Mati Mupfacha sits down with Clarissa Stockton from Amongst Wolves, who shares her incredible testimony of how God rescued her from her anxiety disorder and has used this “weakness” to show His strength incredible ways, ones that she could’ve dreamt of.
Why are there so many denominations // The Pulse Podcast
Jesus often prayer that his followers would have such a radical unity that would be a testimony to the world. However, when we look at the Christian body today, it seems as though they divide up into hundreds of different groups, churches, and denominations. For those who are not Christians, it seems confusing. Why can’t they agree on anything? Why are there sometimes four different churches on the same street? Even for believers, the question often arises: Why are there so many Christian denominations?
Help! I’m Struggling To Pray! // On The Table
Maybe you have never prayed to God yourself, or maybe you’ve prayed for years. Most of us sense the desire to pray and even want to develop a better prayer life. However, we often find that sometimes it’s difficult to know what to pray for or to even explain why we pray. Our four guests sit down to discuss the all-important topic of prayer, looking at what the Bible has to say about our prayer lives!
How Can I Have More Passion For God?
As Christians, we are to love God with all of our being—with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Many of us want to love God more than we do. We wish we had a stronger desire to serve him, obey him, and tell others about him. Our Facebook and Linkedin Lead Michael Agbonkpolor shares how can we go about cultivating a stronger passion and zeal for God.
What is the role of the Holy Spirit // The Pulse Podcast
Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. For many people, the person of the Holy Spirit raises many questions as to its functions, roles, and activities. Our Director Mike Omoniyi shares how The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is active in our world and notes several roles the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of believers today.
Should Christians Build Wealth Or Avoid It / On The Table Podcast
In our culture today, there seems to be no facet of life that is untouched by money and the pursuit of it. The Bible calls Christians to have a different culture, one which pursues sacrificial giving. Our four guests discuss the all-important of how should Christians think about money management, stewardship and giving.
“Jesus was the only way out for me” // Talking Faith
Toye Akinoso sits down with James Koroma who shares his testimony on how he fled to Gambia alone from his home country Sierra Leone, aged 10 as a refugee. He then moved to the UK and lived a life of gang-related crime before finding Jesus on the streets of Manchester.
Is The Bible The Literal Word Of God? // The Pulse Podcast
Since the inception of the Bible, Christians have debated as to whether the Bible is truly the ‘Word of God’. Many people question who the author of the Bible is and wonder as to what authority it has over our lives. M.T Omoniyi shares how there are both internal and external pieces of evidence proving why Christians believe the Bible to be the word of God and is the only divine revelation from the one true God.
Glorifying God With Our Giving
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Our society is obsessed with money. It is all about gaining money, building up finances and attaining wealth, which are all beneficial when the ambition is healthy. Saying that, it is rare we see an equal promotion for giving in the same way. Giving is a crucial part of our mandate as Christians, with our example being Christ. But how often do we actually give when we see a need? What are our thoughts and attitudes when there is a call to give and why are we not as enthusiastic when it comes time to open our wallets?
Our attitude to give
The topic of giving has become more sensitive within our church communities and Christian spheres. We are too comfortable with what we believe is ours. However, if we were to understand that everything, absolutely everything we have is a gift from God and belongs to God, we might learn to loosen our grip.
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it
Psalm 24:1
When a Christian finds it hard to give, whether time, money or any other resources, for a need, especially in the body, we must understand why. Jesus says in His famous sermon on the mount, “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24). One will be disregarded in devotion to the other. We must ask ourselves if we are serving money more than God? And have we made an idol of our finances?
Unfortunately, there can be a belief that if we have “enough” money, everything will be good. We can put more faith in our finances than in the Lord God Almighty, creator of the universe. Yet, the more we give, the more we can trust God as our provider. The Word says, “give” and it will be given to you (Luke 6:38) and the word of God will never return to Him void (Isa. 55:11). We need to change our attitude towards money.
An eternity mindset
Our outlook on giving can be hindered by our mindset. If we are more focused on earthly possessions, such as money, we might be less inclined to let go. The rich young ruler was not ready to give up his finances for the Kingdom. He chose money over God and sometimes we unknowingly making the same choice in how we use our money. However, the things on this earth are temporary, including money, they fade away and soon become dust.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal
Matthew 6:19
We must remember we have an eternity of bountiful blessings to come and we are merely stewards over what God has given us. It is a blessing to be abounding and bountiful with finances, however, many times we have been ‘blessed to be a blessing’, especially in relation to the Kingdom of God.
