Life Issues

It can increasingly feel as if we are living in a society that has moved on from Christianity – either deeming it irrelevant or responsible for doing more harm than good. In this Life Issues, Sharon James encourages us to take confidence from and maybe shout about the way Christianity has changed the world, and share a Gospel that is and has always been a force for good.

Is it true some people express their worship every Saturday at the football or is it exclusively something for God?

And what exactly do we mean by worship? Is it innate or intentional? And is it true that just like football, worship can bring us together, whatever our age?

In this week's Life Issues Helen Price spoke with Nick and Becky Drake.

What is prayer, why do so many of us struggle with it, why do our well-meant commitments to launch out into the deep of a life built on & filled with prayer founder on the rocks of distraction, discouragement & even despair? And when it comes to listening to God and hearing His answers - how do we know when we’re hearing from the one who made or when it’s ‘just us’? 

Amy Boucher Pye takes on all these questions and more in this episode of Life Issues.

What factors make a young person susceptible to leading a life of violence? And what does it take for them to choose a better path instead? Claud Jackson addresses these questions with his own personal insights and powerfully testifies to how a loving God can redeem broken lives in this episode of Life Issues.

Fake news is a hot topic in our media saturated world. How good are we as Christians at knowing fact from fiction? 

Paul Woolley joins Paul to discuss the importance of discerning ‘the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’.

They bring the majority of our food and the gadgets we use every day, yet those in the maritime industry are frequently underappreciated. Vicky Gibbens has been speaking to Jan Webber BEM, Director of Development at the Mission to Seafarers and Mark Classen, Port Chaplain at Richard’s Bay in South Africa. They’ve been sharing about the vital support for seafarers experiencing isolation and exploitation.

The last couple of years have given society a bit of a wakeup call when it comes to valuing and appreciating our emergency services. On Life Issues this week, we’re asking about the unseen parts of the job, why emergency workers make the sacrifices they do, and how we can pray for those who man the front line of crisis in our nation.

Paul Hammond is joined by Marie Reavey from Christian Police Association National Chair and Fr Andrew Wragg, Lead Chaplain in Staffordshire Fire and Rescue.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Yet all too often we struggle to recognise the voice of God in our lives. What if we get it wrong and mix it up with our own human desires?

Armed with practical pointers, Dr Tania Harris joins Vicky Gibbens in this week’s Life Issues to help us confidently discern God’s voice.

What does it mean to have a sense of duty and is it a concept which still has relevance for today? Kate Forbes, the Scottish Parliament’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy shares why her conviction on Christian responsibility has compelled her to count the cost and step forward into the political arena.

Is there a Christian responsibility to protest? What type of protest is acceptable? How far is too far, and is violent protest ever justified? In light of the Westminster Government’s controversial move to crack down on large scale disruption by protesters in its Police Bill, this week’s Life Issues episode promises to be a lively and topical one!