FRESH Official Podcast

Have you ever had that experience of discovering something amazing in a place you'd never have expected to find it? A jewel amidst the dross of life that changes everything? As the story goes, back in the 9th century AD an Ethiopian goat herder noticed that his goats became energetic after eating red berries from a particular shrub. Curious, he tried them himself and felt invigorated. Monks later used the berries to stay awake during long prayers—marking the beginning of coffee's journey from wild plant to global beverage. These days we take our coffee very much for granted, not giving a moment's thought to the fact that it was discovered by a bunch of goats! God often hides treasures—not to withhold them, but to allow them to be found by the seeking heart. One moment of discovery can change everything. Jesus put it like this: Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  ESV Where is the treasure of God's kingdom? Out in the open for everyone to see? No! It's hidden in a field. And so wondrous is that treasure that a person would sell everything just to have it. God loves a seeking heart. And His Word is full of wonders; wonders that change everything; wonders so wonderful that they render worthless the trinkets and baubles of this world. Perhaps that's why God seems so much closer when we have questions than when we think we have all the answers. Go! Go find the treasure! That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Have you ever noticed how when the person next to you yawns, you too break out in an involuntary yawn? Why is that? It's called social mirroring — our brains instinctively mimic the behaviours of others, especially those we're emotionally connected to. When you see someone yawn, mirror neurons in your brain fire as if you were yawning too. So, when your friend yawns, your brain says, "Me too!" — not out of tiredness, but connection. And the same is true of our emotions. A nasty word or a foul look from someone ruins the rest of your day. Conversely, when even a complete stranger shows you an unexpected kindness, flashes you a smile, it can light up an otherwise dull day. I happen to believe in Jesus. Not sure if you do, but I do. And one of the things He promises us is His joy. Knowing how much He loves us, what He's done for us, what eternity holds for us … man, why wouldn't you be full of joy?! Even, let me say, when the going's a tad on the tough side. Psalm 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." (ESV) The point God's making there is that the joy of what He's done for us rubs off on others. People notice when they see otherwise inexplicable joy in our countenance amidst the trials of life. Call me crazy, but I think that what this world needs is more joy-filled Christians. Because when they see the deep, abiding joy in you, they'll say to themselves … Wow! The Lord's done great things for that one. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Life has a rather annoying habit of taking unexpected turns. Just when you least expect it, whoompa! You find yourself in a hole; a place where, in a million years, you'd never have expected to find yourself. What if I told you that that could be the biggest opportunity God will ever hand you? Jacques Lusseyran was blinded at age seven in an accident. His world shifted overnight. But rather than retreat into despair, he developed extraordinary inner perception and resolve. During World War II, he became a leader in the French Resistance, organising one of the most effective underground newspapers against the Nazis. Arrested and sent to Buchenwald, he survived despite the brutal conditions. His blindness, rather than a limitation, became a spiritual lens that sharpened his insight, courage, and compassion. In his memoir "And There Was Light" he writes, "I was not silent in my heart, and I discovered that joy can exist in darkness." Romans 5:3-5 … we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (NRSV) When life shifts unexpectedly, right there you have God's invitation to grow. When through suffering you endure, it without doubt builds your character. You walk with Jesus through that hellhole and, let me tell you, He will fill you with a certain, rock-solid hope as He pours His love into your heart by His Spirit. Seriously, that place … is the greatest opportunity He'll ever hand you. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Some things are black and white. Thou shalt not murder – obvious, right? Though shalt not commit adultery – obvious, yes, although these days you have to wonder. Other things … well, not so obvious. And those not-so-obvious things cause a lot of conflict. Question: Is euthanasia a compassionate choice to end suffering or a violation of the sanctity of life? Is artificial intelligence a wondrous innovation or does its unregulated development represent an existential threat to humanity? I'm sure you have views on those and many other so-called grey areas in our understanding of right and wrong. And to be sure, when evil is being perpetrated in the name of social advancement, it needs to be confronted. But as opinions become more polarised, as societies become more divided, as the rhetoric becomes more vitriolic, you have to ask yourself, what part am I playing in the erosion of civil debate and discourse? Why am I throwing stones at others rather than looking in the mirror at myself? Romans 14:11-12 Yes, the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.'" So each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do. That's about present humility and future accountability. While we're out there busy judging others, the truth is that God alone is the judge and one day we will all answer to Him. Humility and self-righteousness are mutually exclusive. So before you rip someone's head off in an argument, remember … each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Do you like change? No? Well, you're not alone. The truth is, very few people do. Picture this. Moses is preparing to die. Joshua's about to take over the leadership of Israel. They stand on the threshold of the Promised Land, with Moses giving his final instructions. They're facing powerful enemies, fortified cities, the uncertainty of a critical leadership transition. And in that moment, Moses entreats them not to be afraid, but to be strong and courageous. Well, yeah, that's easy for you to say, Moses … you're not the one crossing over the River Jordan. You're not the one having to fight battle after battle to take the Promised Land. And that's why Moses gives them the reason to be courageous: Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and be brave. Don't be afraid of those people because the LORD your God is with you. He will not fail you or leave you. Most of us don't like change. As much as we might hope for this to improve or that to resolve itself (whatever your this's and that's happen to be) when change comes along, even positive change, it's unsettling because we don't know how it'll turn out. And that's especially true when change comes at a time, as it did for Israel, when we're facing some serious challenges ahead. It's one thing to be told, be strong, be brave, don't be afraid. But that's not enough. What is enough - what's always more than enough - is the reason we have to be courageous, because the LORD your God is with you. He will not fail you or leave you Because that's His Word. Fresh … for you … today

The pressures we face in life often creep up on us gradually, imperceptibly. You just live with them, until one day you find yourself at breaking point. I caught up recently with a man in his seventies, just finishing up a part-time job, wondering what God had for him next, in a bit of pain, facing knee replacement surgery, thinking about his finances, and the time he and his wife have left together on this earth. And as happy and positive a person that he is, I could see that with all this "stuff" swilling around in his head, he was under pressure. That's how it is in life. I'm sure you relate. The person who wrote this psalm was part of a community under pressure, where the good people were suffering at the hands of the wicked. So he prays to God: Psalm 94:18-19 When I thought, "My foot is slipping," your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.  NRSV It's not a nice feeling, when under the load you're carrying it feels as though your foot's slipping, as though the cares that plague your heart are set to overwhelm you. Let's be honest - God doesn't always remove the cause of our distress. Instead, He comforts us – He upholds us through it all. So, that divine comfort isn't the absence of trouble but the presence of God amidst it, turning anxiety to joy, collapse to stability. Hang in there. You're not alone. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Life is mostly made up of the mundane and the repetitive … until it's not. Until something happens that goes way beyond anything you'd imagined, even if you can't see it until you look back on it years later. Does the name Albert McMakin ring a bell? Probably not. But in 1934 this young farmer, who'd recently come to Christ, was keen to share his faith with others. There was a revival meeting happening in Charlotte, North Carolina, so he urged his good friend Billy to come with him. But that lanky farm boy wasn't in the least bit interested. In fact, he refused point-blank. So Albert offered to let him drive his vegetable truck to the meeting. That did it. Billy agreed. That evening, under the preaching of evangelist Mordecai Ham, Billy Graham was convicted by the gospel. He didn't respond immediately, but within days he'd surrendered his life to Christ, forever changing the course of history. It's estimated that over 3.2 million people came to Christ through Billy Graham's public preaching events during his lifetime. Back in the 1st Century AD, Acts 13:4 Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went to the city of Seleucia. Then they sailed from there to the island of Cyprus. That marked a turning point for the early Church … for the first time taking the Gospel beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. The rest, as they say, is history. Albert, Billy, Barnabas, Saul. Ordinary people, each with a preordained role, through whom God did mighty things. For each one, their day had begun like any other day. But then … God. Watch out because, just when you least expect it, the Holy Spirit will show up. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

