James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.

Trials and temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Sirine Hammami.

Concluding exhortations
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourselves were suffering.

4 Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

‘Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.’

6 So we say with confidence,

‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?’

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

Benediction and final greetings
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

25 Grace be with you all.

Thank you Jesus that your promises are yes and amen. Thank you Father that you are always with us, you never leave us or forsaken us. So I pray God for child faith - where our hearts have been hardened by life, disappointments, hardship, I pray that by your Spirit, the truth of your words - promises will set us free. Thank you God that we can pray “I believe help my unbelief”.

Thank you God that you are our helper, and we don’t have to be afraid. I pray for your perfect love to cast out any fears, thank you that there is no fear in your love. Help us to receive your love wholeheartedly, in every crack. Thank you God that you don’t give your heart in pieces but you give it wholeheartedly, unrestrainedly, generously, you don’t withdraw yourself but you give your whole self to us.

Thank you Jesus that you are the same yesterday, today and forever. You are always faithful, your love is relentless toward us and the world. You are always there to save and redeem. You are light in the darkness. You are our Prince of peace, our wonderful counsellor. You are the keeper of our heart, our redeemer, our healer, our defender. By your wounds we are healed. You are our high priest seated at the right hand of our Father - interceding for us. I pray for a deeper revelation of your cross and resurrection so that we could see you face to face - with no hindrance. Thank you that you made a way for us to come close - you rolled away any stones that were in the way.

I pray for our hearts to be strengthened and transformed by your grace and our whole life would be a response to your grace toward us and the world. Our whole life will be a sacrifice of praise as a response to your unconditional love for us.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Keith Tovey.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God disciplines his children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Warning and encouragement
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterwards, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

The mountain of fear and the mountain of joy
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ 27 The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’

“Jesus died for our sins. The ultimate motivation. As we come off a chapter recorded all about what God did for people before us, Hebrews 12 gives us our perfect inspiration.
It says ‘And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ And goes on to say ‘consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’

We need motivation. It’s difficult to exist in this broken world, but God promises renewal; He promises us peace and joy, that we may live on an earth made whole again.

But as we run this ‘race’ we will face obstacles. Not obstacles placed there by God, but obstacles used by God for good, to help us grow as Christians. He doesn’t promise us it will be easy, but that He will always be right beside us, even when things don’t work out as we expected. But in the end, all the hurt will fade away in God’s glory and the good will remain.

Everyday we strive to live Christ-like lives, to be kind and gracious. And often that is our main focus as Christians. But this chapter reminds us that even Jesus faced opposition in his time on earth, He faced hardships and was surrounded by a world full of pain and sin. He walked the same road we are walking now. So to be truly Christ-like, we should also remain focused with our eyes on God, staying committed, passionate and firmly rooted in our faith. We trust in God, His plans for us and His ability to turn the obstacles into good.”

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

Faith in action
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched round them for seven days.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawn in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and ill-treated – 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Tom Packer-Stuki.

Christ’s sacrifice once for all
10 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, “Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll –
I have come to do your will, my God.”’

8 First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’– though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

16 ‘This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.’

17 Then he adds:

‘Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.’

18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

A call to persevere in faith
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,

‘In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.’

38 And,

‘But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.’

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

As we have likely seen in previous chapters, to encourage Jewish followers of Jesus to continue  in their faith in Christ, the writer takes old rituals and concepts of the Jewish tradition and  discusses them in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The pattern repeats in Chapter 10, where  the writer talks about sacrifices - while Priests in the old tradition offer animal sacrifices, “again  and again,” these can, “never take away sins.” The writer points out that if these sacrifices were  sufficient, then we could have stopped making them! Jesus is then painted as a different kind of  Priest; one who offered, “for all time one sacrifice for sins.” We’re back to the theme of the New  Covenant which is woven through Hebrews: things are different now.

What I find striking about this passage is that the author does not ‘throw the baby out with the  bathwater’: the New Covenant does not mean the old traditions were wrong. The Law is a,  “shadow of the good things that are coming,” and as such, ritual sacrifice served as an, “annual  reminder of sins.” I’m reminded of Jesus’ declaration that he came not to abolish the Law but to  fulfil it (Matthew 5:17). Simply put, Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice; the recipients of the letter should  not get hung up on the ways of old. They’ve served their purpose, they’ve pointed to God, but  now they’ve been superseded. Given that many of us at St Mary’s do not come form the Jewish  tradition, this can all seem a little abstract. So I leave you with a question: what things in your life,  while good in their own way and for a particular time, have run their course? What do you, friends,  need to allow to be superseded by the Good News of Jesus Christ?  

God help us to know that you have covered our sins once and for all, and that we can approach  you with confidence. Help us to identify the things in our lives whose time is come, and to lay  them down before you in exchange for the joy of the Gospel.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Matt Coombs.

Worship in the earthly tabernacle
Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings – external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The blood of Christ
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, so obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The book of Hebrews seeks to reassure persecuted Jewish Christians that God’s ultimate plan for their salvation is found in Jesus and not the law given to Moses. In Chapter 9, the writer shows the new covenant surpasses the old because Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross is superior to the temple sacrifices made in the Old Testament.

Verse 14 says: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Compared with the old covenant where God’s people would regularly and routinely need to go to the temple to offer sacrifices to be assured of their forgiveness, Jesus by the Spirit, at the cross once and for all has made it so that our conscience clear.

Are you carrying any guilt or regret? Have you done something that has caused damage to a relationship. Well, the good news is that with God it doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn to Jesus and leave with him any guilt, or shame, or regret. And from this place, take our clean slate in order to live freely for God to serve him - which may include seeking reconciliation in our relationships, just as we have been reconciled with God.

