verseoftheday

Mark 8:1-5 NLT About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them,  "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance." His disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?" Jesus asked,  "How much bread do you have?" Mark 8:1-5 NLT Mark Ch6 doesn't seem all that long ago. In Ch6 Jesus miraculously multiplied the small amount of food that the Disciples located and fed a massive crowd. And it seems like they're in a similar situation. And the Disciples seem to have forgotten, because they ask "how are we supposed to fix this?" And Jesus appears patient and steps thru the same process with them. When we come back to Jesus with the same things, the same ...

When the very bottom of things falls out, what can a righteous person possibly accomplish?   Psalms 11:3 CEB I keep this quote in the front of my journal and return to it regularly when it all seems too much: "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief; Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obliged to complete the work. But neither are you free to abandon it." Perkei Avot 2:16 Rabbi Tarfon The ethics of our fathers. And this one from Jesus: "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart,  because  I  have  overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT When we lose heart, look up, look out, remember that we don't have to fix it all, but work with God in it, and we are held in a Bigger Story, where it might not seem like it, but Jesus has already overcome. #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved  #allwillbeandisbeingmadenew

Sunday Psalms; When the very bottom of things falls out, what can a righteous person possibly accomplish?   Psalms 11:3 CEB  This song asks one of those Big Questions - in v1-2 it paints the picture of a world where evil is winning, and then asks "what can I do in the face of all this?" We have variations on this around our powerlessness to change anything in what we think are meaningful ways... And what does David have to say? But the LORD is in his holy temple.  The LORD!  His throne is in heaven. His eyes see - his vision examines all of humanity.   Psalms 11:4 CEB David asks us to look up. To open again our eyes of faith and remind ourselves of the Big Story that we are in. And our God does see. And He does care.  And His Justice will prevail.  [6] God will rain fiery coals and sulfur on the wicked; their cups will be filled with nothing but a scorching hot wind  because the LORD is righteous!  He loves righteous deeds.  Th...

Mark 8:1-3 CEB In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for the crowd because they have been with me for three days and have nothing to eat.  If I send them away hungry to their homes, they won't have enough strength to travel, for some have come a long distance." Mark 8:1-3 CEB This story places us as an insider, in the small group, hearing Jesus heart for the crowd, turning our mind to the problem Jesus saw, the people Jesus saw. But if I'd been there that day, I'd most likely be in the crowd.  One of many who had been listening to Jesus teaching for 3 days. One of many who had run out of food. One of many facing a long walk home on an empty stomach. One of many with no idea that Jesus saw me, saw my situation, and was doing something about it. In the Big Story Jesus has seen us, seen our situation, and done something about it. And the Cross is central to that.  The Empty Tomb is cen...

Friday! Proverbs! [27] I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans. [28] I was there when he set the clouds above, when he established springs deep in the earth.  [29] I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.  And when he marked off the earth's foundations, [30] I was the architect at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence.  [31] And how happy I was with the world he created;  how I rejoiced with the human family! ... [33] Listen to my instruction and be wise. ... [35] For whoever finds me finds life... Proverbs 8:27-31, 33, 35 NLT This is a looong passage, this whole chapter is about the importance of Wisdom...and then theres this piece in the middle that kind of makes Wisdom "alive". Alive before Creation. Alive at Creation. Part of it. Its almost like this ancient book wants us to see Wisdom not as just an idea, more than a collection of...

Jesus gave the people strict orders not to tell anyone.  But the more he tried to silence them, the more eagerly they shared the news.  People were overcome with wonder, saying,  "He does everything well!  He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who can't speak." Mark 7:36-37 CEB If it was your friend who for their whole life couldn't hear or couldn't speak, and suddenly, miraculously, they could, you'd tell someone. If it was your daughter who was healed, wouldn't you want to let others know? It's not clear why Jesus wanted to damp things down, do things on the down low. Perhaps his message about the Kingdom was getting lost in the noise around healings, maybe even with his own team? Maybe he just needed space sometimes. But whatever Jesus' reasons were, people couldn't stop telling others about Jesus.  About what he had done in their lives. Their experience. Perhaps this is Mark's invitation to us too...to simply share ou...

Mark 7:34-35 CEB Looking into heaven, Jesus sighed deeply and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Open up." At once, his ears opened, his twisted tongue was released, and he began to speak clearly. Mark 7:34-35 CEB Why did Jesus need a direct line with heaven to heal this man? Just a few verses earlier and Jesus was having a conversation with a woman and almost as an aside Jesus said to her that her daughter was healed. No calling on heaven needed. Did Jesus need more help because this man's problems were particularly difficult? Mark is no help. I'm left wondering 2 things; if his cry to heaven was modelling something for his disciples for when he is no longer with them. And/or that Jesus in his humanity has a need. He can't do this healing in his own human limitation. What do you think? And what does this story mean for us? Jesus was wanting to shift something in another person's life and asked Heaven to "open up" to make away - who am I pray...

