I Have Prayed For You

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during January 2025]

Our title comes from the words of Jesus as recorded by the gospel-writer Luke. At the end of his last supper together with his disciples, Jesus spoke to them about the difficulties ahead. In particular, he addressed Simon Peter.

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
Luke 22 v31-32 [NIVUK]

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Where Two Or Three Are Gathered

[This reflection by Michael Goble was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 19/Jan/2025]

For where two or three are gathered in my name [meeting together as my followers], I am there among them.
Matthew 18 v20 [AMP]

Over many years we have attended a number of different types of churches which have been so helpful in the different stages of our Christian journey. When we first became Christians the earliest churches we attended were quite small, and so the above words of Jesus about two or three of His followers gathering together were very relevant. In these churches we were able to meet in small groups to read God’s Word and to try to understand that God was there and what it was He wanted to teach us.
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Contributor: Michael Goble
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Of Thee I Sing

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during January 2025]

The prize-winning 1930s musical ‘Of Thee I Sing’ is a political satire focussing on the election and inauguration of a somewhat unconventional president of the United States. The storyline includes promises made and broken, threats of impeachment, international tension and thwarted ambitions. Of course, being fiction, it concludes with them all living happily ever-after.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Knowing You, Jesus

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 12/Jan/2025]

During the sermon on Sunday, Martin talked about looking away from ourselves and the difficult situations we might find ourselves in, but to look up to God for His help and then to look around us and recognise the plight of others and seek to help them.

A similar comment about looking up to God is found in Psalm 121. Verses 1 and 2 state, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
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Contributor: David Makanjuola
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God Can Use Your Skills

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during January 2025]

2025 logoAs 2024 disappears into the dusty archives of time and last week’s resolutions are rapidly following the same fate, what can we do to usefully fill the next 11 months before Christmas comes around again? It is said that idle hands do the devil’s work so how can we work for God instead? The apostle Paul shared some ideas:

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers
Ephesians 4 v11 [NKJV]

As a young Christian, I found these words written by the apostle Paul to be somewhat unsettling. I wanted to serve God but none of these callings matched my personal ambitions or what I considered to be my skill-set. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Would you live your life differently?

[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 05/Jan/2025]

Would you live your life differently if you knew what the future held? Would you take more risks? Act more boldly? Would your priorities shift? If I knew the outcome of my actions in advance, perhaps I’d be more willing to try new things, to step out of my comfort zone. I’d feel secure knowing that I wouldn’t fail – that the next step is the right one. And if it wasn’t, I could simply choose a different path. (more…)

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Contributor: Martin Shorey
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