The Secret of Contentment

What is the secret to contentment? Last Saturday, our women’s Bible study explored this question as we studied Philippians 4. The Apostle Paul, writing from prison, concluded his letter to the Philippian church with these words:
 

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4.11-13).

Paul learned the secret of being content in every situation. He wasn’t battered around by the winds of circumstances. Instead, he anchored his heart on soul-steadying truths that carried him through the deepest sorrows and sweetest pleasures of life. In The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs describes this contentment as a “sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”

With that description in mind, how does Paul encourage us to pursue contentment, even if it feels elusive? Sometimes, searching for contentment can feel like chasing the Golden Snitch in Harry Potter’s Quidditch matches—that tiny, winged ball that is extremely difficult to catch. Yet, Paul learned contentment, which means there is hope that we can learn it too.

In Philippians, Paul teaches that contentment involves:

Resting in God’s sovereign plan, even when we don’t know the details. “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1.6). God is in absolute control of the unfolding story of our lives, and he is always at work for our good.

Trusting that the hardships we endure are not meaningless. “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1.12). Paul rejoiced that the pain of his imprisonment had a God-glorifying purpose. While we may not know the reasons for the hardships we endure, we can entrust every sorrow into the hands of our heavenly Father, who promises to be with us always (Philippians 4:9).

Living as a sojourner. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour” (Philippians 3.20). The discontented heart is short-sighted in its pursuit of pleasure, living as if this life is all there is. Paul reminds us that we are travellers in this world and that we are to fix our eyes on the incomparable joy of our eternal home.

Treasuring Christ as our all-satisfying strength. “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3.8). We often attach our contentment to our circumstances, thinking that if things only get better, we’ll be happy. Yet, the secret that Paul reveals is that we will never be truly content apart from Christ. He is the source and strength of the contented heart.

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This Is Why We Fast

Fasting has fallen on hard times among Christians in the modern West. This practice – abstaining from food for a time to seek God in focused prayer – was prominent in the spiritual rhythms of God’s people in scripture and church history, but not for us. Many of us don’t do it and while some of us rationalise our neglect of it, many just don’t see the point.

Yet, our Lord himself fasted and expected that when he returned to glory his disciples would fast (Matthew 9.15). The witness of scripture and believers through the ages points to fasting as a means ordained by God for his people to seek him. But we might wonder, 'Is it still important today?' We know it does not earn favour with God, so why do it? Why fast? 

I believe we should all, where physically able, make a regular practice of fasting for one primary spiritual reason – to see better. But what does fasting open our spiritual eyes to see?

To see God. In the midst of life’s busyness, we easily lose conscious awareness of God and fasting is a powerful aid in recovering sight of God. Hunger humbles us and reminds us of our dependence on him. It reminds us that it is he who provides our daily bread and his word, more than bread, that truly sustains us (Matthew 4.4). Each hunger pang serves as a signal to direct us to him. Abstaining from food slows us down and creates space to not just glance but gaze at God. Do you feel distant from God? A fast might just be what you need to reset your vision.

To see yourself. You might have seen the popular ads for Snickers with the tagline “You’re not you when you’re hungry”. These ads play on the relatable experience of hunger making us act in ways we’re not proud of. However, contrary to Snickers, Jesus says “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart” (Matthew 15.18). We are very much ourselves when we are hungry. Fasting powerfully reveals heart disorder that is more easily hidden with a full stomach. It shows us what we depend on other than God and what desires have subtly come to dominate us. This is a mercy as seeing gives a chance to repent and depend on God to break the hold of our hearts’ idols. 

To see the way forward. In scripture, fasting is done for various reasons like averting disaster (e.g. Esther), repentance (e.g. the city of Nineveh) and special petitions (e.g. Hannah requesting a child). However, perhaps the most prominent reason people fast is to seek the Lord for direction and power for what he calls them to. Think of Jesus before his public ministry, Ezra before going to Jerusalem, Paul, Barnabas and the Antioch church before the first Christian missionary journey in Acts 13. Like them, let us humble ourselves before God in fasting and prayer that he might provide the clarity we need. 

I write this article as a novice in the discipline of fasting. I have only begun to glimpse its power to clear my foggy spiritual vision but I want to grow in it and I want to invite you to join me. Who knows what the Lord might do if we, his people, humble ourselves and seek him in this way?

Read our other recent article, This Is Why We Feast. These articles are 100% man-made, without the use of generative AI.

Plant a Garden

I often find myself listening to a poem by Joshua Luke Smith called Sunflowers in Babylon. In it, he provokes the listener to consider how we should live in a broken world.

It’s based on Jeremiah 29, written to the exiled Israelites in Babylon, in which the prophet says: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce…  seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

These words resonate with us as Christians living in 21st-century London, because we are also exiles. We face the same question as the Israelites in Babylon: “How should we live in a land that isn’t our true home?”

I have been reading through Paul’s letters over the past few weeks, and I think one of the answers to this question comes in an exhortation that Paul repeats five times in the New Testament (in one way or another): “only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1.27).

In some ways, the word “worthy” is slightly unhelpful, as it might suggest that we need to earn back the salvation we’ve been given in Christ. I don’t think that is what Paul is saying. Sinclair Ferguson explains that the Greek word used here is axios, which means something like ‘weigh the same’ or ‘equivalent to’. Paul’s encouragement is therefore to live lives that ‘match’ the gospel. That our lives embody the hope and redemption that we have received through Jesus.