Mark 7:32-33 CEB [32] Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they begged him to place his hand on the man for healing. [33] Jesus took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. Mark 7:32-33 CEB Do you notice the pattern in the way Jesus meets with people, the pattern in the way these healings unfold? No I didn't notice it either - they all seem different.  Crowds, no crowds, touch, no touch, distance, and this one so up close Jesus poked his fingers in the man's ears, and it seems put his spit on his tongue! Very strange! Jesus meets people in different ways. And there is no reason why given. Perhaps this is what we're meant to see, that Jesus meets with people in different ways, that comparing isn't helpful, and if we try to figure it out we probably won't get an explanation... Perhaps this is about Faith. Faith in a person who is at least as comple...

Mark 7:31 CEB [31] After leaving the region of Tyre, Jesus went through Sidon toward the Galilee Sea through the region of the Ten Cities.  Mark 7:31 CEB This is at least 2 days walk and Jesus is on the move - he's just come from Jerusalem to Tyre and now on the move again. The thing that interested me about this account is that Tyre and Sidon are now in a country called Lebanon. I tend to think of countries and borders as permanent things...but they haven't always been there. Jesus moved from place to place, no border control, no passport. That got me thinking about Jesus IN my life - He wants access everywhere but I'm the one who puts up Border Controls in my heart. Not sure I want Jesus going There. Yet He wants to keep moving. He moved around teaching, encouraging, challenging, and healing. Healing. Maybe that's what He is up to in the cross Border excursions in my heart... He wants His Redemptive Love to permeate all of me, all of us... #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #in...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 10:1, 17-18 CEB [1] Why do you stand so far away, LORD, hiding yourself in troubling times?   ... [17]   LORD, you listen to the desires of those who suffer.  You steady their hearts; you listen closely to them, to establish justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that people of the land will never again be terrified. Psalms 10:1, 17-18 CEB This song asks one of those tough questions. Where are you God when bad things happen? When the world seems to be ruled by corruption and evil. When my life, my world, is upended, when things aren't as they "should" be. And the Redemptive Strand is here. He does listen. He is close. In Jesus He did make a way. And there will be Justice. There will be freedom, shalom, peace. One day all will be made new. The hope of the Gospel, the Good News, is here.  It's OK to want to see God's Justice now, in a world where so much seems upsidedown, in the same way the writer of this song wanted to see that, ...

Jude 1:24-25 CEB To the one who is able to protect you from falling,  and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence,  to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, belong glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25 CEB When it seems that nothing or no one in this world can hold us, Jesus can. When our grief or hurt or despair or sense of unjustice, our fears, seem too big for us, Jude reminds us that we are held by someone bigger. When we don't believe we are enough, that in our humanity we're not good enough, and definitlely not good enough for our God, Jude reminds us that Jesus absorbs all of the blame, and sees us as complete, all we were meant to be. Jude reminds us that we are seen, known, and dearly loved. By the Eternal. Because He can. Because He chooses to. Because He is Love. We may get glimpses of what it's like to be fully known and fully loved, but one day that will become ou...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 8:1-4 CEB Doesn't Wisdom cry out and Understanding shout?  Atop the heights along the path, at the crossroads she takes her stand. By the gate before the city, at the entrances she shouts:  I cry out to you, people; my voice goes out to all of humanity.   Proverbs 8:1-4 CEB How often have I walked past Wisdom? Ignored it. Sidestepped it. This Proverb reminds us that God's Wisdom is available to us.  Wisdom is in our face. So what's my problem then? I want an easier path, something that makes a promise that seems more pleasant. My own heart can be deceiving about what Wisdom is, where I should be looking. My world is clamouring, telling me wisdom is contained in Instagram reels or somewhere. Somewhere else.  In something else. In what someone else has or does or something. Where am I looking? Where am I walking straight past Wisdom? What do I really need? #proverbs  #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing  #seeWisdomto...

Jude 1:22-23 CEB [22] Have mercy on those who doubt. [23] Save some by snatching them from the fire. Fearing God, have mercy on some, hating even the clothing contaminated by their sinful urges.   Jude 1:22-23 CEB What is Jude's big point here as he wraps up his letter? See people.  See through their collections of choices and defence mechanisms and things that they do to isolate or insulate them from their heart aches, their need of connection with God, their doubts, and to see people through the eyes of mercy.  I'm wondering seeing others through the eyes of mercy is easy for some...and not so easy for others... And what about seeing ourselves through the eyes of mercy? Maybe we need to try that... #Jude #letters #invitation #eyesofmercy  

But you,  dear friends:  build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith,  pray in the Holy Spirit, keep each other in the love of God,  wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give you eternal life.  Jude 1:20-21 CEB When there's doubters, scoffers, those offering and suggesting "better" ways of being in the world, when the world is against us, here is Jude's antidote. Community that builds each other up in our faith.  Prayer. Keep each other. Hold on to the hope that we have in Jesus. If there weren't days when our faith wavered, our hope is hard to see, when praying alone seems fruitless, Jude invites us into this picture of community, where on the days I'm wavering, struggling, dry, you're strong, clear, hope  full. We need one another. Find, seek out make, community of faith. And hold on. #Jude  #letters #invitation  #community  #hopeishere 

Jude 1:3-4, 8 NLT Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.  I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives...for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ... [8] In the same way, these people - who claim authority from their dreams - live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.  Jude 1:3-4, 8 NLT From the earliest of times it seems that Christianity has been under attack, not from the outside, but from the inside. Denying Jesus as The authority Giving authority to dreams. Using Grace as a way of making things that were unacceptable acceptable. This letter from Jude uses "wormed their way in". If they came charging in, they'd be easy to...

