Thursday 5 January 2012

Day 12: New Years Resolution: Trust Jesus More

Well done if you’ve stayed with me all 12 days!

Even if you haven’t... THIS VIDEO IS WORTH WATCHING!!!
 
A heart-warming treat as we head into the new year with all it’s uncertainties and unpredictability.

What sort of King is on the throne?

Turn up the volume, sit back and revel in this sermon extract... it is sheer poetry. Beware: it will stir your heart!





Wednesday 4 January 2012

Day 11: New Years Resolution: Live Like Jesus More

What follows is the first prayer in the book of Puritan prayers, The Valley of Vision.

Despite the archaic language, it’s a wonderful prayer for 2012 that deserves careful, prayerful reading. We would do well as 21st century believers if we had more of the passion for likeness to Jesus that the Puritans had...


Lord high and holy, meek and lowly,
   Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
   where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
   hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.


Let me learn by paradox
   that the way down is the way up,
   that to be low is to be high,
   that the broken heart is the healed heart,
   that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
   that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
   that to have nothing is to posses all,
   that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
   that to give is to receive,
   that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find
   thy light in my darkness,
   thy life in my death,
   thy joy in my sorrow,
   thy grace in my sin,
   thy riches in my poverty,
   thy glory in my valley.

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Day 10: New Years Resolution: Pray More

The book Operation World has been around for decades. The original edition was produced in 1964 by Patrick Johnstone, a missionary in South Africa, as a 32-page booklet of basic information about 30 countries. The most recent 2010 edition, is 1,000 pages long and has 3-4 pages of information and prayer request for every country in the world. It is THE definitive volume of prayer information about the world.

And the good news is that Operation World has a really accessible and helpful WEBSITE!


If you haven’t yet discovered it, it’s worth a visit. One of the most useful features is the ‘Pray Today’ page (found under the ‘prayer movement’ tab) which has concise information for a new country every day, as well as an ‘Answer to Prayer' and ‘Challenge for Prayer’ paragraph.

So, here’s an idea for a great New Years resolution: Why not set the ’Pray Today’ page of Operation World’s website as your homepage this year and spend the first minute whenever you log on each day praying for the world?

Monday 2 January 2012

Day 9: New Years Resolution: Share Jesus More

This video, which I used at Woodgreen last year, is based on Jesus' parable of the Wise and Foolish House-builders.

Link: Foundations


Why not send it to someone today with an invite to the next Christianity Explored course, starting on 18th January? Click HERE for the link to the Christianity Explored page on Woodgreen’s website.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Day 8: A New Year Resolution: Read the Bible More

Happy New year!

Looking for inspiration for a New Years resolution? Take a look at this new website, launched very recently by our friends at The Good Book Company: Open Up the Bible


Open Up the Bible is a new website deliberately focused on helping us all read the Bible more regularly: as individuals and as families. It’s packed full of really helpful videos, short articles and practical tips. What marks this ‘read the bible’ initiative out from all the others is that it doesn’t pile on the guilt, rather it is both realistic about the busyness of life and our own limitations.

  • Want some help with family devotions? Watch the short video interview with two parents who share how they do it.
  • Struggling with a teenager who doesn’t want to read the Bible? Read the short article by one younger person about how to inspire teenagers and not nag them!
  • Finding that your work crowds out time for God? Watch the video about how one guy manages to fit the Bible into his day.

There are links to lots of helpful resources to get you started and Explore Bible notes (highly recommended) are about to launch an ‘Explore App’ for phones.

You can even join the ‘Open Up the Bible’ Facebook community to engage with others who have a similar heart – and similar struggles – when it comes to reading the Bible.

Sounds like a News Years resolution worth keeping to me.