Word For You - August, September, October

Aug S ep t Oc t 2 02 0

D is c o v e r. P r a y. Ac t.

Ralph Pedley Ambassadors for God// Sarah Yardley Finding your calling// Matt Brown Meet UCB 2’s newest presenter//

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Dear Friend, This edition of Word For You is a little different!

As the UK went into lockdown, we didn’t know whether the printers we use to produce Word For You would be able to stay open. However, we’re committed to bringing you encouraging and inspiring content that helps you draw closer to God and deepen your relationship with Him. To avoid you having to miss out, we’ve published Word For You online for this quarter, complete with daily readings, insightful articles, plus all the other content you would usually find in your printed copy!

Lockdown has affected most, if not all, areas of our lives in some way, so it’s comforting to remember that whatever is happening in the world around us, God remains the same.

Ephesians 2:10 says: ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (NIV). Every one of us has a unique purpose designed by God, which He’ll help us discover.

Perhaps the challenges of lockdown have encouraged you to focus on the skills God’s given you and revealed more about your calling; maybe you already know and are answering His call; or maybe you’re still unsure of His plans for your life.

Wherever you feel you’re at right now, I hope that this edition of Word For You inspires you to seek God and His purpose confidently and intentionally.

Every blessing, David L’Herroux UCB Chief Executive Word For You August, September, October 2020

Published By United Christian Broadcasters Ltd

General Enquiries UCB Operations Centre, Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4JF T: 01782 911 000 E: ucb@ucb.co.uk

Editor Laura Foxon

UCB Broadcasting Enquiries T: 01782 642000 E: broadcasting@ucb.co.uk FREEPOST RLTX-ABUL-GRAR, United Christian Broadcasters, Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4JF

This is Samuel. He presents on UCB 2, and yes – he talks for a living!

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ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME Ralph Pedley from Campus Awakening gives some insights into staying true to God’s call while at university.

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HIS CALL IS ALWAYS WORTH ANSWERING Sarah Yardley shares what she’s learnt about God’s purpose for her life through her work with Creation Fest.

32 Entertaining, challenging and personal

Presenter Paul Hammond tells us why he loves being part of the UCB 1 team.

33 ENCOURAGEMENT,

INSPIRATION AND BLESSINGS Presenter Anne Henderson shares her vision and passion for UCB 2.

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MEET: Matt Brown UCB’s newest presenter chats about his love for God and his journey to becoming a radio presenter.

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Recovery

Saturday 1 August ‘Pursue…overtake…recover all.’ 1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV Many of us have a stubborn habit that shouldn’t be part of our life because it takes our focus away from God. It might be something like spending too much time on social media, or comfort eating, or an addiction to alcohol, gambling, or pornography. We can end up feeling trapped by our habits, but Jesus said He came so that ‘captives will be released’ (Luke 4:18 NLT). We can get back what we’ve lost through our bad habits, or even something better, by doing two things David did when the Amalekites destroyed his home and took his family captive: 1) He turned to God for strength. ‘David found strength in the Lord his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6 NLT). If we could solve our problems ourselves, we’d have done it. Acknowledging our

powerlessness is the first step to victory. But acknowledging it is not the same as giving in to defeat and despair. It means that we can’t, but God can, and He will when we surrender to Him. 2) He turned to God for a strategy. ‘David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all”’ (v. 8 NKJV). David didn’t stop until he recovered everything the enemy had stolen from him. When God gives us a strategy, we need to have that attitude too.

He wants us to live free from damaging habits, and to recover what they’ve taken from our lives. Knowing that will give us the faith and courage to ‘pursue…overtake…and recover all.’

WHAT NOW? Write down a habit that you want to be free from. Then ask God for strength and a strategy. Write down anything He tells you, and then start to put His strategy into action.

PRAY FOR:

PATIENCE AND GRACE WHEN DEALING WITH OTHERS

Read: Ephesians 4:26-27

Pray and believe (1)

Sunday 2 August ‘Pray without ceasing.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV The Bible encourages us to pray relentlessly.

Nineteenth-century evangelist George Müller had a list of five people who he was desperate to see meet Christ. He prayed for them regularly, and saw one person on the list become a Christian after five years. After ten years, another two became Christians, and a fourth after twenty-five years. Müller prayed for the fifth person for fifty-two years, and shortly after Müller’s funeral, they made a commitment to Christ. He didn’t get to see that person meet Jesus, but he had prayed ‘without ceasing’ and God did answer.

We know that God’s promise is simple; in Jeremiah 33:3 He says, ‘Call to me and I will answer you’ (NIV). If we can learn to take God at His word, to believe that He will always answer when we meet with Him, then we too can grow the faith to pray expectantly for

fifty-two years without yet seeing that answer.

Müller himself said ‘God delights to increase the faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hands as a means. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.’ Believing that God hears us and is at work takes practice and patience, especially if we don’t see any answers right away. In those times, cling to verses like 1 John 5:14, which tells us that ‘if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us’ (NIV). Sometimes we have the privilege of seeing prayer answered. Sometimes though, we don’t get to see the outcome, or it doesn’t look the way we expect. Still, know that God always moves if we call to Him.

WHAT NOW? Make a list of times that you know God heard you, where you’ve seen Him move. Keep this list to remind you, whether you see the outcome for yourself or not, God always answers.

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Pray and believe (2)

Monday 3 August

‘Keep on asking and it will be given to you.’ Matthew 7:7 AMP

Life with God is full of waiting. Delays are part of learning to trust Him and His perfect timing. Because of this, there are so many stories of persistence throughout the Bible.

Take a look at the example of Abraham and Sarah who waited right into their old age for a son. Even when God came to confirm the promise, their instruction was to wait for another year. Sarah and Abraham weren’t perfect in their waiting (take a look at Genesis 18 – 21). Sarah laughed at the idea that God would fulfil His promise because she had been waiting so long. But they did eventually come to trust God and wait for Him to move.

We can be even worse at waiting than Sarah and Abraham. We skip through adverts, and we only need to ask once to immediately find the answer to any question on our phone.

But there’s no skip button when it comes to perseverance. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray ‘at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer… keep alert with all perseverance’ (ESV). God asks us to retrain ourselves to ask more than once, and to press on with expectancy and patience for an answer. Later, in Genesis 26:18 - 31, we see the results of this same perseverance in the next generation. Isaac was trying to dig a well, and twice his fresh wells got claimed by the Philistines. Still, he persevered and dug a third time. As Isaac kept digging, he faced no conflict, claimed land that God had promised, and even saw reconciliation with his enemies. If we keep praying, and continue to dig with the faith that our work will eventually be fruitful, then we’ll see God move in unprecedented ways.

WHAT NOW? Next time you find yourself waiting for an appointment, a train, etc., resist the urge to pull out your phone. Spend that time talking to God, praying for something that needs His hand and perspective on it.

DO YOU NEED TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE?

Growing patience

Tuesday 4 August

UCB.CO.UK/prayerline

‘Troubles produce patience.’ Romans 5:3 KJV

Patience is something that grows with us.

Think about any small children you know.

Their understanding of the world means that they have very little patience. If they’re expecting something, they want it now.

But the older a child grows, the more they understand the reasons for waiting, and the more they build trust and patience with those around them. Our relationship with God is a lot like that. We can often have the patience of a toddler with His plans, but the more we grow in our understanding of Him, read His Word, and talk to Him in prayer, the more faith we develop to say ‘in Your timing’. We can use every waiting period, and every seeminglyunanswered prayer to build our relationship and our trust in Him. In James 1:2-4 we’re told: ‘When troubles of any kind come your

way, consider it an opportunity for great joy… when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow’ (NLT). Let’s learn to identify setbacks and delays as chances to step closer to God, and to seek His wisdom and guidance.

The endurance that we build could become a key part of fulfilling God’s plans, as we start to recognise God’s hand at work, hearing his prompting more clearly. The Message paraphrases Romans 5:3-4 like this: ‘We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us… keeping us alert for whatever God will do next’ (MSG). Looking for God in the quiet or tough times can be part of what makes us who we’re meant to be.

WHAT NOW? The next time you’re about to treat yourself to something fun, such as a chocolate bar, or an episode of your favourite TV show, make yourself wait for a short time first. Set a five-minute timer and spend that time with God. T H I S I S PA G E 5

Dealing with difficult people (1)

Wednesday 5 August

‘Strive to do what is good for each other.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV

We’ll always have difficult people in our lives, but the good news is that we can always have the Holy Spirit in our lives too. With the Holy Spirit, we really can ‘strive to do what is good for each other’, even when we’re facing challenging attitudes and actions. The Bible tells us to ‘be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (1 Thessalonians 5:32 NIV). This is a reminder that we’re called to do what is good for the people who we find difficult, as well as those that we get on with.

We all need forgiving, and as God reaches out to forgive us, we should live by His example and show that compassion to those who feel difficult to us. In our own strength that can sound impossible, but that’s why we need to

rely on the Holy Spirit to change our outlook and to rein in our emotions. It really is vital to do that. Ephesians 4 also tells us what happens if we don’t let the Holy Spirit do that work. Verses 26 and 27 say ‘Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold’ (NIV). This tells us that holding a grudge against a difficult person, or allowing ourselves to stay in an angry mindset, opens the doors for all other kinds of negativity in our lives. It multiplies the hurt that we’re feeling. However, when we invite the Spirit to help us let go, and ask Him to change how we feel and act, it creates opportunities for hearts and situations to change. God can and will break through.

WHAT NOW? In 1 Thessalonians 5:31, Paul lists negativity that we need to eliminate: ‘bitterness… rage… anger… brawling… slander… malice’ (NIV). Is there any particular thing there that you could ask the Holy Spirit for help with?

For more free resources visit UCB.CO.UK

Dealing with difficult people (2)

Thursday 6 August

‘In your anger do not sin…[or] give the devil a foothold.’ Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV

It’s important to notice that, even as Christians, we still anger. Ephesians 4:26 says ‘in your anger don not sin’ (NIV). It’s not the feeling that’s the problem, it’s what we do with it that can be harmful. Anger is a normal, sometimes healthy response to something that seems wrong. Just read Matthew 21, where we see Jesus flipping tables and cursing trees. Jesus got angry, and sometimes, letting people know about our feelings like He did is necessary.

It’s important, though, for us to learn to recognise when that is. We should test whether our anger is righteous on God’s behalf, or whether we’re at risk of escalating a situation that calls for quiet patience and grace. The only way to know is to call for God to lead you. One valuable step is using the inbuilt quarter of a second that experts

say our brain provides us with before reacting in stressful situations. A quarter of a second doesn’t sound like much, but it is long enough to turn to God. Even when we’re face to face with someone difficult, God has wired our brains to allow us to call out and let Him take the lead. With His strength, we can train ourselves to use that quarter of a second to pray ‘God, help’ while we take a breath. That two-word prayer invites the Holy Spirit into whatever we say and do next. He helps direct our conscience and lets us know whether our response is right. It might be difficult to remember to use that quarter of a second, and we may not always get it right even when we do, but with practice and prayer, calling on God first will become automatic.

WHAT NOW? Practise calling on God before speaking as much as you can today. Whether you’re in a difficult situation or just a normal conversation, have a go at taking that quarter-second to think ‘God, help’ before you speak.

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A DV E N T U R E O F A LIFETIME

By Ralph Pedley University offers us an exciting opportunity to learn new things and get to know ourselves better. It can also be a great time to discover more about God and His purpose for us. So how can we make the most of our time there and use it to glorify God? We asked Ralph Pedley from Campus Awakening UK to share some advice.

University can be a disorientating place.

For many, it feels like stepping off dry land and out into a wide ocean, swapping the solid and familiar for something a lot more fluid. But while some find this prospect daunting, and others jump at the opportunity to reinvent themselves in a brand new environment, ultimately everyone is in the same boat. We all have the opportunity to choose what kind of people we want to be.

Because if we don’t make that choice for ourselves, someone or something will make it for us. It’s a choice that isn’t so much about behaviour, or even beliefs. It’s deeper than that, it comes down to where you put your faith. Or, more accurately, who you put your faith in.

The call of Jesus to us has been the same since the very beginning: ‘Drop everything and follow Me.’ There is no sales pitch – just a simple, life-changing request. He’s not an optional extra to select from life’s menu. He’s not a personality quirk, a good luck charm, or a reason to have some nice friends to see on Sundays. He’s not even a moral code or a set of rules through which you can prove your worth. No. To be in relationship with Jesus is to orientate your whole world around Him. We become His apprentices; walking with Him, learning from Him and living like Him. But why bother? Quite simply, because to follow Jesus is be fully alive. Nothing else but Him will bring us ‘life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10 NCV).

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Ralph is the Director of Campus Awakening UK, an organisation that equips students to bring revival and transformation to their university campuses and beyond. Find out more at campusawakening.co.uk

Abundant life isn’t about what we have or what we achieve. It’s about knowing who you really are and living a life consistent with that. You have a beautiful, God-given identity. You’re a beloved child of the King!

And part of that identity is being an ambassador – God’s representative to the world of what real life looks like. In the Great Commission, Jesus gave us the authority to continue the same mission that He began: telling the good news of God’s extravagant love that brings hope

It’s easy to think about this mission and get completely overwhelmed. We dismiss ourselves as just a drop in the ocean. But since when did the ‘size’ of contribution become more important than the simple fact that we make it?

For what even is an ocean if not a multitude of drops?

and freedom and joy. And while it can be tempting to try and pass through uni undetected and make it out the other side unscathed, your time on campus actually presents an amazing opportunity. Never again will you have this kind of proximity to so many different kinds of people.

Or, to look at it another way, never again will they have so much proximity to you.

How could you start to see your uni through God’s eyes?

How could you love your neighbour?

How could you leave behind something meaningful that will last after you’re gone?

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Even though – in the grand scheme of things – your time at university isn’t particularly long, it has the potential to be one of the most significant seasons of your life. It’s a place where visions are planted and ideas are birthed.

Some of the greatest moves of God the world has ever seen began with students just like you. Why not be part of another one? It will be the adventure of a lifetime!

Dealing with difficult people (3)

Friday 7 August ‘He did not retaliate.’ 1 Peter 2:23 NLT We read about Jesus showing His anger in difficult situations yesterday; however, we have to remember that He also dealt with a lot of testing people with patience and calm. In Matthew 27 we see Jesus talking to officials who have the power to torture and kill Him, and He still reacts in a Spirit-filled way. Mostly, He keeps quiet. When He does speak, He says only what is necessary to answer, with no need to try to hurt them or prove His own very real righteousness.

He could have defended Himself, shouted everyone down, and proven His Godliness.

But being in tune with His Father’s plans, He remained calm and dealt with the situation with dignity. About all of this, Peter writes: ‘If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For

God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you.

He is your example, and you must follow in his steps… He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly’ (1 Peter 2:20-23 NLT). What more could we want than to know that God is pleased with us, and that we’re following in Jesus’ steps. We can consider difficult people as an opportunity to bring more of God’s light into this world.

Consider that people who are hurting in their own hearts are often the ones to lash out and hurt others. Our responses to difficult people could be a chance to share God’s grace and patience with someone who, deep down, desperately needs Him.

WHAT NOW? Try to think who last made you feel angry, upset, or inconvenienced. Find a way to do something kind for them today, or just send them a friendly message to check in. Ask God to guide your interaction with them.

Want to learn more about the Bible? Find our latest reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App at ucb.co.uk/ucbyouversion Saturday 8 August

‘Do not take revenge.’ Romans 12:19 NIV

Dealing with difficult people (4)

In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus said, ‘You have to continue. If a difficult person is making heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth you unsafe, then you absolutely should find for tooth.” But I tell you…If anyone slaps you a way to get out of that situation and let on the right cheek, turn to them the other someone know what’s going on. Whatever cheek also’ (NIV). He was referring to the Old the circumstances though, God tells us to Testament ‘law of retaliation’ that stopped avoid messy human revenge and allow Him people exacting out-of-proportion revenge. to deal with the wrongdoer. Romans 12:19It explained that all punishments should 21 tells us ‘Do not take revenge, my dear be relative to the crime. Jesus, however, friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it took the idea of getting away with as much is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” punishment as was allowed, and turned it says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy into forgiveness. We know that ‘if anyone is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him slaps you on the right cheek’, it’s natural to something to drink. In doing this, you will want to return the hit, but that starts an heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be endless back and forth. Retaliation leads to overcome by evil, but overcome evil with retaliation. Here, we’re asked to break that good’ (NIV). It’s our job to walk away, and do cycle. It’s worth noting that Jesus wasn’t as much good as possible. We’re called to telling people to allow themselves to be bring light despite the difficult people. Trust taken advantage of, or to allow mistreatment God to do the rest.

WHAT NOW? Take yesterday’s ‘What Now?’ one step further by adding positivity to your conversations. When someone speaks negatively, take that quarter-second to pray and then say something positive back.

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Dealing with difficult people (5)

Sunday 9 August ‘Turn…the other cheek.’ Matthew 5:39 NCV Over the last few days we’ve been thinking who love you, what reward will you get?... through how we deal with difficult people And if you greet only your own people, what and negativity. We know that we don’t need are you doing more than others?’ (NIVUK). to fear others, or exact revenge. With the Holy God is calling us not only to deal well with Spirit helping us, we’re asked to confront difficult people, but to love them and pray for the other person with honesty, strength, and them. That’s a hard instruction, but we can be where possible, positivity and grace. We can assured that whatever God asks us to do, He use the tools God has given us to check in will help us with. A good first step is to pray with Him before reacting, and lovingly work for those people as Jesus instructs. Make sure towards reconciliation. There’s a reason that not to use that as a chance to dwell on your Philippians 3:14 calls the Christian life a ‘high anger or to be passive-aggressive, though. Set calling’ (KJV). With God, we really can rise the situation aside for a moment, and pray for above any difficulty. In Matthew 5:43-47, Jesus the difficult person as a human being. Pray for says ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love their heart, for them to have a life-changing your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I relationship with God. Pray for them to be tell you, love your enemies and pray for those surrounded by so much good that they soften. who persecute you, that you may be children Pray for their healing. Pray positively, and pray of your Father in heaven… If you love those with love.

WHAT NOW? Set aside some time today to really focus on the difficult people in your life, bringing them before God, and praying positively as explained above.

PRAY FOR:

FOCUS ON GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU

Read: Philippians 3:12-16

Saved by grace

Monday 10 August ‘God saved you by his grace when you believed.’ Ephesians 2:8 NLT The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is a familiar story, but have you ever considered that there might be two prodigal sons in that story? The chapter begins: ‘Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people…So Jesus told them this story’ (Luke 15:1-3 NLT).

Jesus was talking to two different groups: 1) Rule breakers like the Prodigal Son, who realise it’s only through God’s grace that we’re saved. 2) Rule keepers like the older brother, who think they can earn salvation by doing good works. And that makes rule keepers judgmental towards rule breakers.

In Luke 15:28-30, the older brother refused to attend his brother’s homecoming party.

He had followed his father’s instructions and worked hard, and he didn’t think it was fair that his brother should be celebrated while he got nothing. But his father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours’ (vv. 31 ESV). By using the word ‘son, Jesus was teaching that we’re saved by relationship, not rule-keeping. The older brother thought his father’s acceptance depended on his actions. Although our actions are important to God, our redemption depends only on Christ’s actions: ‘God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT). We are saved by grace alone.

WHAT NOW? Which of the brothers are you more like? If you’re like the Prodigal Son, ask God to help you walk on His path for your life. If you’re more like the older brother, ask God to help you rejoice that you’re already saved.

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Forgive and move on (1)

Tuesday 11 August ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on.’

