40 Acts - Day 40: ' SACRIFICE '

Lent is usually marked by giving up: chocolate, TV, social media, whatever it is—we 'sacrifice' those everyday pleasures as a discipline. But how much of a sacrifice have we made? How far should our sacrifice go? Today – as Lent concludes and we look forward to the new hope that Easter brings - we’re turning it up a notch. We’re going to ask you to commit to a life of sacrifice, beyond just simple abstinence. It’s time to reconnect to the ancient view of sacrifice, to offer up our very best to God. The kind of sacrifice which opens our hearts and minds to a life of true generosity.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

Ephesians 5: 1-2

When Pastor Tony Morley heard about the desperate need for a new kidney facing a member of his congregation, he and his wife Joyce prayed. Seeing the impact that the three-times-a-week dialysis was having on the young woman, he offered himself as a potential live organ donor and started the lengthy process to determine if he was a match. Tony shared his story with the Stewardship team recently. In his own words:
“John 13 tells us to ‘Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.’

“Love is incredibly practical. Joyce and I discussed this. She is a nurse so we had an idea of what we were getting into, and we talked about the risk with major surgery as well as the practical recovery issues.”

The results came back – positive. Tony was a match and given the all clear for surgery.

The operation went well, but Tony’s recovery was far from perfect, taking twelve weeks instead of the usual six. From Tony’s perspective, this was also a gift, providing him time to reflect on how and why he chose to give his kidney. “We were connected by similar pasts” he discovered, with both having lost loved ones to kidney disease.

The transplant was a success and his recipient rejoices in a functioning kidney and a heart full of gratitude for the generosity and sacrifice of her donor.

It’s a big story and one that few of us can, or may get the chance to, replicate.

And today, this Holy Saturday, we stand in the shadow of an even bigger story - of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Many of us taking part in 40acts will be looking to tomorrow, recognising and accepting the hope that Jesus gave us by offering His best, His life, in place of our own. Some of you might still be exploring and questioning whether you believe the Easter narrative is true – our prayer for you this weekend is that you’ll discover comfort and truth in the resurrection of Jesus.

In Romans 12 v 1 we read: “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”

It can be easy at times to fall into the trap of saying to ourselves, “What have I got to offer, that God might possibly want or use?” or “Is my gift good enough?” and limit our own experience of generosity as a result.

Today, we challenge you to go all in. To be a living, breathing, all-day-everyday sacrifice. Something alive and active – so much more than just a ‘giving up’. An offering, a giving of our best to God. And He, as creator of all things and originator of all gifts, is ready to receive them with arms outstretched.

Throughout 40acts, we have been blown away by the daily examples of you, us, our community, offering up our best. We have been humbled by the stories of those who felt God saying, “This is what I want from you today,” even if it meant stepping firmly out of a comfort zone, sacrificing self in favour of others, or stretching ourselves beyond self-imposed limits.

As we reach the end of Lent for another year, let’s look back and celebrate what we’ve achieved together, and reflect on the lessons we’ve learned about ourselves and our giving along the way.

We might not all give a kidney like Pastor Tony, but our best gifts are yet to come.

What generous act are you being called to make today, or commit to, beyond 40acts?

For the rest of the year? For the rest of your life?

What will you sacrifice to do Life generously?


Today's blog was written by the 40acts Team from Stewardship. 
Find out more about us here.

To see today's page in full - Click Here 

40 Acts - Day 23: ' LAST ROLO'

It's often said that the way to tell whether someone loves you is to see whether they'll give you their last Rolo. 

Whether it's our last Rolo or our favourite jumper, sometimes we get a bit clingy about the stuff we have. 

When the stuff we own starts to own us, it's time to re-evaluate the situation. 

And the best solution to hoarding?                                         Giving it away.

[Jesus] said to them, ‘… life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ 

(Luke 12:15 NIV)

I’ll always remember my first trip to India: there were people making idols out of wood and stone along the roadside; shocked I asked my colleague Sekhar, ‘Why can’t people see that these idols are just objects, not gods?’ I don’t recall his answer, but I do recall the corresponding question he asked when he came to the UK: ‘People here have so much stuff; why can’t they see that it’s not making them happy?’    

Ouch. I had nothing to say. His remark completely cut through my cultural blindness. I thought worshipping objects in India was crazy, but we were doing the same thing right here!