There's so much bad news these days. Dictators, wars, suffering, exploitation, crime. It's ugly, right? So, we put our heads down and get on with living the best life we can in our little neck of the woods. But what if there's more? Blaise Pascal was a brilliant 17th-century French mathematician, physicist, and inventor, famous for Pascal's Triangle and foundational work in probability. But despite his academic success, he was filled with inner turmoil, illness, and a sense of spiritual emptiness. That all changed on the night of November 23, 1654 when he had a powerful encounter with Jesus. He wrote of it as a "night of fire," during which he experienced the Presence of the living God. From that moment he devoted his life to Christ, focusing on theology and writing Pensées, defending faith with reason and reflecting deeply on eternity. He died at the age of just 39 and is now spending eternity with the Jesus who turned his life here on earth upside down. Hebrews 7:25 So Christ can save those who come to God through him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives and is ready to help people when they come before God. Have you had your night of fire? Have you come face to face with Jesus, who died and rose again for you? Perhaps not, or maybe you have but it all seems so far removed from the here and now. Friend, today I have some good news for you. In Christ, God loves you beyond words. In Christ, you can be saved. In Christ, you can be with God forever because Jesus is alive. He is ready to help you when you come before God. Do it today. Do it now. Turn to Jesus. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Life's messy. You can't argue with that. Show me a single family that hasn't had its, shall we say, issues. Show me a single person with just one or two grey hairs on their head, who hasn't been through some real struggles in life. They simply don't exist. Life does indeed knock us around. Hopefully, it knocks some of our rough edges off. And I am definitely one for building resilience, for taking responsibility in all of that. Totally! But there's a rock on which our resilience can and should be built; a timeless, immovable foundation on which we each can and should be standing. Here it is: 2 Corinthians 1:20-21 The yes to all of God's promises is in Christ. And that is why we say "Amen" through Christ to the glory of God. And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work. The promises of God are true. Jesus did come for you. In Christ, all the promises of God are a yes. He did come to save you from your sin. He did rise again to give you a new life. He is ready, willing and able to pour His Spirit out on you to make you strong in Christ. You will spend eternity with Him. How do you lay hold of those promises? By putting your faith in Jesus; by giving your whole life over to Jesus.  Because the yes to all of God's promises is in Christ, and that's why we say "Amen" through Christ to the glory of God. Friend, give it all to Jesus. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

No one likes not getting their own way. You don't, I don't. It began at a very young age, when we started throwing tantrums. And sometimes, let's be honest, we still want to chuck a tanty, yeah?! In the 12th century, Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury, clashed bitterly with King Henry II over the limits of church authority. They'd been close friends but once he became Archbishop, Beckett refused to yield to the king's wishes, even in things that really didn't matter. Eventually, his insistence on getting his own way led to his assassination. Had Becket shown humility and sought peace, both his life and church-state relations would likely have fared a great deal better. Getting our own way seems so darned important in the midst of conflict that we all too easily lose sight of what really matters. Philippians 2:3-4 In whatever you do, don't let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honour others more than yourselves. Don't be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. A funny thing happens when we choose to yield, when we lay aside our selfish pride, when we begin truly, deeply honouring others above ourselves … peace breaks out. Of course we should stand against wrongdoing, but most of the time it's our own pigheadedness that fuels conflict, is it not? What conflict are you involved in at the moment where you have the opportunity to yield? Honestly, how would it play out if you did? Don't be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. Get comfortable with not getting your own way That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.  

In a world where everyone's trying to be someone, it's not surprising that tucked away deep in our psyche somewhere lies a nagging sense of inadequacy, as we reason that, given our frailties and foibles, we'll never really amount to much. Honestly, it used to bother me that Christianityworks, the ministry that produces these daily messages, didn't have an impressive office compared to the flashy television and radio studios I've visited around the world. Ours was just a walled section of a foyer, given rent-free by a local church. We seemed like a nothing ministry compared to the others. Do you see how easy it is to fall into that trap? And yet, God is in the habit of using the fragile and the fallible in the most amazing ways for His glory. And He does things that way for a reason. Writes the Apostle Paul: 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don't know what to do, but we don't give up. Paul's ministry of a few ragtag men, schlepping around the known world, appeared so unimpressive compared to Jerusalem with its glorious temple. He suffered, he struggled. But God uses broken, ordinary people to carry His most precious gift, so that no one will ever mistake where the power comes from. He fills waiting, praying hearts with His Spirit and power.We're the empty vessels—He's the treasure within. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

It's easy to imagine that the joy, the fulfilment, the contentment we all long for lie in recognition, comfort and success. And yet, you can imagine all you like, but you'll never find them there. Twentieth-century American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst built a massive media empire and lived in opulence on his vast estate, Hearst Castle. He influenced presidents, shaped public opinion, and lived like royalty. But Hearst's deep sense of entitlement to admiration and control eroded his joy. Obsessed with legacy and public image, he manipulated headlines, crushed competitors, and clung to a long, scandalous affair. In later years, isolated and anxious, his empire crumbled during the Great Depression. So despite outward success, his joy was hollowed out by pride and possessiveness, which, let's be honest, is always how these things end. Jesus, in His famed Sermon on the Mount, said this: Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (ESV) To be poor in spirit is to come before God with humility, not entitlement. Lord, I'm spiritually bankrupt. I can't save myself. I need your mercy. Such a person is blessed, according to Jesus, because that blessedness begins where our self-entitlement ends. Or as someone once said, joy dies in the spirit of entitlement but thrives in an attitude of surrender. Friend, the longer we aspire to the things of this world, the more deeply we're gripped by our sense of self-entitlement, the more joy will elude us because surrender is the gateway to joy. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