Dear God, thank you that at the cross, once and for all, you did everything necessary to connect us with the Father. Thank you for cleansing us of all sin, that we can live holy and blameless lives in your sight. We confess that we have sinned in thought, word and action, and claim your promise to forgive all who truly repent. Create in us a clear conscience, free from the worry of wrongdoing. Help us to live our whole lives in your service and for your kingdom.

In your name,
Amen.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Anita Jones.

The high priest of a new covenant
Now the main point of what we are saying is this: we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’ 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said:

‘The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 No longer will they teach their neighbours,
or say to one another, “Know the Lord,”
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.’

13 By calling this covenant ‘new’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

As I record this, I can hear thunder in the background.  And I can see and hear the rain pelting down. On my sunroof.

It reminds me of God cleansing power.

To clean His world and give water to the thirsty things.

I pray that today, as we look at this passage of Scripture, that we will also have our thirst quenched. And be cleaned by God's love.

I heard something this morning:

‘You only live today once. Why do it alone?’

And in the spirit of that, I want to say thank you for joining me today.

And for also including God in your day.

We don't need to live our lives alone, do we?

And this is one of the wonders of being part of a Christian community and family.

This chapter of Hebrews, Chapter 8, is a bit easier compared to the others we've had before.

The main point is that we now have a high priest of a new and better covenant.

The Old Covenant is the law that Israel was given. And now with Jesus, these Hebrews not only have a high priest, who is compassionate and better than all the previous priests…But they also have a new covenant.

And a new way of relating to God.

The way that this new covenant is described is of interest to us today, because of course, we are part of this new covenant.

Let me just mention three things that we see in this new covenant.

The covenant is different because God's law is quote inscribed on their hearts.

This is what you and I have to look forward to in our relationship with God.

As we grow, the ways of God are written on our hearts. The desires of the spirit become our desires. As we follow Jesus, we are transformed from the inside out.

Secondly, the new covenant is characterised by a personal relationship with God.

In verse 11, we see that there is no need for a neighbour to teach another, to know the Lord.

This is a big shift.

Now every person who chooses to be part of the covenant actually knows God personally.

This is a beautiful picture of the gospel.

And three: Now that we have a new covenant, there is forgiveness of sins.

No more craziness of sacrifice like the Old Testament system.

Now God is personal.

And accessible because Jesus has dealt with our sin decisively once and for all.

These features of the new covenant, and our new accessibility to God, are a new way of relating to God.

Which parts resonate with you? And with your picture of God?

Let's just pray one more time:

Thank you Jesus for paying the price for our sin, by your death on the cross.

Help us today to feel that freedom and to know Your goodness in all that we do.

Help us to be light shining out for you. In our city. In our world.

We pray that many, many, many more people will come to know you.

And that the light of your goodness, truth and beauty will shine in our world.

And they all will come to know you and worship you.

We pray this in your name,
Amen.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Christian Dixon.

Melchizedek the priest
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace’. 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest for ever.

4 Just think how great he was: even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people – that is, from their fellow Israelites – even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Jesus like Melchizedek
If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:

‘You are a priest for ever,
in the order of Melchizedek.’

18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

‘The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest for ever.”’

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

26 Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect for ever.

In this chapter, we see a comparison made between Jesus and the Jewish priesthood. Before Jesus’s death and resurrection, there was a constant need for sacrifice to get, even remotely, close to God. The priest was responsible for burning the sacrifices and acted like a mediator between people and God to atone for sin.  The Old Testament shows this as a constant struggle, moments of God moving in great power, only for humanity to return to its old ways once again; no matter how hard humanity tried, it could not deal with the issue of sin, it wasn’t going to be able to save itself.  

Jesus came to set up a new priesthood, one that was both perfect and permanent. One where we could finally be reconciled to God and sin could be abolished forever. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, so no more would need to be made for us.  

We no longer have to be enslaved by the selfishness and brokenness that exists in this world but can choose to receive God's grace today and live a life filled with God’s peace, freedom and love. We are all a part of this priesthood, demonstrating Gods compassion for this world and sharing the amazing things he has done for us.  

I am so grateful that we have a God who knows us, who prays and intercedes for us, who fiercely loves and fights for us, despite our imperfections.  

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Helen Bunker.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case – the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The certainty of God’s promise
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek.

We’re still in Hebrews which isn’t the easiest book, but we’re in more positive, if still challenging, territory with Chapter 6.

God’s intent for us is to develop greater spiritual maturity and not to stay at base level. We’re encouraged to press on. Our spiritual maturity is built on the foundations of our faith, but it’s not enough to simply rest there, or we are vulnerable to fall away.

Like a seed, even if we’re planted in fertile soil, we need nourishment to grow and to thrive. If our environment isn’t great, we need even more to stand a chance of maturing, and bearing fruit. But what a wonderful blessing that will be.

Our continual growth will ensure we don’t miss out. The warnings of the book of Hebrews are stark but in this chapter I feel encouragement.

Growth and bearing fruit are important to prevent against falling away. When we really bear fruit, we abide in Christ. When we abide in Christ, how can we fall or turn away?

We know that God is faithful. His promises are steadfast. We can trust in Him despite everything.

Learning the truth and then slipping backwards is a risk. We’re encouraged to come back from the edge, to not only solidify foundational habits, but to continue to grow.

We hear endless advice about habits these days. Myriad books, articles, Instagram posts. There is advice everywhere.

Wherever you are in your journey with Christ my simple encouragement to you is to ask, what can you do every day to bring yourself closer to God?

