Category: ‘Tuesday Challenge’

What Day Is It?

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

Our contemporary practice of referring to the days of the week by unique names is thought to date from the Sumerian period, around the fifth millennium BC. The practice was adopted and refined during the days of the Babylonian empire. Names were often associated with the deities of the times, themselves often associated with astronomical entities (eg Sun-day, the day of the sun god).
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Snakes and Ladders

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

Last week saw the start of the lunar new year, an event commonly known as the Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese calendar, the New Year is triggered by the closest new moon to the beginning of Spring. This year the corresponding date on the Gregorian calendar is 29th January; the next New Year will be 17th February 2026.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Hope, In Our Time?

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

Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Job 4 v6 [ESVUK]

Each Sunday, at the end of the sermon, the congregation at HBC is presented with a number of questions related to the content of the sermon. The questions are intended to encourage further thought about what has been said. Last Sunday David concluded his talk about the bereaved sisters, Martha and Mary, with several questions. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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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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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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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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