I often think that it's easier to go off the rails in the good times than in the bad. There are no atheists in foxholes. When the bullets are flying, when you're in danger, of course you cry out to God. But when the going's good … hey, eat, drink, be merry. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul, from his prison cell, writes this to his friends in Phillipi: Philippians 1:5-6 I thank God for the help you gave me while I told people the Good News. You helped from the first day you believed until now. I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again. In other words, the Philippians, through both good times and bad, had remained faithful to God's work, supporting Paul. They'd demonstrated clearly through their actions that they'd stayed on track. Which leads Paul to bless them in the certainty that the good work that God had begun in them would continue to completion on the day when Jesus Christ comes again. Listen, the work of goodness in our hearts is the work of God Himself. We don't perform in order to be saved, but when we are saved, we participate in His work, knowing that He'll continue to work His good in us to the end. It's an exquisite partnership that invites our participation, not performance. Stay faithful, keep doing good, because the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Life is a puzzle that, all too often, seems impossible to solve. You had plans. They were good plans. I mean, very good plans. Then … boom! Things inexplicably took a dark turn. We've all been there. When you're faced with a dark, unsolvable set of circumstances so complex that you can't reason your way through, what do you do? Well, obviously, you ask God what in the blazes He's up to. Why would He let this happen … to you of all people? It's 597 BC, a time of national crisis. Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonians. Judah's about to fall. Yet God … get this … instructs the prophet Jeremiah to do something astonishing; to buy a field in Anathoth. Really, God? It'd leave you shaking your head, wouldn't it? But this is how Jeremiah responds: Jeremiah 32:17 Lord GOD, with your great power you made the earth and the sky. There is nothing too hard for you to do. It's easy to think of yourself as a person of faith until that faith is tested; until God seems to be doing something dark and inexplicable, like allowing the Promised Land to be overrun and His chosen people, Israel, to be taken into captivity. When God does something like that, allows something like that, presides over something like that, there are two options: either He's malevolent and untrustworthy, or there's something else going on behind the scenes that you and I can't see or comprehend. So the next time you find yourself in that place, you can either panic or pray ... Lord GOD, with your great power you made the earth and the sky. There is nothing too hard for you to do. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Have you ever tried to do something, but your heart wasn't really in it? It's dry, it's empty. You chip away at it out of habit. The sense of ritual is what takes over, and the thing itself becomes meaningless. You keep going because … well, that's what you do. And some of those songs … man, they're awe-inspiring. Over half a million have been published over the last decade alone. But none of that - none of it - impresses God one iota if your heart's not in it. Can I tell you, for a lot of people who call themselves Christians, that pretty much sums up their relationship with God. They might go through the motions, they might even drag themselves along to church now and then and stand there with everyone else singing all these great new worship songs, but deep down … their heart's not in it. Isaiah 29:13-14 The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honour Me with lip-service —yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote — therefore I will again confound these people with wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden. (HCSB) The executive summary? God's not impressed with us singing songs. He doesn't want our music, He wants our hearts. And that, some days, ain't easy. As Charles Spurgeon put it, "There are some whose hearts are not right toward God who nevertheless are very zealous about the externals of divine worship. It's much easier to build a temple for God than it is to be a temple for God." Worshipping God is so much more than singing songs. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

From a very young age, we each try to figure out our place in the world, where we fit in the scheme of things, as we should. But there's one aspect of that to which we far too readily grant supremacy, to our own peril. Have you ever met someone and thought, "Gee, they're successful. I wonder what they earn. Look at the car they drive, the house they live in. They've done a lot better than me." I even heard someone say recently, after reading of the incredible success of one of their old school friends, "The first thing I thought was, I am such a failure." In truth, we use outward measures - particularly wealth - as our gauge of success. I used to, too, and I can tell you, the undue supremacy we grant to our aspiration for wealth and the way we consequently compare ourselves to others completely ruins our life. Contrast that with this reality: Matthew 4:2-4 After fasting forty days and forty nights, [Jesus] was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"  ESV So for Jesus, not even the basic necessity of food to nourish His starving body took primacy over His commitment to obey God. That casts our desire for affluence in a very different light, doesn't it? As C.S. Lewis writes in his book, The Screwtape Letters, "Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels as though he's finding his place in it, when really, it is finding its place in him." Don't allow prosperity to lead you astray. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Can I ask, what relevance does all this "Jesus" stuff have for your life, here in the 21st century? I mean, amidst your day-to-day, the things that occupy you, the joys, the struggles, what relevance can a rabbi of 2,000 years ago possibly have? The day-to-day does consume us, doesn't it? I have to get through this, I have to keep going with that, I have to achieve what I've set out to achieve - bringing up children, eking out an existence, carving out a career. But all that getting through, keeping going, achieving - all of it - will one day come to an end … perhaps more abruptly than any of us would care to imagine. And whilst Jesus has made an incredible difference in my life, and I know He can make an amazing difference in yours, when it's all over, then what? Come on, I'm asking you seriously amidst the pressures of your day-to-day, then what? Philippians 2:8-11 He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NRSV) Friend, Jesus laid His life down for you. No matter what you have pressing in on you, He is the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, and one day, He will reign over all. He came for you. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Englishman George Clark was a 19th-century career criminal who ran one of London's most violent street gangs. Hardened by poverty and crime, he'd spent years in and out of prison. During one of his incarcerations, Clark was given a Bible by a prison chaplain. At first, he mocked it. But then he came across this verse: Romans 5:8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us. It broke through. As a gang leader and repeat offender, he'd been judged, written off, and hardened by a life of violence and rejection. He believed that love had to be earned—and that he was far beyond deserving it. But here was a truth that shattered that preconception: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Not after he cleaned up his act. Not if he reformed. But while he was at his worst—Christ loved him enough to die for him. That kind of grace was radical. Undeserved. Disarming. It exposed his sin, yes—but more importantly, it revealed a love that refused to abandon him. That's what pierced his heart. That's what broke the cycle of violence. That's what set him free. Clark gave his life to Christ, left the gang life behind, and went on to become a missionary to prisoners and street kids—the very people he'd once led astray. His life became living proof that no one is beyond the reach of God's love. It's not fear, not guilt, not rules that truly transform a person — it's the overwhelming love and kindness of God, shown most fully in Christ. The very same love that George Clark discovered in that prison cell is the love that God has for you. He loves you at your worst. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Other people can be so incredibly frustrating, can't they?Why can't they see it my way? Why don't they get it? What's the matter with them? Keep carrying on like that, and you become a bitter and twisted individual, let me tell you. Before I became a Christian, my favourite saying used to be this: It's so hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys. Okay, have a chuckle. But you dig a bit deeper, and it drips with hypocrisy, especially when coming from someone who claims to follow Christ. Why? Because it's about a sense of superiority, a contempt for others, a blame-shifting attitude — all things that Jesus consistently rebuked. So even when I finally gave my life over to Him, it was still a journey of many years to genuinely let go of that stinking attitude. And God's very clear on this. You can't live in that sort of arrogance yet claim to know His love. And look around, this 'surrounded by turkeys' attitude is destroying the world in which we live. The solution? Well, here it is: Galatians 6:2-3 Help each other with your troubles. When you do this, you are obeying the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to do this, you are only fooling yourself. It's the complete opposite of self-righteous arrogance, isn't it? In fact, you and I, we never look more like Jesus to this world than when we humble ourselves to help others in the midst of our troubles; than when we love our enemies; than when we step in to bind their wounds. And if you think you're too important to do that, you're only fooling yourself. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