Philippians 3:13-14 NIVUK The more someone has hurt us, the harder it is to forgive them. But we must choose forgiveness, because whatever we refuse to forgive and let go of, we carry with us like a weight. Sometimes we may even need to forgive ourselves for something we’ve done.

Whatever our particular hurt, the solution isn’t feeding it by feeling sorry for ourselves, or denying it by pretending it never happened.

We have to face the hurt, then forgive and let it go, or we’ll continue to hurt ourselves.

Someone once said that choosing not to forgive somebody is like eating poison and expecting the other person to die. In order to move forward, we have to let go and be at peace with the past. Paul put many Christians to death before he met Christ. He could easily

have allowed that memory to destroy him and rob him of his destiny. But he refused to let it. Instead he wrote: ‘Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:13-14 NIVUK).

Paul hadn’t forgotten his past, but knowing that God had forgiven him, he wasn’t going to let his past hold him back. Mark 11:25 says: ‘If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins’ (NIV). Starting today, choose forgiveness.

WHAT NOW? Write a list of all the people you still need to forgive. Take some time to bring each person before God and choose to forgive them. When you’ve let go of the hurt, cross them off the list.

Stand for something… UCB.CO.UK/ucbacademy

Forgive and move on (2)

Wednesday 12 August

‘No one who…looks back is fit for service.’ Luke 9:62 NIV

Whatever has happened in our past, it doesn’t automatically determine our future.

Here are some things to remember to help us keep moving forwards: 1) Focus on what’s ahead. We can use what we’ve learned from our past experiences, good and bad, to help us as we move forwards. But if we keep looking back at the past, we’ll miss all the amazing things that God’s putting in our future. Our past isn’t where we’re heading; we need to stay focused on what’s ahead.

2) Stop looking for easy answers. Life is hard, and being a Christian certainly doesn’t promise us a trouble-free life. In fact, when we’re following God’s plan, the devil might try even harder to stop us. But what we are promised is a God who is bigger than any problem we’ll ever have to face, and who

will not leave us to face things alone. 3) Stay on your path – not everybody will go with you. We shouldn’t let anyone hold us back from following the plan that God has for us. Following God’s path might mean leaving friends behind, but even though that’s hard, we can be sure that God’s plans are the best, and He has amazing things lined up for us if we choose to trust Him and follow His guidance. 4) Believe in yourself – God does! People might try to criticise us and put us down, but God knows our potential, and if we’re willing to trust Him and work hard, He’ll help us fulfil it.

He gave each of us a specific purpose, and He doesn’t make mistakes. If He’s called us, He’ll give us everything we need to achieve that calling.

WHAT NOW? Find a picture of a path. Print it out or keep it on your phone. When you feel you’re focusing too much on the past, look at the picture and remind yourself of God’s path into the future.

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Faith

Thursday 13 August

‘All the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him.’ Mark 3:10 NLT

Faith in Jesus changes the world. In Matthew 9 we see Jesus heal many people, and one thing stands out. In three of the examples of healing, the word faith is used. Jesus’ power is released to people in response to their absolute, assured faith in Him. Firstly, we see faith in actions. Matthew 9:1 says: ‘When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”’ (NIV) The paralysed man got up and walked home.

The man’s friends acted on their faith. They believed confidently enough to carry him to Jesus. How can we step out like that today?

Secondly, we see faith through perseverance.

In verse 22, we read about a woman whose womb bled for twelve years with no medical cure: ‘Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”

And the woman was healed at that moment’ (NIV). This woman must have prayed and sought help so many times. It must have felt like her healing would never come. Still, she fought through the crowd and reached out for Jesus with certain faith. That turned out to be her moment. Let’s hold on to faith, even when answers are a long time coming.

Third, we see faith in a declaration. Verses 28-30 read: ‘“Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored’ (NIV). The blind men that Jesus talks to here don’t hesitate in declaring that they believe in His power. It’s important to be unashamed and direct about our faith in God.

WHAT NOW? Is there something that you prayed for, but now feel discouraged about? Bring it before God again in confident faith. It may still take time, but God always listens. Talk to another Christian about it if you need to.

DO YOU NEED TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE?

UCB.CO.UK/prayerline

Trust in Jesus

Friday 14 August ‘The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes.’ Nahum 1:7 NLT The story behind the old hymn ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus’ is a difficult one, full of wisdom and life lessons. The hymn was written by Louisa Stead in the 1800s. She wrote it after her husband rushed in to the ocean to save a drowning boy. Unfortunately he was pulled under the waves by the terrified boy, and her husband and the boy both drowned. Louisa worked through her struggle with God and seemed to come to a sense of peace and trust in God. In that process she wrote these words: ‘’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know “Thus saith the Lord.” I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, precious Jesus, Saviour, friend; and I know that Thou art with me, wilt be

with me to the end’. It’s astounding that, in the middle of grief, Louisa could resolve to take God at His word, and believe in His love and plans for her life. It’s a great example to us that it is still possible to trust God even when things look like they’re as bad as can be. He’s always working for us, even in the darkest times, to bring about the very best outcome. Romans 8:28 tells us ‘that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ (NIV). God is looking to bring good from all things, not just some. Even when we face opposition and the most difficult of circumstances, we can trust God to bring peace, hope, and good things to our lives again.

WHAT NOW? Look up and copy out the following verses: Nahum 1:7, Isaiah 26:3, 2 Samuel 22:31, Psalm 31:19. Put them up somewhere to remind you to trust that God is always good.

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Do good

Saturday 15 August ‘Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.’ Ephesians 6:7 NIV Galatians 6:10 encourages us: ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers’ (NIV). Doing good is always a choice, and sometimes a difficult one. Whether we struggle to put aside our own wants, or simply just don’t think about reaching out that often, we can be likely to miss opportunities to do good. That’s why Romans 12:2 tells us to ‘be transformed by the renewing of [our] minds’ (NIV). If we ask God to refresh our thinking, then we can start recognising chances to share His love in positive acts. We’ll hopefully notice more room to do His work in big and little ways. He can help us put our own

self-interest aside, and act in the interest of others more and more. Be prepared, though.

Looking for opportunities to do good means that we notice when people are hurting, disadvantaged, or in need. It takes a brave heart and God-given stamina. That’s why Galatians 6:10 starts by warning against weariness. It’s important that we stay close to God, allowing Him to fill us up, renewing our minds and our energy. Know that you can do all the good that you’re able to, and that God will take care of everything else. Don’t feel a burden to fix everything, but do take every chance for good that you can reasonably manage. God mobilises His people across the world, and we play our part in that by responding to the needs he draws us to.

WHAT NOW? Pray to God for chances to do good for others today. Ask Him to help you notice those opportunities as they come along. Stay alert throughout your day, and do good wherever you’re given the chance to.

PRAY FOR:

RELEASE FROM THE FEAR OF REJECTION

Read: Psalm 139:14-17

Comfort zones

Sunday 16 August ‘To win…you must deny yourselves.’ 1 Corinthians 9:25 TLB There’s a popular saying that ‘nothing really great ever happens in your comfort zone.’

Life with God can be like that. In Luke 5, we see Jesus instruct Simon to take his boat further and further out into the Lake of Gennesaret. First, this is so that Jesus can preach to the people, and then so that Simon can catch masses of fish that he wasn’t expecting. Sometimes God asks us to move away from shore because there are important things out in deep waters.

Not all of us are fishermen, so moving away from the safety of the shore can be uncomfortable. However, Jesus shows us in His interaction with Simon that He only calls us out when there’s work to be done, and good things to be netted. If there’s an opportunity or gifting that you’ve been unsure about moving into, this could be

the encouragement you need to step out of that comfort zone. If you check in with God and ask Him to keep you within His plan, He’ll have His hand on whatever happens next. Ask Him to open the right doors, and close the wrong ones. That doesn’t mean the way forward will necessarily be easy, or that you’ll be guaranteed success. It does mean that God has you and will lead you.

Just like He said to Joshua, ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ (Joshua 1:9 ESV).

When we keep close to Him, God is right at our side in everything that we do. Whether we’re in our comfort zone, or whether we move outside of it, He’s there with us to protect us and make a way.

WHAT NOW? If something specific has come to mind while reading this, perhaps something God-given that you feel called to do outside of your comfort zone, then take the first step towards it today.

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Visionary thinking

Monday 17 August ‘I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision.’ Numbers 12:6 ESV The word vision has lots of meanings.

Physical sight aside, there are two meanings to learn from today. We can connect vision with messages from God, as in Acts 2:17, where we’re told ‘your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams’ (NIV). Visions are sent from God to share truth and important words that He wants His people to know. We also come across the idea of vision when we think of plans for the future. We often think of our long-term goals in that way, calling them visions for our lives, or careers, or families.

Both types of vision are important, and both are from God. Words from Him, and plans for our lives both require His perspective.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God says ‘“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”’ (NIV).

If we truly want to step into the life that God has ready for us, we’ll need to dig deep into what He wants to say to us, and what His plan is for our future. In order to live like this, we have to put everything that we have into our relationship with God. James 4:8 says ‘draw near to God and He will draw near to you’ (NKJV). It’s only when we’re close to Him that our hearts and minds become clear enough for us to receive any kind of vision from Him. Let’s commit ourselves to welcoming the Holy Spirit into our minds, pressing as close to our Father as we can, so that we may ‘see visions’ and ‘dream dreams’ for our lives.

WHAT NOW? Set a timer for 10 minutes. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill your life today. Ask Him to share God’s vision with you over the coming days.

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Facing rejection (1)

Tuesday 18 August ‘You are precious and honoured in my sight.’ Isaiah 43:4 NIVUK Jesus experienced rejection. The Bible says: ‘He came to his own people, and even they rejected him’ (John 1:11 NLT). But instead of letting their rejection hurt Him, He moved on to where people happily received Him. And He told His disciples, ‘If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave’ (Matthew 10:14 NLT). When we’re rejected, it can make us believe the fear that we’re inadequate in some way, or not good enough. And we’re especially vulnerable when we’re rejected by someone whose opinion we value. The problem is that when we start to act on that fear by lowering our opinion of ourselves, others can pick up on that and may begin to think of us as low value. When we don’t set

boundaries, or express preferences, or set any other limitations on how we’ll allow others to treat us, they’ll assume we don’t mind how they behave towards us. So let’s look at Jesus’ example: even though He was rejected, He never responded in a way that encouraged that rejection to carry on.

He didn’t stay where He wasn’t wanted; He went to where He was welcomed. He went to where people recognised and received Him, His purpose, and His power.

He knew he had God’s full acceptance, so He understood His value and didn’t fear others’ rejection. And we have God’s full acceptance too. ‘You are precious and honoured in my sight, and…I love you.’ The first step to overcoming rejection is to keep God’s opinion of you in your mind at all times.

WHAT NOW? Is there a relationship in your life that always leaves you feeling rejected or undervalued? Ask God if it’s a relationship that you need to walk away from.

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Facing rejection (2)

Wednesday 19 August ‘I praise you because I am…wonderfully made.’ Psalm 139:14 NIV In order to escape the fear of rejection, we have to wholeheartedly believe that God designed every part of us, and gave us a unique assignment. Putting ourselves down may seem humble, but it causes us to reject God’s design and plan, and settle for something less. So today, let’s declare with the psalmist: ‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God’ (vv. 14-17 NLT). Maybe we think we’re ‘less than’ because we’ve been criticised by

family or friends, maybe we’ve been bullied at school, maybe we’ve felt condemned by a well-meaning but insensitive church leader.

Whatever the circumstances, remember that Satan is the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44 NLT), and he can use someone to lie about our worth and our potential. His goal is to stop us achieving things for God’s kingdom, and one of the ways he’ll try is to make us believe that we’re not worthy or not capable of fulfilling God’s plan. We need to stand strong on God’s promises and reject Satan’s lies. Psalm 139:14 says: ‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well’ (NIV). God took care over creating each one of us, so we can be sure He cares for us and values us more than we could imagine.

WHAT NOW? Make a list of every good thing about your character (such as integrity, loyalty, generosity, discernment, wisdom, patience, etc.). Think of how you could use each of those features to glorify God and be a blessing to others.

Facing rejection (3)

Thursday 20 August ‘She knows that what she makes is good.’ Proverbs 31:18 NCV Even when we make big mistakes, or repeat the same one several times, it doesn’t change God’s mind about us. ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you…will be rebuilt’ (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NIV). God will correct us when we need it, but we mustn’t confuse His correction with rejection. ‘The Lord disciplines the one he loves’ (Hebrews 12:6 NIV). God disciplines us because he loves us so much that He wants to help us reach our highest potential. God doesn’t reject us, so we shouldn’t let others put us down because of our past mistakes. We don’t have to boast, exaggerate, or pretend to be someone we’re not to make ourselves seem better in other people’s eyes. We can be real and authentic

because we’re secure in God’s love. If we feel that we always have to please everyone, our self-worth will always be at their mercy.

But God already sees us all as equal, so we don’t need to strive for approval from others.

In Proverbs 31, there’s a description of a virtuous woman. Verse 18 says: ‘She knows that what she makes is good’ (NCV). She wasn’t full of pride, she was just confident in who God had made her to be, the skills He had blessed her with, and the assignment He had given her to fulfil. Her confidence came from within, not from the approval of others. When we’re feeling rejected or unappreciated by other people, let’s try to keep in mind that God created each of us for a unique purpose, and that we already have His approval and love.

WHAT NOW? Write down Jeremiah 31:3-4 and decorate it. Save your creation. Whenever you feel rejected, take a look at it to remind yourself of God’s opinion of you.

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Facing rejection (4)

Friday 21 August

‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.’ Luke 17:3 NCV

Sometimes we need to confront people if their behaviour is negatively affecting us. Jesus said, ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.’ But that doesn’t give us the right to vent our anger or jump in straight away without thinking. Jesus also said, ‘Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying “I repent,” you must forgive them’ (v.

4 NCV). If we do confront someone, we also need to respect their choice if they decide not to continue their relationship with us.

Their rejection of our friendship doesn’t mean we’re less important or inferior in some way. However, if we find we’re often being rejected and we don’t know why, it might be a good idea to try to find the reason by asking someone we trust to give

their honest opinion of our own behaviour.

The Bible says: ‘Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy’ (Proverbs 27:6 NLT). It’s hard to listen to criticism, but it can be the first step towards improving ourselves. We should try not to be defensive or offended by what they say. A true friend will want us to be the best we can be, so even if the things they say are difficult to hear, we can know that their words come from a heart that wants to help us grow. It’s also important that we take what they’ve said to God and ask Him for wisdom to know how to deal with their feedback, and what changes we might need to make. By being willing and open to change, we can turn rejection into something positive that helps us grow.

WHAT NOW? If you don’t already have one, ask your pastor or youth minister to help you find a mentor who you can trust to give you honest, constructive criticism. Ask them to help you find ways to use your positive traits to glorify God, and improve in your negative areas.

Calling (1)

Saturday 22 August ‘There are varieties of service, but the same Lord.’ 1 Corinthians 12:5 ESV Theodore Roosevelt said that ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ He was absolutely right.

One of the biggest mistakes is to compare ourselves to others, especially when it comes to work that God placed us to do. We can’t compare our calling to someone else’s. 1 Corinthians 12:6-11 explains that ‘there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone… For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills’ (ESV). God calls each of us to do different things, in different places, at different times. The need around us determines what we do and who God needs each of us to be. 1 Corinthians 12 continues: ‘For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose’ (v.12-18 ESV). We have to take hold of our own, unique place in the body of God’s Church.

WHAT NOW? If you’re confident in your calling, write a few thoughts about it down. If you’re not, write down a prayer that God will reveal it to you. Keep it safe – we’ll be coming back to it tomorrow.

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Calling (2)

Sunday 23 August

‘We make it our goal to please him.’ 2 Corinthians 5:9 NIV

It’s impossible to please everybody, but it’s absolutely possible to please God. That should be our main focus, and the way to discover and test our calling. In Galatians 1:10, Paul writes: ‘Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God... If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ’ (NIV). Here, Paul acknowledges that pleasing God is often at odds with winning everyone else’s approval.

When God is our main focus, there’s no need to stress the opinions of others. We should still seek advice from those we trust, but we always have to apply the question ‘does this please God?’ This is also very important when we’re still figuring out what God’s plan may be. If you’re unsure about what God wants you to do next, or

what His calling could be, start with that same, simple question. What could you do with your time, energy, and resources that would please God? While it would be ideal to hear our calling in a booming voice, it’s much more likely to be revealed through what we’re already doing, in our talents and likes, or through exploring the Godly opportunities in the places that we find ourselves in. Whether you’re trying to discover your calling, or working to live it out, it’s important to remember Proverbs 29:25: ‘Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe’ (NIV). Whatever you’re doing, do with trust in God and a heart to please Him. Try to put aside any worries that you have about others’ opinions. God will be with you.

WHAT NOW? Go back to yesterday’s note. Add to it the ways that you think you could please God in the calling that you have already, or may be about to discover. Chat to someone about your calling today, and figure out a next step.

PRAY FOR:

OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING GOD’S LOVE TO THOSE AROUND US

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Flee temptation

Monday 24 August ‘Run from anything that stimulates…lusts.’ 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT Proverbs 7:19 is potentially one of the most danger-filled sentences in the Bible.

It reads: ‘My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey’ (NIV). The rest of Proverbs 7 sets out the story of a young man being lured in by a woman whose husband is working away. It applies to so much more than adultery. It’s a picture of every time we do something that we know isn’t the best choice, just because we had the opportunity to. It’s also about the times that we don’t do something we should, because no one will know. It echoes every time we allow ourselves to be lured into talking negatively about someone, because we’re pulled in by the ‘persuasive words’ of those around us (see Proverbs 7:21 NIV).

It mirrors when we get distracted by the ‘coloured linens’ of social media, when we’d planned on reading the Bible (see

Proverbs 7:16 NIV). The ‘adulterous woman’ (vv.5 NIV) embodies every temptation and distraction that we face each day. At the end of Proverbs 7, Solomon pleads with us to ‘listen…pay attention... Don’t let your hearts stray away towards her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave.

Her bedroom is the den of death’ (vv. 24-27 NLT). We all know from experience that when our ‘hearts stray’ and we ‘wander’, it’s almost always unintentional. We get drawn in. This means that the only way to avoid it is to be intentional first. Pray for your eyes to be more open to temptations, to recognise distractions, and actively move away from them. Close the app, walk away from the conversation, say goodbye to whatever your ‘adulterous woman’ happens to be.

WHAT NOW? Do just that. Start by praying for God to keep you on guard, then take action when you see temptation.

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Attitude of gratitude

Tuesday 25 August ‘Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT God’s Word makes it absolutely clear that we’re called to be thanks-givers. In fact, there are more commands in the Bible to praise, rejoice, and give thanks than there are about anything else. This tells us two things: 1) God enjoys receiving thanks and praise for His goodness.

The psalmist wrote: ‘I will praise God in a song and will honour him by giving thanks. That will please the Lord more than offering him cattle’ (Psalm 69:30-31 NCV). 2) He wants us to be happy. He repeats His commands to be joyful, and to thank and praise Him more often than any of the ‘thou shalt nots’. This doesn’t mean His commands to not do something are less important, but shows that He wants joy to be prominent in our minds. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, needed to remind

himself to give thanks. He wrote: ‘Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me’ (Psalm 103:2 NLT). It’s not always easy to remember to give thanks, especially when we’re going through difficult times. But even when circumstances don’t look good to us, God can completely turn them around. When Jonah was in the belly of a whale, he remembered the importance of giving thanks: ‘I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me…I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfil all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone’ (Jonah 2:2, 9 NLT). So let’s make a habit of ‘always giving thanks to God the Father for everything’ (Ephesians 5:20 NIV), and develop an attitude of gratitude.

