TEXT: ‘We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith and are saved’ (Hebrews 10:39 GNT). Our text is the last verse before the great chapter on faith’s exploits (Hebrews chapter 11). We all want the accolade of having great faith, but usually we want to avoid the difficulties we would have to go through to receive such praise. If every person who made a decision for Christ were faithful and in church regularly, how different our churches would be. 1. Everyone faces the temptation to turn back from following Christ – ‘If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world’ (Hebrews 11:15 TLB). When Jesus said, ‘Many are called but few are chosen’ (Matthew 22:14), He was not implying God would only choose a select few. God wants everyone to respond to His call, but not everyone responds in a way that makes them suitable. One minute they are on fire with enthusiasm, the next minute they are heading back into the world. Whatever God has called us out from, whether a country, lifestyle, crisis or the consequences of bad choices, there will always be the temptation to turn back to it. ‘A pig that...
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TEXT: ‘When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! ’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour (Matthew 8:10,13). The Bible says, ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God’ (Ephesians 2:8). What a wonderful gift faith is. Without it we cannot be saved. With it we can please God (See Hebrews 11:5-6). The encounter of Jesus and the Centurion shows how faith acts. These principles are there for us to imitate, so we too can experience miraculous answers from God. 1. Faith sees Faith sees that situations beyond human help can be changed. The Centurion saw how sick his servant was, ready to die with no remedy in sight or medicine to prolong his life, but he believed that his servant’s life didn’t have to end that way. The Centurion had heard about all the miracles Jesus had been doing which caused faith to spring up to believe that his servant would experience a miracle too! The impossible situation you are facing, can you...
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TEXT: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand’ (Philippians 4:4). In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the word “rejoice” is used eleven times, so it’s important to take note of why he used this word. As we move through 2025, let’s rejoice a bit more. Sometimes we cannot change our circumstances, but we can ensure that circumstances only change us for the better. Today’s Teaching focusses on some key reasons why Paul was able to rejoice! 1. Because he did not have to rely on his own efforts to please God to be saved – ‘We Christians glory (rejoice) in what Christ Jesus has done for us and realise that we are helpless to save ourselves’ (3:3 TLB). Paul was brought up a strict Pharisee. He was hard on himself and others if God’s law was broken. Out of zeal for God he persecuted Christians. He prided himself on being blameless keeping the law of Moses (3:6). It was a shock to discover he could never do enough to have eternal life and that all he had to do was to believe in Jesus, the very One he was trying to destroy! The things Paul had trusted...
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