Posts Tagged: ‘1 Corinthians’

Life After Easter

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

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11 v25-26 [ESVUK]

Jesus was speaking to Martha whose brother, Lazarus, had died. His death provided the context for Jesus to make that declaration of the way of salvation. The statement is, at the same time time, both simple and extremely profound. The simplicity can be recognised in the words that Jesus had spoken to Nicodemus on an earlier occasion:
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys

What Are You Writing In Your Journal?

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 25/Jan/2026]

I received a lovely Christmas present – a journal. It looks really upmarket; the sort of journal you want to make sure you don’t make any spelling mistakes in as you write. Each blank page invitingly encourages you to fill it in with … Yes, that’s the problem. Fill it in with what?
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Contributor: David Makanjuola

Love Thy Neighbour

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 07/Dec/2025]

How was your week? Before you say “fine”, or “oh, not too bad” – the reflex answers, let me tell you about mine.

It started off with going to work on Monday. It was busy, but actually not that bad. Tuesday was a bit more difficult as things were a bit difficult with a work colleague, and as the week progressed the interaction, which had cooled, became ‘definitely frosty’ as the interactions became more difficult. Initially I tried to carry on as if nothing was happening, but after a few days, I was not just frustrated, but was beginning to get angry at what I thought was now quite disrespectful behaviour.
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Contributor: David Makanjuola

Stone, Wood and Nails

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

Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
Ecclesiastes 10 v9 [NIVUK]

At the time that these words were written those two tasks were part of the regular routine for many people. To put it in terms that are relevant to us, there is risk and potential danger even in our ordinary daily activities.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys

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

All Change!

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

What good would it do to change my way of living
If everything inside me stayed the same?

The question was posed by song-writer Barry McGuire in his 1978 song “What Good Would It Do?”; the song was later included in his “Cosmic Cowboy” album. The lyrics ask whether there is any benefit arising from a change of behaviour if that change is only superficial.
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Contributor: Steve Humphreys