by Susan Barnes | 16 Nov 2023 | Short Devotion
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19 Like the church at Ephesus (2:4), the Laodicean church has lost its passion for God and his ways. He describes them as lukewarm (v.16). To compound their problems, the church thinks...
by Susan Barnes | 9 Nov 2023 | Short Devotion
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” Revelation 2:4 God acknowledges the Ephesians’ service, their hard work, their perseverance and endurance during hardships (v.2-3). Yet he criticises them, not for their lack of love, but for...
by Susan Barnes | 13 Mar 2023 | Short Devotion
“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” Titus 3:9-10 Sadly some...
by Susan Barnes | 11 Jul 2022 | Short Devotion
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:16 Each part of the body has a responsibility to build up one another. Healthy churches are...
by Susan Barnes | 4 Jul 2022 | Short Devotion
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:10-11 God’s eternal plan...
by Susan Barnes | 20 Jun 2022 | Short Devotion
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:22-23 I love Peterson’s paraphrase of these verses, “At the center of all...
by Susan Barnes | 27 Jul 2021 | Guest blogs
Travis Barnes lives in central Victoria with his wife and two daughters. He is a writer and speaker and loves to help people find their God-given calling and encourage people to walk with Jesus into the unique adventure he has for each person. His website...
by Susan Barnes | 28 Jan 2021 | Book Reviews
In the early part of this book, Henry Blackaby describes the many successes he’s had in the churches he has pastored. These churches have grown numerically as people have experienced God’s love and grace in a church community. I found this somewhat depressing as I...
