Werrington Parish Church

IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

"THE STORM ON THE Sea of Galilee didn't just whip up the wind and the waves; it sent everyone in the boat into a panic. Even the hardened fishermen among them who would have been used to bad weather were reduced to terrified children. Well, almost everyone.
As the disciples panicked and prayed, Jesus stayed asleep. The disciples were only too aware of the danger and the risk. They knew that waves of that size could overturn their boat and take their lives.
Jesus stayed asleep.
Two thousand years later, we are still so often found panicking in the boat. When life gets tough we can spend a lot of time and energy wondering when Jesus is going to wake up and do something! In times like this, our faith is being tested.
Eventually Jesus acted, and the storm was silenced as quickly as it came. He calmed the wild sea that was raging around and within the disciples.

'Quiet! Be still!' Mark 4:39

He's still the same Lord, and He's still got the same power to calm the winds, the waves and the panic within us. He still has the power to take a story that begins with fear and end it with faith.
As crisis tests your faith, remember that Christ is strengthening you: He wants you to learn to look to Him, to trust Him even in the middle of the fiercest of life's storms. And like a muscle, as we work it, it gets ever stronger. This is how men and women of faith are made: they live in the knowledge that God protects them."

'SOUL FUEL: A Daily Devotional' by Bear Grylls
Do you know that God is protecting you His beloved?
Lean into Him by faith and let Jesus calm the storm in your heart!!!! ... See more

‪Sometimes getting through the day is enough. May you remember that God promises to walk with you in ‘ordinary’ time. You do not have to be spectacular. Your life does not need to hit the headlines to be important. May you find grace and grit to face the daily grind #niteblessing‬ ... See more

‪When you cannot meet the expectations of others, may you remember that God knows your limitations and loves you still. When you are blind-sided by the actions of friends, may you be given grace to step back, take a breath, keep your perspective, and look to Christ #niteblessing‬ ... See more

CASTING OUT FEAR

"FEAR IS TOXIC TO happiness. It can destroy our enjoyment of the present and suffocate any hope we have for the future. But it doesn't have to be this way. God promises to rescue you 'from hidden traps, [he] shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you -- under them you're perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm' (Psalm 91:3-4 MSG).
The psalmist told us to 'fear nothing' (v. 5 MSG), and he went on to describe the kind of fearlessness we can all hope for: 'You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday' (vv.5-6).
How do we get there? Perfect love casts out fear. When we are rooted in the love of God -- the presence, strength and peace of God -- we see beyond the fear. The closer we are to God, the weaker fear's grip becomes on us. As the psalmist wrote:

'God, you are my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!' Psalm 91:2 MSG

Fear doesn't have to have the last word or be the loudest voice within us. And it is God's love that always drives it away."

'SOUL FUEL: A Daily Devotional' by Bear Grylls ... See more

THE ROUTE TO CONFIDENCE

"WEALTH. EDUCATION. REPUTATION. IT is easy to base our self-esteem on things like these. But being confident because of what we possess or how we look isn't a good long-term strategy for life.
The writer of Proverbs has some advice that still works today: 'The Lord will be your confidence' (3:26 ESV). When we look to Him for affirmation, so much goodness follows.

. Wisdom -- 'The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace' (v. 35 ESV). Wisdom, good judgement and discernment all follow when we trust God.
. Peace -- 'If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked' (vv. 24-5 ESV). Success at work, wealth and fame are of little value if you do not have peace. And peace comes from having a right relationship with God.
. Love -- 'Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it' (v. 27 ESV). We become better people when God is our guide.
. Intimacy -- 'The upright are in his confidence' (v. 32 ESV). The more we trust God, the closer we get to Him.
. Humility -- 'Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favour' (v. 34 ESV). When we look to God for affirmation, we get a right view of ourselves: humble yet confident in His power and love.

People of love and faith don't always get it right; we fall down a lot. But let's fix our eyes on God and put our confidence in Christ."

'SOUL FUEL: A Daily Devotional' by Bear Grylls ... See more

‪May you inhabit the life you have rather than being frustrated or discontented with it because of notions of a perfect life you think you deserve. May gratefulness for gifts you enjoy and possibilies that surround you now keep you rooted in the gift of your present #niteblessing‬ ... See more

ASK, BELIEVE, TRUST

"I LOVE THE EXPRESSION 'To err is human; to forgive is divine'.
The Bible is full of stories of people who lost their way. We all have moments when trusting God is hard. We all fall down. But what makes the difference is being able to reach out our hands and let God pick us back up again. This is what sets the Christian faith apart -- the hand of forgiveness that asks for nothing in return.
So when doubt starts to rise up within us and faith grows faint, remember that it's normal. Many great men and women of faith have experienced much worse -- and fallen much farther.
Trust Jesus to do what He came to do: to forgive, restore and strengthen us. That is the beating heart of a vibrant faith. Know that Christ is good and wants good things for us. It all hinges on quiet trust and humble faith.
Jesus said that if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer:

'If you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles . . . Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.' Matthew 21:21-2 MSG

Ask. Believe. Trust God. Develop a childlike dependence and trust that Christ will provide and always be beside you. It is the hallmark of a champion."

'SOUL FUEL: A Daily Devotional' by Bear Grylls ... See more

‪May you trace grace through your days. May you reflect on the opportunities you have had to discover new things in your encounters with others: seeing God’s image in those you have met, learning to notice beauty as you encounter it, and living in thankfulness always #niteblessing‬ ... See more

YOU NEED ONLY BE STILL

"HUMANKIND HAS ALWAYS GONE to such lengths to find hope, but the truth is that it's closer than the air we breathe. Finding hope can be like a child reaching for the outstretched hand of a loving parent.
It's natural but sometimes hard. It takes courage and faith, and life often beats those qualities out of us. Our job is to rediscover both courage and faith in order to find hope.
Writing in the fourteenth century, Thomas a' Kempis knew just how close that hope is: 'Father, let me hold your hand, and like a child walk with you down all my days, secure in your love and strength.'
When we place our hand in God's, we connect with the greatest power the universe has ever known. We find ourselves on the winning side. We are protected.

'The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'
Exodus 14:14

This is what our great hope is -- being found in His love and mercy."

'SOUL FUEL: A Daily Devotional' by Bear Grylls

Who's hand are you clinging to as you walk down the path of life? Reach out and take Jesus hand and know the Hope only He can bring!!! ... See more

‪Our lives are tapestries of joy and sorrow, love and loss, hope and sadness. We step from shadows to light and back again so many times. May you be able to give God the threads of your story and learn to live with the unique, perhaps unexpected weave of your days, #niteblessing‬ ... See more