Discipling someone for life is like embarking on a series of epic journeys. Over the years, we’ve had many family adventures in Norway and Latvia, but one of the greatest journeys God has taken me on is in praying for my children.

In a world full of connection, we often feel more disconnected than ever. Yet it’s slightly lazy to place all the blame at the feet of smartphones and other devices. It seems that humans throughout the ages haven’t always listened to each other well.

One of the great privileges of my Christian journey is to spend the first part of each day alone with my Saviour, to open my Bible, read a few verses and invite him to meet with me there. I also love encouraging others to do the same and have shown many people how to get started and make this a regular habit.

In a world full of connection, we often feel more disconnected than ever. Yet it’s slightly lazy to place all the blame at the feet of smartphones and other devices. It seems that humans throughout the ages haven’t always listened to each other well.

In British culture, it can feel obtrusive, even rude, to expect or ask that of people, but perhaps in order to come alongside people well at the start of their journey, we need to be humble enough to allow others to feel comfortable and to enter their lives.

What is the story by which you are living your life? It might sound a weird question, but our lives are shaped at the core by some purpose or aim, whether you are a follower of Jesus or not.

‘I want to go deeper in my relationship with God. A few harder things have happened in my life in the last two years and it’s causing me to ask big questions about the place of faith in my life.’
The person who said this to me last week is a faithful churchgoer, who tries to read their Bible and pray. On the outside things are absolutely fine, but on the inside there is a gap: if Jesus is who he says he is then there has to be more.
How would you respond if someone said this to you?

In one year, Naomi raised £100K for four great charities, but, more importantly, she taught the joy of giving to those who would one day likely be very wealthy. Naomi began seeing how her mission was tied to the position God had placed her in.

Getting alongside people in complicated or chaotic situations can be really challenging. Maybe, like me, those circumstances make you want to run in the opposite direction, or you find yourself frustrated or feeling hopeless. Some of Jesus’ most memorable interactions in the Bible were with ‘messy people’.

Our friends see us as we are. Familiarity over the years has allowed us to share lives in a relaxed atmosphere where we have been able to laugh, argue and, at times, cry together. Dreams have been disclosed, plans hatched and secrets revealed, as we make ourselves vulnerable and available.