WHAT NOW? Whenever you feel ungrateful, or just don’t feel like praising God, stop and read David’s ‘benefit list’ in Psalm 103.

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Love is

Wednesday 26 August ‘Love never fails.’ 1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV People can disappoint us, especially if it’s those we count on most. The truth is, no one’s perfect, apart from God. Jesus said that ‘no one is good except God alone’ (Mark 10:18 ESV). Because we turned God’s world into something imperfect, we’re holding a broken mirror up to His true love. For us as humans, it’s impossible to live up to the ‘love never fails’ part of 1 Corinthians. In all of that, we’re met with a huge challenge. How do we continue to love others when they disappoint us? We have to remember that in the middle of uncertainty and imperfection, everyone is living with an oversized need to be loved and accepted as they are. Even when someone does something less-than-perfect, they’re still calling out to be cared for and forgiven. Loving someone like that can be a big concept and we can be unsure where to

start. The answer lies in that same passage in 1 Corinthians. We can learn to love the flawed people around us by living out the rest of those verses in it. ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres’ (vv. 13:4-7 NIVUK). If we can be patient and kind, our interactions will bring light. If we resist anger, letting go of wrongs, then we’ll find it easier to move on.

Let’s protect and trust others, having hope and perseverance in our relationships. If we can take those steps with God’s help, we can bring more of His perfect love into this imperfect world.

WHAT NOW? Choose one of those attributes in 1 Corinthians 13 to work on today (patience, kindness, not envying others, etc.). Ask God to help you with it.

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Aligned with God’s will

Thursday 27 August

‘You do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.’ James 4:3 NIV

When we’re praying for things that aren’t specifically promised in the Bible, we should say, ‘If it’s Your will.’ The Bible says, ‘When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.’ Sometimes we can find it difficult to accept this truth because we’re sure we know what’s best and our requests are justified. But we can’t see the bigger picture, so we might be praying for things that actually wouldn’t turn out to be good for us or for God’s kingdom. The Message says: ‘We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist’ (1 Corinthians 13:12 MSG). Only God understands the complete picture. So we need to pray with hearts that are full of God and with our will fully in line with His.

John said: ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears – whatever we ask – we know…we have what we asked of him’ (1 John 5:14-15 NIV). When we’re not sure if the thing we’re praying for is aligned with God’s will, we should pray, ‘If it’s Your will,’ and then accept that God might not give us exactly what we want. This doesn’t mean our faith is weak. Instead, it shows that we love and trust God enough to say, ‘Lord, I want this thing, but only if it’s Your will, fits in with Your plan, is Your best for me, and it’s in Your timing.’ So let’s pray in faith, and trust God for the right results.

WHAT NOW? Divide a piece of paper into two columns. In one column, write a list of things you’re praying for.

In the other, write ‘If it’s Your will’ next to each prayer point. Use your list when you pray to remind yourself to accept God’s will.

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Stop

Friday 28 August ‘When Jesus heard him, he stopped.’ Luke 18:40 NLT We live such busy lives that it can be difficult to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. Jesus had the biggest mission in all of history, but still held His schedule loosely enough that He graciously accepted interruptions to reach out to others and show God’s love. Chuck Swindoll writes: ‘The One who said, “Be still, and know that I am God” must hurt when He witnesses our frantic, compulsive, agitated motions. In place of a quiet, responsive spirit, we offer Him an inner washing machine – churning with anxiety…activity…resentment and impatience. But you can change. Here’s how. Admit it. Acknowledge that you’re too busy and something must be done… Stop it. Starting today, refuse every activity that isn’t absolutely necessary. Sound ruthless? So is the clock. So is your health… Quit feeling so important. They’ll find somebody else to sit on the committee…or

they’ll wise up and adopt a better plan. Maintain it. It is easy to start fast and fade quickly. Paul told the Galatians, “You were running…well.

Who…held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God…he is the one who called you to freedom” (Galatians 5:7-8 NLT). Share it. Once you start gleaning the benefits from reordering your priorities…tell other “activity-addicts.”

They’d love to stop – if they only knew how.’ For a lot of us, that honest acknowledgement that we can allow busyness to affect our openness to God can be hard. Especially when it’s often good things that fill our schedules. But it’s vital to remember that building our relationship with God comes before anything else, even ahead of our work for Him out in the world. Use this as a chance to check your priorities. Put Jesus before good works. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you up before you try to pour out.

WHAT NOW? Use any spare time you have today to sit quietly and talk to God for more than 10 minutes. If you have to, cancel something unnecessary to make that space.

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Negotiation (1)

Saturday 29 August ‘There is…a season for every activity under the heavens.’ Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV For some, negotiation is part of their job. For a lot of us, it’s not, but it happens in our dayto-day life more than we recognise. Whether it’s haggling at a market, buying a car, or dealing with standoffish children, we have to know how to work with others to meet their needs, while fulfilling the task we set out to complete. It’s important to remember three Biblical truths when dealing with others to achieve a positive outcome. 1) Consider the other person’s feelings. Matthew 7:12 reminds us to ‘do to others what you would have them do to you’ (NIV). Nobody likes being taken for granted or pressured. We have to put ourselves into their shoes.

However you have to negotiate the situation, do it with love. 2) Consider the cost to the other person. ‘When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honour to others than

to yourselves’ (Philippians 2:3 NCV). If you can be generous with your payment, your time, or your patience, then do. Don’t push for more than is necessary. 3) Watch your timing. Circumstances matter. The Message paraphrases Ecclesiastes 3:6 like this: ‘A right time to search and another to count your losses, a right time to hold on and another to let go’ (MSG). Sometimes, there’s no choice but to push through. Sometimes, you should try again later. Sometimes, you have to let it go entirely. So, whether you’re trying to close a business deal, or trying to get a little one to go to eat their breakfast, remember that we have to value God and others above the outcome. Always act with care, love, and fairness. Be resolute when the situation calls for it. But when softness is needed, be ready to let it all go for the greater good.

WHAT NOW? Try to find a fair way to let someone else ‘win’ in some sort of negotiation today.

PRAY FOR:

Negotiation (2)

Sunday 30 August

FINDING YOUR REFUGE AND SECURITY IN GOD

Read: Psalm 91

‘Wealth and honour come from you.’ 1 Chronicles 29:12 NIVUK

Yesterday, we looked at practical negotiation. Today, we’re thinking about the way that God has negotiated the greatest price for us. Think about when Peter meets Jesus after the resurrection in John 21. Not long before this conversation, Peter had disowned Jesus, denying Him three times.

But Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross covered everything that Peter had done. Jesus could love him for who he was, and give him the chance to step into who he was made to be. Peter got to tell Jesus that he loved Him three times, negating the times that he’d denied Jesus. Through death on a cross and through the resurrection, God had negotiated Peter’s freedom from the hurtful things that he’d done, allowing him

to rebuild his relationship with Jesus. He offers the same to us, every day. As Hebrews 9:14 tells us, ‘He offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God.’ (NCV). Because of this, God sees us for who we are, even for who we want to be, not for what we’ve done. Thanks to Jesus, we get the chance to stand before God and become everything that we were made to be. We stand worthy and forgiven in the sight of the God who created the universe, and we get to live life alongside Him, hearing from Him and reading His Word. What greater riches or honour could we hope to negotiate than that?

WHAT NOW? Make a note of any mistakes that you’ve been holding on to. Pray about them and thank God that Jesus’ sacrifice means that He doesn’t see them anymore. He sees you with love instead. Tear up or delete the note.

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Dream house (1)

Monday 31 August

‘We have…an eternal house in heaven.’ 2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV

What’s your dream house like? How many rooms does it have? Is it contemporary and new, or old, with lots of history? Does it have a garden? It can be fun to imagine our dream house, and maybe some of us will have the chance to live in a house that comes close to it. But when we’re children of God, it doesn’t matter how beautiful our dream house might be; our place in heaven is even better. It can be difficult to grasp just how perfect heaven is, so for the next few days, let’s take a look at some of the things the Bible says about heaven. Jesus said, ‘There are many rooms in my Father’s house; I would not tell you this is it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place

for you’ (John 14:2 NCV). If we were buying a house, one of the first questions we’d ask would be ‘How much does it cost?’ Our place in heaven costs more than we could ever afford, but God already paid the price for us when ‘he gave his one and only Son’ (John 3:16 NIV). We don’t get to heaven because we deserve it, but because Jesus deserves it. We don’t work for God’s kingdom to be saved or to earn His love, we work for His kingdom because we are saved and we already have His love. That’s so ‘God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us’ (Ephesians 2:7 NLT).

WHAT NOW? Start a collection of photos and images of houses that you’d love to live in, or if you’re feeling creative, draw a plan of your dream house. If you find yourself doubting God’s goodness, look at your collection/drawing, and remember that the things He’s designed for you in heaven are even better.

Dream house (2)

Tuesday 1 September ‘I looked, and there was a great number of people, so many that no one could count them.’ Revelation 7:9 NCV Another question we might ask if we were buying a house is: ‘What are the neighbours like?’ In Revelation, John describes a vision he received of heaven. He wrote: ‘After the vision of these things, I looked, and there was a great number of people, so many that no one could count them. They were from every nation, tribe, people and language of the earth. They were all standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They were shouting in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb”’ (Revelation 7:9-10 NCV). John’s vision tells us something important: heaven is a place of complete unity. Everyone in heaven is united by their love of God and Jesus. Everyone there wants to praise God. Their differences don’t matter – the important thing is that they’ve

all accepted their salvation through Jesus, and they give glory to God for it. Ever been to a Christian festival like Big Church Day Out or Creation Fest? There are thousands of people from all over the country (and even from across the world), all with different backgrounds, different accents, different languages, different opinions. But they’re united in their love for God and want to come together to worship Him. Heaven will be even better – imagine how amazing it’ll be to see ‘a great number of people, so many that no one could count them,’ all singing and shouting praise to God! But before we get there, we can try to bring some of that to our daily lives, by welcoming those who are different from us into God’s family, forgetting our differences and remembering what unites us – Jesus.

WHAT NOW? Have a look online for videos of Christian music festivals. As you go through your day, keep in mind the unity that you saw in the worshippers, and look for opportunities to bring that same unity and love into your interactions with others.

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Dream house (3)

Wednesday 2 September ‘They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night.’ Revelation 7:15 NIV Another thing we might think about if we were buying a house is: ‘How close is it to where I work?’ We saw a few days ago that God has a place prepared for us in heaven with other worshippers, so we know where we’ll be and who we’re with, but what about the things we’ll do? Will we have to work?

The Bible doesn’t specifically say what work we’ll do, but John’s vision of heaven tells us that the people he saw served God ‘day and night’, so we know we’ll have something to do. We can also look for clues in the first Paradise – the Garden of Eden. In Genesis we read: ‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’ (2:15 NIV). God created the earth and everything in it, but then He

set Adam and Eve the task of taking care of His creation and turning it into a reflection of His glory and power. So one of the ways we might be serving God in heaven is by looking after everything there and using it all to demonstrate our love for Him. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God said to them: ‘The ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it’ (Genesis 3:17 NLT).

But in heaven, God says: ‘No longer will there be a curse upon anything’ (Revelation 22:3 NLT). That means even though we have to work in heaven, we won’t find the work difficult or boring, and because we’re serving God through our work, we’ll be able to enjoy it too.

WHAT NOW? Is there a boring or unpleasant task you’ve been putting off? Today, make a start on it. Put your favourite worship music on, and turn that boring job into a time of praise.

DO YOU NEED TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE?

Dream house (4)

Thursday 3 September

UCB.CO.UK/prayerline

‘There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’ Revelation 21:4 NKJV

For the last few days, we’ve imagined what it might be like to live in our dream house.

But even though we may be living in the best house in the world, life still happens.

Unexpected problems crop up and steal our peace and security; we might become ill and struggle with our health; we lose people we love. Our lives may seem perfect to an outsider, but the reality can be very different. We need to remember that true peace and security doesn’t come from the things we own, the job we do, or the opinions of others. It comes from God. Psalm 91 says: ‘Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you”’ (v.1-2 NCV). We might

never get chance to live in our dream house, but ultimately, God has something for us that’s so much better – a place with Him in heaven forever. We live in a broken world where we might lose possessions, health, and loved ones. But heaven will make up for all we’ve lost. We’ll be reunited with our redeemed loved ones, and we’ll have bodies free from sickness, pain, and every kind of limitation. ‘There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’ But that doesn’t mean that God isn’t with us now. Have another look at the words of Psalm 91 – those words are for all of us, today. Our world isn’t perfect, but our God is, and until we’re united with Him in heaven, He’ll walk alongside us and be our refuge every day of our earthly lives.

WHAT NOW? Start your prayer time with the declaration from Psalm 91:2: ‘You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you.’

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Reason for hope

Friday 4 September ‘I…will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.’ Hosea 2:15 NIV In the Bible, references to valleys usually symbolise hopelessness. Feeling hopeless is something that we all experience, and it’s something that many people in the Bible felt too. David said: ‘My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear’ (Psalm 38:4 NIV). After several victories, Elijah ran away and said to God: ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’ (1 Kings 19:4 NIV). And Job said: ‘I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes’ (Job 3:26 NLT). These were all men of God, but they still felt immense despair at times. When we feel the same way, we can become convinced that there’s no hope, but Paul said: ‘Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise’ (Hebrews 10:23 NLT). The Valley of

Achor (which means ‘trouble’) got its name when Achan’s family was stoned to death and Israel’s armies were defeated (see Joshua 7:25-26). But even after God’s people had turned away from Him, He promised: ‘The Valley of Achor will be a place for herds to rest. They will be for the people who want to follow me’ (Isaiah 65:10 NCV).

God can transform our own valleys into places of rest and hope. When we focus on our problems, they can seem massive and overwhelming to us. But when we focus on God and try to see things from His perspective, we’ll realise that He can lift us up to overcome any obstacle we’re facing.

Nothing is too big for Him to deal with, and ‘nothing will be impossible with God’ (Luke 1:37 ESV).

WHAT NOW? Find a photo online of a beautiful valley. Write on it ‘Nothing is impossible for God’. Save the picture, and whenever you begin to feel overwhelmed, use it to remind you that God will make your valley one of hope.

Honest questions

Saturday 5 September ‘How long will you hide your face from me?’ Psalm 13:1 NIV When life is difficult, we can find ourselves thinking negatively, even questioning God. We sometimes allow this to damage our relationship with Him, worrying about sharing our raw, difficult thoughts in prayer.

This often stops us praying altogether. But the truth is, God knows our hearts anyway.

He welcomes us to share all our thoughts with Him. Psalm 139 says: ‘Lord, you have examined me and know all about me… you know my thoughts before I think them’ (Psalm 139:1-2 NCV). God wants us to be honest with Him. We’re only more likely to drift away form Him, and to continue hurting, if we don’t talk to Him at all. David begins Psalm 13 with an honest and desperate question to God. In verse 1 he asks, ‘How long will you hide your face?’ (NIV). Then a few verses later, the same hurting David

declares, ‘But I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me’ (vv. 5-6 NIV). David teaches us that crying out to God doesn’t mean that we can’t also praise Him. Even when we don’t understand, even when it hurts, we can still trust Him. Worshipping God in the middle of our questions can become a part of our healing. Yes, there are some questions that are so big that they will never be answered here on earth. We can wrestle with huge problems like death and suffering, and bring our thoughts and questions about everything honestly before God. All of that is okay, as long as we remember that our Father always loves us. We have to hold tight to our trust in Him, and continue to share praise for everything the He is.

WHAT NOW? Set some time aside today to worship God by yourself. If you have any big questions or hurt at the moment, schedule in some time to chat that through with a Christian you trust, too.

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L L A C S I H S Y A W L IS A WORTH G N I R E ANSW

By Sarah Yardley Originally from California, Sarah Yardley felt God call her to Cornwall to work with Creation Fest. We asked Sarah to share some insights about finding her purpose and what she’s learnt about God by answering His call.

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My first visit to the UK was as a bright-eyed teenager with a homeschool tour group, the epitome of cool. I returned in my late 20s, summer of 2009, in order to attend an outreach called Creation Fest. I thought England was magical; the accents, the buildings, the history, the cream teas, the people. It was magical, but not where I ever imagined living. I ended up returning, summer after summer, as part of an American team to visit the friends I had made over the years. It wasn’t until the summer of 2014 that I felt the specific, personal call of God to move to this country, following the death of the founder of Creation Fest, Phil Pechonis. In so many ways, his life fulfilled the prophetic word from Jesus in John 12:24, that when a seed falls to the ground and dies, it brings forth much fruit.

From that bittersweet beginning, I love the way Creation Fest lets me connect with so many different people to tell the best story ever: the good news of the God who loves us. Our charity is infused with creativity and a pursuit of excellence, so I work with artists, musicians, skaters, speakers, athletes, hundreds of volunteers,

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and thousands of day visitors to create a beautiful picture of the free gift of the gospel.

Before I began working with Creation Fest, I never would have called myself an evangelist. I once believed that an evangelist was an older person, preferably a man, usually with a microphone, who gave a clear invitation at stadium-style events for people to commit their lives to Jesus, usually by raising a hand. I would now describe an evangelist as the one who looks around the table, notices who is missing, and finds a way to invite them to the table, even if that’s just to take the next step towards feasting together. It’s unaffected by gender, rarely includes a microphone, but it does involve an invitation to know the God who loves us and created us to know Him. I’ve discovered the beauty of walking in the full call of God through my work here.

I continually find that the call of God surprises me. It catches me off guard, takes my breath away, and like Sarah in Scripture, I find that I often laugh at the promise of God, because it seems too good to be true. I never imagined I would move to the UK, and

sometimes I still find myself surprised in the journey. When I’m seeking wisdom, I often use these ‘Five Ways God Guides Us’ from Nicky Gumbel: • Commanding Scripture (the Bible) • Compelling Spirit (the Holy Spirit) • Counsel of the Saints (the church) • Common Sense (reason) • Circumstantial Signs (providence)’1 Each of these have been significant at different times in my spiritual journey. So often, I want a roadmap to God’s purpose for my life, something to help me establish where I’m going and how to get there. I find that God is consistently far more interested in relationship, in what kind of person I am in the midst of this journey, and 1

in knowing Him rather than knowing my future. I would tell anyone who is seeking purpose and direction to instead seek the presence of God, because I have found that in knowing Him, everything else becomes clear.

This doesn’t mean our journey is instantly easy. There’s a reason for Christian classics like A Pilgrim’s Progress, and why Scripture speaks with honesty about the way a life with Christ is the most beautiful, but not always the most relaxing. As Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’ (ESV). In many ways, the Christian life is one of sacrifice, but ultimately, it’s one of beauty, because anything of value came at a cost. I wouldn’t trade my life following Jesus for any other.

