Recently in previous ‘Church Sofa’ blogs we have read about different personalities and different learning styles – it’s very thought...

As we saw last month, we are all unique with different personalities. We also have different Learning styles – Early Years Educators will...

Are we the only ‘normal’ people we know? Other people are so peculiar with funny little ways; everyone else is quite odd, aren’t they?...

All around us people are being worn down by the pandemic; wondering when it will end, glimpsing the road back to ‘normal’ only to come...

After the trauma of the pandemic, many people are still in the ‘waiting room’ - afraid about fully re-entering normal life. This ‘waiting...

Ongoing loneliness is not a part of God’s plan for our lives; he wants us to have meaningful relationships with others. However, there...

In a highly connected world, more and more of us are suffering from loneliness. It is more than just an emotional problem, as it can...

In fair and just societies the law is part of God’s justice system. When we are wronged and angry, we are encouraged to turn to the law....

To understand anger, we need to look at its roots and shoots. It’s important to understand and actually accept we have that emotion...

Ephesians 4:26 says, ‘In your anger do not sin’. It doesn’t say ‘do not get angry’; or ‘if you get angry’. What it’s saying is, feeling...

Anger is uncomfortable emotion, either from ourselves or from others. Whatever way it is expressed, it can leave us feeling raw, and it...

There is a story about a hare boasting to a tortoise how fast he could run. The tortoise challenged him to a race. The hare, thinking the...

Captain Tom’s instruction for his funeral were ‘March in, March out and Move on.’ A retired army officer, he became known during the...

Have you ever done the exercise where you gaze at an image of a silhouetted figure which, depending on how you look at it, presents two...

As I listened to the Queen's speech on Christmas Day, I was amazed to hear her clearly speak about Jesus. In her 5-minute speech she...

During 2020 we experienced a year like no other, a collective experience affecting us all, individually and globally. What will be our...

This year will be complicated, Christmas as we know it will be different. Probably no large family gatherings, work, school or college...

‘Renewal of the mind’ is a bit of a Christian buzz word; but what exactly does it mean? Romans 12:2 says ‘Do not conform any longer to...

For many young people this will be the first time that life is uncertain and unpredictable, and it’s scary. We have been used to having...

In these last few months life has suddenly changed and everything now is so uncertain. You have given up a lot, things that were just...

A Thought for the Young On that day in March we found ourselves experiencing something new, it was quite surreal, a sudden closure of all...

‘I will give you treasures of darkness, Riches stored in secret places, So that you may know that I am the Lord, The God of Israel, who...

Remember when your parents would say to you ‘wait and see’ and we swore we’d never say it to our kids? We wanted answers now, and things...

Everywhere rainbows are appearing in windows. Painted, crayoned, even constructed of Lego, mainly children’s artwork, they are there to...

‘Always in the big woods, when you leave the familiar ground and step into a new place, there will be a little nagging of dread. It is...

Imagine a small rural African village with many small huts and little pathways between them. The huts have their own nameplates such as;...

Bereavement is what happens to you; grief is what you feel; mourning is what you do. Life can be likened to a river, generally running...

We will all suffer loss. When we are young, everything is new, so our life is full of ‘Hellos’. ‘Hello’ to new experiences, activities...

Do you ever feel you don’t really deserve your job or position - it’s a fluke you got it, your accomplishments are just down to luck, and...

The heart of the gospel is Adoption; it gives us a new everlasting identity and place in God’s family. Adoption is what redemption is all...

Luke 8:43-48 ‘A Woman with the Issue of Blood’ A woman had suffered blood loss for 12 years, she was physically and mentally exhausted,...

Identity is concerned with who we are in relationship with the world, others and ourselves. Our identity is formed by our culture, race,...

‘The work of the cross’ is a familiar Christian term, but what does it actually mean? It means the ultimate example of Christ’s...

Why forgive? Because it is good for us and we matter to God! The burden of carrying around resentments and unforgiveness is like a...

Romans 8:1 states ‘Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. Condemnation means: blame, conviction,...

Jesus takes forgiveness seriously, as in the parable of the ‘Unforgiving Servant’ Matthew 18:23-35. Unforgiveness, if not dealt with, can...

Perspectives on mental health and its treatment can vary within the church, and Christians can get it wrong. When we fracture a leg, we...

Nobody is immune to depression, but it seems as if some Christians allot themselves an extra burden. We may feel guilt and shame by...

Beyonce, J.K.Rowling, Isaac Newton, Winston Churchill, Stephen Fry, Johnny Depp, Solomon, Job, David, Elijah and many more. One in four...

‘The greatest test of faith is when you don’t get what you want, but still you are able to say, ‘Thank you Lord’. A challenging quote...

We are not alone in having doubts; it means you are actually thinking about matters of faith, whereas so many people do not think about...

We come to the end of our first year sitting on the Church Sofa and have covered many issues concerning mental health and faith. I now...

Read again Luke 10 v. 38-42 and ask yourself: What drove Martha to set such high standards for herself? There are generally three types...

Luke 10 v. 38-42 Imagine the scene… Jesus and a few disciples are at Martha’s house receiving hospitality. Martha, Mary and Lazarus are a...

Change can be stressful, and one thing that never changes is change in our life - it’s inevitable. Family situations, birth, divorce,...

Christians are not exempt from feeling stressed; we also try to practice life’s circus acts, trapeze, fire eating, plate spinning and...

Stress affects many of us; life is stressful and we need to be able to recognise and manage it. External circumstances can cause inner...

Pets, particularly the doggy type, are well known to be therapeutic. Have you ever wondered why? One of the most appreciated gifts is to...

In Numbers 13 v.17-33 God told Moses to send spies to explore the land of Canaan. They returned afraid, saying, “We are but grasshoppers...

Not all anxiety is a reaction to present conditions, it may have its roots in the past, in real fears that were not faced and overcome in...