Confidence in God

Jan 4, 2026

Today, we looked at another aspect of our identity as the people of God, having confidence. Confidence can sometimes appear to be arrogance, but confidence in God is not the same as self-reliance; it is the result of trusting God and having faith in Him.

We looked at three aspects of confidence:

  • Confidence that we are accepted by God as we are
  • Confidence that we can approach God without fear
  • Confidence that God hears and answers our prayers

To be accepted as we are answers the need of every human heart for unconditional love. Romans 15:7 urges us to accept or receive others just as Christ has accepted or received us, and we see that He welcomed sinners, so there is hope for everyone of us! Whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), and so we can have assurance that He welcomes us and is for us. He knows all about us and still wants us! (Ps 139:1)

We can approach God with confidence, entering His presence boldly (Hebrews 4:16) because Christ’s sacrifice for us means we are brought near to God. (Ephesians 2:13) God speaks strength and encouragement to us as we come into His presence; He gives us mercy, grace and all the help we need. Even in impossible situations, God can make a way for us (as He did for Israel at the Red Sea or when faced by an Assyrian army too powerful for them.) (Ex 14-15, 2 Kings 19).

Sometimes, our feelings don’t align with God’s word; our hearts condemn us. (1 John 3:20-24) But although feelings are useful, they are not what we must live by. The truth of God’s word is that because we are accepted by God and can approach Him clothed in Christ’s righteousness, God hears and answers our prayers. (1 John 5:14-15) We need to learn to ask, seek and knock (Matt 7:7-8) and to persevere in prayer (Luke 18:1), so that we can pray big prayers in 2026 and believe that the God of the impossible will work on our behalf.

What We Need In 2026

Dec 31, 2025

On this last day of 2025, I have been thinking about my hopes and prayers for 2026 – not just for me, but for my family, friends and community. James tells us we do not have because we do not ask God or because we ask Him for things with wrong motives (James 4:2-3). Jesus encourages us to ask, seek and knock, and to persevere in prayer (Matt 7:7-8, Luke 18:1), and so I have been thinking about what really matters to me and what we all really need (not just what we want.)
So far, I have concluded that what I and others need in 2026 are STAMINA, STRENGTH and STABILITY.
Stamina is ‘the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort.’ It’s allied to perseverance and persistence. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. We have to be able to endure, to keep going when others drop out and life is hard. We have to be able to hold on. Physically, my arm strength is feeble. When I visit seaside towns, they often have a challenge for people to hang from a bar using their arms and hands only for two minutes. I barely last five seconds. But God wants us to develop spiritual muscle so we can keep running the race marked out for us. Stamina is built up gradually, but is a vital element in our spiritual wellbeing.
Stamina builds strength. Paul urges us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. (Eph 6:10) We don’t have to look physically impressive (though it is good to develop our physical strength too.) We do need spiritual strength, which is allied to flexibility (bending with God’s plans, being unbroken by life’s trials and storms because we know that God is sovereign over all and that we are in His hands.) My granddaughters have much physical strength from all the running, climbing, swimming and gymnastics they do, but God’s people need spiritual strength, which comes from exercising faith and practising forgiveness, love and service in our everyday contexts.
Stability relates to a firmness in our position, a permanence which adds testimony to our witness. P)aul tells us to stand firm and let nothing move us, saying ‘always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.’ (1 Cor 15:58) When we are stable, the winds of life cannot knock us over (we are like the toy Weebles, who may wobble, but we won’t fall down!) Stability, James says, is closely linked to faith: ‘When you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.’ (James 1:6) We have to have a clear focus on the Lord, believing that what is humanly impossible is possible with God. Our stability comes from Him. He is our Rock.
Stamina.
Strength.
Stability.
May these things be ours in abundance so that we can remain standing for the Lord in 2026.

Sunday service news

Dec 28, 2025

Today in our service we heard testimonies from people of God’s goodness throughout 2025: how God’s presence had calmed and sustained people through illness, tests and hospitalisation, how God’s provision had seen family fun days go ahead (with real donkeys, for example!) and how Glowthorpe had been blessed by God through funders, how God had worked to give people their heart’s desires (Philip being baptised in Manvers Lake, where he regularly swims, for example), how God’s favour has been seen in the good weather we have experienced for outdoor events and how we have been blessed to welcome new life into our midst and see two church members baptised in water. It has been a challenging but exciting year!