   

I’ve had the pleasure of encountering people in the UK who seem to live free from this blindness, and their generosity has felt like a cool glass of water in a desert. For example, when my wife and I were working in Zimbabwe and returned to the UK temporarily, we needed a car for a couple of weeks, but were short of cash. Someone we barely knew lent us her car (and travelled by public transport instead) with hardly a second thought. I couldn’t believe it.   

   

When Jesus encounters a man who loves his possessions (in Mark 10), he tells him, ‘One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor…’ He doesn’t say this to everyone he meets, but he’s very clear about the prescription for this young man.  My belief is that this was the specific remedy for the materialism that afflicted him.  At times I’ve really struggled with letting go of some of my stuff in the same way, but I know that the tension I feel in these situations is a firm reminder of how important it is for me to let go and offer someone that last Rolo. 

Today's blog was written by Rich Gower from Tearfund. 

Find out more about him and support their chosen charity here.

To see today's challenge in full - Click HERE

40 Acts - Day 18: ' Fair Enough '

Fairtrade Fortnight started yesterday. One way we can live generously every day is by making the small changes in our shopping habits which have a huge impact.

‘Who is my neighbour?’ (Luke 10:29)

Confession time: my great weakness is for chocolate. It’s not very Lenten, but I seriously love high-quality dark cocoa products. That’s why it was a shock to learn that in cocoa-growing regions fewer and fewer young people are growing cocoa, as the benefits are so poor (see http://goodbye.fairtrade.org.uk). There is a solution, however.

Two years ago I visited a cacao plantation in Ghana where A Rocha works to ensure the raw ingredients for chocolate are produced in a way that helps local communities have a good income and also protects the environment for the long term. Fair Trade really does make a difference! Buying only Fair Trade chocolate ensures a decent wage for small-scale local farmers, enabling them to thrive, their farms to be sustainable, and our sweet-toothed habit to actually do somebody some good.

It was chocolate and coffee that first got me into Fair Trade back in my student days, but as I’ve seen more of how our globalised world works, I’ve learned that the issues go beyond our taste for hot drinks. When one of my best friends got married he and his fiancée – despite being on low incomes – decided their wedding rings would be from Fair Trade gold. How could they pledge their love if the symbol at the heart of their marriage was mined with suffering and injustice?

Clothing, footballs, wine and bananas, as well as chocolate and coffee: buying Fair Trade is pretty easy for us in the UK. Yet it’s also a clear way of saying ’You are my neighbour’ to people we may never meet but who are created in God’s image and deserve to experience God’s love. Next time you’re tempted to buy the cheapest instead of paying a small premium for Fair Trade, just ask yourself, ‘Who is my neighbour?’

Today's blog was written by Dave Bookless from A Rocha International.
Find out more about them and support their chosen charity here.

For today's challenge in full -  Click Here

40 Acts - Day 17: ' PROPOSE '

Ladies! Today's the day to pop the question if you're so inclined! (KIDDING! But do let us know if there is a 40acts wedding – that would be a first!) Today is a leap year, so technically you have been given the gift of extra time. What do you propose to do with it? How might you use today for someone else's benefit?

‘But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’ (Matthew 6:3) 

and 

‘Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you’ 

(Matthew 5:42 NIV).

‘You Christians only do good because it makes you feel good,’ says every undergrad who’s just discovered Nietzsche. And they’re generally wrong. Most of the time, if you’re British, giving makes you feel faintly embarrassed and massively awkward.

Dear Lord, please don’t let them think that I think I’m better than them because I’m doing this. I should look him in the eye. Show that I truly see him. But not in a poverty tourism way. Aaaa!

I know. Cry me a river. But whether it’s giving to a person sleeping rough (with its practical, ethical and social complexity) or an organisation (with the attendant guilt for spending more on coffee than on charity), giving can easily feel horrific.

This may feel counter-intuitive (and, hey, on a leap day that’s OK), but I say let’s revel in the discomfort of giving. On this leap day, this strange gift of a day, why not take advantage of the discomfort and let it spur us to do something different from what we usually do – what we’re usually comfortable with, in terms of giving?

