Andy B Podcasts and Stuff

On this episode, we are looking at the idea of training for a purpose and with a goal.

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

#GoDeeper

In this week’s GoDeeper Steven starts off by relating the need to train for a marathon to the value of training for our future. He gives an example of training for the future from his own life.

Steven also warns about planning too much for the future, because after all we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. On that note, he points out that we can’t prepare ourselves for everything.

#GoDo 

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

1. We should prioritise spiritual training over physical training, don’t you think?
2. I suppose as Christians we should be motivated. Is that true?
3. Why do you want to be a Royal Marine?

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

Steven and Nathan

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Introduction

In this episode of Marriage Matters, Andy B and Jo take a look again at roles and responsibilities within our marriages – this time focusing less on the practical side and more on our attitude and heart. 

JoJo notes the need for ‘Sacrifice, Submission and Service’ and Andy B challenges us not to judge one another and to act out of love and compassion.

This week, Andy B shares two scriptures, one relating to the Church but noting the relevance in marriages and the second one about the Early Church and how they shared everything with joy and generosity, equally relevant to couples.

• 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
• Acts 2:44-46

Tips and Resources

·         Peaceful Wife – April Cassidy

·         Song of Songs – read together

The Take Away

Andy – We need to ensure that any of the thoughts we bring into our marriage, about how marriage should be, don’t get in the way of what our marriage could be. There’s plenty of pressures being married, that are unique to it. But they just need managing like in any other situation. Don’t judge what you see because we rarely see the bigger picture.

Jo – Our life as Christians should be very much on display within our marriages. As Christians we should be exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit, but our marriages also should be exhibiting exactly that too. While you can put on a Sunday smile to the people in your local church, that simply isn’t going to work within your marriage.

Andy and Jo

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What's coming up in our next Endurance Podcast?

On this episode, we are looking at the idea of training for a purpose and with a goal.

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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What's coming up in our next Marriage Matters Podcast?

In this episode of Marriage Matters, Andy B and Jo take a look again at roles and responsibilities within our marriages – this time focusing less on the practical side and more on our attitude and heart.

Join us for Marriage Matters: Saturdays from 4pm

Andy and Jo

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Send us Fan Mail

Every day we have to make decision whether to push ahead or pull back. It can be as simple as whether we rush into the car park for our daily work, or taking our time to letting someone take our place in the supermarket queue, or jumping in between two people who are arguing.

From the simple to the complex, we have to make these decisions.

Earlier, I went out for a cycle and got caught in the rain. I tried sheltering behind a tree as the rain was more horizontal than vertical. But, it didn’t offer me enough protection.

Eventually I made the decision just to push on ahead home which was just 5 minutes or so further along the road I was on.

In my case I made the right call – it rained for a good 60 minutes after I had arrived home. Much longer standing in the rain and I could have started to get cold.

But it doesn’t always work out like that – we often second guess ourselves to exhaustion wondering whether we should do something or not, and then beating ourselves up when it seems we made the wrong call.

And, yet, the best we can ever do is make the most wise, most righteous decision we can with the information in front of us. And, as Christians, that means praying, as well as working our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

We won’t always make the right decision. We will make mistakes. But, we can always learn to be more like Jesus, and more trusting of the Holy Spirit by seeking to listen out to His gentle voice, steering us along the road.

But, if rain is possible – take a rain coat just in case!

Just a thought… 

Andy B

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While cutting back some hedges I had a sudden, sharp, whack to my hand from a branch that had whipped towards me. Unfortunately, there was a thorn on said branch which banged into my hand. The remnants of a thorn were still stuck in my glove! so I got a good chance to examine the offending article – it looked complete, so I’m not overly worried right now about anything remaining in my finger.

However, having worked around wood for long enough, I also know not to do nothing!

It was a long time ago that the wife of a carpenter – who also happened to work in a pharmacy - gave me some great advice. As she pointed out herself, if her husband went to the doctor or hospital for every splinter he got, he’d never leave the place! Her advice – use some paste, usually used to treat warts, as it pulls any splinters that might be there, as well as any infection. And this is something I have done many times.

But, the whole process of feeling that pain, applying my ‘go to’ the paste under a plaster - and the solution I’ve frequently used - got me thinking about how we can allow hurt, bitterness and resentment to grow.

We justify our anger, or hatred, because what that person did to us was cruel and unfair, so we will not forgive them; “they don’t deserve it”.

We justify the hurt we caused another because they just needed some hard truths speaking to them. Why should I say sorry – “they started it”.

