It is good to start the new year with a clean sheet and a fresh start. Jim’s first post of the year, on his This Sunday series, shows us one way that we can do that.
I hope you enjoy reading it, and have a great Sunday, and indeed, a great New Year!
This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Repenting of sins from the previous year. I think the Christian life means …
This Sunday at Church: Repenting of sins from the previous year
This year begins on a Sunday so I am kicking off the year with a Sunday Suggestion.
One of the most popular posts of last year was – Go for a Goal – which was another Sunday Suggestion. I could launch 2023 with a similar theme, but I am sure you will hear enough about New Years’ Resolutions in the coming days. Instead, let me ask you – how ought you to live your life as a Christian in 2023?
Peter, in his second letter, talks of the end of all things. He says this:
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
2 Peter 3:11 NIV
Peter instructs that as all things will end one day, we ought to live our lives in holy and godly ways.
These words are in reference to the end of the world or the last days, and we could spend much time discussing if we are indeed in the last of the latter times. We certainly see many signs that Jesus warned us of, and yet every generation believed itself to be the final one. Two things are for sure; 1) we are closer to the end than we were yesterday, and 2) life is short and last days or not, each of us could find ourselves standing before the Lord a lot sooner than we ever thought possible.
Given this, it is all the more vital that you and I live holy and godly lives. My suggestion for you today, and for this entire year, is to go for godliness.
What is godliness, and how do we go for it?
What is #godliness? How can we be #holy? #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
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Godliness and holiness are close cousins. To be holy is to be set apart for a specific purpose – namely, to serve God. Godliness is to be like God in character, and to think and act in accordance with His will.
This is not easy for us to achieve, and impossible in our own strength. Only through constant study of God’s Word and fellowship with Him and His Spirit can we ever hope to act in a godly manner. Our born-again heart might be new, but we wrestle with our sinful nature and conquer it through prayer and the renewing of our minds.
Going for godliness is to put God first in your life, and to prioritise Christian practices over the things of this temporary world. Watching TV is not wrong, nor is any of your hobbies, but if they replace your fellowship with Christ, then you will never be able to live as you ought.
It is not something you can do overnight, and in fact, will take effort each and every day of 2023. You do not go it alone, as you have the continual comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of believers who travel with you.
Decide today to made 2023 the most godly year of your life to date. Put God first, and live in accordance with the Scriptures and in line with the Gospel. Pray for me as I do the same, and let us each look forward to the coming of our Lord – sooner or later.
God bless you this year!
Over the course of 2022, I have written a series of posts in the book of proverbs. This particular post had the most views, so I share it with you again today as part of my best of the year. 
In yesterday’s post – If Wisdom – we saw and understood that wisdom required certain things from us. A choice was given to us, and we could opt to follow the path of insight or to tread the way of foolishness. What are the benefits of wisdom though? We posed the question yesterday, if I…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/01/18/then-wisdom-proverbs-25-8/
Are you preaching to the choir? Is that wasteful, or does the choir need your encouragement as well? It was a great pleasure yesterday evening to meet (on video) a couple of fellow Christian bloggers, and lovely to share some of our stories, questions and experiences of ministering through this medium. It was humbling to…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/04/09/preaching-to-the-choir/
The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.Psalm 27:4 (WEB) I recall a time when I was speaking to a group of students about what heaven…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/01/29/one-thing-i-ask/
As we approach the end of another year, how have you progressed with your goals? 
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.Philippians 3:14 (NIV) I want to begin this new year with a series I’ve entitled “Sunday Suggestion.” It’s not too cryptic, and I intend it to be a fairly brief post each week about how you…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/01/02/go-for-a-goal-sunday-suggestion/
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his;[a] we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2021/05/20/serving-christians-psalm-100-2/
Do you believe in God? It’s a straightforward question I suppose, but often with a complex answer. Some might respond with: Which God do you mean?I believe in a Higher Power, if that counts?There must be something, right? How might you reply to the same question? If you are reading this blog, then the chances…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2021/01/06/even-the-demons-believe/
Another great post from the Domain for Truth today.
Many people suffer loss, and it can be one of the most difficult things to go through in life. It is right that we stand alongside other believers who are grieving.
Do look out for those in your church or life who may need some support at this time.
This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Pray for those who lost someone in their family this year. This week I learned …
This Sunday at Church: Pray for those who lost someone in their family this year
In case you misread the title of this one, it is not a blog post about cooking – check your pasta! Instead, my suggestion this week is to check in with your pastor or church leader.
In my experience, church leaders can find it very difficult to manage their time and workload. This comes from the fact that they are not merely doing a job, but trying to fulfil a calling. For many church leaders, ministers and pastors, they are rarely off the clock and can be called on night and day for support. While many try to take a day off each week, the demands of a church family can encroach on that time. This is, of course, understandable at times and we cannot schedule our problems to fall on pastor’s working days! However, if a minister is frequently missing out of their time off, then it is only a matter of time before they run out of energy.
How is your #church leader doing? How can you support them this week? #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
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Also in my experience, church leaders are not always so good at asking for help. They are so busy ministering to others that they forget they need ministering to as well.
So, this week, why not check in with your pastor. Ask them how they are doing, and if there is anything you can do to support them. You may be able to pray for them, and indeed is something we should try to do regularly. In what other ways can you be a blessing to them?
Perhaps you can offer to take care of their children for the night, giving them and their spouse an evening off? Maybe you can drop them in a meal or two, saving them having to prepare something during a busy period. I am certain there are lots of things that could be done. You might have to draw in the support of other leaders in the church to find out what they really need or to find the best way of supporting them. It could take a bit of effort, but I am sure it would be appreciated.
Many churches in UK, and I suppose it is similar elsewhere, are rather small consisting of fewer than 50 members. If they have their own minister (as many share), that person might be the only member of staff in the church. That can be a lonely position, especially if they are unmarried. In such a situation, ministers can be left carrying the burden of a whole church on their shoulders.
I am reminded of this passage from the Old Testament.
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Exodus 17:10-13 NIV
Moses could not bear the weight of his staff for a long time, so Aaron and Hur came alongside him and supported him. Can you stand alongside your pastor or church leader in a similar way?
Have a great Sunday!
At long last, we move on to Acts 5. This chapter opens with a rather disturbing set of events, and I want to try to shed some light on what is happening here. This particular passage is a difficult one, and I admit to having struggled with it for many years. I will explain why,…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2020/06/16/a-protective-father/
I often like to share these posts which come out on a Sunday, so hope you enjoy them.
It can be extremely difficult to be a parent, and this is made even more tough when you face it alone. Stand with single parents today, and support them in whatever way you are able.
Have a great Sunday!
This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Pray any pastoral counseling today would be used by God. I have been working all …
This Sunday at Church: Encourage a Single Parent in the Congregation
Andy Brown 