St Barnabas Village Church - Riwaka

01/09/2026

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made...
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14.

We all carry burdens at times. Some may stem from our own past mistakes, while others might be beyond our control.
This psalm reminds us that God is our compassionate burden bearer. While the Lord may not instantly change our circumstances, He promises to be faithfully present within them. When we fall, or life weighs us down, He will lift us up.

May you take comfort today knowing that the God who is faithful to all His promises actively supports us and walks alongside us always.
Blessings.
Neil

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25/08/2026

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." Romans 8:28:

This is a favourite passage of many. It reminds us that we can always take heart, knowing that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Whatever happens, we can live today by focusing our energy on what we can do right now and trusting God. Our future is held in good hands, and we can find comfort in knowing with certainty that we never walk alone into the unknown.
May you know the love and peace of God afresh today.
Neil

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19/08/2026

I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!
Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.
Your unfailing love will last forever.
Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. Psalm 89.1-2. NLT.

"Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not." C.S. Lewis.
In Hebrew, the word "faithfulness" conveys a sense of trustworthiness and stability. God's love is unfailing. Reflecting upon the attributes of God not only impacts our emotions, but helps us grow in Him, know Him better, and become more like Him. Throughout our journeys, confidence in God’s character and reliance on Him will carry us through trial and despair. As we live our lives resting on God as our rock, and striving to follow Jesus as our Lord, the world notices.
May you know and share the love of God today.
Neil

11/08/2026

I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Psalm 73:23-26.

Our lives have many ups and downs, and our journeys can be deeply challenging at times. Yet God is always with us, holding our hand and guiding us through every difficulty we face. God remains our steady strength day by day, and at our journey's end we will find eternal refuge and rest.

May God lead you, guide you and strengthen you today and forever.

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05/08/2026

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Our God is the God of hope, and He yearns to fill us with joy and peace. But you need to, "Believe your beliefs, and doubt your doubts; most people believe their doubts, and doubt their beliefs." (Charles F Deems). In challenging times, we can always rely on the God of Hope to guide and comfort us.
May you be filled with joy, peace and hope today and always.
Neil

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28/07/2026

Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures. Psalm 119:90, NIV

God’s faithfulness did not begin with us, and it will not end with us. Long before we were born, He was proving Himself faithful to generations past. Through wars, famines, failures, and renewals, God remained unchanged. This truth helps us when we worry about what lies ahead. The God who carried generations past carries us now, and will carry the generations to come. His covenant spans generations, and trusting God now plants seeds of faith that will bear fruit long after we are gone.
May God bless you and keep you today and always.

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15/07/2026

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me! Psalm 139: 17-18. NLT.

God’s thoughts are far beyond our understanding, yet these verses tell us His thoughts include you and me. God is thinking about us often!
Asleep or awake, God is with us and is never out of reach. No matter our circumstances or problems, He is just a quick prayer away, ready and waiting to help us the very moment we call.
This week, may you think of God more, may you live in the light of His presence and know His peace and love.
Neil.

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08/07/2026

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24 NLT.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT.

When we stumble and fall short, we should always remember that God’s love does not depend on our performance. He loves us because of who He is, not because of how perfect we are. His grace is a free gift. He doesn't look at our failures and turn away from us, rather, through Jesus, He looks at us and declares us right in His sight. We are completely forgiven and deeply loved. Because of this incredible grace, we never have to live under the shadow of yesterday. His love isn't exhausted by our past, and His mercies never run out. Every single morning is a clean slate and a brand new outpouring of His grace for us as we get up and move on.
May the grace and peace of God be with you today and always.
Neil

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01/07/2026

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. 1 John 3:23-24. NLT

Following God isn't about keeping a list of rules. John simplifies everything into one connected command: believe in His Son, Jesus, and love one another. As disciples, we are called to model our lives on Jesus. While living like Jesus feels huge, the Holy Spirit is with us daily to guide and strengthen us. Whenever we struggle between our way and God’s way, we can take heart. God doesn't expect perfection; He just asks for willing hearts. When we take even a small step of obedience, He gives us exactly what we need to show and share His everlasting love with the world.

May you know God's love today and share it with those around you.
Neil

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16/06/2026

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

This passage is understandably a great favourite of many. The Lord asks us to come to him and spend time in His presence. If we take his yoke upon us, we will find rest. However burned out, burdened or challenged by life's journey we are, Jesus is well aware of our need and will provide the refreshment we need. Rest will come in different ways according to our circumstances, as He who made us loves us and knows the precise comfort and strengthening that’s right for us.

May you find the grace to lay down your burdens today. May you find rest for your soul as you walk with our Lord, brother and friend, knowing that His yoke is easy and his love will make your journey light.
Neil.

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