surgeEASTER- April 2020

Bible reading: Matthew 28: 1-10 It is really troubled times for our world, but because of Jesus, we have every reason to celebrate! What comfort; what joy; what life;  what assurance;  what forgiveness; what salvation; what hope;  what victory;  what newness…! Jesus is Alive! Forever! I pray you’ll have a great and refreshing experience meditating on and celebrating His Resurrection today. And more than that, I pray you’ll live in the power and grace of His eternal sacrifice. Once again,…

Bible Reading: Romans 6:1-14 As we begin to round off on our meditations around the gospel in this season, I want to challenge you around your response towards what God has done for us in the gospel. I believe that every story has implications. Can you imagine a single guy who has had his eyes on a girl for a while, and then he decides he wants to propose to her. He decides he doesn’t want to do it in…

Bible reading: Matthew 27:32-66 It’s finally the Easter Weekend! Generations for many years have celebrated this day as ‘Good Friday’. Have you ever considered though, that for Jesus, it was a very, very bad Friday? On the back of betrayals and denials of his friends, antagonism of the people He gave up everything for, he was led up a lonely walk to be crucified. It was a day of intense pain- pain like had never been known before. Whip after…

Bible Reading: Luke 15:11-29 Tim Keller’s classic, The Prodigal God reveals a huge side to the story of the Lost Son that we so often overlook. We think a lot about the story demonstrating the younger son as the ‘prodigal son’, but Tim shows how the story reveals God as what He calls a ‘prodigal God’. To be prodigal doesn’t actually mean to be wayward. It means ‘to be recklessly extravagant; to have spent everything’ In other words, to spend…

Bible Reading: 1 Kings 3:20-27; Galatians 1:6-9 What would life be like if we could get upgrades on everything? Like you’ve used a phone for a while, then the manufacturer releases an upgraded version and simply has you turn in the old and take up the new. That would be cool! I could do with a newer model of my car, of my computer and all that. Maybe you’re thinking, yes- and of my wife too. Well, that’s between you…

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-24 When you tell three people the same thing and they have different reactions, it’s not so much based on whether or not they believe what they’ve been told. I think it has a big deal to do with the story upon which the statement stands- what the statement lands on. Imagine you get to announce to three people that each of them just won an NGN 20 000 bonus: One of them is super excitedly freaked…

Bible Reading Romans 1:1-17 Over the next few days, as we build up into the Easter weekend, we’ll be studying together on the very foundation of our Christian faith: The Gospel. Whenever I eat a meal that I haven’t eaten before- especially one that I really like- I’m usually eating as a very keen observer. I don’t just want to enjoy the meal, I want to figure out the meal. I want to know the ingredients, I want to figure…

Bible reading: Matthew 16:13-18; Psalm 27: 1-4  Have you ever been in a relationship-definition moment- when you’ve probably been around someone for a while and then they pop the ‘what are we?’ question… Or it could be the more famous, leave me an anonymous message.  I think our reading today was Jesus in one of those moments with His disciples- What are we? What do you think of me? Just like Jesus asked His disciples, I believe He still asks…

Bible reading: John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:5-11  One of my most interesting sights when I keenly observe human traffic at random locations is how I see young kids scampering after their parents, trying their best to walk like their parents. You see some kids target each of the steps their parents have taken, trying to plant their little feet in the marks. You see others working- or walking- hard to match up with their parent’s pace.  Have you noticed that on…

Bible reading: John 6: 1–51  I was never really a game freak growing up, but like many Nigerian kids, I can relate well with the concept of a ‘trial version’. Essentially, a trial version is designed to engage you, give you a feel of the real and make you want the real by emphasizing the limitations of the trial experience.  Maybe you can relate to ‘trial version’ experiences in life. Maybe a job that seemed great, but was never really…

Bible reading: Genesis 22:1-14, John 3:10-17  Have you ever been around someone who is particularly skilled in the art of asking questions?  That’s usually a child or a lady: A child, because they don’t ever have all those adult, restrains about what should be said or what shouldn’t be. They just ask it all as it comes to their mind.  ‘Mum, why does this uncle always drink coke when he comes to our house? Does he not have coke in…

Bible reading: Hebrews 10:1-18; Romans 6:20-23  There’s always rancour and agitation when worker’s entitlements aren’t paid as at when due. In this part of the world, one of the most famous words you encounter is ‘strike’. The Bible teaches clearly that a worker is worthy of his wages.  No one wants delays in payments. And no one expects a lesser payment.  And it’s the same with sin. It has a payment reward for all its workers.  For sin pays its…