Choose Life.

John 16:13 “When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit is a Person, not an abstract force. If we simply think of him as an influence, we’ll be keen to have more of ‘it’; but if we rightfully recognize him as a Person, we’ll desire that…

2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” I came to faith through Scripture Union’s youth camps. We used to have a 12-minute Bible talk in the morning, and a 17-minute talk in the evening, and lots of fun and games in between. Then…

Acts 6:1-4 “The Hellenistic Jews…complained…because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution (diakonia) of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘…choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give…

Deuteronomy 33:25 “As your days, so shall your strength be.” Evelyn ‘Granny’ Brand was widowed in India aged fifty. She and her husband Jessie had targeted five mountain tribes that were fiercely resistant to the gospel and remained unreached. They had laboured for many years with no apparent fruit until a dying Hindu priest whom…

Matthew 6:19,20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Twenty four hours after the iPhone 5S went on sale around the world, Apple had sold out. Apple’s press release announced it had sold…

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Galatians 5:22,23 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” There are lots of bugs floating around and infecting countless people at this time of year, some of which are truly debilitating. May you avoid all…

“When the man saw that he could not overpower [Jacob], he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched. Then the man said, ‘Let me go… Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome… and [Jacob] was limping…

Romans 5:3-5: “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us…” Bill Porter accepted who he was, but rejected the world’s verdict on his life. Because of his cerebral palsy, which made it difficult for him to speak clearly, to walk…

Psalm 139:13,14 “You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Gladys Aylward was born in 1904. She was from a poor background. She was short, had black hair, and by all accounts was not outwardly very beautiful. In fact as she grew up she railed…

Hebrews 10:35,36 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he had promised.” A ship sank several hundred miles west of Indonesia, and one man floated for days before getting washed up on…