If you are a spontaneous, random act of kindness and personal touch giver, try something different today. Set up a boring direct debit to a charity that will never send you a sponsor letter. Better still, give to an institution so large there is no danger of them making you feel special. Support administration costs that make mission possible or the infrastructure that pulls nations from poverty. Think about Matthew 6:3 and separate your giving from what works best for you.

If you are an organised, researched, systematised giver, today’s a good day for you to break out too. Just give, without thinking. Without comforting control and predictability.

Decide today that if someone asks, you’ll give, Matthew 5:42 style.

Don’t argue. Just try it. It’s a special day.

Today's blog was written by Jonty Langley. 
Find out more about them and support their chosen charity here

To see today's challenge in full - Click HERE

40 Acts - Day 16: '' ADOPT '

Adoption is a central concept in the Christian faith. The Bible says we've been adopted into God's family and taken under his wing. With that in mind, how could you extend that generosity to others who may lack family, friends, role models or guidance?

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, 

but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

(1 Corinthians 13: 3–7 NIV)

‘How can a creepy show like The Moomins be on children’s TV?’

Growing up in the 1980s, that was one of two questions constantly on my mind.

The other question was ’Am I adopted?’

Ok, you may not have asked yourself about the Moomins, but wondering if you are adopted has to be one of those things that’s crossed everyone’s mind at some point in their life.

When I was 13 my dad passed away and it hit home that if anything were to happen to my mum, adoption could become a reality for me. It also made me realise that not only was I blessed with a strong family unit but I was part of a church where someone was always looking out for me.

At the time, I thought my church was full of weirdos and life’s rich tapestry was there in full colour but, like family, they were my weirdos and the reality is that none of us are ‘normal’ – not even you or me.

There was Edith with her speaking clock in a carrier bag that would go off at the same time every week, Harry who had no concept of personal space, and the ‘hanky man’ who danced and waved his handkerchief during worship times – the unique blend of humanity that’s in every church in one way or another (if you can’t think of anyone odd, then you’re probably that person!).

But each of them looked out for me and expressed the kind of genuine love that the Bible talks about in a way that changed my life. They all took time to ask how I was, encourage me or simply talk to me when it wasn’t comfortable for them to do so. That is what kept me in my faith. Not theology, not judgement, not the Sunday service, but being shown a love that is talked about in 1 Corinthians 13 – a love that adopts.

I have two nephews who are adopted and I appreciate that it’s a big commitment that not all of us are cut out for, but we can all play our part. Whether that’s taking a neighbour under our wing, helping someone who is homeless, visiting someone who is lonely, speaking to a young person at church or coaching a child struggling at school. Imagine the impact it would have on someone who has no support around them.

That is the kind of adopting we can all do.

Today's blog was written by Paul Chenery from TLG.
Find out more about them and support their chosen charity here.

To see today's challenge in full - Click HERE

40Acts 2016 - 6 ' Cupboard Love '

One key to a generous life is to be good stewards of what we have.

Today's the day to say I'm bored of the hoard, and put the stuff we have to even better use.
What do you have hidden away in cupboards that someone else could benefit from?
Who might need/want it?
Could you give it away or lend it out today?

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never even seen – don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (Matthew 6:30–33 The Message)

‘Your living room is where you share the story of who you are,’ wrote a certain well-known Swedish retailer. I wonder what your living space says about who you are.

Looking across our lounge I see: a bed-settee (we love having people to stay), candles (remembering our babies who died in miscarriage), rugs (reducing fuel consumption as we care for God’s world), mugs and strewn items of clothing (evidence of four young people in the house), a box of musical instruments (still there from our pre-school era!), and a returns package (our offspring are on first-name terms with Amit the delivery man).

This question could extend to your wardrobe: does it hold a select few items regularly worn, or is it clogged up with clothes tied to your aspirations for the future (different bodyshape/job)? I like William Morris’s words, ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’ It’s a great benchmark.

Jesus, in Matthew 6, says: ‘What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, not to be concerned with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving’ (The Message).

One key to a generous life is to be good stewards of what we have. Self-help books and TV shows sing the praises of decluttering. Giving things away benefits the people who receive, but it is also about freeing us up to respond to God’s giving. As you consider the three challenges for today, I wonder what the things you give away say about who you are.

