The first habit of someone practising the way of Jesus is prayer. What can we learn about prayer from Jesus’ own life, and how can we carry that into our lives?

Simeon and Anna waited in the Temple, and rejoiced to welcome the baby Jesus as the fulfilment of all their hopes!

Psalm 48 verse 9 gave us a clue of how they meditated on God's promises with minds full of the love of God ... We can find similar resources for our own times of waiting ...

Israel and Judah turned away from the Lord, and turned to the gods of Canaan and the worship of idols. The consequence was that they were 'removed from his presence' into Exile, just as Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden in Genesis 3. Luther wrote: 'Whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that is your god': a challenge to us to examine our lives to see what are the 'idols' that are drawing us away from Christ, and to ensure that we keep him at the centre of our lives.

"Today, the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" - the most powerful one-sentence sermon. How do we respond?

What does it look like to be someone whose live is shaped by that of Jesus? How do we put this into practice?