If there's one thing that history's demonstrated time and again, it's that just because something is accepted by the majority, just because it represents the prevailing wisdom of the day, doesn't mean that it's true or right. Majority support doesn't magically transform a lie into truth. In the mid-1800s, Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that doctors who washed their hands with antiseptics drastically reduced the number of deaths from childbed fever. But prevailing medical wisdom rejected germ theory. His peers mocked him, clung to tradition, refused to change. Even Semmelweis himself, though he'd stumbled onto the truth, didn't fully understand it. As rejection mounted, he became bitter and unstable, eventually dying in an asylum—ironically of sepsis. Had the medical world embraced even a sliver of biblical wisdom—like Numbers 19 or Leviticus 15, where cleanliness laws reflect God's care for physical hygiene—they could have spared countless lives, and Semmelweis his torment. Still today, by far the majority reject God's truth. Even Christians find some of what Jesus had to say inconvenient, unpalatable or both. And in this, the devil delights, finding his entry point to wreak havoc in our lives. Which is why Jesus said this to those who believed in Him: John 8:31-32 "If you continue to accept and obey my teaching, you are really my followers. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." The best defence, the only defence, against the untruths of our day, the lies of the devil himself, is truth. And if you fill your mind with God's truth, you simply won't have room for Satan's lies. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

The bad things that come at us out of the blue often feel so incredibly unfair. Life throws something at you, I mean something that really hurts, and you think to yourself, "What the … why me?" So, the last time something bad happened to you, what impact did it have on your life? After surviving the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty in 1789, Captain William Bligh returned to England a hero—but he never let go of the humiliation. Convinced he'd been wronged, he became increasingly authoritarian and bitter. Given another command in the Australian colony of New South Wales, his harsh, domineering leadership sparked yet another revolt—the Rum Rebellion—the only successful armed takeover of an Australian government in history. Bligh's brilliance as a navigator was overshadowed by his obsessive need to defend his reputation. Instead of learning from the mutiny, he nursed his wounds, alienated his allies, and allowed his unresolved bitterness to define his life. Bitterness is an all-too-natural response to pain. In the short term, sure, it's entirely completely understandable. But when we allow it to fester in our hearts, it'll destroy us. Which is why … 2 Timothy 1:7 The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control Look, when bad stuff happens, you can either become bitter or better. It's that simple. And God wants to make you better, not just healing the gaping wound of pain, but transforming you through the very Presence of His Spirit within you, replacing the fear, the bitterness, the negativity with His power, His love, His ability for you to exercise the most incredible self-control. That's what the Holy Spirit would do for you. But it's your choice. Bitter, or better. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Guilt over past mistakes has a habit of clouding our judgment in moving forward. Many a life has been ruined through unredeemed guilt. Sound familiar? Ludwig Tessnow was a German carpenter convicted of murdering two young boys in 1901. Earlier, in 1898, two similar murders had occurred, but although a strong suspect, he escaped justice due to a lack of evidence. Tessnow lived under deep internal torment, becoming increasingly isolated and erratic. Haunted by guilt but too ashamed to confess the initial murders, he tried to bury his past in secrecy and denial. When forensic science caught up with him, his role in the second set of murders in 1901 was exposed. But Tessnow never sought redemption, and his regret never led to repentance—only despair. There you have it: the soul-crushing weight of unredeemed guilt. But here's what God said to His people, Israel, through the Prophet: Isaiah 1:18 I, the LORD, am the one speaking to you. Come, let's discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow. That captures the very heart of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ: God's grace through Jesus' death on that Cross to pay the price His justice demands for our sin, redeems our past and empowers us to move forward. He doesn't ignore our sin. No, through His mercy in Christ, when we ask for God's forgiveness through Jesus, He forgives us completely, once and for all. So, will you ask? Because your next move matters way more than your last mistake. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

If only we could take back the hurtful things we've said over the years and replace them with words of kindness and understanding. Think about it. How different would some of your relationships, even your life itself, be if you hadn't said some of those things, hmm? We've all done it. We all regret it. We all wish we could take it back. But we can't. What we can do is try to understand why we said those hurtful things, what caused us to blurt them out in the first place, and behave differently next time. First, though, let's state the blindingly, glimpsingly obvious: Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (ESV) The phrase "gentle tongue" literally refers to a healing tongue in the original Hebrew language. Imagine always approaching difficult situations with words that heal and build people up, rather than tearing them down. But perverseness - literally, twisted or corrupt speech, lies, slander, cruelty and the like - breaks the spirit, it crushes people, wounds them, demoralises them. Typically, we do that because we ourselves are hurting. When your heart's aching, how capable are you of speaking lovingly to others? Not very, right? Truth: When the heart is wounded or inflamed, the tongue often follows in destructive ways. God's Word consistently links the condition of our heart to the words that we speak, and urges restraint, wisdom, and silence when emotions are raw So, some gentle wisdom: don't trust your tongue when your heart's bitter or broken. Be silent until you heal, because a gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Have you ever felt worthless as you looked around at what all those other people were achieving and compared it with your own miserable, rotten existence? Perhaps that's overstating it a tad, but isn't that how we sometimes see ourselves, as completely worthless in the scheme of things? As worthlessness goes, I think you'll agree that nothing on planet Earth could be more useless than bird poo. But in the 19th century, bird droppings—guano—became white gold. Rich in nitrogen, it was a miracle fertiliser fuelling global agriculture. Peru's guano islands drew international attention, prompting the U.S. to pass the Guano Islands Act in 1856, allowing Americans to claim guano-rich territories. Spain seized the Chincha Islands in Peru in 1864, sparking a war. A decade later, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia clashed in the War of the Pacific, again over nitrate-rich guano territory. All this, not about oil or gold, but bird poo—the most unlikely resource that shaped empires, fuelled conflict, and fed the world. There's an even greater battle raging today, over something that perhaps you may consider to be a bit on the worthless side, too. Said Jesus of Satan and Himself … John 10:10-11 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (ESV) As Charles Spurgeon once said, "Ponder how valuable your soul must be for Satan to pursue it tirelessly and the King of kings to lay down His own life for it." Worthless? Not on your life! That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

