Episodios

  • September 9th - 1 John 2:9-10

    September 9th - 1 John 2:9-10
    Sep 9 2025
    1 John 2:9-10 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. The letters in the New Testament give us a great insight into the life of the early Church. These were exciting years for the Church, but enormous struggles were going on. There were people teaching heresy and others making great claims about themselves whose lives showed that they were a sham. There were the Gnostics, who claimed to have discovered deep mysteries and to have encountered the light, but their lives told a completely different story. So John set out some very clear guidelines to help the believers understand who was truly living for God and who wasn’t. The key test was love. If someone showed true love for their fellow believers, you could be sure that they were living in the light, but those who were showing hatred towards others were walking in the darkness. Even in a church, it isn’t easy to love other people all the time. It might be relatively easy to love our Christian brothers and sisters within the confines of a service of worship, but when you work hard alongside them, it can be a very different story. We all see things somewhat differently from one another, and we choose to do things at different speeds. Some are cautious and careful in their approach, and others are eager to launch into bold new initiatives. Some feel that evangelism should be the church’s priority, and others feel deeply committed to social action. Some love to sing the latest worship songs, and others are much happier with singing hymns. Some are thrilled with the church leaders, and others think that they leave a lot to be desired. I could go on! Churches are filled with a wide variety of people, and loving everyone isn’t always easy, but this is God’s way, and it is the only way to live in the light. Question How do you manage to love people who are very different from you? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for all my Christian brothers and sisters. Please fill me with your love for everyone, especially those who I find most difficult to love. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m
  • September 8th - 1 John 1:8-9

    September 8th - 1 John 1:8-9
    Sep 8 2025
    1 John 1:8-9 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to God, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. John couldn’t have been more blunt. If we claim to be sinless, we’re lying. Presumably, there were people in John’s day who were saying precisely that. He knew it was such a dangerous point of view that he had to be decisive in his language. We can’t be exactly sure who these people were, but in every age there have been people who have claimed to be perfect. We certainly know that there were gnostic groups around in John’s time who believed that they had special knowledge and were not touched by sin. We are all sinners and need to own up to the fact. We might like to blame our parents, our upbringing, our education, the government or the weather, but, at the end of the day, we must take responsibility and acknowledge that we have sinned. We have deliberately gone our own way and done things that have obstructed our relationship with God and the people around us. Because we are sinners, we will always try to make light of our sin and suggest that we are not as bad as other sinners that we know, but sin is sin, and we need to stop trivialising it. As Jeremy Taylor said: “No sin is small. It is a sin against an infinite God and may have immeasurable consequences. No grain of sand is small in the mechanism of a watch.” Sin needn’t have the last word. If we own up and confess our sins to God, he is willing to set us free from them. This is an incredible miracle and couldn’t possibly happen without God. Only he has the power to set us free and send us off on a new journey of life and liberty. Question What do you need to confess to God today? Prayer Lord God, I own up to the fact that I often let you down. Please forgive my sin, fill me with your Spirit and enable me to live a new life with you. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m
  • September 7th - 1 John 1:3-4

    September 7th - 1 John 1:3-4
    Sep 7 2025
    1 John 1:3-4 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. As a teenager, I developed a great interest in the law, and often visited the local Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. To describe these as eye-opening experiences would be a considerable understatement. Having been brought up in a very loving and protected Christian home, I was learning about a world of which I knew nothing at all. I soon learned how the courts worked, and I recall the way in which the magistrates or judges would insist that witnesses stuck to their own personal memory. The moment witnesses strayed into talking about what they had heard from other people, they were quickly told to get back to their own personal experiences. John knew the importance of sticking to his own personal witness. He’d had the immense privilege of listening to Jesus first-hand and of seeing him respond to the pressures and challenges of everyday life. He knew that Jesus was the source of true life and joy, and he couldn’t wait to share it with other people. Of course, we are not in the same position as John, but we are all witnesses. If we have welcomed Jesus into our lives, we have our own authentic personal account to share with others. It’s wonderful to hear of the love, joy, peace and purpose that Jesus has brought into people’s lives, and to hear of how he has been faithful to them as they have walked through challenging times. Sharing our witness is valuable and important, but it isn’t an end in itself. John was clear that it leads to fellowship. As we share what Jesus has done in our lives, it brings us closer to one another and to the Lord, and the outcome is joy. Who wouldn’t want to be part of something as wonderful as this? Question How would you describe what Jesus has done in your life? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for the ways in which you have blessed my life. Help me to become bolder in sharing my witness with others. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m
  • September 6th - 1 John 1:1

