Philippians 1.3-5 NLT 'Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it unt...
Philippians 1.1-2 NLT 'This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.' The apostle Paul is absolutely cl...
READ: Psalm 59.17 NLT 'O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.' Is your life a struggle at the moment? I’m really sorry if that’s the case, but I want to encourage you with the tho...
READ: Psalm 57.8-9 NLT 'Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.' I have always loved singing and have sung with m...
READ: Psalm 56.8 NLT 'You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.' Everything seemed to be going wrong for David when he wrote this psalm. He was being attacked contin...
READ: Matthew 5.14-16 NLT “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In...
READ: Matthew 5.13 NLT 'You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.' I have often heard people say that they are happy fo...
READ: Matthew 5.10 NLT 'God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.' The life to which Jesus calls us is one of blessing. This is life at its very best. But Jesus never tried to disguise the fact ...
READ: Matthew 5.9 NLT 'God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.' In this Beatitude Jesus isn’t talking about being peace- lovers but peace-makers, and that’s something very different. A peace-lover will o...
READ: Matthew 5.8 NLT 'God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.' If you have any gold or silver you will know that it is vital that the metal is free from all impurity. If it is even slightly impure it will be worth only...
READ: Matthew 5.7 NLT 'God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.' Jesus told many stories that make us sit up. One of the most powerful was the story of the king who was owed millions of pounds by one of his servants. (Mat...
READ: Matthew 5.6 NLT God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. I wonder when you last felt painfully hungry or thirsty. I suspect for most of us that, if it has ever happened, it is a distant memory. However, i...
READ: Matthew 5.5 NLT God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. Mother Teresa taught the world a great deal about humility. She gave us a wonderful example of what it looks like through her costly service to the most re...
READ: Matthew 5.4 NLT God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. The word that is used for mourn here is also used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to describe Jacob’s grief when he was led to believe that Jose...
READ: Matthew 5.3 NLT “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Robert Powell acted the part of Jesus in Franco Zeffirelli’s film Jesus of Nazareth. He claims that his life was changed by th...
