May we never become so taken up with ourselves that we forget Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us (Journey though the New Testament: 1 Corinthians).

1 Corinthians 1- 6 Paul preached ‘Christ crucified’ with a determination ‘to know nothing except Jesus Christ crucified’(1:23; 2:2). This is the message of our salvation. All the glory belongs to God: ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord’ (1:31). We come to know God when ‘the Spirit’ leads us to ‘Jesus Christ’ (2:10-13; …

Journey through the New Testament: Galatians

‘A revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1:12): Christ is our Testimony. Christ is our Message. He is the crucified Christ - ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me’. He is the living Christ - ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but …

Journey through the New Testament: Luke

Luke 1-4 God was about to do ‘a new thing’ (Isaiah 43:19). How are we to respond to God’s ‘new thing’? - ‘let it be to me according to Your Word’ (1:38). The birth of John the Baptist (1:57-66) - This was great. The birth of our Saviour - This would be even greater. God …

Journey through the New Testament: 1 and 2 Timothy

1 Timothy ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1:15). To each of us, God says, ‘Watch your life and doctrine closely’ (4:16). What we believe is important. How we live is also important. If our faith is real, it will lead to a change in our way of life. There is a …

Journey through the New Testament: Romans

Romans 1-3 ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith’ (1:16). Let us say, with Paul, ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14). Let us be ‘set apart for the gospel of …

Journey through the New Testament: Ephesians

‘By grace you have been saved through faith… for good works’ (2:8-10). Holiness does not come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord. Long before we ever thought of loving Him - He loved us. By the grace of God we are called to salvation - ‘saved through faith’ - , sanctification - ‘for good works’ - , and …

Don’t let God’s Word go in one ear, and out the other ear (Journey through the New Testament: 1 and 2 Thessalonians).

1 Thessalonians ‘The Word of God, which is at work in you believers’ (2:13). Don’t let God’s Word ‘go in one ear and out the other’. We need both ‘love’ and ‘holiness’ (3:12-13). Our love is to be holy. Our holiness is to be loving. Do you feel like giving up? God is not about …

Journey through the New Testament: Philippians

‘He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ’ (1:6). God finishes what He starts. We don`t keep going because we are strong. We are ‘kept by the power of God’ (1 Peter 1:5). God’s  command - ‘Work out your own salvation’ - must never be separated …

Journey through the New Testament: 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1-5 Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing - ‘God… comforts us in all our affliction’ (1:3-4). How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well? We all need the encouragement of God’s Word: ‘Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in …

Be zealous for good deeds, but never forget this: “He saved us, not because of deeds done by us” (Journey through the New Testament: Titus and Philemon).

Titus When we live in a Christlike way, ‘those who oppose’ Christ and His Gospel will be ‘put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us’ (2:8). God wants us to live as ‘a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds’ (2:14). If we are to be ‘zealous for good deeds’, …

In Christ – salvation, sanctification and service

Journey through the New Testament: Colossians ‘In everything’ Christ is ‘pre-eminent’ (1:18). In Him, there is salvation - ‘redemption, the forgiveness of sins’ (1:14) - , sanctification - ‘mature in Christ’ (1:28) - and service - making Him known (1:27). ‘You have been raised with Christ... You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God’ …

Journey through the New Testament: Matthew

Matthew 1-2 This may be the beginning of the New Testament, but it is not the beginning of God’s revelation. It is not the beginning of His redemption. The birth of Christ is a fulfilment of prophecy: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him …

Journey through the New Testament: John

John 1-5 Jesus is the Word of God, the Lamb of God and the Son of God (1:1,29,34).   ‘You are... You shall be...’ (1:42).  Jesus looks beyond what we are now.  He sees what we will become through the transforming power of His grace.  We must never forget the true purpose of God’s House - …

Journey through the New Testament: Hebrews

Hebrews 1-5 We see the greatness of Christ in both His heavenly glory -  ‘Let all God’s angels worship Him’ (1:6) – and His saving grace - ‘He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone’ (2:9). God invites each of us to receive a great blessing - …

Journey through the New Testament: Mark

Mark 1- 3 With the command, ‘Follow Me’, there is the promise, ‘I will make you fishers of men’ (1:17). Jesus prayed (1:35). Jesus was mighty before men. The power of God was flowing freely. Jesus knew where the power comes from - He was humble before God. There is a world of difference between …