Life on the Ocean Wave

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during May 2026]

Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.
Psalm 107 v23-24 [ESVUK]

Perhaps it seemed like a really cool idea, the reward for a lifetime of work and saving for a great adventure. What better than a cruise to the south Atlantic, to see the marvels of creation in their purest forms? However, the God who generated glaciers and propagated penguins was also responsible for rats.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys

Let’s Go For A Boat Ride

[This reflection by Michael Goble was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 10/May/2026]

We always enjoy Martin coming to speak to us on a Thursday morning, especially when he has been on holiday. We see his photographs on the screen and hear about the things that happened with his family as part of his message. I thought I would try it here, without the photographs!
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Contributor: Michael Goble

Thanks Be To God

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during May 2026]

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
Nicene Creed[1]

Do you ever thank God just for being God?
It is relatively easy to pray for certain blessings that we think we need, or even to give thanks for what we have received so far, but prayers of adoration seem to require a special effort. Our minds wander and our thoughts digress as we try to find words that describe a God who is beyond description.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys

The Pain of Unrequited Love

[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/May/2026]

Have you ever poured out your love on someone who didn’t want it? Perhaps you fell in love with someone who wasn’t interested. I remember when I had that experience many years ago, what helped me most was (heresy alert) not a Bible verse but hearing Gloria Gaynor’s song “I will survive”. The message about surviving and saving my love for someone who loves me has inspired me ever since I first heard it 47 years ago.
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Contributor: Helen Ruffhead

The Fear Factor

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during April 2026]

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1 John 4 v18 [ESVUK]

During a recent conversation around the parable of the prodigal son,[1] the focus turned to the feelings of the younger son after he recognised his plight. He had lost everything – his wealth, his friends, his self-respect, even the very means of providing for himself.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys

What If I Don’t Even Know How To Begin?

[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 26/Apr/2026]

Two Sundays ago Martin introduced us to our series of teachings on prayer. He emphasised that prayer is communicating with God. But what kind of communication can we have with God (or anyone else for that matter) if we can’t be honest with each other?
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Contributor: Dennis Ginter