TWURC
Local Notices
Tettenhall Wood URC
News & Notices
Tettenhall Wood URC invite you to come and worship with us. We are a fellowship which serves the One God, the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are seeking to grow in the values which are at the heart of the whole Church: growing deeper in love with God; growing in our fellowship of Christ Jesus as disciples: growing in expressing our faith in love for others; growing in sharing the Gospel.
National Notices
News, Wit & Wisdom
Welcome to your very own Portal
The Tettenhall Wood United Reformed Church Website gives you 3 to 4 click access to most local and global information important to your personal and working life. Enter any UK postcode in the Your Location tab (top right) and all the local links set for WV6 8HT will relocate to the new postcode for you! To save time and money make the 2day site your homepage (Click the 'Make Homepage' button in Tools.)
Wit & Wisdom
Fabio Capello is the highest paid national football manager in the world with an annual salary of £6m; Vicente del Bosque who won the 2010 Fifa World Cup with Spain earns £1.3m and Bert van Marwijk who managers the defeated finalists Holland, earns £1.66m. Marca (Spanish national daily sports newspaper)
Wit & Wisdom
Fabio Capello is the highest paid national football manager in the world with an annual salary of £6m; Vicente del Bosque who won the 2010 Fifa World Cup with Spain earns £1.3m and Bert van Marwijk who managers the defeated finalists Holland, earns £1.66m. Marca (Spanish national daily sports newspaper)
2day News and News Feeds
2day also do unique accommodation and high ranking business websites - please see www.microportals.co.uk or telephone 01822 600001. 2day Microportals make church and community sites. Click www.mycommunity.2day.ws for examples and how they work.
Welcome to Tettenhall Wood United Reformed Church
Welcome to Tettenhall Wood United Reformed Church!
giving you 3 to 4 click access to most local and global information important to your personal and working life. Enter a postcode in the Your Location tab (top right) and all the local links currently set for WV6 will relocate for you! To save time and money make this 2day site your homepage (Click the 'Make Homepage' button in Tools.)
Businesses can advertise on this site, or on other local or national 2day sites. Please click here to enter your details in the box below the picture. We also do unique accommodation and high ranking business websites - please see www.microportals.co.uk or telephone 01822 600001. 2day Microportals make church and community sites. Click www.mycommunity.2day.ws for examples and how they work.
Businesses can advertise on this site, or on other local or national 2day sites. Please click here to enter your details in the box below the picture. We also do unique accommodation and high ranking business websites - please see www.microportals.co.uk or telephone 01822 600001. 2day Microportals make church and community sites. Click www.mycommunity.2day.ws for examples and how they work.
2day News
Rural Change & Portals
Parish councils are making deliberations that may offer opportunities for veterinary practices. Within the next few weeks important decisions will be taken about the establishment of Unitary Authorities and Community Boards. If you have started to yawn already you may miss the whole thrust and benefit of microportals.
One of the very successful microportals is being managed by a veterinary surgeon, John Lund, not for veterinary benefit but in support of his community. Within the rural areas the central activities revolve around the church, parish council and village hall. Good, old, sleepy, activities of great relevance to a few but of less interest to many. The parish magazine, or in many areas the group parishes magazine, publishes the various activities and is supported by advertising. Entries are usually small and cheap offering plumbing and candlestick making, providing basic information with a ’phone number. Not so in Bridford.
Try and imagine something that you want to know about, or do, starting from your home. If your area has a community hub you will already have it as your home page on the computer. You will already have entered your postcode. A single mouse click and up comes the hub. Rather importantly the use of hubs is going way beyond the people who surf the web. In this area very few folk spend time accessing websites for information. They could, but they choose to carry on as before, possibly because the activity lacks personality. Whereas, everything on the community portal is relevant to their household, local plumbers, pubs, doctors, events, buses, trains, parish history, church services, whatever, and the activities and offerings of the local veterinary practices.
So, what would you like to say to the people living within five miles, or ten miles of your practice? Would you wish to list the address and ’phone number or possibly the website? Would you wish to highlight a particular activity or clinical success or participation in sport, money raising, new surgery, changes in staff or disease alerts? Would you wish to talk to the community with a piece of video? Would you wish to change what is on the hub every month or week? I hope you are beginning to see that this microportal development is very much more than having a website.
The beginnings of the existing microportals have often developed in order to involve and inform people about goings on locally and also to raise money for the church or village hall. Church based portals have been credited with increasing footfall, donations and wellbeing. Individual parishes have latched on to the idea and from slow beginnings the number of people within the area going to the portal each day increases rapidly. Thousands of hits are recorded. People go to the portal for one item but then come across other things of interest. In a holiday area, such as Bridford on the edge of Dartmoor, people are encouraged to look at the hub from their home wherever it is and very rapidly the extent of aspects of interest are able to be noted.
So, at the moment the whole idea of community microportals is known to a few but major expansion is anticipated. The current establishment of county councils and district councils is to be replaced by unitary authorities. Each county will be voting on this soon and some areas will change and others may not. However, locally, the idea of shedding five chief executives of the district councils, plus all the buildings and infrastructure, with the frustrating inefficiencies and expense, has an appeal. No doubt the single authority will absorb most of the people and sites but that is not the main thrust of interest. Underlying the large authority will be the community boards, based in this area on market towns. Each parish council will be represented on these boards and there will be a community budget for the development of, yes, communities. So it is not difficult to consider that microportal community hubs will pop up covering all the communities within a community board. The opportunities for the promotion of veterinary practices, or indeed veterinary activity in general is very real.
Moving on, there are microportals for associations and professional groups. Here again these are different from websites as such and websites with links, partly because of the one click concept and ease of access. With specific groups the quality of the portal presentation may become a bigger issue. Within a community portal there will be a variety of presentations from the simple to the complex, the plain to the colourful, whereas for an association site there may be issues of quality of presentation and appearance that incur additional mastering and expense. A list of portals is available at www.2day.ws/sites and it is easy to view a range and get some idea of the breadth of the topic.
The other aspect to consider is that veterinary surgeons and veterinary businesses are targets for the services of others. As you interact with a microportal so you are open to becoming interested in a topic you had not initially thought to access. These will range from the expected to the unexpected.
For example, it was unexpected to find the topic of workplace grievances, conflict resolution and stress management. Thinking about it where better to introduce the availability of mediation than on a microportal. To promote your abilities to resolve issues between people at a local level appears worthwhile. There is a relevance here to partnerships and one of the areas highlighted is the difficulties that arise between partners as the relationship evolves over the years. This aspect of partnerships is well recognised for accountants, solicitors and of course veterinary surgeons. The point made is that it is often the local issues that bring matters to a head, with chatter between wives, clients and third parties. If there are general workplace issues that need to be aired, it may be that local microportals will form part of the tools available to a professional mediator that handles these very local matters in a confidential manner.
The topic of microportals seems to be moving rapidly from village hall activities and church services to professional concerns. Here abouts there is a distinct thrust to buy local. A veterinary practice as part of the local community appears important.
If you have experience of microportals or wish to discuss developments please contact rgard@agmed.freeserve.co.uk.
Richard Gard
4th September 2008.
First Published Veterinary Review
www.veterinaryreview.com
One of the very successful microportals is being managed by a veterinary surgeon, John Lund, not for veterinary benefit but in support of his community. Within the rural areas the central activities revolve around the church, parish council and village hall. Good, old, sleepy, activities of great relevance to a few but of less interest to many. The parish magazine, or in many areas the group parishes magazine, publishes the various activities and is supported by advertising. Entries are usually small and cheap offering plumbing and candlestick making, providing basic information with a ’phone number. Not so in Bridford.
Try and imagine something that you want to know about, or do, starting from your home. If your area has a community hub you will already have it as your home page on the computer. You will already have entered your postcode. A single mouse click and up comes the hub. Rather importantly the use of hubs is going way beyond the people who surf the web. In this area very few folk spend time accessing websites for information. They could, but they choose to carry on as before, possibly because the activity lacks personality. Whereas, everything on the community portal is relevant to their household, local plumbers, pubs, doctors, events, buses, trains, parish history, church services, whatever, and the activities and offerings of the local veterinary practices.
So, what would you like to say to the people living within five miles, or ten miles of your practice? Would you wish to list the address and ’phone number or possibly the website? Would you wish to highlight a particular activity or clinical success or participation in sport, money raising, new surgery, changes in staff or disease alerts? Would you wish to talk to the community with a piece of video? Would you wish to change what is on the hub every month or week? I hope you are beginning to see that this microportal development is very much more than having a website.
The beginnings of the existing microportals have often developed in order to involve and inform people about goings on locally and also to raise money for the church or village hall. Church based portals have been credited with increasing footfall, donations and wellbeing. Individual parishes have latched on to the idea and from slow beginnings the number of people within the area going to the portal each day increases rapidly. Thousands of hits are recorded. People go to the portal for one item but then come across other things of interest. In a holiday area, such as Bridford on the edge of Dartmoor, people are encouraged to look at the hub from their home wherever it is and very rapidly the extent of aspects of interest are able to be noted.
So, at the moment the whole idea of community microportals is known to a few but major expansion is anticipated. The current establishment of county councils and district councils is to be replaced by unitary authorities. Each county will be voting on this soon and some areas will change and others may not. However, locally, the idea of shedding five chief executives of the district councils, plus all the buildings and infrastructure, with the frustrating inefficiencies and expense, has an appeal. No doubt the single authority will absorb most of the people and sites but that is not the main thrust of interest. Underlying the large authority will be the community boards, based in this area on market towns. Each parish council will be represented on these boards and there will be a community budget for the development of, yes, communities. So it is not difficult to consider that microportal community hubs will pop up covering all the communities within a community board. The opportunities for the promotion of veterinary practices, or indeed veterinary activity in general is very real.
Moving on, there are microportals for associations and professional groups. Here again these are different from websites as such and websites with links, partly because of the one click concept and ease of access. With specific groups the quality of the portal presentation may become a bigger issue. Within a community portal there will be a variety of presentations from the simple to the complex, the plain to the colourful, whereas for an association site there may be issues of quality of presentation and appearance that incur additional mastering and expense. A list of portals is available at www.2day.ws/sites and it is easy to view a range and get some idea of the breadth of the topic.
The other aspect to consider is that veterinary surgeons and veterinary businesses are targets for the services of others. As you interact with a microportal so you are open to becoming interested in a topic you had not initially thought to access. These will range from the expected to the unexpected.
For example, it was unexpected to find the topic of workplace grievances, conflict resolution and stress management. Thinking about it where better to introduce the availability of mediation than on a microportal. To promote your abilities to resolve issues between people at a local level appears worthwhile. There is a relevance here to partnerships and one of the areas highlighted is the difficulties that arise between partners as the relationship evolves over the years. This aspect of partnerships is well recognised for accountants, solicitors and of course veterinary surgeons. The point made is that it is often the local issues that bring matters to a head, with chatter between wives, clients and third parties. If there are general workplace issues that need to be aired, it may be that local microportals will form part of the tools available to a professional mediator that handles these very local matters in a confidential manner.
The topic of microportals seems to be moving rapidly from village hall activities and church services to professional concerns. Here abouts there is a distinct thrust to buy local. A veterinary practice as part of the local community appears important.
If you have experience of microportals or wish to discuss developments please contact rgard@agmed.freeserve.co.uk.
Richard Gard
4th September 2008.
First Published Veterinary Review
www.veterinaryreview.com
August 2008
We have to upgrade both the 2day servers due to very heavy daily traffic from all over the UK.
July 2008
We add 22,000 community sites and 35,000 School plus University Community sites - making us one of the largest community networks in the UK!
May 2008
We break the 200,000 visits a day threshold!
September 2007
2day's flood beating backups. We now backup our system onto a server in the USA.
August 2007
To cope with new traffic levels 2day commissions a second server.
July 2007
2day daily hits break the 200,000 barrier
March 2007
2day hits go over 100,000 in one day and our server is upgraded to take the new level of traffic
February 2007
Three new templates are launched. One community one and two conventional website ones.
Our hits go up to over one per second!
Our hits go up to over one per second!
April 06 - Lacock repeats history!
Richard Searight - the new Fox-Talbot!
Unique window on the internet - The Microportal
A tiny village in Wiltshire, which is credited with being the birthplace of photography, is repeating history by introducing a new way of looking at the world wide web - The Microportal, or personal website!
More than 170 years ago William Henry Fox Talbot took the first photograph of a lattice window in his home at Lacock Abbey - now 2Day Microportals, headed up by Lacock-based Richard Searight, is offering communities another window, that to the World Wide Web.
The uniqueness of the system is that once users have introduced their postcode, everything they need is within three clicks of the mouse. Every day over 30,000 people use the 2Day Microportal to look something up.
The first 2Day microportal was www.lacock.2day.ws, which is now one of the most used community sites in the whole of the UK, with over 100,000 hits a year from a population of just 1,300 people.
Users can not only find contact details for everyday needs, such as the cinema, eating out, weather and local schools, but also use the site for instant access to things such as a route planner, directory inquiries and news headlines. There are also live links to train, road and airport information - all available within three clicks. People can even take their local site on holiday because it refocuses on any location in the UK.
Richard Searight says his aim is to provide every community in the UK with a personalised one-stop shop. Communities are empowered by being able to run the embedded local sections themselves and even post advertising to pay for the site!
Particularly interesting is the fact that churches have adopted the system as a means of getting themselves back into the centre of communities. 'So far we have over 200 church sites, including one in the Shetland Isles, which is receiving over 250 hits per day', says Richard.
'The vision is to create sites so complete that everyone has to make them their homepage. Once a whole community does that it starts to communicate and gel together as a social unit. The church understands this,' he said. Up until the advent of Microportals, achieving a totally comprehensive community website was completely impossible for the average local webmaster.
For further information: Richard Searight, 2Day Microportals Ltd., 01249 730439 or 07770 846450. Or visit www.2day.ws.
Unique window on the internet - The Microportal
A tiny village in Wiltshire, which is credited with being the birthplace of photography, is repeating history by introducing a new way of looking at the world wide web - The Microportal, or personal website!
More than 170 years ago William Henry Fox Talbot took the first photograph of a lattice window in his home at Lacock Abbey - now 2Day Microportals, headed up by Lacock-based Richard Searight, is offering communities another window, that to the World Wide Web.
The uniqueness of the system is that once users have introduced their postcode, everything they need is within three clicks of the mouse. Every day over 30,000 people use the 2Day Microportal to look something up.
The first 2Day microportal was www.lacock.2day.ws, which is now one of the most used community sites in the whole of the UK, with over 100,000 hits a year from a population of just 1,300 people.
Users can not only find contact details for everyday needs, such as the cinema, eating out, weather and local schools, but also use the site for instant access to things such as a route planner, directory inquiries and news headlines. There are also live links to train, road and airport information - all available within three clicks. People can even take their local site on holiday because it refocuses on any location in the UK.
Richard Searight says his aim is to provide every community in the UK with a personalised one-stop shop. Communities are empowered by being able to run the embedded local sections themselves and even post advertising to pay for the site!
Particularly interesting is the fact that churches have adopted the system as a means of getting themselves back into the centre of communities. 'So far we have over 200 church sites, including one in the Shetland Isles, which is receiving over 250 hits per day', says Richard.
'The vision is to create sites so complete that everyone has to make them their homepage. Once a whole community does that it starts to communicate and gel together as a social unit. The church understands this,' he said. Up until the advent of Microportals, achieving a totally comprehensive community website was completely impossible for the average local webmaster.
For further information: Richard Searight, 2Day Microportals Ltd., 01249 730439 or 07770 846450. Or visit www.2day.ws.
February 22
Oxford English Dictionary considers listing the word Microportal in next edition
February 21
Over 100 new Microportals created in one week!
December 2005
We welcome our 6 millionth visitor! Every 5 seconds someone uses 2day.
October 2005
2day goes onto a new high speed server which enhances performance across the system and halves new site creation times. Many apologies for the down time on Saturday 22nd October. Enjoy the new speed!
October 2005
We reach 5 million visitors
June 2005
We have just received our 3,000,000 visitor!
Business 2day
Last week in the city - according to 10
The UK's economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace of 1.1% in the April to June period, official figures show.
Apple announced a massive 78% surge in second quarter profits to $3.25bn – boosted by the sale of 3.27 million iPads and 3.47 million Macs and 8.4 million iPhones.
Microsoft reported profits of $4.52bn for the same period. Lending to businesses and households fell in May according to the CBI.
Citigroup reported that it might quit Britain if the government imposes further taxes on banks.
The volcanic ash cloud, which closed airspace for 18 days, knocked 24% of Ryanair’s first quarter results.
It was announced that long-suffering Equitable Life policyholders may receive less than £500 each in compensation.
App of the week
Text speak may have had its day, following the launch of a free iPhone app that enables users to speak the words they wish to send in a text or email – the Dragon Dictation voice recognition system is said to be fast, easy to use and remarkably accurate.
How to resolve conflict at work:
Differences of opinion between colleagues can be useful and even productive. But when clashes turn ugly, conflict can be harmful to working relationships. Here are three tips for handling the next disagreement you have with a colleague: (1) Identify common ground. Point out what you both agree on at the beginning of the conversation. This may be a shared goal or a set of operating rules. (2) Hear your colleague out. Allow your colleague to share his opinion and explain his point of view. Don't disagree with individual points he makes; listen to the whole story. (3) Propose a solution. Use the information you gathered in the conversation to offer a resolution. This should incorporate his perspective and be different from what you originally thought.
Leadership tip of the week: Quote of the week:
If your lost property has 'vanished into thin air' or have ever 'refused to budge an inch' or have been 'tongue-tied', a 'tower of strength', 'hoodwinked' or 'in a pickle' you are quoting Shakespeare
Apple announced a massive 78% surge in second quarter profits to $3.25bn – boosted by the sale of 3.27 million iPads and 3.47 million Macs and 8.4 million iPhones.
Microsoft reported profits of $4.52bn for the same period. Lending to businesses and households fell in May according to the CBI.
Citigroup reported that it might quit Britain if the government imposes further taxes on banks.
The volcanic ash cloud, which closed airspace for 18 days, knocked 24% of Ryanair’s first quarter results.
It was announced that long-suffering Equitable Life policyholders may receive less than £500 each in compensation.
App of the week
Text speak may have had its day, following the launch of a free iPhone app that enables users to speak the words they wish to send in a text or email – the Dragon Dictation voice recognition system is said to be fast, easy to use and remarkably accurate.
How to resolve conflict at work:
Differences of opinion between colleagues can be useful and even productive. But when clashes turn ugly, conflict can be harmful to working relationships. Here are three tips for handling the next disagreement you have with a colleague: (1) Identify common ground. Point out what you both agree on at the beginning of the conversation. This may be a shared goal or a set of operating rules. (2) Hear your colleague out. Allow your colleague to share his opinion and explain his point of view. Don't disagree with individual points he makes; listen to the whole story. (3) Propose a solution. Use the information you gathered in the conversation to offer a resolution. This should incorporate his perspective and be different from what you originally thought.
Leadership tip of the week: Quote of the week:
If your lost property has 'vanished into thin air' or have ever 'refused to budge an inch' or have been 'tongue-tied', a 'tower of strength', 'hoodwinked' or 'in a pickle' you are quoting Shakespeare
Moneyweek's Week
The best-kept secret in economics…
The housing market is topping out…
Your biggest advantage over fund managers…
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● Typical! After the stock market got a real dose of the miseries last Friday, this week it was all change again. By midday yesterday, the FTSE 100 had recovered by some 4%.
This was something of a surprise, for several reasons. For one, there were some jitters over the outcome of Europe's banking stress tests, which are supposed to show how sound, or otherwise, the continent's lenders really are. By the time you get this email, they'll have been released - my colleague John Stepek will be giving his views on what they really mean for investors in Monday's Money Morning.
Second, US Fed boss Ben Bernanke was his usual cagey self in his six-month Congress testimony. The markets usually get quite excited when Bernanke talks to Congress, but there wasn't too much to see this time around. Meanwhile home sales in the US fell by 5% in June, while the stock of unsold houses hit its highest level in ten months. Hardly promising.
Add up the sum total of the above, and there's been plenty for investors to worry about, or so you might think. But with several American companies coming up with 'better than expected' results and statements - here's my take on that - investors decided to ignore the bad news and put their happy faces on.
● Meanwhile, back in Britain, the housing market looks like it's topping out again. Home loan approvals - a key gauge of future prices - dropped by 4.6% in June, according to the British Bankers Association.
This week, our editor-in-chief, Merryn Somerset Webb, was talking to a TV crew for a documentary about the property crash (she was also on Panorama this week by the way - if you missed it, you can check it out here).
They asked her why the government hadn't done anything to prevent the bubble from building in the first place. Well, of course the answer is that it's not in the government's interest to do so - you can read Merryn's take and comment on it, on our blog, here: Why the government can't stop house prices falling.
● With markets this volatile, what does an ordinary investor do? In Wednesday's Money Morning, John tried to spell it out: How to cope with the market's mood swings.
"Ignore the noise, and look at what's cheap." Long-term, large blue chips are a 'win-win' investment, he says. "If the economy recovers from here, then "that'll be good news for big companies along with the others. Profits and sales will go up.
"If we're heading into another slump, most shares will suffer, but defensives will bear up a lot better than the riskier stuff. At a recent Roundtable, we had a group of investment experts tip their top stocks for volatile times - subscribers can read it here: 13 stocks to protect your wealth in volatile markets". And if you're not already a subscriber, claim you first three issues of MoneyWeek free here.
● Talking of experts… one of the nice things about writing this Saturday round-up is that I get a good excuse to read, from cover to cover, all our newsletters. I don't always agree with their take on things, but there's lots of thought-provoking stuff you won't find anywhere else.
Like this from Bengt Saelensminde, editor of The Right Side email - "The secret weapon to beat the City Professionals".
"As private investors, we have one massive advantage over fund managers", says Bengt. "And it's so counter intuitive, you'll probably think it's not an advantage at all; in fact you may think I've lost my marbles... but here goes: we're allowed to make bad investments".
"Let me explain how you can use this to your advantage. It's a benefit that isn't available to most professional investors. Fund managers have to justify their every investment decision. Clients and colleagues question their every move. They wear the same suits, they read the same papers and they make the same conservative investments - and the same mediocre returns. The last thing a fund manager will do is make an 'off the wall' investment that could leave him with egg on his face. Yet it's the 'off-the-wall' investments that can make fortunes".
I like his thinking. What's more, Bengt's advice is completely free. If you'd like to receive The Right Side every day, simply sign up here.
Do you know what’s next for your money?
Where’s the FTSE heading?
Are we really sliding into a double-dip recession?
Should you prepare your portfolio for inflation or deflation?
Where will you put your money if the pound nosedives on Friday?
We’ve got some ideas.
Find out more here
-------------------------------------
Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares – you can lose some or all of your money; never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. 0207 633 3780.
● Speaking of off-the-wall investments, Tom Bulford in the Penny Sleuth email was talking about how to profit from golf this week. Not in Britain or the US, but in Asia. Why Asia? Because while golf has lost its elitist reputation in the UK to a great extent, it's still very much an aspirational sport in Asia.
"Many years ago I was on a flight to Hong Kong. Due to a typhoon, the flight was diverted to Taipei. We were obliged to stay overnight before being taken back to the airport the following morning. At first light, the bus passed a golf course. To my amazement, even then, the course was packed with golfers, desperate for their fix of this maddening and challenging game. In the 1970s there were fewer that 50 courses in the whole of Asia. Now there are over 6,000. In Asia, golf is booming.
"So there's plenty of money in the golf business. One firm that's recognised the possibilities and invested heavily in Asian sport is the French media giant Lagardere. But a penny share company that has its eyes on Asian golf is AIM-quoted Parallel Media Group (PAA).
"What Parallel does is to negotiate a deal with a host golf club, put up a prize fund, probably pay a few stars an appearance fee, find sponsors and then set about selling tickets, concessions and attracting corporate hosts. Done well, and with a little bit of luck with the weather and the quality of the field, this can be a real money spinner".
You can read the rest of the story here: Cash in on Asia's obsession with golf. And if you haven't already, then sign up for Tom's Penny Sleuth email, absolutely free.
● What's the best-kept secret in modern finance? Tim Price, writer of The Price Report, reckons he has the answer. "I want to tell you about a small cabal of investors and economists who have a remarkable record of calling the top of the market before a major crash. Many consider this group to be a bunch of lunatics - a fringe element.
"But I think they're probably the best-kept secret in finance - and right now, they're telling us exactly who's to blame for the crash. And how we can protect our wealth for the rough years that lie ahead".
So who on earth can he be talking about? The answer… is the Austrian school of economists. Now this may sound at best rather arcane, and at worst, very dull. But let me assure you, if you're interested in knowing more about what's gone wrong with the global economy over the last three decades - and how everything could yet get much worse, it's fascinating stuff.
"A stock market bubble, tends to have three features: one of them is fundamental (a new technology, say, like the internet); one of them is financial (a surge in the availability of money and credit, for example); and a key one is psychological - we all believe we can get effortlessly rich, and traditional valuation measures then get thrown out of the window. The 1990s stock market bubble represented all three.
"Why do I cite the Austrian warnings issued before the Millennium Crash? Because nothing has changed. In monetary terms, what has changed has got worse. An unsustainable problem has become doubly unsustainable. Debt, leverage, deficits, the ballooning of central bank balance sheets...If these were urgent problems back in 1999 and 2000, they are multiple times worse now."
Here at MoneyWeek, we're firm believers in Austrian thinking. I'll not give you the rest of Tim's piece here - that wouldn't be fair to his subscribers - but there's one clear conclusion which you won't be remotely surprised to hear: keep buying gold.
● Just before I go, one final word for those of you who want to keep your financial life nice and simple. If you just want to leave your cash in the bank, but are worried about your buying power being devastated by inflation, then take a look at our free email, MoneyWeek Saver. This week Ruth Jackson has been looking at the best savings rates around. And she reckons she's found a "sneaky way" to beat inflation. Just click here to read the piece: The sneaky way to beat inflation today.
● By the way, you can now follow MoneyWeek articles on Twitter, and you can also sign up direct for John Stepek’s Twitter feed.
Until next week,
David Stevenson
Associate editor, MoneyWeek
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The housing market is topping out…
Your biggest advantage over fund managers…
From David Stevenson, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning. This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● Typical! After the stock market got a real dose of the miseries last Friday, this week it was all change again. By midday yesterday, the FTSE 100 had recovered by some 4%.
This was something of a surprise, for several reasons. For one, there were some jitters over the outcome of Europe's banking stress tests, which are supposed to show how sound, or otherwise, the continent's lenders really are. By the time you get this email, they'll have been released - my colleague John Stepek will be giving his views on what they really mean for investors in Monday's Money Morning.
Second, US Fed boss Ben Bernanke was his usual cagey self in his six-month Congress testimony. The markets usually get quite excited when Bernanke talks to Congress, but there wasn't too much to see this time around. Meanwhile home sales in the US fell by 5% in June, while the stock of unsold houses hit its highest level in ten months. Hardly promising.
Add up the sum total of the above, and there's been plenty for investors to worry about, or so you might think. But with several American companies coming up with 'better than expected' results and statements - here's my take on that - investors decided to ignore the bad news and put their happy faces on.
