Living Today
Articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you as you follow Jesus here in Solomon Islands
Seeing God’s Calling in our work
Here is a testimony from Lepani about seeing God's calling in his work and how God opened the right doors for him to be connected with a local Church in the Solomon Islands. Greetings in Jesus' Name from the Hapi (Happy) Isles, Solomon Islands. It is with great...
Reflecting on God’s goodness
Here is a testimony from Lepani reflecting on God's goodness and faithfulness in the past... With Pentecost Sunday 2023 around the corner to be celebrated on 28 May, 2023, I wish to reflect on an event that took place on Pentecost Sunday here in the Solomon Islands...
God is Always at Work – We’re not Always Seeing It
Did you know that God is not waiting for us to pray before He starts to work? It’s not like He’s saying, “Hey church, if you don’t pray, I can’t do anything.” The fact is that God is always “up to something”. He’s purposely been out-working His redemptive plan, a plan that’s been underway since day one, way back in the garden. In fact, before the garden. He’s busy wooing people back to Him. He’s already working on your neighbour, or friend, or lost family member. He’s actively in the...
How To Read and Study the Bible
Can you imagine being surrounded by the freshest produce, in the best kitchen with the best utensils, but not knowing how to prepare a meal? For many Christians, that’s exactly what reading the Bible feels like. Simply put, we just don’t know how to utilise it effectively. Ben Windle says you can attend church for many years, listen to a lot of teaching and still not learn how to read the Bible for yourself. Yet there is no better way to fuel our growth than personally engaging with the Bible....
God is Always Speaking
“Hello God, are you there? Why don’t you answer me?” I’m sure that has come out of our mouths at least once in our lifetime. Sometimes the idea is that God has turned off or gone quiet. It’s not like He’s keeping silent to teach us a lesson in faith. The reality is, “God is always speaking; we’re not always listening.” Ezekiel 12:25 For I the Lord will speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. Genesis 35:13 Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. Psalm...
Be of Good Courage
Seeing in the midst of life's challenges From one day to the next, major events and occurrences change the way we see and live our lives. Daily we hear of: • Another major disaster; • Another hourly murder, rape or life ending behaviour; • Another greedy and injustice business deal; • An unsteady fragile stock market; • Another unexpected price rise; It seems harder to find the “Feel Good” stories in the midst of so much destruction, despair and hopelessness. Jesus said in the gospel of John...
Love in Action
How do we respond to someone’s need? Love is experienced in what we say…. But love becomes extravagant in “what we DO”
The Value of Relationships – Part 1
Relationships are such a part of our lives that at times we forget how important and necessary they are. Every part of our day is revolved around different forms of relationships.
Conquering Stress
During the course of our life, we encounter stress. Some in high levels, and some in low. Emails, global linking, social media… it seems that over-night everything has impacted our modern life, creating overwhelming deadlines, frustrations, and demands. How can we be conquering stress in our lives? In 2008, Australian Heathcare company Medibank Private released their research results into “STRESS”. Without the 'per year' hidden costs of re-staffing and re-skilling where there is stress related...
Your Financial Health
Wouldn’t it be nice if having a relationship with God meant we never have to worry or stress about money again? Well... actually, that is possible. Not because God fills our bank accounts supernaturally with money whenever we need it (though we have heard stories about that), rather, when we align the posture of our hearts with the fact that: God IS OUR SOURCE and HE HAS HIS WAY to do finances. In the Bible, God lays out basic principles about how we are to manage our money. Jesus talked about...
Rethinking How We Resolve Conflict
Have you ever been caught off guard and said something you regret? Have you ever been offended or offended someone else and been surprised by the reaction? Some conflicts are minor, but in the worst-case scenario, they can lead to assaults, lawsuits, and even murder. Wayne Forward, from PeaceWise Australia, thinks it’s time for a radical rethink on how we deal with conflict. He says when we find ourselves at the beginning of a dispute, whether it be at home, work or even at church, we often...
Christianity and the Problem of Evil
Why do Christians walk away from their faith? It’s hard to imagine how anyone could turn their back on the grace that God has given us. But sadly it does happen, an often one of the reasons is the inability to reconcile a good God with the bad things that happen. Many Christians grapple with issues around evil. One of the most commonly asked questions about God is, why is there evil in the first place? If God is all good and all powerful, then why doesn’t He do something about it? Dr. Andrew...
Build a relationship with your children
‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.’ Psalm 12 7:1 NIV
How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heart-breaking? Enjoyable? If you want a real eye-opener, ask them to describe their feelings about you and their home. But be warned, what they say might not be to your liking! And having a Christian home doesn’t necessarily exempt you. The old nature in us still rears its ugly head from time to time, and habits set in concrete can lead to broken communication.
When Biblical principles are ignored, the result is pain and strain in the family. Three illustrations come to mind:
1) Rebekah loved her son Jacob more than his brother Esau, so she used him to deceive their father, Isaac, and cause division in the family (see Genesis 27).
2) Eli, the high priest, let his boys run wild, and in the end, it cost him his life (see 1 Samuel 3-4).
3) David preached one thing but practised another, and his children (as kids will do) were more influenced by what he did than by what he said. (see 2 Samuel 11, 13, 15-16; 1 Kings 11). Nobody is immune; not David, not Rebekah, not Eli, not you! But evaluation is pointless if it leads to guilt without action.
So what should you do? Take time to get close to your children. Deal with the barriers between you. You can’t change anything unless you’re willing to acknowledge it, and sometimes change must begin with you. For example, does your attitude need adjusting? How about your priorities? What about the example you have been setting lately? Before you try to deal with your children, ask God to deal with you.
SoulFood: Acts 18-19, Mark 4:35-41, Ps 7:10-17, Pro 11:7-9
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©