The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel Youth

['I was speaking with a friend who is not a Christian. He is a charming and delightful person. He is a successful businessman and has made a great deal of money. He has a wonderful wife, a good marriage and a great family. Yet he spoke to me of the deep emptiness in his life, and the lack of peace and contentment he experiences.\n‘Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor,’ said the American Statesman, Benjamin Franklin. Few people seem to be genuinely content. As Martin Luther once said, ‘Contentment is a rare bird, but it sings sweetly in the breast.’\nThe Bible never promises that we will not face hard times or difficult situations. But it does promise us God’s strength and grace in these times.\nThe apostle Paul found the key to a life of peace and contentment in times of trouble. He tells the Philippians how to find peace and shares the secret of being content (Philippians 4:12).', None]

I was speaking with a friend who is not a Christian. He is a charming and delightful person. He is a successful businessman and has made a great deal of money. He has a wonderful wife, a good marriage and a great family. Yet he spoke to me of the deep emptiness in his life, and the lack of peace and contentment he experiences.

‘Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor,’ said the American Statesman, Benjamin Franklin. Few people seem to be genuinely content. As Martin Luther once said, ‘Contentment is a rare bird, but it sings sweetly in the breast.’

The Bible never promises that we will not face hard times or difficult situations. But it does promise us God’s strength and grace in these times.

The apostle Paul found the key to a life of peace and contentment in times of trouble. He tells the Philippians how to find peace and shares the secret of being content (Philippians 4:12).

Chuck Colson was a self-made man. As a student, he arrogantly turned down a scholarship to Harvard. He joined the Marines, he set up his own law firm and entered politics. By the age of forty he had become one of President Nixon’s closest advisers. Later, he described himself as ‘a young ambitious political kingmaker’. He was known as Nixon’s ‘hatchet-man’.

He pleaded guilty to his part in the Watergate cover-up scandal and was sent to prison. By then he had encountered Jesus. When he left the court after hearing the sentence, he said, ‘What happened in court today... was the court’s will and the Lord’s will – I have committed my life to Jesus Christ and I can work for him in prison as well as out.’

Colson did just that. After his release, he set up Prison Fellowship and became directly or indirectly responsible for leading thousands to Christ. I once heard him say, ‘I was ambitious, and I am ambitious today, but I hope it is not for Chuck Colson (although I struggle with that quite a lot as a matter of fact). But I am ambitious for Christ.’

Ambition has been defined as the ‘desire to succeed’. There are ultimately only two controlling ambitions to which all others may be reduced: one is our own glory and the other is God’s glory.

['Chuck Colson was a self-made man. As a student, he arrogantly turned down a scholarship to Harvard. He joined the Marines, set up his own law firm and entered politics. By the age of forty he had become one of President Nixon’s closest advisers. Later, he described himself as ‘a young ambitious political kingmaker’. He was known as Nixon’s ‘hatchet-man’.\nHe pleaded guilty to his part in the Watergate cover-up scandal and was sent to prison. By then he had encountered Jesus. When he left the court after hearing the sentence, he said, ‘What happened in court today... was the court’s will and the Lord’s will – I have committed my life to Jesus Christ and I can work for him in prison as well as out.’\nColson did just that. After his release, he set up Prison Fellowship and became directly or indirectly responsible for leading thousands to Christ. I once heard him say, ‘I was ambitious, and I am ambitious today, but I hope it is not for Chuck Colson (though I struggle with that quite a lot as a matter of fact). But I am ambitious for Christ.’\nAmbition has been defined as the ‘desire to succeed’. There are ultimately only two controlling ambitions to which all others may be reduced: one is our own glory and the other is God’s glory.', None]

Do you ever wonder whether you can make a difference to the lives of those around you?

I once watched an episode of the reality TV Show, The Secret Millionaire. Kevin Green – a covert multi-millionaire – searched for people and causes that would benefit from his financial support. He gave about $100,000 to a range of people working with the homeless, teenage addicts and disabled children. The response of all these people was deeply moving. They were so grateful, and the causes that they work for benefited greatly. They were blessed and enabled to bring greater blessing to others.

