[Wednesday's Devotional] - Confirmed by Jesus

Jesus spent his formative years studying, learning and memorising the Word of God. He referred to the people and places of the Bible numerous times (e.g. Moses, Noah, Jonah, Daniel, David, Sodom & Gomorrah). The Word was essential to Jesus – surely it must be essential to us?

The beginning of John's Gospel stresses the importance of "The Word":

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 [KJV]

Truly the Word of God dwelt in Christ richly, if we are to be more like Jesus then the same Word needs to dwell in our lives richly – as our memory verse says.

Lord Jesus, help me to learn the Word as you learned it – to value it as you valued it, and to use it as you used it throughout your life on earth. Amen.

Memory Verse: Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 3:16a [NIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Unity and Consistency

There is a unity about the Word of God in the Bible that is only clearly seen through the "rear view mirror" of History. Although there are at least 40 authors of the books of the Bible (I wonder how many you can name?), the story it tells is God's plan for redemption of the world by the sacrifice of Jesus. The common thread running through the history, prophesy, poetry and psalms of the Bible is Jesus.

"Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." Luke 24: 27 [NIV]

Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The rest of the Old Testament (the other 34 books) was written by "all the Prophets".

The New Testament tells of the arrival of Jesus (fulfilling Old Testament prophesies) and his life, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension – then the life of the early church and the letters and revelations of the first disciples.

As our memory verse this week says, this is truly the "Word of Christ".

Lord, thank you for your Word. Thank you for the way in which you revealed it to the authors and the way in which you speak to us with the same message today. Help us to remain consistent to the message you have given us, in Jesus name. Amen.

Memory Verse: Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 3:16a [NIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)

[Monday's Devotional] - Why can I trust the Bible?

Trust is a rare commodity these days – who can you trust? Politicians? Not often. Journalists? Not always. Bankers? Perhaps not any more. Everything you read on the internet? No. So why can I trust the Bible?

The Bible is perhaps the most widely-owned and widely-studied book in history. One of the amazing things about this text is that whether you consider it in terms of History, Science or Prophesy, the outstanding accuracy of the Bible shines through. Is that surprising when you consider that although the Bible is written by numerous authors, the breath of the Creator has inspired it all?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [NIV]

You have almost certainly heard this verse already this year - it is our church text for 2012 and is a key verse when we are studying the Word for 40 days this Lent. The Word of God is useful, truthful, constant and consistent. I hope it will also transform your life.

Lord, help me to be equipped for every good work as I travel on this journey of exploration of your Word. Help me to Love it, to Learn it and above all to Live it. Amen.

Memory Verse: Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 3:16a [NIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)

[Friday's Devotional] - Just Do It

"I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand."

Jesus taught his first followers in different ways – they sat and listened to him, they saw him doing things, and he sent them out to do what he taught them to do, and they really learned a lot:

"When Jesus had called the Twelve together,

he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick...

…So they set out and went from village to village,

proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere."

(Luke 9:1,2,6)

In his letter, James picks up on the importance of being a doer of the word of God:

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."

(James 1:22-25)

So What?

How are you doing?

Is there something you think God is calling you to do? What are you going to do about it?

Tim Norman

[Thursday's Devotional] - Write It Down

How do you remember things?

Perhaps a knot in the handkerchief, but if you're like me you may end up with lots of knots and not much handkerchief or else I'm struggling to remember just what it was that the knot was for!

Writing things down has all sorts of benefits. The very process of writing causes us to think more about what it is we are thinking about, and often just writing it down helps us to remember better.

Many people find it helpful to keep a journal – a place where you write down your thoughts, prayers and reflections on God's word and on life.

If you've never done it before, then why not try it today?

-Get a piece of paper and a pen, then read these words:

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

(Psalm 119:103-105)

-Think about the words, and write down your reflections.

You may find these questions helpful:

How do I feel about these words?

Are there any words which particularly encourage or challenge me?

What has happened in my life recently which I find relates to these words?

Is there something I think I should do as a result of reading these words?