● Meanwhile, back in Britain, the housing market looks like it's topping out again. Home loan approvals - a key gauge of future prices - dropped by 4.6% in June, according to the British Bankers Association.
This week, our editor-in-chief, Merryn Somerset Webb, was talking to a TV crew for a documentary about the property crash (she was also on Panorama this week by the way - if you missed it, you can check it out here).
They asked her why the government hadn't done anything to prevent the bubble from building in the first place. Well, of course the answer is that it's not in the government's interest to do so - you can read Merryn's take and comment on it, on our blog, here: Why the government can't stop house prices falling.
● With markets this volatile, what does an ordinary investor do? In Wednesday's Money Morning, John tried to spell it out: How to cope with the market's mood swings.
"Ignore the noise, and look at what's cheap." Long-term, large blue chips are a 'win-win' investment, he says. "If the economy recovers from here, then "that'll be good news for big companies along with the others. Profits and sales will go up.
"If we're heading into another slump, most shares will suffer, but defensives will bear up a lot better than the riskier stuff. At a recent Roundtable, we had a group of investment experts tip their top stocks for volatile times - subscribers can read it here: 13 stocks to protect your wealth in volatile markets". And if you're not already a subscriber, claim you first three issues of MoneyWeek free here.
● Talking of experts… one of the nice things about writing this Saturday round-up is that I get a good excuse to read, from cover to cover, all our newsletters. I don't always agree with their take on things, but there's lots of thought-provoking stuff you won't find anywhere else.
Like this from Bengt Saelensminde, editor of The Right Side email - "The secret weapon to beat the City Professionals".
"As private investors, we have one massive advantage over fund managers", says Bengt. "And it's so counter intuitive, you'll probably think it's not an advantage at all; in fact you may think I've lost my marbles... but here goes: we're allowed to make bad investments".
"Let me explain how you can use this to your advantage. It's a benefit that isn't available to most professional investors. Fund managers have to justify their every investment decision. Clients and colleagues question their every move. They wear the same suits, they read the same papers and they make the same conservative investments - and the same mediocre returns. The last thing a fund manager will do is make an 'off the wall' investment that could leave him with egg on his face. Yet it's the 'off-the-wall' investments that can make fortunes".
I like his thinking. What's more, Bengt's advice is completely free. If you'd like to receive The Right Side every day, simply sign up here.
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● Speaking of off-the-wall investments, Tom Bulford in the Penny Sleuth email was talking about how to profit from golf this week. Not in Britain or the US, but in Asia. Why Asia? Because while golf has lost its elitist reputation in the UK to a great extent, it's still very much an aspirational sport in Asia.
"Many years ago I was on a flight to Hong Kong. Due to a typhoon, the flight was diverted to Taipei. We were obliged to stay overnight before being taken back to the airport the following morning. At first light, the bus passed a golf course. To my amazement, even then, the course was packed with golfers, desperate for their fix of this maddening and challenging game. In the 1970s there were fewer that 50 courses in the whole of Asia. Now there are over 6,000. In Asia, golf is booming.
"So there's plenty of money in the golf business. One firm that's recognised the possibilities and invested heavily in Asian sport is the French media giant Lagardere. But a penny share company that has its eyes on Asian golf is AIM-quoted Parallel Media Group (PAA).
"What Parallel does is to negotiate a deal with a host golf club, put up a prize fund, probably pay a few stars an appearance fee, find sponsors and then set about selling tickets, concessions and attracting corporate hosts. Done well, and with a little bit of luck with the weather and the quality of the field, this can be a real money spinner".
You can read the rest of the story here: Cash in on Asia's obsession with golf. And if you haven't already, then sign up for Tom's Penny Sleuth email, absolutely free.
● What's the best-kept secret in modern finance? Tim Price, writer of The Price Report, reckons he has the answer. "I want to tell you about a small cabal of investors and economists who have a remarkable record of calling the top of the market before a major crash. Many consider this group to be a bunch of lunatics - a fringe element.
"But I think they're probably the best-kept secret in finance - and right now, they're telling us exactly who's to blame for the crash. And how we can protect our wealth for the rough years that lie ahead".
So who on earth can he be talking about? The answer… is the Austrian school of economists. Now this may sound at best rather arcane, and at worst, very dull. But let me assure you, if you're interested in knowing more about what's gone wrong with the global economy over the last three decades - and how everything could yet get much worse, it's fascinating stuff.
"A stock market bubble, tends to have three features: one of them is fundamental (a new technology, say, like the internet); one of them is financial (a surge in the availability of money and credit, for example); and a key one is psychological - we all believe we can get effortlessly rich, and traditional valuation measures then get thrown out of the window. The 1990s stock market bubble represented all three.
"Why do I cite the Austrian warnings issued before the Millennium Crash? Because nothing has changed. In monetary terms, what has changed has got worse. An unsustainable problem has become doubly unsustainable. Debt, leverage, deficits, the ballooning of central bank balance sheets...If these were urgent problems back in 1999 and 2000, they are multiple times worse now."
Here at MoneyWeek, we're firm believers in Austrian thinking. I'll not give you the rest of Tim's piece here - that wouldn't be fair to his subscribers - but there's one clear conclusion which you won't be remotely surprised to hear: keep buying gold.
● Just before I go, one final word for those of you who want to keep your financial life nice and simple. If you just want to leave your cash in the bank, but are worried about your buying power being devastated by inflation, then take a look at our free email, MoneyWeek Saver. This week Ruth Jackson has been looking at the best savings rates around. And she reckons she's found a "sneaky way" to beat inflation. Just click here to read the piece: The sneaky way to beat inflation today.
● By the way, you can now follow MoneyWeek articles on Twitter, and you can also sign up direct for John Stepek’s Twitter feed.
Until next week,
David Stevenson
Associate editor, MoneyWeek
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website, click here now: Sign up for a 3-week FREE trial of MoneyWeek
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How to handle disruptions - Tips from Ten
In today's world of financial crises, currency fluctuations, and terrorist threats, coping with the unexpected isn't just a good leadership skill, it's critical. Here are three ways you can improve your response to, and minimise the impact of, inevitable disruptions:
(1) Have a back-up plan. You may not always be able to rehearse Plan B, but you should have alternative approaches that can help get you out of a bind. In the absence of actual plans, mental flexibility can help you respond more quickly.
(2) Speed up communication. Information needs to move through your company quickly and efficiently. Find ways you can collect and disseminate data in short cycles.
(3) Instill values. Values help people know the right thing to do without being told or waiting for permission. They also bind a company together when surprises happen and therefore can help companies recover more quickly.
(1) Have a back-up plan. You may not always be able to rehearse Plan B, but you should have alternative approaches that can help get you out of a bind. In the absence of actual plans, mental flexibility can help you respond more quickly.
(2) Speed up communication. Information needs to move through your company quickly and efficiently. Find ways you can collect and disseminate data in short cycles.
(3) Instill values. Values help people know the right thing to do without being told or waiting for permission. They also bind a company together when surprises happen and therefore can help companies recover more quickly.
Last week in the city: - according to TEN
Fitness First is being lined up for a £2 billion listing that would trigger a giant windfall for its private equity backers.
Ocado is seeking to raise £400m in a stock market flotation.
Apple announced that it sold its 3M iPads, just 80 days after its introduction in the US.
Before its 50% slide, BP accounted for 7% of the overall FTSE index and accounted for £1 in every £7 of blue-chip payouts.
The Unite trade union is to postpone a strike ballot of British Airways cabin crew after receiving a peace offer from the airline, BAE Systems, Britain's biggest defence company, is set to cut hundreds of jobs in its UK vehicles business in the coming weeks.
TwitPic Uploader is the must have app for all Twitter users. There’s no greater instant gratification than snapping a photo and sharing it with the world.
How to motivate your board of directors:
When serving on a board of directors is voluntary, sometimes members can lose focus or doubt that their participation is essential. At your next board meeting, try these three tips for reinvigorating and encouraging board members to devote more time and energy to growing your company: (1) Pose provocative questions. Spend a significant part of each board meeting wrestling with critical issues and asking your board to think through the toughest challenges facing your company. (2) Share the stage. Minimise time spent listening to prepared presentations. Be sure one or two members don’t dominate the conversation. (3) Spend time one-on-one. Find out about members' individual interests and how they might translate to helping your company in a unique way - for example, by coaching an executive or attending a critical in-house meeting.
Ocado is seeking to raise £400m in a stock market flotation.
Apple announced that it sold its 3M iPads, just 80 days after its introduction in the US.
Before its 50% slide, BP accounted for 7% of the overall FTSE index and accounted for £1 in every £7 of blue-chip payouts.
The Unite trade union is to postpone a strike ballot of British Airways cabin crew after receiving a peace offer from the airline, BAE Systems, Britain's biggest defence company, is set to cut hundreds of jobs in its UK vehicles business in the coming weeks.
TwitPic Uploader is the must have app for all Twitter users. There’s no greater instant gratification than snapping a photo and sharing it with the world.
How to motivate your board of directors:
When serving on a board of directors is voluntary, sometimes members can lose focus or doubt that their participation is essential. At your next board meeting, try these three tips for reinvigorating and encouraging board members to devote more time and energy to growing your company: (1) Pose provocative questions. Spend a significant part of each board meeting wrestling with critical issues and asking your board to think through the toughest challenges facing your company. (2) Share the stage. Minimise time spent listening to prepared presentations. Be sure one or two members don’t dominate the conversation. (3) Spend time one-on-one. Find out about members' individual interests and how they might translate to helping your company in a unique way - for example, by coaching an executive or attending a critical in-house meeting.
The Money Week that was
* A hard lesson from BP - never catch a falling knife…
* Watch out for the death cross...
* Profiting from obscure Asian soft drinks...
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● What a week. The emergency Budget took up all the headlines, and most of the column inches on this side of the Atlantic. We were broadly happy with it. But of course, it's easy for George Osborne to stand up there and talk about huge cuts. Now they need to be pushed through.
As Tim Price put it in his Price Report newsletter: "to the extent that it imposed a degree of fiscal prudence where under Labour we had flatulence, this was 'Mission Accomplished'. We will now have to wait and see whether the savagery of the cuts to the public sector is greeted with continental-style social disunity."
● Of course, the neo-Keynesians, who think the answer to everything is to print more money, didn't like the Budget. As I noted in Wednesday's Money Morning, we'll never have a definitive answer about who's right, because these stances are often based more on personal politics than anything else - which just shows that economics really is a poor excuse for a science.
I've seen the case made that the Depression in the 1930s was caused by too much government interference, rather than too little. And I'm sure we'll see the same arguments rage over the "Great Recession" of the early 2000s in the future.
Our sympathies are with the austerity camp - although we don't think taking either path could save us from a double-dip. My colleague Merryn Somerset Webb explains in an excellent blog on the VAT hike: VAT rise won't create a Japan-style slump - but the banks might. "One of the things that most worries the 'must-have-more-stimulus' crowd about the Budget is the rise in VAT from January. It will, they say, tip the economy over the edge. Next thing we know, we'll be back in recession.
"The critics point to Japan as an example of how the nightmare of rising consumption taxes unfolds. There, in 1997, the tax rose from a mere 3% to 5%. The economy subsequently shrank in four of the next five quarters.
"I say subsequently rather than consequently for the simple reason that there is little evidence the two were particularly connected. As Graham Turner of GFC Economics points out, the Japanese economy had been slowing for some time before the tax actually rose. And the country's financial crisis was already "palpably intensifying", with a number of finance companies having just failed or being publicly on the verge of failure.
"At the same time, a big land auction in Tokyo had just failed (falling land and property prices were at the core of the Japanese financial collapse, just as they have been in ours). Worst of all, one of Japan's big insurers had just defaulted - the first to do so.
"All this 'arguably had a far greater impact on consumer confidence than the hike in consumption tax.' The UK may well end up back in recession. But if it does, I don't think it will be the rise in VAT that puts us there. Just as it was in Japan, it will be the next leg of the banking crisis."
● So that was the Budget. But while Britain's eyes were focused on Mr Osborne, the nation's broad mood of cautious optimism (no doubt helped by England's football win) was at odds with the rest of the world.
China got the week off to a good start with its revaluation of the yuan. However, investors rapidly realised that a tiny relaxation in the dollar peg wasn't going to cure all the world's ills.
Indeed, as Merryn blogged, China has plenty of its own problems. In fact, the renminbi might even be massively overvalued, rather than undervalued, as everyone assumes. "Let's not forget that while it has been pegged to the dollar it has nonetheless already appreciated massively against the euro and the pound this year. And in trade-weighted terms it has risen 13% or so since the peg was first loosened back in 2005."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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● Meanwhile, investors are starting to worry about the impact of all this austerity. Government stimulus is the only thing that's kept much of the global economy afloat. Now that it's being pulled away, everything is starting to look rather bleak.
But at the same time, governments can't just keep spending indefinitely. European governments in particular have run out of ammo. The cost of insuring against a Greek default hit another high this week, apparently for no specific reason other than that it was a 'risk-off' week. And in the US, the pulling of support for the housing market there has absolutely hammered home sales: The US housing horror story is about to get even worse.
● Another worrying sign comes from the technical analysis side of things. I know a lot of you are sceptical about charting. I don't blame you. But it's worth paying attention. Certainly all the best investors and fund managers I know consult charts as at least part of their analysis.
In any case, what's got the chartists worrying now is the rather grimly-named 'death cross'. You can see for yourself and read all about it in my colleague David Stevenson's blog. But in short, it suggests the FTSE 100 could be heading for another big downturn. You might be inclined to blame that on BP's horrible performance. But a 'death cross' is forming in the copper chart too, which suggests it's about more than just oil.
● Getting away from charts and back to fundamentals - one investment cliché that's also pretty good advice is to "buy what you know." Our Asia expert Cris Sholto Heaton agrees wholeheartedly. Of course, Cris being Cris, what he knows includes a whole range of things that most of us rarely encounter - such as obscure Asian soft drinks.
And in the latest edition of his Asia Investor newsletter, I reckon he's come out with the most exciting share tip he's recommended yet. "In its home market, this company has the same kind of profile you might associate with Coca-Cola or Pepsi." The big news is that it's starting to expand - but the market hasn't noticed yet.
Now I'm quite wary about the stock markets in general at the moment. I certainly don't think the recession is done with the West, and I suspect China is heading for harder times than anyone imagines too.
But if you're offered the chance to buy the next potential Asian multinational, you take it. Because what matters isn't what the market or the economy might do next month or next year. It's where we'll be in ten, maybe 20 years' time. And by then, however you cut it, Asia's populations as a whole are almost certain to be healthier, wealthier and consuming a lot more than they are now.
I'll be sending you an email with more on Asia Investor later today - look out for it, it's already created quite a buzz among Money Morning readers.
● Another investment cliché that's worth listening to is - "Never catch a falling knife." I'm talking, of course, about BP. Earlier this month, I thought it was worth a gamble at around 350p. Merryn disagreed with me, and I have to take my hat off to her, she was absolutely right: Why buying BP now is incredibly risky. The oil major had another shocker of a week this week, and even plunged below 300p at one point.
Well, it's certainly another useful reminder as to the importance of setting a stop-loss when you're gambling. David will have an update on what it all means in Monday's Money Morning.
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
PS. If you're interested in any of the newsletters mentioned above, you should take a look at the deal Toby Bray, MoneyWeek's publisher, has put together. I sent you an email about it yesterday. But if you missed it, the bottom line is that you can get MoneyWeek's top newsletters plus the magazine - for life. It's a great offer, probably the best we've done. But it has to end on Thursday at midnight. So take some time to look at the offer and see if it's for you - it's a massive deal and there may not be another chance to get on board.
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website, click here now:
Sign up for a 3-week FREE trial of MoneyWeek
* Watch out for the death cross...
* Profiting from obscure Asian soft drinks...
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● What a week. The emergency Budget took up all the headlines, and most of the column inches on this side of the Atlantic. We were broadly happy with it. But of course, it's easy for George Osborne to stand up there and talk about huge cuts. Now they need to be pushed through.
As Tim Price put it in his Price Report newsletter: "to the extent that it imposed a degree of fiscal prudence where under Labour we had flatulence, this was 'Mission Accomplished'. We will now have to wait and see whether the savagery of the cuts to the public sector is greeted with continental-style social disunity."
● Of course, the neo-Keynesians, who think the answer to everything is to print more money, didn't like the Budget. As I noted in Wednesday's Money Morning, we'll never have a definitive answer about who's right, because these stances are often based more on personal politics than anything else - which just shows that economics really is a poor excuse for a science.
I've seen the case made that the Depression in the 1930s was caused by too much government interference, rather than too little. And I'm sure we'll see the same arguments rage over the "Great Recession" of the early 2000s in the future.
Our sympathies are with the austerity camp - although we don't think taking either path could save us from a double-dip. My colleague Merryn Somerset Webb explains in an excellent blog on the VAT hike: VAT rise won't create a Japan-style slump - but the banks might. "One of the things that most worries the 'must-have-more-stimulus' crowd about the Budget is the rise in VAT from January. It will, they say, tip the economy over the edge. Next thing we know, we'll be back in recession.
"The critics point to Japan as an example of how the nightmare of rising consumption taxes unfolds. There, in 1997, the tax rose from a mere 3% to 5%. The economy subsequently shrank in four of the next five quarters.
"I say subsequently rather than consequently for the simple reason that there is little evidence the two were particularly connected. As Graham Turner of GFC Economics points out, the Japanese economy had been slowing for some time before the tax actually rose. And the country's financial crisis was already "palpably intensifying", with a number of finance companies having just failed or being publicly on the verge of failure.
"At the same time, a big land auction in Tokyo had just failed (falling land and property prices were at the core of the Japanese financial collapse, just as they have been in ours). Worst of all, one of Japan's big insurers had just defaulted - the first to do so.
"All this 'arguably had a far greater impact on consumer confidence than the hike in consumption tax.' The UK may well end up back in recession. But if it does, I don't think it will be the rise in VAT that puts us there. Just as it was in Japan, it will be the next leg of the banking crisis."
● So that was the Budget. But while Britain's eyes were focused on Mr Osborne, the nation's broad mood of cautious optimism (no doubt helped by England's football win) was at odds with the rest of the world.
China got the week off to a good start with its revaluation of the yuan. However, investors rapidly realised that a tiny relaxation in the dollar peg wasn't going to cure all the world's ills.
Indeed, as Merryn blogged, China has plenty of its own problems. In fact, the renminbi might even be massively overvalued, rather than undervalued, as everyone assumes. "Let's not forget that while it has been pegged to the dollar it has nonetheless already appreciated massively against the euro and the pound this year. And in trade-weighted terms it has risen 13% or so since the peg was first loosened back in 2005."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
SHOCK announcement from the publisher of MoneyWeek:
“I’m ‘giving away’ our best research!”
It’s the biggest offer we’re ever likely to make...
An offer that could make – and save – you thousands of pounds.
BUT – only 300 people are able to take advantage of this unprecedented chance to save money... protect your money... and potentially multiply your wealth – and to take advantage of what could be the biggest opportunity of your life...
“FIND OUT MORE HERE!”
-----------------------------------------------------
MoneyWeek Alliance is a regulated product issued by MoneyWeek Ltd. Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek advice if necessary. 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Meanwhile, investors are starting to worry about the impact of all this austerity. Government stimulus is the only thing that's kept much of the global economy afloat. Now that it's being pulled away, everything is starting to look rather bleak.
But at the same time, governments can't just keep spending indefinitely. European governments in particular have run out of ammo. The cost of insuring against a Greek default hit another high this week, apparently for no specific reason other than that it was a 'risk-off' week. And in the US, the pulling of support for the housing market there has absolutely hammered home sales: The US housing horror story is about to get even worse.
● Another worrying sign comes from the technical analysis side of things. I know a lot of you are sceptical about charting. I don't blame you. But it's worth paying attention. Certainly all the best investors and fund managers I know consult charts as at least part of their analysis.
In any case, what's got the chartists worrying now is the rather grimly-named 'death cross'. You can see for yourself and read all about it in my colleague David Stevenson's blog. But in short, it suggests the FTSE 100 could be heading for another big downturn. You might be inclined to blame that on BP's horrible performance. But a 'death cross' is forming in the copper chart too, which suggests it's about more than just oil.
● Getting away from charts and back to fundamentals - one investment cliché that's also pretty good advice is to "buy what you know." Our Asia expert Cris Sholto Heaton agrees wholeheartedly. Of course, Cris being Cris, what he knows includes a whole range of things that most of us rarely encounter - such as obscure Asian soft drinks.
And in the latest edition of his Asia Investor newsletter, I reckon he's come out with the most exciting share tip he's recommended yet. "In its home market, this company has the same kind of profile you might associate with Coca-Cola or Pepsi." The big news is that it's starting to expand - but the market hasn't noticed yet.
Now I'm quite wary about the stock markets in general at the moment. I certainly don't think the recession is done with the West, and I suspect China is heading for harder times than anyone imagines too.
But if you're offered the chance to buy the next potential Asian multinational, you take it. Because what matters isn't what the market or the economy might do next month or next year. It's where we'll be in ten, maybe 20 years' time. And by then, however you cut it, Asia's populations as a whole are almost certain to be healthier, wealthier and consuming a lot more than they are now.
I'll be sending you an email with more on Asia Investor later today - look out for it, it's already created quite a buzz among Money Morning readers.
● Another investment cliché that's worth listening to is - "Never catch a falling knife." I'm talking, of course, about BP. Earlier this month, I thought it was worth a gamble at around 350p. Merryn disagreed with me, and I have to take my hat off to her, she was absolutely right: Why buying BP now is incredibly risky. The oil major had another shocker of a week this week, and even plunged below 300p at one point.
Well, it's certainly another useful reminder as to the importance of setting a stop-loss when you're gambling. David will have an update on what it all means in Monday's Money Morning.
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
PS. If you're interested in any of the newsletters mentioned above, you should take a look at the deal Toby Bray, MoneyWeek's publisher, has put together. I sent you an email about it yesterday. But if you missed it, the bottom line is that you can get MoneyWeek's top newsletters plus the magazine - for life. It's a great offer, probably the best we've done. But it has to end on Thursday at midnight. So take some time to look at the offer and see if it's for you - it's a massive deal and there may not be another chance to get on board.
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website, click here now:
Sign up for a 3-week FREE trial of MoneyWeek
The week according to TEN
The Government announced that the FSA would be dismantled with many of its duties transferred to the BoE.
BP scrapped its dividend and agreed to put $20bn into a fund to pay compensation claims.
Morgan Stanley warned that taxpayers should brace themselves for up to £10bn worth of tax increases in the emergency budget.
Nationwide said that UK consumers confidence was at its lowest for a year. Spanish banks borrowed €86bn from the ECB.
News Corp made an indicative £12.3bn, or 700p a share, bid for the 61% of BSkyB it doesn’t already own.
How to increase sales through cold calling: In this era of social media and web-based marketing tools, it's easy to assume the cold call is dead. But especially in the B2B market, it is still a very popular - and effective - way to make sales. Here are three ways to convert a phone call into a sale:
(1) Find a direct line. Calling the direct number for the person you are trying to reach doubles your chances of getting him on the phone.
(2) Utilise online resources. Use sites such as LinkedIn to get more information about your targets or to make contact.
(3) Know the difference between persistence and annoyance. Annoying someone will not make him buy what you're selling. Be professional when reaching out: personalise each message, alternate between voicemail and email so you don't inundate, and add value or provide more information each time you call.
BP scrapped its dividend and agreed to put $20bn into a fund to pay compensation claims.
Morgan Stanley warned that taxpayers should brace themselves for up to £10bn worth of tax increases in the emergency budget.
Nationwide said that UK consumers confidence was at its lowest for a year. Spanish banks borrowed €86bn from the ECB.
News Corp made an indicative £12.3bn, or 700p a share, bid for the 61% of BSkyB it doesn’t already own.
How to increase sales through cold calling: In this era of social media and web-based marketing tools, it's easy to assume the cold call is dead. But especially in the B2B market, it is still a very popular - and effective - way to make sales. Here are three ways to convert a phone call into a sale:
(1) Find a direct line. Calling the direct number for the person you are trying to reach doubles your chances of getting him on the phone.
(2) Utilise online resources. Use sites such as LinkedIn to get more information about your targets or to make contact.
(3) Know the difference between persistence and annoyance. Annoying someone will not make him buy what you're selling. Be professional when reaching out: personalise each message, alternate between voicemail and email so you don't inundate, and add value or provide more information each time you call.
10 ways to create raving fans for your business
Recommendations are best - work as a trusted source for quality recommendations.
Under promise and always over deliver - wow you clients and go the extra mile by over delivering every time. Add value to your offering.
Build relationships - you need to keep in touch with your network so that they know what you are doing, what's new, what's coming up but also, find out what's going on in their world.
Always follow up - Meet, like, follow up! Always follow up. You've sat next to 10 people for at least one hour over lunch and heard their 'elevator pitches'. There must be something you can talk about to make your own contact with them remarkable and memorable.
Do what you say you will - don't under deliver. If you say that you'll put someone in contact with the best electrician that you know, please do it. If something has been promised to you, you then look forward to receiving it.
Get testimonials - your customers are your biggest fans especially if you've done a great job. Apply the testimonials regularly to your marketing material and website. Keep it fresh!
Provide masses of additional value - what more could you do for your existing clients? You are getting to know their business, bit by bit, they like what you do, what more could you pull 'out of the bag' to help them?
Treat all of your clients like VIP's - because they are VIP's and they will keep working with you if you love them, care for them, add value and go the extra mile.
Say "thank you" - if someone refers you to another business then please say "thank you". It means a great deal and they will remember you for saying thank you.
Provide a very proactive service - this will enable you to gain more business from existing clients, it adds value to your offering and it's so helpful. You will be remembered for being helpful.
Oh! One more thing - "Is there anything else I can help you with?" usually produces a "yes, actually there is".
Our current special offer is a FREE VA trial. If you need help - have important projects backing up, not enough time to deal with every task on your desk, don't have employees, don't want to hire a new member of staff, have people on holiday or sickness, hate the task in question then let us help you. Our offer includes a 30 minute client consultation and two hours VA time. We can get a HUGE amount done in just 1 hour and we love the tasks you hate. Call 01647 478123 for more details.
Email: phillippa@essentialpa.co.uk
www.essentialpa.co.uk
Last week in the city: According to Ten
Wall Street hit its lowest level this year following disappointing employment data indicating that just 41,000 private sector jobs where created in May.
BP looks set to set aside sufficient cash to meet all legitimate claims, which analysts say could range from $5bn to $40bn.
American regulators are planning to investigate Apple’s business practices to see if it is harming the developing market for software that runs on mobile phones and the iPad.
Sir Terry Leahy announced his retirement from Tesco after 14 years at the top. Philip Clark, his successor, is only the sixth boss in the company’s 80-year history.
How to change careers within your existing company: Making a lateral move inside an organisation can be challenging. If leaders see you as an "IT person" it can be hard to convince them you are a "marketing person." Here are three ways to combat pigeonholing and convince your bosses that you're ready for a new challenge:
(1) Make it a win-win. Position your proposal in terms of the value it will bring the company. For example, explain that you have under-utilised skills or capacity that could be used in a different division or for an important task.