Knowing Him has given me life ‘to the full’ (John 10:10 NIV), and every day I know Jesus, I love Him more. His call is always worth answering.

http://www.bibleinoneyear.org/bioy/commentary/1227

Sarah is Mission and Ministry Lead at Creation Fest, a charity that aims to celebrate the good news of God and help bring people closer to Jesus through festivals and events, inspiring them to share their faith with others. Sadly, this year’s summer music festival, Creation Fest 2020, has been cancelled – but they’re really excited for next year’s event! Find out more at creationfest.org.uk T H I S I S PA G E 2 6

Wisdom and foolishness

Sunday 6 September ‘Fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ Proverbs 1:7 NLT In the book of Proverbs, there are three Hebrew words that are translated as ‘fool’. 1) ‘Kesil.’ This is used to refer to someone who thinks they don’t need advice from others. 2) ‘Ewil.’ This word refers to people who refuse to listen to advice, and is used to describe those who resist discipline and wisdom. 3) ‘Nabal.’ This word is used to refer to someone who demonstrates their lack of wisdom through the lifestyle they lead. The heart of each of these definitions is wisdom – or rather the lack of it. Proverbs 1:7 says: ‘Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but foods despise wisdom and discipline’ (NLT). We shouldn’t confuse wisdom with intelligence. Someone could be very clever, very successful, and admired by others, but if they’re morally and spiritually weak, they’re not wise as the Bible defines

wisdom. So we need to make sure that we’re open to advice from trusted Christian friends and mentors, willing to listen to God, ready to accept discipline from Him, and living in a way that honours God. In another Proverb, we read: ‘Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips’ (Proverbs 14:7 NIV). We also need to be careful who is having an influence on us and speaking into our lives. When we’re forming a new friendship, we should think about whether the person tends to bring out the best or the worst in us, whether their values are similar to ours, and especially whether they draw us closer to God or persuade us to turn away from Him. If we feel a friendship is leading us further away from God, we should seriously think about how much influence that person has over us.

WHAT NOW? Think about the three definitions in today’s reading. Have there been any times recently when you’ve shown any of those traits? Take a moment to confess those times to God.

PRAY FOR:

AN UNBREAKABLE COMMITMENT TO GOD

Read: Psalm 25

Outlooks

Monday 7 September ‘Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile.’ Philippians 4:8 CEV The way that we think can start to dictate our lives. If we allow negative thought patterns to take over our minds, then our experience of each day will become clouded. When you expect the worst, you get it, or the anticipation of something bad happening ruins your day anyway. God doesn’t want us to live like that. Philippians 4:8 instructs us ‘whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things’ (NIV). We may have read those words before, but take the chance to really examine them. They form a guide to help rewire our negative brains.

For example, we can’t catastrophise if we’re thinking about something lovely. The fact is, God has a great life ready for you. It might

not always be the easiest, but it really is a great one. He wants you to enjoy it to the fullest. Jesus said it Himself, that He came so that we can live life ‘to the full’ (John 10:10 NIV). It might not feel like the biggest issue to allow negative thoughts, but those habits start to affect our relationship with God. We may not bother to pray if we’ve already imagined the worst-case scenario to be the truth. And if we’re living in our own truth like that, we miss out on God’s. We won’t be available to take hold of the very best that He’s offering to us. Romans 8:28 tells us that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose’ (NKJV). Let’s remind ourselves of that constantly, and start to think and live with that as our real truth.

WHAT NOW? Read Philippians 4:8. Think of something specific for each of the adjectives listed (something true, something noble, something right, etc.). Write each thing down if you’d like.

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Blessing

Tuesday 8 September ‘The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised.’ Deuteronomy 15:6 NLT Sometimes circumstances wear us down so much that we give up hope. But even when things are going badly for us, God doesn’t leave us. Jeremiah 17 says: ‘The person who trusts in the Lord will be blessed. The Lord will show him that he can be trusted.

He will be strong, like a tree planted near water that sends its roots by a stream. It is not afraid when the days are hot; its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year when no rain comes; it always produces fruit’ (v.7-8 NCV). If we put our trust in God, He’ll keep us nourished and fruitful, even during the difficult times. He wants to bless each one of us, but sometimes we can miss His blessing because: 1) We don’t realise

how privileged we are. We can believe God has saved us and has made a place for us with Him in heaven, but we might doubt that He can do anything about our past, present, or future. But He can help us use the experiences of our past to help others and glorify Him through how far we’ve come, He is beside us right now, and He’ll guide our future steps if we let Him. 2) We see ourselves in the wrong light.

We believe He can bless anybody, but we can sometimes think that he won’t bless us because we’re not worthy enough. But God has clothed us in the righteousness of Christ, so we’re worthy in His eyes, and He has plans to ‘bless you as He has promised’.

WHAT NOW? Take a few minutes today to reflect on how privileged you are as a child of God.

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Commitment (1)

Wednesday 9 September

‘Crucified with Christ…I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’ Galatians 2:20 NIV

It may sound like a cliché, but the statistics prove that there’s a lack of commitment in our society today. Marriage rates are down, divorce rates are up, and people stay in a job for far less time than they would have done 40 years ago. The Christian life is one that requires the deepest kind of commitment, though. Galatians 2:20 explains how wholly we enter into our new lives with God: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (NIV). This is full, life-changing commitment. Jesus gave all that He is to give us life. Paul shows us that we should give all we are back to God in return. Wherever we’re at personally, there’s a lot that we can learn

from the commitment of marriage to help us understand how we can commit to God, and to anything that He asks us to do.

There’s a reason that we, as the Church, are called Jesus’ Bride (Revelation 22:17 NIV). Firstly, we see that it’s a lot easier to make a commitment to something if there’s love there. When we love God, we see no other option than to give our lives to Him. And when we find something that we’re passionate about, it becomes more possible to imagine jumping fully in. It also reminds us that even when we’re passionate, commitment takes a lot of work. No matter how much you love someone or something, it’s easy to want to quit when difficulties arise. But any successful marriage shows us that once we’ve committed, it’s worth working at things to keep them growing.

WHAT NOW? Do you know anyone who has been married for more than 20 years? Ask them for their best advice on commitment (to anything – not just marriage!).

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Commitment (2)

Thursday 10 September ‘Give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’ Luke 9:23 NLT God is not looking for wishy-washy commitment. In Revelation 3:16 He says ‘So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth’ (NIV). These words are strong, but paint a very clear picture that God wants more from us than mild, half-hearted interest. He is the God of the universe, who put the stars in space, then stepped down to our level to save us. We owe more to Him than some of our life, some of the time. He will always meet us where we are, but He expects us to give everything that we can in that moment. In Luke 9:23, Jesus told the crowd: ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily,

and follow me’ (NLT). That means that we no longer follow our own thoughts and wants, we follow Jesus and what He wants for our lives. That is the most intense form of commitment, giving ourselves up completely for someone else, and we are called to it. Paul sums this commitment up in Galatians 2:20, saying ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (NIV). That’s what it comes down to. Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to give everything up to follow that love to His life’s end. He deserves the same level of fully-committed love in return.

WHAT NOW? God’s message of total commitment can be a tough one. Arrange some time to chat it through with a Christian friend. Ask them to keep you accountable in giving all of your life over to God.

Want to learn more about the Bible? Find our latest reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App at ucb.co.uk/ucbyouversion

Joseph’s coats (1)

Friday 11 September

‘Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…and he made an ornate robe for him.’ Genesis 37:3 NIV

Let’s look at the three different coats Joseph wore, as they present a picture of our lives as Christians. The first coat is the coat of salvation. It was a ‘gift’ from his father; Joseph never paid a penny for it, or sewed a stitch, or provided an inch of fabric. And that sounds a lot like the story of our salvation.

The Bible says, ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Motivated by jealousy and resentment, Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit and dipped his coat in the blood of a goat in order to convince their father that he had been killed by a wild animal. The

Bible says: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7 NKJV). In Old Testament times, when someone sinned they brought a sacrificial lamb to the altar and the priest shed its blood as payment for their sins. But the priest did not examine the person, he examined the lamb. If the lamb was ‘worthy’, the person was accepted and their sins were atoned for. So the moment we acknowledge our sin and pray, ‘Father, I come in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God,’ we’re totally forgiven and accepted. ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

WHAT NOW? Draw a picture of three coats. Colour the first one, and label it ‘Salvation’. Take some time to thank God for His gift of salvation and reaffirm that you accept His precious gift. Keep hold of your drawing – we’ll be using it again.

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Joseph’s coats (2)

Saturday 12 September ‘He left his [coat] in her hand, and fled.’ Genesis 39:12 NKJV The second coat Joseph wore was: The coat of temptation. One day Joseph was tempted by his boss’ wife. The Bible says: ‘She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house’ (v.12 NIV). Joseph was young, handsome, lonely, far from home, and facing repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife. Yet he resisted her advances and said, ‘How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ (v.9 NIV). His first concern was not that he couldn’t get away with it, but that he couldn’t live with himself if he said yes. Remembering how God had loved, preserved, and blessed him stopped him from giving in to the temptation in front of him.

David was a different story. After his affair with Bathsheba, he wrote these words in his

prayer of Psalm 51: ‘Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight’ (v.

4 NKJV). When we sin, we’re sinning against God. He is the One observing what we’re doing. God forgave David, and He’ll forgive us too. But David’s story proves that sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our actions, and they can devastate not only us but those around us. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, acknowledged this truth: ‘I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV). We have to discipline ourselves, and strengthen ourselves, so that we can stand against temptation and keep ourselves effective in God’s kingdom.

WHAT NOW? Get your picture of three coats. Colour the second one and label it ‘Temptation’. Today, ask God to help you be disciplined and strong enough to resist temptation when it comes your way.

YOUR PLACE PRAY FOR: UNDERSTANDING IN THE BODY OF CHRIST

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Joseph’s coats (3)

Sunday 13 September ‘He dressed him in robes of fine linen.’ Genesis 41:42 NIV The third coat Joseph wore was: The coat of destiny. Because Joseph honoured God, even in the most difficult circumstances, he ended up on the throne of Egypt, wearing the coat of rulership and fulfilling his destiny. The psalmist said God ‘sent a man before them – Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed’ (Psalm 105:17-21 NIV). The tests and temptations we’re facing are preparing us for our future. All of our life can be training for one season, for one assignment.

And the greater the assignment, the greater

the attack that will come against us. Five times in Genesis 39 the Bible says, ‘The Lord was with Joseph.’ But that did not exempt him from betrayal by his family; or repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife; or accusations and false imprisonment; or disappointment at the hands of the butler he befriended in prison. Looking back, however, Joseph realised that all of these experiences were ‘training for reigning’. When Joseph was faced with his brothers again, after they sold him into slavery, he said: ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’ (Genesis 50:20 NIV).

Things that we go through, and the things that come against us, can all be used by God to shape us for the future He has for us.

WHAT NOW? Get your picture of the three coats again. Colour the third one and label it ‘Destiny’. Thank God that He has a purpose for you, and that He’ll equip you to fulfil it. Keep your drawing, and use it to guide your prayer time when you need some inspiration.

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The body of Christ (1)

Monday 14 September ‘God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other.’

1 Corinthians 12:25 NCV When it comes to finding a church, there are so many options to choose from. Whether you love the energy of a contemporary church or the beauty of a traditional service – plus everything in between – you get to make the choice. But your individual place in the body of Christ is chosen by God. The Bible says, ‘By one Spirit we are all baptised into one body’ (v. 13 NKJV). When you accept Jesus as your Saviour, you’re welcomed into His redeemed family, and become part of the body of Christ. The Message paraphrases Paul’s words like this: ‘Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain – his Spirit – where we all come to drink.

The old labels we once used to identify ourselves – labels like Jew or Greek, slave

or free – are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive’ (v. 13 MSG). That means anybody who recognises Jesus as their Saviour, wherever they are in the world, is connected to you, and each person has a role to play in the body of Christ. God not only chose you and placed you in His body, He decided your unique role when He arranged ‘the parts… just as he wanted them to be’ (v. 18 NIV). He also gave you a set of gifts and skills to use to fulfil His purpose for your life and glorify Him. If you haven’t discovered your place or purpose yet, or feel like you don’t fit in, don’t feel discouraged – remember that God has already chosen you and decided where you fit. You have a place with God.

WHAT NOW? Research some of the systems of the body, such as the skeletal system or the nervous system.

As you’re researching, think about how each part works with the others, and ask God to help you discover the part you play in the body of Christ.

The body of Christ (2)

Tuesday 15 September

‘God has placed the parts in the body…just as he wanted them to be.’

1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV

When zebras and wildebeests migrate across the African savannah, they travel together, and help each other to survive. Wildebeests can be picky eaters, and will only eat short grass. Zebras, on the other hand, will graze on the tall grass, clearing space and making it easier for the wildebeests to feed. Zebras have excellent eyesight, whereas a wildebeest’s eyesight is poor, but wildebeests have the better sense of smell, so they work together to sense predators and threats. By compensating for each other’s weaknesses and sharing their strengths, they’re less vulnerable. Even though they are two very different species, together they are stronger. Paul wrote: ‘If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an

ear, where would the sense of smell be?’ (v. 17 NIV). We often choose to be around people who are like us. But when we’re part of the body of Christ, we’re thrown together with all kinds of people who have vastly different strengths and characters. It can be difficult for us to work with people who think and act differently from us, and we might even by annoyed and frustrated by them.

But God designed each of these different skills and personalities for a unique place and purpose in His Kingdom. Zebras and wildebeests don’t have to like each other, but their survival and success depend on being able to work together. When God asks us to work with others, let’s try to appreciate their gifts and skills, and think about how we can combine our skills for God’s glory.

WHAT NOW? Have a look online for a photo of zebras and wildebeests migrating together, and save the photo.

If you have to work with someone you don’t like, use it to remind you how the two animals work together, and how God wants you to work with others in the body of Christ.

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Entertaining, Challenging and Personal: Why I Love UCB 1 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, UCB Radio creates a space for people to meet with God. There’s no greater privilege than to be a part of that work, to be granted access and a voice into people’s lives, to be a part of the process by which people frame their view of and response to the world around them, to be able to laugh with them (and hopefully make them laugh) and to be able to cry with them.

It’s not so much a job as a calling and an honour – and to top it all, it’s good fun!

UCB 1 is all about creating accessibility, where people of all faiths and none, with different perspectives, convictions and world views can come to hear, and be encouraged by a biblical take on the world we live in, confident that they will be treated respectfully, even if they’re not always agreed with.

When you tune in to UCB 1, you can expect a mixture of great music (performance-based rather than worship), and chat that’s serious and silly, fun and critical, banal and thought provoking, that believes God is interested in and would bring colour to all areas of life, and that looks at life in all its shades

By Paul Hammond Head of UCB 1

through the lens of a relationship with God. Specialist music shows focus on styles from grunge to jazz, chillout to rock, and shows like Talking Point and Life Issues discuss the topics that are impacting people’s lives but don’t always get an airing in church. Teaching programmes and short, thought-provoking messages from current Bible teachers and church leaders challenge our thinking on what the Bible actually says for this age.

The strength of radio is that as well as being entertaining, fun, informing, challenging, and an ‘on in the background’ silence filler, it can be also personal, relational and a very real friend in the room. At UCB we are ‘broadcasters who are Christians’, so the professional qualities of a good radio team are there to create that relational experience. When faith and spiritual life are added to that, radio becomes a conduit for the truth of God’s love to meet people in the very best and worst times of their lives.

That’s my vision for UCB 1: that through its music, its teaching and the connection with its presenters, people will find the truth of Jesus’ heart for them in their ‘now’ moment.

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Encouragement, Inspiration and Blessings: Why I Love UCB 2 I’m really passionate about UCB 2. It’s a wonderful blend of great music, Biblebased teaching, and presenters who are passionate for God and have a heart of compassion for each person who listens in.

My heart for the station is that you can turn on UCB 2 and through the music and teaching, you meet God right where you are, at the beginning of the day, the end of the day, and everywhere else in between. However you are feeling, whatever is happening in your life, you can be reminded God knows you, He loves you, has a plan for you, and He really is the answer.

On UCB 2, you can hear praise and worship music, from classic favourites like ‘Be Thou My Vision’ to new songs, such as ‘Raise a Hallelujah’. These are mixed together with inspirational songs like ‘This Little Light’

by Mike Farris and ‘Blessings’ by Laura Story. All the music is carefully chosen to encourage and help you to praise, worship and give thanks to God.

By Anne Henderson Head of UCB 2

Between 7pm and 8pm each weeknight, there are specialist music shows like Gospel Grooves and Classic Praise. If more traditional hymns are what you love, then on a Sunday evening you can hear Great Hymns.

There is also some great Bible teaching from favourites like Derek Prince, Chuck Swindoll, Rick Warren and Joyce Meyer, as well as churches such as Gas Street in Birmingham led by Tim Hughes, and Revive Church in East Yorkshire led by Jarrod Cooper.

Wherever you are on your journey of faith, as you listen to UCB 2, may you always hear music and teaching that will encourage, inspire, bless and challenge you. God is at the centre of who we are and you will hear His word through everything we do. So, together, we can know Him more and continue to walk and live by faith.

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The

UCB Academy

A 12 month on-site programme for recent graduates (or those with equivalent experience) blending structured learning and real hands-on experience in a live broadcast environment.

You’ll learn • What makes a great news story • How to create strong , faith-based content for a live radio programme • Presenting skills, plus the technical knowledge of running a radio desk • How to work under pressure and to deadlines • Strong admin and organisation skills which can be used in lots of different environments • And along with a team of others, you’ll explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in a fun and faith-filled environment

Intake: Sept 2020

Find out more at UCB.CO.UK/ucbacademy

‘FOR WE ARE GOD’S HANDIWORK, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO.’ Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Do you ever find yourself worrying that you’re not good enough? Maybe you’ve wondered how God could possibly use you, or even thought that He made a mistake.

The truth is that God created you for a reason, and He knew what He was doing.

When we come across people who we think are more interesting, more confident, or more intelligent than us, who seem to be accomplishing more with their lives, we might think that we have very little to offer in comparison.

But their purpose isn’t yours.

God has designed a unique purpose for each one of us. We don’t have to compare ourselves with others or try to do what they’re doing. Each person is running their own race.

Finding God’s purpose for our lives might not happen easily. Our journey of discovery might be confusing, uncomfortable, and full of twists and turns. We might be unsure of which way to go. So it’s important that we keep talking to God, invite Him into all areas of our lives, and listen to what He

says to us. And once God has revealed our purpose to us, we shouldn’t let being young or inexperienced hold us back, because God will equip us with everything we need, including wisdom and knowledge, to fulfil the purpose we’ve been designed for.

We might think we’ve messed up too badly for God to be able to use us for His kingdom. Paul, who wrote Ephesians, started out the least likely person to be used by God – he even described himself as ‘once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man’ (1 Timothy 1:13 NIV).

But through his salvation, not only did he accomplish ‘good works’, he went on to have a powerful ministry that still impacts us today.

We may not all have a ministry like Paul’s that reaches through the centuries, but that doesn’t mean our own purpose has less value. Your purpose might seem small to you, but from God’s perspective, it plays a vital part in His vast plan. God designed you for a reason, so your purpose has value, and because He created you, He values you more than you could imagine.

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Expectations

Wednesday 16 September ‘We all stumble in many ways.’ James 3:2 NIV Striving to do better is a good thing, but we must try to have realistic expectations.

Everything in life isn’t black or white; there are grey areas and some ‘in-betweens’.

Everything can’t be perfect all the time, and everything isn’t horrible all the time. When we get things wrong, we need to hold on to the fact that we’re not perfect, but God loves and accepts us even with our flaws and all the mistakes we make. To keep our joy in life, we need to accept that we won’t be perfect all the time, and neither will the people or things around us. When we expect perfection from life and from ourselves, we tend to expect the same from other people. If our expectations aren’t met, our disappointment can put too much pressure on the people we care about and can

eventually destroy those relationships. The apostle James said we all stumble, fall, and offend in many things. So if we all make mistakes – and we do – we need to learn to accept that it’s just part of being human, and relax. We’re often told to be accepting of other people and to avoid judging them.

