Vision Logo Circle
Vision Logo Circle

The roller-coaster ride of life (2)

Life often seems to be up one minute, down the next. The Bible gives us some brilliant examples. Elijah rode life's rollercoaster: one minute he was scaling the heights of God's almighty victories, the next he was hurtling to an all time emotional low where he wanted his life to be over. Jesus felt the [...]

read more

The roller-coaster ride of life (1)

So, if you were God, what would you do? Snap your fingers and wham! Those pimples would be gone forever. Clap your hands, and hey presto! A six-pack stomach in place of that flabby mid-riff. Blink your eyes, and that miserable drizzly weather changes to perfect sunshine. Well, guess what? Check your birth certificate or [...]

read more

The right stuff

Stuff. It comes in all shapes and sizes. Some stuff is nice and shiny and costs a bit of that papery stuff. Some stuff is small and compact and makes clever bleeping noises. Some stuff is old, very old, and that's what makes it collectable. Some stuff we might love. Some stuff other people might [...]

read more

Tough love (2)

Yesterday, we looked at the most incredible words of forgiveness: 'Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' But what if they did know what they were doing to you? What if they weren't even sorry? Are you still supposed to forgive even then? And if you do, does that mean you're [...]

read more

Tough love (1)

Some things are harder to forgive than others. Some people are harder to forgive than others. Sometimes the things we go through are not what God wants for us. God knows the pain you feel and has seen the tears you've cried for yourself. God is for you, not against you. So does God want [...]

read more

You’re growing up spiritually when…

Ah, remember the good old days when if you wanted something from the supermarket all you had to do was scream annoyingly and painfully loudly until your Mum gave in. Or if that didn't work, you still had the old 'lying on the shop floor punching and kicking the air' trick up your sleeve. Or [...]

read more

Frequent encounters with God!

Whether it's an overweight, out-of-touch grandad with a beard to rival Father Christmas' or a super-tolerant hippy waving peace signs with his fingers from the sky, chances are your picture of God is wrong. The Bible isn't one of those kiss-'n-tell biographies where the middle of the book is peppered with glossy pics of God. [...]

read more

Take up your cross (2)

Monday morning, you're about to leave for work/school/uni. Checklist: Bus fare; Check. Lunch money; Check. Four-metre bloodied, splintered cross; Check.... 'er, say what?' Yeah, what did You mean, Lord, when You said we're to take up our cross daily? There's no room in my bag for a 2000 year old form of the death penalty. [...]

read more

Take up your cross (1)

'Let him...take up his cross daily...' (Luke 9:23 NKJ) 'The load I give you to carry is light'. (Matthew 11:30 NCV) Both sentences passed through the mouth of Jesus. But isn't He contradicting Himself? I mean, 'cross-carrying' is back-breaking work, isn't it? Unless You're about to give us a polystyrene cross, surely the load You [...]

read more

Just do it!

Being a Christian is about having a living relationship with Jesus that affects the way we live life every day. As we listen to Him and follow in His footsteps our lives start to look radically different from the people around us. Mother Teresa's life is an example of that. This was written on a [...]

read more

Keep it real!

Revision! Uggh! Exams! Aargh! Trying to recall, names, dates, places, symbols, formulas, equations! Remembering things can be so difficult! But when life gets really difficult, it's important to remember good things. Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote to the Church at Philippi. But he didn't write to have a moan or to [...]

read more

Don’t be a Drifter

There's nothing like the feeling of just lying back on an inflatable lilo as it bobs up and down on the gentle waves. Mmmm, the sun shining down, just close your eyes for a minute and reeeelax. Then AAAAH! You open your eyes and you've drifted out to sea on the tide! One minute you're [...]

read more

It’s kickin’ off in here!

Is God really telling us to fight? And not just fight, but fight hard? Well, before you go punching someone's lights out, listen up! God isn't telling you to 'kick off' every time someone disagrees with what you believe. Nor is He telling you to 'beat the living daylights' out of any of your mates [...]

read more

Just say No!

Ever had one of those stuffed toys where you squeeze the paw and it barks, moos or whatever - depends on the animal I guess 🙂 Anyway, one that says "Jesus says no!" might be a real asset with our daily decision making. The only way we are going to 'Put all evil things out [...]

read more

How Much?

'How much are the puppies?' the boy asked the pet shop owner. 'Anything from $75 to $125,' he replied. 'Can I have a look at them?' One puppy was lagging behind the rest and straight away the boy asked, 'What's wrong with that one?' The pup didn't have a hip socket. It would always limp. [...]

read more

The meaning of life

Paul says, 'I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.' What would that life look like? Well, that life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many friends you have on Facebook, and it's not about who you've dated, are dating or haven't dated but would like to! [...]

read more