I had a couple of items to give to a homeless lady back in the summer, and God prompted me to also give her the bracelet from my wrist. This had no financial value, but was special as a tangible reminder of God with me when I was suffering from anxiety.

Sometimes we are called to give of our best, inspired by God who has given the most precious gift of all.

Today's blog was written by Anne Bookless. 
Find out more about her and support her chosen charity here.

To see the whole of today's challenge - click HERE

40 Acts 2016 - Day 1

All of us have circles: friends, family, immediate and wider communities – the list goes on. Today's act will prepare you for a generous Lent of connecting with and serving these circles of people.

"He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 

(Luke 10:27-29)

from Michael O'Neill, Stewardship


As we start 40acts – whether this is your first time or your sixth – let’s begin by thinking about the people in our lives . . .and the people around our lives.

I suspect there will be many loved ones in our inner circles who will feel warmly affirmed and cared for throughout the next 40 days. Beneficiaries of coffee, cake, impromptu meals and visits, hand-written notes and even active listening! But what about the people around us? Those you come into fleeting moments of contact with each week?


Your neighbour? The shop assistant who offers to pack your bags and counts out your change? The cleaner you pass each night as you leave work? The bin men? The receptionist in the doctor’s surgery?

You know their face, and perhaps their name, but we rarely know their story.

The next forty days will be fun, rewarding, challenging and profoundly counter-cultural. Are you prepared to be counter-cultural?

Jesus was. And 2,000 years later, Redemption is just as counter-cultural as it was at the time of the crucifixion. It is still free. It is still available in abundance and it is still available to everyone in – and around – our lives.

So who are you connected to?

You already know the inner circle. They are your friends, family and colleagues. But just how deep are these relationships? And what about those in the wider circles around you? What might God have in store for them – through you – over the next forty days? And what might God have in store for you – through them?

Our vision at Stewardship is to see the world encounter Jesus through the generosity of His church. It’s what inspired us to create 40acts six years ago and what drives us to make this Lent the most generous yet.

CLICK HERE FOR WEB PAGE

Today's blog was written by Michael O'Neill from Stewardship.

40 Acts - Bear Hug

"She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment."  Matthew 9:21-22 (NIV)

Are you a handshaker, a cheek-kisser or a big squeezer?

After living in East Africa I realised the significance of a true embrace. Walking through a slum community I met a woman who changed my life forever. She had a smile that sparkled, which was remarkable seeing as she had no teeth! After I had been living on my own for six months and searching for God, she truly embraced me. Holding onto me she shared a gem of wisdom, ‘Hold us in your heart.’

Some of us may be terrified that a hug crosses all sorts of social boundaries. Let’s face it, during an embrace we are the same, equals, each of us a pretty messy but beautiful child of God. But what does it mean to hold onto someone?

The moments we discover Jesus has made physical contact are monumental; they are healing moments. Jesus has come to earth to touch lives not only spiritually but physically too. The woman full of bravery who touched Jesus’ cloak had been seriously unwell for 12 years. The scene is busy with everyone wanting a piece of the action; she reached out full of faith and desperate for contact. That moment changed her life for ever; Jesus recognised her bravery and faith and embraced her for who and where she was.

A hug can be a special thing. We are getting pretty good at saying ’I’m fine’ but an embrace can break down the barriers. The incredible word of God became flesh, and yes there were words, but there were serious actions too. God didn’t hold back, so why should we?

Polly Kersys-Hull

Click HERE for today's challenge page

40 Acts - Give it TIME

"And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." Mark 4:8 (ESV)

‘Time is money’ – Let's be honest, whoever made up this phrase was dead wrong. I understand the intention, and it probably made sense in the original context, but logically, in our world today, this phrase is nonsense.

In my home country, if the U.S. government runs out of money, we simply print more. We can somehow find ways to make more money. Time? Not so much. We cannot earn or make more time.

The point is that time and money, while both valuable, are inherently different resources, and so must be measured on completely different scales. This is especially true when it comes to giving in these currencies.

Generally, we as Christians understand the concept of giving our money but the giving of our time, on the other hand, is often misunderstood, or at the very least, underutilised. Most of us, including myself, do not realise that the giving of our time is central to what it means to be a disciple.