When I was thinking about this idea, I was reminded of one of our neighbours who, fed up with looking out of his window at a dry patch of grass and the uninspiring architecture of our estate, decided to plant some flowers. A few years on, and that brown bank of grass has become an incredible garden, filled with lavender bushes, beautiful flowers and various other plants and trees I couldn’t name. It is a joy for him, and a blessing to us.

I think that is something of the picture that Jeremiah and Paul are trying to paint. As Christians, living normal lives in London – working, studying, raising children, and whatever else – we are called to “plant a garden”. To put down roots and bring Jesus’ redemptive work into the various spheres of our lives.

What could that look like for you? How can you embody Jesus’ redemptive work to those around you?

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Rewiring Your Brain

When Moses died, Joshua suddenly found himself leading God’s people into the Promised Land. A land filled with giants, bitter enemies, and overwhelming responsibility. God’s word to Joshua in that moment wasn’t a battle plan to defeat the enemy. It was to memorise scripture.

“Be strong and very courageous… do not turn from it to the right or the left… this Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night… then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1.7-8)

God tells Joshua not just to read and obey His Word but to meditate on it. To “meditate” doesn’t just mean to think quietly. God is not telling Joshua to empty his mind of all conscious and subconscious thoughts.

The Hebrew word for meditation, haga, means to rehearse, speak, and deeply reflect. God was telling Joshua: fill your mind and your mouth with my Word until it shapes the way you think and live. Knowing and rehearsing God’s Word would be the key to Joshua’s success.

I was recently reading an article on neuroplasticity, and it explained how our brains are constantly shaped by what we repeatedly focus on. The more we think a certain thought, the more that neural pathway in the brain is strengthened. Over time, those repeated thoughts begin to reshape our brains, influencing how we think and even how we see the world.

That means the thoughts we rehearse—whether positive or negative, true or false—can take root in our minds and influence our emotions, perceptions, habits, and what naturally comes to mind in everyday moments. Whatever thoughts we return to most often are the ones that grow strongest.

Are you starting to see where I’m going with this?

If we’re constantly rehearsing fear, doubt, or lies, those mental pathways don’t stay neutral—they become stronger, more familiar, and more automatic. But when we memorise and meditate on scripture, we’re training our minds to default to God’s voice instead of our own fears. Then, when difficult moments come, we’re more ready to respond in faith and obedience.

Joshua didn’t have time to scroll for encouragement in the middle of battle. The Word had to already be in him. He needed to step into conflict with a bold confidence that God was with him and that he would fulfil his promise to lead his people into the Promised Land.

And the same is true for us. In seasons of testing, we need to be able to draw from biblical truths that will get us through the battle, through the temptations, and through the discouragements.

The other day on the Tube, I found myself overwhelmed with anxious thoughts. So I began quietly rehearsing Psalm 27.1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” And as I meditated on those words, the heaviness in my heart began to lift, and I was swept away with the peace of God.

We need to store God’s Word so deeply within us and rehearse it continually, so that it shapes how we think, how we respond, and how we live. Because when the pressure comes, we won’t always have time to reach for the Bible. We’ll need to reach for whatever is already hidden in our hearts.

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When the Battle Comes to You

One of my favourite films of all time is Braveheart. It tells the story of William Wallace, a courageous and fearless leader who fought for the freedom and independence of his people in Scotland. But Wallace wasn’t always a warrior. At first, he wanted nothing to do with the fighting around him. He longed for a quiet life, farming the land and starting a family.

But the conflict he tried to avoid eventually came to his doorstep. When his wife is brutally murdered, everything changes. Wallace realises that neutrality is no longer an option. His enemy is indifferent to his desire for peace. His enemy wants his allegiance, his land, and his freedom.

That picture is a sobering reminder to every Christian that we are in a spiritual battle. It’s a war we may be able to ignore for a time but eventually, it shows up at our doorstep. Paul calls it the day of evil in Ephesians 6.13. The “day of evil” is when all hell breaks loose on you. The attacks seem to come out of nowhere and it's just one thing after another. The opening chapters of Job’s life give us a vivid picture of what this can look like (Job 1-2).

In these seasons of heightened spiritual opposition, you may experience an unusual sense of physical and emotional exhaustion that’s hard to explain. Illness may arise unexpectedly without clear medical answers. Anxieties can begin to build, accompanied by a persistent fear about the future. Old habits and past sins resurface with renewed strength, and temptations that once felt manageable now feel overwhelming. Even relationships that were once steady can become strained by unexpected tension and conflict.

This is what the “day of evil” can feel like. All of these could be signs that the enemy is bringing the fight to your doorstep.

But recognising the battle is half the fight. The question then becomes: how do we stand and fight back?

Paul tells us to put on the full armour of God to stand firm against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6.10–11). God has not left us defenceless - he has given us weapons to fight with. He gives us his Word, the sword of the Spirit, which cuts through the lies of the enemy (v.17). He calls us to prayer, where we receive power through the Spirit (v.18). And He gives us community, so that we do not fight alone but are strengthened, encouraged, and upheld by one another in the battle (Ephesians 6.18; Ecclesiastes 4.12; Hebrews 3.13).

Like Wallace, we may long for a quiet life, untouched by the reality of spiritual warfare. Yet, Jesus reminds us that “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16.33). He Himself was not exempt from that reality. He was tempted by Satan, endured the weight of anxiety in Gethsemane, and experienced the pain of betrayal by His closest friends. Jesus knows what it is to stand on the front line.

And yet, in that same passage, He calls us to “take heart”, to be courageous. Why? Because He has overcome the world (John 16.33). Through the cross and resurrection, Jesus has disarmed the powers of Satan (Colossians 2.15).