(2) Cover your current position. Offer to train your successor or to continue to do the job part-time.
(3) Think of others. Focusing on what you stand to gain will get you nowhere. Emphasise the learning and development opportunities the move will create, such as for the junior person who can take on some of your previous responsibilities.
The Money Week week
BP – good value or value trap?
...Profit from peckish Asians
... One way to incentivise the England squad
From John Stepek, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● The week began with stock markets plunging. Fears of a double-dip recession reared their heads again as US payrolls data for last month proved very disappointing (The recovery is fizzling out – and there's worse to come). By the end of the week, a jump in Chinese exports had brought some cheer back to the markets, before a fall in US retail sales dented hopes again.
However, BP remained the big story. It's a miserable situation for all involved, not least the families of the 11 people who died in the accident, the environment, and anyone whose livelihood has been destroyed by the spill.
But that's all rather being forgotten amid the blame-throwing going on. The British media is getting increasingly fed up with the flak being tossed our way by the US government and Barack Obama. It wasn't long before unfavourable comparisons with America's attitude towards the 1984 Bhopal disaster, where a leak at a US-owned factory caused the deaths of at least 15,000 people in India, were being bandied about. And as our own Tim Price wrote in his Price Report newsletter, "God help Obama if Exxon Mobil is involved in another high profile public disaster – anywhere."
The political mud-slinging will no doubt continue. But what about the investment case? Well, almost all of our writers have had a crack at giving their views on BP since the spill – my colleague David Stevenson pretty much summed them up last week.
I'll throw in my tuppence here. As the share price tanked this week, I asked our editor-in-chief Merryn Somerset Webb whether she reckoned it was time to buy. I felt BP had probably hit bottom – she was less sure. She blogged on both our views here.
But her main point, which I agree with, is that even if BP is a buy down here, it's certainly not the stock it once was. The funds that hold BP do so for the dividend yield, and the promise of safe exposure to global demand for energy. Now it's very much a short-term punt on whether or not the share will rebound once all the bad news on the spill has come out – I reckon you can probably forget about a dividend being paid, at least for a couple of quarters.
● Shareholders in BP obviously aren't too happy about this mess. But Stephen Bland tells readers of his newsletter, The Dividend Letter, that there's really only one big reason to be angry at BP, and it's nothing to do with the oil spill.
"What really irks me about BP is the stupendous sum they have wasted over the years in share buybacks, which they claim to be a form of return to shareholders. I don't know about you, but I ain't seen none of that money. But we would have if they had increased the dividends instead.
"The figures are absolutely staggering – and scandalous. For the years from 2000 to 2008 they spent in total over $51 billion, yes billion, on buying their own shares. A cash spill that would have paid for a hell of a lot of oil spills. In 2009 they spent nothing, though I suspect that owes more to the credit crunch than a change of heart about this foul practice that so shafts the private shareholder in favour of their institutional mates."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
World’s first “15% Pension Fund”, now taking new investors
That’s potentially 15% per year for the rest of your life.
Not only that – you pay NO performance fees... NO hidden charges... and you can cash out WHENEVER you like!
The only question is: Do YOU qualify?
-----------------------------------------
Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future results. Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek independent financial advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. Customer Services: 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Getting back to those weak US retail sales – the truth, says Cris Sholto Heaton in his Asia Investor newsletter, is that the best days of the US consumer are in the past. "The US consumer defined the last few decades. And the Asian consumer will define the next. That's why you're already reading about which handbag is most popular in Beijing. And how bottled tea has become a craze among young Vietnamese."
But as Cris points out, lots of people already know this. That's why "I want to get away from the familiar stories you know about Asia's middle class: The car sales. The luxury shopping malls. The new television set in every home."
I've worked with Cris for a while. If there's one thing that makes him a good analyst, it's his nigh-on obsessive attention to detail (you'll already know all about this if you read his free email, MoneyWeek Asia). He's studied what really happens when a society starts being driven by consumerism, rather than simply jumping on the tedious and simplistic "look how many BMWs rich Chinese people are buying" bandwagon.
And that's led him to look into the market for something rather ordinary – snacks. "If you're buying a quick snack on-the-go in Britain, you might grab a chocolate bar from a supermarket or convenience store. But in most parts of emerging Asia, you're more likely to buy a steamed bun or fried tofu from a street vendor."
But this is changing. As consumers get wealthier and modern retail chains more widespread, they are consuming more shop-bought "processed, packaged snacks". And this is an important trend for investors to buy into. Why?
"Because when you begin selling more packaged, prepared food, you also sell more branding. While one street stall may be better than its neighbours, they are all selling more-or-less the same product at the same price. Their pricing power is very limited.
"But a company that can build a brand around its product is the only producer of that product. And so it can earn margins far in excess of an unbranded commodity snack. And that means that they profit much more from growing wealth and millions of people's willingness to spend a few pence more on the branded product."
It makes sense to me. And Cris reckons he's found the perfect stock to play the sector. You can find out more about Asia Investor and Cris's investment rationale here.
● One of the dangers of being a small investor is boiler rooms. These scam merchants are particularly fond of cold-calling penny share investors. That's because they assume they'll be easy targets – adventurous, and with a bit of spare cash. But one made the mistake of calling our penny share expert Tom Bulford the other day. Says Tom:
"I had a call from a girl called Melanie claiming to be from a wine merchant in Mayfair. It went something like this:
"Melanie: "Hello Mr Bulford, I am Melanie and I am offering you the chance to make tax-free gains by investing in vintage wines…"
"Me: "I am not interested."
"Melanie: "But you have not even listened to what I have to say."
"Me: "Go away."
"Melanie: "Is that because you have never thought of investing in wine?"
"Me: Words to the effect of "get lost".
"Melanie: "But…"
"Sound of phone slamming."
Now, as far as I'm concerned, that's pretty much a textbook way to deal with these people – just hang up right away. And that's what the Financial Services Authority (FSA) told Tom when he called them to report the scam.
They also suggested the Telephone Preference Service. It's a free service that allows you to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales or marketing calls – just register your phone number. You can find all the details on www.tpsonline.org.uk.
"But," says Tom, "the main thing to remember is this. Never ever agree to part with your money on the basis of a telephone conversation. Just put the phone down straight away. Or, if you find you are being drawn into a conversation, be as rude as you like and then slam down the receiver. And report these sharks to the FSA. The phone number is 0845 602 2185. Alternatively, you can file a report on http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/form.shtml."
● And I suppose I can't really finish off this weekend round-up without at least nodding to the World Cup.
One reader replied to Merryn's blog on BP: "No idea whether BP is a buy at these levels but if the England football players' wealth managers have invested their millions in high dividend UK oil majors, then Rooney and co have every incentive to counter Obama's nasty populism and humiliate the USA on Saturday."
It's one way to incentivise the team I suppose. If it works, we can only hope that the rest of their money has been shovelled into euros – the pain of that loss might give them a fighting chance if they get far enough to play Spain...
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website, just call 0207 633 3780 and one of our Customer Service representatives will take your order for you. Please quote reference number EMYK L502 to get your special discount and free issues.
...Profit from peckish Asians
... One way to incentivise the England squad
From John Stepek, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● The week began with stock markets plunging. Fears of a double-dip recession reared their heads again as US payrolls data for last month proved very disappointing (The recovery is fizzling out – and there's worse to come). By the end of the week, a jump in Chinese exports had brought some cheer back to the markets, before a fall in US retail sales dented hopes again.
However, BP remained the big story. It's a miserable situation for all involved, not least the families of the 11 people who died in the accident, the environment, and anyone whose livelihood has been destroyed by the spill.
But that's all rather being forgotten amid the blame-throwing going on. The British media is getting increasingly fed up with the flak being tossed our way by the US government and Barack Obama. It wasn't long before unfavourable comparisons with America's attitude towards the 1984 Bhopal disaster, where a leak at a US-owned factory caused the deaths of at least 15,000 people in India, were being bandied about. And as our own Tim Price wrote in his Price Report newsletter, "God help Obama if Exxon Mobil is involved in another high profile public disaster – anywhere."
The political mud-slinging will no doubt continue. But what about the investment case? Well, almost all of our writers have had a crack at giving their views on BP since the spill – my colleague David Stevenson pretty much summed them up last week.
I'll throw in my tuppence here. As the share price tanked this week, I asked our editor-in-chief Merryn Somerset Webb whether she reckoned it was time to buy. I felt BP had probably hit bottom – she was less sure. She blogged on both our views here.
But her main point, which I agree with, is that even if BP is a buy down here, it's certainly not the stock it once was. The funds that hold BP do so for the dividend yield, and the promise of safe exposure to global demand for energy. Now it's very much a short-term punt on whether or not the share will rebound once all the bad news on the spill has come out – I reckon you can probably forget about a dividend being paid, at least for a couple of quarters.
● Shareholders in BP obviously aren't too happy about this mess. But Stephen Bland tells readers of his newsletter, The Dividend Letter, that there's really only one big reason to be angry at BP, and it's nothing to do with the oil spill.
"What really irks me about BP is the stupendous sum they have wasted over the years in share buybacks, which they claim to be a form of return to shareholders. I don't know about you, but I ain't seen none of that money. But we would have if they had increased the dividends instead.
"The figures are absolutely staggering – and scandalous. For the years from 2000 to 2008 they spent in total over $51 billion, yes billion, on buying their own shares. A cash spill that would have paid for a hell of a lot of oil spills. In 2009 they spent nothing, though I suspect that owes more to the credit crunch than a change of heart about this foul practice that so shafts the private shareholder in favour of their institutional mates."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
World’s first “15% Pension Fund”, now taking new investors
That’s potentially 15% per year for the rest of your life.
Not only that – you pay NO performance fees... NO hidden charges... and you can cash out WHENEVER you like!
The only question is: Do YOU qualify?
-----------------------------------------
Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future results. Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek independent financial advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. Customer Services: 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Getting back to those weak US retail sales – the truth, says Cris Sholto Heaton in his Asia Investor newsletter, is that the best days of the US consumer are in the past. "The US consumer defined the last few decades. And the Asian consumer will define the next. That's why you're already reading about which handbag is most popular in Beijing. And how bottled tea has become a craze among young Vietnamese."
But as Cris points out, lots of people already know this. That's why "I want to get away from the familiar stories you know about Asia's middle class: The car sales. The luxury shopping malls. The new television set in every home."
I've worked with Cris for a while. If there's one thing that makes him a good analyst, it's his nigh-on obsessive attention to detail (you'll already know all about this if you read his free email, MoneyWeek Asia). He's studied what really happens when a society starts being driven by consumerism, rather than simply jumping on the tedious and simplistic "look how many BMWs rich Chinese people are buying" bandwagon.
And that's led him to look into the market for something rather ordinary – snacks. "If you're buying a quick snack on-the-go in Britain, you might grab a chocolate bar from a supermarket or convenience store. But in most parts of emerging Asia, you're more likely to buy a steamed bun or fried tofu from a street vendor."
But this is changing. As consumers get wealthier and modern retail chains more widespread, they are consuming more shop-bought "processed, packaged snacks". And this is an important trend for investors to buy into. Why?
"Because when you begin selling more packaged, prepared food, you also sell more branding. While one street stall may be better than its neighbours, they are all selling more-or-less the same product at the same price. Their pricing power is very limited.
"But a company that can build a brand around its product is the only producer of that product. And so it can earn margins far in excess of an unbranded commodity snack. And that means that they profit much more from growing wealth and millions of people's willingness to spend a few pence more on the branded product."
It makes sense to me. And Cris reckons he's found the perfect stock to play the sector. You can find out more about Asia Investor and Cris's investment rationale here.
● One of the dangers of being a small investor is boiler rooms. These scam merchants are particularly fond of cold-calling penny share investors. That's because they assume they'll be easy targets – adventurous, and with a bit of spare cash. But one made the mistake of calling our penny share expert Tom Bulford the other day. Says Tom:
"I had a call from a girl called Melanie claiming to be from a wine merchant in Mayfair. It went something like this:
"Melanie: "Hello Mr Bulford, I am Melanie and I am offering you the chance to make tax-free gains by investing in vintage wines…"
"Me: "I am not interested."
"Melanie: "But you have not even listened to what I have to say."
"Me: "Go away."
"Melanie: "Is that because you have never thought of investing in wine?"
"Me: Words to the effect of "get lost".
"Melanie: "But…"
"Sound of phone slamming."
Now, as far as I'm concerned, that's pretty much a textbook way to deal with these people – just hang up right away. And that's what the Financial Services Authority (FSA) told Tom when he called them to report the scam.
They also suggested the Telephone Preference Service. It's a free service that allows you to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales or marketing calls – just register your phone number. You can find all the details on www.tpsonline.org.uk.
"But," says Tom, "the main thing to remember is this. Never ever agree to part with your money on the basis of a telephone conversation. Just put the phone down straight away. Or, if you find you are being drawn into a conversation, be as rude as you like and then slam down the receiver. And report these sharks to the FSA. The phone number is 0845 602 2185. Alternatively, you can file a report on http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/form.shtml."
● And I suppose I can't really finish off this weekend round-up without at least nodding to the World Cup.
One reader replied to Merryn's blog on BP: "No idea whether BP is a buy at these levels but if the England football players' wealth managers have invested their millions in high dividend UK oil majors, then Rooney and co have every incentive to counter Obama's nasty populism and humiliate the USA on Saturday."
It's one way to incentivise the team I suppose. If it works, we can only hope that the rest of their money has been shovelled into euros – the pain of that loss might give them a fighting chance if they get far enough to play Spain...
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website, just call 0207 633 3780 and one of our Customer Service representatives will take your order for you. Please quote reference number EMYK L502 to get your special discount and free issues.
Money Morning
....Don't buy BP until it hits 420p
... Small cap stocks on the rebound
...Gold v Property, Round II
From David Stevenson, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● 'Shortened' Bank Holiday weeks can often be a bit quieter – unless you've been wrestling with the joys of half term, that is.
In the markets, it was much the same this week. There wasn't too much to see on the company results front. But share prices were still bouncing around and there's been plenty of other stuff going on.
For example, a couple of Britain's biggest names, BP (LSE: BP/) and Prudential (LSE: PRU) have been very much in the news. We talked about them both in Thursday's Money Morning, so I'll not repeat all the details here.
Since then, BP hasn't been prepared to commit to maintaining its dividend. The oil giant's shares have bounced a bit on hopes it might succeed this time in plugging its Gulf of Mexico leak. But with the longer-term payout still under threat, I'd like to see the price back down at around 420p before buying.
After all, BP is still surrounded by risks, as we explained last week. Yet for many oil companies, in particular at the smaller end of the scale, the risks are of a very different kind. In a nutshell, the oil 'minnows' worry about not finding any of the stuff. But the flipside is that if a minnow hits the jackpot, its investors can really coin it. So it's well worth having a look at this week's cover story in the magazine:
"Nothing kick starts a share price like a major oil find", says author Tom Bulford. "Last August investors in Gulf Keystone Petroleum (AIM: GKP) saw the value of their shares soar by 592% in just 20 days. Last month, investors in Rockhopper Exploration (Aim: RKH) had the same thrill ride, as the share price raced from 37p to 220p in less than a week. Each had struck black gold – Gulf Keystone in Kurdistan, Rockhopper close to the Falkland Islands".
"If you're happy to take the risk involved – and do be aware that it's risky, so don't invest money you can't afford to lose – if you back the right minnow today, you could land tomorrow's oil major."
If you're already a subscriber to the magazine, here's the link: Hunting for oil in the world's six most promising frontiers. If you're not, you can still see the story by taking up our offer of a 3-week free trial.
● Tom has been a very busy bee recently. He's also been scouring round for turnaround stocks for his free Penny Sleuth email. This does exactly what is says on the tin, aiming to find penny shares that could soon be worth much more.
"Three men have been bending my ear recently", he says. These are "Wayne Money of Eruma (LSE:ERU), Barrie Whip of Crimson Tide (LSE: TIDE) and Miles Hunt of Empresaria (LSE: EMR). All have interesting stories to tell. All have had a tough time during the recession but I get the sense they're turning things around and are poised to deliver some good news."
If you haven't heard of any of these stocks, you're in similar company. Until reading Tom's piece, I hadn't either. Empresaria is a recruitment agency, Crimson Tide does software and Eruma is in, of all things, counter-terrorism. But if Tom believes they're worth looking at, that's enough for me. Here's the link to his piece about them: Three turnaround penny shares to watch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
World’s first “15% Pension Fund”, now taking new investors
That’s potentially 15% per year for the rest of your life.
Not only that – you pay NO performance fees... NO hidden charges... and you can cash out WHENEVER you like!
The only question is: Do YOU qualify?
-----------------------------------------
Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future results. Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek independent financial advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. Customer Services: 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Tom also reckons that investors are missing out on big opportunities in biotech. In this week's magazine sector column, James McKeigue agrees. Or to be more exact, he believes there's money to be made from "genetically modified organisms".
"Global food demand is set to keep growing strongly", says James. "The UN predicts that demand for food will increase by 50% by 2030. Rising living standards in developing countries, especially in Asia, are also a key factor. So agriculture has to use all the resources at its disposal more efficiently. That means investing in so-called "Frankenfoods" could prove very profitable".
And as he explains, (GM foods: an unexpected European growth story), he's just found a cheap, 'pure play' in the sector that's well placed to cash in on all this long-term growth.
● In fact, there's a bit of a 'big numbers' theme here. Dr Mike Tubbs, who writes the Research Investments newsletter has been pondering how mankind will be able to cope with the fallout from millions more vehicles on the roads.
"Take China's pollution problems for a start. There are already four million private cars clogging the streets of Beijing. Each day 2,000 new drivers become part of the capital's grim crawl of traffic. The city is choked with smog. And all the new coal-fired power stations are making their pollution problems much worse".
"But then traffic is also increasing rapidly in Mexico City, Bangkok and Shanghai. Worldwide, transport is responsible for 14% of the carbon dioxide emitted each year, according to the MIT Technology Review. And with vehicle ownership in developing countries growing at 30% a year, cutting fuel emissions will be a major priority for governments for decades to come. It's the same story with power. Most developed economies are far too dependent on dirty energy sources – whether it be coal, oil or natural gas".
"How are governments cutting down on emissions? By introducing tougher regulation on transport and power generation. They know that building massive solar and wind farms won't be enough. And nuclear stations take a long time to bring into service. We have to cut down on the emissions we are generating at the moment".
The good news for the planet is that Dr Mike has found, if not the complete answer, at least a metals-related stock that will do very well out of cutting emissions. Here's where you can find out more about Research Investments.
● Talking of metals, we couldn't let this edition of the round-up pass without another mention of Dominic Frisby's piece last week. For those that missed it, here it is: In real money, British house prices are down by 70%.
To recap, he was talking about the link between gold and UK house prices. Now clearly, for MoneyWeek and its devotees, these topics are very close to the heart. No prizes for guessing what specialist subjects we'd select if we went onto Mastermind.
But the response from readers has been absolutely unprecedented. It's now well into three figures. And it's great to see so many of you getting involved in the conversation. What's more, there were very widely differing views, ranging between those who think it's a top-notch article to those who think Mr F has taken leave of his senses!
Anyway, on Monday Dominic published a follow-up, to "address one or two concerns" called "Why I still prefer gold to houses".
In fact, the title rather speaks for itself. But it's worth repeating the conclusion:
"These are incredibly frustrating times. A whole generation has been alienated by the absurdly out-of-reach property prices in this country. Many, having rightly identified that property was in a bubble, either stayed out or got out, only for the long-overdue correction never to fully materialise. Meanwhile, they see the purchasing power of their money evaporate, and it seems they'll never be able to buy anything unless they cripple themselves with debt".
"This is all an unfortunate consequence of the modern fiat system of money and credit. It causes 'malinvestment', it creates rampant asset price inflation, booms, bubbles and, eventually, busts. In response to all this there isn't much we can do other than move our wealth into stronger foreign currencies or an asset, such as gold, that a government can't debase."
"And there might be another opportunity to do that in the next few months. There's a lot of turbulence dead ahead in global markets. Gold may well sell off in the carnage. If it does, and we get our usual summer low, take advantage".
Amen to that! But replies to 'Gold and Houses Round II' are still coming in, so if you haven't had your say yet and would like to, feel free to do so.
● Before I go, just one more thing.
Last Saturday we sent out a very special invitation. This gave Money Morning readers the first chance to get hold of a groundbreaking 'hidden seam' investment report. The response has been incredible so far…and here's why…
My colleague and MoneyWeek contributor Cris Sholto Heaton has unearthed a 'hidden seam' of companies in Asia. He believes these have more potential than any other type of shares anywhere in the world. And you can still get in on the action. On Tuesday afternoon the first issue of his new Asia Investor newsletter, including the identity of his latest 'hidden seam' tip goes out live. To get in on this you have to put your name down by midnight Sunday – at the latest. Find out how here.
Until next week,
David Stevenson
Associate editor, MoneyWeek
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website. To place your order over the phone, just call 0207 633 3780 and one of our Customer Service representatives will take your order for you. Please quote reference number EMYK L502 to get your special discount and free issues
... Small cap stocks on the rebound
...Gold v Property, Round II
From David Stevenson, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● 'Shortened' Bank Holiday weeks can often be a bit quieter – unless you've been wrestling with the joys of half term, that is.
In the markets, it was much the same this week. There wasn't too much to see on the company results front. But share prices were still bouncing around and there's been plenty of other stuff going on.
For example, a couple of Britain's biggest names, BP (LSE: BP/) and Prudential (LSE: PRU) have been very much in the news. We talked about them both in Thursday's Money Morning, so I'll not repeat all the details here.
Since then, BP hasn't been prepared to commit to maintaining its dividend. The oil giant's shares have bounced a bit on hopes it might succeed this time in plugging its Gulf of Mexico leak. But with the longer-term payout still under threat, I'd like to see the price back down at around 420p before buying.
After all, BP is still surrounded by risks, as we explained last week. Yet for many oil companies, in particular at the smaller end of the scale, the risks are of a very different kind. In a nutshell, the oil 'minnows' worry about not finding any of the stuff. But the flipside is that if a minnow hits the jackpot, its investors can really coin it. So it's well worth having a look at this week's cover story in the magazine:
"Nothing kick starts a share price like a major oil find", says author Tom Bulford. "Last August investors in Gulf Keystone Petroleum (AIM: GKP) saw the value of their shares soar by 592% in just 20 days. Last month, investors in Rockhopper Exploration (Aim: RKH) had the same thrill ride, as the share price raced from 37p to 220p in less than a week. Each had struck black gold – Gulf Keystone in Kurdistan, Rockhopper close to the Falkland Islands".
"If you're happy to take the risk involved – and do be aware that it's risky, so don't invest money you can't afford to lose – if you back the right minnow today, you could land tomorrow's oil major."
If you're already a subscriber to the magazine, here's the link: Hunting for oil in the world's six most promising frontiers. If you're not, you can still see the story by taking up our offer of a 3-week free trial.
● Tom has been a very busy bee recently. He's also been scouring round for turnaround stocks for his free Penny Sleuth email. This does exactly what is says on the tin, aiming to find penny shares that could soon be worth much more.
"Three men have been bending my ear recently", he says. These are "Wayne Money of Eruma (LSE:ERU), Barrie Whip of Crimson Tide (LSE: TIDE) and Miles Hunt of Empresaria (LSE: EMR). All have interesting stories to tell. All have had a tough time during the recession but I get the sense they're turning things around and are poised to deliver some good news."
If you haven't heard of any of these stocks, you're in similar company. Until reading Tom's piece, I hadn't either. Empresaria is a recruitment agency, Crimson Tide does software and Eruma is in, of all things, counter-terrorism. But if Tom believes they're worth looking at, that's enough for me. Here's the link to his piece about them: Three turnaround penny shares to watch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future results. Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek independent financial advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. Customer Services: 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Tom also reckons that investors are missing out on big opportunities in biotech. In this week's magazine sector column, James McKeigue agrees. Or to be more exact, he believes there's money to be made from "genetically modified organisms".
"Global food demand is set to keep growing strongly", says James. "The UN predicts that demand for food will increase by 50% by 2030. Rising living standards in developing countries, especially in Asia, are also a key factor. So agriculture has to use all the resources at its disposal more efficiently. That means investing in so-called "Frankenfoods" could prove very profitable".
And as he explains, (GM foods: an unexpected European growth story), he's just found a cheap, 'pure play' in the sector that's well placed to cash in on all this long-term growth.
● In fact, there's a bit of a 'big numbers' theme here. Dr Mike Tubbs, who writes the Research Investments newsletter has been pondering how mankind will be able to cope with the fallout from millions more vehicles on the roads.
"Take China's pollution problems for a start. There are already four million private cars clogging the streets of Beijing. Each day 2,000 new drivers become part of the capital's grim crawl of traffic. The city is choked with smog. And all the new coal-fired power stations are making their pollution problems much worse".
"But then traffic is also increasing rapidly in Mexico City, Bangkok and Shanghai. Worldwide, transport is responsible for 14% of the carbon dioxide emitted each year, according to the MIT Technology Review. And with vehicle ownership in developing countries growing at 30% a year, cutting fuel emissions will be a major priority for governments for decades to come. It's the same story with power. Most developed economies are far too dependent on dirty energy sources – whether it be coal, oil or natural gas".
"How are governments cutting down on emissions? By introducing tougher regulation on transport and power generation. They know that building massive solar and wind farms won't be enough. And nuclear stations take a long time to bring into service. We have to cut down on the emissions we are generating at the moment".
The good news for the planet is that Dr Mike has found, if not the complete answer, at least a metals-related stock that will do very well out of cutting emissions. Here's where you can find out more about Research Investments.
● Talking of metals, we couldn't let this edition of the round-up pass without another mention of Dominic Frisby's piece last week. For those that missed it, here it is: In real money, British house prices are down by 70%.
To recap, he was talking about the link between gold and UK house prices. Now clearly, for MoneyWeek and its devotees, these topics are very close to the heart. No prizes for guessing what specialist subjects we'd select if we went onto Mastermind.
But the response from readers has been absolutely unprecedented. It's now well into three figures. And it's great to see so many of you getting involved in the conversation. What's more, there were very widely differing views, ranging between those who think it's a top-notch article to those who think Mr F has taken leave of his senses!
Anyway, on Monday Dominic published a follow-up, to "address one or two concerns" called "Why I still prefer gold to houses".
In fact, the title rather speaks for itself. But it's worth repeating the conclusion:
"These are incredibly frustrating times. A whole generation has been alienated by the absurdly out-of-reach property prices in this country. Many, having rightly identified that property was in a bubble, either stayed out or got out, only for the long-overdue correction never to fully materialise. Meanwhile, they see the purchasing power of their money evaporate, and it seems they'll never be able to buy anything unless they cripple themselves with debt".
"This is all an unfortunate consequence of the modern fiat system of money and credit. It causes 'malinvestment', it creates rampant asset price inflation, booms, bubbles and, eventually, busts. In response to all this there isn't much we can do other than move our wealth into stronger foreign currencies or an asset, such as gold, that a government can't debase."
"And there might be another opportunity to do that in the next few months. There's a lot of turbulence dead ahead in global markets. Gold may well sell off in the carnage. If it does, and we get our usual summer low, take advantage".
