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Good morning. Most of us have experienced what we perceive as unfair treatment. Our emotions come to the fore, often determining our behaviour. Our natural response is to become defensive. We feel hard done by and becone angry. Michel Eaton referred to the 2 ladies in Paul's letter to the Philippians as "You oh dear" and "so touchy" (Euodia and Syntyche). Paul is distressed by their behaviour as they have, together with Paul, contended for the gospel. He urges them to be of the same mind i.e. be reconciled. (Philippians 4:2) In 1983, Pope John Paul II went to visit the man in prison who had tried to kill him the year before. To many people in the world, this was an astonishing act of forgiveness. But for the pope, it was a demonstration of his understanding of grace. Forgiveness is a great test of whether we have understood the gospel of grace. Paul reminds us that if we have rooted our identity in Christ we will seek reconciliation. We will be compelled to forgive others because we are aware of what God sacrificed in order to forgive us. Jesus said, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." (Luke 11:4) Before getting stuck into the tasks of the day, take a moment to forgive those who have harmed you or treated you unfairly. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

There are times when the Christian life can feel very lonely, especially for those who live and work in non-Christian places. Whenever I (Mike) begin to feel discouraged or isolated, I think of my friend Paul. He knew and undetstood the importance of Christian fellowship and friendship.. Paul’s ministry was not a one-man show. He surrounded himself with people who worked with, encouraged, and supported him. We read of him consistently showing gratitude to God for providing him with friends like Silas Timothy, Epaphroditus, and Titus.Timothy, in particular, was a continual source of joy and thanksgiving for Paul. Seeing Paul's relationship with these friends, reinforces the significance and importance of having a group of friends who are there for each other through thick and thin; those who cause us to be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving towards God for them. The result of these special friendships, is that we too, like Paul, will say, "I thank God ... as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers." (2 Timothy 1:3) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Each day the "news" gives us new reasons to be anxious: war, killings, economic troubles. It’s hard to be thankful when it seems like everything we have is threatened. Paul reminds us of what our response should be, "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ ... stand firm in the one Spirit, striving as one for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27) Anxiety warps our sense of perspective, making us fearful, bitter, and even angry at God. Anxiety is more than unpleasant; it’s spiritually dangerous. We experience anxiety when we find our security in something other than the love of Christ. Paul facing an uncertain outcome of his audience with Caesar (possibly death) says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) The source of Paul’s assurance is that he knows that nothing can separate him from his source of security - his identity in Christ. As we go about our lives, let us focus on the source of our security. "In Christ alone my hope is found ... Here in the love of Christ I stand." Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Sometimes it’s hard to be thankful because we are self-absorbed. It’s easy to think that our problems are more urgent and serious than other people’s. Serving others is a practical way to become more thankful and less selfish. Service requires us to stop thinking about ourselves and to concentrate on the needs of others. It puts our own problems into perspective and makes us grateful for the blessings that we do have. Service is often reciprocal. A community where everyone works to meet the needs of others is a community where one’s personal needs are also met. Writing to the church in Philippi, Paul exhorts us: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5‭-‬7) When we engage in service, we imitate Jesus. The unity that we can experience with Christ through service is a precious gift. It is an opportunity to express, both to God and to the world, what his love means to us. Have a good week reflecting His love. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. It’s easy to be lonely in our culture - even when we’re surrounded by people. Loneliness was never God’s intent for humans. God is relational in His Triune nature, and we’re created in His image. God wired us for deep, intimate, personal relationship—with Him and with other people. We are designed for relational connection. We see this truth in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation — from God’s perfect intent for us in the Garden of Eden; to the God-ordained nature of the Church as the Bride of Christ; to the glimpses we see of a heaven where together we’ll corporately gather in worship around the throne of God. God designed us to be in relationship with Him and with each other. As we meet to worship God together, let's drink in His presence, deepening our relationship with Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Despite how you may feel - struggling with self-image problems, depression or loneliness - you are special. God spoke almost everything into being. Imagine God Himself walked among His new creation. Maybe He scratched a leopard’s back, or allowed an eagle to alight on His shoulder. But there was something missing from His creation that would make it “very good.” So, God knelt in the dust of the earth and began to sculpt. He used His bare hands to craft something unlike anything He had spoken into existence. Then He breathed His own divine breath into man. All of God’s creation is amazing, but humanity alone was handcrafted by God and infused with a soul through His divine breath. Imagine God smiling over every person He’s created—including you! Let the truth that God loves you as you are sink into your soul. "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus ... " (Ephesians 2:10) You are special! Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. For those who are experiencing financial problems, or are grieving, or find themselves exhausted by work or family situations, giving thanks is difficult. We often think that giving thanks is something we do in response to our circumstances. Yet Paul makes clear that followers of Christ are thankful not only because of their circumstances but even despite them. Paul writes to the church in Philippi (a church experiencing persecution and financial hardship), "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:4‭, ‬6) Does that mean we must force ourselves to be grateful when we aren’t? Or tell ourselves that things aren’t really that bad, even when they are? Not at All! Paul shows us throughout Philippians, the source of our thankfulness is the hope of the gospel. By reflecting on the ways in which God has been at work in our lives, we develop a heart of thanksgiving. Have a good day. There is so much to be thankful for. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. So here we are on the first day of spring. We are thankful that the cold weather is behind us. Talking of thankfulness, there is so much to be thankful for. Thankfulness can be felt in those silent moments in the car when we look at the world around us and are grateful to God for the part He’s enabled us to play in it. Or, when you’re immersed in the chaos of a family meal and smile with appreciation for the wild bunch that is ‘yours’. There has to be more to being thankful than just being thankful. If we take a step back we'll see that our thankfulness is due to someone else's actions - the farmer for the food we eat, the factory worker for the car we drive, friends and family for the love we receive. I (Mike) am reminded God's word to Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:2) The reason God blesses our lives is so we can bless others. Whether through kindness, encouraging a workmate or meeting a financial need in the community, everything within our hand holds the potential to spark thankfulness towards God in someone else. Today, let's be the cause of someone else giving thanks to God. Blessings Mike and Daphne

