Episodes

  • April 22nd - Colossians 1:6

    April 22nd - Colossians 1:6
    Apr 22 2025
    Colossians 1:6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace. Following Christ always involves radical change. James and John had to leave their boats and their fishing nets and follow Jesus. Zacchaeus, the tax collector, had to make things right with all the people he had defrauded. And Saul, the devout Jew who was determined to stamp out the Church, changed his name and his whole direction of life, becoming Jesus’ most passionate ambassador. Christ meets us as individuals, so the changes that take place in our lives will be unique. As a teenager, I heard many amazing testimonies from people who had been dramatically changed by Christ. I heard about people who had been on hard drugs for years and who had found new life and liberty in their newfound faith. I listened to people who had pursued a life of crime and then met Christ in prison. For some years, I felt awkward and guilty that I had such a comparatively dull story to tell. I had never been on drugs, never been kicked out of school, never been locked up, and my life had rarely caused anyone to raise an eyebrow. But I was, of course, missing the point. The point is that whoever you are and whatever your background, Christ brings change. He gave me new hope, peace and direction for my life. The moment of becoming a Christian is often one of dramatic change, but it doesn’t end there. The Christian life is full of continual change as we get closer to God and allow his Spirit to lead us. The apostle Paul was always abundantly clear that he still needed to grow. He wrote to the Philippians: “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ first possessed me…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:12-13). For the Christian, change is always here to stay. Question In what ways have you seen changes in your life since you became a Christian? Prayer Loving Father, I thank you that you accept me as I am and love me so much that you want me to change. Amen
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    3 mins
  • April 21st - Colossians 1:4-5

    April 21st - Colossians 1:4-5
    Apr 21 2025
    Colossians 1:4-5 We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. Having hope is incredibly important. Dostoevsky, the famous writer, said: “To live without hope is to cease to live. Hell is hopelessness.” Above the entrance to Dante’s hell was the inscription: “Leave behind all hope, you who enter here.” The Colossian church were so confident of the future that God had for them that they were full of hope, and that inspired both their faith in Christ and their love for their Christian brothers and sisters. It was like an engine inside them producing nothing but blessing. Human life is often characterised by hopelessness. In 1850, Bishop Wilberforce said: “I dare not marry for the future is so dark and unsettled.” In 1851, the Duke of Wellington said: “I thank God I shall be spared from seeing the consummation of ruin that is gathering about us.” And, the following year, the Conservative politician Benjamin Disraeli commented: “In every department of our nation, industry, commerce and agriculture, there is no hope.” If you looked for similar statements of despair today, they wouldn’t be hard to find. Human life is always distorted by fear, sin and threats. This means it is essential that we deliberately focus our attention on the hope that God has given us in Christ. God doesn’t call us to run away from the harsh realities of this world, but he does encourage us to keep focused on the hope we have which will never be taken away from us. It is absolutely secure. Question What impact does your Christian hope have on the way you live? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the hope that you have given me, which is like an anchor for my life. Amen
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    3 mins
  • April 20th - Matthew 28:8-9

    April 20th - Matthew 28:8-9
    Apr 20 2025
    Matthew 28:8-9 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. The women who found the empty tomb on the first Easter Sunday morning must have experienced a riot of emotions. They had got up early to anoint the body of Jesus because this was the first opportunity to do so after the sabbath. Their astonishment that the stone of the tomb had been rolled away was compounded by meeting an angel whose face shone like lightning and whose clothing was as white as snow. The angel informed them that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as he had promised, and told them to go and tell the disciples. As they ran off, Matthew records that they were very frightened but also filled with great joy. Then, amid this tumult of emotions, they suddenly met Jesus himself. The women could not keep the amazing news of the resurrection to themselves. It had to be shared, so they rushed off to pass it on to the disciples. That’s always the nature of good news – if you or a member of your family have just had a great success or happiness, you can’t wait to share it with others. That’s how the news of the resurrection has spread through the past 2,000 years. It’s so amazing that it has to be shared! Year by year, the number of people attending church in this country declines. This means we cannot rely on people hearing that Jesus rose from death in one of our churches. We need to share the message online, on the radio, in magazines, in newspapers and, most powerfully of all, by each of us telling our friends and families. We don’t need to be frightened like the women who heard this news for the first time. We have every reason to speak of the resurrection of Jesus with confidence and joy. Question In what ways do you find the news of Jesus’ resurrection joyful? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for raising Jesus from death. Help me to share this amazing news with those around me. Amen
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    3 mins
  • April 19th - Matthew 27:57-60

    April 19th - Matthew 27:57-60
    Apr 19 2025
    Matthew 27:57-60 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. We know very little about Joseph of Arimathea. The Gospel of Mark tells us that he was an honoured member of the high council of the Jews, and that he was waiting for the kingdom of God to come. The Gospel of Luke comments that he was a good and righteous man, and the Gospel of John informs us that he was a secret disciple of Jesus because he feared the Jewish leaders. That’s all we know. However, this brief account of him going to Pilate asking for the body of Jesus reveals that he was a man of exceptional courage. This initiative could easily have exposed him to enormous risk both from the Romans and the Jews, but he knew it was the right thing to do and went ahead. It is never easy to be courageous. The pressure is always upon us to fit in with our society. We don’t like to surprise the people around us or to be thought odd or unusual. We certainly don’t like to expose ourselves to danger and risk. Joseph’s brave action shows the reality of his devotion to Jesus, and it is not surprising that he has been venerated over the centuries and that many legends grew up around him. Indeed, one of the most famous is that in the year 61 AD he was sent to England to preach the Gospel and came to Glastonbury in Somerset. It is very unlikely that any of the legends about Joseph have any historical basis, but it is good for us to recognise his courage and celebrate his godly example. When we are next tempted to say nothing about our faith in case people don’t appreciate it, or to say nothing about an injustice at work, we would do well to remember the courageous example of Joseph of Arimathea. Question In what situation do you need to be courageous at the moment? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the example of Joseph. Help me to stand up boldly for you however unpopular it makes me. Amen
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    4 mins
  • April 18th - Matthew 27:54