    September 6th - 1 John 1:1
    Sep 6 2025
    1 John 1:1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. Most of the letters in the New Testament start with a greeting in which the author identifies himself. The only exceptions to this are the letter to the Hebrews and this first letter of John’s. It seems to me that John was so eager to share his message that he didn’t have time for such pleasantries! He wanted everyone to know that Jesus really was the Son of God and that he came and lived a fully human life here on earth. John wrote this letter towards the end of the first century AD, which was about two generations after the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Some people had come up with the theory that Jesus wasn’t really human at all – he merely appeared to be human. John would have none of it. He knew for certain that Jesus really did come to this earth because he had seen him with his own eyes and even touched him. Through the centuries, there has been continuous debate about whether Jesus really was a historical figure. The evidence for Jesus is incredibly strong. We not only have the four Gospels, the earliest of which was probably written within 30 years of Jesus’ ministry, but we also have the letters of the apostle Paul, which were written even earlier. Of course, all these writers were followers of Jesus, so it is important to also look for evidence of Christ’s life from non-Christian sources. Most notable of them was Flavius Josephus, who was a Jew and wrote a history of Judaism in around 93 AD. He made two references to Jesus. About 20 years later, two Roman politicians called Pliny and Tacitus wrote about Jesus. Tacitus recorded that Jesus was executed while Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect in charge of Judaea, and Tiberius was emperor, both of which we know to be historically accurate. Pliny records that when he was governor in northern Turkey, Christians worshipped Christ as a god. Neither of them liked Christians – Pliny writes of their “pig-headed obstinacy” and Tacitus calls their religion a destructive superstition. The fact that Jesus was a real man was desperately important for John, and it still is today. Our salvation depends upon it. Question What encouragement do you draw from the fact that Jesus was a real historical figure? Prayer Loving God, thank you that because of your love for us you sent Jesus Christ to our world. Amen
    Más Menos
    4 m
  • September 5th - Luke 19:26

    September 5th - Luke 19:26
    Sep 5 2025

    Luke 19:26

    “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” In this parable, Jesus spoke about servants who had all been entrusted with some money. Two of them managed to multiply the original amount enormously, and the king was thrilled when he discovered this. However, the third servant played it safe – very safe. He hid the money and ensured that he could return it in full to the king. The king was furious and ordered that this preserved money should go to the most successful servant. Jesus’ message is clear: don’t play it safe! If God has given you a gift, use it. If you have a gift of caring, studying, administrating, teaching, healing, praying, writing or whatever it may be, make sure you are using that gift as productively as you possibly can. One day, the Lord will ask you what you have done with the gift, and you must expect a severe response if your answer is that you played it safe and did nothing with it. It’s very tempting for all of us to look at our gifts and think that they don’t amount to much. We can all look at others and reflect that they are so much more gifted than we are, but that isn’t the point. You and I have been given a gift by God and he is looking to us to use it. If you’re not sure what your gift is, let me encourage you to pray about this and then talk with others. Most people who know you well will immediately identify it. I started preaching as a teenager because someone else identified that this was my gift. I would never, ever have put myself forward for this, and I was really nervous when I first did so, but I am so grateful that they identified the gift and encouraged me. Whatever you do, don’t play it safe. Make good use of whatever gift God has given you.

    Question What’s your gift and how are you going to use it?

