Blog
READ OUR BLOG
Each week we ask a different Freedom Church Partner to write a Blog. We simply ask them to write what is on their heart, with the aim of encouraging and challenging, inspiring and instructing. You can read the blog over breakfast, get to know some of our partners or share a great blog with your friends. Enjoy!
I will be Still and Know
The song ’Still’ by Amanda Cook was recently shared with me. As I listened to the lyrics whilst pushchair-pacing the streets of Romsey I couldn’t help but notice the irony. There I was unable to do anything but ‘be still’ in ongoing attempts to get my baby girl to ‘be...
Obedience is an Opportunity, not a Duty
About a month ago at church, I was trying to connect with God, while simultaneously making sure my boys didn’t push over one of the prayer banners – in this moment, God spoke to me. I had looked up and saw a member of our church family rubbing his shoulder. God said...
Is Speaking in Tongues still a thing?
The concept of Speaking in Tongues seems to have been flying low under the Christian radar for a number of years. It was fifty years ago that the UK experienced a season of ‘charismatic renewal’. This saw the birth of many new churches who broke away from mainstream...
Never Stop Praying
For many years, my wife Judith and I have been in the habit of praying together every morning. We pray for each other, for our children, for others that we know and sometimes also for wider issues. We don't spend long at it, maybe a few minutes or so but it is an...
Just a Few Drops of Oil
One of my daughter’s favourite bible stories is the story of the Widow and the Oil, from 2 Kings 4. The story goes that there’s a woman, whose husband has died, she’s left with his debt and two sons to care for. She has no money, no food and no hope. The debt...
When the Praying Stopped
I was lucky enough to grow up in a church which was expanding and where there were many people investing in the young people. My relationship with God was very good. When I needed comfort, I prayed, and he was there for me. When I needed wisdom, I prayed, and he...
Who do you think you are?
After what feels like the longest summer for some, and a mere couple of days for others, September is upon us…and the much awaited arrival of the autumn. In celebration of the darker evenings, the season brings the timely return of many television...
Writing in the Sand
Kynance Cove is often tipped to be the most picturesque beach in the whole of Cornwall, famous for its white sand, turquoise sea and jagged rock stacks. And I was pumped about going there. So we went down on the first day of our holiday last week, but a...
Putting Everything Right…
A while ago the Red Dwarf comedy series was a popular viewing in our house. The writers had some amazingly original ideas and one that lodged in my memory was the concept of the justice zone. In this room you could do whatever you wanted but every act had...
Abandon Annually
Rick Warren, the writer of Purpose Driven Life and the master of the well crafted sentence, famously says that “To avoid burnout you should Divert Daily, Withdraw Weekly and Abandon Annually” In a world that says you can always do more, this is refreshing....
Can you win and be humble?
I love this time of year because I can find Wimbledon being aired on BBC iPlayer for a solid two weeks…what a joy!I love to watch underdogs come back from 2 sets down to then winning the game. I love to see an exciting game being played by two incredibly...
The Use and Abuse of Hyperbole
Hyperbole (the use of exaggeration to make a point) was often used to great effect by Jesus.We can smile at the imagery but also get the message when he told people to remove logs from their own eyes before trying to remove specks from each other's...
When the Door Slam
I wonder if you’ve ever experienced the pain of doors slamming in your face? Of wounds inflicted by hands you know you should have been able to trust? I wonder if you have watched as the pathway you felt you were called to follow has been closed down...
Extremely, Abundantly, Fully
Every morning and evening Jews say “The Shema” which is a prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4-5.“Hear, O Isreal, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one, and as for you, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your...
Thank You for the Music
I love all things Abba from the song to the fashion. I still have fond memories of getting ready to go out on Saturday evenings with Abba music blaring in the background. I even know all the words of most of the Abba classics. However, I wasn't really...
I need a Copernican Revolution! Do you?
The Copernican Revolution represented a seismic shift in the way that mankind viewed the universe. Before Nicolaus Copernicus it was accepted that the earth was stationary and that the earth was the centre of the universe. Everything else that man had...