Amen to that! But replies to 'Gold and Houses Round II' are still coming in, so if you haven't had your say yet and would like to, feel free to do so.
● Before I go, just one more thing.
Last Saturday we sent out a very special invitation. This gave Money Morning readers the first chance to get hold of a groundbreaking 'hidden seam' investment report. The response has been incredible so far…and here's why…
My colleague and MoneyWeek contributor Cris Sholto Heaton has unearthed a 'hidden seam' of companies in Asia. He believes these have more potential than any other type of shares anywhere in the world. And you can still get in on the action. On Tuesday afternoon the first issue of his new Asia Investor newsletter, including the identity of his latest 'hidden seam' tip goes out live. To get in on this you have to put your name down by midnight Sunday – at the latest. Find out how here.
Until next week,
David Stevenson
Associate editor, MoneyWeek
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website. To place your order over the phone, just call 0207 633 3780 and one of our Customer Service representatives will take your order for you. Please quote reference number EMYK L502 to get your special discount and free issues
Last week in the city - according to 10
The euro continued to slide as fears about the region’s banking system persisted. Marks and Spencer revealed a near 5% increase in profits to £632m.
Apple launched the iPad in Britain. More than £6bn was wiped from the market value of BP after the oil giant’s latest failure to control its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico provoked mounting anger in the US. The OECD urged the Bank of England to tackle rising inflation by lifting its interest rate to 3.5% by the end of 2011 – well above the current 0.5%.
App od the week
PressReader: 1,500+ full content newspapers and magazines available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch! The application is FREE along with your first 7 current day issues!
Leadership tip of the week: How to speak from a podium:
The podium can be an intimidating place. Even seasoned public speakers feel anxious when standing in front of a microphone. Here are four tips for making your next speech from the podium hum with confidence:
(1) Keep your feet planted and stand up straight. This will convey poise and strength, even if that's not what you're feeling.
(2) Don't memorise. Unless the speech is very short, the anxiety of trying to remember your lines will only make your task harder.
(3) Find a place for your hands. Put your hands in one place — for example, on the sides of the podium — and then forget about them. You will bring them up naturally to gesture as long as they have a place to return to.
(4) Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse as many times as you can, in an environment as close to the real experience as possible.
Quote of the week:
"Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power." Clint Eastwood who is 80 years
Only Connect: TEN is proud to be sponsoring The West Country’s leading business and social networking event.
Apple launched the iPad in Britain. More than £6bn was wiped from the market value of BP after the oil giant’s latest failure to control its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico provoked mounting anger in the US. The OECD urged the Bank of England to tackle rising inflation by lifting its interest rate to 3.5% by the end of 2011 – well above the current 0.5%.
App od the week
PressReader: 1,500+ full content newspapers and magazines available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch! The application is FREE along with your first 7 current day issues!
Leadership tip of the week: How to speak from a podium:
The podium can be an intimidating place. Even seasoned public speakers feel anxious when standing in front of a microphone. Here are four tips for making your next speech from the podium hum with confidence:
(1) Keep your feet planted and stand up straight. This will convey poise and strength, even if that's not what you're feeling.
(2) Don't memorise. Unless the speech is very short, the anxiety of trying to remember your lines will only make your task harder.
(3) Find a place for your hands. Put your hands in one place — for example, on the sides of the podium — and then forget about them. You will bring them up naturally to gesture as long as they have a place to return to.
(4) Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse as many times as you can, in an environment as close to the real experience as possible.
Quote of the week:
"Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power." Clint Eastwood who is 80 years
Only Connect: TEN is proud to be sponsoring The West Country’s leading business and social networking event.
IT Update from Geeks-on-Wheels
Apple iPad – Friday 28th May is the first day UK buyers will be able to buy Apple’s new iPad tablet PC. The units will be sold through Apple stores, Apple’s website and authorised resellers. For prices expect to pay around £429 for the 16GB, £499 for the 32GB and £599 for the 64GB Wi-Fi only models. If you want the iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G then expect to pay £529 for the 16GB, £599 for 32GB and £699 for the 64GB model. Mobile operators, including O2, will also be supplying the units with data plan deals.
What is DuckDuckGo? – It’s another search engine (https://duckduckgo.com/ ) but with a major difference, and one that is upsetting a lot of web analysts. DuckDuckGo provides encrypted searches, utilising SSL (Geek language = Secure Socket Layer). This means any searches you make, along with the result pages, cannot be intercepted by a third party. Though good news for privacy-conscious surfers the web analytics industry is not happy. As far we know this is the first search engine using SSL as a default. Having tested DuckDuckGo it is quick and provides ad-free results.
Microsoft SkyDrive – If you’ve not heard of it before don’t be surprised. SkyDrive is Microsoft’s new online storage service providing up to 25GB of online storage. To use it you’ll need a Windows Live ID (sign up here if you do not have one - https://signup.live.com/). Once you have logged into your Windows Live ID account click the ‘More’ link at the top of your homepage and select ‘SkyDrive’ from the menu. By default you have four folders (My Documents, Favourites, Shared Favourites and Public). You can create additional folders using the ‘Create folder’ button. To upload files click the ‘Add files’ button and add up to five at a time – which is a bit of pain. To add loads of files at once try compressing multiple files into a compressed file.
How to Create A Compressed File (s) in Windows 7 – Place the files you want to compress into the same folder. Select all the files (a shortcut is press the ctrl button and the letter a), right click and select ‘Send to’ and ‘Compress (zipped) folder’ from the pop-up menu. That’s it, no need to download any third party software and simple to use – we like that.
More Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts
To use these you will need to hold down the Windows key (that’s usually the one on the bottom row of your keyboard, on the left hand side between the ctrl and Alt keys).
Windows – Open the Start menu
Windows + L - Locks your PC
Windows + F – Advance Search
Windows + D – Minimise all open Windows
Windows + E – Displays Windows Explorer
Windows + T – Cycles through all programs on your taskbar
Windows + U – Opens the Ease of Access Centre
Windows + Tab – Applies the Windows Aero Flip 3D effect
Commercial Wi-Fi For Your Business – Do you run a business, (pub, restaurant, café, club, vehicle showroom etc) community or charity and want to give your customers free wireless broadband? It makes sense and will certainly attract more customers to your premises. If yes then take a look at Freerunner (http://www.freerunr.com). Freerunner not only put Wi-Fi hotspots in big brand locations, but in schools, community centres and outside of city centres with the help of regional development funding. Freerunner provide their services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Award Winning Geeks
Geeks-on-Wheels Europe won the PC Retail Awards 2010 ‘Service and Support’ category. Our IT support services really are second to none for consumers and businesses.
We support home and small business customers across the South East of England.
http://www.geeks-on-wheels.com/
The Money Week that was
Germany terrifies the global markets...
Why you must watch your inbox this afternoon...
Are we heading back to the 1980s?
From John Stepek, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● This week, it's been all about the euro again. Just as Greece was successfully rolling over the dodgy debts that caused all the trouble in the first place, Germany decided to ban "naked" short-selling without any warning whatsoever. As one wag put it, it's a surprise to see the Germans ban naked anything – and the financial markets were certainly rattled by the decision.
Clearly the ban was a political move to distract German voters from the fact that they are paying to save Greece, as I noted in Money Morning last week. As if to confirm it, the German parliament passed the Greek bailout package with a comfortable majority on Friday.
But it panicked traders, who wondered what the Germans knew that everyone else didn't, and where the next regulatory blow might come from. Political risk is now one of the biggest worries for investors everywhere, as we point out in this week's MoneyWeek cover story: The rally's over - so what's spooked the markets?
● The fall-out has left most of the world's major stock markets well into 'correction' territory for the year – down 10% or more. And China is in a fully-fledged bear market. One man who's been preparing his readers for this is Tim Price. Tim, who writes The Price Report newsletter, is a respected City analyst and regularly writes for MoneyWeek.
Let me just say, I get lots of emails and analyst reports sent to me everyday – literally hundreds in a typical week. Tim is one of the very few people on my 'priority' list. I always make time to read his stuff. He's put together a report on the three investments you need to buy before this correction turns into a fully-fledged crash. It'll be winging its way to your inbox this afternoon – don't miss it.
● Ironically, while the world's stock markets tanked on fears about its longevity, the euro bounced back strongly against the dollar this week. It's a good reason to make sure you always use a stop-loss when spread betting – as my colleague Tim Bennett pointed out earlier this week.
However, we can't see the rebound lasting. We're not optimistic about the future of the euro, at least, not in its current form. Indeed, Merryn Somerset Webb, our editor-in-chief, suggested that Greece's best way out now is to both default on its debt, and ditch the single currency. Why? Well, the population is going to face a lower standard of living whatever happens. However you add it up, "running Greece costs more than Greece currently charges its taxpayers."
So why not just go for the nuclear option and be done with it? By abandoning the euro as well as its debts, Greece would "dispose of the worst of its debt burden and get its monetary flexibility (along with any growth this might encourage) back at the same time. And it will at least own the process, getting out before either Germany forces it out or leaves itself. The rest of Europe might not be keen (their banks may find coping with the fallout tricky) but I can't imagine the Greeks are in any mood to care."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
EXPOSED! The City secret that could make the sub-prime collapse look like a tea party!
A maverick ex-City banker has broken rank to reveal how 'dirty' CP Debt could make the sub-prime collapse look like a tea party...
It’s about to blow up and potentially wipe BILLIONS off the FTSE and the Dow...
Yet one simple move, when triggered, could set you up for a 40%-50% gain in a matter of weeks, maybe even days...
Find out more right here.
Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek independent financial advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. Customer Services: 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Meanwhile, back in Blighty, the pound didn't get much of a helping hand from the latest batch of promises from Cameron, Clegg & co. All the speculation over capital gains tax (CGT) isn't doing much for their popularity with investors. You can read Merryn's take on it here: Capital gains tax hike was inevitable – but it must be done fairly.
My main problem with messing around with CGT is the fact that, in terms of government money-spinners, it's small change. Last year it raised less than £3bn. That's less than the tax on beer alone. Even in 2008/09, the peak of the last ten years, it only raised £7.9bn. Compare that to VAT, at £67bn last year. So CGT – a tax on the 'rich' – is mainly going up for political reasons. It's largely to try to compensate for the fact that we can only sort our finances out by hiking VAT – a tax on everyone.
● I'm already heartily sick of one aspect of the 'new politics' – the whole '80s revival that it's inspired. The '80s were bad enough the first time round – I'd rather be spared the reruns.
But Paul Hill thinks investors should brace themselves for the return of something far worse than mullets and day-glo legwarmers – he means riots. In the latest edition of his Precision Guided Investments newsletter, he takes a trip down memory lane…
"As a kid I grew up in Walsall. And every morning I would catch a bus across Birmingham that went right through some of the toughest neighbourhoods in the UK. Normally this wasn't a problem. But after Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, she dished out some economic medicine that sparked serious rioting across the city.
"I remember on several occasions, the bus driver having to tell the passengers that the doors were locked and the bus would not be stopping as it travelled through Handsworth and Lozells – where passing traffic was being used as target practise for bricks and even petrol-bombs.
"Why am I telling you this? Because I am convinced that the savage cuts about to be introduced by the Lib-Con coalition will be met with the same furious backlash we saw in 1979. For two years now, most people have been insulated from the full effects of this recession by colossal government borrowing and near zero interest rates.
"Now those comforts will be stripped from them. And anger will ferment as months of unemployment stretch out ahead of Britain's 2.5 million unemployed. We've already seen Athens over-run by angry public sector workers. I fear that could be a taster of what is to come in this country."
● It's a grim prospect. But Paul's not just looking at potential social trends for the sake of depressing his readers. He's hoping to profit from them. You should have got a note from him on Thursday detailing how he's been using what he calls Barack Obama's personal government "tip sheet" to pick up on hot sectors before the rest of the world cottons on. If you missed it, you can access the report here.
● Enough gloom and doom. For all that the world's finances don't look too healthy, the march of technology continues at a blinding pace. This week, Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith, two American biologists who were the first scientists to sequence the DNA of a living organism, created the world's first artificial life.
We'll have more about on the topic in the next issue of MoneyWeek. But while the investment implications of artificial life are probably some way off in the future, there are plenty of other innovations we can make money from.
Tom Bulford for example, told readers of his free Penny Sleuth email all about the 'imop' this week. As Tom says, it's not a cleaning app for your iPhone – in fact it's "a smart little electrical component that could cut your electricity bill by up to 25%." The company behind the imop, Advanced Power Components (APC) "is on the recovery trail" after a tough recession. I don't have time to go into the science of this gadget, but you can read Tom's full piece here: This penny share could slash the UK's energy usage.
● What else before I go? A reader, commenting on a Money Morning last week, suggested we're a bit hard on Europe: "What makes you so sure you're the ones who "get it"? Reading MoneyWeek on the subject, you'd think that the entire continent is made up of half-wits and 3-year olds. There are phenomenal brains on the other side of the argument, at the ECB, at the IMF et al, who I'll wager have a deeper understanding of the crisis than do MoneyWeek… and who yet don't see Europe and the euro's demise as a foregone conclusion."
Let me quickly answer that. We don't have an ideological bias against Europe. We just don't think the single currency is practical in its current form. The cards are stacked against it. And while I'm sure there are plenty of smart people at the European Central Bank, they're hardly neutral on the topic. Jean-Claude Trichet can't turn around tomorrow and say: "Ah well, the euro's a waste of time – back to the drawing board…".
But if you want to see a couple of proper intellectual heavyweights debate the issue, check out this video. It shows Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz squaring up to everyone's favourite 'evil' speculator, Hugh Hendry on Newsnight in February, over whether Greece's debt problems are an issue or not. With hindsight, you'd have been better off putting your money on Hendry. And Merryn's just been interviewing him for next week's magazine, so you can find out his latest thoughts next Friday (and if you're not yet a subscriber, what are you waiting for? The first three issue are free, after all… click here to subscribe).
● That's it for this week. I'll be back on Monday. But don't forget to keep an eye out for Tim Price's report later today!
Paul Hill's newsletter, Precision Guided Investments
Tom Bulford's newsletter, Red Hot Penny Shares
If you have any other comments, please feel free to email me at editor@moneyweek.com.
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
MONEY MORNING™ is the free daily email service brought to you by MoneyWeek. For a 3-week FREE trial of the MoneyWeek magazine & website,
Place your order over the phone, just call 0207 633 3780 and one of our Customer Service representatives will take your order for you. Please quote reference number EMYK L502 to get your special discount and free issues.
Why you must watch your inbox this afternoon...
Are we heading back to the 1980s?
From John Stepek, across the river from the City
Welcome back to your weekend edition of Money Morning.
This is where we highlight some of the best bits from our free emails, newsletters, blog and MoneyWeek magazine that we’ve published in the past week.
● This week, it's been all about the euro again. Just as Greece was successfully rolling over the dodgy debts that caused all the trouble in the first place, Germany decided to ban "naked" short-selling without any warning whatsoever. As one wag put it, it's a surprise to see the Germans ban naked anything – and the financial markets were certainly rattled by the decision.
Clearly the ban was a political move to distract German voters from the fact that they are paying to save Greece, as I noted in Money Morning last week. As if to confirm it, the German parliament passed the Greek bailout package with a comfortable majority on Friday.
But it panicked traders, who wondered what the Germans knew that everyone else didn't, and where the next regulatory blow might come from. Political risk is now one of the biggest worries for investors everywhere, as we point out in this week's MoneyWeek cover story: The rally's over - so what's spooked the markets?
● The fall-out has left most of the world's major stock markets well into 'correction' territory for the year – down 10% or more. And China is in a fully-fledged bear market. One man who's been preparing his readers for this is Tim Price. Tim, who writes The Price Report newsletter, is a respected City analyst and regularly writes for MoneyWeek.
Let me just say, I get lots of emails and analyst reports sent to me everyday – literally hundreds in a typical week. Tim is one of the very few people on my 'priority' list. I always make time to read his stuff. He's put together a report on the three investments you need to buy before this correction turns into a fully-fledged crash. It'll be winging its way to your inbox this afternoon – don't miss it.
● Ironically, while the world's stock markets tanked on fears about its longevity, the euro bounced back strongly against the dollar this week. It's a good reason to make sure you always use a stop-loss when spread betting – as my colleague Tim Bennett pointed out earlier this week.
However, we can't see the rebound lasting. We're not optimistic about the future of the euro, at least, not in its current form. Indeed, Merryn Somerset Webb, our editor-in-chief, suggested that Greece's best way out now is to both default on its debt, and ditch the single currency. Why? Well, the population is going to face a lower standard of living whatever happens. However you add it up, "running Greece costs more than Greece currently charges its taxpayers."
So why not just go for the nuclear option and be done with it? By abandoning the euro as well as its debts, Greece would "dispose of the worst of its debt burden and get its monetary flexibility (along with any growth this might encourage) back at the same time. And it will at least own the process, getting out before either Germany forces it out or leaves itself. The rest of Europe might not be keen (their banks may find coping with the fallout tricky) but I can't imagine the Greeks are in any mood to care."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
EXPOSED! The City secret that could make the sub-prime collapse look like a tea party!
A maverick ex-City banker has broken rank to reveal how 'dirty' CP Debt could make the sub-prime collapse look like a tea party...
It’s about to blow up and potentially wipe BILLIONS off the FTSE and the Dow...
Yet one simple move, when triggered, could set you up for a 40%-50% gain in a matter of weeks, maybe even days...
Find out more right here.
Your capital is at risk when you invest in shares, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Please seek independent financial advice if necessary. MoneyWeek Ltd. Customer Services: 0207 633 3780.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Meanwhile, back in Blighty, the pound didn't get much of a helping hand from the latest batch of promises from Cameron, Clegg & co. All the speculation over capital gains tax (CGT) isn't doing much for their popularity with investors. You can read Merryn's take on it here: Capital gains tax hike was inevitable – but it must be done fairly.
My main problem with messing around with CGT is the fact that, in terms of government money-spinners, it's small change. Last year it raised less than £3bn. That's less than the tax on beer alone. Even in 2008/09, the peak of the last ten years, it only raised £7.9bn. Compare that to VAT, at £67bn last year. So CGT – a tax on the 'rich' – is mainly going up for political reasons. It's largely to try to compensate for the fact that we can only sort our finances out by hiking VAT – a tax on everyone.
● I'm already heartily sick of one aspect of the 'new politics' – the whole '80s revival that it's inspired. The '80s were bad enough the first time round – I'd rather be spared the reruns.
But Paul Hill thinks investors should brace themselves for the return of something far worse than mullets and day-glo legwarmers – he means riots. In the latest edition of his Precision Guided Investments newsletter, he takes a trip down memory lane…
"As a kid I grew up in Walsall. And every morning I would catch a bus across Birmingham that went right through some of the toughest neighbourhoods in the UK. Normally this wasn't a problem. But after Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, she dished out some economic medicine that sparked serious rioting across the city.
"I remember on several occasions, the bus driver having to tell the passengers that the doors were locked and the bus would not be stopping as it travelled through Handsworth and Lozells – where passing traffic was being used as target practise for bricks and even petrol-bombs.
"Why am I telling you this? Because I am convinced that the savage cuts about to be introduced by the Lib-Con coalition will be met with the same furious backlash we saw in 1979. For two years now, most people have been insulated from the full effects of this recession by colossal government borrowing and near zero interest rates.
"Now those comforts will be stripped from them. And anger will ferment as months of unemployment stretch out ahead of Britain's 2.5 million unemployed. We've already seen Athens over-run by angry public sector workers. I fear that could be a taster of what is to come in this country."
● It's a grim prospect. But Paul's not just looking at potential social trends for the sake of depressing his readers. He's hoping to profit from them. You should have got a note from him on Thursday detailing how he's been using what he calls Barack Obama's personal government "tip sheet" to pick up on hot sectors before the rest of the world cottons on. If you missed it, you can access the report here.
● Enough gloom and doom. For all that the world's finances don't look too healthy, the march of technology continues at a blinding pace. This week, Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith, two American biologists who were the first scientists to sequence the DNA of a living organism, created the world's first artificial life.
We'll have more about on the topic in the next issue of MoneyWeek. But while the investment implications of artificial life are probably some way off in the future, there are plenty of other innovations we can make money from.
Tom Bulford for example, told readers of his free Penny Sleuth email all about the 'imop' this week. As Tom says, it's not a cleaning app for your iPhone – in fact it's "a smart little electrical component that could cut your electricity bill by up to 25%." The company behind the imop, Advanced Power Components (APC) "is on the recovery trail" after a tough recession. I don't have time to go into the science of this gadget, but you can read Tom's full piece here: This penny share could slash the UK's energy usage.
● What else before I go? A reader, commenting on a Money Morning last week, suggested we're a bit hard on Europe: "What makes you so sure you're the ones who "get it"? Reading MoneyWeek on the subject, you'd think that the entire continent is made up of half-wits and 3-year olds. There are phenomenal brains on the other side of the argument, at the ECB, at the IMF et al, who I'll wager have a deeper understanding of the crisis than do MoneyWeek… and who yet don't see Europe and the euro's demise as a foregone conclusion."
Let me quickly answer that. We don't have an ideological bias against Europe. We just don't think the single currency is practical in its current form. The cards are stacked against it. And while I'm sure there are plenty of smart people at the European Central Bank, they're hardly neutral on the topic. Jean-Claude Trichet can't turn around tomorrow and say: "Ah well, the euro's a waste of time – back to the drawing board…".
But if you want to see a couple of proper intellectual heavyweights debate the issue, check out this video. It shows Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz squaring up to everyone's favourite 'evil' speculator, Hugh Hendry on Newsnight in February, over whether Greece's debt problems are an issue or not. With hindsight, you'd have been better off putting your money on Hendry. And Merryn's just been interviewing him for next week's magazine, so you can find out his latest thoughts next Friday (and if you're not yet a subscriber, what are you waiting for? The first three issue are free, after all… click here to subscribe).
● That's it for this week. I'll be back on Monday. But don't forget to keep an eye out for Tim Price's report later today!
Paul Hill's newsletter, Precision Guided Investments
Tom Bulford's newsletter, Red Hot Penny Shares
If you have any other comments, please feel free to email me at editor@moneyweek.com.
Until next week,
John Stepek
Editor, MoneyWeek
New Business Editor of the Year, BSME Awards 2009
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Place your order over the phone, just call 0207 633 3780 and one of our Customer Service representatives will take your order for you. Please quote reference number EMYK L502 to get your special discount and free issues.
British Internet usuage explodes!
UK web users are spending 65% more time online than three years ago. The average web user spends 22 hours and 15 minutes on the net each month, according to the UK Online Measurement company (UKOM).
Social networks/blogs - 22.7%
E-mail - 7.2%
Games - 6.9%
Instant Messaging - 4.9%
Classified/Auctions - 4.7% Portals - 4%
Search - 4%
Software info/products - 3.4%
News - 2.8%
Adult - 2.7%
Source: UKOM
Social networks/blogs - 22.7%
E-mail - 7.2%
Games - 6.9%
Instant Messaging - 4.9%
Classified/Auctions - 4.7% Portals - 4%
Search - 4%
Software info/products - 3.4%
News - 2.8%
Adult - 2.7%
Source: UKOM
10 things you didn’t know last week - according to 10
The EU Commission provided an emergency loan facility of €260bn for trouble euro zone economics. $3.7bn was wiped off of stocks worldwide and the euro hits its lowest levels against the dollar in for years.
Markets gave a cautious welcome to the new UK coalition government: bond prices rose although sterling weakened.
RBS announced a further 2600 job cuts bringing the total to 22,600 since the start of the financial crisis.
Toyota the world's biggest carmaker announced a return to profitability, despite spending billions on recalling faulty cars.
The new chancellor set 22 June as the date for his first budget, with cuts and potential tax rises on the agenda.
The UK jobless total rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million during the three months to March.
Leadership tip of the week:
Quote of the week:
How to avoid the classic strategy mistakes: With the recovery under way, many companies are starting to feel less defensive and more strategic. As you gear up for what's next, be careful to avoid these common strategy mistakes that have hindered many a company in good times and bad: (1) Keeping under-performing businesses. Most companies have businesses that they should not be in. Put these under-performers out of their misery so you can focus on more promising prospects. (2) Pushing growth. More promising prospects, however, may not mean new businesses. Rather than focusing on expansion and growth, think about how you can shore up your existing business and strengthen your position. (3) Cutting back on cost-cutting. When things improve, many companies start thinking less about the economy and some even raise prices. Don't stop being frugal just because it's no longer necessary to survive. Simplicity is an asset in any market.
Markets gave a cautious welcome to the new UK coalition government: bond prices rose although sterling weakened.
RBS announced a further 2600 job cuts bringing the total to 22,600 since the start of the financial crisis.
Toyota the world's biggest carmaker announced a return to profitability, despite spending billions on recalling faulty cars.
The new chancellor set 22 June as the date for his first budget, with cuts and potential tax rises on the agenda.
The UK jobless total rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million during the three months to March.
Leadership tip of the week:
Quote of the week:
How to avoid the classic strategy mistakes: With the recovery under way, many companies are starting to feel less defensive and more strategic. As you gear up for what's next, be careful to avoid these common strategy mistakes that have hindered many a company in good times and bad: (1) Keeping under-performing businesses. Most companies have businesses that they should not be in. Put these under-performers out of their misery so you can focus on more promising prospects. (2) Pushing growth. More promising prospects, however, may not mean new businesses. Rather than focusing on expansion and growth, think about how you can shore up your existing business and strengthen your position. (3) Cutting back on cost-cutting. When things improve, many companies start thinking less about the economy and some even raise prices. Don't stop being frugal just because it's no longer necessary to survive. Simplicity is an asset in any market.
Last week in the city - according to 10
Shares continued sliding as the European debt crisis rumbled on and the election failed to produce a decisive result.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats attempted to agree an outline power-sharing pact. Most of British Airways’ cabin crew voted against a new offer which bosses hoped would bring a long-running dispute over pay and conditions to an end.
Mohamed al-Fayed sold Harrods to the Qatari royal family for £1.5bn.
BP failed in its first attempt to contain the escaping crude in the Gulf of Mexico
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats attempted to agree an outline power-sharing pact. Most of British Airways’ cabin crew voted against a new offer which bosses hoped would bring a long-running dispute over pay and conditions to an end.
Mohamed al-Fayed sold Harrods to the Qatari royal family for £1.5bn.
BP failed in its first attempt to contain the escaping crude in the Gulf of Mexico
Take Ten week in the City + a Tip
App of the week:
The FTSE 100 saw its sharpest fall for five months as the Eurozone’s debt crisis intensified. The ONS revealed that the UK economy grew by only 0.2% in the first quarter of this year, down form 0.4% in the final quarter of 2009. Lloyds Banking Group announced a profit for the first quarter; the taxpayer’s stake is now worth about £2bn more than the Treasury paid for it. Shares Barclays fall 6% despite a big rise in pre-tax profits for the first three months of the year. House prices rose by 10.5% in the past year, according to the Nationwide. According to the The Sunday Times Rich List, the combined wealth of Britain’s 1,000 richest people rose by nearly 30% over the past year to £333.5bn; at their peak in 2008 they were worth nearly £413bn.