    April 18th - Matthew 27:54
    Apr 18 2025
    Matthew 27:54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” When Jesus died, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom and there was a great earthquake. It’s no wonder that the soldiers, tough as they were, were terrified. We need to be very grateful to the Gospel writers for recording so much of what took place, but there is so much more that we would love to know. I find it fascinating that the Gospel writers tell us nothing of the response of the religious people. We know that some of the Jewish leaders were very sympathetic to Jesus. I wonder what Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea thought. And what about the disciples? Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know what their reactions were on this most traumatic of days? Matthew only tells us about the reaction of one group of people. We would hardly have expected to hear any comment from them, because they were the people who had carried out the crucifixion – the Roman soldiers. Their response was to declare that Jesus was truly the Son of God. In his Gospel, Matthew continually points out that the good news of Jesus belongs to the world. It isn’t confined to a small religious group, or respectable people or the wealthy and successful. Jesus came to bring good news to everyone who will put their faith in him. Question Think of the people you are going to meet today. What do you think their reaction would be to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for them? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you for showing your perfect love by dying on the cross. Amen
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    3 mins
  • April 17th - Matthew 26:26

    April 17th - Matthew 26:26
    Apr 17 2025
    Matthew 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” The Old Testament prophets frequently communicated through actions, proclaiming their messages both clearly and unforgettably. They are often called acted parables. In the Gospels, we see Jesus doing exactly the same thing. On Palm Sunday, his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey powerfully declared that he was both a king and a man of peace. Then, on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples and declared while breaking bread that it represents his broken body. The Passover meal is an annual opportunity for Jews to revisit the people of Israel’s miraculous liberation from Egypt. That historic event proved that God is a God of salvation. He is able to do things which are humanly impossible. During the Last Supper, Jesus stood before his disciples as the Saviour of the World. The disciples had no idea what was going to happen over the next few hours, but for the rest of their lives they were able to look back to that precious final meal. We need to continually celebrate the miracle of salvation. It is only through the death of Jesus on the cross that we can be set free from our sin and guilt. Jesus continues to invite us to meet him and praise him for his extravagant generosity. As we receive bread, we hear the words of love from 2,000 years ago: “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Question Imagine that you were one of the disciples. What do you think your memory would have been of the Last Supper? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for your salvation. Help me always to treasure this supreme gift. Amen
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    3 mins
  • April 16th - Matthew 26:7

    April 16th - Matthew 26:7
    Apr 16 2025
    Matthew 26:7 While [Jesus] was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. Things were hotting up. Jesus had launched a tirade against the religious leaders and they were now absolutely committed to seeing him put to death. We learn that they had a secret meeting at the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas, in order to plan this. Amid all of this ferment, we go to a home in the village of Bethany and meet a woman performing the most amazing act of devotion to Jesus. At the time, it was quite usual for a Jewish woman to carry a little alabaster jar of precious perfume around her neck. This perfume could be incredibly valuable, and in the Gospels of Mark and John, we are told that it was worth 300 denarii. That would be about a year’s earnings! It was a phenomenal act of devotion, and it is unsurprising that the disciples were shocked by what she did. They saw it as a terrible waste and reflected that the money could have been used to help the poor. But Jesus saw it very differently. He saw the woman’s extravagant devotion and said that her deed would be remembered wherever the good news was preached around the world. Love doesn’t do calculations. It doesn’t look for the cheapest way of doing things. It just loves. The woman’s act of love was absurd in financial terms, but she wasn’t trying to be sensible. She freely and joyfully poured out her precious perfume for love’s sake. When Jesus went to the cross, he did something which would seem incomprehensible to most people, but he did it because of his love for the world, and he invites us to pass on his extravagant love to those around us. Question What do you learn from the woman’s extraordinary generosity? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your extravagant love for me. Help me to pass it on to others today. Amen
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    3 mins
  • April 15th - Matthew 22:37-40

    April 15th - Matthew 22:37-40
    Apr 15 2025
    Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” The battle of words between Jesus and the Jewish leaders had got to fever pitch. They had challenged him about his authority, and the Sadducees had just come up with a really awkward question about the resurrection. Now the Pharisees got together to push Jesus to the limit. They asked him a question they often discussed among themselves: “What is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” If Jesus tripped up on this question, they could label him as a blasphemer. But Jesus gave them the classic Jewish answer: loving God with everything you’ve got is the first commandment, and the second is loving your neighbour as yourself. Loving God should still be our absolute priority, and we need to do it with our heart, soul and mind – every part of us needs to be tuned into loving God. Following him can never be a hobby or something we do on our days off. It needs to shape all our thinking and planning as well as our actions and relationships. When we love God completely, we will start to see our neighbours in the way that he does. Like us, our neighbours were made in the image of God. They have eternal importance, and, whether we feel close to them or not, they need to be shown love and respect. The Pharisees and Sadducees made everything so complicated, entering into sophisticated debate on every minute detail of the law. Jesus wanted them to see that it was really very simple. They needed to come to God like children. They needed to love God first of all, and love their neighbours in the same way that they loved themselves. What could be simpler? Question What will loving your neighbour like yourself mean for you today? Prayer Loving Father, help me to love you and those around me more fully each day. Amen
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    3 mins