Breaking Bread: Fast Food for the Soul: Recent Episodes
Chris Parfoot
We are bombarded by information, too much information, every day, information that confuses us, and carries us away from the Wisdom the Lord wants us to live by.
Sometimes when you feel weighed down by the hard bits in life, it is easy to think that you are on your own, that God doesn't care about you and what you are going through.
It is easy to say that God doesn't care about your feelings. But is this really true?
What we hear is important. Vital to the activation of our faith is the Word of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes life is full of stress. But we aren't alone. Even the great men and women of the Bible faced stressful times. We can look to the Lord and all his promises to get us through.
If you open not just your mind but your heart and trust, truly trust in Jesus and who Jesus in, then, as the Apostle Paul assures us, you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Are you going to open your heart and trust in Jesus today?
We have all felt that deep sense of frustration of when life isn't going the way we want it to. Things aren't panning out. What are we supposed to do? There is hope and there is help.
We are often too busy at Christmas to give much thought to what happened all those years ago, the events that we actually celebrate on December 25th each year.
But the Gospel message is found in the Carols we sing. Songs that lodge in our hearts and our heads, that lead us into the wonderful joy and peace of who Jesus Christ is. Our Emmanuel, God with us, God for us.
As we head into this Christmas Season, remember who it is we are celebrating.
We go through life either choosing God's love, or turning out back on it.
But what's the consequence of this? We know that we have his love, because Jesus died on the cross. Why not open our hearts and give God's love full reign. We know that we have his love, because Jesus died on the cross.
What if Jesus was standing beside you today, right now? How would you answer the same question Jesus asked of Peter?
It really is hard to do the right thing. Our flesh often leads us into places we don't want to go. Consider the life of the actor Mickey Rooney. He did everything he shouldn't have. But he gave his heart and his life to Jesus.
As each day greets us, how do we focus on the things above?
Look to the Lord and read his Word.
We all have hidden agendas. Those things that we want, those things that perhaps we don't openly acknowledge. They are things that we think we deserve, things that we think will make us happy. And we will do everything we can to achieve them.
But how does God's agenda fit into this? Have you ever thought that maybe God has plans and ideas for your life? Perhaps these are better than anything you could ever imagine?
Ask yourself the question, what do I do about it?
Today's thought comes from Psalm 29:11: "The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace."
We spend a lot of time trying to go it alone. Time and again we work hard in our own strength to achieve only what God and God alone can do.
It's time to give in and say Lord, I need your help. That's when we find strength and peace.
Sometimes life is so dull, so boring. Nothing is new, nothing is ever exciting, you could do it all by remote control. But it doesn't have to be like that. God's love is new every morning. Open your hearts and accept His gift.
Even in his sick bed, Charles Wesley was stirred by the voice of Jesus to believe and later to lift his pen and write the words of the hymn.
We need to realise that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. He is not distant, He is here and He is now. We just have to open our hearts and realise that it's true.
What happens when you receive a text from a dear friend, who is in town for a short while. But you have a day that is nutso busy. What do you do?
What if that friend is God?
At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus. What a wonderful uplifting thought that is for us today.
How much joy there is when you realise just how much God loves us, that He chose us from the very beginning to be His own. All He wants from us is to love Him back.
Paul's mission is to spread the love of Jesus Christ to everyone he meets. What if that was what God wanted us to do as well?
Just as Paul found his identity in Christ, so to who we are should be anchored in Christ.
It's an amazing thing to discover, that we are known and loved by Jesus, and in His love we find who we really are.
God is the well spring of joy and laughter. Through Him we have love and life. He will restore.
Home is where the heart is. But what is home? What does home mean? And what does it have to do with God's Love?
We overcomplicate things. Take a time out. Let God's peace be part of what you do today.
Life is full of storms. You ask, how am I going to make it through.
Believe in the promises of Jesus.
It might seem in your current circumstances that you are far away from the Lord. But God is always there, cry out to Him and He will hear and He will respond.
Psalm 118:14. The Psalmist reveals God's strength, and the victory he has received. We can stand strong in Him, in His victory. God is so good.
When you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something, there is no point tossing and turning and stressing. Just open your hearts and give your burdens to the Lord.