Tim Norman

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Hiding in Your Heart

There is a fascinating expression in the longest chapter in the Bible:

"I have hidden your word in my heart" (Psalm 119:11)

The chapter is all about the Bible itself and just how much it means to the writer of the Psalm. It's well worth reading and many people have found it inspires them in reading the Bible. The Psalm continues later with words that have been set to music:

"Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path."

(Psalm 119:105)

What does it mean to hide God's word in your heart? We treasure God's word, and linger on it. It means that we meditate on it, and memorise it.

We know that Jesus memorised Scripture, because he responded to temptation with words from the Bible. Perhaps he was inspired by Psalm 119:

"I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you."

(Psalm 119:11)

As well as being there when we need to fight temptation, memorizing Bible verses has a deep effect in changing us as God's word becomes part of us, part of our DNA.

And what about us?

'40 Days in the Word' gives us all the chance to memorise Bible verses, commit yourself to take up this opportunity and pray for us all as we take up this challenge.

Tim Norman

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Sharing Life

What is church all about? Can you be a Christian and not go to church?

With the cold weather now, you may find yourself looking at an open fire. Someone once said to me 'Take a burning coal out of the fire, how long will it continue to burn?'

Just as a coal soon stops burning when it is away from the other burning coals, so Christians lose their spiritual fire when we are not regularly with other Christians.

This was key to the exciting life that the first Christians shared with each other:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Acts 2:44)

The main way that this shared life happens in most churches today is in small groups, and it is wonderful to hear about groups welcoming people in and sharing life together – learning from the Bible and living it out.

So What?

If you are in a small group, pray for the people in your group.

If you are not in a small group, why not pray about joining one and ask to join one.

Pray for our small groups to be all they should be – places where people share life together as God intends. Pray for the members, leaders, apprentices and for the small pastors who oversee the groups and who support and care for the small group leaders and apprentices.

Tim Norman

[Monday's Devotional] - Fresh and Frequent

'40 Days in the Word'.

Yesterday we kicked off with our launch services, and we now embark on this journey together with Christians around the world during this season of Lent when we remember Jesus journey in the desert:

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:1-4)

Jesus' first temptation was a very physical one – he was extremely hungry from fasting, and he was tempted to use his power to take a shortcut. Perhaps you have been tempted to make a choice that looks like a shortcut in your spiritual life.

Bread is a basic food, and Jesus says that we need God's word just as we need our daily bread.

Satan's words of temptation began with the word 'If', questioning Jesus' very identity as Son of God. Just as Satan tried to undermine Jesus he tries to undermine us as well. 'Are you really God's child? Is God really going to look after you?'

The Devil is the arch enemy of truth. We need truth to respond to his lies.

So What?

Pray for us all as we take this journey together, for us to receive what God wants us to receive from His word daily.

Tim Norman

[Friday's Devotional] - Fire in your belly

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."
John 6:66-69 [NIV]

I'm sure we are all tempted at some time to give up at something. Maybe it is a diet, learning a new skill or helping a difficult person. Perhaps it is a valid response with other pressures in your life, but often it our own lack of vision or laziness, embarrassment or hurt. This was typified by Catherine Tate's comic character Lauren Cooper, whose catchphrase was "Am I bovvered?"

In his book "Fathered by God" John Eldredge talks about the warrior phase that young men go through. Nurtured by play-fights with Dad, being trusted to do adult jobs, heading out on your own to explore the world are important steps in developing that fighting spirit. "Our God is a warrior, because there are certain things in life worth fighting for" says Eldredge, "and we are made in His image". Simple words, but very profound. Unless we develop that fire in our belly, we will capitulate.

I love Peter's response to Jesus when many disciples were leaving because of Jesus' difficult teaching. He gives a response of faith and hope that has developed from knowing Jesus. Jesus offers the disciples the chance to give up, not what you might expect from God's son to the future founders of the church. But Peter knows where his motivation comes from. "You have the words of eternal life" he says. That is the true fire in your belly that will keep you motivated and alive. That's what I want –to know Jesus, and his words of eternal life.

