[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 27/Oct/2024]
Do you worry about the state of the world? Growing up in the early 1970s, I was consumed with anxiety about all the things that were happening, like wars in the Middle East, terrorist bombs going off at home, Russian aggression in Europe, wars and famines in Africa, corruption in US politics and a dire economic situation in the UK. Does any of this sound familiar? (more…)
[This reflection by Dazz Jones was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/Nov/2024]
This month in our sermon series we’re looking at the story of Gideon. When we feel overpowered, outnumbered, or just plain overwhelmed, it can be hard to find the courage to keep going. In the Bible, we see many stories of God’s people facing impossible odds. One of the most striking examples is Gideon, a man who saw himself as anything but a warrior, yet was called by God to lead Israel to victory over the mighty Midianites. Gideon’s journey from fear to faith gives us a map for finding courage in the middle of our challenging circumstances. (more…)
[This reflection by Michael Goble was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 20/Oct/2024]
Last week we returned from a visit to Alnwick in Northumberland, as part of our celebrations for our 60th wedding anniversary. As we would be going to travel north, our daughter, Wendy, arranged to visit a retired minister and his wife who had been our friends for years. He had married Wendy and Nick 30 years ago. After lunch, we then reminisced together and we were saddened to learn that he had lost his faith and no longer went to church with his wife, whose faith was still strong. (more…)
[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 13/Oct/2024]
What does it mean to be a Christian? This is a rather probing question, for which the huge number of different Christian denominations is evidence that not everyone is fully agreed on the answer. Daniel Gbegbe from the organisation Compassion, spoke in Church last week and described it as a journey. The term Jesus follower is now becoming more commonly used, and I suppose an answer to the question I posed at the start is that a Christian is one who has chosen to follow Jesus on life’s journey. (more…)
[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 06/Oct/2024]
This week I attended a get together of church leaders who are part of the Further Faster Network. Not only was it great to catch up with old friends and make new ones, but it was also a time of challenge and inspiration.
One particular speaker, Dr Gavin Adams, who spoke to us from Atlanta via zoom, shared a time when he was a church leader and everything seemed to be flourishing. The building was full on a Sunday morning, and the bank balance was healthy, and yet it became apparent that these easily celebrated wins hid the truth that as a church they weren’t really accomplishing their mission. (more…)
[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 29/Sep/2024]
Two weeks ago, Helen explained how the words we speak flow from our ‘hearts’. I’d like us to consider that a little more deeply.
In his ‘Renovation of the Heart’, Dallas Willard uses the words heart, spirit, soul, and subconscious interchangeably. The point he’s making is that in each of us there is a hidden, inner life which is fully accessible only to our Creator. It is out of that Dennis that my words and actions really come. (more…)