My brain craves routine, I need to do something every day to make it stick, even something very simple. Make a note for 30 days’ time to check back in and see what a difference your focus has made. I will be praying for you.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Andy Hunt.

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honour on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

‘You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.’

6 And he says in another place,

‘You are a priest for ever,
in the order of Melchizedek.’

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Warning against falling away
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Ok wow.
There’s a lot of symbolism in this passage, before we even get started on the historical stuff about high priests!
 
Unsurprisingly though, the part that grabbed me first in this passage is the part about food.
 
I was initially a bit put off by the telling off given in verse 11 where there’s some evident frustration at the Hebrews for the way that they have ‘stopped listening’ - leading them into a state of arrested development on their journey towards becoming teachers.
 
I think I felt particularly nagged by this telling off! It resonated with my own frustrations at my lack of progress in my own academic studies. I worked out the other day that I have another 220 hours to go until I get my qualification!
 
Anyway, aside from the nagging, for the purpose of this reflection, I wonder if we might take a kinder look at this concept of milk vs solid food?
 
Rewind ten years and I was just starting out as head of music in a secondary school, sitting in the cab of a minibus waiting to get my licence to drive my students to concerts! I remember the instructor telling me to take him for a drive for five minutes so he could do an initial assessment. As I imagine is the case with a lot of young men, I was none to phased by this request - after all, I had been driving for nearly ten years already and was more than happy to offer him a masterclass of my skills!
 
Five minutes later, the instructor pulled me over and began to point out that I should probably use my mirrors, and that it would be a good idea to put the handbrake on at junctions. All that before we even got to the concept of reverse parking…
 
I came to the realisation that, whilst I had done an ok job of getting from A to B in my little Clio, I was going to need to repurpose my skills a little if I was going to be responsible for transporting children.
 
What does this have to do with Hebrews 5? Well, I want to make the point that maybe we all have to go back to Milk sometimes. I’d even go as far as to say that this isn’t always something to be ashamed of. After all, the faith we have right now, got us as far as here… But we know that God is making all things new and that the beauty of this mystery of faith is that we are on a path of being continually transformed by the renewing of our minds: Any musician will tell you how important slow scales are, as well as sonatas. Any athlete will tell you that breaking down their cadence can be as helpful for running performance as doing sprints.
 
So where are you at today?
What is the Spirit prompting in you as you read Hebrews 5?
 
Is this your time to progress onto solid food, to step out in faith and challenge yourself to sail out into the bay and explore outside of those fundamentals that you’ve been holding on to with white knuckles…?
 
Or maybe today you feel a call to come into shore for a bit, craving pure spiritual milk to nourish you for the long haul.
 
Either way, Jesus is our High Priest, and has done this journey already, to the delight and approval of His Heavenly Father.
 
 May you journey with him intimately today…

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Carla McGonagle.

A Sabbath-rest for the people of God
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

‘So I declared on oath in my anger,
“They shall never enter my rest.”’

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘On the seventh day God rested from all his works.’ 5 And again in the passage above he says, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’

6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it ‘Today’. This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.’

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the great high priest
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

In today’s passage, Hebrews 4, there are three main points that stand out to me.

The first one is in v16, where the writer encourages us all to ‘approach God’s throne of grace with confidence’. I like this image - Jesus is the great high priest; he is the king sitting on the throne. This verse reminds me of Revelation 4 which describes the throne in heaven. We are invited to enter the throne room and to approach the throne of grace. Jesus is there waiting for us, always ready to receive us. Anytime.

The second point that stands out is in v12-13 ‘For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow’ I really like this image of God zooming in to the joints and marrow level. God is forensic. It’s like he has x-ray vision, not only on the physical level, but the mental, emotional and spiritual levels too. He knows our attitudes and our intentions; he knows the reasons why we do or don’t do something. There are no secrets from God.

The third and probably main point of Hebrews 4 is the idea of ‘Sabbath-rest’. This letter was written to a group of Christians who were very familiar with the teachings of the Old Testament. There are many Old Testament references in Hebrews, one of these is the term ‘Sabbath-rest’.

What does ‘Sabbath-rest’ mean? We talk about the presence of God, of being filled with the Holy Spirit, of resting in the Spirit, entering a ‘Sabbath-rest’ is similar to this. In v11 the writer urges us to ‘make every effort to enter that rest’ which seems a bit paradoxical. However, it means taking the time to put God first, to set aside time to worship, to pray, to spend time with God. Or even better, live in that state of rest all the time, carry it with you throughout the day, live and walk in God’s tangible presence, practice the presence of God.

Have you had an experience of resting in God’s presence, of resting in the Spirit?

Think about this now … did you experience a sense of peace … a sense of freedom … a sense of love?

Pray

Lord we thank you for giving us rest today and every day. Thank you that we can approach your throne of grace with confidence. Thank you that we can come to you weary and heavy-laden and you will give us rest. Come Holy Spirit we pray.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Jermaine Jarrett.

Jesus greater than Moses
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 ‘Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,’ bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

Warning against unbelief
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

‘Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,
though for forty years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
I said, “Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.”
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
“They shall never enter my rest.”’

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said:

‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.’

16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Following on from the previous two chapters which lay out who Jesus is, this one looks at what that means for us. For the Jewish audience being written to, the message is crystal clear; “The Church’s one Foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord” as the old hymn goes. That is the message being expounded here.

For ‘Moses’, substitute religiosity and outward displays of piety, and our challenge is the same. Are we more focused on the servant than the master, the trappings of faith rather than a faithful heart? Do we mistake the shadow for the substance? Too much religious observance and not enough trust in Jesus.

