Choose Life.

Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” The consultant pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of the executives. Then he produced a number of fist-sized rocks and put each of them into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top…

Proverbs 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Towards the end of the Second World War, the Allies were bombing Berlin. Heavy and relatively cumbersome bombers would be accompanied by smaller more agile fighter planes to protect them from enemy fire so that they could unleash their…

Philippians 1:6 “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Is life a problem to be solved or an adventure to be lived? One of my cycling adventures took me all the way around Burundi with nine other…

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” One of the advantages of living in a developing country like Burundi is that out here we’re not bombarded relentlessly with the same number of scantily clad women selling whatever product has nothing to do with their beautiful bodies. But…

Ephesians 5:15,16 “Be very careful how you live… making the most of every opportunity.” I’m sure you can relate to the feeling of getting to the end of a hectic day full of business and activity and yet not having got done the things you really wanted to. That’s because it’s easy to confuse activity…

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE James 4:6,7 “But he gives us more grace. That is why the Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God.” The idea that God stands in concerted opposition to the proud is a powerful and sobering one. I might fancy my chances…

Luke 22:33-34 “Peter replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’” We can take somewhat perverse comfort from Peter’s fickle following of Jesus – the fact that he reneged…

Matthew 27:30 “The soldiers spat on him.” During the dark years of Communist rule in Romania, a large part of the Church cowed to the authorities and compromised their faith. As far as the Romanian Government was able, it systematically undermined and destroyed the Church. Richard Wurmbrand was at a pastors’ congress in which all…

1 Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Successful businessman Jerry Singleton grew attached to a little boy who was his regular shoe shiner at the train station. The boy…

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.” In the mid-1990s, I paid my first ever visit to the famous London church, Holy Trinity Brompton, for their winter carol service, which was held in the dark with atmospheric candles lending…