Ever counted how many times you look in the mirror each day - and why? Maybe it's to check your hair or whether you have spinach in your teeth. Maybe it's to make sure your clothes look "right". Maybe it's a glance that fills you with despair as you spot an unwanted bulge, a new grey hair or a pimple.
Our relationship with ourselves is under the microscope as a fashionable trend has developed in the US for women to go on a mirror fast (The Guardian and BBC). The idea is to go a whole month, or even a year without looking in the mirror. The offending objects are covered over with towels or banished from the bedroom and hall. The result, say enthusiasts, is that, remarkably, your self image improves! Mirror fasters report that constantly checking out your own image actually leads you to become far more critical of yourself than others. And although there are inconveniences the overall results are a greater freedom and confidence in yourself. Mirrors effectively give you greater control over your appearance, while at the same time robbing you of your confidence about how you look!... continue reading
Teaching children to pray can be a challenging task. They're often quite keen to open their mouths and be honest with the Lord about what they want - a refreshing and, at times, amusing trait. But encouraging them to pray biblically can be a little harder.
That's where thumb prayers can come in. A simple technique to help children remember some key areas of prayer. And all you need is, well, your thumbs!
Thumbs up!
Thank you God for being great... Colossians 4:2
With thumbs in the air, encourage the children to thank God for who he is and the many good gifts he has given us.
Thumbs down!
Sorry for the times I've messed up ... 1 John 1:9
With thumbs pointing to the ground, encourage the children to say sorry to God for the times they have thought, said or done things that are not what he would want.
Thumbs out!
Please help other people to get to know you ... Matthew 6:10
With thumbs pointing out towards the outside world, encourage the children to think about their friends at school who don't know Jesus and ask God to help them get to know him better.
Thumbs in!
Please help me to become more like you ... Ephesians 3:16-19
And finally, with thumbs pointing in to their hearts, encourage the children to ask God to help them become more like Jesus ... and set them free to ask for all those other things that matter dearly to them!
Holidays are God's gift for us to relax, and to enjoy a change of pace and lifestyle.
But don't make the mistake of giving up on feeding daily on God's Word! In fact, resting should be about taking the opportunity to rest MORE in God's word - not less!
To save the space in your suitcase, why not download the Explore App to your Android or Apple device (phone or pad). It comes as a small self-contained app with 30 days of Bible reading built in, and the opportunity to download daily readings. We will soon be offering some new special readings for the autumn. Use the QR code on this page to link to the Android Marketplace, or search for Explore Bible Devotional on Marketplace or on the Apple App store.
MAJOR POINTS FROM THE MINOR PROPHETS
By John Blanchard
Evangelical Press. 286 pages.
£9.99 ISBN: 978-0-852347829
“Please open your Bibles and turn with me to the clean pages”, a friend of the author’s once said when beginning a sermon! Pick up your Bible and look at the page edges. Are there maybe some ‘dirty’ ones at the beginning (Genesis), in the middle (Psalms) and later on (the Gospels), but are they ‘clean’ when it comes to the last twelve books of the Old Testament – the Minor Prophets?! I wonder…... continue reading
July has been another exciting month: Christianity Explored is now available in Portuguese!
The translation was spearheaded by our Brazilian brothers at Editora Crista Evangelica and launched to 250 pastors earlier this month. Since then the course has been snapped up by church leaders and evangelists across Brazil – the material proving particularly popular at the 100th Spiritual Convention (a big event similar to the Keswick Convention). ... continue reading
Imagine you are in a race.
You don't remember the starting gun, you just know that you are running, running, running.
All around you people jostle. Some surge ahead, some get left behind. Others drop exhausted by the roadside.
Sometimes it feels great. There are people around you, encouraging you, cheering you on. The wind in your hair and the sun on your face are truly beautiful.... continue reading
It's estimated that 1 in 4 people in the UK struggle with depression at some point in their life. Most of us know someone in that situation. But how can churches respond? What difference can a loving and supportive, Jesus-centred community make to those who feel life is very bleak?
At our Open Day last Saturday, Alison Mitchell gave an immensely helpful seminar addressing just that. If you weren't able to be with us then you might like to listen online instead. Click here to start. Click here for the seminar handout.
And UK customers, do check back later for a great deal on a recommended book ...
We're thrilled to be able to tell you some great news and offer you a great deal on the latest edition of the Christianity Explored DVD:
The recently re-shot DVD has been awarded Adult Media Product of the Year at this year's Christian Resources Together (CRT) Award Ceremony. The award was presented by Curt Cassells of sponsors Cunninghams and received by Good Book's, James Burstow. ... continue reading
None of us are perfect. And so none of us enters into any ministry with entirely pure motives. Such fallenness doesn't stop us from serving God. But it's always good to be aware of our weaknesses and to be honest about the reasons that lay behind our ministry decisions. Certainly, when it comes to something as costly as church planting, it's imperative we know why we're doing it. There are good reasons to start a new congregation. And there are profoundly bad reasons too.
In this article, Phillip Jensen from Australia sets out 12 common reasons why people decide to start new churches. It's the good, the bad and the ugly of church-planting motivation. If you're in the process of thinking through whether to be involved in starting up a new church or a new congregation then you might like to put your heart to the test and see where your true motives lie!
The role of bringing up children is a profoundly important one. And whether we're a parent, grandparent, God-parent or family friend, we know it's crucial to be praying for the little ones we love. But in the busyness of each day, it's all too easy for our prayers to become formulaic, limited to practical needs or simply forgotten.
So, in the coming month, why not try working your way through these 31 prayer points.
It's a great encouragement to put spiritual growth right at the centre of our prayers for the children in our immediate and extended families.