There is, of course, never any justification we can use for doing not forgiving people, or causing someone pain and not doing something about it. Jesus died for things He could not have done. He was definitely without fault – not something we can say of ourselves in this lifetime!

Get stuff sorted: it isn’t always possible, or even appropriate, to go and say sorry to the person we have wronged, but it is always possible say sorry to God.

Just a thought… 

Andy B

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On this episode, we look at how to be lights in a dark world.

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

#GoDeeper

For GoDeeper this week Steven is talking about being in the world but not of the world. He begins by explaining what it means to be of the world.

He gives us three particularly relevant Scriptures which he unpacks. He challenges us to not blend in, but rather stick out because of the Holy Spirit in us.

#GoDo 

For the final segment, Nathan asks Steven some questions about his talk:

1. I gather from those Scriptures you read that we can’t really be neutral. We can’t be on the middle ground, can we?
2. How do we go about obeying God when there is so much opposition to Christians in the world?
3. Do you have a decent bright torch?

Watch this week’s episode of Endurance to find out Steven’s answers to these questions.

Steven and Nathan

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Introduction

In this episode of Marriage Matters, Andy B and Jo look at who does what in our relationships – to putting the bin out, cleaning, cooking, staying at home, going out to work and more – not an exhaustive list!

Actually, as Andy and Jo discuss the issues and share their own stories, it happens again, they both realise that one episode on this subject will not do justice to working out roles and responsibilities in Marriage – another Part 2 is promised!

This week, Andy B is on the ball and slick with the scripture, well there was just the one!

• 1 Corinthians 12:21-26

 Tips and Resources

• Prevention is better than cure
• Don’t judge
• Communication is key
• Take time out to pray – maybe you need to change not your spouse!

Andy
If you’re blessed with a family that grows, get your children involved. Not so you can do less, but so that you can all, together, do more.

“It's not about doing less. It's about all working together to do more.”

Jo
You need to make plans in order to be organised as a family. That helps everyone know what is they need to be doing, and who has responsibility for what.

Do that “and it takes the stress away”!

Andy and Jo

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“You’ve got a friend in me” so the lyrics go from a song used in Toy Story. Wonder if you’re singing the rest of that song right now, or humming it and annoying your colleagues?

We are made to be with other people. God designed us to function in community – not isolation or solitude. He made us so we work best when we depend upon other people. That corporate effort is what can make the world sing, or scream. That depends on the other people…or does it? I’ll let you ponder that one on your own!

As a family we’ve been through all sorts of times in life, but while we have been forced to face some things alone, having people to support and help is always wonderful.

We are, each one of us, utterly unique. We all have different skills and gifts and talents that we can bring to bear to the people around us. We’ve been blessed with some super lovely people over the years. But are you the sort of person that other people want to help, or not? 

It’s perfectly possible to reject help without knowing it. And that can be super upsetting for willing hands and hearts. 

So, let people help you! Who knows what might develop from you accepting help and letting your own inability, or even vulnerability, show? But, and perhaps even more importantly – asking for help from others can let a little sunshine in to you own life, and their life too!

Don’t ever be afraid to say you can’t help if you can’t!

One minister had to put off moving into their new manse after some helpful church members did far more harm than good through willing hands that really shouldn’t have been let loose near a paint brush: if you don’t know a hammer from a paintbrush, perhaps stick to making tea instead. 

However, if you’re a professionally trained driver – like I am – then volunteering to drive the van for some people moving house will not tax you in the slightest, but could mean the world to them. It’s quite fun driving a baby truck if you’re more used to dealing with abnormal loads and driving 44 tonne trucks!

We all have skills, whether that’s making cups of tea, cheering people on, driving a van or plumbing in a washing machine. Let your skills help others – that’s exactly what Jesus did and look at what He managed to do!

And never be afraid to say no if you really can’t add value: people in distress don’t want willing people, but skilled people.

Just a thought… 

Andy B

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Endurance – Light Shines Brighter in the Darkness

Steven and Nathan discuss what it means to be in the world, but not of the world. They tackle the tough topic of sharing our faith with unbelievers. 

Steven explains what being ‘lights in the world’ means; it apparently has nothing to do with torches, as Nathan learns.

Family Prayer Time – Psalm 11

In Family Prayer Time JoJo and Peter read the whole of Psalm 11 which reminds us of how God protects us, and they both encourage us to read the psalms out as a family. JoJo says it is good to pray as a family, hence Family Prayer Time. 

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