Living Today
Articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you as you follow Jesus here in Kiribati
The Three Hardest Words to Say
If we have a belief, it should impact the way we live. Do we truly believe it if it has no effect on us?
The Word for Today encourages Teachers and Students
We got this encouraging testimony from Lilian who is a teacher in Vanuatu to our UCB Vanuatu team... Thank you for all that you are doing. It's touching lives. I am a teacher and I find it very helpful in helping my students know about the love of God. All the...
4 Ways to Love Better
I was recently talking with someone about some relationship struggles they were experiencing. The need for patience was what we ended up with as a critical component to loving better. It’s very interesting, that in the love chapter in 1 Corinthians, it starts with “Love is patient…”. Love in our relationships (spouse, friends, family etc), is more than just the thought. God wants us to love, not just in word, but also in deed! The good part is that God will help us love. Here are 4 habits...
The Voice
The fundamental truth is that as “followers of Christ”, we need to know the voice of our Father BUT in a world with so many voices bombarding us all the time, this is not only hard but can be very confusing. John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. We have voices telling us how to do just about every part of our lives. Who to vote for, what we identify ourselves as, what is right or wrong. You name it – the voices are plentiful and loud. As believers, God...
A Fathers Heart
Despite having 21 years to prepare a father of the bride speech for my daughter wedding last week - it’s hard as a father to keep reminding yourself that “your little girl” isn’t that little anymore - she has grown up into a beautiful women. There are many great privileges a father gets to have with his daughter. Things like Blowing bubblegum bubbles A high five that stings Learning to whistle First bike ride Rollercoaster introduction Using power tools Fits of laughter and moments of tears...
The Cross at Easter
The cross is an important symbol during Easter, reminding us of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made. Despite all of our struggles and pain, the cross reminds us we are not alone in this world. We can find strength and comfort knowing that Jesus has already saved us from our sins. It’s this hope for redemption through Christ’s death on the cross that makes Easter such an integral part of Christian tradition. Stu Millar from Train to Proclaim recently shared on Vision Chrisitan Media his...
Who am I? Part 1
Ever struggled with “who you are?” You know… that voice that says you are defeated, or have nothing, or not beautiful etc. Have a read of these LIFE GIVING VERSES then remind yourself that IN CHRIST… you have everything you need. I AM - God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God 1 Peter 1:23 Forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood Ephesians 1:7 / Hebrews 9:14 / Colossians 1:14 / 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 2:12 A new creature 2 Corinthians 5:17 The...
Living out Faith in a Hostile World
You don’t have to look any further than the most recent headlines to see that we live in uncertain times. Many people think the world has never been more hostile to Christians than it is now, especially since the cancel culture continues to target people who aren’t seen as politically correct. Being a Christian in a deeply secularised society is a growing challenge. Everyone’s truth seems to be accepted unless you’re a Christian. So how do we live out our faith in such a hostile world? With...
Blessed to be a Blessing
Numbers 6:24-26 says Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. If we could shrink the Earth’s population into a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be: 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the western hemisphere, both north and south, 8 Africans 52 females; 48 males 80 living in...
When All Seems Lost
Now what? That’s something that all of us have said to ourselves at one time or another. In his new message, ‘When All Seems Lost’, Pastor Jeff Vines covers the topics of marriage and keeping relationships strong. Jeff offers encouragement for those of us who are struggling with chaos and feeling lost. God does not give His law arbitrarily. When God tells us He wants us to live in certain parameters and by certain precepts, He does it because He loves us. If He’s the creator and sustainer of...
Compassion and Action
The crewmembers on board Logos Hope all left their homes at one point to come on board the ship to live and work together with others from around the world. They exchanged their familiar environments for a very unique accommodation – a ship – which sooner or later they also call their home for a specific amount of time. They all do know though, that there are many people in the world, who are longing for a place to stay in which they can experience peace and safety. The refugees who leave...
Dad’s Toolkit
It’s a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the value of family, and in particular the role of dads. What are your strengths as a parent? Are there some areas you could grow in? How do you begin your journey of becoming the parent God has called you to be? Brett and Kate Ryan from Focus on the Family, have created a ‘Dad’s Toolkit’ that’s full of ideas on how dad’s can improve themselves. It contains things like conversation starters with your kids, and questions we can ask our dads. Healthy...
A father’s blessing
‘By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.’ Hebrews 11:20 KJV
Dad, here are two Bible ingredients for blessing your children and grandchildren:
(1) The power of prayer. In Scripture, a father’s blessing included an open-eyed prayer to God for his children. Isaac, who was a farmer, said to his son, ‘May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine.’ (Genesis 27:28 NIV) Have your children ever heard you talk to God about them? Perhaps they have heard you say harsh words like, ‘How could you be so stupid? Don’t you ever think? You will never amount to anything!’ If so, apologise today and ask for their forgiveness. Let them hear you invoke God’s richest blessing over each of their lives. A father’s prayer of blessing over his family is a powerful thing—it’s life-changing!
(2) The vision of a glorious future. The Bible says, ‘Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.’ (Proverbs 29:18 NASB) School counsellors tell us that many of their students lack vision. Why? Because they see nothing ahead for them except economic gloom, unemployment, and hard times. They need somebody to believe in them and their future, to believe they can succeed and live happy lives, and that the best is still ahead for them. Isaac didn’t wait for his boys to devise their own vision for the future. He prayed openly for their future success, their rise to prominence, and for respect and favour with family and society. Your kids don’t need you to manipulate them; they need you to motivate them. And you do that by blessing them!
SoulFood: Ezek 34–36, Mk 14:27–42, Ps 80:12–19, Prov 15:15–17
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©