The world appears to be sharply divided between authoritarian regimes on the one hand and so-called liberal democracies on the other. Yet there's a growing grey area in the middle where censorship is eroding the basic human right of free speech. A recent UK government report on "Faith and Belief in Modern Britain" states that "Christianity is the one faith that is still considered acceptable to mock or deride publicly." An Open Doors report on Western Europe found that 30% to 40% of young Christians admit to self-censoring their faith out of fear of ridicule or professional repercussions. France last year recorded over a thousand anti-Christian acts, including church arsons, desecrations and assaults. Canadian activist Chris Elston, known as "Billboard Chris", was arrested in Australia for standing quietly in a public mall wearing a placard stating, "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." Persecution is on the rise. You can feel it. You can see it. So, what are we to do? Writes Paul the Apostle in the 1st Century AD: 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 And pray that we will be protected from crooked and evil people. Not everyone believes in the Lord, you know. But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One. Wherever you live, whatever system of government you live under, however this rising tide of persecution is playing itself out in your neck of the woods, don't be surprised. Not everyone believes in the Lord, you know. Don't be perturbed, don't be afraid, because the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Elon Musk is, without doubt, a polarising figure. But he's also a visionary of staggering brilliance. He's reshaped entire industries—from motor vehicles to space travel—with relentless innovation. He dreams of colonising Mars, merging minds with machines, extending human life, ultimately casting humanity as its own saviour. But in his soaring ambition, Musk sidesteps the Creator. God's become unnecessary in his gospel of progress, where ultimate hope lies in human innovation, not grace. And he's by no means alone. Let's face it, the majority of the human race has rejected the one true God, who sent Jesus His Son to be our Saviour by dying on that Cross to pay for our sins, and rising again to give us a whole new life for all eternity. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel, humanity reaches for the heavens without bowing to heaven's King. So, how will it all end? Are the Elon Musks of this world correct? Is science really the answer? Can humanity really become its own saviour? Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD will be the King of the whole world. At that time all people will worship him as the only LORD with only one name. Make no mistake. Our lives are coming to an end. This whole world is heading inexorably toward its ultimate, apocalyptic end. And on that day, all the science, all the human brilliance and endeavour in the world won't save us. On that day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

We've all heard it said that pride comes before the fall. And it does! If you've ever allowed your pride to get the better of you, then you, like me, know through bitter experience that eventually you fall flat on your face. General George Custer was a flamboyant and ambitious U.S. Army officer in the 19th century. Known for his bravado and overconfidence, he consistently overestimated his military genius. In 1876, during the Battle of the Little Bighorn, he dismissed warnings and underestimated the strength and resolve of the Native American forces. Driven by pride and a thirst for glory, he split his forces and launched a reckless assault, believing victory was certain. Instead, his entire detachment was wiped out. His self-deception led not only to his own demise but to the needless loss of all his men. Yep, pride definitely comes before the fall. So … Romans 12:3 … Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (NIV) The reason that pride comes before the fall is that an ego that goes unchecked leads us into reckless decisions. So the answer here, according to God, is actually to check your ego at the door, to get a grip, to get real about your unique abilities and limitations. Don't overestimate. Don't overreach. We're all different, so pride plays itself out differently in each of us. So, don't think of yourself more highly than you should, but instead think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the faith God's given you. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Today is one of those bad news-good news days. We all face bad news in our lives but honestly, the worst news we can ever be confronted with is that there is a God in heaven, and that He judges each of us according to our deeds. Depending on where you sit, that may seem like a joke or it could absolutely terrify you. I'm in the latter camp because I believe with all my heart that there is a God in heaven and that He does judge us. Here's why I believe that: Jeremiah 17:10 I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve. (NIV) That's not just bad news, it's terrifying. Look, if there is a God, you'd want Him to be just, right? So many people get away with so much in this world. Ultimately, you want them to receive their just desserts. And that's exactly what God's saying here. He searches every heart, He examines every mind - yours, mine and everyone else's. He sees everything we do. And we both know that in the court of His justice, given the dark things that've swilled round in our hearts, the terrible things we've thought about and done, it's not going to end well for us. That's a terrifying prospect. We're all doomed. But this God of justice is also the God of love. And that's why He sent Jesus to take our place, bearing the punishment our deeds deserve. On the cross, Jesus was treated according to our deeds, so that we might be treated according to His perfect righteousness.  That's the good news. Put all your trust in Jesus, and you will be saved. Because that's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Life has many a turning point. One moment, you can be in the depths of despair. The next, you can be filled with a joy unspeakable. And it's the promise of precisely such a turning point that we're going to revel in together today. Before becoming one of history's great men of faith, George Müller was a thief, liar, and drunkard—even imprisoned as a young man. But in 1825, at a low point of spiritual emptiness, he reluctantly attended a Bible study. That night, something broke within him. He later wrote, "I was in great distress. But when I saw that Christ died for my sins, joy filled my soul as never before." In one moment: despair. The next: joy unspeakable. Müller went on to care for over 10,000 orphans without ever soliciting funds, trusting only in the God who had lifted him from the pit. Such was the promise to God, to His people Israel, when they were about to enter a time of great suffering: Isaiah 12:3-4 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. (NRSV) And that's the promise for anyone who, like George Müller, turns their life over to Jesus. With great joy, you'll forever be drawing living water from the depths of your relationship with Him. And then, spontaneously, worship will be on your lips so that without reservation, you'll long to tell others about His great love for them. From trial to testimony; from worship to mission. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Some of the events this world is going through at the moment seem … well, apocalyptic. Hey, perhaps some of the things going on in your life feel apocalyptic too. And yet, in the midst of it all, we each woke up this morning to face yet another day. The concept of the apocalypse kind of speaks to the end times, the destruction of creation. And with the tectonic upheavals in the global order right now, who knows? But the original Greek word - apokalypsis - actually means a revelation, an unveiling, a disclosure of hidden truths. So, I wonder, what's God trying to tell you and me about the unsettling events taking place in our own lives? As you turn that over in your mind, here's a powerful word of encouragement from Jesus Himself, as He was answering the apocalyptic questions of His disciples back in the day: Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (ESV) Sometimes it feels as though the very ground beneath your feet is shaking; things you've taken for granted are crumbling; that which you've always held to be true suddenly seems questionable. When you're in that place, my prayer for you is this: That you would remember what Jesus said when His disciples confronted Him with the big questions they faced: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. He loves you. He died to save you from your sins. He rose again to give you a new life. And one day, He's coming to take you home to be with Him forever. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

So, twenty years ago, would you have guessed where your life would be at today? For most of us, the answer's a clear no, because things take unexpected turns, don't they? Life's brought us to a place now that we could never have anticipated. And with all the ups and downs you've experienced, doubtless there have been times when things just didn't make sense. Why did that happen? How can that be right? How did I get myself into this situation? Decades ago, when my hopes and dreams lay shattered before me, I was definitely asking those questions. And back then, I could never have predicted that I'd be here with you, doing what I'm doing. But along the way, this is what I've discovered: Psalm 18:30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (ESV) My journey's been messy; yours no doubt too. But looking back on it, I can see that God's way - what He chose for me when I'd made a hash of things, how He dealt with me, the course He charted for me when I finally came to my senses and handed Him the reins - has been flawless; completely beyond reproach. His promises, His wisdom, His power have been tested in my cauldron of experience to the point where I can say without equivocation that His Word is true. And no matter what I had to go through (and some of it was ugly, some of it was painful, some of it I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy) He protected me; He became my refuge; He brought me safely to this point to be with you. Because that's who God is … for me, and for you. And that's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