Follow me here. During this season of Lent, many folks traditionally give something up in order to pursue the Lord in a more intimate way. For every activity we don’t do, we essentially free more of our time, effectively creating more time for God in our lives. On a larger scale, this is what it means to be a Christian. We give up our lives (our greatest sum of time) in order to begin a relationship with him and to serve those around us.

The Bible tells us that ‘where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’. I used to think this verse was solely about money. Now I realise that perhaps we have a greater treasure, a more hefty currency than money. If we want our hearts to truly belong to God during this season of Lent, then we must start by giving Him our most precious commodity, our time.

Time is the ultimate equaliser. No one has more of it, and no one has less. The only way to be truly rich with a currency like time is to invest it in God and in others. When we do this, we receive back more than a simple interest rate; we receive 30, 60, even 100 times what was sown.

Jon Jorgenson

To see today's webpage - Click HERE

40 Acts - SENDING A BIGGER MESSAGE

"A person finds joy in giving an apt reply – and how good is a timely word!" Proverbs 15:23 (NIV)

I've written many passive-aggressive messages in my time, from scrawled notes to housemates pointing out how lovely it would be if we washed up occasionally to polite emails alluding to veiled displeasure at someone’s actions.

And I’ve received a fair number too. I can still conjure up the disproportionate rage evoked by seemingly insignificant Post-it notes or their technological equivalents, and cringe at time spent dreaming up witty come-backs to words which ruined my day.

Far better to dwell instead on messages which leave positivity in their wake.

I smile at the memory of my first job, single-handedly cooking for 40 students for weeks on end, and am so grateful to the person who arrived early to leave me encouraging little notes in the kitchen. I chuckle at the unexpected joy of finding funny pictures randomly stuck inside cupboards by a housemate.

I find pleasure in the pretty postcard received for no reason other than someone thought I’d like it, and in those ‘saw this and thought of you’ text messages. I appreciate photos of my new niece WhatsApped to me when her tired parents have every excuse not to be in touch, and remain thankful for that croissant on my desk in the run-up to Christmas from a colleague who knew me well enough to know that it would help.

How good, as the proverb goes, is a timely word!

Little communications, unnoticed by the majority, with surprising power to show their recipient that they are known, loved, and worth the effort. Timely Post-its, texts, cards and emails which – by choosing love, joy, kindness and the rest over criticism and passive-aggression – reflect in some small way the Word coming among us at just the right time and send a bigger message that another way is within our grasp.

Emily Bowerman

To see today's page - click HERE

40 Acts - SELFLESS COMMITMENT

“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” Deuteronomy 15:10

While on patrol with a small four-man team from my SAS squadron, out in the deserts of North Africa, we were waiting for a delayed helicopter pickup. A delay like that, when you’re nearly out of water and in the roasting heat of the desert, can be life-threatening. We were all severely dehydrated and getting weaker fast.

Every hour we would sip another small capful from the one remaining water bottle we each carried, carefully and methodically rationing the little we had left. To make matters worse, I was sick.

The call came in; our extraction would come at dawn, some 20 miles away. We loaded up and began our slow and tortuous shuffle across the mountains, weighed down by kit and fatigue. I was soon struggling, with each footstep a monumental effort of will.

My sergeant, Chris Carter, could see this. He stopped the patrol, came to me, and insisted I drink the last remaining capful from his own bottle. No fuss, no show, he just made me drink it.

It was his kindness, that extreme of practical generosity that gave me the strength to keep going when I had nothing left inside me. No ego. No bravado or show.

Simple goodness.

The kind of goodness that Jesus talked about when he told us to love each other like ourselves; putting others needs above our own.

Mother Teresa said: ‘Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.’ Carry that with you today and don’t underestimate the power you have to change lives, to show others a little glimpse of Jesus, as you give in practical and powerful ways.

Bear Grylls

click HERE to see today's page

Acts 40 - MIX IT UP

 

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9 (NIV)

Newham, the East London borough where I live, is possibly the most diverse borough in the country – more than 160 languages are spoken by the children in our many schools and our list of 600+ worship buildings and groups includes everything from Anglo-Catholicism to Zoroastrianism.

There is, thank God, very little inter-faith strife and lots of inter-faith conversation in Newham and I believe it’s such a blessing to us. Here, you don’t need to be shy about your faith – you are positively expected to have a faith and to practise it; most faith groups do not proselytise but are very glad to welcome visitors and proud to talk about their traditions, especially when they’re having a festival.

