Paul is on trial before Nero (the ‘lion’ of verse 17), who was blaming Christians for everything from curdled milk to the burning of Rome a few years earlier. Paul is never going to be acquitted by Nero, yet he says confidently, ‘The Lord will rescue me’. How? … More 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
The church has never been a place for good people. It’s a place for broken, hurting, ordinary people – just like you and me. And God rejoices. … More 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Psalm 51:1-10, Luke 15:1-10
use the double-sided medals to tell the story of two Japanese pole vaulters at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Their names were Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Oe.
The winning height was 4.35m, cleared by an American athlete, and he won the gold medal. Nishida and Oe both cleared 4.25m and so the second place was a tie. The Olympic rules said that one person had to beat the other to win the silver medal, but the two athletes were friends and did not want to compete against the other. Neither would be happy to win if it meant that their friend would lose. … More Assembly – Running the Race
This activity illustrates that the inside is what counts. You could use it in an informal church service, a Sunday school or youth group or an RE lesson. You each need a heart shape, about 5cm (2″) wide that is black on one side and silver on the other. You could cut the heart from … More Activity – Bright Heart