Jon Seaton

[Thursday's Devotional] - Mind the gap

Mind the gap

Heading North on the Northern Line at Embankment

Mind the gap.

Please be mindful of the gap. It is crouching at your door, and you must learn to master it.

If you are not thinking about it you will stumble and fall. You won't complete your journey.

Mind the gap.

It's especially bad at rush hour, with everyone pushing. You stumble, but thankfully someone catches you.

Actually the gap is not your main focus, getting on the train is.

Please stand clear of the doors.

Mind your sin

As you start the day

Mind your sin.

Please be mindful of sin. It is crouching at your door, and you must learn to master it.

If you are not thinking about it you will stumble and fall. You won't complete your journey.

Mind your sin.

It's especially bad at rush hour, with everyone pushing. You stumble, but thankfully Jesus catches you.

Actually sin is not your main focus, getting to God is.

Please stand clear of the doors.

Enjoy your journey today.

Jon Seaton

[Wednesday's Devotional] - God loves you

At New Wine last year, I went to the morning Bible teaching on Love. One phrase that stuck in my mind was "Life has more to do with the poetic than with science, and I say that as a scientist". The language of love speaks to our hearts, to motivate, inspire and bridge the gap between people. Our God is love, so as we get to know Him and let His spirit live in us, it is not surprising that we can become more alive to beauty, art and poetry.

One experience that encouraged my faith was walking up Bow Fell in the Lake District when in my early twenties. The beauty of the landscape on this fine Spring day so captivated me, I could sense the presence of God in it. But, I have to say, that is not the norm. If I'm not careful I all too quickly fall into a "going through the motions" sort of faith.

When I was about ten, one girl in our RE class wrote "God Loves You" in big bubble writing for her homework, and coloured it in rainbow colours. This impressed our RE teacher, and she got a house point. Knowing she was onto a good thing, the next week she repeated this for her homework, again with praise from the teacher. When it was repeated for the third time, the teacher smelt a rat. "How about writing why you believe that?" he said.

Saying that God loves us, whilst being so gloriously true, has to be more than lip service in our worship, evangelism or pleasing someone else. We have to let it touch the core of our being. It is unrealistic to expect mountain-top experiences all the time, and God does seem to go quiet for some people as they go through dry spiritual times. But we are commanded to seek God, and indeed promised that we will find Him:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 [NIV]

Does your faith need some maintenance, some quality time with God, to let your heart know again the depth of his love for you?

Jon Seaton

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Comfort or Adventure?

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit living in his tidy home in The Hill, enjoying a quiet life of respectability and comfort. All this was rudely awakened one day when Gandalf the Wizard passed by, and got himself invited to tea the following Wednesday. Not only him, but thirteen uninvited dwarfs turned up, and poor Bilbo was run off his feet trying to feed them all. Although the dwarfs did clean up, at the same time they sang rude songs about breaking Bilbo's china (although in actual fact they didn't). It transpired that an adventure was afoot, and this meeting had been set up by Gandalf to include the hobbit as a fellow conspirator to capture a dragon's gold. It was such a horrendously dangerous plan that, together with all the unexpected intrusion and commotion, it set the poor hobbit shaking with fear, and he had to be laid down to recover.

Bilbo Baggins had forgotten that life was an adventure, one that involved taking risks. Gandalf knew that the hobbit needed an adventure to shake him from his life of passivity and respectability.

Tolkein's fantasy adventure often mirrors our lives. We prefer comfort and contentment like Bilbo, to the radical adventure that Gandalf plans. Our Father knows what we need to grow into mature disciples, but this involves choosing the route of risk-taking faith.

Today, ask yourself how your adventure is going. Do you need a new adventure to refresh your faith?

Jon Seaton

[Monday's Devotional] - How can this be?

When Zechariah is praying in the temple and encounters an angel promising that his wife will have a son, his response is " How can this be?" Others in the Bible ask this same question; Mary, at the promise of a son and Nicodemus when questioning Jesus about being born again. We operate in the realm of the rational, expecting gravity and time to be mercilessly consistent, yet God expects us also to operate in the realm of faith.