When all is said and done, what we hope for is to get through to the other side of our struggles, perhaps with a few bumps and bruises, but basically intact so that we can breathe that deep sigh of relief, "I made it!" Am I right? When you're in the middle of those struggles, though, it often feels like you're not going to make it. And what in the blazes is God up to, anyhow? Why isn't He stepping in? Why doesn't He just put His cosmic finger on the scales and tip them in my favour? Perhaps the answer lies in something that the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé, Timothy, in the New Testament: 2 Timothy 2:3-6 As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have. A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not spend any time on activities that are not a part of his duty. Athletes in a race must obey all the rules to win. The farmer who works hard deserves the first part of the harvest. Life with God isn't a free pass on all your struggles; it's a blessed and powerful partnership with Him on the way through. It's been said that if you ask God to win a marathon, he'll send you a pair of shoes, not a medal. Because His way is to equip us, not spoil us; to prepare us, not to bypass the process. He gives what we need to endure — not shortcuts, but strength. So … as a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Have you ever felt completely alone in this busy world? Perhaps you have people around you, things you're involved in, but that sense of detachment, of isolation, nevertheless eats away at you. So, you think to yourself, Why am I going through this? Why do I feel this way? It's not an uncommon feeling. Stuff just seems to be happening to you without rhyme or reason; as though you've been dropped into the whirlpool of life, with things (good and bad) coming at you randomly from every direction. We especially get to thinking about our sense of isolation, about the apparent randomness of events, of people's attitudes and behaviour, when our spirits are down; when we're hurting. So, speaking into that place of suffering, God has this to say to you through the Apostle Paul writing to the Roman church in the 1st Century AD: Romans 8:28-29 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan. God knew them before he made the world. And he decided that they would be like his Son. Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. American pastor and theologian Tim Keller put it like this: "Christianity teaches that, contrary to fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contrary to Buddhism, suffering is real; contrary to karma, suffering is often unfair; and contrary to secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us deeply into the love of God and provide more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine." Everything works together for the good of those who love God. Everything. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Without doubt, gratitude is one of the most transformative forces in the universe. The problem is, when our spirits are down, it seems virtually impossible to come by. As a young Dutch Jewish woman during World War II, Etty Hillesum wrestled with deep regret over her past relationships and a gnawing fear of the Nazi terror tightening around her. But while imprisoned at Westerbork transit camp, she cultivated an extraordinary gratitude for nature, for human kindness, even for God's presence amidst her suffering. Her diaries reflect a profound inner transformation: "The misery here is quite terrible... and yet—late at night... I thank God for having let me live so richly." Gratitude became her lifeline, redeeming her days before perishing at Auschwitz in 1943. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus. Well, good on Etty Hillesum. Amazing! But you read this Scripture, and you think to yourself … that's impossible. How can I always be full of joy, given what I have to deal with? How can I always be thankful … no matter what happens? Look, no amount of regret will change your past. No amount of anxiety will change your future. But the smallest grain of gratitude will utterly transform your present. Because there's Holy Spirit power, resurrection power, in the Word of God. So, take this Scripture, embrace it, meditate on it, pray over it … and watch the power of God transform your life, because this is how He wants you to live in Christ Jesus. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

It's stating the obvious to say that suffering is universally part of the human condition. It's impossible to imagine our lives without it, even though that's what we'd hope for. But life just ain't like that. So, why does God allow it? More to the point, why does He let you and me suffer? That's what we really want to know! Back in the 1st Century AD, Jesus' brother, James, wrote this to persecuted Jews scattered across the Roman Empire: James 1:2-4 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (NRSV) I was deeply impacted by something that my good friend and long-time Africa missionary Lowell Wertz wrote recently on this very thing: Maybe there's no substitute for suffering. Experiences from God always have a purpose. Those disciples caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, in fear for their lives, saw Jesus walk on water and still the storm.  Boats, wind, waves - when they were at the end of themselves, strong men of the sea were humbled. The failure of their strength built humility into their lives. They suffered the worst so they could experience God's best. Or, as Franklin D Roosevelt put it, a smooth sea never made for a skilled sailor. Embrace the struggles because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Irrespective of our different personalities, we've all been in a place where, with everything weighing us down, with the pressures of life coming at us from every angle, we've reached breaking point. It's all up to me, but I just can't handle it! Now what? You likely heard the common theory of Type A and Type B personality types. Type A people are highly driven, competitive, and constantly racing the clock — success fuels them, but stress often ensues. They push hard, feel urgency, struggle with impatience. The more they take on, the closer they get to breaking point. Type B people, on the other hand, tend to be more relaxed and unhurried. They take life as it comes, valuing balance over ambition, relationships over success. And while, on the one hand, they feel pressure less frequently, when they do, it's far more devastating for them. In reality, we're all somewhere between those two extremes, each with our own personality shaped both by both nature and nurture. However you're wired, that "breaking point" is triggered through the delusion that it's all up to me! The flawed logic does something like this: It's broken. It needs fixing. I'm the only one who can make it right. But it's way beyond my power to do so. So when you find yourself at that point, here's some godly wisdom to get you through: Ecclesiastes 6:10-11 You are only what you were created to be—a human, and it is useless to argue about it. People cannot argue with God about this because he is more powerful than they are, and a long argument will not change that fact. The bottom line is this: you're only human. Let God be God. He's the One with the power to make it right. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

There's a question that rather a lot of people are asking: If God is indeed God, if He loves me like He says He does, why doesn't He show up the moment I'm in trouble? After all, that's what any good parent would do for their kids, right? During World War II, André Trocmé was a Protestant pastor in the French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. When Nazi forces began deporting Jews, Trocmé and his congregation, motivated by their faith, turned their town into a refuge. Over time, they saved more than 3,000 Jewish lives. Despite the constant risk of arrest, threats, and interrogations, Trocmé trusted God to preserve their lives and accomplish His purposes. He once said, "We don't know what a Jew is. We only know human beings." Through danger and persecution, God preserved him and fulfilled His purpose. In a similar vein, three thousand years ago, King David of Israel prayed: Psalm 138:7-8 If I walk into the thick of danger, You will preserve my life from the anger of my enemies. You will extend Your hand; Your right hand will save me. The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands! (HCSB) Look, God doesn't promise us a trouble-free life — but He walks with us through it all, protecting our souls, and completing His purpose in us and through us. Your suffering isn't the end; it's part of God's shaping process, rooted in His unchanging love. So, trust God's hand even when you can't see His plan, because He never abandons the "work of His hands." That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was imprisoned in 1945 for criticising Joseph Stalin, enduring eight years in Soviet gulags — starvation, freezing cold, forced labour, and relentless dehumanisation. At his lowest point, he contemplated suicide. But in the midst of that darkness Solzhenitsyn experienced a profound spiritual awakening, placing his hope in God. After his release in 1953 (shortly after Stalin's death) he wrote: "It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good." His faith sustained him, and after release his writings exposed the truth about Soviet oppression, influencing millions. Hopefully, you and I will never experience what Solzhenitsyn went through. And yet, we are surrounded by evil; by people whose self-interest causes oppression and harm; by world systems and institutionalised corruption with an untold human toll. Welcome to the world in which we live. But there is hope, a great hope for the future. Writes the prophet to a remnant of God's people at a time of national and personal fear: Zechariah 14:9And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. (ESV) Sooner or later, this world will come to an end. Perhaps next Thursday … or in another 2,000 years. But it will come to an end. God will judge the living and the dead. Jesus will return. He will take His rightful place as King over all the earth. And on that day there will be absolutely no doubt that the Lord will be one and his name will be one. He will take His rightful place and reign over all.  That's the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. And that's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

