Libanus Presbyterian Church and Toddler Group, Brynmawr

16/06/2026

What Does God Want?

“What is God’s will for my life?”
“What is my purpose and calling?”
“What can I do to please God?”

In the New Testament, Jesus provides the answer to those questions by telling His followers to love God and love people. In the Old Testament, the prophet Micah—empowered by the Holy Spirit—summarized God’s will for Israel by saying:

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

These words were penned during a time when God’s people were trying to please Him with sacrifices, offerings, and going through religious motions—while living lives of deception, violence, and pride. But as the prophet Hosea writes, “I [God] desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

God is after our heart motives, not our outward religious activity or begrudging obedience.

Let’s break down what God desires of us:

- DO JUSTICE. Doing justice requires faith and actions working together: helping the hurting, defending the weak, dealing fairly with the people we encounter, and speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. In other words, to do justice, we must love others as we love ourselves.

- LOVE KINDNESS. The mercy of God is an extreme kindness. And because we’ve been shown undeserved kindness by Him, we can show undeserved kindness to others. God desires these things more than endless “I’m sorry” speeches. God is kind to the grateful and the wicked (Luke 6:35), so we should be too.

- WALK HUMBLY. Be teachable. Be moldable. Remember: You’re not God. You have limitations. You need a Creator and Savior. You’re only here because God spoke you into existence. So confidently embrace who you are, and who you are not, because it’s when we live fully surrendered to God that He does incredible things through us.

Seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly—that is what God wants from us. So in a world that’s saturated with injustice, hatred, and arrogance, let’s be people marked by these three things.

15/06/2026

Our Most Important Work:

All throughout the Bible, Scripture is abundantly clear that love is at the center of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with everything we are.

In John 13:35, Jesus says that people will know we’re His disciples because of the way that we love others. We won’t be recognized by our knowledge of the Bible, our families, the career paths we take, or the amount of time spent at church. While those are all important things, Jesus says that the most important quality is how we love other people.

1 Peter 4:8 tells us the same thing: we should be among the most loving people on earth, and our goal should be to love each other deeply. Peter, the author of this verse, also says love is the key to forgiving others. Just as we have been forgiven by Jesus, our love for other people should encourage us to forgive those who have wronged us.

Forgiving those who have mistreated us is one of the hardest things to do—it requires that we love deeply. That’s why forgiveness is evidence of a life marked by God’s love.

So if your closest friends were asked about your top qualities, what would they say? Would your top quality be how loving you are towards others? If not, know that you’re not alone. None of us are perfect, and we can all do better at this. Today, ask God to show you ways that you can show love to those around you. Let Him fill your heart with a deep love for others!

15/06/2026

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch 1 Peter 4:8 by Heirs Church:

1 Peter 4:8 with Heirs Church

15/06/2026

Today’s prayer from the Bible App:

15/06/2026

12/06/2026

Libanus’ Sunday service this week will be at 11am, with Mr Paul Crump.

11/06/2026

Hi all,

Click the link below to read the latest version of the Presbyterian Church of Wales newsletter “The Treasury.”

09/06/2026

Blessed are the Persecuted:

It’s not always easy to stand for what’s right—especially when someone makes fun of you, gossips about you, lies about you, or even abuses you because of your decision.

But when sharing the eighth of the beatitudes—a series of promises Jesus made about God’s Kingdom—Jesus offered some hope:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10 NIV

Leading up to this verse, Jesus had spoken unexpected blessings over an unlikely group: the poor in spirit, those who were mourning, the meek, those craving righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. Finally, He offered a blessing to the persecuted.

Jesus elaborated:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, we won’t be blessed for facing the consequences of our own terrible decisions. But Jesus is saying that you will be rewarded when you are shamed, canceled, or even physically persecuted because of Him.

Jesus knows what it’s like to suffer for the sake of righteousness.

You will be blessed for standing up for what is right, for trusting in God’s Word, and for defending those who cannot defend themselves. And when it gets hard, remember: you’re not alone.

The prophets before us were mocked, beaten, and even killed. Jesus’ disciples—the ones hearing these words—would also suffer and die because of their beliefs. They were persecuted for doing things differently: for loving their neighbors, following God's laws, and for declaring Jesus as Lord.

So no matter what it costs you, you will be blessed for standing up for what is right. Jesus says that yours is the kingdom of heaven.