We also celebrated Sue’s birthday in advance and had a party for the Sunday school children while the adults discussed the flood and God’s promises to us since that event.

Looking Back

Dec 28, 2025

As we approach the end of a year, there is a very human tendency to look back, to reflect, to pause. The ‘limbo’ days between Boxing Day and the New Year often give us time to do this.
Having a good memory is a vital part of spiritual health. We need to remember what God has done for us this year. We need to count our blessings and name them, one by one. The human tendency is to forget (see Ps 78, Nehemiah 9) and this means we are always in danger of forgetting God’s character and actions on our behalf, and so it is good to pause and remember.
God has blessed us in so many ways. Think of all the people who have been to different events throughout 2025 and who have heard of God’s love. Think of the ways God has provided for us through grants and people’s generosity. Remember how God has helped us in personal situations. Looking back reminds us of God’s miracles, provision, help and goodness in everyday life.
The ‘looking back’ is not simply reminiscence or nostalgia. It is a way of clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 13:14) It is a safeguard for us, for though we may well have struggled, failed and fallen away during the year, God has been at our side throughout. I have known those who have suffered and are still suffering right now, who have grieved and are still grieving, who are alone and facing great challenges. But as we clothe ourselves in Jesus, we can look ahead with hope. God does not change. (Mal 3:6) Our memories of who He is and what He has done give us hope for tomorrow, so that we can walk forward in faith. What God has been – faithful, loving, good, kind, merciful, forgiving, gracious – He will continue to be. (Lam 3:22-23) We can face a new year with confidence and hope, all because of God.

Christmas messages

Dec 27, 2025

At our carol service on Sunday, the children performed songs from the musical nativity ‘A Miracle In Town’ by Niki Davies, and we considered why Christmas is such a miracle and why we celebrate the birth of Jesus, a baby born in Bethlehem so many years ago. The chasm between mankind and God caused by sin means that we needed God to intervene if our relationship with Him is to be restored. At Christmas, we see God stepping into our world in human form, and because of this, we can be saved.

Isaiah calls this a light shining in the darkness (Is 9:2) and David reminds us that ‘You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; You turn my darkness into light.’ (Ps 18:28) At Christmas, we rejoirce that God – in whom there is no darkness at all – has stepped into our world and shines brightly, the darkness being unable to overcome it. (John 1:5, 1 John 1:5) Our hearts are able to rejoice because unto us, a Saviour has been given!

Advent Love

Dec 21, 2025

On this fourth Sunday in Advent, we meditate on love. Psalm 145:17 in the Message version says that ‘the trademark of all (God’s) works is love.’
A trademark is a unique sign (a word, logo, symbol or name) that identifies a company’s products or services from competitors, protecting brand identity. One of my family’s favourite board games is the Logo Game, when our knowledge of companies’ logos or trademarks is tested.
The defining attribute of God is love (1 John 4:4). All He does is motivated by love, a love explained in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. God’s love is described in the Bible in different ways:
– as unconditional (Rom 5:8)
– as unfailing (Ex 15:13, Ps 6:4, Ps 13:5, Ps 26:3)
– as unchanging (James 1:17)
– as vast and immeasurable (Eph 3:19-20)
– as faithful (Lam 3:22-23)
– as compassionate (Ps 86:15)
– as ever-present (Is 43:2-3)
– as eternal or everlasting (Is 54:10, Eph 1:4-5, Jer 31:3)
– as limitless (Eph 3:19, Rom 8:38-39)
– as inclusive (for the whole world, John 3:16)
– as personal (Gal 2:20)
– as gracious (Neh 9:17)
At Christmas, we celebrate God’s love in sending HIs Son, Jesus to save us from sin and separation from God. We see His love embodied in human form and dimly begin to realise that God’s love is not only real but is present for us. A gift to unwrap.
Most of us will have the joy of unwrapping gifts at Christmas, tokens of other people’s love for us. Don’t spend another Christmas without unwrapping God’s gift to you., the wonderful gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 9:15)