What were your top 10 reads from 2019?
What were your most popular reads for the past year? Discover the top 10 articles that you may have missed or might want to read again. Which is your favourite?
We publish a number of articles each week, providing you with news, teaching, testimonies and more. Which ones did you enjoy the most? Which ones didn't make this list? What would you like to read in 2020?
10. We can forget what life’s about as we spin plates
It is better to learn to be ‘still’ than to try to work everything out, writes Leanne Mallett.
Recently, I was in need of a new watch so I purchased an Apple watch. Throughout the day it told me when to stand up, counted my steps, tracked my heartbeat and celebrated with me when I reached my goals. Amazing!
However, I realised it didn’t tell me ‘everything’ I needed to do for my wellbeing! I felt Apple just missed out on something that is also vital for us in our busy lifestyles, and that is to ‘be still’.
Continue reading
9. God gave me new life after death
Mum-of-three Julia Lawton thought her life was over when her husband died suddenly. But she discovered that God had other plans.
As I sat with my head buried in Nigel’s sweatshirt I thought my life was over. I had a phone call from the hospital at 4am to go in and by 8am he had lost his life. Two days earlier the doctors had given him 12-18 months to get a heart transplant.
There was a bottle of sleeping tablets on the fireplace. It would be so easy to swallow them and be with him, away from all the pain I was feeling.
Continue reading
8. A heart-warming and beautiful welcome
Libby Holt left a piece of her heart in Kenya after a mission trip. She encourages others to do the same.
I never thought that I would be going on a mission trip, let alone to Kenya! I am allergic to most insects, and to be honest I don’t really like going without my comforts.
However, on September 3 I embarked on my journey to Bumala ’B, a rural village in Kenya.
After a lot of flying and a very bumpy two-hour car journey, we arrived at King’s Children’s Home to the most heartwarming and beautiful welcome from all the children, filled with so much joy that another team had arrived.
Continue reading
7. Your past doesn’t define you - God’s truth does
Leanne Mallet speaks to Katie Wright, the newest member of the Aspire team.
Katie, can you give us a bit of background about how you became involved with women’s ministry?
I’ve been a Christian for 16 years, and I remember going to my first women’s conference called Colour, that was maybe about ten years ago. I remember coming away feeling so impacted by what I had heard and experienced, that I thought I’d love to get involved in something similar back home. Over the last couple of years, God started to open some doors for me in the area of women’s ministry and I now lead the ladies’ team in Plymouth. My heart is to show the love of Jesus, whether that’s with many women or just the one.
Continue reading
6. What can you do to help revival in the UK?
Across the world the Church is booming. But what about here in the UK? Gary Gibbs has some tips
Right now, we are in the midst of massive global revival. There has never been a time when so many people are turning to Jesus Christ and putting their trust in him. For example, around 50 per cent of Africans now identify as Jesus followers.
Even in difficult regions such as Asia, the Church has doubled in size over the past 50 years. Last year, when I had the privilege of training leaders in Bihar, NE India, I discovered that our partner movement GEMS (Gospel Echoing Missionary Society) are experiencing considerable growth through church planting even in the midst of terrible persecution. In particular, the Lord is manifesting his reality to lost Hindus through signs, wonders and miracles. Wonderful!
Continue reading
5. Heaven got there before our celebrity culture!
You inherited a Jesus status and there’s an entourage with it, writes Beki Nicholls “He shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.”
Wrapped up in Isaiah 9:6, heaven reveals that you are gifted with an entourage! An entourage is designed to protect and perfect your life, an idea heaven had before it was ever associated with celebrities.
Here are just four of the roles Jesus plays in our entourage:
Continue reading
4. Why we all must find time to be still
Creating space for God is essential for every woman says Beryl Glass
There is so much rushing around in our lives, vital to-do lists and no end of interesting things to distract us. It’s not surprising that we feel overwhelmed and would just like a place to ‘be still’.
We’d like to experience God’s presence, and think about our priorities and bring them into alignment with God’s plans and purposes for us.
Continue reading
3. Why you should always answer in the Spirit
When answering argumentative people, always answer in the Spirit; never answer in the same tone and at the emotional level as they are speaking.
Many people have been told negative stories about the Bible that ‘sound’ logical to them – so logical that some Christians don’t have an answer! Muslims are taught ‘logical’ information about the Bible – for example, that Jesus was a prophet and cannot be the Son of God because God can’t have sex. All logical, in the flesh... until you answer from the Spirit.
Remember, the enemy is a one-trick pony. His strategy is to deceive you. I know it’s popular to say ‘the devil is a liar’, but this is important for you to understand: the enemy doesn’t start with a lie, he starts with ‘deceptive questioning’.
Continue reading
2. Taking one small step for Jesus
Is it your time to ‘have a go’, writes Nick Whittome.
Over sixty years ago, in October 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched the world’s first satellite ‘Sputnik 1’ into orbit. They followed this remarkable achievement with an even more spectacular feat in April 1961, when Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin completed the world’s first successful manned space flight.
The director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre in America, Wernher von Braun, wrote to President John F Kennedy that same month stating that he thought the Americans had an excellent chance of beating the Soviets to the moon. The space race was well and truly underway.
Despite his optimism, however, von Braun made it very clear in his letter to Kennedy that there was no rocket capable of taking people to the moon at that time. Nevertheless, only a month later President Kennedy announced a very dramatic and ambitious goal to a special session of Congress: that America would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. What is so remarkable is that Kennedy made the commitment before any means to achieve the task had been invented.
Continue reading
1. Two things churches must do to see success on a plate!
Prayer and evangelism are like burger and fries, writes Mark Greenwood.
Have you ever had one of those moments in your life when you can’t believe you’ve missed the obvious?
A number of years ago I was looking at all the resources that I had available to churches to help them with their evangelism when suddenly I became aware of my lack of equipping about prayer in evangelism.
In one sense I was annoyed and surprised that I had missed this and yet on reflection, it wasn’t just true of my ‘professional’ ministry life; if I am really honest there’s a bit of a lack of it in my personal life. That’s not because I don’t love God or don’t feel the need for his power, it’s more the case that I am someone whose default setting is to ‘do’.
Continue reading
Which articles did you enjoy the most? Which ones did you like but didn't make this list? What would you like to read in 2020?
Enjoy this article? Don't forget to share