Marathon Season
Recently, I was in London to watch my son run the Marathon; not quite giving Mo Farah any competition but he did great and was faster than the average time. It was quite a challenge to keep up with him, rushing round from one street-side position to...
The Island of Sark: A Story and a Memory
My background is working with those with Dementia, and for many years I worked for Alzheimer’s Society covering Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and the Chanel Islands. I loved the Chanel Islands, particularly Guernsey. I spent a fair amount of time working...
Turtle Egg Hunting
Each year in the UK, we consume over 80 million Easter eggs. Whether it’s a classic chocolate egg, a sweet filled extravaganza, or a chocolate avocado, we are officially a nation of egg lovers. Whilst for many, the Easter egg represents a symbol of the...
Peace Be With You
I wonder if Jesus had the Monday blues?Post-event let down or Post-adrenaline blues is really common in people who experience high level events they have to prepare for. People such as athletes, actors, performers, musicians, writers and preachers all...
Words Stick
Things my parents used to say were, “I’ll turn this car around MR!”“If you sit too close to the TV your eyes will go square”“Money doesn’t grow on trees.”Other than being stereotypical parents these are some of the things that have stuck with me. However,...
The Pursuit of Unhappiness
It seems the world is becoming more and more unhappy. Just consider the sheer amount of angry posts, hate-speech, aggression, tribalism and divisions in the world. Do you ever feel like you've been left behind? Are you sometimes a little bit happy but...
Discovery
We have recently relocated back to a place where I grew up right beside the sea. There is something about being near the ocean that will always stay with you no matter where you go. It gets in your blood almost. This move has reignited all sorts of old memories of how...
I’m not a doctor, but I am a Christian…
My husband, Jordan, and I have just returned to the UK having been in Uganda for 11 days. We were sent by Freedom Church to join Serve Direct for a short time to film and take photos of the work they do in Wobulenzi and Gulu as a way of adding to their...
Dance with Me
I have an incredible capacity for worry. My ability to make a mountain out of a molehill would make me a millionaire if only I could monetize it.I wonder if it’s the same for you?If there’s one area of life that can be guaranteed to bring on some anxiety,...
Clear the Clutter
This last weekend I did something I had been putting off for sometime. I cleaned out the garden shed! For months I knew I had to do something about it but I kept putting it off, creating excuses to take away the guilt that I felt, that behind the shed door...
Suffer with or without Him?
The congregation Sarah and I were part of for two years while in El Salvador knew suffering more than most. Many were missionaries who served the poorest of the poor and had been working for years, often with much opposition to see change. During a message on Romans...
Why do I do this to myself?
Do you ever find yourself asking that question? I did the Sunday before last! At 8:55am, I was stood on the start line with another thousand likeminded lycra-clad runners wearing just a vest and a pair of shorts in the freezing wind about to run five miles...
A Whole Lot Of Shaking
You could be forgiven for thinking, at the time of the referendum, that with just a few weeks before the Article 50 is enacted, we would all have a much clearer view of what arrangements would be in place from April onwards. You could have hardly expected that things...
January Blues
Scraping ice off your windscreen. Having more month left than money. Going to work in the dark. Coming home from work in the dark. Bad weather. Failing new year resolutions. Post-Christmas chocolate withdrawal symptoms. The January diets. All things we hate about...
Big Changes Start with Small Steps
It’s January and the shops are selling gym equipment, the gyms are selling fitness classes, the bookshops are selling diet books and the supermarkets are selling low calorie celery! Whether you call it Dry January or Red January, the start of the New Year is often a...
I didn’t see it coming
In the run up to Christmas a few of us got together and filmed a spoken word video titled “You Are Not Alone”, to use as part of the Freedom Church Carols event. I hope you had a chance to watch it, but if not it is still available...
Ever had an extension built to your home?
Ahhhh! Run for the door! What, the door out of Europe? I think we have all had our fill of the political ups and downs of the Brexit procedure, but without getting political or taking sides, I have a few observations: One… Transitional arrangements are always...