We are often surprised by the things we have in common – we all want a safe, clean and happy environment for our children and elders; decent, affordable homes and satisfying jobs; respect and freedom, peace and health, physical as well as spiritual – and it’s fascinating to share our hopes and ways of achieving those aims.

We Christians have been amazed to learn that you can go into a Sikh Gudwara at any time and there will be food and drink to welcome you; the tranquillity of our Quaker meeting house is a lesson for those of us who think that faith has got to be about words; and many of our public buildings now have a prayer room, thanks to our Muslim neighbours who pray five times a day, every day. We have had to consider carefully what the Christian church has to offer and are learning to be more open about our Bible and our history.

The Revelation to John is very clear that the New Heaven and the New Earth are like a city, full of people – ’an enormous crowd that no one could count’ – and I believe that life in Britain these days can be a foretaste of that Heaven.

Canon Ann Easter

To see today's Page - Click HERE

40 Acts - TICK TOCK

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10 (NIV)

I was ‘that girl’ in a restaurant recently. There I sat, alone, trying desperately not to look alone, at a table for 15. For half an hour. As people kept asking if they could borrow seats.

In a moment of insanity I had forgotten that my friends are always, always late – and I should have added a good 30 minutes onto our scheduled arrival time. True to form, the other 14 arrived en masse half an hour later, and we began our lovely evening.

Don’t think that I am a saint – more often than not I’m on the other side of the time-keeping spectrum. I’m the one who wanders into work 30 seconds past my start time (on a good day), who texts ahead to say that my journey has been ‘disrupted’ by an unnameable disaster, and who can never, ever be on time for church – no matter when it starts.

In those rare moments when I am on time and others are not, I’m reminded how little we value punctuality in our culture, and how much technology is a crutch for our lack of care.

I know I should be on time. I want to be on time. But why is it so important that we are, as Christians?

1. Jesus said we should prefer others to ourselves. Leaving someone hanging around and waiting for you so that you can check Facebook just one last time reveals that you care more about yourself than the other person. Being on time is a simple way to put others first.

2. It reveals your integrity. If we agree to arrive somewhere at midday and turn up half an hour later, we have not been true to our word. Integrity means doing what we say we will do, and excuses don’t help!

Phoebe Thompson

To see today's page - click HERE

Where are we on the time-keeping spectrum? Maybe it’s high time we were on time.

40 Acts - Don't let possessions possess you: HOLD IT LIGHTLY

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20-21 (NIV)

A few years ago, a friend of mine was getting new living room furniture. Honestly, his old furniture was in pretty good shape. I figured he could sell it for around $500. Then he did something I couldn’t wrap my mind around at the time. He gave it away!

You see, back then I held my hands tightly around my treasure ... you know, my money and my stuff. But that day God started a work in my heart by prying open my fist one finger at a time.

Fast forward a few years. My ten-year-old son Sutton and I were having dinner at our favourite restaurant when we overheard a man tell his server that he wasn’t having a good day. We both felt God calling us to buy his dinner to help lift his spirits.

Sutton tells the story in his own words:

After my dad paid for the man’s dinner and we left, it felt so great to bless someone like that! It turned out that the man was really sad because his wife had died from cancer. Our waitress told us that he comes in a lot and usually HE’S the one who buys dinner for other people! Wow!!

We wished we’d left a note or something, because blessings like that are a great way to tell people about Jesus. Then, we came up with a Generosity Now card that people could leave when they do an act of generosity. We call it ’carding’ someone.

If I had to choose my favourite, it would be the time we left a really big tip for our waitress and then watched through the window, while we got soaked in the rain! She saw the money and looked surprised and then read the Generosity Now card. We saw her face light up in a big smile and watched her run back into the kitchen to tell everyone about it. It was awesome!

We’ve learned that a tight fist keeps your treasure securely locked inside, but it also leaves no room for God’s abundance to squeeze through your fingers. We’ve realised that the ‘stuff’ we held dear as our treasure breaks or wears out, but the impact of smiles and tears of joy is infinitely more valuable.

