Benoni Central Methodist Church

05/09/2026

Saturday, 5th September 2026
Created by Bill Meaker

Reading - Matthew 25:14-30

Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. v21

Simple faithfulness is an important characteristic of an authentic Christian life.

To be faithful means to be reliable and dependable, and to hang in there when the going gets tough. Some of the words used in the Bible to express faithfulness are fidelity, steadfastness, constancy, remaining loyal and devoted, trustworthiness, commitment, and perseverance.

Just as God is faithful and is not one thing today and something else tomorrow, so we are called to remain faithful, steadfast, and true. The Christian life is not a sprint; it is a marathon, and we must remain faithful for the long haul.

Faithfulness also means actually using the gifts and abilities God has given us. In His parable of the talents, Jesus was critical of the one who did nothing with what they had been entrusted with.

On the other hand, He praised those who had been faithful in using what they had been given. When judgement came, they heard those precious words. “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

How faithful are you? To what extent have you used, or maybe failed to use, the gifts and talents you have been given? What will you do?

It is not so much success that God rewards, but faithfulness in doing his will. Anonymous

04/09/2026

Friday, 4th September 2026
Created by Bill Meaker

Reading - Matthew 7:21-27

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. v21

Some people boast about things they have accomplished or achieved. Yet isn’t it often true that those who have really done great things in life tend to keep quiet about what they have done, and do not brag or try to impress others?

Jesus is always more concerned with our walk than our talk. We must do what is right, not just say the right words. He probably had in mind some of the religious people of His day, like the Pharisees, priests, and Rabbis (teachers of the Law), who made a great public show of their faith. They said and did many of the right things to impress others, yet their actions did not always match what they said and taught – they were those who said, “Lord! Lord!” but did not put it into practice in their lives.

There needs to be consistency between what we say and what we do. Truth and honesty are always at the heart of our faith. Our faith must be in harmony with what we do. True faith is never boastful, phony, or superficial. Furthermore, our house will stand against the storms of life much better if we build on the foundation of obedience to the teaching of Jesus.

I invite you to think more deeply about the relationship between our words and our deeds. How is it going in your life?

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. John Sammis

03/09/2026

Thursday, 3rd September 2026
Created by Bill Meaker

Reading - James 1:19-27

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at their face in a mirror and, after looking at themself, goes away and immediately forgets what they look like. v23-24

A woman I knew once asked me what I thought about a particular matter. Then she said, “Before you say anything, let me tell you what I think.” She spoke for the next twenty minutes and never got to hear what I thought! I guess she didn’t really want to know.

Many of us are bad listeners. We are so wrapped up in ourselves and our ideas that we don’t actually listen or hear what others are saying.

One of the great honours we can do for another person is to really listen when they speak – pay attention and take a real interest in what they are telling us.

A similar thing happens sometimes when we listen to or read God’s Word. Our own thoughts and ideas tend to block out what God is trying to say to us. We may see or hear the words, but if it stops there and we don’t act on them, we have wasted our time. It is important to listen to what God’s Word says, but it is just as important to obey it - to actually do what it says.

How good are you at listening to others? How good are you at listening to what God says when you read His Word? How good are you at doing what it says? How could this improve?

There’s a lot of difference between listening and hearing. G K Chesterton

02/09/2026

Wednesday, 2nd September 2026
Created by Bill Meaker

Reading - Matthew 21:28-32

What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.” “I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. v28-29

Jesus was clearly saying that the Chief Priests and elders of the Jewish community, who had come to question Him, were like the second son in the parable, who said he would do what his father wanted, but did not do it.

Yet tax-collectors and prostitutes, who had turned away from God, were like the first son. They had once lived far from God, but had repented at the preaching of John the Baptist, as well as His own, and were now coming into the Kingdom of God. His hearers took offence at this, but it was true.

It doesn’t fool God to pretend to obey Him when our hearts are really far from Him, because He knows our true intentions. He sees us from the inside. Our actions must match our words.

At a personal level, which son is more like you and me? Have we promised to follow God yet failed to actually do it?

Maybe we once rejected God and turned our backs on Him, yet now have found Him and are sincerely trying to follow Him?

I invite you to reflect on where you are in all this. To what extent have you been faithful to the promises you once made to God?

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet, and be steadfast in all your ways. Proverbs 4:26

01/09/2026

Tuesday, 1st September 2026
Created by Bill Meaker

Reading - James 2:14-19

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by deeds, is dead. v19
Faith and deeds are both important aspects of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. A true Christ-follower always has both. It is never “either or”; it is always “both and.” We can’t just sit in an ivory tower, having faith and praying, but never actually doing anything practical.

Speaking of the relationship between faith and deeds, James very specifically points to our responsibility to care for the poor and the needy as far as we can.

If we know someone who is without shelter or clothes or food, it is no good to merely say, “I’ll pray for you,” but do nothing practical for them. You will find this command throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and God will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17)

We cannot help every needy person we meet; the problem is just too great. Some have been able to develop shelters, or welfare, or feeding schemes. However, for most of us, all we can do is to reach out to the one or two people we know, or who God puts in our path - people with whom we can actually journey and be there for them in a more personal way.

There is much need in the world. Is there anyone you know whom God is challenging you to reach out to in a practical way at the moment?

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James

31/08/2026

Monday, 31st August 2026
Created by Bill Meaker

Reading - John 15:9-17

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in Him. v10

If you travel on the London Underground, you will see signs that say, “Mind the Gap.” They are referring to the gap between the train and the platform that people sometimes accidentally get their shoes caught in if they are not careful.

There is often a gap between what we say we believe and our behaviour. There should be no gap. People should be able to look at those of us who believe in Jesus and see someone who is more Christ-like, more honest, more truthful, more loving, more real, kinder and more considerate, more joyful, more at peace with ourselves. They should look at us and say, “I want what you have. Something is missing in my life!”

Is there a gap between what you profess and what you do?

A man I knew once said to me, “Don’t talk to me about ‘born-again’ Christians. They are amongst some of the biggest sharks in business!” He had suffered a big financial loss due to someone who claimed to be a Christ-follower. There are church leaders who are “oh-so-righteous” in church, but hell to live with at home, or even worse. We may not be as bad as that, but there is sometimes very little difference between us and those who don’t believe in God. Behaviour like this dishonours the Christian faith and Jesus Himself.

What is God challenging you to do or to change?

Obedience is the mother of success, and the wife of safety. Greek proverb

30/08/2026