Moses was an important figure who was given the role of bringing the law and pointing to the deliverance that God would bring, but a created thing not the creator. Jesus is the creator, the giver of life, the fulfilment of the law, the deliverance that God promised.
He is the rock on which we stand, the one who holds it all together. We are his Church and we should depend on his word, follow his lead. And just as there were consequences for doubting the word of God given through Moses – forty wasted years wandering in the desert – what can we expect if we disregard the prompting of the Holy Spirit and choose to go our own way?
The word ‘Today’ is what jumps out to me in this passage. It’s immediacy always brings to my mind the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 and the associated warning ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’ What are we focused on, what are our priorities?

There are times in our lives when we have greater need to trust God, his presence, his provision. And it is easy in those periods to fixate on what we don’t have, to focus on the metaphorical giants on the other side of the Canaan river, and to try to go it alone, forgetting all that God has already done for us and his promise to keep us. But His promises are sure; They are sure, if we will only believe.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Laura Hopwood.

Warning to pay attention
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Jesus made fully human
5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:

‘What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
7 You made them a little lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honour
8 and put everything under their feet.’

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says,

‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.’

13 And again,

‘I will put my trust in him.’

And again he says,

‘Here am I, and the children God has given me.’

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews is a book of encouragement to those who are struggling to persevere, for those whose context makes it difficult to keep the faith. In this chapter, the author acknowledges the tension between all things being subject to God when your circumstances feel very counter to that. Being a believer in the early church was dangerous, potentially life threatening. Although in our context we may not experience these same challenges, there are still many things that can make it feel difficult to have hope.

Hebrews was addressed to Jewish Christians and in Judaism salvation is a collective experience. The central narrative for God’s people was that God heard the cries of Israel (a nation) and delivered them. The author speaks of Jesus’ signs and wonders as testament to this salvation, and what characterised Jesus’ miracles? Consistently, they were radical acts of inclusion for the least, the last, the lost. As Jesus said himself, he didn’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. His ministry wasn’t just about interactions with individuals, but these moments were to ripple through time to say: everyone is in! Jesus’ powerful demonstrations of love across all social, political and religious barriers simply furthered the message already flowing through the Tanach (Old Testament): God longs to be restored to all Creation.

This is the kind of salvation explored in this chapter. The author explains how God, through Jesus, sought to have all people crafted into the family of God by “sharing in their humanity” (verse 14). If you are a people who inhabit suffering, knowing your God too walked the hard earth, wept, truly felt the heavy burden of oppression all the way to death, you can trust your God knows you. In a life of suffering, with no hope, no apparent way out, no glimmer of salvation, you can start to believe that suffering is all there is. This was the reality for these early believers and it can sometimes be our reality too. But in a resurrected God, death is defeated. The fear that comes in the darkest part of the night is pierced with the light of the rising Son.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Praise Jourdain.

God’s final word: his Son
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The Son superior to angels
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

‘You are my Son;
today I have become your Father’?

Or again,

‘I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son'?

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’

7 In speaking of the angels he says,

‘He makes his angels spirits,
and his servants flames of fire.’

8 But about the Son he says,

‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.’

10 He also says,

‘In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.’

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

‘Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet’?

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the New Testament’s most beautifully poetic books. In Chapter 1, the author treats us to a mini bio of God, weaving Old Testament words throughout the text to create a profile illustrating the nature and primacy of God. What we are reminded, is that He is constant and unchanging. We are taught that He is the primary force in the universe—the creator, the ruler, the ultimate—and that all things come from and shall return to Him. Moreover, we are reminded that He sent Jesus not as a mere prophet or an angel, but as His own flesh and blood.

In the person of Jesus Christ, as Hebrews 1 says, God is represented for who He is. He appears as and when He wants, and to whomsoever He chooses. He is compassionate. He is generous. He is brave. He is steadfast. He is a healer. He is a sailor. He is a shepherd.  He moves slowly, one step at a time. He is generous to women. He is generous to sinners. He corrects His children but does not punish them. Jesus is no messenger of God, no adjunct, no representative – He is the materialisation of God Himself.

In all the movement, contortion, complication of our daily existence; in all the energy and emotion that our precious lives demand and extract from us—sometimes joyfully, sometimes not—it can be easy to get distracted and forget who God is. In our prayers we sometimes reduce God to the status of a servant: we ask for what we want and then wait for Him to go get it for us. We limit God to a source of love whose proportions we think we can understand, when the sheer scale of love with which He sustains every day of our lives is just incomprehensible. It is a love that no word, no measurement, no name can encompass other than the name of God itself.

Significantly, the Epistle to the Hebrews was written for the Christian community in Jerusalem. At the time, this was a place with living memory of God’s manifestation on Earth, and yet, despite having seen the Word made flesh, despite having heard Jesus’ voice and smelled His blood on the cross, the people there still needed reminding of who God is. They still needed their faith to be revitalised. So today, don’t worry if you too are experiencing feelings of disconnection – even First Century Jews, and even Jesus own’ disciples had crises of belief. Know instead that words are the original sign of God’s presence and that Scripture is God’s roadmap, so that we always know where to find Him. Spend time in the Word of God today and see how relentlessly He has tried to win your heart since the Beginning. You can’t miss it! Remember that you were created by God to receive such adoration, that you are His most prized creation, and that between You and Him is a love bond that goes back to the very beginning of time.

God of love, hear our prayer.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by  Praise Jourdain.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Personal remarks
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

16 At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final greetings
19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus ill in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

The final chapter of the second letter to Timothy has the humbling and moving significance within Scripture of being likely the last written document composed by Paul before his death. Here, Paul exhorts his Ephesian protégé to continue the pioneering work of ministry and to faithfully spread the good news. He calls on him in the same way that all those who are saved have been called—to do the work of an evangelist, and to do so with patience and compassion for those caught up in the dramas of the world, with all its confusions, distractions and powerful desires.