Christ and Sutton Coffman

To see todays challenge and visit the page  - Click HERE

40 Acts - THANK YOU

"Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:19b-20 (NIV)

Who would have thought that two little words could have so much influence for change, hope and transformation! ‘Thank you’ are two of the most powerful words I know because I see them unlock hope and positivity even in the most tricky situations, two things our world very desperately needs.

For two years I tweeted everyday #thankyoutoday for something that day. I started doing it because life had become a bit tough and I was finding it harder to keep a generous spirit. I expected it to help me connect with God and be thankful even on difficult or mundane days. What I found was a habit of thankfulness that led to thinking of others more, being generous with my words and encouragement of others' creativity to see glimpses of hope every day.

We live in a world where it is all too easy to be overwhelmed by difficulties, our personal challenges or the news of a world that is broken and crying out for help. Thankfulness instils in us a gratitude for what we do have. The more we practise an attitude of gratitude, the more I think God inspires us to be generous and live for hope, choosing to defy the odds and believe that a better tomorrow is possible.

Today is not just another day; today is an opportunity to invest in thankfulness and be seekers of hope and positivity. With this in mind, let’s join together and…

Write an update on your social media saying #thankyoutoday for something. If you’re not on social media, why not write it on a post-it and stick it to your bathroom mirror?

If you want more of a challenge, why not also write to someone in authority in your local area and thank them for their hard work? You could write to your MP, local councillors, church leader. Even if you don’t like everything they do, let’s be generous with our thankfulness.

Dot Tyler

To look at today's page - Click HERE

40 Acts - FAIR TRADE

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NIV)

It’s easy to think that Fairtrade is just a nice way to shop – a way to tick boxes and feel good. But for Christians it is about acting justly because for many farmers and artisans fair trade represents their only viable route out of poverty.

Having grown up in Kenya and visited India extensively, I’m no stranger to poverty. In fact, I’ve seen the effect it has on people all my life. It was after visiting the slums of Bombay in 1988 that I knew I had to do something to help and so I co-founded the Christmas Cracker project, which raised a lot of money for people with real needs.

From that time on, I’ve always been interested and active in the fight against poverty, and that continues today. I’m proud to be Chair of the Board at Traidcraft and it really has been an eye-opening experience.

Crucial to this is the fact that Fairtrade empowers people. It gives them access to a better wage so that all their hard work can finally start to pay off. On top of that, farmers receive a Fairtrade premium which they invest into community projects like building schools, accessing clean water and improving food security.

I’ve seen the difference that fair trade can make to families and communities in the developing world – it truly has the power to transform lives.

That’s why I urge you to choose Fairtrade today and fight poverty when you buy your clothes, your food or even your cleaning products and rubber gloves.

Ram Gidomal

To see today's Challenge and page - click HERE

40 Acts: Day Four Devise a SURPRISE

"Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 (NIV)

A friend’s spontaneous laughter or tears of joy can be so infectious and cathartic (isn’t it intriguing how fine the line between the two is?), the only surprise is that we don’t do more to provoke them.

When was the last time you found yourself so overwhelmed by a shared moment that neither of you could hold yourself back? Was it a joke perhaps? – I often find the more absurd the gag, the funnier and more cathartic it becomes (for me that’s the appeal of Monty Python). Or shared relief (as when the RAC man finally arrives after the car breaks down)? Or the realisation you have more in common than you dreamed possible? Such moments can brighten a day; but they might actually revolutionise a life.

You see, deliberately trying to surprise someone can actually be an act of great generosity. I’m not talking about sneaking up to make them jump out of their skin. I mean an act of grace. Grace is always unexpected, unearned, undeserved, unconditional, unquestioning, uninhibited. In short, it is always a surprise.

Which is why the Christian gospel is the world’s most monumental surprise. After all, who could possibly have predicted that God’s global salvage-plan would be achieved by a first-century northern carpenter wandering around Judaea in poverty, only to get executed as a Roman criminal? God is seriously in the surprise business. And no one gets close to him on that front. But for those who get it, God’s surprise results in shouts, laughter and tears of spontaneous joy. Any other grace-surprises are but a pale reflection.

So you want to become like God this Lent? Why not start by doing or saying something unexpected, unearned, undeserved, unconditional, unquestioning, uninhibited, for someone else?

Today. And every day.

Mark Meynell

Click here to see today's (and past days) challenges