Good morning. It is good to have goals and to be moving with purpose in our lives. Sometimes God’s plans are different from ours. When that happens, we shouldn't resent His plans for us, but rather recognise that He has plans that we don't know about, and embrace His plan for our lives. When things do not go exactly as we planned, we need to thank God that His goals for us are better than ours. Paul reminds us to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) God's plans may not be comfortable. They may mean a change of direction. If we embrace God’s plans, we'll find ourselves living fulfilled lives, living out what He made us for. It may not be clear at first, but that is what faith is all about. As we head into today, let's move with purpose to fulfil our God-honouring plans, but hold them lightly, being ready to accept God’s detours and changes to our plans with joy and thanksgiving. Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When opportunities come our way —opportunities to listen, to care, to encourage, to serve, to give, to tell others about our faith—we often use a tactic called “too busy, right now.” We may say the words out loud, or we may say them to ourselves and just keep moving. We then kid ourselves by using a second tactic, one called “make up for it later.” Really? Like we will jump at the next opportunity. God knows we’re busy. He sees how busy we are, right now. And he still presents us with these opportunities. These opportunities don’t come by chance. God places them carefully in front of us. He knows we’re busy but he knows what he’s doing. He knew what he was doing when he called Simon and Andrew, when the brothers were busy fishing (Mark 1:16-18). He knew what he was doing when he called James and John, when those brothers were busy mending nets (Mark 1:19-20). He knew what he was doing when he called Levi, when Levi was busy collecting taxes (Mark 2:14). He knows what he’s doing when he calls us as well, even when we’re busy. Let's commit to making the most of the opportunities given to us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

The circumstances, situations, and “to-do’s” of life can be so easy to get caught up in. For me, Mike, I need to stop and ask myself, “What do I want right now? Am I running around and doing all of these things because I’m afraid if I don’t, I won’t be fulfilled and Jesus won’t be pleased with me?” That’s where Martha was. Her intentions were for the good of those around her, but the attention of her heart was still missing the one thing that really mattered and that was living from a place of rest in her relationship with God like her sister, Mary. Jesus speaks gently to her. He could have rebuked her for her attitude, but He was gracious. He was kind. And remember, it’s the kindness of God that leads us to repentance as Paul reminds us in Romans 2:4 "that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" Today, ask “What do I want?” Because there is nothing else that can satisfy, uplift, encourage, and strengthen us like Jesus. As we direct our hearts towards everything He is, we will experience His joy and freedom in amazing ways. Have a really good start to the week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." (Psalm 29:2) When we focus only on what we can get from God, our focus becomes set on the things we would like to have instead of what God has already done for us. And that affects every area of our lives. When we start resting in God’s presence, not focusing only on what we could get from Him, but on what we could give to Him and thanking Him for what He had already given us, it sets us free and opens our eyes to see how we can bless His heart through our worship. Worship and praise have always been designed for us to give more than we get. And yet, God loves to bless us! It’s a beautiful exchange, a giving of ourselves to Him and receiving what He has for us. Enjoy His presence as we worship together with fellow followers of Christ today. Blessings. Mike and Daphne