Romans 15:7 says, ‘Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you’ (NLT), and Matthew 7 begins, ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged’ (v.1 NIV). But what we forget is that we need to be more accepting of our own flaws and the imperfect areas of our lives. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to improve them, but we don’t need to feel pressured to strive to be perfect, because God loves us just as we are.

WHAT NOW? Write down any unrealistic expectations you have about yourself. Go through your list with God, handing each thing over to Him. Thank Him for His love, and simply rest in His acceptance for a few minutes. Then give yourself a break too!

Feelings

Thursday 17 September ‘The human heart is the most deceitful of all things.’ Jeremiah 17:9 NLT We often come across people who are wellmeaning, but when they’re asked or offer to do something, it’s never certain whether they’ll actually follow it through. As nice as they are, they’re unreliable. Our feelings can be like that too; we can’t rely only on them because they’re not always geared towards what’s best for us. Our feelings might lead us to buy the latest phone when we don’t need it, or we can’t really afford it. They can persuade us to choose an unhealthy snack over something healthier. They might lead us to choose to watch TV or scroll through social media when we know we have an exam to revise for. Our feelings are often chasing after instant gratification, and they can change very quickly, but despite this, we give them a lot of power in our decisionmaking. As believers, we have something wiser and more dependable to rely on than

our feelings – the Word of God. When we feel strongly about something, it’s not always easy to determine whether or not we’re in agreement with God about it. Jeremiah tells us, ‘The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows…it? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives’ (vv. 9-10 NLT). And He does it through His Word, which ‘is sharper than any two-edged sword… exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12 AMP). Our feelings are important, and they can often give us warnings that something isn’t quite right or that something might be dangerous. However, we shouldn’t let our feelings determine all our decisions. Instead, we should involve God in our decisions and allow His guidance to be the deciding factor.

WHAT NOW? What decisions, big or small, are you facing at the moment? Make an honest assessment of how much your feelings are influencing your decision. Ask God to help you rely on Him more when you’re trying to decide something.

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Building your faith

Friday 18 September

‘Without faith it is impossible to please God.’ Hebrews 11:6 NIV

We often think of faith in terms of getting answers to our prayers and receiving from God the things that only He can provide. And that’s okay. But there’s another important reason for building our faith. Our faith is pleasing to God. ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’

In the past, Christians sometimes described praying passionately as ‘storming the gates of heaven’. It was a sincere thought, but it wasn’t completely accurate. The battle isn’t between us and heaven – we don’t need to ’storm the gates’ to get to God. God welcomes us and invites us to approach Him at any time. ‘Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive

his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most’ (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

The battle is between us and the forces of hell (take a look at Ephesians 6:12-18). The Bible says: ‘The message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed’ (Hebrews 4:2 NIV). If we don’t have any faith in Him, His love and hope can’t influence us and help us in our daily lives. But He can work with the tiniest glimmer of faith: ‘If you’re faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move’ (Matthew 17:20 NCV). Building our faith is so important. Our faith equips us for the battles we’ll have to face by helping us to trust God and to realise that He won’t make us face those battles alone.

WHAT NOW? Have a think about how big your faith in God is at the moment. What sort of things would help you to build on it? Ask God to show you how you can begin to grow your faith today.

Join the conversation ­– follow UCB on Instagram @ucbmedia

New nature

Saturday 19 September

‘Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.’ Ephesians 4:23 NLT

We can learn a lot about the importance of a good attitude by looking at the children of Israel. It’s estimated that about 1.5 million Israelites came out of Egypt. God delivered them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land. The trip should have taken about eleven days. It took forty years. The reason it took so long was that they were constantly complaining about everything.

They complained about the food God sent from heaven each day. And any time something difficult crossed their path, they were ready to give up and go back to Egypt – and back to slavery. What’s astounding is that out of the 1.5 million people who left Egypt, only two from the original group made it into the Promised Land. And today there are many Christians who have also escaped from ‘Egypt’ (their former life of slavery to sin), believers

who are always looking forward to the Promised Land, but they end up wandering in the wilderness their entire lives, complaining and giving up when things get tough, and dealing with the same old problems and issues. If you feel like you’re going round in circles and dealing with the same problems all the time, make the decision to break the cycle and tell God about how you’re feeling.

Then with God’s help, resolve to ‘throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy’ (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT). Hold on to the fact that when you’re faced with a challenge, God is your ‘place of safety and protection’ (Psalm 91:2 NCV).

WHAT NOW? Turn Ephesians 4:22-24 into a personal declaration (‘I will throw off my sinful nature and my former way of life…’ etc.), then speak it out loud every morning.

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God in all things (1)

Sunday 20 September ‘All these things shall be added to you.’ Matthew 6:33 NKJV Some people think that God’s only interested in saving souls, making people morally pure, then taking them to Heaven.

God is interested in those things, but He’s also interested in so much more. He sent His only Son so that we ‘may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance’ (John 10:10 AMP). This means that God cares deeply about everything that makes up our day-to-day, and wants our lives to be good.

In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus speaks these words to us: ‘Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles [who do not serve God] seek…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

and all these things shall be added to you’ (NKJV). This explains to us that God wants to provide us with everything that we need, making sure that we have enough to eat and drink, clothes to wear, and every other thing that we need to thrive. It lets us know that He’s working to take care of all of those things. What we have is given to us by God, right down to the practical, everyday things. Whatever we still need will be provided by Him. He’s not only a God of the spiritual; He’s at work in the practical too. He welcomes us to ask Him into every real-life thing, from our basic necessities, through to the bigger picture of our careers and relationships. If we seek Him and His Kingdom in our daily lives, then we’ll begin to recognise Him in every aspect.

WHAT NOW? One simple way to thank God for practical things is to say Grace before eating. If you don’t already, take a moment to stop each time you eat today and gvie thanks that God cares about all of your need.

PRAY FOR:

God in all things (2)

Monday 21 September

RECOGNISING GOD IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Read: Matthew 6:31-33

‘I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’ 3 John 2 NKJV

We know that God wants us to enjoy life, and be successful in taking hold of His plans for us. There’s not an area of your life that God isn’t interested in. We have to remember, though, that we can block ourselves from godly success when we’re not in tune with Him. When we seek Him, obey His instructions, and do everything in a way that honours Him, He moves alongside us in what we’re doing. In the Old Testament, He said, ‘Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do’ (Deuteronomy 29:9 NIV). And in the New Testament, Jesus said, ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). When Jesus says ‘all these things’, He’s talking about our daily needs. Those verses show us that, throughout history, our God has

been taking care of people. He makes sure that we have what we need, and that we see real success. But they also remind us that we have to love Him, living out that love in the ways that He instructs us to, in order to step into the success and provision that He brings. Think about someone that you have a close, loving relationship with. You want them to be happy, to have success in the things that they are passionate about. Our relationship with God is so much stronger than that, so our heavenly Father is invested in our success, right down to the details of having clothes on our back. Live with the full knowledge of that. Focus on doing what God wants, and trust that He’ll provide you with what you need. Believe that God wants you to succeed in the life that He has planned for you.

WHAT NOW? Who did you think about when we mentioned loving relationships? Ask them what you can do to help them succeed in their goals today.

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God in all things (3)

Tuesday 22 September ‘You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.’ Psalm 8:6 NIV God cares about our lives because He created us. Genesis 1:26 shows God saying, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us’ (NLT). Not only are we made

by God, we’re made to reflect Him, and to become more and more like Him. When we’re thinking about God being in all aspects of our lives, we have to remember that He’s in us. God poured His own mind, power, and love into us. He’s in the very image of our being, so it goes without saying that we have His attention and affection on the deepest level. In Psalm 139, David is worshipping God. In verses 17-18 he says ‘How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them’ (NLT).

Those words are true about each one of us,

too. God has so many thoughts and plans for us that they simply can’t be counted. He lovingly contemplates every small detail of our lives. If we invite Him in, He is ready to be at work in each of those details. In addition to that, He has placed us in a world that was made to be ours. Psalm 8:6 says, ‘You put us in charge of you handcrafted world, repeated us to your Genesis-charge’ (MSG), referring back to Genesis 1:28, where God instructs humans to ‘fill the earth and subdue it’ (NIV). The earth is made by God, and given to us. Wherever God has placed us, and whatever He plans for us to do, He has given us His authority to allow us to succeed in His work. He made us to be like Him, and has given us the whole world to work with.

WHAT NOW? See if you can get outside today. Spend time praying, surrounded by everything that God has created. Remind yourself that He has given you His authority in this world.

God in all things (4)

Wednesday 23 September ‘For then you will make your way prosperous, and…you will have good success.’

Joshua 1:8 NKJV In the Bible, we see a lot of people defining their success as knowing what God wanted for them, and then working towards it. For the Israelites in the Old Testament, success meant getting to settle down in the land that God had promised them. For Joshua, this was the goal that he was chasing. In Joshua 1:6-9, God instructs him to ‘be strong and courageous’ three times, and also focused on him following the instructions laid out for him in Scripture, saying, ‘be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do’ (NLT).

We see these instructions, to be brave and follow God’s commands, throughout the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land. We have to notice, though, that not everyone who followed God’s instructions made it to the end of the journey. Moses obeyed God to the end of his life, and passed on his task. He didn’t get to finish the mission, but he’s considered to be an immensely successful agent of God. Following what God wants us to do should be the real measure of whether we’re prospering in life. Sometimes we play a part for a limited time, and that is our success. We don’t always get to be involved in the whole picture, or see the end result. Real success isn’t a destination; it’s a journey. It’s the joy created by progress. It’s knowing that you’re fully on track when it comes to God’s plan for your life.

WHAT NOW? Are there any successes that passed you by because you only played a part? Celebrate them today!

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You can start again

Thursday 24 September ‘A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.’

Matthew 12:20 NIVUK God is a mender, not a discarder. With Him, broken lives aren’t the end of the story. When we feel broken, useless and that we’ve gone too far away from the path that God wanted us to go down, there’s hope. God doesn’t give up on us. We’re never too broken for Him to restore. In Matthew 12:20 says: ‘A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.’ This is actually a quote from the prophet Isaiah (take a look at Isaiah 42). In this chapter, Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus. The ‘bruised reed’ represents people who feel weak and fragile, while the ‘smouldering wick’ represents people who have almost burnt out, their light is fading and their hope is nearly gone. Jesus doesn’t give up on us when we’re feeling like that,

instead He works to gently restore us. He gives us the opportunity to start again, however badly we think we’ve failed Him. And the truth is that we all fail at some point. The Bible is full of people who failed.

Abraham lied and put Sarah at risk. Jacob was a cheat and self-promoting con artist. Moses determined to do things his own way and ended up a fugitive. David cheated on his wife and betrayed a faithful friend. Peter turned his back on Christ. But God still used each of them. And He’ll use us too. He’s the God of unlimited grace. As long as we recognise our failures and desire to start again, He’ll begin the process of restoring us. No matter how broken we’re feeling today, let’s grasp that offer of a second chance.

WHAT NOW? Do you know someone who feels like they’ve failed in some way? Today, share Matthew 12:20 with them, and remind them that God is the God of unlimited grace and second chances.

DO YOU NEED TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE?

Setback to comeback

Friday 25 September

UCB.CO.UK/prayerline

‘But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’

1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV

When we feel like we’re experiencing a setback, we’re often being prepared for a comeback. When we feel like we’ve taken some steps backward, it can actually mean we end up moving forward afterwards.

Good Friday is a great illustration of this.

On the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it seemed all was lost. But it’s not over until God says it’s over. The greatest spiritual victory in history was won after its seemingly greatest defeat. All was lost, but not for long. Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus walked out of His tomb.

And as redeemed children of God, that same power lives in us today. The Bible says: ‘If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal

bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you’ (Romans 8:11 NKJV). In God’s kingdom failure is never final. We may not win every spiritual battle, but the war has been ultimately won. The victory was sealed 2,000 years ago when Jesus was resurrected. Paul wrote: ‘Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37 NKJV). Today we’re more than conquerors because of what Christ did for us. We’ll experience setbacks – that’s just life. But without a crucifixion there can be no resurrection. Sometimes the things that knock us down are the very things that lead us to be built up stronger than ever. So when things seem to be going wrong in our lives, we can keep trusting, knowing that God is preparing our comeback.

WHAT NOW? Make a list of any setbacks you’ve experienced recently. Each week, go back to your list and pray over each one, asking God to turn each one into a comeback.

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Fight to win

Saturday 26 September ‘Fight the good fight of faith…to which you were called.’ 1 Timothy 6:12 NIV As Christians, the devil will target us and try to steal our faith. But here are some Bible strategies for defeating him when he comes against you. 1) Think aggressively. ‘Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.’ Be prepared for a battle with the enemy, and immerse yourself in God’s Word so you’re equipped to defeat him. 2) Pray boldly. We’re told to approach God’s throne ‘boldly’ (see Hebrews 4:16). We don’t need to be shy with God. He’s our Father and we’re His redeemed children, so we can approach Him with confidence and ask for what we need. 3) Speak fearlessly.

Peter wrote, ‘Speak as though God himself were speaking through you’ (1 Peter 4:11 NLT). When we’re speaking God’s Word, we’re empowered to speak with authority,

which helps us stand up to evil forces and resist them. ‘Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power’ (Ephesians 6:10 NIV). 4) Give generously. ‘Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed’ (Proverbs 11:25 NLT). Whether we give our money, our time, or share our knowledge, nothing we offer is too big or too small. 5) Work intently. We shouldn’t approach our God-given work with dread and a desire to escape. The Bible says: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance form the Lord as a reward’ Colossians 3:23-24 NIV). 6) Love unconditionally. As followers of Christ, we must try to love others as He loves them – unconditionally and sacrificially.

WHAT NOW? Make yourself a daily (or weekly) checklist with the six points in the reading. At the end of each day (or week), think about how you’ve achieved each of them. Are there any areas that you could improve?

PRAY FOR:

Money mindset

Sunday 27 September

CONFIDENCE TO TAKE THE PATH GOD’S CHOSEN FOR YOU

Read: Psalm 37:23-24

‘Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.’ Proverbs 23:4 NLT

1 Timothy 6:10 tells us that ‘the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil’ (NIV). This verse is often misquoted to suggest that money itself is the most evil thing. The Biblical truth is that it’s our attitude to money that causes problems. With the right heart, having a lot of money can create real opportunities to do enormous amounts of good, though it’s not always necessary to have money to do Godly work. Jesus didn’t come from money. In Luke 2:22–24, we see that His family was too poor to offer the usual lamb at the time of his circumcision, and took birds instead. Jesus didn’t earn a salary in His years preaching, but He still built a network that eventually spread God’s Word around the world. However, to fulfil certain tasks in God’s Kingdom, money is necessary. As long as those involved maintain

a sensible, generous heart, God can use all finances in a positive way. But if we start to love and crave money, or even develop anxious thoughts about it, money’s goodness goes out of the window. ‘All kinds of evil’ can creep in, and our attitude towards money holds an unhealthy amount of power over us. Proverbs 23:4 warns against letting our money mindset control our actions. It says, ‘do not wear yourself out to get rich’ (NIV). The most important thing is to have a prayerful sense of balance about our finances. If we’re in a season of having plenty, then we should hold loosely to what we have and share it generously. If we’re in a time where we have less, then we can use that as a reminder to rely on God, trusting that He always provides what we need.

WHAT NOW? Can you find a way to be generous today? If you have spare of anything – time, food, money, clothes etc. – find a person or an organisation that would benefit from it.

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Walking by faith

Monday 28 September

‘Who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had.’

Romans 4:12 NKJV

The Bible talks about those ‘who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had’. But how do we walk by faith? 1) Abraham ‘believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing’ (v.17 NLT). When God makes a promise, He has the power to make it happen, even when all the circumstances say that it’s impossible.

2) ‘Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of nations’ (v.18 NLT). When it seemed like there was no hope left, Abraham didn’t give up, because his hope was in God. When we’re going through times when things look hopeless, let’s think of these words: ‘Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much

to you’ (Zechariah 9:12 NIV). 3) ‘For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have”’ (Romans 4:18 NLT). When God makes a promise, it contains the power to make it happen. ‘The same thing is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They make the things happen that I want to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do’ (Isaiah 55:11 NCV). 4) ‘Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God’ (Romans 4:20 NLT). Abraham didn’t doubt God, argue within himself, or let other people’s opinions influence him. Instead, he remained steadfast and trusted God. And by doing that, he glorified God. So let’s use him as our example of walking by faith.

WHAT NOW? Every morning this week, read Romans 4:17-20, then ask God to help you walk by faith in the day ahead.

Right with God

Tuesday 29 September

’Anyone who lives on milk…is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.’ Hebrews 5:13 NIV

Paul wrote: ‘You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness’ (Hebrews 5:12-13 NIV).

Righteousness isn’t something we achieve through our own efforts, it’s a position God places us in when we trust in Christ. From that point on, God wants us to see ourselves as ‘righteous’, which is how He sees us. ‘No one can be made right with God by following the law. The law only shows us our sin. But God has a way to make people right with him without the law…God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ’ (Romans 3:20-22 NCV). If we’re striving to be righteous through our own efforts, we need to

remember that ‘God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT). God made Jesus ‘to be the offering for our sin’, and the moment we believe in Jesus, He makes us ‘right with God’. That doesn’t mean we’ll never sin, or that we can just do what we like. Even though we’re believers, we still have bad habits and weaknesses that can draw us away from God. But when we understand that our position is ‘in Christ’, we can have complete confidence in God and trust in His love to help us overcome those weaknesses. Romans 14:17 says: ‘The kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (NIV). When we know God sees us as righteous, we have peace, which brings us joy.

WHAT NOW? Take a selfie, and then add some text to it, saying, ‘When God looks at me, He sees me as righteous.’

Save the photo to remind you of this truth when you need some encouragement.

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‘Our present troubles…produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them.’

2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul gives and excellent since what is seen is temporary, but what is description of the Christian life. He says ‘we unseen is eternal’ (NIV). His ability to say that have this treasure in earthen vessels’ (NKJV). really is the result of a godly perspective. It’s The idea of our relationship with God being only with Gods eyes that we can recognise precious treasure in the earthy, very normal the difficult things as opportunities for Him vessels of our lives is beautiful. It shows how to shine. Our part in difficult situations is to much Paul valued God’s Spirit within Him. pray for that incredible perspective, and then However, it doesn’t mean that our Christian speak out with as much positivity as we can lives will always be easy. When people notice muster. In the same passage, Paul writes: ‘Life treasure, they often bring trouble. After is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; explaining how he and those around him therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that are being persecuted, in verses 16-18 Paul same spirit of faith, we also believe and continues by saying: ‘Therefore we do not therefore speak’ (2 Corinthians 4:12-13 NIV). lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting There’s something in speaking out truth that away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day can help us believe in it more than ever. Let’s by day. For our light and momentary troubles chase after the same faith in God’s goodness are achieving for us an eternal glory that that Paul showed us, and speak it out to the far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes world around us. not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,

Speak

Wednesday 30 September

WHAT NOW? Try praying out loud today. Whether you can find a chance to pray with Christian friends, or spend time by yourself, speak out positive truths that you believe.

What to expect on God’s path (1)

Thursday 1 October

‘By faith Abraham obeyed…he went out, not knowing where he was going.’

Hebrews 11:8 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.

And he went out, not knowing where he was going.’ It can be very daunting to step onto the path God’s chosen for us when we don’t know what lies on that path and what we’ll have to face. So for the next few days, let’s think about some of the things we can expect on our journey. First, we can expect opportunities and opposition. Paul wrote, ‘There is a wideopen door for a great work here, although many oppose me’ (1 Corinthians 16:9 NLT).

