EXERCISE IS TO THE OLYMPICS AS PRAYER IS TO...

Let me share just some of the thoughts I had when watching athletes perform during the Rio Olympics:

• Hugely inspiring
• Mega moving
• Totally immense

My wife got so into the event that she woke up in the middle of the night, and slipped downstairs to watch the TV and cheer on and enjoy a memorable race.

Each person taking part put in hours of training, over years and even decades. There have been personal and family sacrifices made so they can represent their country and achieve a personal best.

The whole thing was so inspirational - the greatest show on earth!

But is this something that just satisfies us while safe on the sofa?

Will we get up and give sport a go?

I love the idea that ‘I am Team GB’.

ITV shut down for an hour on Saturday - Emmerdale and Coronation Street encouraged people to give sport a go. Many athletes encouraged anyone and everyone to participate.

Having heard the worrying facts about childhood obesity, surely this must not just be one hour, but something that for many of us must become a lifestyle. The Government is encouraging all school children to do 30 minutes of exercise a day at school and the parents to promote another 30 minutes at home.

Nike has been telling us since 1988 that we must ‘Just do it’.

What holds you and me back?

What other area of your life have you thought, planned or purposed to give a go…but have never got round to it?

Let me extend this - have you ever properly asked:

• Who is Jesus?
• Does prayer work today? 

Delay no longer!

May I invite you to come and visit Redeemer this Sunday.

THE EALING HALF MARATHON OF GENEROSITY BEGINS NOW!

In my job I have the joy of getting to know many radically generous Christians.

I work for a charity, and this last weekend was busy as I met with a number of our wealthier supporters. At the end of one meeting I commented to the couple opposite that everyone I'd met there had one thing in common:

They all started to give when their means were modest.

Not all from their first pay cheque, but nearly all from their first job. 

First jobs, just married, starter homes, and growing families. All of these are good distractions to a generous life when you are early in your career.

Then there are all the experiences and opportunities on our doorstep in Ealing. I love the food, the shows, the endless places that will hoover up money when you thought you were going out for one drink.

But...giving is a choice hard-won - a muscle that needs to be exercised.

I think some have a rosy picture of life, assuming that they will naturally become generous as they accumulate wealth...

This is not the case!

Jesus talks a lot about money.

If you're reading the New Testament for the first time, you'll have noticed this. He tells stories about the über-rich...and the terribly poor.

When I read Jesus' story of the widow who gave sacrificially out of virtually nothing, we see it's not about the row of zeroes on the cheque, but the attitude of the heart.

When I read of the three servants who were trusted with unequal funds (Matthew 25:14) - the master judged all equally on his return. The one who was given little and didn't invest wisely as the others did was rebuked by the master. 

Perhaps most challenging though, are the words that introduce the above parable:

Where your treasure is, your heart is also.

Are we choosing to put the extra each month towards something that's going to fade away, or could we invest in God's plan for a broken world and give our money to the church, a charity, or someone we know who is really struggling?

You may have a little or a lot of money.

That doesn't matter.

God asks all his children to be generous - generous today - and he promises to entrust much to those who are faithful with little.

Don't be fooled to think that generosity is something easy to be acquired when life is more comfortable.

I am not running the Ealing Half Marathon.

I know some in Redeemer are, but even if I woke up that morning in September with the desire to do so, my muscles wouldn't let me.

It wouldn't be a pretty sight as my legs seized up and failed me!

If I wanted to run the Ealing Half, I'd need to start my training a little at a time, and start today.

How's your generosity training going?