So when the “day of evil” comes, and it will, don’t panic, don’t retreat and don’t give in to despair. Stand firm in the Lord and in His mighty power, for He has won the victory!

Spiritual Flourishing in the Internet Age

It’s hard to comprehend how civilisation functioned before the internet. So much of life is lived on the web. It has become the main mode of communicating with loved ones, navigating our cities, entertaining ourselves, finding work, finding life advice and even finding life partners. As Christians, it plays an ever-growing role in our devotional lives, from sermon podcasts to worship playlists, guided prayers and more.

The internet has done us much good. It has enabled us to know and do far more at lower cost and greater speed than our ancestors could have dreamed. But it hasn’t only done us good.

Earlier this year, I read a book called The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. In it, he presents research linking our internet use to a reduced ability for focus and sustained mental exertion, reduced ability for critical thinking, reduced empathy and increased anxiety. Since the book’s release in 2010, much more scientific research has confirmed those insights. But I suspect most of us don’t need a scientific study to tell us this. We can feel the toll our screen time is taking on us.

That the internet impacts us cognitively probably doesn’t surprise you but have you considered its spiritual impact? Reading Carr’s book, I couldn’t help thinking how our internet habits might be affecting our growth in Christian maturity. As I reflected on this, I concluded that how we use the internet could be the deciding factor in this age between a life of spiritual flourishing or one of spiritual withering, between spiritual maturity and spiritual stagnation. 

That is a big claim but you might agree with me if you consider how our internet habits affect our engagement with the three central ways God nourishes us spiritually. 

Scripture

The Bible paints a picture of the flourishing life as one where you are immersed in God’s word (Psalm 1) and God’s word is immersed in you (Colossians 3.16). We grow in love, trust and faithfulness to God as we dwell on his word, understand it and build our lives on it. But how can we feast on God’s word when our internet use impairs our ability to focus, to read deeply and to memorise?

Prayer

In prayer, we experience intimate communication with God. We are called to pour out our hearts to him (Psalm 62.8) and wait on him (Psalm 27.14) and we are promised his comfort, strength and intervention. But as our internet habits disciple us into impatience and distraction, we need a vast amount of mental exertion to just hold a train of thought in prayer and waiting on the Lord feels like a near impossible ask.

Church

The Lord Jesus uses his body, the church, to build us up and sustain us through life’s trials. But our internet habits can hinder our enjoyment of the blessing of spiritual family. Impaired empathy makes it hard to “bear one another's burdens” (Galatians 6.2). Anxiety and comparison cripple relationships and our steady stream of internet distractions make it hard to provide the presence that love demands.

The internet can help or hinder the flourishing of your soul and your joy in God. It is a mixed blessing and requires wisdom if we would use it well. Do you feel spiritually dry? Lacking in affection for Christ? Perhaps the best next step is to evaluate your internet habits.

This Is Why We Feast

It is a surprising fact that the law of God commands his people to feast. 

It is surprising for at least two reasons. First, because it was a great expense, involving lavish and time-consuming festivities that must have felt indulgent and unnecessary for the more frugal types. Second, because we often think of the Old Testament law as negative – don’t do this; don’t do that – but feasting was emphatically positive. It was mandatory fun. Get your best meat and your best wine, and have a party. And sometimes it lasted for days on end.

Yet, the Old Testament prescribes six feasts for the people of God. This meant that feasting was one of the major expenses for a faithful family in the course of the year, alongside tithing to the temple, and giving to the poor. 

Why was feasting so prominent and so important? There are three compelling reasons for feasting as part of a rich spirituality in the Scriptures.

First, it was about the spiritual discipline of remembering. It was a way of looking back at the goodness of God. The feasts were tied up with extraordinary moments in the history of God’s people (like the Passover feast remembering the Exodus from Egypt), or a recognition of God’s ongoing goodness to date (as in the Feast of Firstfruits, marking the harvest). The beginning of soul-rot always stemmed from forgetfulness and the absence of gratitude, when the hearts of God’s people were disconnected from the story of God’s goodness in their own lives, and over many generations. The same is true today: if we forget, we die a spiritual death. But feasting was a way of deliberately remembering God’s great acts and his faithfulness, retelling the stories from one generation to the next.

Second, it was about enjoying God’s goodness in the present. A feast was a moment when you had permission to pause from ordinary life, then to taste and savour the goodness of God right now. They were not just saying, God was good to us back then. And they were not hoping for some vague future moment when they could finally rest and enjoy life. But instead, they were tasting his goodness in the very moment that they could smell the roasting joint, and bite into the lamb, and sip the rich wine. Failure to receive the ordinary gifts of life as evidences of God’s goodness is one of our most basic problems and a cause of so much trouble in our lives. But one of the God-given remedies is to embrace feasting, when he gives you full permission to eat until you burst.

Third, it was about looking forward to the promise of a heavenly feast. A celebration here is a mere echo and foretaste of heaven, when our hearts will find rest and happiness in the presence of God. If you want to know what heaven is like, one answer is this: think about the best celebrations and feasts you’ve ever experienced.

Easter is a perfect moment to feast. Whilst the Bible never mandates an Easter feast – no doubt because every Sunday is a celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord – it makes perfect sense to go to some extra effort and expense at this time of year. By doing so, you are looking back and remembering the moment that changed history and changed you. And you’re enjoying the goodness of God right now, since you’re part of his family through the cross. And you’re fixing your hope on a future for all God’s people at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Therefore, go and feast to the glory of God.