The enemy will target us and try to make us walk away from God’s path, and the size of the task God’s given us will often determine how big and forceful the attack is. So if you find you’re coming under attack, you can look

at it as confirmation that you’re following the correct path. However, if you don’t encounter obstacles and opposition, you should pray and ask God if you’re on the right track. Second, we’ll probably encounter setbacks that are meant to derail us. Proverbs 24:16 says: ‘The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked’ (NLT). It doesn’t matter how many times we fail, as long as we’re prepared to learn from it, ask God for strength and wisdom, and try again. If sin causes us to stumble, we should confess and repent, then get back on track. It’s understandable and natural if we fail because we’re trying something new and unfamiliar. We need to draw on God’s grace, be determined to do better, and keep moving forwards.

WHAT NOW? Ask a trusted Christian friend or family member to take a walk with you each day for the next five days. Today, as you’re walking, talk and pray together about walking on God’s path, and about any opposition or setbacks you’ve been facing recently in your walk with God. T H I S I S PA G E 4 3

What to expect on God’s path (2)

Friday 2 October ‘I have finished the race.’ 2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV Not everyone who starts the race finishes it.

Paul wrote: ‘Don’t you realise that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So I run with purpose in every step…I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified’ (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT). Paul wasn’t talking about his salvation here – he already had that. Instead, he was talking about his heavenly reward. We should pay attention to the words, ‘Otherwise…I myself might be disqualified.’ Here are some things that will

cause us to stumble on our journey with God: 1) Not reading God’s Word and praying every day. 2) Saying no to God when He’s dealing with a specific area in our lives. 3) Wrong habits and relationships that cause us to compromise our morals. 4) Allowing doubt and fear to take control. 5) Losing focus on the tasks that God’s called us to do. 6) Overworking and neglecting our loved ones and our health. 7) Not sowing our God-given resources, skills and time into His kingdom.

Let’s make this the prayer of our hearts: ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting’ (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

Then we can look forward to saying, ‘I have finished the race.’

WHAT NOW? On today’s walk with your friend, chat about anything, big or small, that’s caused you to stumble in your walk with God. Pray about the things you’ve discussed, and ask God to help you both keep your focus on Him.

What to expect on God’s path (3)

Saturday 3 October

‘You were running a good race. Who stopped you from following the true way?’

Galatians 5:7 NCV We must take responsibility. In the Garden the ground is cursed because of you. All of Eden, when God asked Adam why he had your life you will struggle to scratch a living eaten from the tree, he replied: ‘It was the from it. It will grow thorns and thistles woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, for you, and you will eat the plants of the and I ate it’ (Genesis 3:12 NLT). Adam tried field’ (Vv.17-18 NLT). Then God banished to shift responsibility for his actions onto them from Paradise. God was angry with Eve, and at the same time to blame God. Adam and Eve because they wouldn’t take ‘Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What responsibility for their actions. When we have you done?” “The serpent deceived sin, God will readily forgive us (take a look me,” she replied’ (v.13 NLT). Eve blamed the at Nehemiah 9:17). He doesn’t stop caring devil. But God didn’t accept their excuses. for us – Genesis 3:21 tells us that even after He said to Eve: ‘I will sharpen the pain of being angry and punishing Adam and Eve, your pregnancy, and in pain you will give He made clothing for them. But God won’t birth. And you will desire to control your accept us trying to justify, blame others, or husband, but he will rule over you’ (v.16 make excuses for our mistakes. ‘Whoever NLT). Then God said to Adam: ‘Since you conceals their sins does not prosper, but listened to your wife and ate from the tree the one who confesses and renounces them whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, finds mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13 NIV).

WHAT NOW? On today’s walk with your friend, talk about any times you can think of when you’ve failed to take responsibility for your actions, even if it was only over a small thing. Together, confess them to God, and ask Him to help you take responsibility in future.

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What to expect on God’s path (4)

Sunday 4 October ‘Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.’ Hebrews 12:1 NLT Here are two more things we need to be with them and support them. When we aware of: 1) The wrong people will hurt us. reach for help, it isn’t a sign of weakness, We shouldn’t allow people who could drag but of strength, and acceptance of God’s us away from God’s path to influence us. plan. Paul spent an entire chapter in the People who are very negative, draining, New Testament acknowledging the people distracting, or try to belittle us can wear who helped him fulfil his vision. Here’s what us down and turn us away from God’s call. he said to the Philippians: ‘Every time I We should love these types of people, and think of you, I give thanks…Whenever I pray, try to help them if we can, but we mustn’t I make my requests for all of you with joy, allow them to influence us or lead us. It’s for you have been my partners in spreading right to try to encourage them, but if we the Good News about Christ from the time feel their attitudes begin to pull us down you first heard it until now’ (Philippians instead of lifting us up, we should kindly 1:3-5 NLT). We need to have the humility to and graciously disconnect from them and acknowledge that God hasn’t given us the hand them to God. 2) The right people will skills to do some things, hand them over to help you. When God has a job to be done, He others who do have those skills, and focus calls someone to do it. But He rarely calls on using our own skills and strengths to them alone. He’ll often call others to stand play our unique part in God’s plan.

WHAT NOW? On today’s walk with your friend, think about the influential people in your lives. Are they encouragers or do any of them pull you down? Ask God to show you clearly which relationships should be grown, and which ones you may need to take a step back from.

PRAY FOR:

LEARNING TO BE THANKFUL IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What to expect on God’s path (5)

Monday 5 October ‘I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.’

Philippians 2:16 NLT We must be prepared to give up instant the right direction and gained everything. gratification for long-term achievements. Paul When we’re faced with a choice, it’s a good wrote: ‘Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on idea to get into the habit of asking ourselves the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I a few questions: ‘How will this choice affect did not run the race in vain and that my work my character and my self-respect? How will was not useless.’ Nothing is more important this choice affect my family and people who in life than the choices we make. The Bible might look to me for a role-model? How will says, ‘Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and I feel when I tell God about my choice?’ The Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom Bible says: ‘We are surrounded by a great and settled among the cities of the plain’ cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith (Genesis 13:12 NLT). Lot prospered for a while, means. So let us run the race before us and but in the end, everything he worked for was never give up. We should remove from our destroyed. Then, ‘the Lord said to Abram after live anything that would get in the way and Lot had parted from him: “Look around from the sin that so easily holds us back. Let us where you are…all the land that you see I will look only to Jesus, the One who began our give to you and your offspring forever”’ (vv. faith and who makes it perfect’ (Hebrews 14-15 NIV). Lot chose to settle in the wrong 12:1-2 NCV). place and lost everything, but Abraham chose WHAT NOW? On today’s walk with your friend, chat about how to make godly choices. Resolve to help each other by asking each other the questions in today’s reading when faced with a decision. Then pray that God would help you both stay on His path.

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Meet: Matt Brown Matt is the newest addition to the UCB 2 presenter line-up.

We caught up with him to get to know more about him and to find out what he loves about his new job.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m older than I look (so I’ve been told). I love playing, listening and watching live music. I play guitar, piano and sing, as well as trying to play drums and a few other more bizarre instruments.

Worshipping God is at the heart of who I am, and I love to use the skills He has developed in me to do this in a Romans 12 style. I trained as an actor at uni and my first job after that was working for YFC as Director of Activate Theatre Company.

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Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a presenter?

I first had a taste of presenting in my teenage years volunteering with Radio Cracker – a temporary Christmas station with youth group friends. In 2012, after several years working in youth work and education, I got a job working for CBeebies as a researcher. I had a few opportunities to do a bit of off-screen audience warm up, and picked up some great tips from the lovely presenters I worked with. When this work came to an end, I went back into education and youth work for a few years. It was early last year that I applied for a post at UCB, but then clearly felt God say that it wasn’t the right timing. I can still vividly remember walking to my car after withdrawing my application and bursting into tears. I felt God say to me that now was not the time, but that He would honour the decision and something else was planned. In the summer I went to the cinema to watch The Lion King – every time I go to the cinema I feel inspired to be creative – and that was the prompt which led me to begin looking for opportunities. God must have had a smile on His face when I decided to apply to be a presenter on UCB 2. I started here and now feel like it is home for me.

Why do you think Christian radio is important?

Christian radio is vital. In the last few months, I have seen first-hand the way God uses it to transform people’s lives through His Word and through the music. People have entered into relationship with God after tuning in, and many are encouraged, challenged and comforted by Christian radio. We are all commissioned to ‘go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). Radio enables us to do that in people’s homes, cars, workplaces and wherever they may be.

Do you have a favourite Bible verse?

One of my favourite verses is in Philippians 4:6-7: ‘Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life’ (MSG). It reminds me daily that God is greater than any circumstance or concern, and that with Him in my life, I can experience His peace and not worry.

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LISTEN LIVE VIA THE APP UCB.CO.UK/player

What do you feel God has been teaching you recently?

Obviously over the past months we’ve been living in somewhat challenging and unusual times. I definitely feel that God is teaching me to be fully reliant on Him rather than relying on other people. Living in isolation has made it difficult to interact with friends and family, but it has provided more space to interact with God through His Word and with His Spirit. I encourage you to go deeper with God too.

What can we expect when we tune in to your show, The Worship Service?

The Worship Service broadcasts on UCB 2 on Fridays at 7pm.

All the music played is live worship from around the globe, chosen to lift your spirit and enable you to meet with God. We talk about what worship is, different ways of doing it, events and worship gatherings taking place, and we have a live, unplugged worship track from a UCB 2 artist each week.

I am first and foremost a worshipper, and seek to enable others to worship God through the show.

AFTERNOON PRAISE / Monday-Tuesday 1pm-4pm WORSHIP & THE WORD / Monday-Friday 8pm-11pm

DIGITAL RADIO I UCB PLAYER ONLINE I SMART SPEAKER

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Investing

Tuesday 6 October

‘Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.’ Ecclesiastes 11:4 NIV When we think about the word ‘investing’, what we gave up, and maybe more, either we often think of something like the TV through other people paying us back, or programme Dragons’ Den – rich people giving through God blessing us for our faithfulness. large amounts of money to help businesses, But even if we don’t get our investment in the hope that they’ll receive even more back, if we’ve asked for God’s advice first, we money back in the future. We may never can be happy knowing that we’re following have those levels of money to invest, but His will and using our resources for His we can use our money, time, or skills to help kingdom. Later on in Ecclesiastes, we read: others. The Bible has lots of advice about ‘Whoever watches the wind will not plant; investing, which we can apply to time, money, whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.’ or something else. Ecclesiastes 11 begins: If we’re looking for external signs that it’s ‘Ship your grain across the sea; after many ‘the perfect time’ to invest, or looking for days you may receive a return’ (v.1 NIV). We ‘the perfect situation’ to invest and help shouldn’t hoard our money, time, or skills; others, we’ll never do anything – there’ll instead we should share them and use them always be challenges to face. But we don’t to help others who are lacking in what we have to understand or predict what’s going have plenty of. We need to pray and seek to happen – we just need to seek God, ask God’s wisdom about any investment we for His wisdom on using our God-given make, so we can patiently hope to get back resources, then act on what He says.

WHAT NOW? Do you have plenty of something, or something that you could spare, at the moment? Write down a few ways you could invest it in someone else. Ask God for His guidance too, then put your thoughts into action.

Giving thanks (1)

Wednesday 7 October ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV Giving thanks infuses joy and resilience into harmful things. 2) God might guide us to face our daily lives. When we leave out gratitude, something challenging because it’s part of our faith becomes hollow and empty, and the fulfilment of His plan or He needs us to we end up just going through the motions learn something. But whatever the reason, rather than following God from our hearts. there’s always something we can thank Him Being grateful might not always seem logical for. If it’s the first, we know that ‘in all things to us. But when Paul said, ‘Give thanks in God works for the good of those who love all circumstances; for this is the will of God him’ (Romans 8:28 NIV). God might not have in Christ Jesus for you,’ he wasn’t saying designed the circumstances, but He can that every circumstance we encounter is bring something good out of them when we necessarily God’s will. He also wasn’t saying choose to turn back to Him. We can thank Him that we have to give thanks for the bad for the positive things that He’ll bring out circumstances we’re going through. Instead, of the situation. If it’s the second, we can be we need to learn to thank God through them thankful for His teaching and for walking with and in spite of them. Here are two reasons us through the things we’re facing. We don’t that might lead to us facing difficult times: 1) need to be thankful for the circumstances We’ve strayed from God’s path and allowed we’re in, but we should learn to thank God for ourselves to get caught up in ungodly or what He’s doing in us because of them.

WHAT NOW? Start a ‘thankful in all circumstances’ journal. Whenever you’ve faced a difficult situation, make a note of anything you learned and any good things that God brought out of it. Use your journal to remind you to stay thankful next time you’re going through a tough time.

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Giving thanks (2)

Thursday 8 October

‘Rejoice always.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:16 ESV

When you’re going through a difficult time, do you ever find yourself asking, ‘Why me, God? Why don’t you answer my prayers?

Why doesn’t Your Word encourage me like it seems to encourage others?’ Maybe your friends have tried to help by saying things like ‘stay positive’, ‘it’s all for the best’, or quoting Bible verses like ‘For I know the plans I have for you’ (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) or ‘Rejoice always’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16 ESV). While all these things might be true, they often just make us feel worse. We might feel like failures as Christians because we’re not full of joy and we’re not feeling positive. When life overwhelms us, the last thing we feel like doing is giving thanks. So how can we cultivate an attitude like Paul’s, who sang hymns and worshipped God while in prison?

Here are a few ideas: 1) Acknowledge how

we’re feeling. We can think that we have to hide our feelings, because Christians are supposed to ‘rejoice always’. But we should admit how we’re feeling to God, then He can help us begin to heal and regain our joy.

2) Refuse to retaliate. When something bad happens to us, often our first reaction is to retaliate, get angry, or even to blame God. But as we saw in yesterday’s reading, there are still reasons to be thankful even in the bad times. Which leads us to: 3) Choose to give thanks. This might not come naturally at first, so we may have to make a conscious effort to be thankful. We need to remember that God hasn’t let us down before, and hold on to the fact that He wants the best for us. When we do that, we’ll feel more able to rejoice and give thanks.

WHAT NOW? Start a list of all the good things in your life, all the things God’s blessed you with and all the good things He’s done for you. Keep adding to it as you remember or experience new things. When you’re feeling despair, read through the list to remind yourself of God’s goodness to you.

Be patient

Friday 9 October ‘A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.’

Proverbs 15:18 NIV In the book of Proverbs, we’re often advised Even as His executioners nailed Him to the to be patient, or slow to get angry (take a look cross, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them, for they at Proverbs 14:29; 15:18; 16:32). That doesn’t don’t know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34 mean that being angry is always wrong.

NLT). We should follow His example. Proverbs There are only a few times in Scripture when 15:1 says: ‘A gentle answer deflects anger, Jesus showed anger. He got angry with the but harsh words make tempers flare’ (NLT). money changers and merchants in the temple, During an argument, what usually happens who weren’t charging fair prices and were is the people involved tend to match their treating the holy place as a market. (You can tones of voice, so when one shouts, the other read about this in Matthew 21:12-13, Mark shouts back. But if someone takes a moment 11:15-18 and John 2:13-22.) He was also to check their tone, and replies to a shouted, angry with the Pharisees in Mark 3:4-5 when angry comment with a calm, gentle reply, it they wouldn’t answer His question about can take some of the heat out of the situation, whether it was right to heal someone on and avoid it becoming a furious confrontation the Sabbath. Jesus got angry with unfairness, where the people involved achieve very little corruption, and hypocrisy, especially when beyond upsetting each other. So let’s follow those involved should have known better.

Jesus’ example, and try to be patient, calm and But He never became angry about what gentle, even when we’re dealing with angry, someone did to Him, and never retaliated hurtful people. or lashed out at people who wronged Him.

WHAT NOW? Think about the last time you were angry, or in an argument with someone. How did you react? Was it in a gentle, calm way? If not, ask God to help you have a more Christlike attitude when faced with anger.

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Use your gifts

Saturday 10 October ‘Do not neglect your gift.’ 1 Timothy 4:14 NIV There’s a violin, nicknamed the Messiah, them for. We might think that we’re not ready which is believed to have been made in to use them yet, or that other people with 1716 by the master violin maker Stradivarius. the same gifts can do them better than we The violin is famous for being a beautiful can, so we hide them. But if we wait until example of Stradivarius’ work. Over the we’ve perfected them, we’ll end up not using years, it has been bought by collector after them at all. Jesus said: ‘You are the salt of the collector, who valued it for its beauty, quality, earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how and workmanship. One of its owners seemed can it be made salty again? It is no longer to be especially protective over it, and never good for anything, except to be thrown out even let anyone see it. But the violin has and trampled underfoot. You are the light hardly ever been played. Its creator designed of the world. A town built on a hill cannot it to make music, but it has never fulfilled be hidden…let your light shine before its true purpose. It’s never had the chance others that they may see your good deeds to bring joy through its music. And we can and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew be like that violin. God gives each one of us 5:13-16 NIV). God will hold us accountable gifts and talents, and He expects us to use for discovering our talents, developing them them. We might be protective over our gifts, to the fullest, and using them to glorify Him, waiting for something ‘worthwhile’ to use further His kingdom, and bless others.

WHAT NOW? Do you have any gifts that you haven’t used? What’s one thing that you could do to use that gift to bless others or bring glory to God? Make a decision to do that thing this week, and then try to use that gift at least once each week.

PRAY FOR:

Avoid ‘whelks’

Sunday 11 October

GOD’S PERSPECTIVE ON ANY WORRIES YOU HAVE

Read: Philippians 4:6-7

‘Don’t befriend angry people.’ Proverbs 22:24 NLT

There’s a type of whelk called an oyster drill whose favourite food is oysters. As their name suggests, they have a sharp proboscis that they use like a drill. Little by little, the whelk bores a tiny hole in the oyster’s shell until it gets to the soft part of the oyster, then digests and devours the flesh through the hole, leaving an empty, seemingly intact shell behind. We can meet people who are like that whelk. People who are always negative, who have angry, unreasonable outbursts, or who constantly make critical remarks can chip away at our self-worth, leaving us feel emotionally drained. If we’re not careful, we can become so irritated by them that we allow anger and bitterness to take over our thoughts. Anger can be very destructive, and can lead use to feel tense,

anxious, and depressed. That’s not how God wants us to live. Jesus said: ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10:10 NIV). The Bible says, ‘Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul’ (Proverbs 22:24-25 NLT). We should try to avoid being too close to people who are continually negative or habitually angry at life, as well as those who seem to enjoy putting others down. That doesn’t mean we can ignore them or that we shouldn’t try to help them and show them God’s love. But if we find we’re losing our joy after spending time with them, it might be wise to keep them at a distance and ask God to change their hearts and bring them His joy.

WHAT NOW? Do you know someone who’s constantly angry, or who leaves you feeling drained after you’ve spent time with them? Set aside some time today to pray for them and ask God to help them work through their anger, bitterness, or negativity.

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Sharing God’s grace (1)

Monday 12 October ‘You would be asking me for a drink.’ John 4:10 MSG When the Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well, and He asked her for a drink of water, He also said: ‘If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you…living water.’ Jesus constantly showed mercy to the people who least deserved it. The woman didn’t have a spotless life. She had already had five husbands, and she wasn’t married to the man she was living with. In her society’s eyes, she was an outcast. But Jesus offered her grace anyway. We should ask ourselves how we would react in that situation. Are we generous in sharing God’s grace with others, or are we sparing with it, only sharing it with those we think are ‘worthy’? What if God only offered His grace to those who He thought were ‘worthy’? Most of us would probably fall

short. But God’s grace says, ‘I know everything about you, good and bad, I know all your shortcomings and sins, and I still love you.’