However, the most interesting aspect of the programme was the change in Kevin Green. He had experienced in a new way the joy of blessing others. His life was changed as a result. The words of Jesus are true: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35).

Archie Coates, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, speaks of the church as a ‘blessing machine’. That is exactly what we as Christians are called to be, as the church and as individuals. You really can be a blessing machine.

['Do you ever wonder whether you can make a difference to the lives of those around you?\nI once watched an episode of the reality TV Show, The Secret Millionaire. Kevin Green – a covert multi-millionaire – searched for people and causes that would benefit from his financial support. He gave about $100,000 to a range of people working with the homeless, teenage addicts and disabled children. The response of all these people was deeply moving. They were so grateful, and the causes that they work for benefited greatly. They were blessed and enabled to bring greater blessing to others.\nHowever, the most interesting aspect of the programme was the change in Kevin Green. He had experienced in a new way the joy of blessing others. His life was changed as a result. The words of Jesus are true: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35).\nArchie Coates, vicar of St Peter’s Brighton, speaks of the church as a ‘blessing machine’. That is exactly what we as Christians are called to be, as the church and as individuals. You really can be a blessing machine.', None]

['It was one of the most moving and powerful testimonies I have ever encountered. A former sex worker, drug addict and dealer described how she had reached a point at which, in her own words, she was ‘dead’. She said her ‘blood was black’ and her ‘heart was black’. She described how she came on Alpha and heard that Jesus loved her so much that he died for her. She described how this had broken ‘the concrete’ of her heart. She experienced God’s love for her for the first time. She is now filled with love for everyone, forgiving those who abused her, and radiating the love of Christ.\nAfter she had given her testimony to a stunned congregation, I went up to thank her and said how extraordinarily powerful it had been. She replied, ‘I need to bounce it back up!’ I didn’t understand what she meant. I asked her to explain. She said, ‘It’s all his grace. I need to bounce the glory back to him.’ She has a profound understanding of grace, glory and what it means to be Christ-like.\nThe theme of ‘glory’ runs through each of today’s readings (Psalm 115:1; Philippians 2:11; Jeremiah 2:11). We see why, how and when to bounce the glory back up to God.', None]

It was one of the most moving and powerful testimonies I have ever encountered. A former sex worker, drug addict and dealer described how she had reached a point at which, in her own words, she was ‘dead’. She said her ‘blood was black’ and her ‘heart was black’. She described how she came on Alpha and heard that Jesus loved her so much that he died for her. She described how this had broken ‘the concrete’ of her heart. She experienced God’s love for her for the first time. Remarkably she has even been able to forgive those who did her harm and is now radiating the love of Christ.

After she had given her testimony to a stunned congregation, I went up to thank her and said how extraordinarily powerful it had been. She replied, ‘I need to bounce it back up!’ I didn’t understand what she meant. I asked her to explain. She said, ‘It’s all his grace. I need to bounce the glory back to him.’ She has a profound understanding of grace, glory and what it means to be Christ-like.

The theme of ‘glory’ runs through each of today’s readings (Psalm 115:1; Philippians 2:11; Jeremiah 2:11). We see why, how and when to bounce the glory back up to God.

['‘In the future, scientists may be able to prolong life, but will it be worth living?’ wrote Nigel Hawkes in The Times.\nApparently, one Oxford professor claims it may soon be possible to prolong many people’s lives until the age of 115. But Hawkes rightly asks, ‘Will it be worth living?’ An increased lifespan is of little value unless it is for a life worth living.\nThe apostle Paul did not see the prolonging of life as a major objective: ‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21). Indeed, he regarded death as something of even greater worth. Yet for him, Jesus had made his life profoundly worth living.', None]

‘In the future, scientists may be able to prolong life, but will it be worth living?’ wrote Nigel Hawkes in The Times.

Apparently, one Oxford professor claims it may soon be possible to prolong many people’s lives until the age of 115. But Hawkes rightly asks, ‘Will it be worth living?’ An increased lifespan is of little value unless it is for a life worth living.

The apostle Paul did not see the prolonging of life as a major objective: ‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21). Indeed, he regarded death as something of even greater worth. Yet for him, Jesus had made his life profoundly worth living.