Leadership Tip
How to exit a conversation: Being trapped in a conversation is no fun, and often a colossal waste of time. Next time you are in a tedious, boring, or uncomfortable conversation, use these three steps to get out: (1) Start with a thank you. Don't be insincere and thank someone for a conversation that's been torturous. Simply thank them for their time. (2) Make a spontaneous transition. This is a polite excuse made spontaneously. Try something like, "I just realised it's eight o'clock and I'm going to be late for an appointment," or "Unfortunately I need to run — I'm meeting someone in five minutes." (3) Suggest forward momentum. Tell the person that you will read the article he suggested or pass on his information to an interested colleague. Only commit to things you will truly do.
Money Morning
30 July
- Why Neil Woodford's outrage is good news for utilities
- Recommended article: Silver: a better bet than gold?
- Yesterday's close: FTSE 100 down 0.1% to 5,313... Gold $1,168.25... £/$ $1.5613
Having a pop at financial markets has been all the rage in recent months.
Although politicians like it when share prices rise, when the message from the markets isn't what governments want to hear, they moan about "irresponsible speculators creating uncertainty".
But cheap, populist potshots at the market ignore one important fact. For investors like us, the stock market is about our money. Like the cash we've invested in our pension fund. Sadly, few people want to fight our corner on this score.
But here's the good news - now there's someone on the warpath. And he's having a go at the authorities on the behalf of shareholders.
High yield shares are one of the best bets around right now
What happens in the stock market really matters for many of us. You may own individual shares or the likes of a FTSE 100 tracker fund. Even if you don't, then your personal pension is almost certainly partly invested in UK stocks.
And if you're looking for income, and you can accept the potential risk to your capital, then high-yield shares look one of the best bets around right now. Most banks are paying almost zero interest on savings accounts, and ten-year gilts only yield about 3.5%.
Yet even in the stock market, finding a decent income stream isn't as easy as it was. BP's dividend used to contribute £1 of every £7 paid to UK investors. But the oil giant's once bumper payout has been blown away by the cost of repairing the Gulf oil spill damage. I wouldn't bank on it being restored to its former glory anytime soon.
That throws the share income spotlight onto defensive areas such as telecoms and 'big pharma' - we're always recommending these, including in this week's MoneyWeek magazine cover story. And near the top of the high dividend payout list come utility stocks, such as electricity and water suppliers. These pay some of the largest yields around.
The problem with regulators
Yet there's a snag for investors. Utilities can have their style cramped by close scrutiny from regulators - Ofgem for energy utilities and Ofwat for water.
Of course, these regulators are under pressure to stop prices paid by consumers rising too fast. But utility companies also need to make enough money to attract investors by paying decent dividends. They also have to fund their future capital expenditure.
In other words, this isn't about lining shareholders' pockets. Unless utilities can charge their customers enough to pay their own bills, Britain's energy and water infrastructure will take the hit. It's a huge issue. Just to meet our climate change obligations - and produce enough power, too - this country is expected to have to spend £200bn on new energy production facilities in the next ten years.
Cue Neil Woodford of Invesco Perpetual. He runs income funds worth around £17bn. Over a quarter of this is invested in the utilities sector.
And Woodford reckons investors in Britain's utilities are getting a raw deal. What's more, he's saying so in no uncertain terms.
Last year he had a running battle with Ofwat, the water regulator, about its five-year pricing review. (We covered this closely while it was going on, and wrote about it last month in the magazine: Why you should bag a water stock). Last week he called Ofwat "dysfunctional".
"We have to shoulder an increasingly anti-equity culture in Ofgem and Ofwat, whose public stance along with that of the government seems predicated on the achievement of the impossible - 'more investment with lower prices'. We're left to conclude there's an unbridgeable gap between the regulators' perception of what's a fair return on equity and what we require on incremental investment", he says.
In other words, utility firms aren't being allowed to make enough money to do what they have to do. And it's unfair to shareholders.
Now Woodford isn't renowned for being stroppy. So "when he does stick his head above the parapet, it's worth taking notice", says David Prosser in The Independent. I won't repeat all Woodford's views here. In this week's magazine, my colleague Simon Wilson has run through the Invesco Perpetual fund manager's beef in greater detail: The future of energy.
But in short, Woodford says that unless regulators cut utility firms more slack on pricing and returns on investment, his funds won't cough up any more cash to invest in these firms.
So what does this mean for investors in utility stocks?
Well, in the long run, it can only be good for the sector's price performance. Because either utilities get the leeway from the regulator to make more profits, and so investors will be willing to give them the financing they need to build more infrastructure.
Or if there's no investment, then Britain's energy prices will eventually have to rise for want of investment in decent infrastructure, which will push up profits in any case.
Now clearly, there's some sabre-rattling by Woodford going on here. The regulators have since defended their position and have also fired back, saying they've tried without success to talk to Woodford about these issues. No doubt they'll all get round the table at some stage. It's unlikely that Britain will end up with blackouts over this dispute.
But the City often gets flak for not getting involved enough in key 'governance' issues. You could argue that's fair criticism. So it's good to see someone getting stuck in - and fighting battles for investors against the authorities at the same time.
Furthermore, shareholder 'activism' generally raises stock prices over time. The bottom line is that Woodford and his ilk hold all the purse strings. The government is so cash-strapped that it's being forced to slash spending ever-harder. It couldn't stump up extra wonga to build more power stations even if it wanted to. So the regulators will have to play ball with the utilities eventually.
But this isn't just about one major investor speaking his mind. It's the market in action. It's important to understand that this isn't about a nasty City fund manager trying to drive up the price of energy for the punter on the street. One way or the other, prices are going to rise anyway.
If Britain wants to keep the lights on, it will have to pay the bill for new infrastructure. Electricity providers are competing for funds with other businesses. So power prices must rise to make new investment in the industry more attractive. If this doesn't happen, there will be power shortages, and the price of energy will have to rise anyway. Either scenario will be good for energy suppliers. But I think we can all agree on which option would be the best for the rest of us.
It all reinforces our view that high-yield utility shares are one of the best places to be in the stock market right now. Water stocks have run up recently, meaning electricity suppliers look a better current bet.
If you've missed our earlier tips, to recap - here are two of them. Electricity supplier Scottish & Southern Energy (LSE: SSE) is on a 10.5 p/e and a 6.6% prospective yield, while transmission network owner National Grid (LSE: NG/) stands on a multiple of 11 and prospective yield of 7%. Woodford, by the way, owns 3.61% of it.
Got a comment on this article? Leave a comment on the MoneyWeek website, here.
Until tomorrow,
David Stevenson
Associate editor, MoneyWeek
PS. Before I go I wanted to give you a heads up on something special MoneyWeek publisher Toby Bray has just put together. As far as I'm aware, it's one of the single best offers we've ever made here at MoneyWeek... and one we may never make again. I've been given the go ahead to reveal this to you tomorrow, so put some time aside and look out for the Money Morning email hitting your inbox tomorrow at 2pm.
Our recommended article for today...
Silver: a better bet than gold?
- Amid the frenzy over gold, silver has been left behind somewhat. But this precious metal has an exciting investment story all of its own. David Stevenson looks at the best ways to get exposure to the market: Silver: a better bet than gold?
And for yesterday's market update, see below...
Market update
Click here for the latest stock market news and charts.
Yesterday the FTSE 100 fell back 6 points, 0.1%, to 5,313.
The pharma sector was helped by AstraZeneca advancing 2.7% after posting strong results and doubling its share buyback programme, as well as receiving a US endorsement for its potential blockbuster heart drug Brilinta.
Banks, which have been driving the rally, lost more ground. Barclays was the biggest faller with a 1.5% drop.
In telecoms, Vodafone stood out with a 1.5% climb, while BT added 3.5% on a statement that it didn't expect to be overly hit by UK government spending cuts.
Oils were mixed, with Royal Dutch Shell ending 0.2% lower despite its good results of the previous day.
In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 fell 18 points to 3,651; and the German Xetra Dax was 44 points lower at 6,134.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3% to 10,467; the S&P 500 lost 0.4% to 1,101; and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6% to 2,261.
Overnight in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 eased 1.6% to 9,537 and the broader Topix index lost 1.4% to 849. In China, the Shanghai Composite shed 0.4% to 2,637, while the CSI 300 fell 0.3% to 2,868.
Brent spot was trading at $76.86 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $77.63. Spot gold was trading at $1,170 an ounce, silver was at $17.59 and platinum was at $1,551.
In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5623 and against the euro at 1.1984. The dollar was trading at 0.7671 against the euro and 86.30 against the Japanese yen.
Also this morning, airline British Airways reported a first quarter net loss of £122m for the three months to June 30, compared to a loss of £106m the year before, as a dispute with its flight attendants plus cancellations due to the Icelandic volcano took their toll. But the result was better than the £167.5m loss that analysts had expected.
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© 2010 MoneyWeek Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The content of this email may not be reproduced without the written consent of MoneyWeek Ltd. Registered Office: Sea Containers House, 7th Floor, 20 Upper Ground, London, SE1 9JD. Registered in England No. 04016750. VAT No. GB 629 7287 94. MoneyWeek and Money Morning are registered trade marks owned by MoneyWeek Limited.
27 July, 2010
- Why Europe's banking farce is good news for German stocks
- Recommended article: How to invest for an inflationary end game
- Yesterday's close: FTSE 100 up 0.7% to 5,351... Gold down 0.5% to $1,183.55/oz... £/$ - 1.5490
Europe's bank stress tests have been rather a farce. John Stepek talked about this in Money Morning yesterday, so I'll not repeat the details here.
The tests were supposed to convince us that the eurozone's financial sector is in reasonable shape. But like an exam where almost everyone passes and the only failures are those who don't turn up, they haven't done the trick.
Worse, they're likely to prompt many more questions about Europe's banking system. That's bound to be bad for the euro. And one country on the continent could do very nicely out of that...
Why a sinking euro isn't bad news for the whole eurozone
The euro has rallied over the past month amid optimism about the stress tests. But with the results being seen as a sham, it's likely to start suffering again. Investors are realising they've got to make up their own minds about Europe's banks, rather than rely on officialdom to do the job for them.
Already Euribor - the euro interbank offered rate, at which banks lend to each other - has just hit a one-year high. Euribor is a key money market measure that gauges the level of tension in the financial system. When it rises, it suggests bankers are becoming more worried about lending money to each other. That means confidence is ebbing. It's not a good sign for the euro.
But a sinking currency isn't necessarily bad news for the eurozone. That's because it lowers the cost of European exports. And one particular country is set to reap the benefits.
A couple of months ago, I wrote about how Germany has become Europe's economic powerhouse. That's because it has sold exactly the products the rest of the planet has wanted to buy.
Yet throughout the 1950s and '60s, as Germany grew more successful, the deutschemark (D-mark) climbed steadily. Indeed, it became Europe's strongest currency. Measured against the exchange rates of the countries to whom the Germans exported, it rose by more than 50% in the 25 years prior to 1989, according to Bank of England data.
In turn, this kept on driving up the cost of German goods to foreign buyers. The country's manufacturers either had to cut prices, sell fewer goods, or keep improving the quality. It means German exporters' great track record proved to be even more remarkable.
How the fall of the Berlin Wall boosted German exporters
Now perhaps that success story would have halted at some stage. But two decades ago, the Berlin Wall came down. And that gave German exporters another boost.
To recap, here's what happened. The D-mark and the East German ostmark were merged at a rate of 1:1. That was crazy. East Germany was almost bankrupt, while West Germany had been thriving. GDP per head in the East was just 40% of the figure for the West.
A level-pegging exchange rate meant the East had to sell its mainly poor quality goods at prices that were far too high. East German businesses had to slash their prices and costs to compete. Many firms went bust and job losses surged. Over the last 20 years, West Germany has had to shell out some €1,400bn in "re-unification" costs to sweeten the deal.
In all, this meant that in the decade between the Berlin Wall collapsing and the euro's birth, the D-mark hardly rose. It was weighed down both by those merger costs and by all the extra banknotes knocking around (more supply lowers the price) and only appreciated by another 4%.
This made life a lot easier for German exporters than it had been. Not only did they have a bigger domestic market than before, they didn't have to fight the same currency battles. And they made the most of it.
History is repeating itself - and that's good for Germany
20 years on, and history is repeating itself. Until recently, the euro has been a strong currency, which has kept the pressure on Germany's exporters to remain competitive. But now the eurozone is facing today's equivalent of the D-mark/ostmark divide.
At one extreme there's Germany, "the most creditworthy country in the world", as Matthew Lynn pointed out recently (even if all its banks don't quite fall into that category).
At the other extreme, there's, well, just about everyone else, with their overblown budget deficits (annual overspend), huge national debts (total debt), and their dodgy banks still surrounded by question marks. Maybe it was as crazy as that 1:1 ostmark deal to let some of these countries into the euro club. But now they're there, the single currency is stuck with them.
And for German exporters, this is great news. They're already top-notch operations. And the more the euro falls, the better off they'll be. In future, they're likely to be able to sell their goods in global markets at even lower prices than before.
"The [eurozone] outlook is bleak elsewhere, but Germany's export-led recovery appears to be going from strength to strength", says Jennifer McKeown at Capital Economics. Indeed, "Germany seems far better placed for the future than almost any other developed country", says Lynn. "This decade, the Germans will be back in a big way".
So what should you buy?
In early June we tipped energy and chemicals giant BASF (GY: BAS), since when it's up about 10% in sterling terms. With almost 44% of its revenues coming from outside Europe - meaning a falling euro is very handy - on a current year p/e of 11 and a prospective yield of 4.2%, it's still worth holding.
And take a look at global pharmaceutical and chemical firm Merck (GY: MRK), which generates almost 50% of its revenues from outside Europe. Merck is on a current year p/e of 11, and a 2% yield which is four times covered by earnings and forecast to rise to 2.4% in 2011.
Got a comment on this article? Leave a comment on the MoneyWeek website, here.
Until tomorrow,
David Stevenson
Associate editor, MoneyWeek
Our recommended article for today...
How to invest for an inflationary end game
– It's becoming ever harder for British investors to protect themselves from inflation. Yet central bankers are edging closer to restarting the printing presses. Merryn Somerset Webb looks at ways to hedge your inflation risk - including a surprising property play: How to invest for an inflationary end game.
And for yesterday's market update, see below...
Market update
Click here for the latest stock market news and charts.
Yesterday the FTSE 100 gained 38.5 points, or 0.7%, to hit its highest close in ten weeks at 5,351.
Banks were the top performers following the publication of the European stress tests. Barclays jumped 4.5%, Lloyds Banking Group gained 3.9% and RBS added 3%.
Oils were helped by BP putting on 4.6%, as American-born troubleshooter Bob Dudley was on the verge of replacing Tony Hayward. Tullow added 5.1% after the oil explorer said it had found a major new field off the Ghana coast.
Pharma stocks were weak, with GlaxoSmithKline easing 1.3% and AstraZeneca dipping 0.7% ahead of this week's second quarter results.
Gold miners were lower, with African Barrick down 4.2%.
In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 was rose 29 points to 3,636; and the German Xetra Dax was 28 points higher at 6,194.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1% to 10,525; the S&P 500 added 1.1% to 1,115; and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.2% to 2,296.
Overnight in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 was 0.1% down at 9,496, though the broader Topix index was up 0.2% at 846. In China, the Shanghai Composite lost 0.5% to 2,575, as did the CSI 300 to 2,795.
Brent spot was trading at $77.04 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $77.35. Spot gold was trading at $1,186 an ounce, silver was at $18.19 and platinum was at $1,559.
In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5468 and against the euro at 1.1919. The dollar was trading at 0.7764 against the euro and 87.21 against the Japanese yen.
And also this morning, BP confirmed the appointment of Bob Dudley and reported a record second-quarter net loss of $17.2bn in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. Asset sales of $30bn were also promised to help pay the compensation bills. The stock rose around 1% in early trading to 420p.
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Thought for 2day
Friday 30-Jul-2010
http://www.wordlive.org
Mark 2:23 - 3:6
'Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."'
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Bible passage: Mark 2:23 - 3:6
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath Day
23 One Sabbath day Jesus was walking with his disciples through the grainfields. The disciples began to break off some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are your disciples doing it?"
25 He answered, "Haven't you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. They needed food. 26 It was when Abiathar was high priest. David entered the house of God and ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. David also gave some to his men."
27 Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath day was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath day. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."
Mark 3
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue. A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. 2 Some Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. They watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day.
3 Jesus spoke to the man with the weak and twisted hand. "Stand up in front of everyone," he said.
4 Then Jesus asked them, "What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we kill?" But no one answered.
5 Jesus looked around at them in anger. He was very upset because their hearts were stubborn. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was as good as new.
6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to make plans with the Herodians. They wanted to kill Jesus.
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Text: Main point: Good law, bad attitude?
These two stories show Jesus' attitude to the law - and what made him angry.
God's intentions
God's law is perfect and Jesus came to fulfil it. Like all good laws, God's were created to protect and help his people.
But, over generations, Israel's religious leaders had burdened the law with such a great weight of tradition that God's intentions had been virtually squashed.
Sabbath principles
The Sabbath was a key concept in the life of God's people from early in their history. It was to be a day set apart for God and a day of rest - the original 'holyday'. Jesus always kept to these key principles, pointing out that they existed for mankind's benefit.
But he was also quick to respond to the needs of the people around him. He didn't use the law as an excuse to do nothing.
Legalism
If someone is hungry or needs our help, is our instinct to try and meet their need? Or do we look for reasons why it would be 'wrong' for us to get involved?
What made Jesus furious was the stubborn, legalistic attitude shown by the religious leaders. They'd lost sight of the reasons for having a Sabbath in the first place. All they wanted to do was catch Jesus out on a technicality.
Caroline Masom
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Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80888
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80893
Deeper study: The Maker's intention: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80894
Breaking the law: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80895
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80896
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=79971
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Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
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Support WordLive
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Mark 2:23 - 3:6
'Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 2:23 - 3:6
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath Day
23 One Sabbath day Jesus was walking with his disciples through the grainfields. The disciples began to break off some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are your disciples doing it?"
25 He answered, "Haven't you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. They needed food. 26 It was when Abiathar was high priest. David entered the house of God and ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. David also gave some to his men."
27 Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath day was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath day. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."
Mark 3
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue. A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. 2 Some Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. They watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day.
3 Jesus spoke to the man with the weak and twisted hand. "Stand up in front of everyone," he said.
4 Then Jesus asked them, "What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we kill?" But no one answered.
5 Jesus looked around at them in anger. He was very upset because their hearts were stubborn. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was as good as new.
6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to make plans with the Herodians. They wanted to kill Jesus.
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Text: Main point: Good law, bad attitude?
These two stories show Jesus' attitude to the law - and what made him angry.
God's intentions
God's law is perfect and Jesus came to fulfil it. Like all good laws, God's were created to protect and help his people.
But, over generations, Israel's religious leaders had burdened the law with such a great weight of tradition that God's intentions had been virtually squashed.
Sabbath principles
The Sabbath was a key concept in the life of God's people from early in their history. It was to be a day set apart for God and a day of rest - the original 'holyday'. Jesus always kept to these key principles, pointing out that they existed for mankind's benefit.
But he was also quick to respond to the needs of the people around him. He didn't use the law as an excuse to do nothing.
Legalism
If someone is hungry or needs our help, is our instinct to try and meet their need? Or do we look for reasons why it would be 'wrong' for us to get involved?
What made Jesus furious was the stubborn, legalistic attitude shown by the religious leaders. They'd lost sight of the reasons for having a Sabbath in the first place. All they wanted to do was catch Jesus out on a technicality.
Caroline Masom
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Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80888
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80893
Deeper study: The Maker's intention: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80894
Breaking the law: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80895
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=80896
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14957&activityid=79971
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Being flexible
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
How resistant are you to change? Open your mind to Jesus' new way of doing things.
Mark 2:18-22
'"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse."'
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Bible passage: Mark 2:18-22
Jesus Is Asked About Fasting
18 John's disciples and the Pharisees were going without eating. Some people came to Jesus. They said to him, "John's disciples are fasting. The disciples of the Pharisees are also fasting. But your disciples are not. Why aren't they?"
19 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the groom go without eating while he is with them? They will not fast as long as he is with them. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. On that day they will go without eating.
21 "People don't sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse. 22 People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins. Then the wine and the wineskins will both be destroyed. No, everyone pours new wine into new wineskins."
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Text: Main point: Being flexible
Change needed
Fasting was an important religious discipline that the Pharisees had made into a public display. Jesus didn't condemn fasting itself, but he did point out that it has its time and its place. To fast when he was around would make no sense at all.
Jesus went on to emphasise just what a change his new teaching would bring about. The whole of the old religious structure needed to be transformed if it was to accommodate God's new covenant.
New life
But new into old just doesn't go - it sets up too much tension and things get damaged. The new wine may refer to Jesus' new teaching about the kingdom of God, or to the Holy Spirit. The old wineskins may indicate the old religious structure or peoples' hearts.
Either way, what was coming in was bubbling with powerful new life, just like new wine which was still fermenting. New goatskin containers were flexible enough to expand with the fermentation gases. Old skins were stiff, hard and brittle, and pouring new wine into them would cause an explosion.
Both stories in this passage encourage us to take note of the times we live in. Are our attitudes and our behaviour appropriate to the changes we see around us - but still godly?
Caroline Masom
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Prayer : Respond
Take a quick look through a Christian magazine (eg www.baptisttimes.co.uk or www.churchnewspaper.com).
What's God doing in your bit of the Christian world?
Can you see new things happening? What about at church?
How flexible are you when someone suggests a new way of doing things?
Pray for discernment so that you know when to hold on. and when to let go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80867
Deeper study: Time to mourn? Or dance?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80870
Patches and wineskins: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80871
Questions about fasting: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80873
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80875
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=79970
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
How resistant are you to change? Open your mind to Jesus' new way of doing things.
Mark 2:18-22
'"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 2:18-22
Jesus Is Asked About Fasting
18 John's disciples and the Pharisees were going without eating. Some people came to Jesus. They said to him, "John's disciples are fasting. The disciples of the Pharisees are also fasting. But your disciples are not. Why aren't they?"
19 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the groom go without eating while he is with them? They will not fast as long as he is with them. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. On that day they will go without eating.
21 "People don't sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse. 22 People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins. Then the wine and the wineskins will both be destroyed. No, everyone pours new wine into new wineskins."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Being flexible
Change needed
Fasting was an important religious discipline that the Pharisees had made into a public display. Jesus didn't condemn fasting itself, but he did point out that it has its time and its place. To fast when he was around would make no sense at all.
Jesus went on to emphasise just what a change his new teaching would bring about. The whole of the old religious structure needed to be transformed if it was to accommodate God's new covenant.
New life
But new into old just doesn't go - it sets up too much tension and things get damaged. The new wine may refer to Jesus' new teaching about the kingdom of God, or to the Holy Spirit. The old wineskins may indicate the old religious structure or peoples' hearts.
Either way, what was coming in was bubbling with powerful new life, just like new wine which was still fermenting. New goatskin containers were flexible enough to expand with the fermentation gases. Old skins were stiff, hard and brittle, and pouring new wine into them would cause an explosion.
Both stories in this passage encourage us to take note of the times we live in. Are our attitudes and our behaviour appropriate to the changes we see around us - but still godly?
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Prayer : Respond
Take a quick look through a Christian magazine (eg www.baptisttimes.co.uk or www.churchnewspaper.com).
What's God doing in your bit of the Christian world?
Can you see new things happening? What about at church?
How flexible are you when someone suggests a new way of doing things?
Pray for discernment so that you know when to hold on. and when to let go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80867
Deeper study: Time to mourn? Or dance?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80870
Patches and wineskins: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80871
Questions about fasting: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80873
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=80875
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14954&activityid=79970
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Choosing your friends
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Welcome to Come Dine With Me: Jesus! Don't panic about the food, just sit back and enjoy the company.
Mark 2:13-17
'While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.'
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Bible passage: Mark 2:13-17
Jesus Chooses Levi
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd came to him. He began to teach them. 14 As he walked along he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed him.
15 Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples. They were part of the large crowd following Jesus.
16 Some teachers of the law who were Pharisees were there. They saw Jesus eating with "sinners" and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
17 Jesus heard that. So he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor. Sick people do. I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me."
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Text: Main point: Choosing your friends
Strange choices
Jesus' choice of associates was at odds with every instinct of the religious leaders of his day. The Pharisees concentrated so hard on keeping every detail of the law that they chose not to associate with people who could make them unclean - which boiled down to just about anyone who wasn't one of them.
Jesus had no such qualms. He'd already selected as his followers four ordinary working men without a single theological qualification between them. Now he went one step further and chose Levi, who as a tax collector was one of the most unpopular men in his community.
Following Jesus' example
The explanation Jesus gave to the Pharisees indicated the focus and the urgency of his mission: sin, like disease, is fatal if left untreated. Jesus' priority was to do God's work of saving mankind from the deep sin-sickness of our souls.
How much do we, as Christians, follow Jesus' example? Do we concentrate our love - and the amount of time we spend - on unpopular, difficult people and those from outside the church who really need to hear the good news?
Or are we so busy with our Christian friends that no one else gets a look-in?
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Respond
What percentage (roughly) of your time do you spend with Christians or non-Christians each week?
Do a mini-audit for last week. What proportion of your time did you spend with Christians? With non-Christians? Ask God to show you if the balance needs adjusting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80857
Deeper study: Scandalous grace: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80860
Background: Matthew: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80861
Vox pops: Who would Jesus hang out with?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80862
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80863
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80864
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=79968
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Welcome to Come Dine With Me: Jesus! Don't panic about the food, just sit back and enjoy the company.
Mark 2:13-17
'While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 2:13-17
Jesus Chooses Levi
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd came to him. He began to teach them. 14 As he walked along he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed him.
15 Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples. They were part of the large crowd following Jesus.
16 Some teachers of the law who were Pharisees were there. They saw Jesus eating with "sinners" and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
17 Jesus heard that. So he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor. Sick people do. I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Choosing your friends
Strange choices
Jesus' choice of associates was at odds with every instinct of the religious leaders of his day. The Pharisees concentrated so hard on keeping every detail of the law that they chose not to associate with people who could make them unclean - which boiled down to just about anyone who wasn't one of them.
Jesus had no such qualms. He'd already selected as his followers four ordinary working men without a single theological qualification between them. Now he went one step further and chose Levi, who as a tax collector was one of the most unpopular men in his community.
Following Jesus' example
The explanation Jesus gave to the Pharisees indicated the focus and the urgency of his mission: sin, like disease, is fatal if left untreated. Jesus' priority was to do God's work of saving mankind from the deep sin-sickness of our souls.
How much do we, as Christians, follow Jesus' example? Do we concentrate our love - and the amount of time we spend - on unpopular, difficult people and those from outside the church who really need to hear the good news?
Or are we so busy with our Christian friends that no one else gets a look-in?
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Respond
What percentage (roughly) of your time do you spend with Christians or non-Christians each week?
Do a mini-audit for last week. What proportion of your time did you spend with Christians? With non-Christians? Ask God to show you if the balance needs adjusting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80857
Deeper study: Scandalous grace: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80860
Background: Matthew: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80861
Vox pops: Who would Jesus hang out with?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80862
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80863
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=80864
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14953&activityid=79968
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
True authority
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Standing room only, not even eBay has tickets! Are you desperate to see Jesus? Here's a VIP pass.
