Life Issues

Which do you prioritise in your life: Bible or box set ? Prayer or playlist? Service or socials? In truth, for many of us streaming probably has a higher slice of our pie chart that the Spirit.

So in a world where priorities battle for our attention and demand our effort, what are the priorities that the Gospel might set for our lives and how can we use His Truth to get the right balance when it comes to our work, leisure, health, the world around us or even church?

Life Issues this week Gospel priorities in a uncertain world where Paul Hammond is joined by Peter Lynas and Jenine Main.

Ever feel like your own thoughts and emotions are holding you back? Drawing from the message of Disentangled, Author Jo Johnson joins Ashley Andrew to explore how to practically manage some of what’s going on inside us, so we can live with greater freedom, clarity, and as the bible says develop a sound mind. Not pretending everything’s fine, but learning how to respond well when it’s not. This week's Life Issues: Disentangling the mind

Do you think we should ban mobile phones in school? Do you think we should ban social media for under 16's? Should we all be pairing back on our social media use? Reports suggest that algorithams are addictive, so how do we guide young people through the hidden dangers of screens shaping their identity? It's been descirbed as a health emergency confronting children, with the claim that theres a stong link between this and substantial increase in rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, and self harm among teenagers. So who should have the final say on how young people access online content? That's the doomscroll dilemma. In this weeks Life Issues episode Ashley is joined by Content Writer for CARE, Dan Wells.

Lets be honest most of us want to be liked, valued, appreciated but how far are we prepared to go to make that happen? We’re told that, as far as we are able we should live at peace with all, but that’s different to living a life to “please people” in fact that’s something the bible warns against, so in a world that seems obsessed with impressing others, what does it mean to be a people pleaser? What does it do to us if we are & how does having a “servant heart” fit in? Paul is joined by UK and Ireland Directors for Ellel Ministries, Andy and Cath Taylor, in this weeks Life Issues episode 'People pleasers, is that really what we want to be'

Did you know horses, chickens, guinea pigs- even fish can be used in animal-assisted therapy? In this week’s Life Issues with Vicky Gibbens, she finds out about the journey of one Christian Mum, Ali Colley, who was unexpectedly called by God to train in this area of mental and emotional wellbeing. Her daughter, Hope, at seven years old, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.

We may have many dreams & expectations for our children, yet most of all we want them to be healthy. But for Karen & Gordon Palmer they discovered before their first daughter, Jennifer Grace, was even born, that she had multiple, life-threatening abnormalities. In this Life Issues episode with Vicky Gibbens, they share how God stepped in and carried them, as they carried Jennifer.

How much of our time do we focus on the here and now, and dealing with the everyday challenges, rather than looking to the future? Is eternity about our happiness, or God coming home to be truly with us? Is it even possible to live a heaven-soaked life now? The Right Reverend Professor N.T.Wright, a world-renowned Bible scholar and the former Bishop of Durham joins Vicky Gibbens for this Life Issues.

Around the world 1 in 7 Christians face persecution, so what is the hope we can offer to them – and given what the bible says about the expectation of persecution could their example, experience and theology be more in tune with biblical Christianity than our “comfortable” freedom based, western experience? In this week’s Life Issues, Hope for and from the Persecuted Church Paul is joined by Henrietta Blyth CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland.

Do you ever struggle with inconsistency of the Christian Walk? What if our “relaxed”, “I can pray anytime” attitude, towards spending time with God, that much of modern faith has come to inhabit, contributes to that?

In years gone by, the monastic rule of life provided a framework and focus through the day, that pointed towards our Father in heaven. So given that the bible tells us to Be still & know…. What if we could embrace a “rule” for life, that balanced the best of that history with the freedom of spontaneous spirituality?

This week’s Life Issues - A spiritual rule to make good faith habits.

When it comes to faith is it ok to say I don't always get it? I mean, can we ever fully understand God; the all-powerful all-knowing creator of the universe?

Maybe the mystery of God is why you struggle to believe? But what if we are not meant to figure it all out? In this week’s Life Issues Helen is joined by Zach Bolen who is lead singer and guitarist from Citizens, a band whose music delves into the relationship between doubt and faith…