There are times when we're confronted by circumstances so dire, so complex that, try as we might, we can't figure them out. And, let's be honest here, "figuring them out" means finding a way to get through them safely and successfully to the other side. In our book, yours and mine, "figuring it out" means winning. But we don't always get to win in this life. Jane Haining, a Scottish missionary in Hungary, refused to abandon the Jewish girls in her care during World War II. Ordered to return home, she wrote, "If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more in days of darkness?" Arrested by the Gestapo in 1944, she was sent to Auschwitz, where she died. Faced with impossible choices and no clear path, she simply trusted Christ. Decades later, she was honoured as Righteous Among the Nations. She didn't have all the answers—but God did. Her quiet faith endured when nothing else made sense. What do you do with that? You and I … man, we want to win. We want to beat that cancer diagnosis. We don't want the bank to foreclose on our mortgage when we're faced with insurmountable financial pressures. But what happens when winning is no longer an option? Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (NRSV) Absolutely, do your best to overcome your difficulties. But when it's completely beyond you, don't overthink it. If it's God's will, then it will happen. If it's not, God has a better plan. Be at peace knowing that, because … he will make straight your paths. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

From a very young age we've relied on the feedback of others, positive and negative, to learn the beliefs and behaviours that define us. Now that's a good thing … until that feedback does us harm. Perpetua was a young noblewoman and new Christian convert living in Carthage, North Africa, in the 2nd century AD. During Emperor Septimius Severus' persecution of Christians, she was arrested along with others. She had a newborn child; her father pleaded with her to renounce Christ,  yet still she stood firm. In her prison diary she wrote of visions from God and her deep peace, despite her impending death. On the day of her execution she encouraged fellow believers in the arena, before being killed by wild beasts and the sword. Her unwavering faith became a powerful witness to the early church. Sure, that's extreme, but here's the point: not everyone will give you positive feedback about your goodness, your uniqueness, and especially, your faith. Said Jesus to His followers: John 15:18-19 If the world hates you, remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as it loves its own people. But I have chosen you to be different from those in the world. So you don't belong to the world, and that is why the world hates you. Yes, social feedback plays a big role in shaping us. But the people around you aren't perfect. They make mistakes. They don't always have the purest of motives. So be careful, very careful, of constantly seeking validation from a world that crucified a perfect man. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Let's imagine a child raised by parents who jump to its every need. Whenever it wants something, they dish it up. Whenever it throws a tantrum, they placate it by dancing to its tune. What sort of adult, do you think, will that child grow into? One of the things that turns many a person off from Christianity is the notion that having accepted God's love and forgiveness through Jesus (great!), they're now supposed to obey Him. Obey?! Really? I don't think so! It all smacks of a rigid 1950s religiosity, and nobody wants to go back to that nonsense. Yet, writes the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome: Romans 12:1 So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way  Many a person who wants to experience the love, the joy, the power of God in their lives - His manifest Presence, the infilling of the Holy Spirit - will at the same time reject the notion of becoming a living sacrifice in obedience to the God who sent His Son, Jesus, to save them. Nineteenth-century evangelist Maria Woodworth-Etter once put it like this: "I asked for more of the Holy Spirit, and He asked for more of me." The Spirit-filled life starts with obedience. Yes, it's a sacrifice, but make no mistake, it's where your abundant life in Christ begins. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Let's face it, we like hanging out with people who agree with us; who say nice things to us; who, frankly, tell us what we want to hear. After all, who wants to be around those cantankerous individuals constantly pointing out our faults? The problem with that is that we end up creating a bubble, a mutual admiration society, where we each reinforce the things that make us feel good. That's how street gangs descend into violence. That's how the rich end up ignoring the suffering of the poor. It all began with the serpent tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden. At first she resisted, saying … Genesis 3:3-6But there is one tree we must not eat from. God told us, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch that tree, or you will die.'" But the snake said to the woman, "You will not die. God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree you will learn about good and evil, and then you will be like God!" The woman could see that the tree was beautiful and the fruit looked so good to eat. She also liked the idea that it would make her wise. So she took some of the fruit from the tree and ate it. Her husband was there with her, so she gave him some of the fruit, and he ate it. As 19th-century theologian J.C. Ryle once said, "Eve found the serpent more trustworthy than God, not because of its credentials, but because the serpent said what she wanted to hear." Be careful of surrounding yourself with likable, ill-credentialed people, intent on tickling your ego. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

You and I, indeed everyone who's ever lived on planet Earth (bar one), has stuffed up. We've all made mistakes. We've all fallen short. Not a one of us has ever kept all the rules - from road rules to simple kindness and common decency. There's a cheery thought. Now, please don't take this the wrong way but I'm one of the most driven, conscientious, and hard-working people you'll ever meet. That said, the mistakes I've made, the people I've hurt … if I were to write them all down, they'd make for the longest book ever published in human history. It doesn't matter how smart, diligent or hard-working we are, or what culture we grew up in, we've all made a mountain of mistakes. One response to that is to try harder, to do better, to keep the rules. Here's the Apostle Peter speaking before the Jerusalem Council, addressing the issue of whether Gentiles had to follow Jewish laws to be saved. Acts 15:10-11So now, why are you putting a heavy burden around the necks of the non-Jewish followers of Jesus? Are you trying to make God angry? We and our fathers were not able to carry that burden. No, we believe that we and these people will be saved the same way—by the grace of the Lord Jesus. In other words, he's saying 'if we Jews weren't able to obey the law of Moses, why in the blazes would we lay that burden on others?' The answer - the only answer - is God's grace and forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus. As Charles Spurgeon put it: "Sin is the great equaliser. It puts the king and the beggar on the same level ground before God. All have sinned. All need grace." That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

We live in a world that's not only drifting further and further from the Judeo-Christian morals that have served us so well down through the centuries, but from God Himself. And whilst, in a sense, there's nothing new in that, I think you'd agree it's gathering pace. As the world drifts ever more rapidly toward evil (go on, look around, tell me I'm wrong), there's one powerful truth that remains unchanged. It's this: that God is ever faithful. Back in the 1st Century AD, the Apostle Paul was out telling people about Jesus, suffering all kinds of persecution as a result. So in a letter to his friends he writes… 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 And pray that we will be protected from crooked and evil people. Not everyone believes in the Lord, you know. But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One. Paul was preaching good news to a crooked and evil generation. Not everyone believes in the Lord, you know. A faithless generation. But he didn't allow public opinion to sway him from his course. Because in the centre of his very being, he knew this: That God is faithful. That He will give us strength and protect us from the Evil One. Don't be surprised when people come against you, ridicule you, ostracise you because of your faith in this Jesus who died to pay the price of your sin and rose again to give you a new and eternal life. Don't be thrown off course. Because though you may be surrounded by evil, you're secured by grace. God has your back! That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