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Should Missions Matter to Me?

I stepped off the plane into the searing heat of Abu Dhabi in 2019, my few possessions in two suitcases. It had been three years since my first conversation with the pastor and his wife about joining them in the UAE, but my journey had actually begun decades prior.

The first time I read John Piper’s Desiring God - now many years back - God stirred something deep in me. He opened my eyes to see that from Genesis to Revelation, His passion and purpose are to reveal His glory among all the peoples of the world. Jesus died and rose again to ransom “people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5.9). 

What astonished me most was that God chooses to spread his glory throughout the world through us (Psalm 96.3). As Christ’s ambassadors, he makes his appeal through his people. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 is not a suggestion but a call to take the message of Jesus to all nations, make disciples, and teach them to obey all that he has commanded. His mission is ours.

And it is just as urgent today. There are billions of people who have never met a Christian and live nowhere near a gospel-centered church. There are unreached people in difficult and dangerous parts of the world that have never seen a Bible.

So, whether by praying, sending, or going, God calls you to join His global mission. There is nothing that compares to pouring out our lives for the advancement of the gospel in our city and the world. There is nothing that can fill us with more meaning and joy than joining God’s global mission. J. Campbell White summarises it well:

“Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s purpose toward the world he came to redeem. Fame, pleasure, and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfilment of his eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ’s undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards.”

Understanding these realities turned my world upside down. God set me on a path to pursue global missions, leading me first to that sweltering airport in Abu Dhabi and now here in London. And he calls you too. Don’t settle for husks and ashes when there is boundless and abiding joy in joining God’s global mission to reach the nations.

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Come Away With Me

A few years ago, I was reading a Wired magazine article and came across the concept of Karoshi. Karoshi is a Japanese term that literally means "death by overwork." Another interpretation characterises karoshi as "occupational sudden mortality," implying that one's work is literally killing them.  Some of the major causes of karoshi include heart attack, stroke due to stress, suicide and starvation. People usually starve themselves to death because they’re too busy to eat.

While we may not use the word karoshi here in the West, we have another term: burnout. The pressure to succeed, to provide, to prove ourselves - it quietly drives many of us to exhaustion. And if we’re honest, some of that pressure doesn’t just come from the outside. It comes from within.

In Mark 6.31, after Jesus’ disciples return from a busy and  fruitful season of ministry, Jesus tells them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

This is more than just good advice, it reveals something about the heart of Jesus. It shows a compassionate Shepherd who cares about the well-being of His sheep. He understands the pressures we face, the limits of our humanity, and the demands our work places on us. Jesus is not indifferent to our exhaustion. So he invites us to come away with Him.

And this invitation was not only for their sake. Just a few verses earlier, in the midst of a busy season of ministering to people, Jesus received the news that His cousin, John the Baptist, had been killed. Could you imagine the exhaustion Jesus must’ve felt? So this retreat was as much for Him as it was for His disciples.

And this shows us something very important: rest is a rhythm Jesus intends to cultivate in the lives of His followers.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus modelling this rhythm of rest. He regularly withdrew to quiet places to pray. Early in the morning and after long days of engaging with people, He made space to be with His Father. For Jesus, rest was not a relinquishing of responsibility, but a recognition that the source of His strength flowed from His relationship with God. 

Do you believe that?

My friends, rest is more than just switching off with entertainment, taking a holiday, or catching up on some sleep. These things are great and helpful. But sometimes the rest we truly need is only found in the presence of our compassionate saviour - who wants to restore us, rebuild us and reconsecrate us for the work He has called us to do. He wants to remind us that our value doesn’t come from what we do, but from who we belong to.

I once heard a preacher say, “If you don’t come apart and rest awhile, YOU WILL come apart.” I’ve found that to be true in my own life. So let the grace of God lead you into the presence of God. And what you will discover is that Jesus is not just the one who gives rest - He is rest. 

“Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11.28-29)

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Hope for Iran

The war rages on in Iran, and this week was no exception. Each morning arrives with yet more photos of hollowed-out buildings, billowing oil tankers, and anxious faces. Another press conference and news story; yet more speculation on the country’s future and oil prices.

You’ve probably already seen it this morning.

And though it’s far off, the war still impacts us. Not just energy bills, but the slow eroding of hope in the world. ‘When will this end? What can we do but watch?’ we ask ourselves. Numb apathy soon sets in.

But hope is not lost for Iran. As Christians with a mighty Father in heaven, we can trust that God is working good even through the conflict. What others have intended for evil, he will surely use for “the saving of many lives” - as he has countless times before.


Hope

Many may not know, but Iran has experienced something of a revival over recent decades. Despite the totalitarian regime and brutal persecution - beatings, imprisonments, murders - the church has flourished. The number of Christians, at roughly 100,000 in 1994, has grown rapidly, with current estimates ranging between 500,000 and 3 million. 3 million! Some argue that the Iranian church is the fastest-growing in the world. The kingdom of God is advancing with force in this nation (and has been for a while), even amid great suffering. So even now, with fresh waves of upheaval, we can trust that God will continue his work. Hope is not lost.


Pray

Flowing from hope, we pray. For us in London, there’s little else we can do - yet even this small act is a mighty one. In praying, we call upon the limitless power of God, who created the universe with just a word and sustains it every second. So, while our prayers might feel feeble, our God, who loves to answer them, certainly isn’t. As preacher Charles Spurgeon once put it, "Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence."

