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Is it right to pray for ourselves? Some teach the children to pray using the acronym JOY - Jesus, Others, You; or STOP - Sorry, Thanks, Others, Please. The order seems helpful ... to prevent the incessant demand of personal needs getting in the way of our focus on the Lord and other people.

But John 17 gives us a different perspective. Jesus starts by praying to Father God about their relationship (John 17:1-5). It is a critical prayer because 'God's hour' had come - the pivot point of history is Christ's death on the cross.

Some phrases stay in our vocabulary because they are repeatedly demonstrated as true.

Lord Acton wrote in 1887, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This saying retains its authenticity to this day - being validated by succeeding generations of people whose authority exceeds their wisdom.

The newspaper columnist Dominic Lawson, who says he is not religious, recently wrote about 'How the loss of belief in Hell has had a profoundly destructive effect on civil order' (Daily Mail 17 March 2025).

Although he understands why today's preachers prefer to emphasise only the God of forgiveness, rather than of vengeance, he stated that: "... without the prospect of Hell for the wicked ... the idea of an all-forgiving God is actually more likely to make people commit crimes".

Who is qualified to tell other people about Jesus? Acts 8:4 (NIVUK) says that persecuted Christians 'preached' the Word wherever they went. Their faith in Jesus, and the witness of their transformed lives qualified them to 'preach'.

But, say some, surely 'preaching' can only be done by those who are trained, ordained, missionaries, or evangelists. Perhaps that is a relief to many who fall into none of those categories!

But is it right? Has there been a professionalisation of evangelism that is not Biblical?

Many Christians are afraid to speak about Jesus.

In some parts of the world, the authorities will not permit it; even meeting as believers risks arrest. Elsewhere, the exclusive claims of Christ are unacceptable in the community.

Even in tolerant societies, it does not take much to stop Christians advertising Christ. A rebuff from a friend is enough for many, as the fear of losing friendships forces us to eliminate Jesus from our conversation.

Assisted suicide, like almost every other deliberate action to end life, is currently a crime in the UK, reflecting God's laws in the Bible. But this week's Parliamentary vote in Westminster seeks to make it legal.

Likewise with abortion. Once supposedly full of rigorous safeguards to protect a few, it has, for many, become an on-demand medical service accounting for almost 10 million lives lost in the UK since 1967.

"Change is here to stay", says the world. Certainly the last 100 years have seen more change than at any other time in history. The problem is, how should we deal with it?

Aristotle wrote, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom" ... "The energy of the mind is the essence of life" ... "Happiness depends upon ourselves" ... and, "Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existance".

Christian service is a million miles away from secular volunteering

The volunteer identifies a good cause and reckons they can make a contribution because of their ability. They participate when they have time and give what they can afford. The volunteer expects recognition and perks: they will work hard as long as they want to but are free to stop when they want to. The volunteer certainly makes a contribution … but is it service?

Humility is not natural, even for Christians!  We easily slide the focus from the Lord Jesus Christ to 'my faith', ‘my church’, ‘my ministry’, ‘my mission’ and 'me'. Moving the spotlight from ‘Him’ to ‘me’ is Satan’s objective for us individually and as families, for every church, each ministry and all gospel missions.

William Booth, the Victorian revivalist and founder of the Salvation Army, wrote about 'Darkest England and the Way Out' in 1890.

This quote has endured: