Posts Tagged: ‘Proverbs’

Shipping Included

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

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory, and apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
John Masefield (1903)

Does this cargo manifest sound familiar? Those of a certain age may have learnt John Masefield’s poem at school but its inspiration is much earlier. King Solomon had a fleet of trading ships modelled after those built at Tarshish for the equivalent of global trade within the then-known world. They were the container vessels of their day.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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How’s Your Enemy?

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

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy’. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5 v43-44 [ESVUK]

These words come from Matthew’s account of the teachings of Jesus collectively known as the Sermon on the Mount. He was speaking in the context of a nation under occupation at a time when there was no shortage of enemies and persecution.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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A Mid-term Appraisal

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

Could do better … should try harder

Were you one of those pupils whose end-of-term reports included one or other of those statements, or even both? How did you react?
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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What Time Is It?

World Clock

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

Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away.[1]

Do you know what time it is? A seemingly straightforward question for which a glance at a nearby screen or timepiece should provide a simple answer. However, as our opening quotation might suggest, there is more to it than that.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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A Domestic Dilemma

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

About two months ago[1] we considered the impact that the news of Israel’s defeat by the Philistines in 1070BC had had on Eli, the high priest at that time. Israel’s most important religious artefact had been captured and two of Eli’s sons had perished in the battle. Their deaths were a punishment for the disreputable way in which they had discharged their responsibilities as priests.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Little Consolation

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

He did not have much but little is much if God is in it.[1]

In John’s report of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus challenged his disciple Philip with the need to feed the people that came to see Jesus. The disciples knew that, although they no doubt had some assets[2], their resources would not be adequate for the task. So they said that the problem could not be solved.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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