Five years after my husband and I got married, we were pastoring a small but growing church in London. We were serving the Lord with all of our hearts and had given our lives to the ministry. We had one child: a bright, healthy little girl with a magnetic personality and a beautiful smile. Naomi means ‘our delight’ and that’s exactly what she was. So when she was tragically torn from us, our lives were shattered. One day she was…
Do you need a new lease of life for the year ahead? I’m sure you want to start strong, but if you’re feeling weary, it can be hard to find the “get up and go”. It’s easy to think it’s normal to be tired. When you have challenges coming from every direction, it can wear you down. However, God does not want you to be tired. Doing the will of God should not drain us. Jesus said, “My burden is…
Jesus came to give us life. Not just an average kind of existence, but a rich and satisfying life. That means we’re supposed to thrive, not just survive. The truth is that many of us are going from day to day without much sense of direction or fulfilment. Although we have good days, they aren’t necessarily great. And although we have ups, there are too many downs. Or perhaps you are happy but deep down feel like something is missing….
God has phenomenal plans for you life. However, He doesn’t distribute manuals detailing the plans He has for each one of us. Instead, He plants His plans and purposes in our hearts in seed form. These seeds are in the form of dreams and desires. When God given dreams are alive on the inside, they motivate us to pursue our purpose. So dreams are an important part of us fulfilling our God-given destiny. To get the best of 2019, make…
Christmas can be a season of stress and strain for many. God’s plan was that family would be a safe refuge where we are nurtured and loved. However for many, family is a place of pain or pressure. If that’s you, this blog will help. Alternatively, maybe this time of year is a hurtful reminder of how much you miss the one who has gone. As the days draw near, you’re trying not to think about Christmas too much. When…
Recently, I felt hurt by some one close. She chose not to help me when I needed her most. I tried to let it go, but my mind kept rehearsing the situation. That is, until I stopped myself with this: “Stop focusing on the bad and be grateful for the good.” In minutes, the cloud lifted. Christmas is the perfect time for us to practice generosity. I’m not just talking about giving gifts although that’s a wonderful way to show…
The hardest thing I ever did was give birth to my son. A baby’s head usually lengthens to help them pass through the birth canal. Not my boy’s. He was a gentle giant with a whopping head! It seems funny now, but when I was in labour, I worried that I would never get him out. In the midst of pain and pressure, I cried out: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” And Benjamin was born….
The law of gravity says that what goes up must come down. The law of the human heart says that what’s inside must come out: “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) However hard we try to conceal frustration, ignore insecurity, hide hatred or cover up competition, it comes out one way or another. Young’s Literal Translation shines more light on this verse:“Above every charge, keep thy heart, for…
It’s easy to think that the way we are is just ‘the way we are’. Some people gush and others hold back. The Bible is clear than we need to show emotional self control. However, if our habits are bad for our health then we should probably take a closer look to see if there is a cause or even a cure. Tamar was King David’s daughter. She was a tender young woman with a bright future. All too often,…
There is one heart issue that is a deal breaker for God. This matter of the heart has the capacity to keep you out of your ‘promised land’. Your promised land is dream deep inside that you long to see unfold. It is your highest potential and your greatest purpose. Psalm 95:7b-11 reads: “Do not harden your hearts… as in the day of trial in the wilderness… I was grieved with that generation… It is a people who go astray…
PR Director turned Pastor, Jo Naughton is an international speaker and author. Sharing with great personal honesty, she is used by God to bring truth and healing into many lives. Together with her husband Paul, Jo pastors Harvest Church in London. They have two children, Benjamin and Abigail.
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