The picture Paul paints from his prison cell in Rome of ministry and of working with people is beautifully summed up when he speaks of having ‘fought the good fight’. Perhaps we can all relate to Paul in the feeling that the faithful life of loving our neighbours can sometimes be a bit of an uphill battle, especially when our loving, thoughtful deeds have been rejected. So, Paul provides Timothy with a stark reality check: that most people will almost certainly not want to hear the message he was sent to share. They will prefer to stay within their own filter bubbles, find leaders who affirm their confirmation biases, and will choose the comfort of the fictional and familiar over the disruptive, radical truth of God's love and self-sacrifice to deliver us from evil. Nevertheless, his instruction to Timothy on how to keep the gospel alive in a hostile world is simple: no matter what the world does, no what adversities we face, and no matter what relationships come, go or fail just as they did for Paul, we must keep showing up for others and never ever stop pointing them in the direction of God’s unfailing, eternal and indiscriminate love.

If this sounds like a tough commission or a tall order, then let that serve as a reminder of the awesomeness of our God that He can hold all of it in His hands so effortlessly; that He can love each of us so intimately and completely, no matter who we are and what we’ve done. Take Paul for example: the man whose Christian journey began writhing blind in the dirt, floored on the road to Damascus by a holy light, the light of Christ ripping through the rageful darkness encasing his heart. The man who by the end of his life had become the preeminent evangelist of the same Christ whose followers he used to persecute, and the figurehead for Christian communities right across the ancient Mediterranean world. Paul’s story is a testimony to just how deeply a soul can be saved, of just how redemptive are God’s loving arms when we have the courage to stop struggling against His embrace.

Today, as you navigate your relationships and the complexities of the times we live in, remember Paul, and take strength from his example of steadfast love and determination under fire, and the grace accorded to him by God in full knowledge of his imperfections. Give thanks and remember that perfection is not within your remit any more than it was within Paul's – it is within God’s remit alone. What is required of us is that we keep striving to be the most loving version of ourselves as God would have us be, but we do not have to be perfect in order for God to love and trust us with a part in His plan. That’s how generous He is, that's how forgiving He is, that’s how proud of you He is, that's how shamelessly in love He is with you.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is by Becky Charles.

But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

A final charge to Timothy
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul is writing from prison near the end of his life to the younger evangelist Timothy to help him in the work of evangelism- to encourage, guide and pass on his knowledge and wisdom.
 
In this chapter Paul warns Timothy not to be naive about Christians who appear to be religious, but whose actions show that they have no faith in God's ability to help them. There is a long list of shortcomings this type of person might have as well as pointing out those who deliberately manipulate vulnerable people's spiritual needs for their own gain. In short, people who give Christianity a very bad name! Paul says that these people will continue to go from bad to worse, deceiving themselves and others and causing trouble for those who genuinely have faith in God.
 
How many times have people said to you that Christianity causes bad things as a reason to not have faith? Does it become dispiriting when Christians behave badly?
 
Paul lives in the reality of a powerful God who helps him in his situation. He contrasts his behaviour of suffering on other's behalf with those who, without trust in God's power and goodness, become self seeking. He encourages Timothy not to be fazed by criticism, to stick with what he has believed about Jesus and to look to God's word in scripture for guidance and help in his situation.
 
God is there for us today, living and active, powerful to help. Let's ask God to speak to us freshly through the scriptures and to guide us in our situation.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Stephanie Beckford.

The appeal renewed
2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing with false teachers
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’

20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Imagine imprisonment for preaching the gospel; not the first, but the second time. The first time was not bad because at least you were under house arrest but now a dungeon -- cold, musty, and dark. Time passes by slowly. You miss the outdoor freedom, your friends, sharing God’s word and mostly, your bestie.

This was Paul’s predicament in 2 Timothy 2. Rather than self-pity, he was enabled to encourage Timothy’s Christian life in this Pastoral letter. Paul tells his son-like friend and helper, to be strong -- not just with natural strength, but in the enabling grace and power that comes from a relationship in Jesus Christ.  

He (like us) must be a noble servant of Christ using God’s gracious gifts to share the good news of the gospel.

Paul compares following Jesus to three metaphors: (1) a soldier striving to impress his commanding officer. (2) an athlete training for competition (3) a hard-working, dedicated farmer.

These metaphors point to something bigger than us: a willingness to sacrifice much and endure personal challenges towards the highest goal. Jesus is our example - committing to the Father, He suffered shame, humiliation, and crucifixion. Hardships and suffering are all part of the Christian life, BUT dedicated effort will be rewarded. We are called to be workers in the kingdom of God. Let us prepare and commit to sharing the gospel knowing the foundation of our hope is Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for our sins and faith-building resurrection.

What are the prisons we are locked in today? Fear, shame, guilt, feelings of unworthiness? Is time passing by slowly for us? “God’s word is not chained” (v9). It is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.  In Jesus’, presence we don’t look like what we’ve been and can safely open our hearts to its restorative, healing, and freeing power to deliver and set free. Allow His words to break through the doors of our prisons today.

Reflection:
Write a Pastoral letter of encouragement to someone you have been praying for or, someone who has wronged you or someone who comes to mind now. Accept the freedom this brings.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Graeme English.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Appeal for loyalty to Paul and the gospel
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Examples of disloyalty and loyalty
15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

Paul writes this letter from Rome in around 67 AD where he was a political prisoner. He clearly thinks a lot of Timothy, claiming him as a spiritual son and calling out the rich heritage of faith passed down from his mother and grandmother. But Paul is also acutely aware of the struggles Timothy is facing as Christians continue to be persecuted by Emperor Nero who has scapegoated them for a fire that destroyed half the city a few years before.

