Below you’ll find previous entries for Daily Inspiration – or to see them arranged by theme, head to this webpage.
Autumn 2024: The Book of Acts, chapters 1-14: how God’s Spirit changes the lives of Jesus’ followers and begins to change the world, too. May we too be inspired afresh in our generation!
Summer 2024: The Book of Daniel – the life of Daniel and his friends is a story for our times: how to live with faith and integrity in a different culture. This series unpacks both the iconic stories and also the powerful prophecies!
Spring 2024: Daily Inspiration in John: our reflections on John chapters 1-10 can be viewed via this link, either to read on-screen or to download to your device:
New Year 2024: ‘The Shock of the New’ – Isaiah chapters 40-55. One of the great prophetic visions, as fresh today as ever. Thirty days of amazing promises, and renewed hope!
Autumn 2023: ‘Good News!’ – The Gospel of Mark. History changes for good as Jesus arrives – fast-paced and full of practical, life-transforming wisdom: we can never tire of what Mark has to teach us!
- Wednesday 22nd November – Mark 9:9-13 ‘The prophetic pacemaker’Read more...
In the sport of cycling, one of the strangest – but most enjoyable – events is the Keirin. This is effectively a multi-lap sprint on the track, but what makes it unusual is the ‘derny’: a motorised bicycle which sets the pace at the front of the race. For the first few laps all the competitors have to follow the derny, which increases its speed gradually until the ...
- Tuesday 21st November – Mark 9:1-8 ‘A glimpse of glory’Read more...
I wonder how you picture Jesus? Most of have a mental image of a chap with a beard and long hair, oatmeal-coloured tunic and deeply compassionate eyes. Perhaps not too far wide of the mark – but even if your image is different, it is probably a very human Jesus.
And that’s a good thing: God became one of us, and Jesus’ humanity lies at ...
- Monday 20th November – Mark 8:34-38 ‘The upside-down kingdom’Read more...
Growing up, one of my absolute favourite sets of books was the Mr Men series. I’m sure many of you love these books too! There were so many great characters: Mr Happy, Mr Tickle, Mr Bump – I wonder what’s your favourite? I also liked Mr Topsy-Turvy. As the book begins: ‘Everything about Mr. Topsy-Turvy is upside down, or inside out, or back to front. He’s a funny ...
- Saturday 18th November – Mark 8:27-33 ‘What kind of Messiah?’Read more...
‘The wrong kind of leaves on the line.’ As a London commuter I used to get the train into work every day. When you use a train several hundred times a year, you get used to delays! This quote is one of the best known reasons given for a train being held up; to be honest it wasn’t announced to the passengers on a train I was sat ...
- Friday 17th November – Mark 8:22-26 ‘Seeing clearly’Read more...
This passage initially reminds me of an event we run for older children at Easter, called Easter Cracked. It’s great fun, and a brilliant way of introducing the Easter story – as part of this event, I usually have to dress up as ‘Mr Easter Egghead’, which involves donning a ridiculous costume, complete with super-thick specs. The children all shout and laugh as I stagger up the aisle ...
Summer 2023: The Book of Colossians – Christ is all we need! Let’s be encouraged by the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus in this remarkable letter: Colossians – Daily Inspirations day-by-day
- Monday 21st August – Colossians 2:6-7 ‘Continuing in him’Read more...
Today is one of the great ‘so what’ passages of Scripture. Last week we basked in the greatness of Jesus, day after day. Today we get to the punchline: ‘so, then….’ if Jesus is all of that, how do we respond? Not surprisingly, the answer is quite simple: (v6) ‘continue to live your lives in him’. Jesus was all we needed at the start – he’s still everything ...
- Friday 18th August – Colossians 1:28-29 ‘Complete in Christ’Read more...
Today I want to introduce you to a word that is not very well-known, but is one of the most important words in the bible, and that is the little Greek word teleios. Now teleios is quite a hard word to define, but it’s the word used here in verse 28 which is translated in modern translations as ‘mature’ or ‘fully mature’. If you look at dictionaries, they’ll ...
- Thursday 17th August – Colossians 1:24-27 (ii) ‘Glorious riches’Read more...
If you were asked to summarise the purpose of life in a few words, what would you say? What’s the point of it all? What represents the ‘grand plan’?
It’s a tough question, but in these stunning verses we get close to an answer. God’s ultimate purpose for all people is this: ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (v27). This is the mystery that ...
- Wednesday 16th August – Colossians 1:24-27 ‘For the sake of his body’Read more...
Who’d be a leader? As General Hopper declares in the great animated film ‘Ants’: ‘The first rule of leadership is – it’s always your fault.’ And we are all too painfully aware of the damage that can be done by leaders who are corrupted by power.
Which is why the Christian perspective on leadership is so refreshing. Jesus began a revolution in our understanding which ...