How then do we know when to be rational and when to have faith beyond reason? Not surprisingly, I cannot give you an answer to this, but I think it is a good question. As we grapple with this, I think we should develop a right worldview, learning through science how things work and through faith, of a God whose loves transcends the natural way of things.

Returning to Zechariah, I find his response to God interesting. It is the sort of response I often make to God, one that is a toe in the water sort of faith rather than diving in headlong. Tom Wright calls Zechariah's response half faith. He says "God regularly works through ordinary people, doing what they normally do, holding themselves ready for whatever God has in mind with a mixture of half-faith and devotion."

Jesus said "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20 [NIV]

I found this encouraging.

Jon Seaton

[Friday's Devotional] - The Value of Silence

We live in a busy world where the opportunity to enjoy silence is rare and precious. We have a growing level of "sound pollution" – it's difficult to get away from the sounds of life which compete for our attention, the ringing of the mobile phone, the crying of a baby, the radio or TV in the background, sirens, traffic, trains, planes and people going about their busy-ness keep us from silent contemplation.

As we plan to turn to daily bible study during Lent, we need to (I need to) rediscover the habit of a Quiet Time where we can contemplate the Word of God and listen for the Voice of God. Silence allows us to shut out distractions and focus on our Creator, Father, and Lord.

Today, try to make time (at least 10 minutes) to reflect and converse with God during your day. Resolve to spend a regular time getting to know the Word of God in written form and listen for the Voice of God.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 [TNIV]

A foundation in the Word of God makes the stuff of life easier to understand, appreciate and navigate. And conversation with God (involving listening – not just speaking) can help us to grow as Christians.

Lord, help us to clear time today to talk and listen to you. Thank you for the many ways you speak to us. Help us to hear the still small voice amid the hustle and bustle of our surroundings. In Jesus name, Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Thursday's Devotional] - The Value of Celebrity

The aspiration of children's career choices seems to have changed significantly in the past 25 years. We now seem to have a culture of celebrity worship (perhaps as a substitute for religion in this post-modern age?). Being a contestant on a reality TV show can make you a "celebrity" on the next show. Looking at the number of people auditioning for shows like "Britain's Got Talent" it seems that being a rich and famous entertainer and getting that big break into show-business is something that people are seeking as a result of the celebrity obsession of the media today. Like the Lottery – the probability of success is very small, but I won't bore you with the maths!

What people are obsessed with is the 3 A's of Affluence, Attractiveness and Achievement – not so interesting apparently are the 3 C's of Community, Charity and Commitment according to writer Carlin Flora.

I suppose that at heart we would all like to leave an impression behind when we are gone – that often motivates people to writing or creative expression. Few artists are recognised and rewarded in their own lifetime – and many like Van Gogh, Manet and Gauguin made virtually nothing from their paintings.

There is another sort of impression we can leave behind – in terms of the effect we can have on those around us. We can be generous, patient, kind and helpful to people – we can share our faith, be sacrificial in our love and carry out random acts of kindness to strangers anonymously. These people will be the celebrities in Heaven!

Let our motivation not be earthly appreciation or praise – rather let us be discreet with our good deeds:

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6: 2-4 [TNIV]

Lord, help us to have wisdom and maturity. Make us humble and give us your perspective on the values in our lives today. Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Wednesday's Devotional] - The Value of Relationships

It is interesting to note how the revolution in self-service tills has come about in shops and supermarkets. Even in the small Tesco (other stores are available!) nearest to my office where I normally buy my lunch, there are 2 self-service tills. Sometimes I find myself able to trim a few seconds off my purchase transaction by my adept usage of this device. But what I realised recently is the de-personalisation of this and other technological advances.

Think how internet shopping means that we can buy our weekly shopping or Christmas presents online without exchanging conversation or "the time of day" with any human beings – we've come a long way from the hunter-gatherer tribe chasing down a hairy wild boar for dinner - does this make our lives richer? Even when we sit down to eat, most families now eat watching TV and many don't even own a table where the family can gather to eat and share news.