Mark 7:30 NLT [30] And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. Mark 7:30 NLT  All was made new. Restored. Healed. Imagine this mum who has gone and found a Rabbi she had heard about, probably tried every other resource she had access to, maybe this felt like a "last resort" to find a way for her daughter and her home to experience peace. And she met Jesus. And when she got home, it was home again. Everything is OK. She must've felt that she can breathe again. And grateful! Perhaps this story is here for us for when our life seems in turmoil, that there's no "fix", that we can be sure that one day we too will see Jesus, and shalom, peace, balance, will be restored. All will be made new. All hurt unhurt. The pressures gone. The anxities gone. And we too will be left with peace and gratitude... #gospelofMark #GoodNews #weareinaBigStory #weareBeloved  #redemptivestrands #hopeishere  ##onedayallwillbemadenew

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 9:9-10, 13, 18 NLT [9] The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,  a refuge in times of trouble.  [10] Those who know your name trust in you, for you,  O Lord,  do not abandon those who search for you. ... [13]  Lord,  have mercy on me.  See how my enemies torment me.  Snatch me back from the jaws of death. ... [18] But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed. Psalms 9:9-10, 13, 18 NLT As we look for the redemptive strands in the Psalms they are wound in and out of this one. This song of David's declares that our God is our shelter and refuge at the same time acknowledging the realities of life. He cries out to be snatched back from the "jaws of death" means he is not yet in that place of safety. And he declares again in v18 his Faith. Faith that even as he continues to call out, he is not and will not be abandoned. Our circumstances may try to tell us something, that we are aband...

Mark 7:25-26, 30 NLT Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia... ... And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. Mark 7:25-26, 30 NLT In between the 2 parts of the story here there is a dialogue between this woman and Jesus that is intriguing. Jesus makes a statement, and the woman responds to his statement that seems to show that she gets the differences between them, that she knows what she is asking. And when I "listen" to this dialogue I see a kind and inquiring Jesus. Often we see Jesus stepping over cultural and religious boundaries to meet with people, and in this account it's this woman from Syria who steps towards Jesus.  My wondering is that this story is here to get us, me, to think about what I am doing when I step toward...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 7:1-3, 23-25 NLT Follow my advice, my son;  always treasure my commands.  Obey my commands and live!  Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.  Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.  Write them deep within your heart. ... He was like a stag caught in a trap,  awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life. So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. Don't let your hearts stray away... Proverbs 7:1-3, 23-25 NLT This Proverb uses an example of someone being caught in a trap, led astray. This is not written to a naive child, but to us. What is it that seems good, but when we line it up against God's Truth is a trap, is going to take us in an unhealthy direction, take us away from God's best for us. Start with what we already know in God's Word, and hold onto that...let what we already know to be true be our guide... #proverbs #w...

Jude 1:1-2 NLT This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love. Jude 1:1-2 NLT What jumps out at you from Jude's greeting? For me it's not the bit about who Jude is...it's this: Called by God. God loves you. Held by Jesus. What a place to be.  Perhaps I need to turn off the news feeds, the noise, the bombardment of messages we allow into ourselves and sit with these things that Jude's ancient letter invites us into: Called by God. God loves you. Held by Jesus. Which one of those truths do you need to rest in today? Called by God. God loves you. Held by Jesus. Pick one. Called by God. God loves you. Held by Jesus. #Jude #letters #speaklife  #takewhatyouneed

Mark 7:24 NLT [24] Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret.  Mark 7:24 NLT Boundaries. Jesus needed them. In his humanity he had limits just like us. Just like us. (And just like us he found it difficult to keep them when others needs keep pushing in). If we feel guilty for some reason about wanting to have boundaries in our relationships with people, remind yourself that it's Biblical! Jesus did it. Went off and prayed on his own. Wanted to be unknown for a bit. Let people leave unhappy. Stood up for injustice. Told the Truth. All types of boundaries. What do you need for your well-being today? #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation 

Mark 7:5, 14-15 NLT [5] So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him,  "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition?  They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony." ... [14] Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear.  'All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand. It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart." Mark 7:5, 14-15 NLT The Pharisees had travelled to meet with Jeuss and  noticed that the disciples weren't following their traditional rules of handwashing. Jesus gave them a telling off for how hypocritical they are about their own rules. And then calls in the people to listen: It's a heart thing. I'm interested in your heart. The rules, the traditions may all be good, helpful, worth keeping, but they aren't the thing.  The heart is the thing Jesus was interested in.  And in the emphasis on keeping the rules, the Pharisees ha...

[53] After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went - in villages, cities, or the countryside - they brought the sick out to the marketplaces.  They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. Mark 6:53-56 NLT What a beautiful account of people responding to the needs of others, running to get them, carrying the sick, bringing them to Jesus. "And all who touched him were healed". While we may have experienced healing in some way, one day, we will see Jesus face-to-face too. And his touch will heal us. Heal you. heal me. All that is broken will be unbroken. All that is unhealed, restored, replenished, renewed. All that is hurt, unhurt.  One day all will be made new. This is the redemptive strand held in this...