Catching a glimpse of Mary
As I spend this festive period utterly exhausted running round after an energetic toddler, I am often finding my thoughts turning to Mary. Time and again I’ve found myself coming back to consider this courageous follower of God who once chased round on hands and knees...
Blessed to be a Blessing
I have just returned from an amazing adventure in Rwanda and Uganda. I had to almost pinch myself many times as I did so many things that I have dreamt of doing since I was much younger. God has surprised me with many unexpected blessings as I have grown older. I love...
Must there be more?!
Last week, I had a conversation with a friend who told me stories of what her dad had encountered in Columbia. He visited a Church, like many others around the world, who had had experience in seeing God’s power move dramatically and miraculously here on earth. She...
Do you value stopping?
My phone lit up and I notice an email from the Freedom Church office. This usually brightens my day as a reminder of what God is doing in our community, but this email made my heart sink. It read Hello Robert, this is a reminder that you are down to write next week's...
אתה אוהב ירקות ואני אוהב ירקוית
The Hebrew scholars amongst you will instantly recognise the words of this old Jewish writer, but for those only know Greek, I’ve helpfully included the translation: σου αρέσουν οι πατάτες και μου αρέσουν οι πατατες The text speaks of the fallout from...
So, what does the Church think?
We have recently completed a teaching series at Freedom Church entitled “Blurred Lines - Godly Sexuality in a Confusing World” We looked at the importance of understanding our identity in Christ and that there is a better story. We challenged the way that...
First Man
The credits roll. The Lights come up. People around me begin to move. The film has ended and yet I find myself stuck in the chair, having just experienced something that happens once every few years. If you know anything about Hannah and I you’ll know that we love a...
You’re My Favourite
I loved the conference last week and especially the teaching from Christy and Paul. One of Paul's humorous little illustrations was of an imaginary conversation that he has every January with God where God tells him "You're my favourite and you are fantastic but there...
Don’t Go It Alone
This blog follows our message on Sunday around Pornography. You can listen in on the podcast. 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls...
Status Update 2
(Taken from the teaching series ‘Blurred Lines’ looking at what is Godly sexuality in a Confusing World) The most searched for phrase on Google in 2014 was ‘What is Love?’ The world is looking for love and meaningful connection. Historically we would ‘court’ someone...
Do you find Standing Strong easy?
Recently we drove up to Edinburgh to visit our youngest son Simi and on the way we passed by the enormous sculpture, the 'Angel of the North'. It stands on a hill overlooking Gateshead 20 metres tall with wings 54 metres across. It is certainly imposing and takes your...
There is a Better Story
(Taken from the teaching series ‘Blurred Lines’ looking at what is Godly sexuality in a Confusing World) Our present culture o en confuses our sexuality and our identity, that sex is seen by many as only a physical act, a transaction or a passing interaction that has...
Who is writing your story?
Sometime ago I use to really enjoy browsing through one particular book on my parent’s bookshelf. It was a biography of notable people throughout history. It gave a short summary of their background and history and on what events happened in their lifetime. I found it...
It’s my first day!
“It's my first day" was an excuse I used for not knowing what I was doing for the first year of my last job! The excuse seemed to work indefinitely for Homer Simpson, but my ex-colleagues certainly clocked on quickly and the excuse didn't wash with them much beyond my...
God’s Watermarks
In my last blog article I talked about 'hidden treasures' in the Bible, interesting scriptures that have more to them than meets the eye and I gave an example of a lovely one in John 18. This time I want to share another type of Biblical 'hidden treasure', one that we...
Results Day
As I write, this week sees my last ever Results Day. Have my students passed? Have they failed? Have they got what they deserved? As a teacher I have seen every response from tears of joy to utter despair. One student told me, through her sobs, “This is the worst day...
The Thinking Chair
Do you ever stop and think? I mean, properly think for more than just a few minutes? Our world is busier than ever. Information can be downloaded at the push of the button and we are consuming it as fast as possible. We don't just have daily newspapers now, we have...