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We can treat life how we treat eating toast! We can take it all and shove it and hope for the best.

But there is a better way and, having a beard, has made me more aware of the need to bread my toast into smaller pieces; any of us would do well to break up our lives into smaller pieces too.

I’m reminded of the phrase, ‘Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.’ And I think that is ever more relevant. The fact we can load that toast into our mouths doesn’t mean it is a good idea.

We can be so determined to run the race, that we call fall before the finish line – or even just keep on going right past it and not realise we can stop.

So, take life a little slower, take it in smaller bites when you can - and try cutting your toast into triangles – it’s less messy!

Just a thought… 

Andy B

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There are always issues to face in life. Sometimes we can pretty much work them out as we go. Sometimes, we need a manual. Or, in the case of the new video editing software we’re now using, lots of time spent watching YouTube videos kindly made by others!

One of the problems with us as human beings is that we don’t like to embrace change everywhere. And software can be one of those things that we like to stay as it was.

As human beings, however, we were – each one of us – made uniquely, and deliberately by God. There was no accident when we were made. It wasn’t random. God made us with a purpose, and on purpose; He made us by the work of His own hands and that includes some of Himself in everyone of us, that we can see in the emotions we have.

We can’t ignore change – it can be good for us and is often necessary. But I do wish software could be - more frequently - rather more intuitive because it matters not how good it is, if normal people can’t use it.

I also think that sometimes it can be less about learning how to do something new, and more about unlearning something we already know. It certainly is like this when we come to faith; when we meet Jesus and decide to do things His way: it takes a while to unlearn what we knew, so God can upgrade the software of our minds to the latest operating system.

So, when did you last surrender yourself to Jesus to see if you needed any updates? Unlike our phones and computers, there is always an update ready to install. Aren’t you glad it always works, and never conflicts with that which is good; with that which is God

Just a thought…

Andy B

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As a slight caveat, this is the first video edited with some new video editing software we’re now switching across to. I think it’s improved various elements of both the editing and the videos you can watch that we make. 

But we’d truly love to know what you think. Perhaps you can’t see a difference – we’d be grateful if you could let us know! We’re hoping that both the audio and the video have taken a turn for the better! Anyway, on to today’s Andy B!

We all know that we can influence others, and that others can influence us too. The question is always whether or not that influence is healthy: are others leading us towards Jesus, or away from Him? And, likewise, are we helping turn people towards Jesus, or not?

If you’re going around shouting at people about how evil they are you’ve missed the point of scripture – for starters – and are likely pushing them further from Jesus. If you go around, peacefully, letting the light of Jesus within you, draw others to Jesus, you’re helping build God’s kingdom here on earth.

Trending is a term made far more popular due to social media, such as Twitter or Instagram. If you can get people using ‘your word’ then you can, in theory, push up your brand. Business uses this all the time, because they can tie that trend to themselves. So, when anybody used that trend it helps lift awareness of that brand.

Hence the term, What’s Trending? Although it’s worth noting that nobody can own a hashtag. So #whatstrending may become popular. You have been the first one to use it, but they’re just words, so ownership can never be assigned to one person.

Recently, we had a #WhatsTrending moment when Steven had some toast cut up into triangles. Jo saw it and thought she’d have the same. I saw what Steven and Jo were eating, and copied them. Steven’s tiny choice over how to eat his breakfast affected the breakfast choices of two others.

Ok, this is a fairly minor thing. But these sorts of influences happen every day, because we all influence the people around us, as they influence us

The only question we should be routinely asking of ourselves is are people seeing good trends from us or bad ones

Just a thought…

Andy B

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I sent a quick message to a friend. I’d fixed a bin. He was a mechanic, so I told him what I’d managed to do, with my own hands and some ingenuity (and some super glue and cable ties).

I also took the opportunity to check on how he is doing. He is a good friend, and someone who had given all for his country, and pays the price of that sacrifice today. So, I checked in with him – as I frequently do.

His reply was asking me about my 6th sense, because he was not doing great, and my message had come at just the right time. And, while I certainly don’t have any sort of a 6th sense, I am filled with the Holy Spirit and, sometimes, quieten my own thoughts enough to hear what He is trying to say to me. This was one of those times! 😊

When you hear those promptings let me encourage you to be gold with them, and do something.

If that voice is asking you to do anything the bible would not agree with, then that voice is not from God. Learn to filter that voice, recognise and ignore it – a bit like a spam filter on an email account; put it straight in the trash, and unsubscribe from future messages! It usually comes with confusion, anxiety, guilt or some other negative emotion (or something illegal or simply wrong!).

We have tremendous power in this life to do much good, and much harm. So, take a moment, and pray today. Ask God who needs to hear from you, and get in touch

We may never get a reply – I regularly don’t. But sometimes I do, and that pushes me on to keep trying to reach out and encourage others

Just a thought… 

Andy B

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For our first episode of season 6, we are focusing on celebrating progress in our spiritual and physical lives.

Endurance is your weekly spiritual workout, whether you think of yourself as a beginner, an intermediate, or advanced!

#GoDeeper

For GoDeeper this week, Steven encourages us to celebrate the progress that we make in our faith, as well as in exercise.

He challenges us to keep on making progress in our faith by practicing our giftings and skills. He also gives us a ‘how-not-to’ guide on progressing as a Christian from 2 Timothy.