The human brain is wired for relationships (I won't bore you with the biochemistry – actually I don't know anything about it…), and the way in which we are depersonalising our lives and substituting communication by mouth to communication via facebook status update or text message conversation cannot be truly healthy. Can you replace an impersonal transaction with a bit of human conversation today? Some would say we have lost the skill of constructing and maintaining interesting conversation, so you may find you are a little rusty.

Perhaps you are a task orientated person – take some time to appreciate your relationships today. Remember Martha and Mary? Mary chose the relationship focus, Martha was busy doing to business of hospitality (also a gift) but was resentful:

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Lord, all tasks on my to-do list will be taken from me one day – but the relationships I make will last for ever. Help me to choose what is better. Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Tuesday's Devotional] - The Value of Money

The Royal Mint is in the process of issuing new 5p and 10p coins. Motivated by a cost saving on the raw material (I won't bore you with the chemistry) which contains a lot of copper, the plan is to replace it with a cheaper steel alloy. What saves the Royal Mint (and the tax payer) some money will mean increased costs for those operating vending machines.

Huge increases in the price of copper have also led to people taking risks to steal electric cables, and other metalwork from the rail network and the electricity supply industry. Perhaps the news that your train is delayed by "signal failure" will be received more sympathetically if you realise that it is not the failing of the railway engineers rather the greed of the thieves that is normally at the heart of these failures.

Money is at the heart of a lot of the news and current affairs stories at the moment – whether it is the greed of those taking bonuses from failing companies, the avoidance of tax by Civil Service chiefs, or the failings of the global financial system as a result of reckless over-spending and excessive debt-increasing policies.

How do we allocate our money and our time? Do we pay our taxes more willingly than our tithe? Are we free of the greed we recognise so easily in others? Are we giving our "first fruits" to God or the "last scraps" we have left? Remember the history of Cain and Abel:

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." Genesis 4: 6-7 [NIV]

Lord, help us to worship you as we ought to – make us generous not greedy. Take away our love of sinning and protect us from the sin which is crouching at our door. Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Monday's Devotional] - The Value of Time

I recently read a story about a $300 million project to lay a new cable under the Atlantic. Not content with the current speed of transmission of electronic data between the global financial centres, this cable is set to make transmission speeds somewhat closer to the speed of light (I won't bore you with the physics).

To cut a long story about a short time down to a small paragraph, the point is that with this new cable 6 milliseconds (0.006 seconds) can be taken off the time for data to transfer between the City of London and Manhattan - allowing automatic transactions to happen that bit quicker and potentially gaining millions for some fund managers by being first to react to market swings. Perhaps I am not the only person to question the wisdom of fast-reacting automatic trades replacing the contemplation, reaction and experience of mere mortals.

Generally my patience extends to more than a few milliseconds – however I expect that there are other areas where a small time is a big deal, with the Olympics arriving in London this year there must be 1,000's of athletes looking to trim milliseconds off their personal best times.

We are so focused on time in our daily lives that sometimes it can be hard to imagine that our God is outside time:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3: 8-9 [NIV]

Whilst we can't comprehend life outside time, it is refreshing to know that we have a God who exhibits patience - let's not confuse patience with slowness. In our fast-paced instant-gratification world it is sometimes misunderstood that some good things are worth waiting for and that the ultimate goal is eternity.

Lord, help me to learn patience, to appreciate the works of your hands over millions of years and the way your love for me is outside of time. I repent of my sins today, in Jesus name. Amen

Dave MacLellan

[Friday's Devotional] - Moving on in faith

Welcome to Friday. This week we have looked at moving on with change, with God in charge and with expectancy. To wrap it up, we are going to look at moving on in faith.

We play a game sometimes at Activate called 'trust falls'. Most people want to watch but not play. Its simple, a person stands on a ladder and falls backwards into the arms of the waiting catchers. You can't see them and once you realise there is a problem it's too late.