Sunday Psalms; When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?  Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority - the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals... Psalms 8:3-7 NLT Have you ever looked up at the night sky in wonder as David did? Looked at some aspect of creation in detail, held a newborn child, looked at the expanse of the world from a mountainside, a high point, and wondered about why God cares about you? David did.  And here in this song is the answer he got. Humans are amazing. God has made us different form all other creatures, and closer to God than we realise. As Genesis says, made in His image.  Crowned with glory and honour. Perhaps "glory and honour" doesn't sit too ...

Love is patient,  love is kind.  1 Corinthians 13:4 CSB (Proverbs 7:1-4) "Father in heaven,  help me to follow this instruction in the most excellent way. Help me to guard this truth as I guard and protect my own eyes. Maybe I need to mark ot on my skin, write in my journal, have a reminder somewhere, but most of all Jesus, may Your Spirit write it deep within my heart.  Spirit help me to love Your Word, to be as close to Your truth as the best and closest way a family sbould be.  Help me to slow down for others, to wait, so that being patient is who I am. Help me to be kind in my actions, and in my thoughts, and in my first response.  May love is patient, love is kind, be held in the deepest parts of me. So be it. Amen" #proverbs #wisdom #dangerousprayers #speaklife 

Friday! Proverbs! Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey my commands and live!  Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.  Write them deep within your heart. Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. Proverbs 7:1-4 NLT What do I treasure like this? Do I protect God's truth like I protect my own eyes? Do I hold God's truth with respect and honour? Do I write His Word deep in my heart? The writer of Proverbs couldn't make being clear about our values stronger than this, it's what we hold deepest that shapes our identity, thoughts, emotions, and choices. I wonder what the Holy Spirit is prompting me to tie on my finger, to remind me of today, to write on my heart, to store in that deepest part? Love is patient. Love is kind. This is what I am called to treasure and protect today. In a world which does not slow down and wait, this is what love looks like. In a world that is h...

Mark 6:51-52 CEV He then got into the boat with them, and the wind died down.  The disciples were completely confused. Their minds were closed, and they could not understand the true meaning of the loaves of bread. Mark 6:51-52 CEV This is the end of Mark's account of Jesus rescuing his team on the lake. Overall Mark, you're leaving us with questions! Why were the boys confused? What about relief, gratitude, wonder? What do you mean that "their minds were closed?" Closed in what way? Did they just not understand or was there something else going on? And what did they miss about the meaning of the loaves of bread? Was it that Jesus used the breaking of bread as a symbol of his body broken and this miracle was pointing to His body being more than enough to give life to everyone? How were they supposed to see that yesterday? Or did Jesus talk about that in his teaching and they weren't listening? Or is there something else? When even those closest to Jesus, who heard...

Mark 6:49-51 CEV [49] When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming. [50] All of them saw him and were terrified. But at this same time he said, "Don't worry!  I am Jesus.  Don't be afraid." [51] He then got into the boat with them, and the wind died down... Mark 6:49-51 CEV Don't worry. I am Jesus. Don't be afraid. Who needs to hear that today? What's ahead, what's happening that is causing you to worry? What is making you afraid? We get to call on the walking-on-the-water Jesus.  We get to ask Him to speak into our worry, to speak over our fear. And as we seek Him out in our story, may our hearts and minds be as calm as the lake was that day... The disciples couldn't see Jesus in the storm, but He could see them. We are seen. Seek the walking-on-water Jesus today... #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation #weareinaBigStory  #redemptivestrands 

Mark 6:47-48 CEV [47] Later in the evening he was still there by himself, and the boat was somewhere in the middle of the lake. [48] He could see that the disciples were struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind. Not long before morning, Jesus came toward them. He was walking on the water and was about to pass the boat. Mark 6:47-48 CEV More miracles. It's a stormy night.  Pitch black. Jesus is up in the hills and he can see what's going on in the middle of the lake. Jesus is then walking on the lake and catches up to them. Jesus is limited by his humanity, yet at the same time is not limited by the things that his team were struggling with.  The wind. The storm. The struggle. He'd been outside it, above it, praying through it with the Father. I'm with the disciples here - when all you can hear is the wind, when we're in the storm, struggling, it's really difficult to see the Bigger Story that we're in Jesus was feeling the rain, the lake, t...

Mark 6:46-47 CEV [46] Then he told them goodbye and went up on the side of a mountain to pray. [47] Later in the evening he was still there by himself... Mark 6:46-47 CEV How's that self care going? Time in prayer? Jesus wasn't being selfish, but selfcaring. There's that saying "you can't pour from an empty cup", and Jesus was filling his cup up. We're invited to do that too. Physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, thoughts...these all need "filling" at times. What do you need today? How can you take a step towards what you need to tip something into your cup? #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation  #rememberweareBeloved 

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 7:1-2, 9-11 CEV [1] You,  Lord God,  are my protector. Rescue me and keep me safe from all who chase me.  Or else they will rip me apart like lions attacking a victim,  and no one will save me. ... [9]  You know every heart and mind,  and you always do right.  Now make violent people stop,  but protect all of us who obey you. You,  God,  are my shield,  the protector of everyone whose heart is right. You see that justice is done,  and each day you take revenge. Psalms 7:1-2, 9-11 CEV Fears. We all have them.  These fears expressed by David are current, happening now, fear for his life. Some things David does that might be helpful for us... He names what he is afraid of. And he gives that fear back to God, and names the attributes of God that stand in contrast to his fear: Our God is about justice, seeing those who seek to follow Him. Somehow, He will make things Right.  In our world where injusti...

