Coach House Talks and Beacons

We, as Christians are Jars, in 2 Corinthians in the bible it says we are Jars of Clay. Not many of us have paid attention to the fact that we are vessels of God. God is within us, but it's not a sealed Jar, where nothing can escape, it has a top that is open, so we can share Him, tell people about Him, love Him to others.

We need to take time to rejuvenate ourselves and make sure we are not burning out. We also need to make sure we stay relevant to the world. We need to make sure we can relate to those around us in the world by understanding what they are into.

Scripture has many times spoken the truth ahead of sciences discoveries, whether it be describing the stones in the new Jerusalem in revelation, a list of stones which modern science has proved will illuminate in pure light – we shone lasers at them and they responded with beautiful light.

In Hebrews chapter 11 it sets out a long list of champions of the bible, people of great faith and trust in God, who did not have an easy ride by any stretch of the imagination and who succeeded, overcame and finished the task they had been given.

A definition of waiting is “To abstain from action or departure till some expected event occurs.” I think one of the main requirements of waiting is to have patience. When I was about thirteen years old I was sent home from school at lunchtime on one particular day; in fact everyone was sent home then from the school because a strong blizzard was expected to hit, and it was feared that the buses w...

Have you ever heard the phrase “Stand Up and Be Counted”…? What about the phrase “Man Up!”? Ever wondered where they came from or what the true meaning of them is? If we take a look at Collins their definition of Stand Up and be Counted is this… If you say that someone should stand up and be counted, you mean that they should say publicly what they think, and not hide it or be ashamed of it.

As the current lock-down has eased, certain activities that had been banned for a while have now resumed. One such recent activity that became available again was getting your hair cut. At the stroke of midnight barber shops and hairdressers were open for business, serving needy customers who had been missing their expert attention for far too long.

Dalmatians are renowned for their playful nature, but more than that they are known for their white coat and black spots. In Jeremiah 13 the very famous phrase “Can a leopard change it’s spots?“ is found. We might ask it differently: can people change? Can I change? Can you—not even will you, but more to the root of the matter—can you be any different at the end of 2020 or even lockdown than you a...

I was thinking about the number 100 and where it’s found in the bible and I immediately thought of Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. Luke 15 says: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.

Ok…we’ve all seen the Marvel and DC Comic characters, whether it in the comics or on the TV, or even more likely on the big screen adaptions that have been so much part of our lives in recent years.

It’s been a strange old year hasn’t it? Usually we’d have been watching ‘wimbledon’ urging on our champion, groaning when they missed and cheering after another amazing rally where you thought – they’ll never reach that return, they can’t stretch for that ball surely!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. Then in verse two we are introduced to the Holy Spirit who is described as moving or hovering over the face of the waters.

We live in a world at the moment where we are told to stay at home and isolate if you want to live and also to protect others . In recent weeks on the news we are shown emotional moments where families are reunited ; grandparents were able to form a bubble with their children and grandchildren.

It wasn’t long ago that I appeared last, but don’t worry, you haven’t missed anyone, it’s just that I have subbed in for someone else! I don’t know about you but when I think of a substitute, I think of football teams and the substitutes who make the bench for an important game. They are not seen as one of the first eleven, not quite good enough to make the starting line-up.

One of the many things that have noticeably changed during the recent lockdown is peoples shopping habits. Having to queue outside in the rain, follow at a safe distance and only buy 2 toilet rolls at a time are all new concepts to us. One change that we have made is to go to alternative supermarkets that we don't normally go to.

As we refresh our space at the start of this new season, I urge you to not neglect the space inside—your very soul, the core of who you are. I want you to ask three questions of yourself as we take a spiritual inventory

Most of us try to fit in. We like to feel that we have things in common with other people and that we’re part of a group. Society tells us that we need people to like us and we need to fit in. But peer pressure can make us do awful things; it can make us lie or cheat or do a whole number of bad things.

Imagine being a robot that kept doing the same task, without deviation, over and over again, day in day out …. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and repeat! It wouldn’t be much of an existence would it? I’d like to welcome you to today’s beacon. By all counts this is number 91 since we floated the idea of doing these devotionals to keep connected with each other in the...

There is nothing better than sitting on a kayak on a beautiful flat sea with the sun shining down. The sea is crystal clear and the kayak glides through the still water. It’s so easy to look down through the deep water: following the lines from the marker buoys down to the lobster pot on the sea bed, watching the crabs scuttle across the sand, seeing all the colours of the seaweed swaying below.

In this Beacon I’d like to share a testimony of something that the Lord did for me many years ago. I want to do this to show you just how gracious and wonderful the Lord is. I’m not blowing my own trumpet; I just want to encourage you in the Lord: to build up your trust in Him.

I wonder how you experience life – does it feel like a burden? Lots of people to please, lots of standards to keep, lots of things you’ve got to be, and to top it all off, you’ve got to try and please God as well. I think that life can feel like that sometimes.

I wonder how you experience life – does it feel like a burden? Lots of people to please, lots of standards to keep, lots of things you’ve got to be, and to top it all off, you’ve got to try and please God as well. I think that life can feel like that sometimes.

How much time do we spend making plans? Places to go, people to see, things to buy, decorating, garden improvements, cooking, parties, and many more. Of course none of these things are bad in themselves, in fact planning ahead is an important part of life.

“For we all stumble in many ways.” James admits that we all sin, and uses this stumbling imagery for it. When we stumble, we still stay on the path and move forward, even though we might be spreading our arms out and hitting the pavement hard. It is a good comparison to sin.

When we were created, God created us to have a natural rhythm. So much of life has a rhythm; the seasons, day and night, even the heart beating inside of us. There is a pattern that life is supposed to follow.