In a world obsessed with material things, temporal things, here-and-now things, many have lost sight of the things that really matter. And as we focus on money, comfort, success, life quietly slips by … until it's gone. For years I sacrificed my family life on the altar of career, comfort and success. It ended up costing me my first marriage. Looking back on it, I've come to realise that the spoils of the rat race, into which we all seem to have been dropped, simply aren't worth it. Silver and gold, in the end, ain't what life's all about. 1 Peter 1:18-19 You know that in the past the way you were living was useless. It was a way of life you learned from those who lived before you. But you were saved from that way of living. You were bought, but not with things that ruin like gold or silver. You were bought with the precious blood of Christ's death. He was a pure and perfect sacrificial Lamb. All those here-and-now things that we've been told are oh-so-important, will one day be completely meaningless. In fact, when you think about it, they're pretty much meaningless today. Jesus came to save us from all that, to pluck us out of that rat race, to reset our lives with what truly matters … from now into all eternity. You were bought, ransomed, set free with the precious blood of Christ's death. It cost Him everything. Stop living the old way. You've been saved from that life. Follow Jesus. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

A week out from Resurrection Sunday, let's turn our gaze back to that empty tomb, to the power that raised Jesus from the dead; a power that far exceeds anything made on this earth because that same power is available to you! The most powerful nuclear explosion to date occurred on October 30, 1961, when the 'Tsar Bomba' was detonated by the USSR on a remote archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It was a 50 megaton blast, equivalent to 50 million tons of TNT. Just to put that into perspective, that's enough freight trains fully loaded with TNT to stretch 28,000 kilometres, or nearly three-quarters of the way around the equator. As a former army officer, I've seen what a conventional bomb dropped from a plane can do. Let me tell you, it's terrifying. But 50 megatons? That's inconceivable! But the resurrection power available to anyone who believes in Jesus is way, way bigger than that. Writes the Apostle Paul, I pray that you would know … Ephesians 1:19-20 … what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. (ESV) A transliteration of "immeasurable greatness of his power" would sound something like this … the hyper-ballistic, megathonic, dynamite power … Not hype, not theory, but the power available to anyone who believes in Jesus to live the life He's called them to live; to become all that He made them to be. And … God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Let's get real. How often has your ego led you down a dangerous path of self-delusion and destruction? Perhaps that sounds a bit melodramatic, but that's exactly what an over-inflated ego will do. In 2003, at just 19 years of age, Elizabeth Holmes founded the health technology company Theranos in Pal Alto, California, the heart of Silicon Valley. The company promised to revolutionise blood testing. Charismatic and driven, Holmes styled herself as the next Steve Jobs. But behind the vision was deception. As cracks formed, instead of admitting failure her ego drove her to mislead investors, patients, and the public. Following a peak valuation of US$9 billion, Theranos collapsed after investigative reporting in 2015 exposed the fraud. What began as ambition curdled into arrogance. Had Holmes humbled herself early, the damage might've been contained—but her ego demanded the illusion of success at any cost. Writes the Apostle Paul: Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (ESV) Goodbye ego, hello Jesus. Now, to be sure, there's a cost to laying down our lives, to accepting Jesus as Lord, to allowing our old self to be crucified with Christ. Let me be blunt: it hurts. But what comes next is a freedom from self, from ego, from the dangers of ruin because now we can live our lives by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Okay, so we're five days on from Easter Sunday. Tell me, how much is the power, the joy, the awe, the wonder of what took place at Easter still resonating in your heart? Or has it kind of faded away as you've settled back into your daily grind? That inexorable grind is, without doubt, one of the most powerfully destructive forces in our lives because it wears down our resolve to pursue the things that really matter. In the mid-19th Century, a poor grocer's apprentice in Germany, Heinrich Schliemann, dreamed of finding ancient Troy. But life pulled him into commerce. He became a wealthy businessman, working obsessively to chase profit. Decades passed. Though rich, he felt unfulfilled, trapped in the grind he once believed would bring him happiness. Finally, in midlife, he abandoned his business to pursue archaeology. He went on to discover the site of Troy. In the end, Schliemann admitted that chasing wealth had nearly cost him his true calling. Such is the power of the daily grind. In the same way, it's so easy for us to get stuck in ground-level thinking and lose sight of the heavenly riches of God's kindness and grace. Ephesians 2:6-7 … it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. As C.S. Lewis put it, "Aim for heaven and you'll get Earth thrown in; aim for Earth and you'll get neither." That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Here's a tragedy that I see playing itself out time and time again: people say they believe in God, even that they believe that Jesus is who He said He is, that He died for them and rose again as we celebrated just a few days ago … and yet, there's this gnawing emptiness inside. Something's missing. Tokichi Ishii was one of Japan's most feared and brutal criminals. He was arrested over 20 times for theft, assault, and ultimately murder. By the time he was sentenced to death, Ishii was so hardened that he spat on the guards and cursed all who came near. He later admitted to feeling a crushing emptiness, a weight on his chest that he couldn't escape. But in prison, he was handed a Bible. Reading Jesus' words from the cross—"Father, forgive them"—pierced his heart. "I stopped," he wrote, "as if stabbed by a five-inch nail." Overwhelmed by grace, he repented and gave his life to Christ. The emptiness lifted. Ishii became peaceful and kind, ministering to fellow inmates, and met his death in 1918 with joy, having been transformed by knowing the truth about who he was in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:15,17 [Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised … When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!  ESV & ERV The truth about you, about anyone who really believes in Jesus, is that your identity is in Him. Just like Ishii, you are truly a new person; everything old has passed away, and everything is new. That's who you've become. Lay hold of that truth, and the gnawing emptiness goes away. Suddenly, everything is new! That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

So, did Easter have an impact on you? Did engaging with the story of the risen Christ touch your heart? Because, let me tell you, it's meant to. Because in Jesus, you have a whole new life. American, Lew Wallace, was a lawyer, Civil War general and the governor of New Mexico. He was also a sceptic when it came to Christianity, setting out to write a book to disprove the divinity of Jesus. But during his extensive research, Wallace encountered the compelling truth of Christ. The evidence so overwhelmed him that instead of writing an attack on Christianity, he penned the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It became one of the most influential Christian books in history. He later wrote, "It is not possible for anyone to study the life of Jesus of Nazareth seriously, without feeling His influence." Wallace didn't just discover the facts — he encountered the risen Christ, and it changed everything. Colossians 3:1-2 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. NRSV Friend, knowing Jesus changes you - it's a reset and a refocus. Yes, we have all our day-to-day things to deal with, but when we seek the things of Jesus, when we set our minds on the things that are above, when we long to be with Him, to see His will done on this earth rather than our own… man, that changes you. It changes everything! That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.