What was the greatest theme that Jesus spoke about during his three years of ministry on Earth? It might surprise you that it wasn’t the church but the Kingdom of God. Jesus spoke loads about this topic. It could be compared to a bar of soap - slippery to handle, but it makes you clean! Okay, maybe that analogy is a bit rubbish - but there are so many ways Jesus explained the Kingdom and described it. Some people got it, others didn’t. Over the next few weeks, we’ll dive deeper into this amazing topic and catch a glimpse of the Kingdom here on Earth.

Proclamation of the Kingdom

Forgiveness. When we've been hurt or betrayed, it is sometimes so hard to offer. But it is empowering for the giver. Joseph’s story in Genesis shows us the power of forgiveness. Despite being betrayed, Joseph forgives, reminding us that even in tough times God is at work, making things happen for His glory and our good.

Forgiveness

Have you ever needed to run from a situation or been falsely accused of something you didn’t do or wrongly spoken about behind your back? That’s what David is singing about in Psalm 7. The tune to the psalm isn’t the sweet melody of worship songs on a Sunday morning but the wild, erratic, jarring tones of irregular musical strains! David laments, cries out in despair for God to save, protect and be his refuge (strong tower) when he faces false accusations and attack. He desperately wants to be rescued and saved from an experience in life that has hurt him. If you are hurting or in need of safety and security, then this one might be for you!

God is Our Refuge

God’s mercies are new every morning, and such mercies, along with his love, affection, grace and goodness, are a gift for us all. We are noticed today, and He has made you for loving Him and living for Him today and for all eternity. So, we are pretty amazing and God thinks the world of us. This is the message of Psalm 8!

God is Utterly Amazing

We continue our Summer Psalms series by looking at Psalm 9. Let us use it to reflect on how God can be trusted, whatever the situation.

God is to be Trusted

We are created to relate all our experiences to God. Even the bad ones. To hand over to God all our moments of questions and doubts, anger and pain, silence and suffering, that all may be an act of trust in Him and His presence in our lives. Psalm 10 ends with the reminder that God hears us.

God Hears the Cry of the Afflicted

Around 4000 years ago, a man living in what is now Syria gets a message from God. He is called to uproot and go to live in a foreign land called Canaan. So begins a story of God interacting with generations of his family over thousands of years. That story of God interacting with humanity lives on. The God who called Abraham at age 75 calls us now, whatever our age or background. The journey continues...

God Calls the Mature in Age

Have you ever been too frightened to follow God’s call on your life? That may be a big question, so let's put it another way. What is stopping you from God’s leading and direction in your life? Maybe that’s still too big a question. Another try. Do you realise that God can use you, even if you don’t feel adequate? Ah, that may be easier to answer, and it was exactly what Moses thought when God spoke to him. Now, we may not encounter a burning bush or see a staff turned into a snake or be raised in royalty or indeed have committed murder, but for many other reasons, you might feel the same inadequacy before God. If, for whatever reason, you’re hesitant about God’s leading in your life, that’s no excuse for how God might speak to you!

God Calls the Hesitant

Do you remember Tales of the Unexpected? This was a popular series on UK TV between 1979 and 1988. In each episode, everyday folk got caught up in surprising and bizarre stories. Each story ended with a twist. This story from the bible is similar. Rahab, a lowly prostitute, gets involved with hiding two spies from Joshua's Israelite army. She does a deal, involving hanging a crimson ribbon in her window, and the story ends with her and her family being saved from certain death. Maybe God wants to invite each of us into our very own episode of Tale of the Unexpected? In particular, like Rahab, maybe we are sometimes unexpectedly called to protect others? Family. Friends. Colleagues. Strangers. 

God Calls the Unexpected

Remembrance Sunday. A time to reflect, remember and give thanks for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. 

However, sadly, in the world today, there are more wars than ever. Some quick research on the internet suggests that there are currently 130 armed conflicts worldwide. Double that of 15 years ago! The world is in chaos and crisis, and we may feel helpless. The story of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25 is an example of God’s call to be a peacemaker in the middle of conflict. We may not be able to stop national wars, but we can still be people of peace in our local area and sphere of influence. Perhaps the best way to remember the fallen is to rise up and build peace in the present around those we love and live amongst. Abigail brings peace between two men, and her strategy is simple and helpful to our lives today.

God Calls the Peacemaker

Shirley Baptist Church is a thriving, contemporary evangelical church, with an emphasis on Scripture, faith and mission, working out its purpose in the power of the Holy Spirit.