What should we pray for? Pray for lasting peace in Iran and the Middle East, that the war and its brutalities would cease, but pray too for the church and the kingdom of God. The war in Iran did not start last week - at least spiritually speaking - and the true enemy is not the hard-line clerics but the devil, bent on spreading destruction and death throughout the world.

So, more than anything, pray for our many brothers and sisters in Iran. Pray that they would know the comfort of Christ and hold on to him, whatever the circumstances or cost. And pray that the church would continue to grow and thrive, reaching many more millions with the gospel of Jesus.

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Money Does Not Equal Wealth

A few weeks ago, my wife was reading Bobby Jamieson’s book Everything Is Never Enough when she had to pause, grab my attention, and read a section out to me. It was one of those punchy and thought-provoking passages that just has to be shared. And so I’m sharing it with you also.

Jamieson’s book is an introduction to Ecclesiastes, and this comes from the chapter on money. Specifically, he is explaining why money and wealth are not the same thing.
 

One of money’s cleverest tricks and most dangerous traps is that it masquerades as wealth. The two are so linked in modern minds that we often use one word to mean the other… 

Money promises to bring more of the world within reach. Money offers to turn more of this world’s treasures and joys into things you can treasure and enjoy… But the power of money that brings objects near also pushes people away. Byung-Chul Han sees this clearly: ‘Money, by itself, has an individualizing and isolating effect. It increases my freedom by liberating me from any personal bonds with others.’ To hire someone to perform a task for you is to vacuum seal the relationship: Thus far you shall come, and no farther. The more your needs can be met by paying people to meet them, the less you have to need people. The more your money can command other people’s time, the less liable you are to the unpredictable demands of reciprocity. The more money you have, the fewer friends you need – and, as Qohelet [the author of Ecclesiastes] warns, the harder it is to tell who your friends are… Money delivers lonely efficiency because wherever it governs, it replaces and prevents durable dependence on other persons.

I don’t think he’s saying that hiring people for various tasks is automatically isolating or in any way wrong in itself. But clearly the risk he’s describing – of becoming insulated from others because you no longer really need or depend on anyone – is a genuine risk when you have money. And it’s a fair description of so many people’s lives in this great city we live in. But then Jamieson paints a different portrait of the true wealth that comes through relationships.
 

Our four-year-old daughter, Margaret, has a bad cough. Thankfully, her symptoms signal nothing worse. Last night at 9:40, my wife texted our friend Rebekah to see if she had some medicine for the cough that we didn't have. We live in a church-owned house across from the church’s building on the same city block; Rebekah lives with her husband, Josh, and their three school-aged children in a third-story apartment across the street. At 9:45, I met Rebekah on the steps of her apartment building to get the medicine. Not long after, Margaret was breathing better and cracking jokes.

Josh and Rebekah have not pursued a money-delivered life of lonely efficiency. They have built their life together neither around making as much money as possible nor on gaining all that money can get them. They have three kids and no yard. They live across the street from our church so that they can do things like share medicine with church members in need on short notice at night. Their lives, and ours, and those of dozens of others, are richer for it. Their goal is not abundance without dependence but a better abundance that comes through inter-dependence.

I think Jesus was speaking along similar lines when he said, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6.20). He was teaching us that there is a wealth available through the gospel that money cannot buy.

And so, here is the constant tension the world will present to you in this great city of opportunity. We can all feel the pull of desiring to get a little richer (even if we can’t quite manage to achieve it!) But the question is whether that will, in itself, make you any more wealthy. Pull those two ideas apart, and hold them in separate places in your head and heart, and suddenly you can see through the mirage.

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Gospel-Shaped Friendships

True friendship is a gift and doesn’t come easily. Forging genuine friendships in a culture marked by division and disposable relationships can be tricky. How does the gospel shape our view of friendship? What is different about a Christian friendship?


Friendship Forged in Christ

At the centre of a gospel-shaped friendship is our union with Christ. We have been saved by grace through faith, and we are made alive in Christ with all the spiritual blessings that flow from that relationship. One astonishing reality of our new life in Christ is that Jesus calls us friends.
 

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15.15).

Jesus is our truest, closest friend who knows the depths of every joy and hurt in our hearts. He knows every flaw, weakness, and sin, and still loves us with an everlasting love. He promises to be a constant refuge in the storms of life and never leave or betray us (Hebrews 13.5).

Knowing that we are in Christ frees us from expecting another person (friend, spouse) to satisfy our deepest desires to be seen, known, and loved. It motivates us to forgive one another because God in Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4.32). It compels us to consider the demands we may place on others to fulfil all of our emotional and relational desires. In short, having Jesus as our truest friend frees us to give and receive love without clutching to it too tightly or expecting something in return.


Friendship is About More Than Friendship

What bonds this kind of friendship together is more than shared interests or a similar life stage. It is a desire to grow in Christlikeness (Romans 8.29) and to be a tool in God’s hand to strengthen one another’s faith.
 

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27.17).

It also displays God’s love to a lost world. We are united in Christ and on mission for Christ so that the world may believe that God sent his Son (John 17.21). And when a friendship aligns with God’s purpose and design, there is a deep joy experienced together, striving side by side for his glory to reach the ends of the earth (Habakkuk 2.14). Friendship is about far more than friendship.


Pursuing Gospel-Shaped Friendships

Let’s strive to be the kind of friend who loves at all times (Proverbs 17.17) because God first loved us. Let’s pursue friendship that points one another to Christ and displays to the world that Jesus is better than the sweetest relationship we will have on this earth. Let’s push against the self-focused culture around us and forge friendships that are outward-focused on how to “stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10.24), and let’s run hard together the race set before us for the glory of God.

