Living Today

Articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you, as you follow Jesus here in Bougainville

Where Are Today’s Disciples?

Just days after claiming millions of uncommitted Christians are causing a “catastrophic decline in a Biblical worldview” veteran Christian researcher George Barna says that’s also led to a critical shortage of disciples. In expanding on the theme of his new book...

4 Ways to Love Better

I was recently talking with someone about some relationship struggles they were experiencing.  The need for patience was what we ended up with as a critical component to loving better. It’s very interesting, that in the love chapter in 1 Corinthians, it starts with “Love is patient…”. Love in our relationships (spouse, friends, family etc), is more than just the thought. God wants us to love, not just in word, but also in deed! The good part is that God will help us love. Here are 4 habits...

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Seasons

Seasons

We all experience different seasons in our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2     a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3     a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4     a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from...

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Relationships

Relationships

Psalm 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for the brethren to dwell together in unity.  Relationships are such a part of our lives that at times we forget how important and necessary they are.  Every part of our day is revolved around different forms of relationships. Imagine a life with no relationships?  We would be like a person stranded on a deserted island.  Yes, at first it might be alright, (especially for introverts), but after a while without any other human contact, we...

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The Voice

The Voice

The fundamental truth is that as “followers of Christ”, we need to know the voice of our Father BUT in a world with so many voices bombarding us all the time, this is not only hard but can be very confusing. John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me.   We have voices telling us how to do just about every part of our lives. Who to vote for, what we identify ourselves as, what is right or wrong. You name it – the voices are plentiful and loud. As believers, God...

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The Voice

A Fathers Heart

Despite having 21 years to prepare a father of the bride speech for my daughter wedding last week - it’s hard as a father to keep reminding yourself that “your little girl” isn’t that little anymore - she has grown up into a beautiful women. There are many great privileges a father gets to have with his daughter. Things like Blowing bubblegum bubbles A high five that stings Learning to whistle First bike ride Rollercoaster introduction Using power tools Fits of laughter and moments of tears...

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The Cross at Easter

The Cross at Easter

The cross is an important symbol during Easter, reminding us of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made. Despite all of our struggles and pain, the cross reminds us we are not alone in this world. We can find strength and comfort knowing that Jesus has already saved us from our sins. It’s this hope for redemption through Christ’s death on the cross that makes Easter such an integral part of Christian tradition. Stu Millar from Train to Proclaim recently shared on Vision Chrisitan Media his...

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Who am I? Part 1

Who am I? Part 1

Ever struggled with “who you are?” You know… that voice that says you are defeated, or have nothing, or not beautiful etc. Have a read of these LIFE GIVING VERSES then remind yourself that IN CHRIST… you have everything you need.   I AM - God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God 1 Peter 1:23 Forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood Ephesians 1:7 / Hebrews 9:14 / Colossians 1:14 / 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 2:12 A new creature 2 Corinthians 5:17 The...

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Living out Faith in a Hostile World

Living out Faith in a Hostile World

You don’t have to look any further than the most recent headlines to see that we live in uncertain times. Many people think the world has never been more hostile to Christians than it is now, especially since the cancel culture continues to target people who aren’t seen as politically correct. Being a Christian in a deeply secularised society is a growing challenge. Everyone’s truth seems to be accepted unless you’re a Christian. So how do we live out our faith in such a hostile world? With...

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Blessed to be a Blessing

Blessed to be a Blessing

Numbers 6:24-26 says Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. If we could shrink the Earth’s population into a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be: 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the western hemisphere, both north and south, 8 Africans 52 females; 48 males 80 living in...

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When All Seems Lost

When All Seems Lost

Now what? That’s something that all of us have said to ourselves at one time or another. In his new message, ‘When All Seems Lost’, Pastor Jeff Vines covers the topics of marriage and keeping relationships strong. Jeff offers encouragement for those of us who are struggling with chaos and feeling lost. God does not give His law arbitrarily. When God tells us He wants us to live in certain parameters and by certain precepts, He does it because He loves us. If He’s the creator and sustainer of...

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The Word for Today

Keep hope alive

‘Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.’ Hebrews 11:1 NASB

At some stage in our lives, most of us will have experienced times when things looked hopeless. But, when you decide things are hopeless, you slam the door in God’s face.

First: Take all your troubles or desires to God. If you’ve gotten to the stage where you feel things are hopeless, you’ve clearly neglected your faith, or you’ve been hoping for something that is not in God’s will. ‘Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.’ (Hebrews 11:1 NASB)

Second: Give hope a symbol—something you can centre your thoughts around. Jeremiah taught God’s people a lesson in hope by buying land at Anathoth (see Jeremiah 32:9). He knew they would be taken into captivity, and during those long years, the memory of that faraway field in Judah would act as a symbol of future restoration.

During World War II, when Leo Algimas and his family were herded into concentration camps, they maintained a symbol of hope, a tiny piece of paper from a box of chocolates with an American flag on the bottom. They passed it from hand to hand, looked at it, held it, and whispered about the liberation army that was coming.

Symbols help us fix our minds on what’s possible. In fact, the greatest symbol the world has ever known was the hardest to believe. A baby in a manger and a cross on a hillside signalled God’s Kingdom on earth and changed mankind’s destiny. And He can change your destiny. Define what you hope for, ask in His name, and if it’s God’s will, no matter how impossible it looks, expect it to come true.

SoulFood: Eph 5:21–33, Song 2:1–7, Ps 45, Prov 5:15–19

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©