Generally, we understand the idea of this type of giving as specifically to a church body or organisation during a church service. However, our giving can extend further than our church.
Be moved by compassion
It is important to serve our church when there is a financial need as we aim to build up the body where we can. Having said that, we need to recognise that the body of Christ extends beyond our church walls. There are great organisations and ministries outside, sharing the good news who need financial support to continue their work. Charities which are serving the Lord and preaching the Gospel through outreach projects in marginalised countries and improvised communities. Our hearts should be filled with as much compassion when we see needs we know we can contribute towards.
We must be led by the Holy Spirit in this area and understand that it may not be every time. Nonetheless, we should always be open to give, even as small as it may seem. Jesus spoke of a woman who gave from her very last in Mark 12:41-44. Despite how it looked to the outside, her little was the most given. Jesus knew her situation. God knows our situation too, He understands what we have and what we can give. Equally, when we have received a blessing in our finances, there should naturally be a desire to give to God.
Our Lord and saviour gave the greatest gift we could ever receive. He gave His life. We are forever blessed and the sacrificial character of His giving should inspire us to give selflessly in whatever capacity.
Ultimately, when we give our money for whatever need it can support, we are serving God. Our money is not our own. We need to remember who the source is and the giver of all things. Trust in the promises of God as it pertains to our giving. Be ready to give and understand that our money will not follow us to eternity. We glorify God with our giving here on earth.
For more on the topic of giving, listen to the latest episode of the #OnTheTable podcast!
What is social media costing you?
Social media has evolved drastically over time from a means to connect and build community with others to being used to promote a business, model or even shop for clothes/products. Since social media is so accessible via our computers, iPads, and phones you will find yourself sometimes being inundated with social media notifications which at times can be overwhelming. Or just out of boredom in your spare time or at work, you can find yourself scrolling through social media newsfeeds for hours! When using social media, it is important to ask yourself the blunt but honest question – What is social media costing you?
Question your desire to use social media
I’ll start off by saying that the use of social media is not a sin, but it is important to use it with wisdom…
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere
James 3:17
One must ask themselves, why am I using social media? More importantly…how is social media using me? Are we glorifying God through our social media posts/stories or glorifying ourselves and others? When writing a post or sharing a photo, what are your motives…is to share an experience, share joy/encouragement or is to gain more likes and be validated by your followers? Your conviction regarding social media will not be the same as other people, the Holy Spirit will minister to you personally and it is important to listen. Here are a few pros and cons of social media, hence why wisdom but also discernment is important with its use.
What do we know about social media?
Pros of social media
- You can share life updates with community and connect with friends and family
- A platform to build your brand/business
- You can share motivational quotes and church scriptures
- Keep up with new releases of songs from your favourite artists
Cons of social media
- It can be VERY addictive (check your phone screen time and hours spent on social media pages)
- Comparison is rife – this can have an effect on your mental health for example how you view yourself, body image etc
- It is a highlight reel – people tend to show the best parts of their life yet rarely share their downfalls, insecurities or failures
- Dehumanisation – it is easy to put social media influencers on a pedestal and forget they’re human too
These lists are not exhaustive but highlight a few key things to consider when using social media.
How do you feel after using social media?
What emotions do you feel after using social media? Is it exhaustion, FOMO, low self-esteem, peer pressure? It could be the case that the frequent use of social media is stealing your joy. It is very easy to idolise social media and dedicate all our time/energy to it but we must remember that it will not satisfy us, “my people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water,” Jeremiah 2:13. In the presence of God, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) and anything that removes Him from His rightful place in your life needs to be questioned. Going forward how can we cultivate a healthier view of social media and be a good steward of it?
- One thing is moderation, know yourself and your personal limits “I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12.
- Decide how you want to portray yourself on social media, you DO have a choice to be authentic or to conform to what may seem “popular”.
- Filter out followers who are not adding value to your page or who could cause you to stumble in your walk of faith.
- Finally use your social media in a way that is seasoned with grace and salt, always remembering who you are in Christ and trying not to be lost in today’s culture.
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone
Colossians 4:5-6