These articles are 100% man-made, without the use of generative AI.

The Gift of Limitations

Several years ago, when I was in my early thirties, I set a specific goal to do an 8k (five mile) run in under 30 minutes. It was the fall of 2016, and I was lining up for the Portugal Day race in Central Park. That morning, my body felt strong. When the horn sounded and we started running, I settled into a pace that was faster than anything I had practised. But I felt great! I ended up crossing the finish line at thirty-five minutes. A respectable time, but not the goal I had set.

That day, I learned something very important: I would never run like Roger Bannister, no matter how hard I pushed myself. I might beat a personal best, but I would never reach the level of an “elite runner.” That race made me keenly aware of my limitations.

It also taught me something about the reality of life itself. Every one of us lives with limits. Some of those limits are physical. Others are emotional, mental, relational, or spiritual. Some are temporary, others lifelong.

And for many of us, those limits can become a source of frustration or shame especially when we begin comparing ourselves to others. We can find ourselves asking, “Why can’t I be smarter? Why can’t I be stronger? Why can’t I run faster?” 

The Bible gives us a surprisingly honest answer to these questions: limitation is part of what it means to be human. From the very beginning, God created us with boundaries. Even before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve were not infinite, not all-knowing, not self-sufficient. They depended on God. They depended on one another. They lived within God-given limits. And those limits were not flaws they were reminders that they were not God. 

But when sin entered the world, those limits were compounded by brokenness. Our bodies fail. Minds grow weary. And our limits gently- sometimes painfully- remind us of our frailty.

But here’s the good news, our limitations are no obstacle for God. In fact, God delights in using fragile, limited people to display His power, so that the credit belongs not to human strength, but to His grace.

If life here were always easy, if we had no limits and no struggles, we might never lift our eyes toward heaven. We might never cry out with the songwriter, “Lord, I need you: oh, I need You. Every hour, I need You.”

So embracing our limitations does not mean resigning ourselves to defeat. It means placing our confidence in the One who says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). As my dad used to say, “Son, do the best you can with the grace God has given you.” And that’s the call for every Christian: receive God’s grace, trust His strength, and faithfully run the race He has set before you.

These articles are 100% man-made, without the use of generative AI.

Is Multiculturalism Working?

It’s a question plaguing British politics. The days of youthful optimism, when most agreed that multiculturalism was a good thing, are behind us. Instead, we are now divided, with some continuing to advocate for it and others declaring it a danger to national unity. As former Home Secretary Suella Braverman put it, “Multiculturalism has ‘failed’ and threatens security. ...It has fostered difference between communities".

The choice appears to be a lose-lose. Either aspire to national solidarity and abandon multiculturalism, or hold to it and face its fracturing consequences. Neither seems ideal. 

But while modern debate frames the choice between unity and diversity as a dichotomy, scripture doesn’t. Instead, it presents us with a rich vision of community, offering neither naive optimism nor faithless pragmatism, but something altogether better: unity in diversity, diversity in unity. Not an either-or but a both-and.


Diversity in unity

Scripture is clear that multicultural community is a good thing. It has been God’s vision for the church even from its inception. As the Apostle Paul writes in Galations 3.28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The church was never meant to follow the dividing lines of society, but thrive as a counter-cultural gathering where those from all backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life are welcomed. Membership does not follow man-made distinctions or hierarchies; receiving the gospel through faith is what counts. The result is a spiritual family that is diverse like none other.


Unity in diversity

Yet to imagine a harmonious multicultural community is one thing. How is it actually possible? 

According to scripture, cross-cultural unity is a God-given reality. Consider again the verse from Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 

Lasting solidarity is not achieved through better national policies or systems - though these have their place - but the gospel. Our forgiveness and adoption as God’s son gives us a new identity marker - in Christ - which is our foundation. I am no longer primarily a caucasian British male, but a son of God, bought with the blood of Jesus. In Christ is what I am first. And if you are too, then you’re a brother or sister.


So, in the fractured life of British politics, we needn’t lose heart. Let’s continue to build a diverse spiritual family, drawn together by a radical gospel and our status as sons. And let’s echo the prayer of Jesus, “make us one as you are one”.

These articles are 100% man-made, without the use of generative AI.

A December without Christmas

It’s hard to imagine December without Christmas. For many, it truly is one of the most wonderful times of the year with all the festive sights, sounds, and scents of the season. A December with no carols playing in the background or lights decorating streets and homes, and where the 25th is just another day, is inconceivable. 

I remember my first Christmas in the Middle East. It felt so foreign and disorienting. The familiar traditions of Christmas that make this time of year so special were nowhere to be found. But that first December on the Arabian Gulf was also clarifying. The people in that cultural context don’t need a beautifully decorated tree with twinkling lights, nor neatly wrapped presents underneath. They need to hear of a Saviour wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger.

Christmas is about God’s mission to send His Son to seek and save the lost (Luke 19.10). It is about the good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2.10) and the true light that has come to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1.79). Christmas is ultimately all about God’s mission, which compels us to consider how we may commit our lives to that mission. The reality is that there are two billion people with no access to the gospel who have never heard of the grace of God in Christ that we celebrate this season.

Will you consider the trajectory of your life this Christmas season? Will you hold your dreams and desires for your life open-handed before the Lord? Will you pray bold, gutsy prayers about your future? Will you consider crossing a culture and learning a language to make disciples among a people group where Christmas doesn’t exist?
 