We can often live our lives as if we’re scared of God, and fearful that He’s going to punish us. We forget about His grace, love, and acceptance. That doesn’t mean we’ll escape His discipline, but His correction comes from a place of love and of wanting us to be the best we can be. After Jesus had spoken t0 other woman at the well, she ran back to her village, saying, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did’ (John 4:29 NCV). Even though Jesus knew everything about her, He still made her feel loved and accepted. She wanted others to feel what she felt, and we should be just as enthusiastic to share God’s grace too.

WHAT NOW? Think of someone you know who others look down on or speak harshly about. If you can, try to share God’s grace, love and acceptance with them in some way today.

DO YOU NEED TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE?

Sharing God’s grace (2)

Tuesday 13 October

UCB.CO.UK/prayerline

‘I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.’ Galatians 2:21 NLT

We can sometimes be intolerant of people who don’t fit a certain standard that we think is the right way to behave, or speak, or dress. We can come across this type of attitude just about anywhere, but one of the saddest places it can happen is in churches.

People might look down on someone who comes to church dressed in dirty clothes, or clothes that aren’t considered ‘smart’.

They might make sarcastic comments about someone who sings out of tune, or worships in a different way from their way of doing things. They might secretly, or even openly, condemn someone because they’ve not got a great past, or because they’re currently sinning in some way. We often don’t mean to do this, but sometimes we forget our own shortcomings, and that God’s grace extends to everyone unconditionally. We forget that

‘God does not see the same way people see.

People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NCV). Paul said to the Galatians: ‘I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die’ (Galatians 2:21 NT). We all need God’s grace, because none of us are perfect and we all fall short of God’s standards in some way. Our imperfection or sin might not be as obvious as someone else’s, but that doesn’t mean we can look down on them or treat them as less worthy of God’s grace than us. Even though we’re not perfect, God still loves us and welcomes us with open arms. So let’s make sure we’re just as willing to welcome those who are different from us.

WHAT NOW? Is there someone that you’ve looked down on or gossiped about because they didn’t fit your ‘standards’? Spend time praying for them and about your attitude towards them. Next time you see them, remember God’s grace and welcome them.

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Keeping calm

Wednesday 14 October ‘Keep your head in all situations.’ 2 Timothy 4:5 NIV When we’re faced with a problem or a situation that scares us, our first reaction is often to panic. Panic is our body’s normal reaction to danger as our adrenaline levels increase, and in some circumstances it can be helpful. But if it gets excessive or uncontrollable, it can stop us living a full life.

(If you experience panic attacks, or the panic is getting out of control, it’s important to seek help from a doctor or counsellor.) If we’re experiencing panic, one thing we can do is to bring God into our situation. Fear and panic can make us overreact or make bad decisions, and acting impulsively usually means things will get worse before they get better. When we find ourselves in a stressful situation, we need to try to calm ourselves and ask God for wisdom and help. Here are some verses from

Scripture to help us keep calm and remind us of God’s goodness and love: ‘I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears’ (Psalm 34:4 NLT). ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). ‘God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection’ (Psalm 91:3-4 NCV).

It doesn’t matter if the thing we’re worried about would seem trivial to someone else. If we’re worried about it, God cares and wants us to tell Him about how we’re feeling. ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

WHAT NOW? Cut up some strips of paper. On each one, write a Bible verse that you find comforting and calming.

Put the strips in a jar or small box. Then whenever you feel fear or panic growing, pick a strip and read the verse, making sure you really focus on the words and what God’s saying to you.

Want to learn more about the Bible? Find our latest reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App at ucb.co.uk/ucbyouversion

Birds

Thursday 15 October

‘Look at the birds.’ Matthew 6:26 NLT

During Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was speaking to the Jewish people. At that time, their country was occupied by the Romans, and they paid extortionate taxes to keep them in power. They lived as slaves, so they were oppressed and worried a lot.

Then Jesus came along and said: ‘Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?’ (vv. 26-27 NLT). Jesus wasn’t calling their worries trivial or ignoring their feelings.

Instead He was encouraging them to use birds as an example of how to live in faith.

Birds don’t know where their next meal is coming from, but they don’t have to worry

because God makes sure they get what they need. If God provides for the birds, we can be certain He’ll provide for us too, because He loves and treasures us as His children.

Even if we think we’re not worth taking care of, we’re still precious to God. When we feel anxiety stealing our happiness, let’s hold on to this Scripture: ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). It isn’t wrong to feel worried, but we shouldn’t hold on to those worries or let them control us. Instead, we should hand them over to God confidently and completely, and exchange them for His peace. God is the best Father, Carer and Provider, and we can be sure that if He looks after the birds so well, He’ll look after us even better.

WHAT NOW? Go outside to a garden or park, and sit quietly watching or listening to the birds. As you watch and listen, hand over any worries you’ve got to God. Ask Him to replace them with His perfect peace.

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Perspective

Friday 16 October ‘Do not worry.’ Matthew 6:31 NIV No matter what we face in life, we should always try to keep things in perspective.

When we lose perspective, we can end up viewing minor problems as major ones. Or we’ll do the opposite, treating significant situations as ‘no big deal’. Either tendency leads to problems, so we need to do our best to see things as they really are and refuse to let them get blown out of proportion. The truth is, we’ll always have something that we could worry about. As soon as we’ve resolved one issue, another one is waiting to take its place. So if worry is constantly with us, what can we do to control it before it controls us? 1) When you’re facing a situation that upsets you, try to deal with the panic before you try to deal with the problem. Sit down quietly, try to keep calm, and take some time

to talk to God about the problem and how it’s making you feel. 2) Try to develop the habit of looking at the big picture, instead of dwelling on the one issue that’s upsetting you. Thinking too much about a problem can make it seem larger and more significant than it really is. 3) Instead of focusing on your worries, focus on God. The grace of God that helped you through the last problem you had to face will be with you in this one too. 4) Remember Jesus’ words: ‘Don’t worry and say. “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”…your Father in heaven knows you need them. Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well’ (Matthew 6:31-33 NCV).

WHAT NOW? Write down any worries that are on your mind today, then go through the four points above – tell God how they make you feel, ask Him for His perspective on each of them, then spend time thanking Him that He’s never let you down and that He always meets your need.

For more free resources visit UCB.CO.UK

Laughter

Saturday 17 October ‘We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.’ Psalm 126:2 NLT Even though the Bible mentions joy many times, we can sometimes think that Christians have to be serious all the time.

But God wants us to laugh and to be full of joy – if we’re not, then we’re missing out on a large part of what God created us to be.

God created every human emotion we feel.

He designed us to cry when we’re sad and laugh when we’re happy: ‘For everything there is a season…A time to cry and a time to laugh’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NLT). Jesus said, ‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (John 15:11 NIV). In the Old Testament we read: ‘When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter…sang for joy…And the

other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!’

(Psalm 126:1-3 NLT). When we think about how much God loves us, accepts us, and has set us free from every burden, we should be full of laughter and joy. We shouldn’t be worried about showing our happiness to the world, because our joyfulness is a great testimony to others of what God can do. Of course, there are times and situations when laughter isn’t appropriate. But at other times, let’s try not to be too serious and hard on ourselves, and instead remember these words: ‘This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!’

(Psalm 118:24 NCV).

WHAT NOW? Do some research into humour in the Bible. Read some of those passages, and see if your perspective on them changes. As you read the Bible, look out for moments of humour and make a note of any you find.

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Thinking positively

Sunday 18 October

‘Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.’ Philippians 4:8 NLT

Our minds can work for us or against us. When they work for us, it helps us to stay positive, reach our goals, and enjoy each day. But when they work against us, it can make us negative and discouraged, hold us back, and cause us to think unhelpful thoughts. So we need to train our minds to work for us instead of against us. An important way to do this is to make an intentional decision to begin to think positively – in terms of faith and not fear. Our brains won’t be able to carry out this new instruction overnight. It might be a radical transformation from the way we usually tend to think, and changing a habit takes time, especially if it’s one we’ve had for a long time.

But if we’re determined to do it thoroughly and accept God’s help, instead of working against us, our minds will go to work for us

and become a positive force in our lives. An interesting thing to remember is that when you’re born, every organ is fully developed and then gets bigger as you grow. Except for the brain. This develops for a number of years (approximately twenty-five, and possibly more) until it’s fully developed. And even after that, it continues to mature, creating new connections and networks for the rest of your life. That means we can constantly learn new things, and change and improve the way we think. So let’s try to stay positive, and focus on good, godly things: ‘Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy pf praise’ (Philippians 4:8 NLT).

WHAT NOW? Each time you have a negative thought today, make a note of it. At the end of the day, think about how you can turn each one into a positive thought. Do the same for the rest of the week, and try to reduce the number of negative thoughts you have each day.

PRAY FOR:

A FRESH DESIRE TO SPEND TIME READING THE BIBLE

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Reading God’s Word

Monday 19 October ‘All Scripture is inspired by God.’ 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT When we’re busy, one of the first things we often neglect is reading the Bible. It might have become too familiar to us, or hard to understand, or we’ve just lost our passion for it. In 2 Timothy we read: ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.’ Studying God’s Word is clearly very beneficial and the right thing to do. One thing we can do to recapture our love for it is to try studying it in a different way from our usual method. Here are some ideas: 1) By book. Read a whole book of the Bible a few times and try to work out the overarching theme of that book, without focusing too much on the detail. 2) By chapter. Read a single chapter, and look

for the main message. If you were giving that chapter a new heading to summarise it, what would it be? 3) By verse. Read one verse (you could even read it in different Bible translations) and focus on what you can learn just from that single verse. 4) By topic.

Choose a topic that interests you, such as God’s promises, prayers, people who ignored God, food…the list is endless. Research and read everything the Bible says about that topic, and see what you can learn about God’s perspective on that topic. 5) By word. Choose a word, and research every time that word is used in the Bible. Does it highlight anything new to you? 6) By cross-referencing. Choose a verse, then use a cross-referencing tool online to find other verses that mention similar things, revealing new connections.

WHAT NOW? Choose one of the study methods in today’s reading, and try it for a week. See what new things you can discover and learn from God’s Word.

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Work hard, pray hard

Tuesday 20 October ‘Do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.’ Colossians 3:23 NASB We can so often separate out the ideas of our own hard work, and God working in us, through us, or for us. The truth is, with the right mindset and prayer life, they should be the same thing. When you pray just as hard as you work, and vice versa, the game changes.

Colossians 3:23 tells us ‘whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord’ (NIV). That focus is only possible with time dedicated to finding equilibrium in God. The balance between work, rest, and a relationship with God is so easy to miss nowadays. Saint Benedict wrote a book of instructions for monks, and his message of ‘pray and work’ still stands in so many monasteries today. Benedictine tradition often follows a rule of ‘thirds’, with monks spending eight hours sleeping, eight hours working, and

eight hours praying. Our relationship with God must lead to action, but action has to be completely anchored in our relationship with God. One without the other won’t make the kind of difference to the world that God is calling us to. We have to make sure that our work gets done in a Godly way, because our tasks here on earth bring God’s heavenly glory into the world. One of the last prayers that Jesus prayed was, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do’ (John 17:4 NIV). We can follow His example in prayerfully chasing God’s tasks for us and completing them for His glory. From the biggest calling on our life right through to the simplest every day task, our to-do lists can bring praise to God when we root them in prayer and worship.

WHAT NOW? Find a chore that needs doing. Put on some worship music, and praise God while you complete the task.

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Keeping good company

Wednesday 21 October

‘The Lord gives wisdom.’ Proverbs 2:6 NKJV

Proverbs 2:6 tells us that ‘The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.’ (NKJV). However, other people can bring the opposite, questioning our motives, God’s power, or generally bringing negativity. We can find ourselves surrounded by people who shake our belief in ourselves, and sometimes, even in God. Jesus warned us about that negativity. The Message version of the Bible paraphrases His words to His disciples like this: ‘Don’t be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation’ (Matthew 10:17 MSG). Because of the imperfect world we have created, opposition from others is unfortunately an unavoidable part of living for God. It’s important for us to use the Godly wisdom that Proverbs mentions, and discern which of the people around us increase our self-doubt, and who

helps strengthen our faith in God. Whenever we can, we should look to distance ourselves from anyone who regularly speaks negatively into our lives. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says: ‘Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character”’ (GNT). That’s an urgent statement.

Allowing our minds and hearts to be filled with ideas that go against God, no matter how much we intend to fight them, really can get to us. The best thing to do is to walk away. And when it’s impossible to separate ourselves completely from those bringing doubt and negativity to our lives, then the best solution is to cling to God. We have to be active in this, because left unchallenged, words from others can take root quickly. If we can anchor ourselves in Scripture, and listen for God’s voice in prayer, we’ll find it so much easier to stand strong against the naysayers, and press on in Jesus’ footsteps.

WHAT NOW? Find a Bible verse that reminds you of an important truth about God. Learn it by heart, and use it to re-root yourself when negativity comes along.

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Leave the judging to God (1)

Thursday 22 October

‘Judge nothing before the appointed time.’ 1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV

Sadly, judging others often comes easily to us.

And sometimes the worst critics are Christians who use Scripture as a weapon to condemn others. If you’re the one being judged, try to remember these four things: 1) Show humility.

If you’re guilty, admit it to yourself, then to God, and then if it’s appropriate, admit it to others. Confession brings honesty and spiritual growth (take a look at 1 John 1:9). 2) Know your Bible. Satan took Scriptures out of context to try to trap Jesus, but Jesus knew the context so He didn’t fall for it (see Luke 4:1-13). If someone condemns you by taking the Bible out of context, remember God isn’t aiming at you. But if you’re rightly judged by God’s Word, don’t despair; it doesn’t mean He’s angry with you. You’re His child and He loves you, so He’ll use your actions as ‘teaching moments’ to

develop you. ‘The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and…chastens everyone he accepts as his son’ (Hebrews 12:6 NIV). 3) Don’t be forced into justifying yourself. Judgmental people aren’t interested in facts – often they want to feel good by making you feel bad. Pick your battles wisely, and don’t waste time on unimportant things, or feel you need to reveal things that are just between you and God. Here’s how Paul responded to his critics: ‘I care very little if I am judged by you or…any human court’ (1 Corinthians 4:3 NIV). 4) Don’t judge yourself.

If God doesn’t find you guilty, don’t keep believing you’re guilty. Follow Paul’s example: ‘Indeed, I do not even judge myself’ (v. 3 NIV).

If you’re wrong, confess it, and correct it with God’s help. Then make up your mind to live your life free from condemnation.

WHAT NOW? Do you have a flaw or failing that makes you judge yourself, or that others have judged you for?

Take some time today to have an honest talk to God about it, then make a conscious decision to start correcting it today, with God’s help.

DO YOU NEED TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE?

Leave the judging to God (2)

Friday 23 October

UCB.CO.UK/prayerline

‘In the same way you judge others, you will be judged.’ Matthew 7:2 NIV

Jesus said, ‘Do not judge…For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you’ (vv. 1-2 NIV). We can easily fall into the habit of judging others, even though Jesus forbids it. Sometimes we might do it because we’re trying to be honest and point out someone else’s flaw or sin so that they can work on improving.

There’s definitely a place for that, and the Bible does tell us to confront sins (take a look at James 5:19-20. But we have to do it in the right way, from a place of love, and with God’s help. If we become judgemental, we’re not only hurting someone, we’re also going against what God’s Word commands.

We also have to consider that the other person could already have repented,

confessed their sin, and received God’s forgiveness. They might already be working through an issue with Him. If God’s already forgiven them and is helping them, there’s no need for us to keep bringing it up. We might also start to judge people because we feel insecure about ourselves in some way, so we look for others’ faults to make ourselves feel better. But Jesus said, ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?’ (Matthew 7:3 NIV).

Jesus also said, ‘They are blessed who show mercy to others, for God will show mercy to them’ (Matthew 5:7 NCV). God shows us grace and mercy despite our faults, so we should extend the same grace and mercy to others too.

WHAT NOW? As you go through the day, keep a count of how many times you judge someone or have a judgmental thought about another person. Tonight, thank God that He doesn’t judge you as harshly, and then ask Him to help you be more merciful tomorrow.

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Learning from Moses (1)

Saturday 24 October ‘Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.’ Hebrews 11:24 NIV The life of Moses can teach us many things about what it means to live a life that’s successful in God’s eyes. Over the next few days, we’ll be taking a look at some of them.

First: you must know who you are. ‘Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.’ Moses was born a Hebrew, but he was raised as an Egyptian by Pharaoh’s daughter. Even though he was being trained and prepared to be second-in-command in Pharaoh’s kingdom, Moses knew God had called him to free his people and lead them out of Egypt. Moses had every comfort he could wish for in the palace, and he could have stayed there, but he knew that working for Pharaoh wasn’t who he was meant to be. Moses made the right choice to follow God’s purpose for him,

but it also meant spending the next eighty years of his life in the desert. Every one of us must come to grips with our identity. We all have a deep need and desire to accept who we are. Accepting our God-given identity isn’t always easy, but trying to be who we’re not is stressful and puts us under immense pressure. Moses recognised this, and decided to stop pretending. Choosing to accept God’s plan for our life frees us from the burden of pretending, and releases us into the unique identity and purpose God’s given us. If Moses had stayed in Pharaoh’s court, we might only remember him as an Egyptian mummy in a museum, or maybe not at all. But he made the right decision, and from an eternal perspective, it was the best one.

WHAT NOW? Are there any areas of your life, or any groups of people you’re involved in, where you feel under pressure to be someone you’re not? Make the choice today to step proudly into the identity God’s given you.

PRAY FOR:

Learning from Moses (2)

Sunday 25 October

A WORK ETHIC THAT HONOURS GOD

Read: Colossians 3:22-25

‘He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God.’ Hebrews 11:25 NIV

Second: you must take responsibility for your life. ‘Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin’ (vv. 24-25 NIV). First, Moses refused to be anyone but himself. Next, he chose to go God’s way.

One thing we can learn from this is that we can always replace a negative with a positive. For example, we don’t just stop doing something bad – we should replace it with something good. Living a Christian life isn’t about following a list of negative rules and regulations. It’s about relationships with other people, with yourself, and most importantly, with God. Moses made his decision ‘when he had grown up’. It’s a sign

of maturity when we can resolve to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions.

1 Corinthians 13:11 says: ‘When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things’ (NLT). When Moses was a baby, it was okay to postpone the decision about who he was. But when he became an adult he had to make a choice, take responsibility for his own life, and move ahead. It’s easy to blame other people or situations for the problems we face, but we can control how we react to those problems.

We can’t choose all the circumstances that come into our lives, but we can choose whether those things will make us bitter people or better people.

WHAT NOW? Write a list of some of your negative habits or thoughts. Tell God about each thing on your list, then next to each one, write something positive that you could replace it with.

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Learning from Moses (3)

Monday 26 October

‘He was looking ahead to his reward.’ Hebrews 11:26 NIV

Third: you must determine your priorities.

‘He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.’ At that time, a lot of the world’s wealth was stored in Egypt. So Moses already had what many people spend their lives trying to get: popularity, pleasure, and possessions. But when God asked him to do something that was more important, he did it. It was a matter of priorities. Moses could easily have rationalised, ‘The slave situation is bad, so I’ll stay in the system and work for reform.’ Many people crave popularity, and most of us want to be liked, but the problem with being popular is that it often doesn’t last. Then there’s pleasure.

