Doubting Thomas as a role-model, something you’ve never probably heard said before, but I think it can be true. Many of us like Thomas want assurances, and indeed doubt before we truly believe. Thomas raised his doubts, didn’t ignore them, and found his doubts answered in Jesus, and as a result was strengthened in his faith, and was assured in his beliefs. Sometimes we don’t simply take God at his word, and doubts creep into our minds. But instead of ignoring these doubts, we should rather address them, and seek to find the answers in and through Christ, thus strengthening and re-enforcing our belief in a risen Saviour

Football match today away up in Ballywalter. Drew 2-2 which wasn't a bad result considering we were 2-0 down within the first 30 minutes. But we came good in the second half, and nearly snuck the winner, but a fair result overall probably. However I fear I may have lost half a lung up there, played the match while majorly run-down with the cold, and regretting this now as my cold is worse than ever. But somehow it was worth it, the price you pay for sport!!

My daily notes this morning were looking at the passage in Luke 17 vs. 11-19 where Jesus healed the 10 lepers, but looking at the fact that only one came back to say thanks. How often do we forget, in the busyness and hectic-pace of this world we live in to say thank-you to the one who has released us from the grip of sin. We must never forget the purpose of our cleansing from sin: to give worship and praise to our Lord, and live our lives as a daily thank-you for his gift of Grace. So often we gratefully accept the gift, but forget the thank-you. Psalm 103 gives us a few things to be thankful for as a starter. Live your life as a thank-you, don’t simply accept the gift. Something I find myself having to constantly remember.

Happened to be outdoors this morning, and started collecting a few conkers off the chestnut trees at the bottom of our yard. And it struck me that conkers have a certain similarity to Gods view of us. Conkers are prickly, jagged and pretty ugly really on the outside, but when you break off the outer shell, the hidden treasures inside. A beautifully smooth, mahogany coloured conker inside, not really what you’d expect by looking at the ugly shell alone. That’s what God meant when He said that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. If our hearts are pure, then that’s all that matters to God. And in today’s fashion-conscious label-conscious society it’s a point worth remembering. Another thing to note – don’t judge people simply on their outward appearance, but look rather to the purity and sincerity of their heart. Our opinions of people are often formed solely on the outward appearance of the person, and that’s something to be aware of.

Two important concepts I feel are highly important when involved in ministering to the youth of today:
· Common Ground – finding an area where the scriptural truth of God word is real and relevant to the youth culture of today in a format and language they can readily identify with. This I believe is in following with the pattern used by Christ himself and Paul in the teaching of their time.
· In it, not of it struggle – Touching youth culture with the reality and relevance of Gods Word without being submerged in it, thus undermining it and loosing its scriptural relevance.