It must have been hugely tempting for Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, to turn away from Paul and it's clear that others already have (yes, we're talking about you Phygelus and Hermogenes). To follow someone who has been locked away for a few years by this point, who is becoming increasingly unpopular in society must have been too big a risk for some. But Paul asks Timothy not to be ashamed and to suffer with him for the gospel.

In more recent times, another man who sent influential letters from prison wrote the following:

“If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.”

Martin Luther King Jr., along with Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, all found themselves as political prisoners in the last century.  In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", MLK makes it clear that striving and sacrifice is vital for the church's survival.

What sacrifice is God calling us to make going into 2026?

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Matt Coombs

All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might for ever. Amen.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Grace be with you all.

This is the final chapter of Paul’s letter to his young friend, Timothy.

The first two verses are actually still part of what Paul was writing about in chapter 5 - this is all to do with Paul’s understanding of good conduct and witness whatever the circumstance. Verses 3-5 discusses false teachers, and verses 6-19 look at finances and godly living. Paul then ends his letter commanding Timothy to guard what has been entrusted to him and oppose ungodliness (20-21).

Paul says in verse 10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

John will often ask the question at gift days: “how much money is enough?” And the answer is, of course, “just a little bit more”.

I’m sure that for most of us a little extra cash would be appreciated right now. But Paul wants to encourage the Christians in Timothy’s church not to crave after wealth and material things, but to show gratitude and godly contentment (6).

This verse is easily misread or taken out of context. It doesn’t say that money is the root of all evil, it says love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Money can be used for good, and love of money is just one of many enticing evils that lead us astray.

So for Paul this is a question of the heart. Is our desire to accruing wealth stronger than our godly contentment? Do we recognise God as the provider who deserves the rightful place at the centre of our lives, or would we rather be master of our own security?

Paul has seen there were Christians who had wandered away from the faith in their pursuit of money. They had been caught in its snare and it caused them many griefs (10).

Jesus, we trust you to provide for all of our needs. Please give us all we need. Would you fill us with your love that provides everlasting security, and would you have your place at the centre of our lives.
Amen.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Max Somerset.

Widows, elders and slaves
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’ 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favouritism.

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden for ever.

Tradition has it that Timothy was about 16 years old when he and his mother converted to Christianity.  Presumably this happened when Paul visited their home at Lystra, now part of present day Turkey. Paul had a close bond with Timothy as Paul addressed him as “My Son Timothy” three times in the New Testament. His Grandmother Lois had come to faith and here we see faith working out down through the generations. When Timothy was about 21, he and Silas accompanied Paul on his second tour of Asia Minor. Paul mentored Timothy for 16 years and later left him with the Church in Ephesus. It was during his time of service that Timothy received the two letters, which bear his name. These letters are specifically addressed to Timothy as opposed to the whole church and therefore are more personal, perhaps even private in nature but the Holy Spirit saw fit to disclose them so that we could see  the inner workings of leadership responsibilities and be equipped to deal with the merry-go-round of Church Life.

Paul has a few harsh things to say to Timothy that many a Church leader would shrink from saying publically. I am not sure Paul would have been so blunt if the letter wasn’t so personal but sometimes you need to spell things out in black and white to your nearest and dearest and hope that they then can be trusted to be a little diplomatic in the way they deal with it. Paul begins by telling Timothy not to rebuke (literally in the Greek ‘to strike at’) an older person in line with Leviticus 19v32 “You shall rise before the grey headed and honour the presence of an older man..”  You might be younger and cleverer than an older man, in the words of the Late Great Jazz singer, Louis Armstrong “I see baby’s born I watch them grow, they’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know…” technological advances can leave the elderly feeling quite antiquated and out of touch but young people, don’t fool yourself, there is no substitute for the school of hard knocks and life experience. You might rebuke an older person but it’s not diplomatic or respectful and the older person may not receive it therefore your communication with that person proves utterly ineffective and unfruitful. What good is that?

When I was a younger man and a deacon in a Baptist church, I was very opinionated and quite Judgmental. The trouble was, I wasn’t aware of how little I knew and I was only aware of the little I knew. For example I remember laying into a Christian brother for dating a non-Christian. My response to his situation was utterly unhelpful but made me feel good about how straight down the line I was. It was inconceivable to imagine how he could do such a thing, until many years later, after the two co-pastors fell out and the church split, I ended up doing the same thing. The older me would love to sit the younger me down and teach him a few life lessons prior to giving advice to others but alas, youth is wasted on the young.

If you want results in your communication, there are ways to go about things that get results and there are ways to go about things that just cause more harm than good. It’s not what you know; it’s having the wisdom to know how to act on what you know. For example, Paul tells Timothy some Jaw dropping things about the state of certain people in his congregation. He confides that the young Widow who has made a pledge in the church and after the mourning period wants to bounce back; remarry and ‘live in pleasure’ whilst still receiving financial help from the church for her pledge, is ‘dead while she lives.’ (v6) he goes on to confide that those who do not provide for their relatives and especially their immediate household are ‘worse than an unbeliever’ (v8). Timothy, pastoring the Church in Ephesus, armed with this information, would be expected to “speak the truth in Love’ (Ephesians 4:15) in order to bring about restoration. James tells us “He who turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5v20). The aim is restoration, fruitfulness and wiping away the sins of the past, not finger pointing. Timothy was entrusted with such responsibilities. So, when someone tells you something that makes your Jaw drop, remember, it’s not what you know; it’s what you do with what you know. In an age of keyboard warriors and opinions, we would do well to remember the Wisdom of Solomon when he says “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth so let your words be few” (Ecc 5:2)

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Matt Coombs.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labour and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Let me summarise todays passage.