Love your enemies! Do good to them. Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing to do. That why we need Jesus.
We have been called to live in freedom, because of God's gift of Grace, set free by Christ.
Because we belong to Jesus we can stand strong. Set all your mind and heart on Jesus and then you will have peace.
Proverbs 25:28 tells us that a person who has no self-control, is like a city with broken down walls. How does that play out in real terms for us today?
God is a God of comfort, He lifts us up to soar on eagles wings, we won't grow weary. How good is that?
There are moments in life where you don't feel ready to step out into the lime light. But, sometimes you just have to trust God, because He is the one who is calling you forward.
The best thing you can do for yourself, or anyone else is to pray. It is through prayer that we grow ever closer to the Lord.
What does it mean to be humble? Why should we be humble? What's the point?
It's hard to look beyond what we want in life, and see God's design. But being humble helps with the flow of God's blessing.
Sometimes you have to stop and take a moment to see where you are and where you are going. Sometimes you need to ask God for His direction, and when you do, you will find peace.
We can't hide form God, He is everywhere. But why would you want to hide from someone who not only knows you but loves you so much more deeply than anyone ever could?
What does it mean to be chosen by God? How can we hope to put something like that in perspective? Taking in God's Grand Scope and Scale are not easy things to do. We break it down into that single focus, who is Jesus Christ.
Building something worthwhile, something that lasts requires the plans. It is only with the plans that God provides can we succeed in the things He wants us to do.
Life isn't about what you have, what you own, working hard to acquire the latest iPhone or the keys to that sports car. The writer of Ecclesiastes is keen to point out that life is about "who." Who is at your table? Who is in the embrace of your hospitality? These are the people who reflect God's love back to you.
What is your gift? How are you going to use it? We are blessed by the Lord to do certain things well. We need to open our hearts and our minds to receiving and growing the gift that God has given us, so that we can bless others as well as ourselves.
Exodus 34;21 gives some good advise. Put aside all that busy-ness, all the rushing around, all the getting stuff done we seem to focus on doing, and take some time, to rest, refresh, and be with God.
We don't always get the happy ending we are looking for. Or do we?
Trusting Jesus and living life His way fills us with real hope.
We need to trust God that He's got it. Trust God that He is going to provide. It's the best place to be, living in His loving promise.
Sometimes we get caught in life's storms, but if you trust in the Lord, He will bring you safely through into the clear sunshine of the other side.
When we put the cart before the horse, we close ourselves off to what the Lord wants to do in our lives. We need to be open to what the Lord wants to do and achieve through us.
It must have seemed to Joseph that nothing would ever work out for good. But God used him mightily. Just as Joseph became a blessing, you too can be the vessel that God uses for the good of others, and yourself.
Sometimes it's hard to see how to get through tough times. But we can rely on a God who loves us.
What can you trust in this storm tossed world? Where can you find peace in the storms of life?
Sometimes we let things in our life gather dust. They sit on the shelf too long. But God is always moving forward, and he helps us keep to the straight and narrow.
What can we do when our circumstances seem beyond our control? We need to focus on the Big Picture and let God do what He does best.
What does it mean that God is Faithful? How can we trust in Him? In this episode let us ponder some of those questions.
Devote yourselves to Prayer, the Apostle Paul tells us. Develop a life changing attitude to gratitude. In all things be thankful to God.
With so much information bombarding us each day, how do we know what God wants for us? How do we know what His purpose is in our lives?
Sure, life can sometimes give you lemons, and it's difficult and frustrating when circumstances seem against you. But in order to cope with these stresses, think on the Cross.
A brief interlude from the series on Nehemiah to look at why Breaking Bread is important, why is it something we should do, and why we should immerse ourselves in the Word of the Lord.
Why was Nehemiah so torn when he hears the news about Jerusalem? Why was his reaction so severe and what can we learn from this?
When he hears of the plight of Jerusalem, Nehemiah becomes aware of what is missing, and he cries out to God for restoration.
God equips us individually to achieve his Great Purposes. Our hearts should be open to His leading, open to His call. What has God equipped you to do?
Our daily lives depend on our being able to eat and drink, that our basic needs are met. And yet, isn't there more to it than that? What about our spiritual needs? Listen as we explore this topic.