Day 9 | The Loneliness of the Scattered Red DotReflectionAt LICC, we often describe life as a Christian in the UK with two images, both depicting 100 dots. Six dots are red, depicting the 6% of people in the UK who go to church at least once a month. The rest are grey, depicting those who don’t.In the first image, the red dots are gathered in a block next to each other.In the second, they’re scatt...  Read More

Day 8 | You Are Not AloneReflectionPart of the reason we can lack confidence out in the world is that we can feel more alone there, in our scattered places. So part of how we build confidence out in the world is by knowing that we are not alone there.We have Jesus’ promise to be with us always, wherever we find ourselves. We have the Holy Spirit as an advocate and comforter alongside us. We know G...  Read More

1 John 4:9-10, 14By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world....  Read More

Day 7 | Greg’s Story: Convincing TruthReflectionGreg used to work as an environmental consultant in the marine aggregates industry. What is that, you ask? Well, big companies want to dredge the seabed to get gravel for the construction industry. But before they can start, they are legally required to do an environmental impact assessment, to protect sea life. Enter Greg, stage left.Now, at one poi...  Read More

Day 6 | Convinced by the Big PictureReflectionWe can excel at focussing on the details of life: I need to buy bananas, and I must pick up Prisha from the station at 5:40. This ability keeps us out of trouble.Something that comes less naturally to many of us, though, is zooming out to see the bigger picture so that the details of life make sense. As Christians, there’s a big picture we really need ...  Read More

Day 5 | A Convincing CallReflectionYou hardly need to be ‘a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall’ to live out an easy calling. But Jeremiah’s calling was not an easy gig: to confront the complacent and call out the conceited. He was beaten up, locked up, and told to shut up. What gave him the courage and confidence to keep going?At least part of the answer is that surely, he was convin...  Read More

1 John 4:1-6Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have ...  Read More

Day 3 | What Would Convince You?ReflectionOn the few occasions I've abseiled, I’ve discovered I tend to like having something to hold on to. And I don’t just mean the rope. I need to hold onto some facts.So, I’ll quietly establish that the instructor has done this before (successfully!). I’ll jokingly ask about the weight-bearing tolerance of the rope – if the rope could hold a small car, that’s r...  Read More

Day 3 | What Would Convince You?ReflectionOn the few occasions I've abseiled, I’ve discovered I tend to like having something to hold on to. And I don’t just mean the rope. I need to hold onto some facts.So, I’ll quietly establish that the instructor has done this before (successfully!). I’ll jokingly ask about the weight-bearing tolerance of the rope – if the rope could hold a small car, that’s r...  Read More

Day 2 | Good Reasons to be ConvincedReflectionYesterday, we introduced six things that help grow our confidence as whole-life disciples: being convinced, community, compassion, consistency, competence, and courage.For the next six days, we’ll look at the first one: confidence through being convinced. Knowing why we are convinced in our faith is the vital key to being confident.Look at Romans 8:38-...  Read More

Day 1 | The Right Kind of ConfidenceReflectionMost of us would love to grow in faith-confidence. We know it’s important – a lack of confidence can hold us back from living full and fruitful lives as Christians.But it often seems easier to have confidence on Sunday if we're gathered with other Christians. Confidence is harder to muster on Monday, in the everyday places where we meet those who don’t...  Read More

DAY 5 – Put On the New“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIVIt’s empowering to recognize and deal with the things that have been holding you back. But what now?Now that you’ve thrown off those old things, it’s time to “put on” the good things that will help you change into the wonderful person God has called you to ...  Read More