Mark 2:1-12
'A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.'
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Bible passage: Mark 2:1-12
Mark 2
Jesus Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk
1 A few days later, Jesus entered Capernaum again. The people heard that he had come home. 2 So many people gathered that there was no room left. There was not even room outside the door. And Jesus preached the word to them.
3 Four of those who came were carrying a man who could not walk. 4 But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat.
5 Jesus saw their faith. So he said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Some teachers of the law were sitting there. They were thinking, 7 "Why is this fellow talking like that? He's saying a very evil thing! Only God can forgive sins!"
8 Right away Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Is it easier to say to this man, 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."
Then Jesus spoke to the man who could not walk. 11 "I tell you," he said, "get up. Take your mat and go home."
12 The man got up and took his mat. Then he walked away while everyone watched. All the people were amazed. They praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: True authority
While Jesus had been away, the people of Capernaum hadn't lost their taste for the miraculous. As soon as he returned, there they were again, like moths to the light. But this time some of them got more than they bargained for - the religious leaders in particular.
Right to the heart
Jesus' response to the paralysed man reached right to the heart of the man's deepest need. And in addressing his spiritual healing Jesus was fulfilling his core mission.
But his words set warning bells jangling in the heads of the watching religious teachers, who knew heresy when they saw it. Only God had the authority to forgive sins.
Son of Man
Immediately Jesus took up the challenge. Yes, in one way the teachers were right. He was claiming divine authority for his actions.
His use of the title 'Son of Man' to describe himself, rather than the politically-charged 'Messiah', points to his unique role as both representative of humankind and as mediator of God's power on earth.
What the religious leaders couldn't cope with was that Jesus was who he claimed to be. He still is. When he lived on earth he did have the power to heal and to forgive sins. And he still does.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80847
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80849
Deeper study: Assurance of forgiveness: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80850
Background: Was Jesus blaspheming?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80851
Obstacles: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80852
Cartoon: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80853
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80854
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=79967
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Standing room only, not even eBay has tickets! Are you desperate to see Jesus? Here's a VIP pass.
Mark 2:1-12
'A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 2:1-12
Mark 2
Jesus Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk
1 A few days later, Jesus entered Capernaum again. The people heard that he had come home. 2 So many people gathered that there was no room left. There was not even room outside the door. And Jesus preached the word to them.
3 Four of those who came were carrying a man who could not walk. 4 But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat.
5 Jesus saw their faith. So he said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Some teachers of the law were sitting there. They were thinking, 7 "Why is this fellow talking like that? He's saying a very evil thing! Only God can forgive sins!"
8 Right away Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Is it easier to say to this man, 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."
Then Jesus spoke to the man who could not walk. 11 "I tell you," he said, "get up. Take your mat and go home."
12 The man got up and took his mat. Then he walked away while everyone watched. All the people were amazed. They praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: True authority
While Jesus had been away, the people of Capernaum hadn't lost their taste for the miraculous. As soon as he returned, there they were again, like moths to the light. But this time some of them got more than they bargained for - the religious leaders in particular.
Right to the heart
Jesus' response to the paralysed man reached right to the heart of the man's deepest need. And in addressing his spiritual healing Jesus was fulfilling his core mission.
But his words set warning bells jangling in the heads of the watching religious teachers, who knew heresy when they saw it. Only God had the authority to forgive sins.
Son of Man
Immediately Jesus took up the challenge. Yes, in one way the teachers were right. He was claiming divine authority for his actions.
His use of the title 'Son of Man' to describe himself, rather than the politically-charged 'Messiah', points to his unique role as both representative of humankind and as mediator of God's power on earth.
What the religious leaders couldn't cope with was that Jesus was who he claimed to be. He still is. When he lived on earth he did have the power to heal and to forgive sins. And he still does.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80847
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80849
Deeper study: Assurance of forgiveness: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80850
Background: Was Jesus blaspheming?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80851
Obstacles: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80852
Cartoon: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80853
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=80854
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14952&activityid=79967
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Leaky, leaky: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
One touch
http://www.wordlive.org One touch
Prayer : Prepare
Reach out - God is there, filled with love, compassion, and the power and will to change things.
Mark 1:40-45
'A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."'
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Bible passage: Mark 1:40-45
Jesus Heals a Man Who Had a Skin Disease
40 A man who had a skin disease came to Jesus. On his knees he begged Jesus. He said, "If you are willing to make me 'clean,' you can do it."
41 Jesus was filled with deep concern. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing to do it," he said. "Be 'clean'!" 42 Right away the disease left him. He was healed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once. He gave the man a strong warning. 44 "Don't tell this to anyone," he said. "Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. It will be a witness to the priest and the people that you are 'clean.' "
45 But the man went out and started talking right away. He spread the news to everyone. So Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. He stayed outside in lonely places. But people still came to him from everywhere.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: One touch
Wherever you slice Jesus' ministry, you can see compassion running through the middle, like growth rings through a tree trunk. Jesus never turned away anyone who believed that he could meet their need.
Powerful grace
The man with leprosy was an outcast, cut off from contact with his family and community because of his illness. Desperate and lonely, he approached Jesus on his knees to ask for help.
Jesus responded and healed him, not by words alone, but by touch - perhaps the first human touch the man had felt since his illness began. This is God's powerful grace in action. A simple word and a simple, compassionate touch of the hand can be all that are needed to transform a life.
Our response
As Jesus' followers, how should we respond to this example? Perhaps we should first look at our own hearts. Do we share Jesus' compassion? Without it we risk making empty gestures and being contaminated ourselves rather than opening the way to God's healing power.
The man with leprosy understood that, as a result of his healing, he was no longer condemned to being alone but was restored to his community. Small wonder that he couldn't resist going straight out and telling everyone his amazing story.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage : http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80838
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80840
Deeper study: Unwelcome publicity: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80841
Background: What was biblical leprosy?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80842
Healing touch: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=81204
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80843
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80844
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=79966
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Reach out - God is there, filled with love, compassion, and the power and will to change things.
Mark 1:40-45
'A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:40-45
Jesus Heals a Man Who Had a Skin Disease
40 A man who had a skin disease came to Jesus. On his knees he begged Jesus. He said, "If you are willing to make me 'clean,' you can do it."
41 Jesus was filled with deep concern. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing to do it," he said. "Be 'clean'!" 42 Right away the disease left him. He was healed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once. He gave the man a strong warning. 44 "Don't tell this to anyone," he said. "Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. It will be a witness to the priest and the people that you are 'clean.' "
45 But the man went out and started talking right away. He spread the news to everyone. So Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. He stayed outside in lonely places. But people still came to him from everywhere.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: One touch
Wherever you slice Jesus' ministry, you can see compassion running through the middle, like growth rings through a tree trunk. Jesus never turned away anyone who believed that he could meet their need.
Powerful grace
The man with leprosy was an outcast, cut off from contact with his family and community because of his illness. Desperate and lonely, he approached Jesus on his knees to ask for help.
Jesus responded and healed him, not by words alone, but by touch - perhaps the first human touch the man had felt since his illness began. This is God's powerful grace in action. A simple word and a simple, compassionate touch of the hand can be all that are needed to transform a life.
Our response
As Jesus' followers, how should we respond to this example? Perhaps we should first look at our own hearts. Do we share Jesus' compassion? Without it we risk making empty gestures and being contaminated ourselves rather than opening the way to God's healing power.
The man with leprosy understood that, as a result of his healing, he was no longer condemned to being alone but was restored to his community. Small wonder that he couldn't resist going straight out and telling everyone his amazing story.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage : http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80838
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80840
Deeper study: Unwelcome publicity: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80841
Background: What was biblical leprosy?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80842
Healing touch: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=81204
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80843
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80844
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=79966
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80994
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=80995
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14951&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Praise is rising
WordLive Daily Email http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
What is creation saying to you today? Join in with praise for the Creator.
Psalm 148
'Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendour is above the earth and the heavens.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Psalm 148
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heavens above.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his angels in heaven.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens.
Praise him, you waters above the skies.
5 Let all of them praise the name of the Lord,
because he gave a command and they were created.
6 He set them in place for ever and ever.
He gave them laws they will always have to obey.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all of the deepest parts of the ocean.
8 Praise him, lightning and hail, snow and clouds.
Praise him, you stormy winds that obey him.
9 Praise him, all you mountains and hills.
Praise him, all you fruit trees and cedar trees.
10 Praise him, all you wild animals and cattle.
Praise him, you small creatures and flying birds.
11 Praise him, you kings of the earth and all nations.
Praise him, all you princes and rulers on earth.
12 Praise him, young men and young women.
Praise him, old people and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord.
His name alone is honored.
His glory is higher than the earth and the heavens.
14 He has given his people a strong king.
All of his faithful people praise him for that gift.
All of the people of Israel are close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Praise is rising
The book of Psalms ends with a massive outburst of praise. Everything in all creation, from the sun and moon to the depths of the ocean, from the angels in heaven to the smallest bird, from the most powerful ruler to the most vulnerable baby, is included in a mighty song of praise to our amazing creator God.
Creation praise
It's not clear exactly how things like mountains and winds, animals and trees can praise the Lord. One idea is that as we see the wonder and perfection of all that God has created, praise rises in us.
Another idea is that created things praise God by responding to his command and just being what they are - a stormy wind praises by being a stormy wind, for example. Either way, nothing in all creation is left out.
Let's join in!
Alone of all creation, however, human beings can choose whether or not to get involved - we can say no to God, or just praise with our lips not our whole inner beings.
But faced with the evidence all around us of God's amazing love, glory and power, let's not miss out, but choose to join in with our hearts, actions and lives as well as our mouths in this great worship song!
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=80833
Deeper study: Praising God in faith: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=80834
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=80835
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=79964
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
What is creation saying to you today? Join in with praise for the Creator.
Psalm 148
'Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendour is above the earth and the heavens.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Psalm 148
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heavens above.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his angels in heaven.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens.
Praise him, you waters above the skies.
5 Let all of them praise the name of the Lord,
because he gave a command and they were created.
6 He set them in place for ever and ever.
He gave them laws they will always have to obey.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all of the deepest parts of the ocean.
8 Praise him, lightning and hail, snow and clouds.
Praise him, you stormy winds that obey him.
9 Praise him, all you mountains and hills.
Praise him, all you fruit trees and cedar trees.
10 Praise him, all you wild animals and cattle.
Praise him, you small creatures and flying birds.
11 Praise him, you kings of the earth and all nations.
Praise him, all you princes and rulers on earth.
12 Praise him, young men and young women.
Praise him, old people and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord.
His name alone is honored.
His glory is higher than the earth and the heavens.
14 He has given his people a strong king.
All of his faithful people praise him for that gift.
All of the people of Israel are close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Praise is rising
The book of Psalms ends with a massive outburst of praise. Everything in all creation, from the sun and moon to the depths of the ocean, from the angels in heaven to the smallest bird, from the most powerful ruler to the most vulnerable baby, is included in a mighty song of praise to our amazing creator God.
Creation praise
It's not clear exactly how things like mountains and winds, animals and trees can praise the Lord. One idea is that as we see the wonder and perfection of all that God has created, praise rises in us.
Another idea is that created things praise God by responding to his command and just being what they are - a stormy wind praises by being a stormy wind, for example. Either way, nothing in all creation is left out.
Let's join in!
Alone of all creation, however, human beings can choose whether or not to get involved - we can say no to God, or just praise with our lips not our whole inner beings.
But faced with the evidence all around us of God's amazing love, glory and power, let's not miss out, but choose to join in with our hearts, actions and lives as well as our mouths in this great worship song!
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=80833
Deeper study: Praising God in faith: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=80834
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=80835
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14950&activityid=79964
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Pressure-cooker living
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Busy? Crowded? Devote the next few minutes to God alone - it'll definitely be worth it.
Mark 1:29-39
'The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:29-39
Jesus Heals Many People
29 Jesus and those with him left the synagogue. Right away they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was lying in bed. She had a fever. They told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her. He took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her. Then she began to serve them.
32 That evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who were sick. They also brought all who were controlled by demons. 33 All the people in town gathered at the door. 34 Jesus healed many of them. They had all kinds of sicknesses. He also drove out many demons. But he would not let the demons speak, because they knew who he was.
Jesus Prays in a Quiet Place
35 It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed. 36 Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. 37 When they found him, they called out, "Everyone is looking for you!"
38 Jesus replied, "Let's go somewhere else. I want to go to the nearby towns. I must preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled all around Galilee. He preached in their synagogues. He also drove out demons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Pressure-cooker living
These verses show Jesus under intense pressure as crowds flocked round him at every opportunity. Yet his compassion never failed - and neither did his focus or his dependence on God the Father.
Did they understand?
In a brief moment of privacy, he responded to the need of a sick woman. Then the crowds, who had waited until sunset marked the end of the Sabbath, enthusiastically brought their needs to him too. But, healed and delivered though they were, had they really understood Jesus' core message?
The demons knew exactly what was going on - they recognised Jesus and obeyed him. His human listeners, however, seem to have been satisfied with the understandable excitement of getting their bodies sorted out.
Stop. Pray. Go
Jesus knew when it was time to call a halt. Solitude in itself wasn't what recharged his batteries. Prayer, the essential means of communication between the Son of God and God the Father, enabled him to refocus on his mission.
And it was time to move on. The people of Capernaum had heard and seen all they needed in order to respond to God's call. The rest was up to them. Now others were to have the chance to hear the good news.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80802
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80806
Deeper study: The long and short of it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80812
The quiet place: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80813
Peace and quiet?!: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80814
News Burger: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=81115
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80816
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=79962
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Busy? Crowded? Devote the next few minutes to God alone - it'll definitely be worth it.
Mark 1:29-39
'The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:29-39
Jesus Heals Many People
29 Jesus and those with him left the synagogue. Right away they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was lying in bed. She had a fever. They told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her. He took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her. Then she began to serve them.
32 That evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who were sick. They also brought all who were controlled by demons. 33 All the people in town gathered at the door. 34 Jesus healed many of them. They had all kinds of sicknesses. He also drove out many demons. But he would not let the demons speak, because they knew who he was.
Jesus Prays in a Quiet Place
35 It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed. 36 Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. 37 When they found him, they called out, "Everyone is looking for you!"
38 Jesus replied, "Let's go somewhere else. I want to go to the nearby towns. I must preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled all around Galilee. He preached in their synagogues. He also drove out demons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Pressure-cooker living
These verses show Jesus under intense pressure as crowds flocked round him at every opportunity. Yet his compassion never failed - and neither did his focus or his dependence on God the Father.
Did they understand?
In a brief moment of privacy, he responded to the need of a sick woman. Then the crowds, who had waited until sunset marked the end of the Sabbath, enthusiastically brought their needs to him too. But, healed and delivered though they were, had they really understood Jesus' core message?
The demons knew exactly what was going on - they recognised Jesus and obeyed him. His human listeners, however, seem to have been satisfied with the understandable excitement of getting their bodies sorted out.
Stop. Pray. Go
Jesus knew when it was time to call a halt. Solitude in itself wasn't what recharged his batteries. Prayer, the essential means of communication between the Son of God and God the Father, enabled him to refocus on his mission.
And it was time to move on. The people of Capernaum had heard and seen all they needed in order to respond to God's call. The rest was up to them. Now others were to have the chance to hear the good news.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80802
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80806
Deeper study: The long and short of it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80812
The quiet place: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80813
Peace and quiet?!: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80814
News Burger: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=81115
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=80816
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14947&activityid=79962
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
The adventure begins
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Up for an adventure? Jesus is inviting you on a fishing trip - could be a long one though.
Mark 1:14-20
'As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:14-20
Jesus Chooses the First Disciples
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee. He preached God's good news. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!"
16 One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen. 17 "Come. Follow me," Jesus said. "I will make you fishers of people."
18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 Then Jesus walked a little farther. As he did, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat preparing their nets. 20 Right away he called out to them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men. Then they followed Jesus.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: The adventure begins
Jesus' first recorded words couldn't be more direct or more exciting: 'The time has come' (v 14, NIV). This is it - the culmination of history, of God's salvation plan; the great breaking-through of God's kingdom into our world.
Our choice
And this good news is available to everyone. Jesus proclaimed it openly, in the synagogues and towns and countryside of Galilee.
But he didn't impose it on everyone by blanket coverage, and neither does he today. Like Jesus' first hearers, we have a choice. If we want to be part of the good news story, there are things we must do.
Repent and believe
Two little words, but what a weight of meaning they carry! When we hear Jesus' call we can either ignore him and carry on as before, or - like Simon and Andrew, James and John - stop what we're doing and follow him.
These four men literally turned their backs on the only livelihood they had known in order to be with Jesus. God may not be calling us to give up our jobs, but true discipleship will always entail an equally wholehearted response to Jesus.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Respond
How did you first hear Jesus calling you to follow him? Where were you? What happened?
How has your understanding of God and his purposes grown since you first said 'Yes' to Jesus?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80768
Deeper study: Regime change: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80771
Background: Fishermen in Galilee: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80772
Go fish!: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80785
News Burger: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=81115
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80787
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=79960
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Up for an adventure? Jesus is inviting you on a fishing trip - could be a long one though.
Mark 1:14-20
'As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:14-20
Jesus Chooses the First Disciples
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee. He preached God's good news. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!"
16 One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen. 17 "Come. Follow me," Jesus said. "I will make you fishers of people."
18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 Then Jesus walked a little farther. As he did, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat preparing their nets. 20 Right away he called out to them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men. Then they followed Jesus.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: The adventure begins
Jesus' first recorded words couldn't be more direct or more exciting: 'The time has come' (v 14, NIV). This is it - the culmination of history, of God's salvation plan; the great breaking-through of God's kingdom into our world.
Our choice
And this good news is available to everyone. Jesus proclaimed it openly, in the synagogues and towns and countryside of Galilee.
But he didn't impose it on everyone by blanket coverage, and neither does he today. Like Jesus' first hearers, we have a choice. If we want to be part of the good news story, there are things we must do.
Repent and believe
Two little words, but what a weight of meaning they carry! When we hear Jesus' call we can either ignore him and carry on as before, or - like Simon and Andrew, James and John - stop what we're doing and follow him.
These four men literally turned their backs on the only livelihood they had known in order to be with Jesus. God may not be calling us to give up our jobs, but true discipleship will always entail an equally wholehearted response to Jesus.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Respond
How did you first hear Jesus calling you to follow him? Where were you? What happened?
How has your understanding of God and his purposes grown since you first said 'Yes' to Jesus?
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Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80768
Deeper study: Regime change: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80771
Background: Fishermen in Galilee: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80772
Go fish!: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80785
News Burger: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=81115
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=80787
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14944&activityid=79960
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Are you ready?
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
God is pleased, but there's more to come. Allow the Spirit in, and the preparation to begin.
Mark 1:9-13
'Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:9-13
Jesus Is Baptized and Tempted
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 11 A voice spoke to him from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."
12 At once the Holy Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert. 13 He was in the desert 40 days. There Satan tempted him. The wild animals didn't harm Jesus. Angels took care of him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Are you ready?
Heaven opened
Jesus' baptism marked the public start of his ministry and his identification as the 'one who is more powerful' whose coming John had promised (v 7). Heaven was opened as the three Persons of the Trinity worked together.
The voice from heaven endorsed Jesus' credentials as God's own beloved Son. And the visible coming of the Spirit signified that the power of God was at the Son's disposal.
Useful pointers
When we consider starting a new ministry ourselves, these are useful pointers for us to bear in mind.
* Are we certain that we belong to God and know him as our loving Father?
* Have we received the Holy Spirit?
It's good to be sure, because the next episode in our story might reflect what happened next to Jesus - a time of testing.
Unmoveable
From Matthew and Luke's accounts of the temptation, we know that all Satan's cunning couldn't shift Jesus from his complete dependence on and trust in God. Jesus refused to misuse the power and the status which had just been confirmed to him.
His responses showed that he understood the challenges ahead and was willing to follow God's way, whatever the cost.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80758
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80760
Deeper study: Jesus, prototype son: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80761
Background: John the Baptist: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80762
Testing times: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80763
Being baptised: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80764
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80765
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=79959
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
God is pleased, but there's more to come. Allow the Spirit in, and the preparation to begin.
Mark 1:9-13
'Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:9-13
Jesus Is Baptized and Tempted
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 11 A voice spoke to him from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."
12 At once the Holy Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert. 13 He was in the desert 40 days. There Satan tempted him. The wild animals didn't harm Jesus. Angels took care of him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Are you ready?
Heaven opened
Jesus' baptism marked the public start of his ministry and his identification as the 'one who is more powerful' whose coming John had promised (v 7). Heaven was opened as the three Persons of the Trinity worked together.
The voice from heaven endorsed Jesus' credentials as God's own beloved Son. And the visible coming of the Spirit signified that the power of God was at the Son's disposal.
Useful pointers
When we consider starting a new ministry ourselves, these are useful pointers for us to bear in mind.
* Are we certain that we belong to God and know him as our loving Father?
* Have we received the Holy Spirit?
It's good to be sure, because the next episode in our story might reflect what happened next to Jesus - a time of testing.
Unmoveable
From Matthew and Luke's accounts of the temptation, we know that all Satan's cunning couldn't shift Jesus from his complete dependence on and trust in God. Jesus refused to misuse the power and the status which had just been confirmed to him.
His responses showed that he understood the challenges ahead and was willing to follow God's way, whatever the cost.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80758
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80760
Deeper study: Jesus, prototype son: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80761
Background: John the Baptist: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80762
Testing times: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80763
Being baptised: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80764
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=80765
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14943&activityid=79959
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Read all about it: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Not just news
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Good news, good news! Hear all about it! Read today's exclusive headlines from The Messenger here.
Mark 1:1-8
'The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:1-8
Mark 1
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 Long ago Isaiah the prophet wrote,
"I will send my messenger ahead of you.
He will prepare your way." -(Malachi 3:1)
3 "A messenger is calling out in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.' " -(Isaiah 40:3)
4 And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. 5 All the people from the countryside of Judea went out to him. All the people from Jerusalem went too. When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothes made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 Here is what John was preaching. "After me, one will come who is more powerful than I am. I'm not good enough to bend down and untie his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water. But he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Not just news.
Good news!
From our cynical twenty-first century viewpoint it can be hard to recapture the sheer excitement of the first sentence of Mark's book. But Mark himself was in no doubt. He was writing about someone who was going to change the world.
This wasn't just news, it was gospel - really good news!
Rooted in the past
At the same time, this 'good news' story was rooted in the past, in the prophetic tradition of the people of Israel. By quoting from Isaiah, Mark was reminding his readers of the hope they once cherished of the coming of Messiah.
The new story Mark was about to tell wouldn't contradict the past, it would fulfil it - 'And so John came.' (v 4, NIV).
Human signpost
John was a sort of human signpost. Dressed like the Old Testament prophet Elijah, John stood at the point where the past and the future intersected. Nothing would ever be the same again. History was about to take a radical new direction.
The message he preached to the enthusiastic crowd started with a call for the people to acknowledge their need of a personal new start. And that was just the beginning.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80745
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80748
Deeper study: All about Jesus: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80749
Background: Mark's Gospel: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80750
Vox pops: What do you think about baptism?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80752
Preparing the way: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80753
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80754
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=79958
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Good news, good news! Hear all about it! Read today's exclusive headlines from The Messenger here.
Mark 1:1-8
'The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Mark 1:1-8
Mark 1
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 Long ago Isaiah the prophet wrote,
"I will send my messenger ahead of you.
He will prepare your way." -(Malachi 3:1)
3 "A messenger is calling out in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.' " -(Isaiah 40:3)
4 And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. 5 All the people from the countryside of Judea went out to him. All the people from Jerusalem went too. When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothes made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 Here is what John was preaching. "After me, one will come who is more powerful than I am. I'm not good enough to bend down and untie his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water. But he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Not just news.
Good news!
From our cynical twenty-first century viewpoint it can be hard to recapture the sheer excitement of the first sentence of Mark's book. But Mark himself was in no doubt. He was writing about someone who was going to change the world.
This wasn't just news, it was gospel - really good news!
Rooted in the past
At the same time, this 'good news' story was rooted in the past, in the prophetic tradition of the people of Israel. By quoting from Isaiah, Mark was reminding his readers of the hope they once cherished of the coming of Messiah.
The new story Mark was about to tell wouldn't contradict the past, it would fulfil it - 'And so John came.' (v 4, NIV).
Human signpost
John was a sort of human signpost. Dressed like the Old Testament prophet Elijah, John stood at the point where the past and the future intersected. Nothing would ever be the same again. History was about to take a radical new direction.
The message he preached to the enthusiastic crowd started with a call for the people to acknowledge their need of a personal new start. And that was just the beginning.
Caroline Masom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80745
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80748
Deeper study: All about Jesus: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80749
Background: Mark's Gospel: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80750
Vox pops: What do you think about baptism?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80752
Preparing the way: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80753
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80754
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=79958
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80991
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=80992
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14942&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Crowning glory
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
The King is in court and wants to meet with his subjects - what will today's session entail?
Psalm 99
'The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.'
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Bible passage: Psalm 99
Psalm 99
1 The Lord rules.
Let the nations tremble.
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
Let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord in Zion.
He is honored over all of the nations.
3 Let them praise his great and wonderful name.
He is holy.
4 The King is mighty. He loves what is fair.
He has set up the rules for fairness.
He has done what is right and fair
for the people of Jacob.
5 Honor the Lord our God.
Worship at his feet.
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were two of his priests.
Samuel was one of those who worshiped him.
They called out to the Lord.
And he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud.
They obeyed his laws and the orders he gave them.
8 Lord our God, you answered them.
You showed Israel that you are a God who forgives.
But when they did wrong, you punished them.
9 Honor the Lord our God.
Worship at his holy mountain.
The Lord our God is holy.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Crowning glory
Choosing sinners
What an amazing God we serve! The same King who sits on a throne surrounded by angels, chooses sinners such as Moses and Aaron to do his work. Not only does he use them, but they call on his name and he answers.
The God we put our trust in has the power to make the nations tremble and the earth shake, yet uses the sinners of Israel in his service when he could easily do the work himself. He is the one true King, whose majesty knows no bounds.
All will bow
Do we see him as the King he is? We can so easily see Jesus as our loving friend, but how often do we recognise that he is the one to whom all will bow down? Earthly leaders have no power apart from that which God has given them.
Queen Victoria was reported to have exclaimed to a preacher after a service at Canterbury Cathedral, 'Oh, how I wish that the Lord would come during my lifetime, because I should so love to lay my crown at his feet.'
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=80739
Deeper study: Exalting and exulting: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=80740
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=80741
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=79956
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
The King is in court and wants to meet with his subjects - what will today's session entail?
Psalm 99
'The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Psalm 99
Psalm 99
1 The Lord rules.
Let the nations tremble.
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
Let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord in Zion.
He is honored over all of the nations.
3 Let them praise his great and wonderful name.
He is holy.
4 The King is mighty. He loves what is fair.
He has set up the rules for fairness.
He has done what is right and fair
for the people of Jacob.
5 Honor the Lord our God.
Worship at his feet.
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were two of his priests.
Samuel was one of those who worshiped him.
They called out to the Lord.
