When Jesus were to ask you, “who do you say I am?”, what would you say?

We walk to the manger with a faithful God. But we also walk to the manger with each other. So let us be faithful to one another this Christmas.

We’re called to be living stones. So let’s be living in this next season, and increase our number so that more know of the good news of Jesus. Just imagine what can happen.

"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” ~1 Samuel 1:27-28

Job approaches God in the midst of all his grief, and yet “in all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” We’ve come to this idea that we should be shiny, happy, perfect people before God and before each other. I’ve seen it in every church I’ve been a part of, even from when I was very small. We tell each other we’re okay when our entire lives are falling apart. And we take the same attitude to God, or at least I do.

We’re trying to make lemonade out of lemons, but there are too many lemons and we’re too overwhelmed by that to even contemplate making any more lemonade.

Being a Christian wasn’t popular with some of my friends, so I stopped going to church and began to think and act like them. Their opinion mattered more than who I wanted to be and more than God’s love and approval.

One does not need to be a good singer to worship, but my decision to disengage during times of worship was indicative of a larger problem. I didn’t want to worship, not if it meant that I was doing something I found hard.

When I was in university, I strived for the 'perfect 100.' I didn't get there very often. But, when I did, I was giddy. I kept my delight private because I didn't want to upset anyone, but happy I was. I wasn't striving for a perfect academic score... I wanted to be 100lbs.

Let us proclaim today that we know that God is faithful. God was faithful to Israel in the wilderness and in the trial, and Jesus - God incarnate - was faithful to us from the grave into resurrected life. We can rejoice in God's faithfulness today as the long line of people who came before us have done. And, so too, will people look back on us and say "Great was their faithfulness."

The picture I crafted that Easter morning was hardly candid. It had been staged for an online audience I cared much more about in that moment than the person who had risen from the dead and had given cause for the caption.

No matter how we might feel right now, we will get through this. There is cause to be hopeful, for Christ gives us an everlasting hope. Even though the world is constantly changing around us, we will continue to stand in God's unchanging love. May we live as Easter people - rejoicing in the resurrection of our Saviour and Redeemer.

Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah!

The most common command in the Bible is something along the lines of “do not fear.” In time such as these, when there appears to be so much to be afraid of, the command to not be afraid can seem dismissive of the reality we live in. Doesn’t God understand why I’m afraid? It can also feel simply impossible. How can I be fearless when everyone else around me is afraid? How do I ignore all the voices from the media that enhance my fear? How? How? How? There are so many more questions. So, what are we meant to do with all these verses that tell us not to be afraid?

We normally read 1 Corinthians 13 at weddings. We speak then of this glorious love and the qualities that are associated with it. The qualities of kindness and patience are pushed to the foreground and we emphasize the happiness of love as we celebrate the joyous occasion. But, while this might the first thing that you think of when you read 1 Corinthians 13, I think of something different.

God’s love never ran out, even when I felt I could no longer love myself. And, when I couldn’t get out of bed, God met me there. God can meet you there too.