emerged, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England off...

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  Whole Life Worship: Worship and Our Whole Lives

  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. COLOSSIANS 3:15-17 — I have a large extended family, still mostly living in my home vill...

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  Whole Life Worship: Worship and Creation

  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. PSALM 19:1-4 — At this time, you may miss singing with others in church, but the Bible is clear that humans are not the only part of creation able to praise God. The very air around us, and the sky with its sunsets and magnificent ...

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