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Mark 6:45-46 NLT Immediately after what? Feeding 5,000+ people, everyone having as much food as they needed. There was more than enough. Love the way NLT version says of Jesus "after telling everyone goodbye"... Jesus sent his team off in the boat and then stayed around saying goodbye. To 5,000 people. This is Jesus just interested in people, encouraging, loving on people, being kind. He cared for his team. He cared for the people. And then he went up into the hills to pray. He cared for himself. Those things all looked different, but Jesus knew what he needed. What self-care does Jesus example invite you into today? #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation  #weareBeloved  #selfcare

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:23-26 CEB The commandment is a lamp and instruction a light; corrective teaching is the path of life.  [24] They guard you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of the foreign woman.  [25] Don't desire her beauty in secret; don't let her take you in with her eyelashes,  [26] for a prostitute costs a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts for a man's very life.   Proverbs 6:23-26 CEB Yikes! I wonder how often this proverb and passages like it have been used to tell a story about women, what they're about, about men, how easily manipulated...but what if this is all a metaphor to get our attention, to get us thinking about what it is that captures our hearts? No married woman is hunting for me, but my social media feeds are hunting for my attention, doing everything they possibly can to pull me into their orbit. Advertisers telling me what I "deserve". And then there's the things that are not on the Path of Life that m...

3 John 1:4-5 CEB [4] I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. [5] Dear friend, you act faithfully in whatever you do for our brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers.  3 John 1:4-5 CEB Gaius had been caught acting faithfully not just towards his friends, not just towards people he knows, acting faithfully towards strangers.  This is living according to the truth. It costs me nothing to smile at a stranger, to say hello to someone I don't know, to be kind. Sometimes it will cost me something, to let that driver in, to wait for a stranger, to slow down, to show someone how to do something...I think this is about living with integrity to our values. Gaius got caught doing that.  Sometimes it takes supernatural love to act faithfully towards the people we know - lean into our God's resources, His deep well of love, and see where He is inviting us to live faithfully today...to be the redemptive strand... #lettersf...

3 John 1:3-4 CEB I was overjoyed when the brothers and sisters arrived and spoke highly of your faithfulness to the truth, shown by how you live according to the truth.  I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. 3 John 1:3-4 CEB Remember this is a personal letter to a person named Gaius, so let's keep it personal...I wonder what John's people would report back to him about me? Would they have found me "living according to the truth"? Before we start beating ourselves up for not doing enough, there's no list here, no standard, just a noticing and an encouragement. John is looking to be an encouragement, an encourager. In a way he's reflecting God's heart...noticing and encouraging...so easy to miss the ways and places we are "living according to the truth", but our God doesn't. That is our offering, our worship.  Living according to the truth. What does that idea invite you into or towards tod...

This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.  Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. 3 John 1:1-2 NLT Amongst the history, the poetry, the gospel accounts, the letters to churches, we get a couple of personal letters, to individuals... Small stories. Where personal connection is important. Where caring for one another's well being matters. Where we hope for the good for one another. Who needs to hear from you today, that you're thinking of them, hoping that they're OK? Who needs to know that you care about their spirit, their spiritual well-being? And what does this little intro in this short letter tell us about the heart of God? It's in our Bible for a reason... Maybe it's because this letter is personal, and our God is personal.  Maybe it's because John reached out to his friend, just like God reaches out to us, why Jesus entered the sto...

Mark 6:42-43 CEB [42] Everyone ate until they were full. [43] They filled twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of bread and fish.  Mark 6:42-43 CEB Ever notice this little miracle? Where did the 12 baskets come from? 12 disciples. 12 baskets of surplus. What was Jesus telling his team here? What was he pointing towards? What is his message for us? Maybe it's this - "I am more than enough. The problems of this world, the problem of death, the 'What happens when I die', the big questions, can you see here in the Impossibility of creating out of 5 loaves and 2 fish not only has this huge crowd been fed, but you now have a problem of what to do with your basket of surplus food. I am more than enough." What do you think this was all about for the disciples? For us? For you? #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation  #Jesusismorethanenough #weareinaBigStory #weareBeloved 

Sunday Psalms: Psalms 6:2-3, 7-9 CEB Have mercy on me, LORD,  because I'm frail.  Heal me,  LORD,  because my bones are shaking in terror! My whole body is completely terrified!.. My vision fails because of my grief;  It's weak because of all my distress. ... ... the LORD has heard me crying!  The LORD has listened to my request.  The LORD accepts my prayer. Psalms 6:2-3, 7-9 CEB Not sure we'll be singing this song in church anytime soon, but if we've ever felt frail, ever cried so much we can't see, then this song is for us. This song comes from a place of deep hurt and loss. And there's a redemptive strand here that we can find... David who wrote these expressions of despair, also knows that the LORD, YHWH, Yahweh, the Eternal, the Self-existant, has heard his crying. Yahweh has listened. Yahweh has accepted his prayer, his tears, his cries.  Our prayers don't have to be eloquent, with the "right" words or tone, but are OK being raw and real (an...