And he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud.
They obeyed his laws and the orders he gave them.
8 Lord our God, you answered them.
You showed Israel that you are a God who forgives.
But when they did wrong, you punished them.
9 Honor the Lord our God.
Worship at his holy mountain.
The Lord our God is holy.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Crowning glory
Choosing sinners
What an amazing God we serve! The same King who sits on a throne surrounded by angels, chooses sinners such as Moses and Aaron to do his work. Not only does he use them, but they call on his name and he answers.
The God we put our trust in has the power to make the nations tremble and the earth shake, yet uses the sinners of Israel in his service when he could easily do the work himself. He is the one true King, whose majesty knows no bounds.
All will bow
Do we see him as the King he is? We can so easily see Jesus as our loving friend, but how often do we recognise that he is the one to whom all will bow down? Earthly leaders have no power apart from that which God has given them.
Queen Victoria was reported to have exclaimed to a preacher after a service at Canterbury Cathedral, 'Oh, how I wish that the Lord would come during my lifetime, because I should so love to lay my crown at his feet.'
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=80739
Deeper study: Exalting and exulting: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=80740
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=80741
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14941&activityid=79956
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Hall of fame
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Who are your heroes of the faith? Who inspires you, and who do you inspire?
Hebrews 11:32-40
'And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Hebrews 11:32-40
32 What more can I say? I don't have time to tell about all the others. I don't have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. I don't have time to tell about David, Samuel and the prophets. 33 Because of their faith they took over kingdoms. They ruled fairly. They received the blessings God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions. 34 They put out great fires. They escaped being killed by the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became powerful in battle. They beat back armies from other countries.
35 Women received their dead back. The dead were raised to life again. Others were made to suffer greatly. But they refused to be set free. They did that so that after death they would be raised to a better life.
36 Some were laughed at. Some were whipped. Still others were held by chains. They were put in prison. 37 Some were killed with stones. They were sawed in two. They were put to death by the sword. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor. They were attacked. They were treated badly. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains. They lived in caves. They lived in holes in the ground.
39 All of those people were praised because they had faith. But none of them received what God had promised. 40 God had planned something better for us. So they would only be made perfect together with us.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Hall of fame
Faithful servants
Hebrews 11 gives us a fantastic list of people who can encourage us in our walk with God. Faithful servants who conquered kingdoms, brought the dead back to life and suffered at the sword. People who struggled in their faith, yet persisted in the knowledge that glory awaited them with their King in heaven.
Their lives serve as an example to us - this broken, fallen world was not worthy of them.
Waiting for us
Yet these great men and women of God still haven't fully received what they were promised because God, in his mercy, is waiting for our generation to turn to him. Gideon, David, Samson - all continued in their faith so that we and millions more may hear of Christ.
We will one day join these saints in heaven. Will your name be in that role call?
Thank God for those wonderful people who have inspired you to continue in your Christian walk, whether through public teaching, personal rebuke or private prayer. Pray that they may know that their faithful encouragement is not in vain.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Respond
How could you encourage those around you to keep striving for Jesus? Take some time writing a note to someone close to you, encouraging them to live for Christ.
Or. think about how you might use the WordLive forum, Facebook (or other social networks) to do this. Be creative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Deeper study: Something better: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14940&activityid=80734
Hyper-text: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14940&activityid=80735
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14940&activityid=79955
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Who are your heroes of the faith? Who inspires you, and who do you inspire?
Hebrews 11:32-40
'And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Hebrews 11:32-40
32 What more can I say? I don't have time to tell about all the others. I don't have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. I don't have time to tell about David, Samuel and the prophets. 33 Because of their faith they took over kingdoms. They ruled fairly. They received the blessings God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions. 34 They put out great fires. They escaped being killed by the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became powerful in battle. They beat back armies from other countries.
35 Women received their dead back. The dead were raised to life again. Others were made to suffer greatly. But they refused to be set free. They did that so that after death they would be raised to a better life.
36 Some were laughed at. Some were whipped. Still others were held by chains. They were put in prison. 37 Some were killed with stones. They were sawed in two. They were put to death by the sword. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor. They were attacked. They were treated badly. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains. They lived in caves. They lived in holes in the ground.
39 All of those people were praised because they had faith. But none of them received what God had promised. 40 God had planned something better for us. So they would only be made perfect together with us.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Hall of fame
Faithful servants
Hebrews 11 gives us a fantastic list of people who can encourage us in our walk with God. Faithful servants who conquered kingdoms, brought the dead back to life and suffered at the sword. People who struggled in their faith, yet persisted in the knowledge that glory awaited them with their King in heaven.
Their lives serve as an example to us - this broken, fallen world was not worthy of them.
Waiting for us
Yet these great men and women of God still haven't fully received what they were promised because God, in his mercy, is waiting for our generation to turn to him. Gideon, David, Samson - all continued in their faith so that we and millions more may hear of Christ.
We will one day join these saints in heaven. Will your name be in that role call?
Thank God for those wonderful people who have inspired you to continue in your Christian walk, whether through public teaching, personal rebuke or private prayer. Pray that they may know that their faithful encouragement is not in vain.
Lynda Davies
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Text: Respond
How could you encourage those around you to keep striving for Jesus? Take some time writing a note to someone close to you, encouraging them to live for Christ.
Or. think about how you might use the WordLive forum, Facebook (or other social networks) to do this. Be creative.
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Choose from today's activities...
Deeper study: Something better: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14940&activityid=80734
Hyper-text: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14940&activityid=80735
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14940&activityid=79955
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Gracious love
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Farewells, tears, 'best bits' video montages - look back with God and use it to look forward.
1 Samuel 12:1-25
'Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your ancestors."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 12:1-25
1 Samuel 12
Samuel Tells Israel to Serve the Lord
1 Samuel spoke to all of the people of Israel. He said, "I've done everything you asked me to do. I've placed a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. But I'm old. My hair is gray. My sons are here with you. I've been your leader from the time I was young until this very day.
3 "Here I stand. Bring charges against me if you can. The Lord is a witness. And so is his anointed king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I beaten anyone down? Have I accepted money from anyone who wanted special favors? If I've done any of those things, I'll make it right."
4 "You haven't cheated us," they replied. "You haven't beaten us down. You haven't taken anything from anyone."
5 Samuel said to them, "The Lord is a witness against you this very day. And so is his anointed king. They are witnesses that I haven't taken anything from any of you."
"The Lord is a witness," they said.
6 Then Samuel said to the people, "The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron. He brought up out of Egypt your people who lived long ago. 7 Now then, stand here. I'm going to remind you of all of the good things the Lord has done for you and your people. He is a witness.
8 "After Jacob's family entered Egypt, they cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your people out of Egypt. They settled them in this land.
9 "But the people forgot the Lord their God. So he gave them over to the powerful hand of Sisera. Sisera was the commander of the army of Hazor. The Lord also gave the people of Israel over to the powerful hand of the Philistines and the king of Moab. All of those nations fought against Israel.
10 "So the people cried out to the Lord. They said, 'We have sinned. We've deserted the Lord. We've served the gods that are named after Baal. We've served the goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. But save us now from the powerful hands of our enemies. Then we will serve you.'
11 "The Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and me. He saved you from the hands of your enemies, who were all around you. So you lived in safety.
12 "But then you saw that Nahash, the king of Ammon, was about to attack you. So you said to me, 'No! We want a king to rule over us.' You said it even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen. He's the one you asked for. The Lord has placed a king over you.
14 "But you must have respect for the Lord. You must serve him and obey him. You must not say no to his commands. Both you and the king who rules over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, that's good. 15 But you must not disobey him. You must not say no to his commands. If you do, his powerful hand will punish you. That's what happened to your people who lived before you.
16 "So stand still. Watch the great thing the Lord is about to do right here in front of you! 17 It's time to gather in the wheat, isn't it? I'll call out to the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the sight of the Lord. You shouldn't have asked for a king."
18 Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all of the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel.
19 They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won't die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all of our other sins."
20 "Don't be afraid," Samuel replied. "It's true that you have done all of those evil things. But don't turn away from the Lord. Serve him with all your heart.
21 "Don't turn away and worship statues of gods. They are useless. They can't do you any good. They can't save you either. They are completely useless.
22 "But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won't turn his back on his people. That's because he was pleased to make you his own people.
23 "I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I'll teach you to live in a way that is good and right.
24 "But be sure to have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. Think about the great things he has done for you. 25 But don't be stubborn. Don't continue to do what is evil. If you do, both you and your king will be swept away."
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Text: Main point: Gracious love
The Israelites have shown just how unthankful and rebellious they are in asking for a king. Samuel recounts other great mercies God has shown them, and how every time the Israelites have forgotten these. He then shows just punishment in asking God to send down rain to ruin the harvest.
True grace
But this isn't the end of the story. This sin wasn't outside of God's plan, and Samuel, in verse 20, shows the Israelites true grace. Grace that, despite their sin, allows them to call on God.
They can be welcomed into God's family - not because of their good deeds, but because 'the Lord was pleased to make you his own' (v 22). In response to God's mercy they are to serve the Lord with thankfulness, struck by the knowledge that rejecting him leads to severe consequences (vs 14,15).
Freedom
We have such freedom in knowing that grace isn't earned by our works, but given unconditionally by Jesus. Nothing else is needed to be a part of the Lord's family.
Rejoice today that no amount of sin can separate you from his grace - it's all already been dealt with.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80720
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80723
Deeper study: Samuel's mission statement: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80725
Background: Samuel: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80726
Valedictory speech: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80727
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80728
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80729
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=79954
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Farewells, tears, 'best bits' video montages - look back with God and use it to look forward.
1 Samuel 12:1-25
'Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your ancestors."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 12:1-25
1 Samuel 12
Samuel Tells Israel to Serve the Lord
1 Samuel spoke to all of the people of Israel. He said, "I've done everything you asked me to do. I've placed a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. But I'm old. My hair is gray. My sons are here with you. I've been your leader from the time I was young until this very day.
3 "Here I stand. Bring charges against me if you can. The Lord is a witness. And so is his anointed king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I beaten anyone down? Have I accepted money from anyone who wanted special favors? If I've done any of those things, I'll make it right."
4 "You haven't cheated us," they replied. "You haven't beaten us down. You haven't taken anything from anyone."
5 Samuel said to them, "The Lord is a witness against you this very day. And so is his anointed king. They are witnesses that I haven't taken anything from any of you."
"The Lord is a witness," they said.
6 Then Samuel said to the people, "The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron. He brought up out of Egypt your people who lived long ago. 7 Now then, stand here. I'm going to remind you of all of the good things the Lord has done for you and your people. He is a witness.
8 "After Jacob's family entered Egypt, they cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your people out of Egypt. They settled them in this land.
9 "But the people forgot the Lord their God. So he gave them over to the powerful hand of Sisera. Sisera was the commander of the army of Hazor. The Lord also gave the people of Israel over to the powerful hand of the Philistines and the king of Moab. All of those nations fought against Israel.
10 "So the people cried out to the Lord. They said, 'We have sinned. We've deserted the Lord. We've served the gods that are named after Baal. We've served the goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. But save us now from the powerful hands of our enemies. Then we will serve you.'
11 "The Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and me. He saved you from the hands of your enemies, who were all around you. So you lived in safety.
12 "But then you saw that Nahash, the king of Ammon, was about to attack you. So you said to me, 'No! We want a king to rule over us.' You said it even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen. He's the one you asked for. The Lord has placed a king over you.
14 "But you must have respect for the Lord. You must serve him and obey him. You must not say no to his commands. Both you and the king who rules over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, that's good. 15 But you must not disobey him. You must not say no to his commands. If you do, his powerful hand will punish you. That's what happened to your people who lived before you.
16 "So stand still. Watch the great thing the Lord is about to do right here in front of you! 17 It's time to gather in the wheat, isn't it? I'll call out to the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the sight of the Lord. You shouldn't have asked for a king."
18 Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all of the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel.
19 They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won't die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all of our other sins."
20 "Don't be afraid," Samuel replied. "It's true that you have done all of those evil things. But don't turn away from the Lord. Serve him with all your heart.
21 "Don't turn away and worship statues of gods. They are useless. They can't do you any good. They can't save you either. They are completely useless.
22 "But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won't turn his back on his people. That's because he was pleased to make you his own people.
23 "I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I'll teach you to live in a way that is good and right.
24 "But be sure to have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. Think about the great things he has done for you. 25 But don't be stubborn. Don't continue to do what is evil. If you do, both you and your king will be swept away."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Gracious love
The Israelites have shown just how unthankful and rebellious they are in asking for a king. Samuel recounts other great mercies God has shown them, and how every time the Israelites have forgotten these. He then shows just punishment in asking God to send down rain to ruin the harvest.
True grace
But this isn't the end of the story. This sin wasn't outside of God's plan, and Samuel, in verse 20, shows the Israelites true grace. Grace that, despite their sin, allows them to call on God.
They can be welcomed into God's family - not because of their good deeds, but because 'the Lord was pleased to make you his own' (v 22). In response to God's mercy they are to serve the Lord with thankfulness, struck by the knowledge that rejecting him leads to severe consequences (vs 14,15).
Freedom
We have such freedom in knowing that grace isn't earned by our works, but given unconditionally by Jesus. Nothing else is needed to be a part of the Lord's family.
Rejoice today that no amount of sin can separate you from his grace - it's all already been dealt with.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80720
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80723
Deeper study: Samuel's mission statement: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80725
Background: Samuel: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80726
Valedictory speech: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80727
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80728
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=80729
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14938&activityid=79954
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Action hero
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
CLASSIFIEDS: People of God seek action hero for protection and rescue. Swift response appreciated.
1 Samuel 11:1-15
'They told the messengers who had come, "Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.' "When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 11:1-15
1 Samuel 11
Saul Saves the City of Jabesh Gilead
1 Nahash was the king of Ammon. He and his army went up to Jabesh Gilead. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. All of the men of Jabesh spoke to Nahash. They said, "Make a peace treaty with us. Then we'll be under your control."
2 Nahash, the king of Ammon, replied, "I will make a peace treaty with you. But I'll do it only on one condition. You must let me put out the right eye of every one of you. I want to bring shame on the whole nation of Israel."
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days to report back to you. We'll send messengers all through Israel. If no one comes to save us, we'll hand ourselves over to you."
4 The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul. They reported to the people the terms Nahash had required. Then all of the people sobbed out loud.
5 Just then Saul was coming in from the fields. He was walking behind his oxen. He asked, "What's wrong with the people? Why are they sobbing?" He was told what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came on him with power. He burned with anger. 7 He got a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent the pieces by messengers all through Israel. They announced, "You must follow Saul and Samuel. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen."
The terror of the Lord fell on the people. So all of them came together with one purpose in mind.
8 Saul brought his army together at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 from Judah.
9 The messengers who had come were told, "Go back and report to the men of Jabesh Gilead. Tell them, 'By the hottest time of the day tomorrow, you will be saved.' "
The messengers went and reported it to the men of Jabesh. It made those men very happy. 10 They said to the people of Ammon, "Tomorrow we'll hand ourselves over to you. Then you can do to us what seems best to you."
11 The next day Saul separated his men into three groups. While it was still dark, they broke into the camp of the Ammonite army. They kept killing the men of Ammon until the hottest time of the day. Those who got away alive were scattered. There weren't two of them left together anywhere.
The People Agree to Have Saul as King
12 The people said to Samuel, "Who asked, 'Is Saul going to rule over us?' Bring those people to us. We'll put them to death."
13 But Saul said, "We won't put anyone to death today! After all, this is the day the Lord has saved Israel."
14 Then Samuel said to the people, "Come on. Let's go to Gilgal. There we'll agree to have Saul as our king."
15 So all of the people went to Gilgal. There, with the Lord as witness, they agreed to have Saul as their king. There they sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord. And there Saul and all of the people of Israel celebrated with great joy.
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Text: Main point: Action hero
Super Saul
On first reading, this sounds like a Bond movie, with Saul in the leading role.
The Israelites have been captured and need rescuing. Saul hears of this disgrace and brutally kills a pair of oxen in a fit of rage. He arranges a stealth mission to swoop in unexpectedly, kill the baddies and bring his people home.
God's power
This is the same Saul who was yesterday found behind the coat stand. So where did this new found leadership come from?
Verse 6 tells us - the Spirit of God. Saul passes his first kingship test with flying colours, but only through the power of the Lord.
Made to serve
Praise God that Saul doesn't fall into the same trap as the Israelites in thinking that the king is the solution. Saul knows that the battle was not won in his kingship, but the Lord's might alone (vs 12,13).
Sometimes we can be all too keen to take credit for our own good works, forgetting that if it wasn't for the Lord we wouldn't even have breath. We were made to serve him, therefore every blessing we have comes from him.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80709
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80711
Deeper study: Saul at his best: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80712
Background: The Ammonites: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80713
Vox pops: How do you deal with bad news?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80714
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80715
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=79953
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
CLASSIFIEDS: People of God seek action hero for protection and rescue. Swift response appreciated.
1 Samuel 11:1-15
'They told the messengers who had come, "Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.' "When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 11:1-15
1 Samuel 11
Saul Saves the City of Jabesh Gilead
1 Nahash was the king of Ammon. He and his army went up to Jabesh Gilead. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. All of the men of Jabesh spoke to Nahash. They said, "Make a peace treaty with us. Then we'll be under your control."
2 Nahash, the king of Ammon, replied, "I will make a peace treaty with you. But I'll do it only on one condition. You must let me put out the right eye of every one of you. I want to bring shame on the whole nation of Israel."
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days to report back to you. We'll send messengers all through Israel. If no one comes to save us, we'll hand ourselves over to you."
4 The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul. They reported to the people the terms Nahash had required. Then all of the people sobbed out loud.
5 Just then Saul was coming in from the fields. He was walking behind his oxen. He asked, "What's wrong with the people? Why are they sobbing?" He was told what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came on him with power. He burned with anger. 7 He got a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent the pieces by messengers all through Israel. They announced, "You must follow Saul and Samuel. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen."
The terror of the Lord fell on the people. So all of them came together with one purpose in mind.
8 Saul brought his army together at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 from Judah.
9 The messengers who had come were told, "Go back and report to the men of Jabesh Gilead. Tell them, 'By the hottest time of the day tomorrow, you will be saved.' "
The messengers went and reported it to the men of Jabesh. It made those men very happy. 10 They said to the people of Ammon, "Tomorrow we'll hand ourselves over to you. Then you can do to us what seems best to you."
11 The next day Saul separated his men into three groups. While it was still dark, they broke into the camp of the Ammonite army. They kept killing the men of Ammon until the hottest time of the day. Those who got away alive were scattered. There weren't two of them left together anywhere.
The People Agree to Have Saul as King
12 The people said to Samuel, "Who asked, 'Is Saul going to rule over us?' Bring those people to us. We'll put them to death."
13 But Saul said, "We won't put anyone to death today! After all, this is the day the Lord has saved Israel."
14 Then Samuel said to the people, "Come on. Let's go to Gilgal. There we'll agree to have Saul as our king."
15 So all of the people went to Gilgal. There, with the Lord as witness, they agreed to have Saul as their king. There they sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord. And there Saul and all of the people of Israel celebrated with great joy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Action hero
Super Saul
On first reading, this sounds like a Bond movie, with Saul in the leading role.
The Israelites have been captured and need rescuing. Saul hears of this disgrace and brutally kills a pair of oxen in a fit of rage. He arranges a stealth mission to swoop in unexpectedly, kill the baddies and bring his people home.
God's power
This is the same Saul who was yesterday found behind the coat stand. So where did this new found leadership come from?
Verse 6 tells us - the Spirit of God. Saul passes his first kingship test with flying colours, but only through the power of the Lord.
Made to serve
Praise God that Saul doesn't fall into the same trap as the Israelites in thinking that the king is the solution. Saul knows that the battle was not won in his kingship, but the Lord's might alone (vs 12,13).
Sometimes we can be all too keen to take credit for our own good works, forgetting that if it wasn't for the Lord we wouldn't even have breath. We were made to serve him, therefore every blessing we have comes from him.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80709
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80711
Deeper study: Saul at his best: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80712
Background: The Ammonites: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80713
Vox pops: How do you deal with bad news?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80714
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=80715
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14937&activityid=79953
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
A reluctant king
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Are you scared of what God is calling you to do? Pray for the trust that combats fear.
1 Samuel 10:1-27
'Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 10:1-27
1 Samuel 10
1 Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul's head and kissed him. He said, "The Lord has anointed you to be the leader of his people. 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men. They will be near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They'll say to you, 'The donkeys you have been looking for have been found. Now your father has stopped thinking about them. Instead, he's worried about you. He's asking, "What can I do to find my son?" '
3 "You will go on from Zelzah until you come to the large tree at Tabor. Three men will meet you there. They'll be on their way up to Bethel to worship God. One of them will be carrying three young goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. A third will be carrying a bottle of wine. It will be a bottle that is made out of animal skin. 4 The men will greet you. They'll offer you two loaves of bread. You will accept the loaves from them.
5 "After that, you will go to Gibeah of God. Some Philistine soldiers are stationed there. As you approach the town, you will meet a group of prophets. They'll be coming down from the high place where they worship. People will be playing lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps at the head of the group. The prophets will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come on you with power. Then you will prophesy along with them. You will become a different person.
7 "All of those things will happen. Then do what you want to do. God is with you.
8 "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. You can be sure that I'll come down to you there. I'll come and sacrifice burnt offerings and friendship offerings. But you must wait there for seven days until I come to you. Then I'll tell you what to do."
Saul Is Made King of Israel
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart. All of those things happened that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met Saul. Then the Spirit of God came on him with power. He prophesied along with them. 11 Those who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets. They asked one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also one of the prophets?"
12 A man who lived in Gibeah answered, "Yes, he is. In fact, he's their leader." That's why people say, "Is Saul also one of the prophets?"
13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place to worship.
14 Later, Saul's uncle spoke to him and his servant. He asked, "Where have you been?"
"Looking for the donkeys," he said. "But we couldn't find them. So we went to Samuel."
15 Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you."
16 Saul replied, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't tell his uncle that Samuel had said he would become king.
17 Samuel sent a message to the people of Israel. He told them to meet with the Lord at Mizpah. 18 He said to them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from their powerful hand. I also saved you from the powerful hand of all of the kingdoms that had beaten you down.'
19 "But now you have turned your backs on your God. He saves you out of all of your trouble and suffering. In spite of that, you have said, 'We refuse to listen. Place a king over us.'
"So now gather together to meet with the Lord. Do it tribe by tribe and family group by family group."
20 Then Samuel had each tribe of Israel come forward. The tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Next he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward, family group by family group. Matri's group was chosen. Finally Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. But when people looked for him, they realized he wasn't there. 22 They needed more help from the Lord. So they asked him, "Has the man come here yet?"
The Lord said, "Yes. He has hidden himself among the supplies."
23 So they ran over there and brought him out. When he stood up, the people saw that he was a head taller than any of them.
24 Samuel spoke to all of the people. He said, "Look at the man the Lord has chosen! There isn't anyone like him among all of the people."
Then the people shouted, "May the king live a long time!"
25 Samuel explained to the people what the king who ruled over them should do. He wrote it down on a scroll. He placed it in front of the Lord in the holy tent. Then he sent the people away. He sent each of them to their own homes.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. Some brave men whose hearts God had touched went with Saul.
27 But some evil people who wanted to stir up trouble said, "How can this fellow save us?" They looked down on him. They didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept quiet about it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: A reluctant king
The people have got the king that they asked for, 'an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites' (1 Samuel 9:2).
A change of heart?
But for him to be the king he must be of more than impressive appearance - God must change his heart. Even though the Israelites tried to reject God, he is still in control of all things, including our hearts and minds.
Samuel assures Saul in verse 6 that the Lord will be with him, yet he remains overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. He doesn't tell his uncle the full story and is later found hiding amongst the baggage.
Trusting God
Despite the promises written in his Word, can we still sometimes be found hiding, refusing to trust fully in God's provision? It can be especially hard in the face of mockers (v 27), but Jesus has already shown us that in him we have the victory.
Not only that, but no running away from the Lord can limit his rule. Therefore we have no reason not to trust in the glorious hope he has given us.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80699
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80701
Deeper study: God chooses Saul: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80702
Background: How Saul became king: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80703
Visible difference: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80704
Changes: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80705
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80706
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=79952
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Are you scared of what God is calling you to do? Pray for the trust that combats fear.
1 Samuel 10:1-27
'Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?'
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Bible passage: 1 Samuel 10:1-27
1 Samuel 10
1 Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul's head and kissed him. He said, "The Lord has anointed you to be the leader of his people. 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men. They will be near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They'll say to you, 'The donkeys you have been looking for have been found. Now your father has stopped thinking about them. Instead, he's worried about you. He's asking, "What can I do to find my son?" '
3 "You will go on from Zelzah until you come to the large tree at Tabor. Three men will meet you there. They'll be on their way up to Bethel to worship God. One of them will be carrying three young goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. A third will be carrying a bottle of wine. It will be a bottle that is made out of animal skin. 4 The men will greet you. They'll offer you two loaves of bread. You will accept the loaves from them.
5 "After that, you will go to Gibeah of God. Some Philistine soldiers are stationed there. As you approach the town, you will meet a group of prophets. They'll be coming down from the high place where they worship. People will be playing lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps at the head of the group. The prophets will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come on you with power. Then you will prophesy along with them. You will become a different person.
7 "All of those things will happen. Then do what you want to do. God is with you.
8 "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. You can be sure that I'll come down to you there. I'll come and sacrifice burnt offerings and friendship offerings. But you must wait there for seven days until I come to you. Then I'll tell you what to do."
Saul Is Made King of Israel
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart. All of those things happened that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met Saul. Then the Spirit of God came on him with power. He prophesied along with them. 11 Those who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets. They asked one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also one of the prophets?"
12 A man who lived in Gibeah answered, "Yes, he is. In fact, he's their leader." That's why people say, "Is Saul also one of the prophets?"
13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place to worship.
14 Later, Saul's uncle spoke to him and his servant. He asked, "Where have you been?"
"Looking for the donkeys," he said. "But we couldn't find them. So we went to Samuel."
15 Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you."
16 Saul replied, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't tell his uncle that Samuel had said he would become king.
17 Samuel sent a message to the people of Israel. He told them to meet with the Lord at Mizpah. 18 He said to them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from their powerful hand. I also saved you from the powerful hand of all of the kingdoms that had beaten you down.'
19 "But now you have turned your backs on your God. He saves you out of all of your trouble and suffering. In spite of that, you have said, 'We refuse to listen. Place a king over us.'
"So now gather together to meet with the Lord. Do it tribe by tribe and family group by family group."
20 Then Samuel had each tribe of Israel come forward. The tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Next he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward, family group by family group. Matri's group was chosen. Finally Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. But when people looked for him, they realized he wasn't there. 22 They needed more help from the Lord. So they asked him, "Has the man come here yet?"
The Lord said, "Yes. He has hidden himself among the supplies."
23 So they ran over there and brought him out. When he stood up, the people saw that he was a head taller than any of them.
24 Samuel spoke to all of the people. He said, "Look at the man the Lord has chosen! There isn't anyone like him among all of the people."
Then the people shouted, "May the king live a long time!"