    Prayer Thank you Lord for the generous gifts that you have given to me. Help me to make the most of them. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m
  • September 4th - Luke 19:5-7

    September 4th - Luke 19:5-7
    Sep 4 2025

    Luke 19:5-7

    When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Everyone loves to be called by name. It is particularly special if you didn’t realise that the person speaking to you knew your name. Clearly, Zacchaeus was not only surprised that Jesus knew his name, but thrilled when he offered to visit his house. This changed everything for Zacchaeus, who realised that he had to turn his life around. The fact that Jesus came into the world to save sinners is amazing and wonderful, but it means little until you realise that he is addressing you personally. You matter to God. Incredibly, as Augustine stated long ago, if you had been the only sinner who had ever lived, Jesus would have died for you. As a teenager, I really struggled to believe that I could be that important to God. It seemed so unlikely, but that is precisely the truth that Jesus came to proclaim to the world. That is the good news, and when you accept it for yourself, it cannot fail to turn your life upside down. The crowd didn’t approve of Jesus’ choice. They couldn’t believe that he would go to the home of a notorious sinner. They had assumed that Jesus would choose people who they considered to be respectable, not a tax collector who represented everything that was most appalling and distasteful about their society. However, the good news of Jesus knows no limits. He still comes to sinners of all kinds and personally welcomes them to receive the gift of his salvation.

    Question If Jesus were walking the streets of your community and looking for a notorious sinner, whose home would he visit?

    Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you call me by name and that, incredibly, you offer me the gift of new life. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m
  • September 3rd - Luke 18:35; 40-43

    September 3rd - Luke 18:35; 40-43
    Sep 3 2025

    Luke 18:35; 40-43

    As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road…When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too. Jesus knew that he was heading to Jerusalem where he would be killed. Despite what was ahead, he still had time for people, and when he heard a blind man call out, he stopped and gave him his full attention. From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he had declared that he had come to bring sight to the blind, in fulfilment of Isaiah 61. That didn’t mean he had come to impose his healing – he’d come to offer it, and that’s what he did when he met this blind beggar in Jericho. Jesus never barges into our lives telling us what’s best for us and imposing his will on us. He simply offers himself. On the face of it, it seems strange that Jesus would ask a blind man what he wanted him to do for him. We know nothing of the circumstances of this man, but we might presume that his blindness was connected to his begging. He lived a life of complete vulnerability, so it was surely obvious that he needed to receive his sight. However, Jesus respected him as an individual and let him make the decision. All of us need the loving touch of Jesus on our lives. We need his forgiveness, his peace, his love and his joy. We are all in desperate need of him, but he refuses to impose himself upon us. Today, as Jesus knocks at the door of our lives, he leaves it to us to decide whether we will open it or not.

    Question Will you open the door to Jesus today?

    Prayer Loving Lord Jesus, thank you that you offer me your life today. I welcome you and invite you to fill me with your Spirit. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m
  • September 2nd - Luke 18:31-33

    September 2nd - Luke 18:31-33
    Sep 2 2025

    Luke 18:31-33

    Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” A few days before Jesus’ death on the cross, he took his disciples to one side and give them a vivid description of what was going to happen. However, incredibly, they didn’t understand a word of it. It was a complete mystery to them, and the coming days were a total shock. They understood that Jesus was an amazing teacher and healer, but they hadn’t yet grasped the true meaning of his life - and didn’t want to think about his death. We live in a society that is equally unaware of the significance of Jesus’ death. This is a great tragedy, and we need to reflect on the ways we can help people to grasp its importance. We should be very glad that, at Easter time, chocolate eggs are still a focus of huge attention. Incredibly, 80 million are sold every year in the UK, along with more than 500 million cream eggs! While Easter eggs aren’t typically a source of deep spiritual enlightenment, they are a clear and powerful image of new life. And, in them, we have been handed the most amazing visual aid to help explain to people the new life that Jesus came to bring, whatever the time of year.

    Question Thinking of the people you meet each day, how might you be able to help them to understand the true significance of Jesus’ death on the cross?

    Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you were willing to go to the cross out of love for me. Amen
    Más Menos
    3 m