Proverbs 6:23 CEB The commandment is a lamp and instruction a light;  corrective teaching is the path of life. Proverbs 6:23 CEB When we look for Jesus in this Proverb...he is The Lamp The Light The Path of Life He says "Follow me" He says "I've prepared a place for you" "I've come that you will have life" He says "Blessed are those..." He says to those who have climbed trees to check him out "come down, let's have lunch" To those who abandoned him, "here I've cooked you breakfast" To those hurt and abused "where are your accusers?" He is  The Lamp The Light The Path of Life #proverbs  #Wisdom  #somethingtochewon #invitation  #itsaheartthing  #jesusatthecentre

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:23 CEB [23] The commandment is a lamp and instruction a light;  corrective teaching is the path of life.   Proverbs 6:23 CEB This proverb is inviting us to see commands, teaching, instruction, as lamps, light, and not putting us on the path of life, but are the path of life. Where are we when we need a lamp, a light? Yes, in the dark, where the next step isn't clear, where the risk of tripping, falling is unknown.  Sometimes i fool myself thinking I can see the way, see the obstacles in my own heart and mind. Until I get this instruction: Love is patient.  And I realise I haven't been. Love is kind. And today I haven't been kind.  Patience and kindness (as examples) are modelled to us by Jesus,  shown to us by Paul as "the most excellent way". These principles are the way. The way I am invited to walk in today. And they are a lamp. When I turn on the lamps of Love is Patient, Love is Kind, they shine on others, those in my ...

Mark 6:41-44 NLT Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them.  Then,  breaking the loaves into pieces,  he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.  He also divided the fish for everyone to share. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.  A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed. Mark 6:41-44 NLT The Impossibility was solved by Jesus. He was the multiplier, the agent through which everyone was fed.  And the disciples were invited in to being part of God's work in the world that day.  Jesus could've just made loaves and fish appear for every group of people gathered together that day, but he involved his team. Jesus wants us involved in the redemptive story.  Working with Him. Yes the miracles are his, and he wants us involved in the redemptive story...even when it all seems impossib...

Mark 6:39-40 NLT [39] Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. [40] So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Mark 6:39-40 NLT There were a LOT of people. There was a TINY amount of food. It seems that Jesus wanted his team to experience the impossibilty. To sit with the Impossibility. To face the Impossibility and follow Jesus anyway.  And Jesus took his time, waited. Waited for everyone to get into groups and settle. Wait for the Impossibility to sit with his team. He knew he was going to miraculously make a way, but his team didn't. What they did was act in Faith.  God, the Eternal, Creator of everything, becoming a person, a baby, entering into the story with His creation. Impossibility. Fully God. Fully human. Impossibility. Love me. Accept me. Adopt me. Know me and do it anyway. Be enough to cover all I've done. Have Grace for me. Forgive me. Love me. Impossibility. Have a Bigger Story that we're part of. Impossib...

But Jesus said,  "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" "How much bread do you have?" he asked.  "Go and find out." Mark 6:37-38 NLT The disciples have already assessed that the task is impossible. They don't have the money, the time to earn the money, or the food to feed all these people. Too much. Too big. Impossible. And Jesus asks them to go check anyway.  And what is the response? Mark 6:38 NLT They came back and reported,  "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." It seems that this seemingly tiny amount, this "drop in the bucket" of what is needed is enough for Jesus.  And perhaps there's a small shift in the disciples from "this is impossible" to this is what we do have. There was a seed of something. And there's times I wonder if that is what Jesus is looking for in me..."how can I love ...

Mark 6:35-37 NLT Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said,  "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat." But Jesus said,  "You feed them." "With what?" they asked.  "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" Mark 6:35-37 NLT We're a long way from anywhere, there's a crowd, it's late in the day, and the disciples felt responsible and wanted to do the best they could... They had no money, no resources. No options. Jesus said "you feed them". Sometimes what Jesus asks makes no sense when lined up against our logic, thoughts, ideas. My response to "you feed them" would be just the same as the disciples... Have you ever had a nudge from the Spirit to do something, go somewhere, reach out, give, serve, love in a way that makes no sense, that is beyon...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 5:3, 7-8, 11 NLT [3] Listen to my voice in the morning,  Lord.  Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. ... [7] Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;  I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.  [8] Lead me in the right path,  O Lord... Make your way plain for me to follow. ... [11] But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; Psalms 5:3, 7-8, 11 NLT As we look for the redemptive strands in this week's song, these jumped out... David shares how he gets to chat with God. And he does something that I don't often do - waits. Waits expecting to hear.  David gets to go to the place where God in his day restricted Himself to meet people. Our opportunity is so much greater as we no longer have to find a temple where God meets people, He is with us. Just like David in this song we get to seek direction and refuge in YHWH. Two things we need as we navigate this life - direction and refuge. What do you...

