[This reflection by Michael Goble was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 21/Dec/2025]
I was interested to see during recent services that each Advent candle was given a name when it was lit. We’ve also received a Christmas card this year with four named candles on the front – peace, hope, love, joy.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during September 2025]
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29 v11 [NIV]
Last week’s reflection included mention of procrastination and also our inability to foretell what the future may bring. They are perhaps two of the principal reasons why our plans are upset and things do not turn out as we expect.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during May 2025]
Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
Psalm 119 v49 [NKJV]
This extract from the psalmist’s prayer encourages us to refer back to God’s promises when we pray; that in turn requires us to know what God has promised. The NIV identifies over 200 references to God’s promises; to individuals in particular circumstances, to the nations of Israel and Judah or to those who follow him in faith. How many can you recall?
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[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 16/Feb/2025]
Martin’s teaching last Sunday was very challenging! Especially his closing remark that what the Father wants of us is to “follow Jesus”.
In our home group on Monday we explored that together. I drew our attention to 1 John 4 v7-8. The phrase that puzzled me was in verse 7: ‘… everyone who loves is born of God and knows God‘. Everyone? That brought us to Martin’s question about me being In or Out of God’s Kingdom.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during December 2024]
Each morning I tune in to the daily reflection from All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi (an Anglican church that I used to attend in the early 1960s). This week the theme is an introduction to Advent,[1] using the lighting of candles as a visual aid to the explanation of the four personal characteristics that that particular denomination emphasises during this season. The four candles represent hope, peace, joy and love – sentiments that we promote at Christmas but which should be part of our life year-round. (more…)
[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during October 2024]
Last week we thought about the type of image that might come to mind when we hear mention of ‘God’. Starting in the 12th century, religious art shows a tendency to picture God in a dominant, authoritarian way and this often influences modern thought, but the apostle Paul saw things differently:
He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.
Colossians 1 v15 [AMP]