Recipe for happy marriage: never forgive, never forget

The above was a newspaper heading at the weekend. Apparently a study has shown that if a spouse is too forgiving, the other partner will take advantage and continue or escalate their wrongdoing.

It made me so thankful that my bridegroom, the Lord Jesus, doesn't treat me like that.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1 v 9)

The Bible-Centred Youthworker

Came back last night from a four-day conference we run each year - The Bible-Centred Youthworker. It was challenging, refreshing, inspiring, humbling - and for me personally, as administrator of the conference, exhausting! Highlights included:

• Brilliant Bible talks from Phil Moon taken from Revelation 1-5. Heaven is God's throne room. Jesus is the Lion... who is a Lamb. So good to have our focus renewed.

• Seeing photos from a holiday club where 100% of the children came from Muslim families.

• Meeting so many children's and youth workers who are gospel-hearted, Bible-centred, and passionate about sharing the good news about Christ to their groups. I get so excited on behalf of the children and young people who have these godly men and women caring for them.

Recordings from the conference will be available soon as free downloads from our website. In the meantime, you can get a flavour for what we did on the conference blog here.

One woman's testimony

Last week I read a fascinating story of one woman's conversion. She talks openly about her search for faith, the appeal of the community she would be joining, and the huge changes there have been in her lifestyle. At first glance this was like many testimonies I've heard from young adults who have come to faith in Christ.

But this woman hasn't become a Christian - she has converted to Islam.

I was struck by the seeming similarities, so I looked again a bit closer. Yes, many of the personal and lifestyle comments rang bells, but then I noticed what was missing. There's no mention anywhere of God. Her conversion is based on a community to join and a way of life to embrace.

How different to a new Christian, who has discovered the joy of forgiveness through Jesus, and the privilege of knowing God as their loving Father, and being a brother or sister of Christ.