We all want to have fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that unless we find our fun in sinful things. Then there are possessions.

There’s nothing wrong with material success – some of the greatest people in the Bible, like Abraham and Solomon, were extremely wealthy. But Jesus said, ‘Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions’ (Luke 12:15 NIV). In the end, wealth doesn’t bring happiness. Money should be used – not loved. God wants us to use things and love people. But if we love things we’ll end up using people. Moses had his priorities right; he devalued material things because there was something more important in his life – God’s will.

WHAT NOW? Being completely honest with yourself, write down popularity, pleasure, possessions, and God’s will in order of priority in your life. If God’s will isn’t at the top, spend time talking to God about your priorities and ask Him to help you work on changing the order.

Want to learn more about the Bible? Find our latest reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App at ucb.co.uk/ucbyouversion

Learning from Moses (4)

Tuesday 27 October

‘By faith…he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.’ Hebrews 11:27 NIV

Fourth: you must persevere when life gets difficult. Moses’ life could be summarised in these two words: ‘He persevered.’ Moses understood that difficulties come into every life, and he knew how to respond to them correctly and move on. And we must learn to do that too. As followers of Christ, we should never let problems defeat us; instead, we should let them draw us closer to God. God allows specific situations in our lives to bring growth, and without perseverance we won’t get very far. Notice the words ‘By faith…he persevered. Moses’ faith and trust in God helped him through every challenge he faced. When God calls us to do a job, He doesn’t just give us the task and then leaves us to deal with it by

ourselves in our own strength. He equips and empowers us. He walks alongside us, encouraging us and letting us draw on His strength. He goes ahead of us and provides everything we need. When we say yes to His plan for our lives, we can stand on this promise: ‘We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28 NIV). If you want to live a life that’s successful in God’s eyes, you should do these four things: a) know who you are; b) take responsibility for your life; c) determine your priorities; and d) persevere when life gets difficult. If you stick closely to these Bible truths, you’ll live a life that’s truly blessed by God.

WHAT NOW? Read the full account of Moses’ life in the Bible a few times so you’re really familiar with it.

When you’re going through a difficult time and want to give up, think back over Moses’ story for encouragement to help you persevere.

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Pray in A.C.T.S.

Wednesday 28 October

‘With thankful hearts offer up your prayers.’ Philippians 4:6 CEV

Talking to God is vital to our Christian life – after all, being a Christian is defined by our relationship with Him. Philippians 4:6-7 instruct us: ‘With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand.

And this peace will control the way you think and feel’ (CEV). But it can be hard to get our mindset about prayer right. An old acronym to shape our conversations with God, especially to avoid ‘shopping list’ prayers, is A.C.T.S – adoration, confession, thanks, and supplication.

1) Begin with adoration. The idea is that every conversation with God should start with us recognising who He is. It really can change our outlook to briefly put aside what we need, and even praise for what God has done, to focus on His incredible personality. What God does

in the world is different in different situations, but His love for us, and the person He is, never changes. That’s why we focus on that first. 2) Second, confess. Once we’ve reminded ourselves of the loving, forgiving personality of God, we should spend time working through our wrongs with Him, and step into His forgiveness. 3) Then, give thanks. This is the time to thank God for the things that He’s done, is doing, and will do, and recognise specific things that we have to be grateful for. 4) Finally, comes supplication, the idea of making a request to God. Once we’ve got our perspective right, then we can bring the things on our heart before God, sharing what we need, want, and care about. We may even find that our requests start to align with God’s heart once we’ve adored and thanked Him, and confronted our wrongdoing first.

WHAT NOW? Set aside some time to pray, using the A.C.T.S. acronym to shape how you talk to God.

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Choose contentment

Thursday 29 October

UCB.CO.UK/playyourpart

‘Set your mind and keep focused.’ Colossians 3:2 AMP

There are so many things that happen in the world that can easily affect our mind and emotions. We need to learn that, with God, we have the power to rise above them.

With God’s Spirit living in us, we have so much more control over our outlook than we often recognise. There will always be things in our lives that we don’t feel great about. It’s impossible for everything around us to make us happy. However, contentment is separate to our in-the-moment feelings of happiness. In our Christian lives, contentment means accepting what God has given you and praising Him through it, and that comes down to a choice. 1 Timothy 6:6 tells us that ‘godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it’ (NIV). Paul is reminding us there that the things around us don’t need to dictate whether we’re content

in God or not. What we have around us in this world is temporary, but God’s love and care is forever. Colossians 3:1-2 carries the instruction to ‘set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things’ (NIV). By doing that, we can find stability. Jesus never changes, so when our hearts are set on Him, our unreliable emotions filter out, and our certainty in God can help us choose to praise God for everything that He is. This brings us back to the idea of adoration that we thought about yesterday. Spending time focussing on who God is, putting aside what’s going on around us, and even what we think God is or isn’t doing in this moment, will help us set our hearts and minds on His personality, and lead us to choose contentment.

WHAT NOW? Complete this sentence as many times, in as many different ways, as you can: ‘God is always…’

T H I S I S PA G E 6 0

‘Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!’ Proverbs 15:23 NLT One of the easiest areas to repeatedly trip can be dramatically positive when we invite up on sin is in the way that we speak. So God into what we say. Proverbs 15:23 also often, our mouth lets something slide out reminds us that ‘everyone enjoys a fitting before we’ve fully thought about what we’re reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing saying. But that can cause so much damage. at the right time!’ (NLT). When we work with Proverbs 18:21 tells us that ‘the tongue can God to resist the urge to speak negatively, bring death or life; those who love to talk we really can shine a light to those around will reap the consequences’ (NLT). It really us. It will take prayer and real practice, but is that serious. All of our words carry our it is possible with God to make it a habit to thoughts directly into someone else’s mind. check ourselves before speaking. Even while A careless word from us can dramatically we’re working on curbing negative words, alter the way that other people think, feel, we can send out as many good words as and even live their lives. God calls us to possible. Let’s make a real effort to use every be diligent with our words, because our conversation that we have as an opportunity conversations have so much power. However, to share something of the hope and joy that the positive side to this is that if our words we’ve found in God. Imagine the trail of have so much influence, then the outcome positivity you’d leave everywhere you go.

Words

Friday 30 October

WHAT NOW? It takes time and prayer to get a grip on controlling your spoken words, so take advantage of how easy it is to thoughtfully shape your written words. Send a positive message to someone today, including something about how God is working in your life.

Want to learn more about the Bible? Find our latest reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App at ucb.co.uk/ucbyouversion

Work ethic

Saturday 31 October ‘Those who work hard make a profit, but those who only talk will be poor.’

Proverbs 14:23 NCV When we like the work we’re doing, it’s easy to be enthusiastic about it and have a good work ethic. But when we’re stuck doing something we don’t enjoy, it’s just as easy to do it half-heartedly and carelessly. But God calls us to have a good work ethic whatever we’re doing, and however we feel about the task itself. Paul wrote: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters’ (Colossians 3:23 NIV). We can read something similar in Ephesians: ‘Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people’ (6:7 NLT). And in the Old Testament, we find this: ‘Whatever work you do, do your best’ (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NCV). All of this tells us that working hard and being diligent is

another way of worshipping God. When we look at our work from this perspective – as a way to glorify God – it makes it easier for us to approach the tasks set out for us with a joyful heart and to try to do them well, even if we’re not thrilled by them. God designed work, and designed us to work. After God created the world, He took Adam and ‘put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’ (Genesis 2:15 NIV). But even though God wants us to work hard, it doesn’t mean we should take it too far and become workaholics. God set the example for us when He rested on the seventh day (take a look at Genesis 2:2-3). He didn’t need to rest, but He wanted to set the pattern for us. So let’s glorify Him by working as He wants us to.

WHAT NOW? Is there a household task that you dislike and try to avoid? Today, do that task, but before you do it, take a couple of minutes to devote your heart and your work to God. T H I S I S PA G E 6 1

Your way to Jesus A decision to make...

GOD LOVES ME

I HAVE SINNED

Psalm 100:5 and 1 John 3:16

Isaiah 59:2 and Romans 6:23

These four points are an overview or summary of the entire Bible, and the first thing you need to know is that God is crazy about you. His love is unlimited and completely unconditional. There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more or less than He does right now. There is nothing that God wants more than to love and be loved by you.

Sadly we have been separated from God’s love by something the Bible calls sin. Simply put, sin is choosing to live for ourselves rather than God. We sin when we ignore God, break His laws and basically do things our own way. Sin destroys relationships with friends, with family and with God. The Bible says that sin ultimately brings death.

I NEED TO JESUS DECIDE DIED FOR ME TO LIVE FOR GOD 1 John 4:9-10 and Romans 5:8

The third point is probably one of the most well-known facts in the history of mankind but is often misunderstood. The key is to realise that the penalty for sin is death.

We’ve all sinned and we all deserve to die. But God, who is full of mercy, loved you so much that He sent Jesus to come and die in your place.

Jesus died and rose again so that we can have eternal life.

Deuteronomy 30:19 and 1 John 1:9 God has done everything He can to demonstrate just how important you are to Him. It is now up to you to decide what you want to do. God is offering you life in all its fullness for all eternity. All you need to do is accept you’ve sinned, ask for God’s forgiveness and decide to live the rest of your life only for Him. The choice is yours.

PRAYER Dear God, thank You that You love me and want the best for me in every situation. I’m sorry for ignoring You and doing things my way. I realise now that my sin has hurt You and the people around me and for this I’m truly sorry. Thank You, Jesus, that You came and took the punishment for my sin. Thank You that You gave Your life for me. Please forgive me and help me now as I decide to live only for You. Amen.

UCB using the 4POINTS by kind permission of the WWW.THE4POINTS.COM

Ac k nowl edge m e nts Aug 2: Sims, A., ed., An Hour with George Müller: The Man of Faith to Whom God Gave Millions (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1939), accessed August 30, 2018, www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bmuller7.html.

Grady, Lee, ‘Pray Beyond Delay!’, Charisma Magazine (September 2012).

Aug 3: Grady, ‘Pray Beyond Delay!’

Aug 6: Ortberg, John, The Me I Want to Be (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 209.

Aug 7: Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be, 209.

Aug 8: Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be, 209.

Aug 9: Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be, 210.

Aug 12: Cooke, Phil, Jolt! (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 13-15.

Aug 14: God’s Little Devotional Book for Moms (Colorado Springs, CO: Honor Books, 1995).

Aug 16: God’s Little Devotional Book for Men (Colorado Springs, CO: Honor Books, 1996), 97.

Aug 17: Maxwell, John C., How Successful People Think (New York: Center Street, 2009), 1-4.

Aug 18: Pegues, Deborah Smith, 30 Days to Taming Your Fears (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2011), 93, 94.

Aug 19: Pegues, 30 Days to Taming Your Fears, 95, 96.

Aug 20: Pegues, 30 Days to Taming Your Fears, 96.

Aug 21: Pegues, 30 Days to Taming Your Fears, 97, 98.

Aug 24: Merritt, James, In a World of…Friends, Foes and Fools (Maitland, FL: Xulon Press, 2008), 61.

Aug 26: Dobson, Dr James, Dr Dobson’s Handbook of Family Advice (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1998), 191.

Aug 27: Evans, Tony, Life Essentials (Chicago: Moody, 2003).

Aug 28: Walker, Jon, ‘Jesus Stopped’, accessed July 13, 2010, www. gracecreates.com; Swindoll, Charles R., Killing Giants: Pulling Thorns (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 105-106.

Aug 30: Murdock, Mike, The Uncommon Minister (Fort Worth, TX: Wisdom International, 1999), 17-19.

Aug 31: Lucado, Max, Grace (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2014).

Sep 1: Lucado, Grace.

Sep 3: Larson, Craig Brian and Leadership Journal, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers (Ada, MI: Baker Books, 2008), 236-237.

Sep 4: Blackaby, Henry T. & Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998),193, 278; Schuller, Robert H., ‘Hope – Part V’, www.positiveminute@hourofpower.com.

Sep 5: James, Frank A. III (Provost of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary), ‘In the Shadow of Mount Hood’, Christianity Today, posted October 5, 2010.

Sep 6: Merritt, Friends, Foes and Fools, 173.

Sep 7: Meyer, Joyce, Power Thoughts, (Brentwood, TN: FaithWords, 2010), 33, 34.

Sep 27: Merritt, Friends, Foes and Fools, 109, 118.

Oct 7: How to Pray without Ceasing: Jack Hayford Tape #3206 www.livingway. org. 9/27/09; DeMoss, Nancy Leigh, Choosing Gratitude (Chicago: Moody, 2009).

Oct 8: DeMoss, Choosing Gratitude.

Oct 9: Merritt, Friends, Foes and Fools, 81.

Oct 10: God’s Little Devotional Book (Colorado Springs, CO: Honor Books, 2005), 246-247.

Oct 11: Mason, John, Believe You Can (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2010), 179; God’s Little Devotional Book, 255.

Oct 12: Walker, Jon, ‘Do You Know God’s Generosity?’, accessed October 26, 2010, www.info@gracecreates.com.

Oct 13: Swindoll, Charles R., Killing Giants: Pulling Thorns (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 122-126.

Oct 14: God’s Little Devotional Book, 256-257.

Oct 17: Meyer, Joyce, New Day, New You: 366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life (Brentwood, TN: FaithWords, 2007), 39.

Oct 18: Meyer, Power Thoughts, 24, 25. University of Rochester Medical Center, ‘Understanding the Teen Brain’, accessed 3 March, 2020, www.urmc. rochester.edu. National Center for Biotechnology Information, ‘Maturation of the adolescent brain’, accessed 3 March, 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Oct 19: Murdock, The Uncommon Minister, 23-24, Aug 20: God’s Little Devotional Book, 272-273.

Oct 21: Meyer, Power Thoughts, 31-32.

Oct 24: Warren, Rick, God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions (Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan, 2006), 81-83.

Oct 25: Warren, God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions, 84-87.

Oct 26: Warren, God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions, 87-89.

Oct 27: Warren, God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions, 89, 90.

Oct 28: God’s Little Devotional Book, 211.

Oct 29: Meyer, Joyce, ‘Fickle Feelings’, Charisma Magazine (September 2012).

Oct 30: God’s Little Devotional Book, 240-241; Mason, Believe You Can, 174.

Oct 31: God’s Little Devotional Book, 216-217.

B ib l e A c knowle dge m e n ts Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified® Bible. Copyright ©1954, 1958, 1962,1964,1965,1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.lockman.org).

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.lockman.org).

Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version.

Copyright ©1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from the New Century Version®.

Copyright ©2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) and (NIVUK) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used

by Permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide, www.zondervan.com.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from The Authorised (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorised Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press (www.cambridge.org).

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®.

Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright ©1997, 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T H I S I S PA G E 6 3

14 SAT 15 SUN 16 MON 17 TUES 18 WED 19 THUR 20 FRI 21 SAT 22 SUN 23 MON 24 TUES 25 WED 26 THUR 27 FRI 28 SAT

1 COR 11:17-34

1 COR 12

1 COR 14:1-19

1 COR 14:20-40

1 COR 15:1-28

1 COR 15:29-58

1 COR 16

2 COR 2

2 COR 3

2 COR 4

2 COR 5

2 COR 6

PROV 10-12

PROV 13-15

PROV 16-18

PROV 19-21

PROV 22-24

PROV 25-26

PROV 27-29

PROV 30-31

ECC 1-3

ECC 4-6

ECC 7-9

LUKE 16:16-31 PS 89-90

2 COR 7

PROV 8-9

LUKE 16:1-15 PS 87-88

2 COR 1

PROV 6-7

LUKE 15:11-32 PS 84-86

1 COR 13

PROV 3-5

14 FRI

15 SAT

16 SUN

17 MON

18 TUES

19 WED

20 THUR

21 FRI

22 SAT

23 SUN

24 MON

25 TUES

26 WED

27 THUR

28 FRI

29 SAT

30 SAT

31 SAT

ECC 10-12

13 FRI

1 COR 11:1-16

PROV 1-2

13 THUR

30 MON

29 SUN

12 THUR

1 COR 10:18-33

JOB 41-42

12 WED

9 MON

LUKE 15:1-10 PS 81-83

9 SUN 11 WED

8 SUN

1 COR 8

JOB 34-35

8 SAT

1 COR 10:1-17

7 SAT

1 COR 7:20-40

JOB 32-33

7 FRI

JOB 38-40

6 FRI

1 COR 7:1-19

JOB 30-31

6 THUR

11 TUES

5 THUR

1 COR 6

JOB 28-29

5 WED

10 TUES

4 WED

1 COR 5

JOB 25-27

4 TUES

1 COR 9

3 TUES

1 COR 4

JOB 22-24

3 MON

JOB 36-37

2 MON

LUKE 14:25-35 PS 79-80

2 SUN

10 MON

1 SUN

SEPTEMBER

1 COR 3

JOB 20-21

1 SAT

AUGUST

4 SAT 5 SUN

2 COR 11 2 COR 12

IS 1-2

GAL 5

GAL 4

GAL 3

GAL 2

GAL 1

2 COR 13

PHILIP 4

PHILIP 3

PHILIP 2

PHILIP 1

EPH 6

EPH 5:17-33

PS 97-99

EPH 5:1-16

EPH 4

EPH 3

EPH 2

EPH 1

GAL 6

IS 53-55

IS 50-52

IS 47-49

COL 3

COL 2

COL 1

LUKE 18:18-43 PS 100-102

IS 45-46

IS 43-44

IS 41-42

IS 39-40

IS 37-38

IS 34-36

LUKE 18:1-17

IS 32-33

IS 30-31

IS 28-29

IS 26-27

IS 23-25

IS 20-22

LUKE 17:20-37 PS 94-96

IS 17-19

IS 14-16

IS 11-13

IS 9-10

IS 7-8

IS 5-6

LUKE 17:1-19

31 THUR

30 THUR

29 WED

28 TUES

27 MON

26 SUN

25 SAT

24 FRI

23 THUR

22 WED

21 TUES

20 MON

19 SUN

18 SAT

17 FRI

16 THUR

15 WED

14 TUES

13 MON

12 SUN

11 SAT

10 FRI

9 THUR

8 WED

7 TUES

6 MON

3 FRI

2 COR 10

SONG 6-8

PS 91-93

2 THUR

IS 3-4

1 WED

2 COR 9

SONG 4-5

OCTOBER 2 COR 8

SONG 1-3 1 THESS 1 1 THESS 2 PS 103-104 1 THESS 3 1 THESS 4 1 THESS 5 2 THESS 1 2 THESS 2 2 THESS 3

IS 59-61 IS 62-64 LUKE 19:1-27 IS 65-66 JER 1-2 JER 3-5 JER 6-8 JER 9-11 JER 12-14

1 TIM 2 1 TIM 3 1 TIM 4 1 TIM 5 1 TIM 6 PS 107-109 2 TIM 1 2 TIM 2 2 TIM 3 2 TIM 4 TITUS 1 TITUS 2

JER 18-19 JER 20-21 JER 22-23 JER 24-26 JER 27-29 LUKE 20:1-26 JER 30-31 JER 32-33 JER 34-36 JER 37-39 JER 40-42 JER 43-45

TITUS 3 PHILEMON HEB 1 HEB 2 HEB 3 HEB 4

JER 46-47 JER 48-49 JER 50 JER 51-52 LAM 1-2 LAM 3-5

LUKE 20:27-47 PS 110-112

1 TIM 1 JER 15-17

LUKE 19:28-48 PS 105-106

COL 4

IS 56-58

Bible in a year Simply start where and whenever you wish, and tick off the verses as you go.

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