Rev Chris Nuttall - Fuel for your fire

 In John 13 verse 34 it says, ‘A new command I give to you – Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another”. I have to admit, some Christians struggle with this.  I have seen many churches where the ‘business of the church’, as in the roles people play and how they act in those roles means that this command goes through the window.  I have also visited churches where the opposite is true and love shines through in all they do and so the question is ‘how do we balance this?’ as both are important. Churches have to operate as a business.  People often think that all they do is open on a Sunday morning and that is that.  When I was the Lay Pastor of my local church, it was difficult to balance the workload connected with the work of the church and because this was not a paid position, working full time to earn a wage. Church ministers work tirelessly not only on the business aspects of the church such as finances, building maintenance, co...

 God’s timing is perfect: Learning to wait on the Lord (Patience)   How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I want it done yesterday’?  It is a staple of many a parent and many a boss.  I know, I have been both and have used it often, without quite ever thinking about it.  We live in a world that craves instant gratification and outcomes and as a result we often struggle with the concept and indeed the practice of patience. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” For Christian’s, and I count myself as a perpetrator of this, we often find that waiting on God’s timing to be one of the biggest aspects of our faith that we struggle with.  Patience is a trait that we can sometimes pick up last because we must retrain ourselves to be patient.  We are to be born again into this trait through our fa...

  How to hear God's voice in everyday life. Rev. Chris Nuttall   "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it."   ‘Pardon’, ‘Excuse me, I didn’t quite catch that’, ‘You what’, ‘Speak louder, I can’t hear you’. These are all phrases that we have heard and have most probably said as we go through life.  All the hub-hub and noise that constantly bombard us make it difficult to hear sometimes. It is the same with God. We struggle, sometimes, to hear him and even more perplexing to me is that we probably do not recognise his voice at all. The main difficulty we all have is that God is not a physical presence that we can speak to face-to-face or just call on a telephone.  He is supernaturally omnipresent, around us all of the time helping us and guiding us throughout life’s ups and downs, but it is sometimes difficult for us to hear what he is telling us. I think most pe...

 Understanding God’s purpose for your life. Rev. Chris Nuttall   ‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…’   Many Christians struggle with knowing what God has planned for them.  What is his will for your life?  Hopefully, I will be able to provide some encouragement for discovering his purpose. As I am sat writing this at 4.12pm (UK time) on the 25 th February 2025, I can tell you that this is something that I have struggled with for a long time.  AS of this moment, I am currently not in work, and under the UK benefits system, I am now one of those people who currently do not have to look for work due to my disabilities and long-standing illnesses.  I currently have four prolapsed disks in my spine, I have heart trouble, am type two diabetic have problems with arthritis in my knees; am having trouble in using my left arm and at the age of 54 I am currently in the very early stages of assessment for Dementia. There are day...

  ‘How to strengthen your relationship with God’ Rev. Chris Nuttall ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’. It is such a simple instruction ‘Draw near to God and he will draw near to you’ taken from James 4:8, and yet we can find it so difficult an instruction that we can, if not careful, fall so far away from God, that it can be difficult to come back to him.  Not on his part, of course, he is always with us, but from our fragile human existence it is sometimes easier to fall away rather than fight to stay. A strong relationship with God does require us to intentionally put effort into it.  It is just like any other relationship that you want to work.  I try and always ‘fall in love with my wife all over again,  everyday’ for our relationship to continue to prosper and this has been the case for the last 35 years that we have been together.  It can sometimes be very hard to do so.  She may have said or done something that has upset me...

  How to Motivate Others in Their Daily Life Motivation is the fuel that drives us to act, achieve our goals, and make the most of each day. But let’s be honest—staying motivated isn’t always easy, life gets in the way and sometimes, the people around us need a little encouragement to keep moving forward. Whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one, helping someone find their motivation can be one of the most rewarding things you do. Motivation isn’t just about achieving big dreams; it’s about maintaining the energy and positive mindset and mental toughness to get through everyday life. So, how can you inspire and uplift those around you? Here are ten powerful ways to motivate others in their daily lives . 1. Understand What Drives Them Everyone is motivated by different things—some by personal success, others by purpose, recognition, challenge, or growth. If you want to inspire someone, take the time to understand what truly drives them . Ask que...