Living Today
Interesting articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you as you follow Jesus here in Samoa
The Word for Today encourages Teachers and Students
We got this encouraging testimony from Lilian who is a teacher in Vanuatu to our UCB Vanuatu team... Thank you for all that you are doing. It's touching lives. I am a teacher and I find it very helpful in helping my students know about the love of God. All the...
A Testament of Healing: How The Word for Today Guided Me Through Cancer
The following powerful testimony is from Tomu in Fiji... A women shared about her journey since she started receiving, her copies back in 2021. She shared with me how God came through for her during her most difficult time since being diagnosed with breast cancer two...
Seasons
We all experience different seasons in our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from...
Relationships
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for the brethren to dwell together in unity. 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. Imagine a life with no relationships? We would be like a person stranded on a deserted island. Yes, at first it might be alright, (especially for introverts), but after a while without any other human contact, we...
The Cross at Easter
The cross is an important symbol during Easter, reminding us of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made. Despite all of our struggles and pain, the cross reminds us we are not alone in this world. We can find strength and comfort knowing that Jesus has already saved us from our sins. It’s this hope for redemption through Christ’s death on the cross that makes Easter such an integral part of Christian tradition. Stu Millar from Train to Proclaim recently shared on Vision Chrisitan Media his...
Who Am I? Part 2
As we continue to remind ourselves of who we are IN CHRIST... the following LIFE GIVING verses speak of all that we have and need is in Christ alone... Complete in Him Colossians 2:10 Crucified with Christ Galatians 2:20 Alive with Christ Ephesians 2:5 Free from condemnation Romans 8:1 Reconciled to God 2 Corinthians 5:18 Qualified to share in His inheritance Colossians 1:12 Firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude Colossians 2:7 A fellow citizen with the...
Who am I? Part 1
Ever struggled with “who you are?” You know… that voice that says you are defeated, or have nothing, or not beautiful etc. Have a read of these LIFE GIVING VERSES then remind yourself that IN CHRIST… you have everything you need. I AM - God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God 1 Peter 1:23 Forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood Ephesians 1:7 / Hebrews 9:14 / Colossians 1:14 / 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 2:12 A new creature 2 Corinthians 5:17 The...
Living out Faith in a Hostile World
You don’t have to look any further than the most recent headlines to see that we live in uncertain times. Many people think the world has never been more hostile to Christians than it is now, especially since the cancel culture continues to target people who aren’t seen as politically correct. Being a Christian in a deeply secularised society is a growing challenge. Everyone’s truth seems to be accepted unless you’re a Christian. So how do we live out our faith in such a hostile world? With...
Blessed to be a Blessing
Numbers 6:24-26 says Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. If we could shrink the Earth’s population into a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be: 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the western hemisphere, both north and south, 8 Africans 52 females; 48 males 80 living in...
Compassion and Action
The crewmembers on board Logos Hope all left their homes at one point to come on board the ship to live and work together with others from around the world. They exchanged their familiar environments for a very unique accommodation – a ship – which sooner or later they also call their home for a specific amount of time. They all do know though, that there are many people in the world, who are longing for a place to stay in which they can experience peace and safety. The refugees who leave...
Dad’s Toolkit
It’s a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the value of family, and in particular the role of dads. What are your strengths as a parent? Are there some areas you could grow in? How do you begin your journey of becoming the parent God has called you to be? Brett and Kate Ryan from Focus on the Family, have created a ‘Dad’s Toolkit’ that’s full of ideas on how dad’s can improve themselves. It contains things like conversation starters with your kids, and questions we can ask our dads. Healthy...
Truth, Lies and Financial Freedom
Many Christians divide their lives into categories. Some things they want Jesus to be a part of, but not others. Because we compartmentalise our Christian lives, according to Pastor Jeff Vines, we instantly assume that everything we don’t devote to God is neutral. God will still love us, but any area that we withhold from Him and think we can handle on our own is a false assumption. C.S. Lewis said, ‘There is no neutral ground in the universe.’ Every square inch, every split second is claimed...
Change your expectations
‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you.’ John 1 5:11 KJV
Why did Jesus say, ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full’? Because if you let it, stress will drain you of joy and consign you to a life of depression, dullness, and discontent. Let’s face it, most of us are way too serious! We make a big deal out of everything. Being five minutes late, getting stuck in traffic, somebody giving us a wrong look, waiting in line, overcooking a meal, gaining a kilo, discovering a grey hair, making an honest mistake, you name it; we lose all perspective. The real problem is we have unrealistic expectations. That’s not how God wants you to live! If you want to experience the joy Jesus promised, do these two things:
1) Concede that your uptightness is mostly because of the way you have decided life should be.
2) Acknowledge that your expectations are causing you much of your frustration. When you keep expecting things to always be a certain way, and they’re not, you will always be upset.
Here is an idea: try approaching life today without all those expectations. For example, don’t expect everybody to be friendly, then when some are, you will be delighted. Don’t expect your day to be hassle-free; when trouble comes, look up and say, ‘Thank you, Lord, for another chance to grow.’ Go ahead, try it and see how much better things are. Rather than swimming against the tide, learn to flow with it. Pretty soon, you will find you’re enjoying life more! And not just that: other people will enjoy being around you more.
SoulFood: Gal 5:22, Luke 10:25-37, Eph 4:31-32, Gen 50:15-21
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©