Paul always knew that eventually some people will leave the faith to follow demonic lies and petty disputes. But you know the truth, all things that God creates are good. So correct the ministers who teach falsehoods and reject the silly myths you hear. Instead pursue godliness. Physical exercise has its benefits but godliness has eternal worth. Don't forget that this is what you signed up for in Christ. So teach these things. Don't let your youth undermine you. Instead allow your good life to be an example to everyone. Until I come back to Ephesus, keep teaching and using your gifts. And keep an eye on your character and teaching because this is good for you and others too.

A key part of Paul’s theology is that we as Christians are to imitate Jesus. Which is something that most followers of Jesus can get their heads round, even if it seems an insurmountable task. But here Paul says that Timothy is also capable of setting an example to people, that people may also imitate Timothy’s godliness, that he can set an example to in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

This is good for both the person pursuing godliness, but also those who witness it and imitate it.

But a godly life doesn’t just happen. We become godly, the same way we become physically fit, by going into training (8) (1 Cor. 9:25, NIV).

Training requires intentionality, self-control, and a plan. Paul is saying to Timothy be intentional about training yourself for godliness. Show self-control, eliminating anything from your life which interferes with your training?

Are you being intentional about training yourself for godliness? Are you being self-controlled and removing anything that is a distraction? Are there patterns of behaviour that need to be put to death?

Godliness is not just a personal and private relationship with God but overflows in a fruitful life of faithful service.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for your presence, and that when we are close to you your fruit is evident in our lives. Give us your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Help us to follow Jesus with all our lives. May we experience the freedom that comes from obedience to your commands, and may others experience that freedom as they imitate us as we imitate the Son. In the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Praise Jourdain.

Qualifications for overseers and deacons
Here is a trustworthy saying: whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Reasons for Paul’s instructions
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing to you with these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.

While the date and veracity of Paul’s authorship of the First Epistle to Timothy is contested by modern scholars, Chapter Three of this letter offers us a crucial insight into the workings of the Early Church. Firstly, the existence of overseers (or bishops) and deacons, infers the presence of an organisational structure. Christianity, even its earliest form then, was not merely a loose association of the devout, but a framework of interdependence and stability, constructed to unite a community of believers. What we are shown in 1 Timothy 3’s prescription for the overseer and deacon, therefore, is the model of behaviour required of the Church’s servants so that this stability and unity might be maintained.

At first glance it might seem that for both bishop and deacon alike, and indeed for all of us who walk with Jesus, the instruction is fairly basic: be morally sound enough to inspire the confidence of others. Simple and straightforward. But if we look a little deeper at the qualifications for overseers and deacons, we see that God wants a far more intricately beautiful experience of life for His children. The letter speaks of a person who is temperate, gentle, hospitable; someone who can pass on their experience, strength and hope in Jesus, and who is not prone to getting into arguments; somebody of a sober mindset and sober behaviour, who has a decent grip on their life and is faithful to the ones they love. In this we see that God doesn’t simply want obedient, virtuous automatons for followers – He wants us to cultivate peaceful, loving lives for ourselves with He and His love at the centre. In short, in order for us to experience and to reflect the deep truths of our faith—the truth of God’s steadfastness, the truth of God’s protection, the truth of God’s adoration and of His eternal and indiscriminate love for us—He sets out certain parameters for our behaviour, to enable us to build and live drama-free lives.

And so, where in your life might you be creating unnecessary drama for yourself with your attitudes and behaviours? Where is your view of God’s vision for you being blocked by your own shadow? Are there bills that you’re not paying, cuts you’re refusing to make, or changes you’re not implementing that are bringing stress into your life? Are there relationships and commitments you are neglecting or overinvesting in? Are there conversations you are avoiding because you cannot predict or control the outcome? Is there an apology you need to make, or one you need to accept, but to do so would mean you having to get vulnerable or humble? Is there a doctor’s appointment you have been avoiding?

Whatever it is that is creating drama for you, remember that God gives us limitless opportunities to invite Him into our lives to solve our problems, to fix our brokenness. Infinite in patience, He gives us as many goes as we need. Spend time in conversation with Him today, therefore. Hold up all the things that rob you of your peace, and take ownership of the things that you do also that deprive others of theirs. Allow God to breathe healing into them. Ask Him to remove these problems, these defects of character, and let Him gently guide you into a peaceful, more loving way of life.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Helen Augustin

Instructions on worship
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle – I am telling the truth, I am not lying – and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

This passage has been taken very literally in the church. When reading it it’s hard to imagine  anything different from the idea of women being silent and being under the teaching of men! But  actually in order to understand the passage properly we need understand the context of the time  in which it was written. The church at Ephesus that Paul was writing to, just like our church today,  was very influenced by the culture around it, and I’ll say more about that in a moment.  

Paul was writing to correct how this culture had influenced church and how a lot of false teaching  had come into play. The culture that was around at the time was the cult of Artemis, based on  Greek mythology - the goddess Artemis was the daughter of Zeus, and the twin sister of Apollo.  The myth tells us she was given birth to, and then she helped to give birth to her brother as a new  born baby. Artemis was mythologised as a very powerful woman, and the cult revered these  qualities. She was a huntress, a virgin, untouched by men, she was seen as invincible, denoted  often by wearing very elaborate clothing (this was one of the requirements she asked of her father  Zeus). So the cult revered all these outward displays of female power. Women were allowed to  celebrate this cult but men were punished if they tried to celebrate it, so it was really a female  dominated culture that was around at his time.  