“God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation…let us bring our affections into line with His, and, for the sake of His name, let us renounce the quest for worldly comforts and join His global purpose.” John Piper

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10.14-15

When God Feels Far at Christmas

Christmas is supposed to be “merry and bright”, full of warmth, family, and joy. Yet for many, this season only magnifies what is missing. Empty chairs. Broken relationships. Lingering grief. Unanswered prayers. And in the quiet beneath the celebration, a question sometimes rises: Has God forgotten me?

One of the most honest prayers in the Bible opens this way through David:
 

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (Psalm 13.1-2)

This is not polished worship. This is raw. David names the full weight of his pain. He talks about emotional distress, anxious thoughts, enemies, shame, and sorrow that return day after day. He wonders if his suffering means God has forgotten him. Many of us feel that same tension at Christmas. We see lights everywhere, but inside it feels dark. We hear songs of joy, but inside, there is grief. We hear about hope, yet we feel stuck in cycles of despair. We wonder if God still sees us. David goes on to say,
 

“Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” (Psalm 13.3)

This is more than a prayer for relief, it is a prayer for clarity. “Light up my eyes.” In other words: Help me see You rightly. David understands that while feelings are real, they are not always reliable. Our emotions can describe our experience, but they do not define God’s reality. Feeling forgotten does not mean we are forgotten. At Christmas, this truth matters deeply. We may feel abandoned, but the manger declares otherwise. God does not move away from our darkness, He enters it.

Finally, I love David's resolve at the end.  He says,
 

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13.5-6)

Notice what has not changed. The enemies are still there. The feelings are still heavy. The waiting is still hard. And yet David discovers something that remains within his control: he can choose to trust, to rejoice, and to sing, even before circumstances change. His worship becomes an act of holy resistance against despair.

And this is where Christmas speaks most powerfully into the fear of being forgotten. The world waited four hundred years in silence between the last prophet and the first cry from the manger. Many must have wondered if God had abandoned His promises. But at just the right time, God did not send a message, He sent His Son (Gal 4:4). The birth of Jesus is heaven’s unmistakable answer to our deepest fear of being forgotten. So when Christmas feels heavy, when joy feels forced, when God seems silent, we can still ask our honest questions. We can still pray for light. And we can still sing!

Sisters in Scripture

Over the last few months, women from across all three congregations have been gathering on Saturday mornings to walk through the Old Testament scriptures together. Each biweekly session follows a simple rhythm: breakfast, Bible-reading, reflection, and prayer. Led by Bisi, Paulina, and Naomi, the study has brought together women from all walks of life, who share more below.
 

Seeing Scripture as One Story

Following David Platt’s Secret Church: A Survey of the Old Testament, the group has been unpacking scripture as one unified story that points to Jesus. As Bisi shared, “It was a joy to trace God’s glorious story as it unfolds and to see how it all fits together perfectly. God has been establishing his kingdom right from Eden.”

“If you want to properly understand Christ”, she continued, “you need to understand the Old Testament. It’s rich in Christ symbolism, hiding more easter eggs and foreshadowing than any Marvel movie. This also matters because knowing that the Bible is coherent and totally consistent gives you confidence that it’s not only reliable but the true revelation of God.”

Naomi added, “It’s so good to see such hunger for God’s word among sisters at Grace. A highlight for me has been tracing God’s heart for mission throughout the Old Testament. I could write for ages about this, but I’ll summarise by saying I didn’t expect to be so stirred for mission through this study. It has deepened my understanding of God’s unwavering and faithful heart, and made me so excited about his kingdom coming. It’s been such a gift.”
 

Building community

For Paulina, a highlight has been seeing not only spiritual hunger but also friendships flourishing. “Welcoming people who started this with us one year ago, when we were studying 1 Peter, has been really encouraging, as well as seeing new faces. We’ve seen such a growth in interest this time around!”

“I hope we continue gathering to open God’s word and to remain curious about what he’s doing in and through our lives, the church, and the world. I just love all the women that have come… happy, weary, curious… all have been a blessing.”

Salome, who joined the Waterloo PM service earlier this year, reflected, “Being new to London sometimes feels isolating, but this Bible study has helped me experience God through a community of fellow women. It's more than just an intellectual study of scriptures - it's life-giving to hear from people of all different ages, personalities, and backgrounds.”

As we wrap up our Old Testament study and look ahead to our next session in the New Year, we warmly invite any woman at Grace—whether you're happy, weary, or curious—to join us for the next study. To get involved or ask questions, email Bisi at bisi@grace.london or join the women’s Bible study group chat via our WhatsApp community.

As Laura from the Waterloo evening service put it, “I will never regret not sleeping in on a Saturday - but to think what I could have missed if God didn’t meet me and say, ‘Come, I’ll fill your cup till it overflows!’”

How to eat the book

Reading is a lot like eating. 

But then again, so is watching, and scrolling, and listening to your favourite pods. That’s why we talk about consuming content.

The biblical authors talk this way. They speak about God’s word as something you can consume. Ezekiel was told to ‘Eat this scroll…’ and so he adds, ‘Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.’ Jeremiah says something similar: ‘Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart…’ 

The Psalmist talks about God’s words as desirable and edible: ‘More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.’ And again, ‘How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!’ 

Why is reading (and watching, and scrolling, and listening) like eating?

We know that, at some level, the things we consume become a part of us. That’s true of food, and it’s true of words. They change us, very often in unconscious ways. Everything we are exposed to leaves its mark upon us, affecting how we think about the world and about ourselves. 

