Living Today

Interesting articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you as you follow Jesus here in Samoa

The Word for Today encourages Teachers and Students

The Word for Today encourages Teachers and Students

We got this encouraging testimony from Lilian who is a teacher in Vanuatu to our UCB Vanuatu team... Thank you for all that you are doing. It's touching lives. I am a teacher and I find it very helpful in helping my students know about the love of God. All the...

Seasons

Seasons

We all experience different seasons in our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2     a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3     a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4     a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from...

read more
Relationships

Relationships

Psalm 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for the brethren to dwell together in unity.  Relationships are such a part of our lives that at times we forget how important and necessary they are.  Every part of our day is revolved around different forms of relationships. Imagine a life with no relationships?  We would be like a person stranded on a deserted island.  Yes, at first it might be alright, (especially for introverts), but after a while without any other human contact, we...

read more
The Cross at Easter

The Cross at Easter

The cross is an important symbol during Easter, reminding us of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made. Despite all of our struggles and pain, the cross reminds us we are not alone in this world. We can find strength and comfort knowing that Jesus has already saved us from our sins. It’s this hope for redemption through Christ’s death on the cross that makes Easter such an integral part of Christian tradition. Stu Millar from Train to Proclaim recently shared on Vision Chrisitan Media his...

read more
Who Am I? Part 2

Who Am I? Part 2

As we continue to remind ourselves of who we are IN CHRIST... the following LIFE GIVING verses speak of all that we have and need is in Christ alone... Complete in Him Colossians 2:10 Crucified with Christ Galatians 2:20 Alive with Christ Ephesians 2:5 Free from condemnation Romans 8:1 Reconciled to God 2 Corinthians 5:18 Qualified to share in His inheritance Colossians 1:12 Firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude Colossians 2:7 A fellow citizen with the...

read more
Who Am I? Part 2

Who am I? Part 1

Ever struggled with “who you are?” You know… that voice that says you are defeated, or have nothing, or not beautiful etc. Have a read of these LIFE GIVING VERSES then remind yourself that IN CHRIST… you have everything you need.   I AM - God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God 1 Peter 1:23 Forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood Ephesians 1:7 / Hebrews 9:14 / Colossians 1:14 / 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 2:12 A new creature 2 Corinthians 5:17 The...

read more
Living out Faith in a Hostile World

Living out Faith in a Hostile World

You don’t have to look any further than the most recent headlines to see that we live in uncertain times. Many people think the world has never been more hostile to Christians than it is now, especially since the cancel culture continues to target people who aren’t seen as politically correct. Being a Christian in a deeply secularised society is a growing challenge. Everyone’s truth seems to be accepted unless you’re a Christian. So how do we live out our faith in such a hostile world? With...

read more
Blessed to be a Blessing

Blessed to be a Blessing

Numbers 6:24-26 says Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. If we could shrink the Earth’s population into a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be: 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the western hemisphere, both north and south, 8 Africans 52 females; 48 males 80 living in...

read more
Compassion and Action

Compassion and Action

The crewmembers on board Logos Hope all left their homes at one point to come on board the ship to live and work together with others from around the world. They exchanged their familiar environments for a very unique accommodation – a ship – which sooner or later they also call their home for a specific amount of time. They all do know though, that there are many people in the world, who are longing for a place to stay in which they can experience peace and safety. The refugees who leave...

read more
Dad’s Toolkit

Dad’s Toolkit

It’s a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the value of family, and in particular the role of dads. What are your strengths as a parent? Are there some areas you could grow in? How do you begin your journey of becoming the parent God has called you to be? Brett and Kate Ryan from Focus on the Family, have created a ‘Dad’s Toolkit’ that’s full of ideas on how dad’s can improve themselves. It contains things like conversation starters with your kids, and questions we can ask our dads. Healthy...

read more
Truth, Lies and Financial Freedom

Truth, Lies and Financial Freedom

Many Christians divide their lives into categories. Some things they want Jesus to be a part of, but not others. Because we compartmentalise our Christian lives, according to Pastor Jeff Vines, we instantly assume that everything we don’t devote to God is neutral. God will still love us, but any area that we withhold from Him and think we can handle on our own is a false assumption. C.S. Lewis said, ‘There is no neutral ground in the universe.’ Every square inch, every split second is claimed...

read more

the word for today

Are you raising children alone?

‘Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.’ Psalm 30:5 NLT

One marriage expert says a single mother sent him a story that helped explain the loneliness and stress often faced by those raising children alone. She said she was looking out of her window one drizzly day and saw a mother robin and her little ones perched in a nest. As the rain poured down, the mother bird covered her chirping chicks beneath her extended wings. Then the hail began to fall. Instead of tucking her head safely in the nest, the mother robin raised her head upward and took the blows to protect her young. All of the chicks made it safely through the storm. What a graphic illustration of the challenges of single parenting! The responsibility of raising kids alone is unrelenting, requiring a mum or dad to earn a living, cook, clean, supervise homework, take care of sick kids, and so on. Beyond these day-by-day duties, they must figure out how to meet their own personal and spiritual needs. Taken in context, this may be one of the toughest assignments on earth. Single parents, whether mothers or fathers, need our continued support and prayers. To those who are taking the blows on behalf of their children, be assured that better days are coming. The storm you’re in won’t last forever. A beautiful rainbow will soon appear. When the job has been completed, and a brood of healthy little birds has been raised, there will be sweet benefits for the parents who don’t fly away. God’s Word promises: ‘Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

SoulFood: 2 Kings 18:17 – 20:21, Matt 25:1-23, Ps 115, Pro 8:1-3

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©