It is now five years since the first of these posts in 2014. Since then, I have written 60 articles on a variety of subjects. However, with every article my aim is constant and twofold.

Firstly, I want to encourage those who do not yet believe and trust in Jesus to think about who Jesus is and what that means for our life today. I want to dispel the idea that Christianity is about religious observance and being good enough to one day go to heaven. I long for people to recognise that Christianity is about a person – Jesus – and our relationship with him.

Secondly, I want to encourage those who are believers in Jesus to go on in their faith day-by-day. I long for people to deepen their relationship with Jesus and to know more love, joy and peace in their lives as they do.

Whichever of those two groups you fall into, I hope that you find these articles not only interesting but also thought-provoking and helpful. I always welcome feedback, so please feel free to respond by email to contact@hwbaptist.org.uk.

Because Christianity is about a personal relationship with Jesus, it cannot be put in a box marked “Church” which is only brought out on Sundays and special occasions. If we have faith then it affects our lives every day of the year. And we do not have to try and cope on our own. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus promises “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We may not see him physically, but he has promised to be with us by his Holy Spirit. However, Jesus never forces himself on anyone. He leaves us free to choose whether we allow him to be part of our lives or not.

This week, why not try praying and asking Jesus to be part of your life by his Holy Spirit. If you received one of the Try Praying booklets from us at the Village festival then you could read that and see how that helps. If you would like a copy then let me know by email to contact@hwbaptist.org.uk and we can send you a copy.

#Relationship