25 Samuel explained to the people what the king who ruled over them should do. He wrote it down on a scroll. He placed it in front of the Lord in the holy tent. Then he sent the people away. He sent each of them to their own homes.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. Some brave men whose hearts God had touched went with Saul.
27 But some evil people who wanted to stir up trouble said, "How can this fellow save us?" They looked down on him. They didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept quiet about it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: A reluctant king
The people have got the king that they asked for, 'an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites' (1 Samuel 9:2).
A change of heart?
But for him to be the king he must be of more than impressive appearance - God must change his heart. Even though the Israelites tried to reject God, he is still in control of all things, including our hearts and minds.
Samuel assures Saul in verse 6 that the Lord will be with him, yet he remains overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. He doesn't tell his uncle the full story and is later found hiding amongst the baggage.
Trusting God
Despite the promises written in his Word, can we still sometimes be found hiding, refusing to trust fully in God's provision? It can be especially hard in the face of mockers (v 27), but Jesus has already shown us that in him we have the victory.
Not only that, but no running away from the Lord can limit his rule. Therefore we have no reason not to trust in the glorious hope he has given us.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80699
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80701
Deeper study: God chooses Saul: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80702
Background: How Saul became king: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80703
Visible difference: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80704
Changes: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80705
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=80706
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14936&activityid=79952
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
To be like them
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
'But everyone else is!' Resist the temptation to fit in - go against the crowd and ask God what is right.
1 Samuel 8:1-22
'But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 8:1-22
1 Samuel 8
Israel Asks Samuel for a King
1 When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons to serve as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his oldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba. 3 But his sons didn't live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.
4 So all of the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old. Your sons don't live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all of the other nations have."
6 Samuel wasn't pleased when they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So he prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord told him, "Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. 8 They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day. Now they are deserting you too.
9 "Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will do."
10 Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. 11 Samuel told them, "Here's what the king who rules over you will do. He will take your sons. He'll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. 12 He'll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots.
13 "He'll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake.
14 "He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He'll give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He'll give it to his officials and attendants. 16 He will also take your male and female servants. He'll take your best cattle and donkeys. He'll use all of them any way he wants to.
17 "He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves.
18 "When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won't answer you at that time."
19 In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. "No!" they said. "We want a king to rule over us. 20 Then we'll be like all of the other nations. We'll have a king to lead us. He'll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles."
21 Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. 22 The Lord answered, "Listen to them. Give them a king."
Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to your own town."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: To be like them
Rejecting God
They just can't see the wood for the trees. God has mercifully saved these sinning Israelites from death, yet they turn around and reject him. It's an incredible sin for these people to tell their Creator that he's just not cutting it as a king.
They seem to think that the solution to their problems is an earthly king. And the reason for this? Because all the other nations have one. This is idolatry, pure and simple - they desire something more than God.
Warning!
Samuel turns to his Lord in despair and solemnly warns the Israelites of a human king who will take their children and lead them to ruin. However, no end of gloomy predictions can change their stubborn minds.
All in God's plan
How brilliant it is, then, that God can use man's wickedness for his glory! As we will see later on, this king and his successor, David, are simply a foreshadowing of the perfect leader found in King Jesus.
In God's plan, kings were needed as the ancestors of the Messiah, the son of David, who would fulfil the promise of God's blessing for all nations found in Genesis 12:2. It's certainly no excuse to sin, but a glorious reminder of the sovereignty of our God in desperate situations.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80688
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80691
Deeper study: Israel asks for a king: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80693
Background: Leaders of Israel: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80694
I want a king!: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80695
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80696
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=79951
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
'But everyone else is!' Resist the temptation to fit in - go against the crowd and ask God what is right.
1 Samuel 8:1-22
'But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 8:1-22
1 Samuel 8
Israel Asks Samuel for a King
1 When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons to serve as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his oldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba. 3 But his sons didn't live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.
4 So all of the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old. Your sons don't live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all of the other nations have."
6 Samuel wasn't pleased when they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So he prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord told him, "Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. 8 They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day. Now they are deserting you too.
9 "Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will do."
10 Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. 11 Samuel told them, "Here's what the king who rules over you will do. He will take your sons. He'll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. 12 He'll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots.
13 "He'll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake.
14 "He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He'll give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He'll give it to his officials and attendants. 16 He will also take your male and female servants. He'll take your best cattle and donkeys. He'll use all of them any way he wants to.
17 "He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves.
18 "When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won't answer you at that time."
19 In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. "No!" they said. "We want a king to rule over us. 20 Then we'll be like all of the other nations. We'll have a king to lead us. He'll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles."
21 Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. 22 The Lord answered, "Listen to them. Give them a king."
Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to your own town."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: To be like them
Rejecting God
They just can't see the wood for the trees. God has mercifully saved these sinning Israelites from death, yet they turn around and reject him. It's an incredible sin for these people to tell their Creator that he's just not cutting it as a king.
They seem to think that the solution to their problems is an earthly king. And the reason for this? Because all the other nations have one. This is idolatry, pure and simple - they desire something more than God.
Warning!
Samuel turns to his Lord in despair and solemnly warns the Israelites of a human king who will take their children and lead them to ruin. However, no end of gloomy predictions can change their stubborn minds.
All in God's plan
How brilliant it is, then, that God can use man's wickedness for his glory! As we will see later on, this king and his successor, David, are simply a foreshadowing of the perfect leader found in King Jesus.
In God's plan, kings were needed as the ancestors of the Messiah, the son of David, who would fulfil the promise of God's blessing for all nations found in Genesis 12:2. It's certainly no excuse to sin, but a glorious reminder of the sovereignty of our God in desperate situations.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80688
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80691
Deeper study: Israel asks for a king: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80693
Background: Leaders of Israel: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80694
I want a king!: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80695
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=80696
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14935&activityid=79951
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: The beautiful game: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Ebenezer stone
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
Imagine a stack of coins with a penny for each time God has helped you. How tall would yours be?
1 Samuel 7:2b-17
'Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."'
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Bible passage: 1 Samuel 7:2b-17
Samuel Brings the Philistines Under Israel's Control
2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim for a long time. It was there for a full 20 years. All of the people of Israel were filled with sorrow. They looked to the Lord for help.
3 Samuel spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, "Do you really want to return to the Lord with all your hearts? If you do, get rid of your strange gods. Get rid of your statues of goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. Commit yourselves to the Lord. Serve him only. Then he will save you from the powerful hand of the Philistines."
4 So the people of Israel put away their statues of gods that were named after Baal. They put away their statues of goddesses named after Ashtoreth. They served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all of the people of Israel together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you."
6 When the people had come together at Mizpah, they went to the well and got water. They poured it out in the sight of the Lord. On that day they didn't eat any food. They admitted they had sinned. They said, "We've sinned against the Lord." Samuel was the leader of Israel at Mizpah.
7 The Philistines heard that Israel had gathered together at Mizpah. So the Philistine rulers came up to attack them.
When the people of Israel heard about it, they were afraid. 8 They said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God to help us. Keep praying that he'll save us from the powerful hand of the Philistines."
9 Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord to help Israel. And the Lord answered his prayer.
10 The Philistines came near to attack Israel. At that time Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He threw them into such a panic that the Israelites were able to chase them away. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah. They chased the Philistines all the way to a point below Beth Car. They killed them all along the way.
12 Then Samuel got a big stone. He set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer. He said, "The Lord has helped us every step of the way."
13 So Samuel brought the Philistines under Israel's control. The Philistines didn't attack their territory again.
The Lord used his powerful hand against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 The Philistines had captured many towns between Ekron and Gath. But they had to give all of them back. Israel took back the territories near those towns from the powerful hand of the Philistines.
During that time Israel and the Amorites were friendly toward each other.
15 Samuel continued to lead Israel all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he traveled from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He served Israel as judge in all of those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah. That's where his home was. He served Israel as judge there too. And he built an altar there to honor the Lord.
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Text: Main point: Ebenezer stone
Depending on God
The Philistines are about to attack, and Samuel knows that there is only one way to achieve success - complete dependence on the Lord.
Samuel interceded for the Israelites 'and the Lord answered him'. His wise leadership and reliance on God led to a glorious victory over the Philistines that lasted throughout Samuel's lifetime.
So that the Israelites would never forget God's mercy, he even set up a stone, naming it 'Ebenezer' (which means 'stone of help') to remind them of the Lord's faithfulness.
Our intercessor
We too have someone sitting at the right hand of God and interceding on our behalf - Christ Jesus, whose sacrifice wasn't a suckling lamb, but himself on the cross.
Our battle is not with an invading force, but with the sin that so easily invades every fibre of our being. Mercifully, because of what Jesus has done, we don't need to be afraid.
However, we can easily forget how gracious God is in sending Jesus to save his people. When you are feeling the battle to keep going as a Christian is too hard, why not have something to remind you of the greatest Ebenezer stone of them all - the cross of Christ.
Lynda Davies
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80664
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80667
Deeper study: Samuel's leadership: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80679
Background: Catch up: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80680
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80681
Signpost: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80683
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80684
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=79950
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Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
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Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Imagine a stack of coins with a penny for each time God has helped you. How tall would yours be?
1 Samuel 7:2b-17
'Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."'
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Bible passage: 1 Samuel 7:2b-17
Samuel Brings the Philistines Under Israel's Control
2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim for a long time. It was there for a full 20 years. All of the people of Israel were filled with sorrow. They looked to the Lord for help.
3 Samuel spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, "Do you really want to return to the Lord with all your hearts? If you do, get rid of your strange gods. Get rid of your statues of goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. Commit yourselves to the Lord. Serve him only. Then he will save you from the powerful hand of the Philistines."
4 So the people of Israel put away their statues of gods that were named after Baal. They put away their statues of goddesses named after Ashtoreth. They served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all of the people of Israel together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you."
6 When the people had come together at Mizpah, they went to the well and got water. They poured it out in the sight of the Lord. On that day they didn't eat any food. They admitted they had sinned. They said, "We've sinned against the Lord." Samuel was the leader of Israel at Mizpah.
7 The Philistines heard that Israel had gathered together at Mizpah. So the Philistine rulers came up to attack them.
When the people of Israel heard about it, they were afraid. 8 They said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God to help us. Keep praying that he'll save us from the powerful hand of the Philistines."
9 Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord to help Israel. And the Lord answered his prayer.
10 The Philistines came near to attack Israel. At that time Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He threw them into such a panic that the Israelites were able to chase them away. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah. They chased the Philistines all the way to a point below Beth Car. They killed them all along the way.
12 Then Samuel got a big stone. He set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer. He said, "The Lord has helped us every step of the way."
13 So Samuel brought the Philistines under Israel's control. The Philistines didn't attack their territory again.
The Lord used his powerful hand against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 The Philistines had captured many towns between Ekron and Gath. But they had to give all of them back. Israel took back the territories near those towns from the powerful hand of the Philistines.
During that time Israel and the Amorites were friendly toward each other.
15 Samuel continued to lead Israel all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he traveled from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He served Israel as judge in all of those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah. That's where his home was. He served Israel as judge there too. And he built an altar there to honor the Lord.
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Text: Main point: Ebenezer stone
Depending on God
The Philistines are about to attack, and Samuel knows that there is only one way to achieve success - complete dependence on the Lord.
Samuel interceded for the Israelites 'and the Lord answered him'. His wise leadership and reliance on God led to a glorious victory over the Philistines that lasted throughout Samuel's lifetime.
So that the Israelites would never forget God's mercy, he even set up a stone, naming it 'Ebenezer' (which means 'stone of help') to remind them of the Lord's faithfulness.
Our intercessor
We too have someone sitting at the right hand of God and interceding on our behalf - Christ Jesus, whose sacrifice wasn't a suckling lamb, but himself on the cross.
Our battle is not with an invading force, but with the sin that so easily invades every fibre of our being. Mercifully, because of what Jesus has done, we don't need to be afraid.
However, we can easily forget how gracious God is in sending Jesus to save his people. When you are feeling the battle to keep going as a Christian is too hard, why not have something to remind you of the greatest Ebenezer stone of them all - the cross of Christ.
Lynda Davies
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Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80664
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80667
Deeper study: Samuel's leadership: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80679
Background: Catch up: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80680
Worship song: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80681
Signpost: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80683
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80684
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=79950
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80988
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=80990
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14932&activityid=77078
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Support WordLive
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Connecting the dots
WordLive Daily
Prayer : Prepare
Seek wisdom, not frustration; knowledge, not trivia. Ask God to help you make sense of it all.
Proverbs 22:1-16
'The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.'
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Bible passage: Proverbs 22:1-16
Proverbs 22
    You should want a good name more than you want great riches.
To be highly respected is better than having silver or gold.
2 The Lord made rich people and poor people.
That's what they have in common.
3 Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.
But childish people keep going and suffer for it.
4 Have respect for the Lord and don't be proud.
That will bring you wealth and honor and life.
5 Thorns and traps lie in the paths of evil people.
But those who guard themselves stay far away from them.
6 Train a child in the way he should go.
When he is old, he will not turn away from it.
7 Rich people rule over those who are poor.
Borrowers are slaves to lenders.
8 Anyone who plants evil gathers a harvest of trouble.
His power to beat others down will be destroyed.
9 Anyone who gives freely will be blessed.
That's because he shares his food with those who are poor.
10 If you drive away those who make fun of others, fighting also goes away.
Arguing and unkind words will stop.
11 Have a pure and loving heart, and speak kindly.
Then you will be a friend of the king.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge.
But he does away with the words of those who aren't faithful.
13 People who don't want to work say, "There's a lion outside!"
Or they say, "I'll be murdered if I go out into the streets!"
14 The mouth of a woman who commits adultery is like a deep pit.
Any man the Lord is angry with will fall into it.
15 A child is going to do foolish things.
But correcting him will drive his foolishness far away from him.
16 One person may beat poor people down in order to get rich.
Another person may give gifts to rich people. Both of them will become poor.
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Text: Main point: Connecting the dots
Two brothers
When my two sons were little, they couldn't have been more different. Stephen showed a gentle spirit and had innocent-looking brown eyes. His younger brother, David, had red hair, freckles, a cheeky grin, and was always in trouble.
On a number of occasions, my mother murmured, 'You need to watch that one', indicating Stephen. 'He's not as innocent as he seems.'
Joining the dots
One pastime our children enjoyed was joining up dots in order to create a picture. As they grew older, their father and I realised my mother's wisdom. Stephen would instigate an action, then realise he'd made a bad choice. He'd see trouble ahead and stop.
He'd learned to connect the dots concerning his actions. David never saw the picture until it was too late. In his fun-loving way he would barrel right on - and get caught (v 3).
Consequences
In this passage we learn the importance of connecting the dots. We see the outcome of some actions, the consequence of others.
● Solomon, the writer of these proverbs and reputed to have been the wisest man ever, shows us the outcome and consequences of being rich (vs 2,7,9,16).
● He points out the responsibilities of parenthood in words Eli would have done well to heed (vs 6,15).
● We're reminded to watch the company we keep (vs 3,5,8,10).
The other verses pinpoint our own behaviour and our attitude to the Lord and others.
Shirley Corder
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Choose from today's activities...
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=80648
Deeper study: Too nice by far: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=80649
New Improved Wiz: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=80650
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=79948
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Dedication's what you need.: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80964
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80965
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Prayer : Prepare
Seek wisdom, not frustration; knowledge, not trivia. Ask God to help you make sense of it all.
Proverbs 22:1-16
'The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible passage: Proverbs 22:1-16
Proverbs 22
    You should want a good name more than you want great riches.
To be highly respected is better than having silver or gold.
2 The Lord made rich people and poor people.
That's what they have in common.
3 Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.
But childish people keep going and suffer for it.
4 Have respect for the Lord and don't be proud.
That will bring you wealth and honor and life.
5 Thorns and traps lie in the paths of evil people.
But those who guard themselves stay far away from them.
6 Train a child in the way he should go.
When he is old, he will not turn away from it.
7 Rich people rule over those who are poor.
Borrowers are slaves to lenders.
8 Anyone who plants evil gathers a harvest of trouble.
His power to beat others down will be destroyed.
9 Anyone who gives freely will be blessed.
That's because he shares his food with those who are poor.
10 If you drive away those who make fun of others, fighting also goes away.
Arguing and unkind words will stop.
11 Have a pure and loving heart, and speak kindly.
Then you will be a friend of the king.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge.
But he does away with the words of those who aren't faithful.
13 People who don't want to work say, "There's a lion outside!"
Or they say, "I'll be murdered if I go out into the streets!"
14 The mouth of a woman who commits adultery is like a deep pit.
Any man the Lord is angry with will fall into it.
15 A child is going to do foolish things.
But correcting him will drive his foolishness far away from him.
16 One person may beat poor people down in order to get rich.
Another person may give gifts to rich people. Both of them will become poor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Text: Main point: Connecting the dots
Two brothers
When my two sons were little, they couldn't have been more different. Stephen showed a gentle spirit and had innocent-looking brown eyes. His younger brother, David, had red hair, freckles, a cheeky grin, and was always in trouble.
On a number of occasions, my mother murmured, 'You need to watch that one', indicating Stephen. 'He's not as innocent as he seems.'
Joining the dots
One pastime our children enjoyed was joining up dots in order to create a picture. As they grew older, their father and I realised my mother's wisdom. Stephen would instigate an action, then realise he'd made a bad choice. He'd see trouble ahead and stop.
He'd learned to connect the dots concerning his actions. David never saw the picture until it was too late. In his fun-loving way he would barrel right on - and get caught (v 3).
Consequences
In this passage we learn the importance of connecting the dots. We see the outcome of some actions, the consequence of others.
● Solomon, the writer of these proverbs and reputed to have been the wisest man ever, shows us the outcome and consequences of being rich (vs 2,7,9,16).
● He points out the responsibilities of parenthood in words Eli would have done well to heed (vs 6,15).
● We're reminded to watch the company we keep (vs 3,5,8,10).
The other verses pinpoint our own behaviour and our attitude to the Lord and others.
Shirley Corder
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from today's activities...
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=80648
Deeper study: Too nice by far: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=80649
New Improved Wiz: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=80650
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14930&activityid=79948
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Dedication's what you need.: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80964
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80965
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=77078
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Support WordLive
We'd love you to support WordLive. If you'd like to make a donation, please visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/91202.id?in=WLDEP
Growing in Grace
Growing in grace
Prepare
God is calling… are you listening? Do you recognise his voice? Tingly ears await for those who hear…
1 Samuel 3:1 – 4:1a
‘The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."’
1 Samuel 3:1 - 4:1a
1 Samuel 3
The LORD Calls Samuel
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
11 And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family-from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, 'The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.' "
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son."
Samuel answered, "Here I am."
17 "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."
19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
1 Samuel 4
1 And Samuel's word came to all Israel.
The Philistines Capture the Ark
Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.
====================================================
Main point: Growing in grace
Hannah’s little boy grew in favour with God and people (2:26; see Luke 2:52). The stark contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons probably made the child all the more popular and before long the people recognised him as a prophet of God (3:20).
From the mouths of babes
It’s interesting that when God wanted to send confirmation of his earlier message to Eli, he chose not the aging high priest but a young boy. Centuries later, when temple leaders complained to Jesus about children making a noise in the temple, he quoted Psalm 8:2: ‘Don't you know that the Scriptures say, “Children and infants will sing praises”?’ (Matthew 21:16, CEV).
How important that our children and grandchildren are brought up to know the Lord at a young age. Sometimes the Lord speaks through their mouths. Perhaps he has to, because the adults are too preoccupied.
Words from God
In these early days of Samuel, we read that God spoke rarely to his people. Today we’ve grown accustomed to people claiming to have ‘a word from the Lord’. How do we distinguish truth from falsehood, or just wishful thinking? 1 Samuel 3:19 gives us the answer.
And so Hannah’s boy grew to manhood, loved and respected by people across the land.
Shirley Corder
Prepare
God is calling… are you listening? Do you recognise his voice? Tingly ears await for those who hear…
1 Samuel 3:1 – 4:1a
‘The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."’
1 Samuel 3:1 - 4:1a
1 Samuel 3
The LORD Calls Samuel
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
11 And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family-from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, 'The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.' "
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son."
Samuel answered, "Here I am."
17 "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."
19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
1 Samuel 4
1 And Samuel's word came to all Israel.
The Philistines Capture the Ark
Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.
====================================================
Main point: Growing in grace
Hannah’s little boy grew in favour with God and people (2:26; see Luke 2:52). The stark contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons probably made the child all the more popular and before long the people recognised him as a prophet of God (3:20).
From the mouths of babes
It’s interesting that when God wanted to send confirmation of his earlier message to Eli, he chose not the aging high priest but a young boy. Centuries later, when temple leaders complained to Jesus about children making a noise in the temple, he quoted Psalm 8:2: ‘Don't you know that the Scriptures say, “Children and infants will sing praises”?’ (Matthew 21:16, CEV).
How important that our children and grandchildren are brought up to know the Lord at a young age. Sometimes the Lord speaks through their mouths. Perhaps he has to, because the adults are too preoccupied.
Words from God
In these early days of Samuel, we read that God spoke rarely to his people. Today we’ve grown accustomed to people claiming to have ‘a word from the Lord’. How do we distinguish truth from falsehood, or just wishful thinking? 1 Samuel 3:19 gives us the answer.
And so Hannah’s boy grew to manhood, loved and respected by people across the land.
Shirley Corder
Word of warning
http://www.wordlive.org
Prayer : Prepare
If a prophet came with a warning for you, would you believe them? Open your heart to God's message today.
1 Samuel 2:27-36
"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that the members of your family would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained."
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Bible passage: 1 Samuel 2:27-36
A Man of God Prophesies Against Eli's Family
27 A man of God came to Eli. He told him, "The Lord says, 'I made myself clearly known to your relatives who lived long ago. I did it when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh. 28 I chose your father Aaron to be my priest. I chose him out of all of the tribes of Israel. I told him to go up to my altar. I told him to burn incense. I chose him to wear a linen apron when he served me. I also gave his family all of the offerings that are made with fire by the people of Israel.
29 " 'Why do all of you laugh at my sacrifices and offerings? I require them to be brought to the house where I live. Why do you honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves on the best parts of every offering that is made by my people Israel?'
30 "The Lord is the God of Israel. He announced, 'I promised that your family and the family of Aaron would serve me as priests forever.'
"But now the Lord announces, 'I will not let that happen! I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me. 31 The time is coming when I will cut your life short. I will also cut short the lives of those in your family. No man in your family line will grow old.
32 " 'You will see nothing but trouble in the house where I live. Good things will still happen to Israel. But no man in your family line will ever grow old. 33 A member of your family will serve me at my altar. But what he does will bring tears to your eyes. Your heart will be sad. And the rest of the men in your family line will die while they are still young.
34 " 'Something is going to happen to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas. When it does, it will show you that what I am saying is true. They will both die on the same day.
35 " 'I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what my heart and mind want him to do. I will make his family line very secure. They will always serve as priests to my anointed king. 36 Everyone who is left in your family line will come and bow down to him. They will beg him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread. They will say, "Please give me a place to serve among the priests. Then I can have food to eat." ' "
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Text: Main point: Word of warning
Who are you?
Whenever we read a biography of a great historical figure, the author invariably takes us back to the person's ancestors. Here we read of a man who visits Eli with a message from God. He too starts with Eli's ancestors (v 27).
He reminds Eli of his calling to serve God, which goes way back in history (v 28). Some versions call this man a prophet, others say 'man of God'. We haven't heard of him before, nor do we hear of him again. So what do we know about this man?
Courageous obedience
Deeply committed to God, he heard the Lord speak during a time when this was a rare occurrence (3:1). This prophet showed great courage as he brought a tough message to the High Priest (v 31).
Yet he didn't hold anything back. Although we don't know his name, he will be remembered for all time for his obedience in passing on God's message.
In the New Testament we are given a message from God to share with others. Will we be faithful and courageous, and pass it on? It may not bring us fame or popularity, but how wonderful if one day we are listed in someone's spiritual biography.
Shirley Corder
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Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80618
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80620
Deeper study: How serious are you?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80621
Background: Does God change his mind?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80622
Honouring God: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80623
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80624
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=79945
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Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Dedication's what you need.: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80964
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80965
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=77078
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Prayer : Prepare
If a prophet came with a warning for you, would you believe them? Open your heart to God's message today.
1 Samuel 2:27-36
"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that the members of your family would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained."
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Bible passage: 1 Samuel 2:27-36
A Man of God Prophesies Against Eli's Family
27 A man of God came to Eli. He told him, "The Lord says, 'I made myself clearly known to your relatives who lived long ago. I did it when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh. 28 I chose your father Aaron to be my priest. I chose him out of all of the tribes of Israel. I told him to go up to my altar. I told him to burn incense. I chose him to wear a linen apron when he served me. I also gave his family all of the offerings that are made with fire by the people of Israel.
29 " 'Why do all of you laugh at my sacrifices and offerings? I require them to be brought to the house where I live. Why do you honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves on the best parts of every offering that is made by my people Israel?'
30 "The Lord is the God of Israel. He announced, 'I promised that your family and the family of Aaron would serve me as priests forever.'
"But now the Lord announces, 'I will not let that happen! I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me. 31 The time is coming when I will cut your life short. I will also cut short the lives of those in your family. No man in your family line will grow old.
32 " 'You will see nothing but trouble in the house where I live. Good things will still happen to Israel. But no man in your family line will ever grow old. 33 A member of your family will serve me at my altar. But what he does will bring tears to your eyes. Your heart will be sad. And the rest of the men in your family line will die while they are still young.
34 " 'Something is going to happen to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas. When it does, it will show you that what I am saying is true. They will both die on the same day.
35 " 'I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what my heart and mind want him to do. I will make his family line very secure. They will always serve as priests to my anointed king. 36 Everyone who is left in your family line will come and bow down to him. They will beg him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread. They will say, "Please give me a place to serve among the priests. Then I can have food to eat." ' "
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Text: Main point: Word of warning
Who are you?
Whenever we read a biography of a great historical figure, the author invariably takes us back to the person's ancestors. Here we read of a man who visits Eli with a message from God. He too starts with Eli's ancestors (v 27).
He reminds Eli of his calling to serve God, which goes way back in history (v 28). Some versions call this man a prophet, others say 'man of God'. We haven't heard of him before, nor do we hear of him again. So what do we know about this man?
Courageous obedience
Deeply committed to God, he heard the Lord speak during a time when this was a rare occurrence (3:1). This prophet showed great courage as he brought a tough message to the High Priest (v 31).
Yet he didn't hold anything back. Although we don't know his name, he will be remembered for all time for his obedience in passing on God's message.
In the New Testament we are given a message from God to share with others. Will we be faithful and courageous, and pass it on? It may not bring us fame or popularity, but how wonderful if one day we are listed in someone's spiritual biography.
Shirley Corder
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Choose from today's activities...
Audio Bible passage: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80618
Respond: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80620
Deeper study: How serious are you?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80621
Background: Does God change his mind?: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80622
Honouring God: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80623
Podcast: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=80624
Bible in a year: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14927&activityid=79945
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Choose from this week's activities...
Welcome: Dedication's what you need.: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80964
WordLive for small groups: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=80965
WordLive Forum: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/2981.id?sessionid=14925&activityid=77078
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