8%. Or thereabouts. That’s the percentage of people who are unemployed in the UK and US. In other countries it’s significantly worse – closer to 15% in Ireland and 25% in Greece and Spain. And so it’s likely, if not inevitable, that we all know someone who is struggling to find a job.
Being unemployed can be a dismal experience. There’s the waste of talents, the stigma of being ‘let go’, the social isolation of being away from colleagues, the worry that in some way you’re ‘not good enough’, the relentless application form filling, the repeated rejection letters and, of course, the ever present question of how to pay the bills, make ends meet. And it’s not just a personal experience, the whole family is affected – marriages feel the strain as couples get under each other’s feet, struggle to understand the pressures of looking for work, become snappy over money and live in fear of having to move somewhere smaller, somewhere cheaper, somewhere away from the people they get on with best.
But it is not an experience that is unusual in this fallen world. It is not a problem about which God is unaware. It is not something about which he does not care. And it is something in which our brothers and sisters can support us. So, over the next few days we are going to take a look at why being unemployed hurts. And encourage each other by reflecting on the opportunities it provides for growth – both within the individuals who are job-hunting and within the wider church.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
1 John 3 v 1-3
Incredible. All Christians are children of God! He lavishes His love on them. It’s the greatest privilege in the universe. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus is transforming us to become more like Him, even before He returns and completes the job. We are God’s children so we should start living like it.
At the Bible Centred Youthwork Conference this week some of the delegates made a likeness of The Good Book Company Managing Director, Tim Thornborough.
Any captions? We'd love to hear your ideas!
Being religious doesn't help you love your neighbour
Is freedom of religion declining in the USA?
Pastor faces possible death sentence
Christian fundamentalists freak out over yoga in the military
Abortion in the USA
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
In 1973, the law in America changed. The States legalised abortion. And it is estimated that in the region of 50 million abortions have been performed in the US since that time. But this week, 40 years on, the issue is being as hotly contended as it was when the decision was first taken. A poll recently indicated that 54% of Americans now believe abortion should be legal and 7 out of 10 of those surveyed said they did not want the law to be changed. But, in some places at least, the tide is turning back towards a pro-life stance.
Some individual States are taking a stand and making it next to impossible for abortion clinics to function. Mississippi has just one abortion clinic left and that is struggling to survive in the face of local laws requiring such organisations to have hospital-admitting privileges. Some Americans fear - others celebrate - the fact that 4 States are down to their last clinic and may soon have none.
But what, as Christians, are we to make of this hotly debated political issue, this desperately emotive pastoral crisis that impacts so many lives? How can we enact what the Bible teaches us about the value of life on a local and a national scene while at the same time supporting those women who are in crisis pregnancy? This time last year, we ran a series on Abortion on The Good Book Blog. Here are the links. We hope they will help fuel the discussions that we know many of our readers are having with Christian and non-Christian friends this week.
Precious child or potential child?
Caring for those who have had an abortion
Today on The Good Book Blog, Carl Laferton speaks to Mike McKinley about his new book, Passion.
Passion is a book about the last day of Jesus' life, leading up to the cross. There are A LOT of books about the cross! Why is this one different?
Well, Passion certainly doesn't break any startling new ground. I think that's probably a good thing! But there are three features of the book's approach that I hope make it particularly helpful: First, it’s expositional. The book is rooted in the text of Luke. I hope that by the time the reader is finished with the book, they have a fresh grasp of the what the Scriptures tell us about the suffering of our Lord. Second, it’s applicational (if that’s a word!). The writers of the New Testament saw the cross of Christ (alongside his resurrection) as one of the foundational realities of the Christian life. The cross applies to our lives right now; we are meant to live and love and believe in light of what Jesus did for us there. Third, it’s slow.There is a lot of action packed into Luke's account of that day. My goal in Passion was to slow down and look carefully at all of those events and what they mean to us.... continue reading
1. 10 Steps to Reading 50 Books in 2013
Josh Stringer looks at 10 ways to read 50 books in a year.
2. Lessons for a Young Preacher: Preach the Word
Dan Green shares 10 lessons he's learnt from the book 'Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry'.
3. Advice on Counselling Unbelievers
Mike McKinley highlights this advice from the Journal of Biblical Counselling.
4. 20 Directions for New Believers
Mike Leake shares these directions from Richard Baxter.
5. And finally...
Our video of the week, Mike McKinley introduces his new book, Passion:
And here, to whet your appetite, is an extract from Mike McKinley's brand new book, Passion.
Barabbas is famous for being the man who was set free instead of Jesus. We only know a few things about him. We know his name. Barabbas means “son of the father” (bar=”son”, abba=”father”). Some early manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew tell us that Barabbas’ full name was Jesus Barabbas.
We also know that he was in jail, having been found guilty of starting a riot and committing a murder. He was a dangerous criminal, a killer.
Barabbas is the opposite of the people we’d like to be, and like to think of ourselves as. But for a moment, put yourself in his shoes. You are sitting in a Roman jail awaiting your death. You know you will be crucified for your crimes. And, in your more honest moments, you know you deserve it. There aren’t many worse ways to die. And so day after day you sit in this jail, anticipating the nails, the mockery, the excruciating pain, the blood filling your lungs, the breaking of your legs. That’s your future. You don’t know when it’s coming, but you know it is coming.... continue reading
The cross of Jesus is the centre of human history. It's the centre of the Christian faith. And it changes everything we are, everything we have been, everything we will become. Or at least it should ... But it's all too easy to let the wonder that is the cross seem routine, in our thinking it can become just an historical fact that will one day get us a free pass to eternal life. All too often it doesn't always have the pivotal place in our lives that it deserves. Which is why we're so excited to be launching Mike McKinley's new book today: Passion.
Through its pages, Mike takes us on a tour of the last day of Jesus' life. He draws out the awfulness of Jesus' execution and the awesomeness of the salvation it buys in ways that will inspire and equip. Through the questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, the implications of Jesus' death are gently but challengingly brought to bear. So whether you're exploring Christianity, a new Christian or have been following Jesus for many years, this book is a great opportunity to reflect on how Christ's Passion can change everything - absolutely everything.
To buy Passion with at least 15% saving, click here if you're in the UK, or for our US customers buy Passion here. Or check back later today for a the chance to read an extract from the book ...
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2 v 1-2
Christians still mess up and sin. But God has given us the ultimate solution to sin — Jesus Christ. He sacrificed His own life to atone for our sins — to make things right with God. If we trust in Him, Jesus comes to our defence. We’ve all sinned and deserve God’s punishment, but Jesus is our defence lawyer — pointing to His own death in our place to rescue us from the death sentence.
