‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ we instinctively ask when we see people suffering, and when we are suffering ourselves we ask ‘Why is this happening to me?’  We are in good company, as the Bible asks exactly the same questions.

Sometimes the pressures we face are just too much to bear and it feels like we can’t go on. What do we do when we have nothing left and can no longer cope?

There are all kinds of things to make us feel uncertain about the year ahead. Today we hear from someone who was right in the middle of suffering and uncertainty but something gave him hope for the times ahead.

2020 was a pretty difficult year for most of us in all sorts of ways.  We’re all hoping that 2021 will be a bit more normal and a bit less stressful.  You may even have decided what you’ll do to make it better.  But will it be, and what if it isn’t? 

After Christmas there are usually just a few days of festivities left and then it’s back to normal, ordinary life.  However the Bible’s Christmas story also ends with a return to normality, and this anti-climax helps change our perspective on mundane day to day life.  

Christmas can bring us a lot of joy but it also has its challenges, especially this year. What help is the message of the original Christmas to your (perhaps challenging) Christmas in 2020?

The birth of Jesus 2000 years ago is the historical event may people remember at Christmas, but what why did he come and what difference does it make to our lives today?

Many people know the Christmas story, often from school Nativity plays: The baby Jesus is born to the Virgin Mary and placed in a manger.  But is it just a story for children or is it possible to believe that it actually happened?  

Many people would feel that Christmas is definitely for them, except for the Jesus bit. You may feel you’re not the right sort of person, but today we look at the family history of Jesus and find that you might be in good company. 

We love the idea of peace at Christmas, both around the world and in our homes. Unfortunately, many things aren’t peaceful at Christmas. What impact does Jesus and the first Christmas make to us having “Peace on Earth”?