Every time we play this, people want to keep doing it because they get a buzz out of it. Everyone gets caught, even me. But there is never a rush of volunteers to go first.

All the things we have thought about this week have an underlying theme of God's support and today is a wrap up of the things we have looked at over the week. Another word for support is faith.

Faith is what we rely on when there is nothing else to rely on. It's not a rational thing in my opinion and many people dismiss the idea of having faith, generally because they have not tried, or whatever they have had faith in, it has failed.

In God, we have the ultimate. Whilst I have never seen God reviewed in "Which?" magazine, I am pretty sure he would be rated as a best buy. I would like to think that the various consumer tests devised for God would be 100% (N.B. putting God to the test is not recommended). I would also expect there to be no weaknesses or faults to report.

It is in God that we place our faith, and He promises to deliver. In moving on, it is God that is there 'for the journey' (not a black horse). The need to move on is about progress. The need to progress is to build the Kingdom. It is the Kingdom that moving on is all about.

Have a great weekend.

Richard Mason

[Thursday's Devotional] - Moving On Expectantly

What is it about age that makes moving on more difficult (and this is a generalisation here!). As children, we wished for the time when we were in the year above at school, or old enough to earn some money by getting a job, learn to drive a car etc. etc.

As you get older, the idea of moving on changes. The idea of having a mortgage for a very long time, of having to think about a pension, paying to get the children through university, all those things create a slightly different and more negative sense of moving on.

Today I want to talk about moving on with expectancy. I have always liked the phrase 'expectant mother'. 'Pregnant' is very factual, expectant mother creates a more 'looking forward to' atmosphere. Expectant mothers go through 3 phases.

There is the first trimester – symptoms are feeling unwell, getting used to the idea of being pregnant, thinking this is going to last for ever.

The second trimester is the bit in the middle where the expectant mother blooms, she begins to take shape, there might be an 'enjoyable' part to being pregnant, there is the apprehensive excitement of what is to come.

The third trimester sees an increase in discomfort, the wishing the days away and from month 8 onwards, when is this baby going to come out!!

Birth brings incredible elation and the joy of new life.

End of biology lesson. The point here is that to move on, we need to be expectant of something happening. Moving on without a vision or understanding of the path we travel means that we wander round in the wilderness with no sense of purpose.

As we get into the process of moving on, we also go through stages of expectancy – I know I do. Can you identify with this? Do you need to approach it in a different way – sometimes, I have a word with myself about my attitude to change.

Have a good day.

Richard Mason

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Moving On - With God in charge

We often talk about moving on when we are trying to bring closure to a particular situation or part of life. Moving on can be a great release when you are doing so in the right way, but the timing has to be right and matters have to be dealt with to achieve that.

Jesus had to move on. On Monday, we looked at how He gave the disciples the great commission and moved on in his own personal journey to Heaven. The disciples moved on (less willingly I suspect) but moved on to great things – I suspect they knew little of what was in store when Jesus commissioned them.

That is one of the great things about moving on. It brings fresh challenges, fresh surprises, and exciting times. When I was at St Matthews for the last service, it was an emotional time for many, but Sheila and Martin both talked about moving on to the challenge ahead.

I have been involved in some of the planning for moving on and it is amazing how God has worked in his time and in his way for this to come together. At times, despite our best efforts, things have fallen into place in such a way that it could only be under God's direction rather than our own.

But God also makes us move on. We may well still have been in St Matthew's now if the boiler hadn't given up – we had been talking about various projects over recent years with the intention of moving on but not actually doing it – God decided what needed to be done and provided for us in that moving on process. 5 years ago, none of us could have predicted the events that lead us to where we are now, and yet, what a great place to be.

So, can I encourage you to rest today? To rest in the knowledge that with God at the helm, things are in His control. We might not enjoy parts of it, there may be rough times, but as Jesus did when out in the boat on Lake Galilee with the disciples, with His power, He can calm the waters where it does not seem possible.

Richard Mason