Displaying items by tag: Friday Focus

In Acts we are told the church enjoyed the favour of all the people. What reputation does your church have – austere? cliquey? unreal? judgmental? Or is it seen as warm and welcoming to everyone in your community? Is it a place that shows God’s goodness? God’s mercy is wonderful - it can reach anyone. Let it fill our hearts.

(Steve Botham, World Prayer Centre)

Walk into any book shop at an airport or station and you will discover a wide range of books offering advice on how to be a better person. The Psalms provide us with some ancient and well-attested wisdom. We are invited to put our trust in God and ask Him to be our teacher, for all of life. And this is what we are called to model to the world.

(Written by Paul Wooley, Bible Society)

18- to 35-year-olds have been dubbed the missing generation. They have left the church building and aren't fitting into traditional structures. But the Talking Jesus research (www.talkingjesus.org) says they are very open to having conversations about Jesus.

(written by Kiera Phyo, Tearfund)

Acts 3:1-10: Peter and John could not bypass need. They had been called by Jesus Christ and filled by his Spirit. Moved with compassion for the beggar, they gave what they had. They had Jesus. They boldly stepped out in faith in Jesus’ name. In the face of need, is knowing Jesus the motivation for all we are doing, and are we confident to share him with others?

(written by Fred Drummond, Evangelical Alliance)

‘Parents, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.’ (Eph. 6:4) Earlier in this letter, Paul urges husbands and wives to love and respect each other, laying down their lives for each other. When this is our aim, we go a long way to providing the role model that our children need to be witnesses to the love of Christ, encouraging them rather than ‘exasperating’ them, and building the kingdom of God as a family.

(written by Father Simon Penhalagan, Sion Catholic Community for Evangelism)

Colossians 4:2-3: ‘ Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.’ We discovered in the Talking Jesus research (www.talkingjesus.org) that one in five of the people we talk to about Jesus wants to know more. So join us as we each pray for five of our friends or family members who don’t know Jesus. You could set an alarm on your phone to remind you each day to pray for your five. Pray that you are given opportunities to share about Jesus with them and that they come to follow Jesus for themselves.

(Written by Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf, Church of England)