The goddess Artemis was revered because she helped in childbirth, therefore women called to  her to be helped at this time. So this was a stronghold of superstitious belief. And just like  anybody who holds views that are influential in society, there is a level of privilege and power that  comes, and women who followed this cult assumed that when they went into the church that they  would also have that same privilege and power, and so these women were really dominating the  church culture of the time. They had a lot of opinions but like a lot of new christians they didn’t  have a lot of experience and real learning of christian doctrine, so there was a lot of false teaching  going on and Paul really wanted to cut through this happening, with so many vulnerable people in  the church, and he wanted this problem to be erased.  

He says two things “Come with humility everyone” - men are told not to be angry, but to come  with open hands and come and pray for those with power, come and be open and humble, and  women don’t flaunt your wealth or your influence, be silent, listen, come to learn. The second  things that Paul emphasises is that learning Christian doctrine needs to be prioritised by  everyone, both those in a position in a power, and those that are still learning - they need to listen  and learn. That is a big part of this passage. The church needs people in leadership who aren’t  easily deceived, who can tell the difference between falsehood and truth. And until people are in  that position they should’t be leading. Character is important - gentleness, humility, a trustworthy  character before they start having a huge influence and teaching within the church.  

We know also that Paul writes in Galations “In Christ there is neither slave more free, nor male and  female, in Him we are all equal and united, and in the body of Christ we can help one another  flourish.”  

So 1 Timothy 2 is a real calling to the church to come together to learn.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for this passage. Thank you for helping us to understand it in the context of  the time it was written. We thank you that you are the God of all times and we can still take  learning from this passage, things that are relevant. Help us to come together in our church, to be  humble to learn, humble to truth, and to gain wisdom to be able to differentiate between truth and  falsehood. Thank you for bringing us to your word today. Amen

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Matt Windsor-Richards.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy charged to oppose false teachers
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practising homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

The Lord’s grace to Paul
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The charge to Timothy renewed
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

The word “command” in our passage feels heavy in today’s society. We don’t like being told what to do. I have pathetic arguments with myself over not putting my seatbelt on if driving literally round the corner in my town - what’s that about? Just do it!!
 
We are ultimately commanded to love. I innately love my teenage boys even when they drive me mad - but I have to actively force myself to show them I love them sometimes, not just tell them. Are friends, strangers and colleagues easier to demonstrate love towards? Jesus has our back…
 
How often in our daily work and home lives do we act in ignorance and unbelief (v.13)? Either unwittingly causing trouble or missing opportunities to grow ourselves and others? Yet God’s grace is always abundantly available to us. When in trouble, or struggling with seemingly insurmountable problems, His grace, mercy and love is endless.
 
Timothy had prophesies made about him (v.18) that Paul obviously feels compelled to remind and encourage him with. To avoid shipwrecking faith. Have you ever received prophesies? Do you go forward for prayer at St Mary’s and open yourself to allowing God’s power to remind you and encourage you? We all need it. Regularly.
 
A prayer - Christ Jesus, please help me demonstrate “immense patience” towards others, as you have shown for us (v.16).
 
ps. It is important to me to briefly comment on v.10. I encourage all to read Marcus Green’s “The Possibility Of Difference”. Verses, such as this one, taken out of context (or lazily translated from the Greek), are given full attention and insight. We are all equal and made in God’s image to love one another. Let us all be careful, just as Paul urges Timothy and question whether “false doctrine” is being taught.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.

This devotional is written by Matt Coombs.

Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish
Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 'I'm going out to fish,' Simon Peter told them, and they said, 'We'll go with you.' So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, 'Friends, haven't you any fish?'

'No,' they answered.

6 He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, 'It is the Lord,' he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?' They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus reinstates Peter
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?'

'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.'

Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.'

16 Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'

He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'

Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.'

17 The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.'

Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.' 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, 'Follow me!'

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, 'Lord, who is going to betray you?') 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, 'Lord, what about him?'

22 Jesus answered, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.' 23 Because of this, the rumour spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?'

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Imaginative Bible Reading
Today, I want to help you to connect with God through your imagination. This is a really old approach to reading the Bible that people have found helpful for centuries. For me, this is a brilliant way to engage with the stories of the Bible in a fresh way. I find it helps me enter into them emotionally and develop a sense of connection with God. This is engaging the senses and emotions and contemplating the narrative of scripture. All the feels.
Continuing with our series in John’s gospel, I’m going to lead you through today’s reading and help you to imagine yourself in the story.
 
We’re all different, right? When I do this at home, I sit on a hard wooden chair, plant both my feet on the ground and place my hands palms up comfortably in my lap. For me, it helps to physically get out of bed and position myself in such a way that says “I’m attentive and ready to connect with you, God.” You might be different. You might prefer to stay in bed. You might prefer to go and make a cup of tea and sit on your squishiest armchair. Do whatever you think will be most helpful.
 
This led reflection takes about 15 minutes, so make sure you have the time to do it. I know that many of us read these devotionals on the bus or the tube, but I would suggest that this one requires a little more peace and quiet.
 
So, grab your coffee, choose somewhere quiet to sit. Make yourself comfortable. Pop your headphones in. Press play and close your eyes.

The music behind this reflection was composed by the extraordinarily talented Joseph Watt. To hear more of his music you can check out Spotify here. Or just rock up on a Sunday, he’s regularly playing the keyboard or drums!

We’re indebted to our friends at St Augustine’s, Auckland who did some brilliant contemplative reflections in the week leading up to Easter that were so good I couldn’t help but copy them! You can listen to those here.

Take a moment to worship after reflecting. Feel free to play your favourite track or listen to the recommended song below.