Surge COURAGEOUS January 2022

Bible Reading: Genesis 26: 1-22 I’m always intrigued when I watch long distance races, especially at the Olympics or some other high profile competition. You would see this athlete, who seemed to be straining out his last bit of energy to cross the finishing line after running a 10 000 metres marathon- he would suddenly get a new strength when he breasts the tape and realises that he’s now a world champion. I don’t know what it is, but it’s…

Bible Reading: John 10:1-10; 1 John 5:11-12 In my first few days at the University, I found a few things fascinating. One of them was a then 200 Level political orator on campus. I remember how I would listen to him speak to groups of freshers so audaciously about the school we are now in, that I sometimes wondered whether he was one of the founding fathers of the University.  I remember hearing him warn guys against stealing, because when…

Bible Reading: Exodus 18:13-23; Mark 6:30-44 It’s quite an interesting thought for me comparing the vibe of students when they finish writing an exam with the vibe when the results come out. You see students celebrating and rejoicing after an exam, telling you how the questions ‘played into their hands’ and all that; but when the results are released, the same students are quiet and hiding. In short, academic performance is not by whether we think what we’ve done is…

Bible Reading: Genesis 26:1-29 Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted something very badly- or so you thought- only that you didn’t know the full story? For example, you thought that you really wanted children, but after having them for a year and plenty sleepless nights, you’re wondering whether you were really ready for this; or you really thought that you wanted to live in a particular place, but after moving in and getting a bit of…

Bible Reading: John 4:1-42 If you grew up with a typical African parent, there’s this conversation that would likely have happened at some point between you, when you wanted to go visiting at your friends. You would ask your mum for permission to go, and then she would stop you from going by saying something about how the friend has never come to your house. In truth though, maybe you are the one that didn’t even want the friend to…

Bible Reading: Acts 4:1-31 Can you relate to that class moment when a question is asked, and then you felt you knew the answer, but you didn’t want to have to speak. Or maybe you were simply second guessing yourself. Then someone else speaks up and says the answer that you had in mind and is now receiving all the commendation from the teacher, while the rest of you in class are being strongly condemned and insulted.  Or again, sometimes,…

Bible Reading: Exodus 3:1-22 There’s a way that a person’s level of involvement in anything can indicate how much of an insider they truly are. Whether it’s at a workplace, in a neighbourhood, or in a family. The question is what things pass over the person’s head? What things would the person be in the loop of and involved in? When you see a lady who is dating a guy and you want to know whether she’s really been accepted…

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:20-27, John 17: 20-26  What do you imagine to be that one time that you want your mobile network to not have any issues connecting? When your labour pain starts and you need to call your husband to tell him so he can get you to the hospital? Or when your car breaks down somewhere on a journey and you need to call your mechanic to come get you? Or when you’re on the hot seat…

Bible Reading: John 16:16-33; Luke 11:9-11 I had a few of those ‘ask me for anything’ aunties and uncles while growing up. I guess you did too. I remember a particular day when this good-hearted uncle, who at the time was an undergraduate student, decided to demonstrate his overflowing loving kindness and the riches of his grace to my siblings and I. We were a wild bunch of four boys, all in primary school at the time, If I remember well.…

Bible Reading: Hebrews 4:1-16, Psalm 27:1-2 I remember having this agitated colleague when I was at Law School. There had been all the intensity about preparations and the build up to our final exams. There was alot of tension and fear flying around. Now he was agitated and was angrily ranting because he had done something wrong. His offence? He slept off! After days of hardly sleeping, you dozed off for an hour and it’s this bad a crime?! Have…

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Let’s do a quick check on the kind of person that you are: If you walked into the kitchen to cook a meal, are you the kind of person that will really just face your business? Does the cleanliness of the environment really matter? Isn’t it really just about getting the food ready as fast as you can and not really about how many things you literally walked over or dumped in the sink while…

Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:19-39 Have you ever, like me, lost interest where you thought you wouldn’t?  Maybe with something as simple as a movie that you were watching or a book that you were reading- it really got your attention at the earlier parts, but the more it progressed, the more it just lost you.  Or perhaps with something more life-defining like a relationship or a job. You started it with so much ginger, but it just aged away. The…