Category: What do you think?

The Quiet Power of Prayer in Guiding God’s Work

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AMY TURNER

Prayer holds a greater power than many people realise. In the early days of the Christian church, the first organised missionary effort did not come from lengthy planning sessions or appeals for donations. While these activities have their place, it was prayer and worship that led the way.

According to Acts 13:2-3, as believers gathered to worship and fast, the Holy Spirit directed them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for a special mission. Only after more prayer and fasting did they lay hands on these men and send them on their way. This moment gives us a clear example of how prayer guided important decisions in the early church.

Do you pray before making important decisions?

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.

James 5:16

Living in the Blessings of God’s Love

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JEFF TURNER

Romans 8 assures Christians that nothing can ever separate them from the love of God, a truth that brings great comfort. However, Jude 21 tells believers to “keep yourselves in the love of God,” which may seem to present a conflict. These passages, though, address different aspects of the Christian life.

Romans 8 speaks about the security of salvation. Once a person is saved, nothing can remove them from God’s love. Jude, on the other hand, is speaking to those who are already secure in Christ. He is urging believers to remain in a place where they can experience the blessings that come through living faithfully. Jude even encourages them to “build yourselves up in your most holy faith” Jude 20 points to growing in biblical truth and obedience.

The call is not about earning salvation but about living in a way that allows the love of God to be fully experienced.

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

John 15:10

The Cross as the Lasting Proof of God’s Love

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FLOYD ROGERS

The depth of God’s love was made clear when He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for humanity’s sins. No request a person makes in prayer, no matter how important it seems, will ever require a greater act of love than what God has already shown through the sacrifice at Calvary. The offering of Jesus was a selfless and unmatched gift, showing the extent of God’s care for people.

Since God has already given His greatest gift, every other blessing or need we bring to Him is smaller in comparison. This truth makes it difficult to doubt His love. When faced with uncertainty about God’s care or goodness, one need only reflect on the cross to see undeniable evidence of His love.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

The Fear of Change

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AMY TURNER

In Luke 8:37, we read about a moment when the people of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave their area because they were filled with fear. Jesus had just freed a man possessed by many demons. These evil spirits entered a herd of pigs, which then ran off a cliff and drowned. Word of this spread quickly, and people came from nearby towns to see for themselves.

When they arrived, they saw the man — once wild and dangerous — now calm and in his right mind. You might expect them to celebrate this miracle, but instead, fear gripped them. They couldn’t deny what had happened, yet the power that made it possible unsettled them.

Some people are frightened by what they cannot control, even when it brings good. The idea of a God who holds such power can feel threatening because it means lives might change in unexpected ways. Not everyone welcomes goodness when it challenges the world they know.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Psalm 34:8

Harmony Through Shared Truth

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AMY TURNER

When people live in peace and work together, it brings joy and strength to a community. Psalm 133:1 tells us, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” This applies especially to the church.

In music, harmony requires two things. First, everyone must sing the same song—if each person uses a different piece of music, the result is disorder. Second, each person should sing their part, not the same note. The beauty comes from different voices blending together. The same is true for the church.

Christians follow one source: the Bible. It’s the foundation for what we believe and how we live. However, we each bring our own voice, with different perspectives and gifts. This diversity doesn’t weaken unity; instead, it strengthens it.

For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12