This means that you can approach eating and reading in much the same way. You eat regularly (at least once a day), habitually (even when you wish you wouldn’t!), by necessity (or you’ll die), and mostly with enjoyment; it’s sweet to your tastebuds. 

I think that God wants us to read his word in the same way: regularly, habitually, by necessity, and with deep enjoyment.

How should you go about consuming the book?

Of course, there is a maximal approach to studying the Bible. Some people are called to dedicate their whole lives to it, and even then, after years of dedicated study, they will often feel that they have barely begun.

But it can be unhelpful to think about the maximal approach when most people struggle to make any headway in reading the Scriptures. And so, I want to suggest that eating the book should look like the straightforward, daily practice of just reading or listening to the Bible. 

Don’t overthink this so that you paralyse yourself. Just as you manage to pour a bowl of cereal each morning, or buy a meal deal at lunch, or whip up your favourite pasta dish at night, so should you establish a habit of eating the Bible every day – same place, same time, following a manageable reading plan. (I like this one.)

You won’t understand everything. You may not even know what difference it is making at first. But just as eating does you good regardless of whether you understand the biochemistry involved, so does God’s word.

As this habit becomes a part of your life so that you love it and actively look forward to it, you’ll find ways of going deeper. But that’s for later. Right now, just read.

Why bother with Communion?

Over the centuries, the bread and wine we share in remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion have been called many things: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the sacrament—and my favourite, Communion. The word itself speaks of relational intimacy—think of community or communal—and captures the heart of why we eat and drink each week.


Drawing Near to God

Communion is a moment to remember Jesus. We recall his suffering and death for us, and draw near to God in our hearts. In this sense, it is a memorial—we eat and drink to remember and make Jesus’ sacrifice the centre of our gathering. As he instructed, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22.19)

So, taking Communion is an act of worshipful obedience to Christ. We say in effect, 'Lord, you are worth remembering. I return to you and make the cross the centre of my life once again.'

It’s a relational act—an opportunity to remember, to draw near to God, and to glorify him as we do so.


Drawing Near to Us

However, if Communion were only about our drawing near to God, it might feel like a one-sided relationship—God standing at a distance while we try to inch closer. Yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. While we edge towards him with mustard-seed faith, he races out to meet us and comfort us with his presence.

In particular, Jesus draws near to us through Communion. He is present with us as we share it. The bread and wine don’t become his literal body and blood (we’re not Catholics, after all), but Christ is truly and spiritually present in them. And where he is present, fresh happiness and rejuvenation flow. Just as bread and wine nourish our bodies, through the Lord’s Supper, Jesus nourishes our souls.

How exactly does he do this? Well, bread and wine are more tangible than words and ideas. They speak concrete words of truth to our often wavering, doubtful minds. Undeniable taste and texture, telling undeniable truths. As writer and theologian Tim Chester put it, “[Jesus] could have said, Say this in remembrance of me, or Think this… But he knows how battered by life we can be. So he gives bread and wine as physical reminders of his love.”

Communion is a channel of God’s grace—a tangible means by which he makes himself known. Of course, God is always with us, but in eating and drinking, we feel that presence more deeply. Again, Chester describes it beautifully...

“A good husband will tell his wife that he loves her, and Christ tells us that he loves us in the gospel message. But a good husband will also hug his wife as a physical demonstration of his commitment to her. Communion is Christ’s reassuring hug.”

So, as you take Communion this Sunday, let Jesus reassure you with his presence. He loves you more than you can imagine.

Waiting on God

Before leaving Abu Dhabi, I met with a friend to catch up on her life and ministry in the Middle East. She is a missionary, speaks fluent Arabic and shares the good news of Jesus Christ with women in the Arab world. Her life and faith are an encouragement to many. She is faithfully serving the Lord and taking the gospel to the hard places.

As our conversation unfolded, I could see that something was weighing heavy on her heart. She felt like she was reaching the end of her rope. She had waited for the Lord to answer a particular prayer about her future and cried out to him countless times for things to change. Life was not turning out like she had hoped, and it seemed as if God wasn’t there or simply didn’t care. It felt like God was distant and disengaged when it came to the hopes and dreams of her life.

Have you been there? Have you looked at what is (or isn’t) happening in your life and felt like you are reaching the end of your rope? You have waited, prayed, but nothing changes.

Waiting is a part of everyone’s story. Men and women in the Bible endured significant times of waiting. Abraham and Sarah waited to hold in their arms the child God had promised. Joseph waited in prison after being unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife. The Israelites waited for their slavery to end. Habakkuk waited for God to intervene in the chaos of his time. The disciples of Jesus waited for hope to return when he died on the cross and was buried in the tomb.

Author Mark Vroegop writes in his book Waiting Isn’t a Waste that “Waiting isn’t a supplemental experience of the Christian life. It’s central. Following Jesus involves a life of waiting.” So where do we anchor our hearts while we wait? How do we wait well and not lose hope? We hold onto what we know to be true of God. We remember the promises of an unchanging God and anchor our hearts in his Word. We trust his character and ways, even when what is happening in our lives may not make sense.

If you find waiting to be hard, I want to encourage you to consider these three truths about God.

God is near and has not abandoned or forgotten you. “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.” Psalm 73.23-24

God is still sovereign. There is nothing that can prevent him from fulfilling his plans and purposes for your life. “My times are in your hand.” Psalm 31.15

God is still steadfast in his love for you. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.” Lamentations 3.22

As John Piper says, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” Anchor your heart on the promises of a sovereign, loving God who is always near. Will you trust him while you wait?