- Tuesday 15th August – Colossians 1:21-23 ‘Presented holy’Read more...
When I was training in my previous role in the commercial world, an old colleague once said to me: ‘If ever you feel intimidated in a meeting, just imagine them all sitting in their underpants.’ It’s a fairly comical strategy, but many will testify that it works!
This idea of finding ourselves in the presence of someone or others ‘with no place to hide’ is ...
Spring/Summer 2023: Psalms 1-43. Day by day, ‘a psalm a day helps you work, rest and pray.’ Daily Inspiration in Psalms 1-43
The week after Pentecost. A mini-series of 6 reflections in Acts 2:1-41, taking us from Pentecost to Trinity Sunday. Daily Inspiration for the week after Pentecost
Ascension Day. A mini-series of 3 reflections on the importance of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. Ascension Day Inspirations 2023
Holy Week 2023: Reflections in the Gospel of Mark, chs 14-15: Holy Week Reflections in Mark
Lent 2023: ‘Let your light shine’ – The Church of England’s Lent Series for 2018, written by John Kiddle – a lovely exploration of the work of Christ in the gospel of John: Let Your Light Shine_Daily Notes_2018_JohnKiddle
December 2022: Advent. Telling the story chronologically across the gospels, 24 days waiting expectantly for the coming King! Daily Inspiration for Advent
September-November 2022: The Gospel of Luke ‘The King of kings’. In a season when our nation mourned the loss of a great monarch, and the start of a new reign, let’s be inspired by Luke’s portrait of the greatest King of all. Daily Inspiration in the Gospel of Luke – The King of Kings
July-September 2022: The Book of Deuteronomy (chs1-19). On the threshold of a new home, let’s listen in to one of the great sermons of all-time, as Moses addresses God’s people and reminds them of his covenant of faithful love – enduring to this day! Daily Inspiration in the Book of Deuteronomy
May-July 2022: The Book of 2 Corinthians. Reflecting deeply on the day-to-day paradoxes of faith – suffering and comfort, joy and trouble, spiritual treasures held ‘in jars of clay’ – this heartfelt gem of a letter is less well-known but full of rich treasure. 2 Corinthians Daily Inspirations day-by-day
Jan-Feb 2022: The Book of Joshua – a rip-roaring tale with lots to inspire us. Never an ‘easy read’, but with echoes of grace throughout. Above all, God keeps his promises: Daily Inspirations in the Book of Joshua
November 2021: The Book of Esther – a wonderful story of faith and courage lived out in the ‘real world’: Esther Daily Inspirations day-by-day
Oct-Nov 2021: Hebrews 11-12 ‘The Cloud of Witnesses’ – a short series on the heroes of faith and how they can inspire and energise our lives today: Cloud of Witnesses_Inspiration day-by-day
May 2021: To revisit our lovely 9 days of prayer (Novena) in the Psalms for Thy Kingdom Come: Thy Kingdom Come 2021 Psalms (Novena)
Easter Week 2021: Reflections on the traditional readings for Sundays in Easter Season: Easter Week Reflections 2021
Holy Week 2021: Reflections in Matthew 26 and 27: Holy Week Reflections 2021 – Matthew 26 and 27
February 2021: The Book of Philippians – journey through this wonderful little letter over 13 days: Daily Inspiration in Philippians
New Year 2021: The Psalms are songs for the journey. To paraphrase a well-known ad: ‘A psalm a day helps you work, rest and pray.’ Let’s be nourished with the humility, the honesty, and the heartfelt faith of the psalmists, and may we find a voice to draw near to God each day: Daily Inspiration in Psalms 90-106
Looking for Light: a great tonic when the days are short and the nights are long! A series of reflections on the theme of light in the bible can be viewed via this link, either to read on-screen or to download to your device: Looking for Light – Daily Inspirations
Remembrance 2020: our short series from Isaiah and the Psalms for the season of Remembrance can be viewed via this link, either to read on-screen or to download to your device: Remembrance Season 2020 – Daily Inspirations
‘Wildfires – the Spirit in the Bible’: our summer 2020 series of reflections on the Holy Spirit can be viewed via this link, either to read on-screen or to download to your device: Wildfires (The Spirit in the Bible) Day-by-Day
‘Hidden in Christ’ – our spring 2020 series of 33 Reflections based on James Bryan Smith’s wonderful book – also made available for Advent 2020 by MK Mission Partnership – can be viewed via this link, either to read on-screen or to download to your device: Hidden_in_Christ_Reflections_2020
Prof. Smith’s excellent podcast, ‘Things Above’, can be accessed here.
Our reflections for Easter Week 2020: Easter Week Reflections 2020
To revisit our reflections for Holy Week 2020 – the 7 words from the cross – click here.