When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he began to teach them many things.  Mark 6:34 CEB This word "compassion" is "splagchnizomai", it is a deeper yearning, a physical reaction, a gut reaction. Jesus felt deeply for these people. They had already gathered, looking for something, looking for someone, like sheep looking for their shepherd. And Jesus response is deep, personal.  When we are lost, rudderless, lost sight of our Shepherd, Jesus compassion is towards us, His heart is for us, just like it was for those people. If Jesus is compassionate towards me, even in my lostness, uncertainty, need, what is He inviting me towards today? What opens up? Perhaps knowing we need a Shepherd is the most important step of faith there is... #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation  #faith #JesusistheGoodShepherd

Friday! Proverbs! My son,  keep your father's command, and don't reject your mother's teaching.  Always bind them to your heart;  tie them around your neck. When you walk here and there, they will guide you;  when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. Proverbs 6:20-22 CSB Words of truth, encouragement, life, don't literally speak to us, protect us, watch over, or guide, but they're great pictures to sit with. Imagine Jesus words keeping watch as we sleep: "Take heart, I have overcome the world" When we have a decision: "Come follow me" Or Paul's words when we feel overwhelmed: "Nothing can separate you from the love of God" Keep looking for, holding, memorising, writing down these nuggets of gold, these redemptive strands of Grace that we have been given, and let them protect, guide, watch over and speak... What do you need today? #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #invitation  #truthtore...

2 John 1:13 CEB Your chosen sister's children greet you. This is the final sentence of John's letter.  It's personal. John's noticed, connected, heard, and passed on the love to the receiver of this letter. Who can I be connecting with today, and what can I notice and pass on that is going to encourage and build that person up? John joins up the strands from the people he is with to the person he is writing to.  We're connected.  You're important. In our world that seems to value big engagement with lots of people, John invites us back to the small, the personal. How can I reflect that today? #lettersfromJohn  #invitation  #small

I have a lot to tell you.  I don't want to use paper and ink, but I hope to visit you and talk with you face-to-face, so that our joy can be complete.   2 John 1:12 CEB 2,000yrs ago John appreciated written communication, yet knew that face-to-face is better. I wonder what he would make of our modern communication mediums... Let's not lose the joy of face-to-face, kahoni te kahoni.  It's sharing words, and more. It's being in the same space, and more. It's communicating ideas, thoughts, experiences, needs, and more. We are spiritual, emotional, physical, emotional creatures, and to commune, to connect fully, deeply, all of us needs to be engaged, and as good as letters are, as good as our screens are, those mechanisms miss something. (And yes sometimes they are the only available or safe way to communicate). How can we choose face-to-face a little more today? What makes me hesitate, hold back from face-to-face? What potential joy am I missing? #lettersfromJohn  ...

2 John 1:10 NLT [10] If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don't invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement.  2 John 1:10 NLT John writes these words in the same short letter where he encourages his readers to "love one another". Love does not mean there are no boundaries. Love does not mean making ourselves vulnerable to harm. Love does not mean everyone who wants to gets to enter into our circle. Remember who this letter is written to - a (most likely) single mum with children. Someone with less resources than others to stand against those with an unhealthy agenda. It's one thing having someone turn up at your church teaching things about Jesus that aren't true, but I wonder what John would make of our world, where we are bombarded with messages about life, what's important, how we should live, what success looks like, what we should think, and how those messages line up with the truth about Jesus...

[6] Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. [7] I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.  2 John 1:6-7 NLT John joins this idea of Love, what Love is, and loving one another with the truth that Jesus was both God and a person and came in a body like ours. Why's that important? No doubt even in John's lifetime there were people saying Jesus was a myth, questioning how does God become a person. Jesus being like us means he understands what it is to be us. What it is to experience joy, happiness, sadness, loss, rejection, to feel pain, to be abused, powerless, unheard, left out, left alone. He knows. And he stayed. Because He Is Love. And He Loves Us. He came to redeem us, to redeem this world, His creation. Because Love. Love is a person. #lettersfromJohn #redemptivestrands  #...

Sunday Psalms; Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord. Many people say,  Who will show us better times? Let your face smile on us, Lord.  You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep,  for you alone,  O Lord,  will keep me safe. Psalms 4:5-8 NLT At the beginning of this song David is under personal attack, and at the end it seems like its the world he is living in isn't great- "who will show us better times?" David's solution? Keep the faith, even when it seems that the world is against you. Keep being faithful even when the harvest is poor. Because our peace, lasting peace, peace that transends this life and overlaps into eternity, that peace is found in our God. Trust Him to hold your life no matter what others say, what the world around us says. The redemptive strands can be picked up again and again when we "offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the L...

2 John 1:5 NLT I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.  2 John 1:5 NLT When we're finding the Bible a bit hard to understand, when faith seems complicated, when church isn't working, when relationships are challenging, John invites us back to the simplicity of the command to love one another. (This does not mean that everyone is safe, that there aren't people to maintain distance from, that there is no accountability or calling to truth - to love one another is not just one person doing something for another, it's reciprocal, mutual, relational, healing, hopeful, redemptive, held in the framework of God's love for us.) Love One Another is about relationship.  And it's what our God is about. How can I embrace this today? #lettersfromJohn  #redemptivestrands  #loveoneanother

Friday! Proverbs! The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him:  -arrogant eyes,  -a lying tongue,  -hands that shed innocent blood,  -a heart that plots wicked schemes,  -feet eager to run to evil, -a lying witness who gives false testimony, -and one who stirs up trouble among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19 CSB What are we noticing here? The things our God hates move from the inside to the outside, from the heart to schemes, from eager feet (again a heart thing) to moving towards evil. There are some key metaphors: - eyes - tongue - hands - heart  - feet There's something about connecting these parts of ourselves with our heart/mind/will and our actions. And third thing is that these are all connected to our choices. My choices. What I look at, say, do, dwell on, direction I take, they all have an element of choice. The redemptive strand here is that Proverbs is pointing these things out, giving us the opportunity to see where we have choice...

