Author: Alwyn Barry

Thankfulness, gratitude, is a prominent Bible theme. It’s part of who we should become in Jesus: 1 Thess 5:16-18 says “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

There is something that is infinitely more valuable, and lasting, which we should dedicate ourselves to than physical training. We read: “Train yourself for godliness”. So, how do I do that?

If there is no growth, there is a big problem. Jesus (Matt 7:17-19) said that we know a tree by it’s fruit, and a healthy tree will grow good fruit – in other words, the Spirit of God within must produce the life of God within. So let’s go for growth!

Plan your Quiet Times for 2022! Here are some ideas of reading plans you could follow.

We’re so programmed to want something more. that we can struggle when we hear the Bible’s call to Jesus as our everything. The whole Bible points to Jesus, and Jesus only. He is what we need …

My journey to University was pretty uneventful – I attended the University that was literally just across the road from my school. And, because my Father lectured there, I had been there with him many times before. But it was also a huge moment. It was the time when I was free from home, free […]

We all have an identity. I don’t mean your passport. I mean how you view yourself and how you portray yourself to others. From the moment we are born we learn identity. ‘Hello cutie’, a mother might say to her baby, ‘Aren’t you just gorgeous’. As we grow we’ll hear ‘you’re so clever’, ‘you are […]

There is one church service I particularly recall, for all the wrong reasons. The sermon was on Song of Songs 4, in which the ‘Lover’ is admiring his ‘Beloved’. The passage makes pretty graphic reference to her physical appearance, and to his physical desire for her. Now, we do know that Song of Songs is […]

I wonder whether you have good or bad memories of Primary School playground sport. I remember vividly the ;line up’ while teams were picked. The fear of being left out, not wanted. The joy of being chosen! And then the friendships built up as we amateurishly kicked the ball around the playground thinking we were […]

I once saw a Garfield (i.e. the overweight cat) cartoon. He was passing a Pet Shop and saw all the animals in cages. Rushing inside Garfield opened all the cages and yelled “You’re free”. But the animals were so used to their cages and afraid of the world ‘out there’ that they cowered in their […]

Losing a loved one is an intensely personal event. Your relationship with the one you have lost is just that – your relationship. Your sadness and hurt are a sign of the love that you gave and bonds that you formed. And no-one else is quite like you – your upbringing, life experiences, past loss […]