In addition to all this, he points out that there are certain areas of our life where we will struggle with progress, but we should celebrate those little steps we make.

#GoDo 

For the final segment, Nathan asks Steven a couple of questions about his talk:

1.   It’s been said that in your spiritual walk, you are either going forward or backward. Would you say that’s correct?

2.   How do you celebrate your progress?

Watch this, the first episode of this season, to find out Steven’s answers to these questions.

Steven and Nathan

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What's coming up in our next Endurance Podcast?

For our first episode of season 6, we are focusing on celebrating progress in our spiritual and physical lives.

Endurance is your weekly spiritual workout, whether you think of yourself as a beginner, an intermediate, or advanced!

Join us for Endurance: Sundays from 2pm!

Steven and Nathan

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Jesus will return one day. It states it in the clearest of terms at the end of the bible, but also all the way through the bible too. Jesus IS coming back, and there WILL be a judgment made of those who are going to heaven, and those who are going to hell. This may not be popular teaching, but it is true none the less. 

But, how should we wait for His return?

Well, firstly, we have to realise that we can never know when Jesus is coming back. If anybody ever tells you’ve they’ve worked it out, they’re lying to you and themselves. Plain and simple – not even Jesus knew the time when He would return, so no human being can ever know!

Witnessing a conversation between some Christian bloggers I was saddened to see unpleasantness erupt around “works and salvation”. These religious words are usually used when one states that we can not go to heaven (salvation) based on what we have done (our works) it is absolutely true that what we do (our works) will not get us into heaven. More on that below!

While there is debate around whether or not it is possible to lose your salvation (in other words whether or not you can become a Christian then stop being a Christian and lose your place in heaven) and I have heard both, that is not relevant here. What is relevant is to say is that salvation without works IS a huge problem! Because, ultimately, if we love Jesus, then there should be works evident in our lives of that love, for others to see, hear and witness.

You don’t need church or baptism or communion to be a Christian, as good and beneficial as they are. But you do need works. Not because works will assure you a place in heaven – they can not do that. But, because without works there is no evidence of faith. And, without any evidence of a faith I’d be seriously questioning the salvation of that person.

If you want to go to heaven you need to have a relationship with Jesus Christ – you need to say sorry for everything you have done which is wrong, and you need to believe that Jesus died and rose again in 3 days. Nothing else will get you into heaven, and you don’t need anything else to ‘push you over the line’. Jesus already did what was impossible, by making it possible for us to go heaven in the first place – you get to heaven through a relationship with Jesus, and nothing else can add to that, or replace that.

And that’s it. It isn’t complicated!

Just a thought… 

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60 Seconds is all it takes to make sure you've not missed out on any of our posts, videos and resources - or exciting events we've got coming up.

Coming Up

BerryBunch Programmes are back! After a month of all sorts of other projects for the BerryBunch, our regular schedule is back up and running.

The only exception is Marriage Matters which will return in the New Year - with some exciting changes planned.

Dave Unleashed also returns in a couple of weeks with Story Times going out weekly anyway - because we use those in our Konnect Radio show every Sunday between 3pm and 6pm (UK time)!

Endurance

In the first episode of this new Season of Endurance, Steven and Nathan begin by looking at Celebrating Progress and what that means to us in our physical and spiritual exercise.

Family Prayer Time

Family Prayer Time kicks off (albeit in a lovely gentle way of course!!) with a Season of prayers from the bible. Jo and Peter begin with the most most well know of them all - the Lord's Prayer.

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Our kitchen has a sensor which enables the lid to raise, and hold in place – open – at just the swipe of your hand. Or your butt if you back towards it. It really isn’t fussy!

Anyway, ours stopped working and a critical element of this capability is a small black box that joins a motor to the bin lid itself. And inside this black box are a number of small plastic white cogs, and one black cog.

In checking out to see what was broken one of these cogs flipped out, and I managed to knock another one loose: I did not know which way they were supposed to fit together, and there were an alarmingly large number of possibilities as I soon was to discover! I got there in the end, but with no details on how they should be, it took me longer than it needed to.

In life it can feel as though our cogs – the different parts of our life - are not meshing together well! Sometimes we need to have them replaced or just relocated. And, as Christians, that means handing over the keys to our car, so to speak, to the Holy Spirit. He comes, as the gentle person He is, to rearrange those parts of our life which have simply gone out of alignment.

But, in order for Him to do His work, we need to allow Him to do so – and that means inviting Him into our hearts and minds to put things the way they should be, and need to be, as per the Maker’s Instructions.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Our sensor bin gets used often and, as it gets used, the batteries eventually get tired and give up their efforts. We put in hew batteries, or freshly recharged batteries, and it becomes all spritely once more.

Are you struggling with feeling tired all the time? You’re serving God but never feel the benefit of His refreshing and recharging?

Then it’s quite possible you’re doing something either in your own strength or against God’s will for your life. Either way leaves you feeling tired, worn down and fed up.

God ALWAYS equips us for the work He asks us to carry out. He will never trick us into doing something and leave us fending for ourselves – that simply isn’t in God’s nature.

So, if you’re tired and run down go back to God and ask Him what His plans are for your life.

Just a thought… 

Andy B

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