The positive side of testosterone. Men have 6 times more of it than women, and that makes a difference. It’s not anti feminist to say so. What does it mean for a man to Know God. Because we’re fidgety, restless creatures. Some of us are naturally more reflective. Most aren’t. The Romans had the pantheon of gods and diluted everyone’s true faith by syncretism. The only god that never appeared in the pantheon was the God of the Christians. They stubbornly refused to not be different. They held the line. No matter what. 2 Sam 23: David’s special forces. The mighty men. They held the line no matter what. The enemy wants to throw things at you to make you quit. To say ‘stuff it’ and walk away. Or at least sulk. Alternative – hold the line. Till your hand sticks to the sword. Then you find – eventually You won. You came through it. Sometimes we didn’t see the breakthrough because we didn’t hold on long enough to break through. Shammah stood in a field and said ‘enough!’ He […]

This video is from a guy called Ian McLeod who took a photo of his son every day for 21 years! It makes a remarkable study, and reminds me of various biblical themes – The Father watches over us! All the days ordained for us are written in his book before one of them comes to be. You are the apple of his eye! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/10/12/ian-mcleod-21-years_n_1961336.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Ivy Grow Group Notes   Our next beatitude is… 7 “Blessed are those who show mercy.     They will be shown mercy.”   I remember playing a school game called ‘mercy’ it involved showing you were stronger than your opponent by bending or crushing their hands in a dual! It was lots of fun! The winner was the first to get their opponent to shout ‘mercy’. I grew up with the concept of needing mercy as being a sign of weakness. In Jesus’ time mercy was not seen as a strength by philosophers (like Aristotle) or the Roman empire.    At university I did my main project on forgiveness. I was assigned a mentor whose specialty was counselling. She was intrigued by my project on forgiveness and commented how it wasn’t something particularly used in her counselling practice or very evident in psychology literature. I knew from that time that forgiveness is not something that is taken very seriously in our culture, but Jesus insists it is the mark of living in his Kingdom.   DISCUSS Do you think asking for […]

Ivy Grow Group Notes Continuing in our series on the beatitudes. Jesus’ teachings to his disciples on what a life lived in his Kingdom looks like. Today Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be satisfied” Think Food and water – two essentials for human life Hearers of this would know what it was like to go without food or water – do we? Easy for us to take away our hunger or thirst by snacking between meals. Hunger is a sign of physical health, if we didn’t hunger we’d probably die. It’s also a sign of spiritual health. Ask yourself how hungry and thirsty for God am I? We get hungry when we don’t eat, but with the things of God the more we eat the hungrier we get! Have you ever found this? 3 things in the West particularly that can take the edge of our hunger: 1.Pleasure – (Not a bad thing depending on the what and the why) trying to find satisfaction in something other than God. Sex, drugs, alcohol….. […]

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New regional director for Manchester. Matt 5 The British army is built on the values that come direct from the sermon on the mount. Popular view of happiness – when and then thinking: When this happens – then I will be happy Kelly Holmes interview this week: she had the dream of a gold medal since the age of 12. Then she had one setback after another: Started cutting – self harming Then after she got a gold medal, it was great/ for a while… But then she said she got down again ‘because I had no hope.’ The richest people Billy met when working in close protection were the loneliest. Matt 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Who do we think of when we hear ‘meek’ – Ned Flanders. The word sounds weak.meek, squeak – like a mouse! But only 2 men in the bible were described as meek- Jesus and Moses Meek = power under control. Cf Monty Roberts. The horse whisperer brings the strength under control. Jesus is saying ‘happy are those…who […]