[4] It made my heart dance for joy when I found some of your children following the way of truth, just as our Father from above has instructed us.  2 John 1:4 FNVNT (Second Letter from He Shows Goodwill 1:4 FNVNT) This word of encouragement from the Apostle John to this (probably) single mum, shows that John's heart was for people. He noticed. In the first few verses he greeted, recognised, reminded and affirmed her. And now is this deep and beautiful encouragement. If John knew you, was writing to you, my guess is he would take the same approach, he would notice and affirm and find a place of deep and beautiful encouragement. Because his heart is reflecting our God's heart. We don't know how the person on the receiving end of this letter was feeling or thinking about themselves, about life, but when someone else sees us, acknowledges, encourages, then it speaks as a reminder that we are loved, that we do matter. Perhaps the invitation today is to be like John and notice, a...

This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth - as does everyone else who knows the truth - because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ - the Son of the Father - will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. 2 John 1:1-3 NLT What a way to start the year...greetings, recognition, reminders, and affirmations. A greeting and recognition of the person this letter is written to. The greek word is "kyria" which is also a proper name, Cyria, so this may be her name. No mention of a husband, but there is of her children, so maybe a single Mum - seen, acknowledged, loved. And a reminder. Reminder that this truth lives in us, in the community we have with one another, and it is eternal.  We are in a Big Story too. And the affirmation that Grace,.Mercy, and Peace, the source of which is our Heavenly Father are ours th...

Luke 2:48-50 CEB When his parents saw him, they were shocked.  His mother said,  "Child,  why have you treated us like this?  Listen!  Your father and I have been worried.  We've been looking for you!" Jesus replied,  "Why were you looking for me?  Didn't you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Fathers house?" But they didn't understand what he said to them.   Luke 2:48-50 CEB There's more than just the usual intergenerational misunderstanding going on here, it's 12 years since the Angels, the Wise Men, the prophecies, and maybe normal life was taking over...but Joseph and Mary didn't get what Jesus was about or doing.  If they didn't, then its not surprising that we don't always get what God is about, what He's doing, what He's up to.  And that's faith right? Trusting God even whenit'ss not clear, when we dont get it, when ordinary life is so...ordinary...It's OK not to understand the God of the Universe...

Sunday Psalms; But you, LORD,  are my shield!  You are my glory!  You are the one who restores me.   Psalms 3:3 CEB David, the King, was on the run because his own son, Absalom, was intent on killing him. His world is in turmoil. Upsidedown. And in the middle of that upsidedownness, David declares his faith in who God is. His faith in the Big Story that he is in (however things turn out with Absalom). David dials down his own position and power - his glory, his honour, is not found in his title, wealth or any other measure, but in God.  His hope of restoration lies with our God. When our life is in turmoil, the upsidedownness of everything seems overwhelming, perhaps David's choosing to draw on the redemptive strands of our God's character and heart for him, can be a path that we can follow too... #upsidedownness  #songs #redemptivestrands  #weareBeloved 

Luke 2:44-48 CEB Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. When they didn't find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. ... When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother said,  "Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen!  Your father and I have been worried. We've been looking for you!" Luke 2:44-48 CEB Imagine being in a community where you wouldn't worry about your 12yr old child's well-being because your people would care for your child just as you would. But Jesus wasn't with his friends or cousins. It seems that he was left behind. And his parents spent 3 days searching the city for him. 3 days. You can picture Joseph and Mary trying to make sense of the prophecies, the angels, the promises, and no...

Friday! Proverbs! The Lord hates six things;  in fact, seven are detestable to him:  (1) arrogant eyes,  (2) a lying tongue,  (3) hands that shed innocent blood, ... Proverbs 6:16-17 CSB This list of things that Proverbs describes that our God stands against, are anti-God, must be things that God isn't.  It's easy to use Proverbs as a weapon, to accuse or label others, but Proverbs is about finding the way of wisdom, of life, it's about the heart, mine, yours, ours.  And it's full of metaphor. Arrogant eyes. Eyes aren't arrogant, they're just that part of my body that receives visual information aren't they? Arrogant eyes. My tongue doesn't tell lies by itself, I do that. Hands that shed innocent blood - I haven't taken anyone's life... The word here for "hands" is "yad" and it is used literally and figuratively- it means an open hand (not closed) and is about direction and use of power. Proverbs invites us to sit with these p...

Luke 2:41-43 NLT Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. [42] When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. [43] After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Luke 2:41-43 NLT But Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His whanau had packed up and were heading back to Nazareth. And Jesus stayed behind. Seems like a small thing. Everyone else in Jesus community was heading to Nazareth, except him. As we step into a new year, our media will be full of people and messages enticing, encouraging, drawing us into, big changes. Grand gestures.  Sign up for this challenge, change your life - for some this is all too much.  The way of Jesus is an invitation into the small.  An invitation to stay in "Jerusalem" a bit longer.  When everyone else seems to be heading off to new directions, new adventures, new "life", and if it all seems a bit much, it's not You,  it...