Living Today
Interesting articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you as you follow Jesus here in Samoa
4 Ways to Love Better
I was recently talking with someone about some relationship struggles they were experiencing. The need for patience was what we ended up with as a critical component to loving better. It’s very interesting, that in the love chapter in 1 Corinthians, it starts...
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...
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...
An Important Easter Message
An Easter message from Awaken Church
The Only Prayer You’ll Ever Need
Have we as Christians allowed the Lord’s Prayer to become like a ritual in our lives? Are we missing the real treasures contained within it? It’s one the most familiar passages in the Bible, and it’s also where Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer is one of the first things we often learn as children, and as new Christians. We can recite it from memory in church on a Sunday, and even Australia's Federal Parliament opens each day reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Dr. Douglas K....
It Isn’t How You Start, But How You Finish
By: Pastor Greg Laurie In 2017 on New Year’s Eve in New York City, visitors to Times Square were encouraged to bring whatever they wanted out of their lives and throw it into a giant shredder. Some people shredded paper on which they had written unpleasant memories, while others shredded photographs and even their bills. That sounds kind of fun, but shredding your bills won’t make them go away. However, I can tell you there’s something even better. We have a great Saviour who can help us put...
Three Ways to Get Spiritually Refreshed
By Pastor Greg Laurie I love the word refresh. It’s such a perfect word to describe starting again or returning to something. In fact, we even use it as a computer term. Sometimes when I’m working on my computer, leave it for a while, and then come back, things freeze up. Certain programs aren’t working properly anymore. So I have to refresh my computer screen. And there are times when that means I need to completely reboot. Sometimes we need a reboot in the Christian life as well. Sometimes...
Self Care is not Selfish
Self-care is important! It impacts our mental health as well as our overall well-being. By Bret and Kate Ryan - Focus on the Family Caring for ourselves is critical. We can’t give out of an empty well. If we’ve got no reserves, how can we be there for others? Self-care is something that cannot be over-emphasised enough. If we want to support others effectively, we simply must learn to care for ourselves too. And the good news is, it doesn’t have to be complicated! Self-care is making sensible...
Living in Purpose
By Author: Sabrina Peters When you hear the term ‘purpose’, what words come to mind? Success? Happiness? Meaning? Wealth? Marriage? Influence? Affluence? Talent? Relationships? As a Christian, I find my answer in God’s Word. Romans 12:1-2 (TM) puts it like this, “So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best...
The Secret Place
By: Dr Dan Mo Have you ever wondered where a man can find God and fellowship with Him today? Adam met with God and fellowshipped with Him in the Garden of Eden. Moses met with God and fellowshipped with Him at the tabernacle. David met with God and fellowshipped with Him at the temple. What about us in this day and age? Where can we find God and fellowship with Him? “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 In current times,...
Shining Light into a Dark and Desperate World
Dear friends, If you’re old enough you may remember the Beatles’ hit song in the 60’s called “Help”. John Farnham also did an impassioned version of it in the early 80’s. And if a modern day artist were to record it, I suspect it could become an anthem once again, especially the line, “Help me if you can, I’m feeling down”. It is no wonder anxiety and depression are at all-time highs, with so much bad news, disunity, fear, speculation and opinion. Add in the uncertainties of lockdowns, many...
A prayer of forgiveness
‘Forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.’ Ephesians 4:32 NLT
The Bible says, ‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you’ (Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT).
Are you struggling to forgive someone? Here is a prayer: ‘Lord, I praise You for forgiving me and washing my sins away. Reveal anything I need to confess to You today so that I can bring it before You and be cleansed and set free, especially any place in my heart where I have not forgiven someone. I know how subtly resentment and bitterness can build up and hinder my prayers. I recognise that my lack of forgiveness towards others can keep me from experiencing Your forgiveness (see Mark 11:25). To say that I need Your help to forgive others the way You have always been forgiving towards me is a huge understatement. You forgave the unforgivable on the cross. I acknowledge that I am incapable of forgiving on my own. Remind me that I cannot make my forgiveness conditional upon whether people deserve it or not and that the focus of my heart must remain on becoming more like You. Give me the grace to forgive and not hold forgiveness back until the other person says or does what I think they should. Take away any anger, bitterness, or resentment in my heart. Pour out Your Spirit upon me and cleanse me of all that’s not of You. Enable me to walk in the forgiveness You have given me and to extend it to others. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.’
SoulFood: Gal 5:22, Luke 6:27-36, Exo 23:1-9, Rom 12:14-21
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©