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In a world where children were often overlooked and undervalued, Jesus placed them at the centre of His community. He challenged the disciples' understanding of greatness and taught them that God's kingdom belongs to those who receive it with humility and childlike faith. Children are not a burden to tolerate. They are a blessing to celebrate, people made in the image of God and worthy of love, dignity and protection. As a church, we are called to welcome children, invest in their spiritual growth, support their families and create a community where they can flourish. May we become a people who reflect the Father's heart and make room for every child. “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” — Luke 18:16

“Laat die kindertjies na My toe kom en moet hulle nie keer nie...” – Lukas 18 In 'n wêreld waar kinders dikwels as gering en onbelangrik beskou is, het Jesus die waardes van sy tyd omgedraai. Hy het kinders verwelkom, hulle waarde bevestig en hulle as volwaardige lede van God se koninkryk beskou. In hierdie boodskap herinner Mari-Louise Conradie ons daaraan dat kinders nie eers waardevol word wanneer hulle groot is nie. Hulle is nou reeds gemaak na die beeld van God. As geloofsgemeenskap word ons geroep om ruimte vir kinders te maak, hulle lief te hê, te beskerm en hulle in geloof te begelei. Ons word ook uitgenooi om met die nederigheid en geloof van 'n kind na ons Hemelse Vader te kom. Kinders is nie net die kerk van môre nie. Hulle is deel van die kerk van vandag.

What does it mean to see women as Jesus sees them? In Luke's Gospel, women are not merely recipients of Jesus' compassion. They are disciples, witnesses, supporters and participants in His mission. Jesus welcomed women to sit at His feet and learn. He included them in His ministry. He entrusted them with the news of His resurrection. And He treated their lives, faith, sacrifice and testimony as significant. In a culture where women were often excluded from education, leadership and public testimony, Jesus demonstrated something radically different: women belong at the table. The challenge for us is to examine the lenses through which we see others—and ourselves. Do you see women as Jesus sees them?And do you see yourself as someone welcomed to participate in God's kingdom? Jesus welcomes us to the table—and invites us to make room for others too.

In Lukas se evangelie sien ons ’n Jesus wat mense wat deur kultuur, status, sonde en sosiale strukture uitgesluit is, na Sy tafel nooi. Dit sluit vroue in. Jesus het vroue nie net genees en bedien nie — Hy het hulle raakgesien, geëer, geleer en as dissipels verwelkom. Vroue het saam met Hom gereis, Sy bediening ondersteun en was selfs die eerste mense wat die goeie nuus van Sy opstanding verkondig het. Dit was ’n radikale boodskap in ’n wêreld waarin vroue se stemme en getuienis dikwels geminimaliseer is. Die uitnodiging vir ons vandag is om onsself en mekaar te sien soos God ons sien: as mense wat in Sy beeld gemaak is en welkom is aan Sy tafel. Hoe sien jy jouself?En hoe sien jy die vrou langs jou? Jesus se tafel het plek vir almal.

What happens when you become disappointed with God? When your prayers seem unanswered, your expectations collapse, and you simply don't have the strength to keep going? In Luke 24, two disciples walk away from Jerusalem after Jesus' death. They are disappointed, disillusioned and without hope. But as they walk away, Jesus walks with them. He listens to their story. He meets them in their confusion. He opens the Scriptures. He breaks bread with them. And slowly, their hope begins to burn again. The beautiful truth of this story is that Jesus does not give up on those who give up on Him. When we walk away, He walks with us. When we lose hope, He remains full of hope. And this becomes our invitation too: notice the people around you who have lost hope. Don't judge them. Walk with them. Listen to them. Share Scripture with them. Break bread with them. Help them discover that Jesus has not walked away from them. Sometimes the person who needs Jesus most is the person who has stopped looking for Him.

Die twee dissipels op pad na Emmaus was teleurgesteld, verward en moedeloos. Hulle het gehoop Jesus sou Israel verlos, maar toe Hy gekruisig word, het hulle hoop ineengestort. En tog het Jesus hulle nie gelos nie. Hy het hulle gevolg. Hy het saam met hulle gestap. Hy het geluister. Hy het die Skrif vir hulle oopgemaak. En uiteindelik het hulle Hom herken toe Hy saam met hulle aan tafel was. Miskien stap jy vandag ook met ’n teleurstelling wat jy nie kan verklaar nie. Miskien het jy moed verloor of selfs gewonder of jy moet wegstap. Jesus stap steeds saam met jou. En wanneer Hy ons bemoedig het, stuur Hy ons terug om ander te bemoedig. Wie is die persoon wat jy hierdie week kan gaan soek, saam met wie jy kan stap en wie jy kan bemoedig? “Here, maak ons nie net mense wat bemoedig word nie, maar bemoedigers.”

Who is your neighbour? In Luke 10, Jesus answers this question with a story that would have shocked His original audience. The hero is a Samaritan—the very kind of person many Jews regarded as a heretic and enemy. The Good Samaritan reminds us that following Jesus means more than loving the people who look like us, think like us, worship like us or agree with us. Godliness is known by love. Jesus calls us to show mercy, extend dignity, forgive, care for those who are different from us and even love those we consider our enemies. And perhaps the challenge begins closer to home than we think. Do you know your neighbour? Not the person far away. Not the person on the other side of the world. The person living next door. We don't love our neighbours because we hope to convert them. We love them because Jesus loves them—and because we follow Jesus. Love your neighbour because you're a Christian.

Wie is my naaste? Jesus se antwoord op hierdie vraag is baie meer radikaal as wat ons dikwels besef. In Lukas 10 maak Jesus ’n Samaritaan – iemand wat deur die J**e as ’n buitestander en selfs ’n vyand beskou is – die voorbeeld van ware naasteliefde. Die evangelie roep ons nie net om mense lief te hê wat soos ons dink, glo of leef nie. Dit roep ons om mense lief te hê wat van ons verskil, ons uitdaag en selfs vir ons bedreigend voel. Ons is self mense wat genade nodig het. Ons is self deur God gered – nie deur ons verdienste nie, maar deur genade. Daarom vra Jesus ons om dieselfde genade aan ander te bewys. Sien jouself in die ander. Ken jou buurman. Bewys liefde. Soek versoening. Nie omdat hulle soos ons is nie, maar omdat ons aan Christus behoort.

Jesus sees the people we often overlook. In Luke 7, Jesus encounters a widow who has lost her only son. She has no status, no power and no hope—and she doesn't even ask Jesus for help. Yet Jesus sees her, is moved with compassion, draws near and brings life into her place of death. Ross van Niekerk reminds us that while our culture often looks up to the successful, powerful, wealthy and beautiful, Jesus moves towards the brokenhearted, the forgotten and the overlooked. The invitation is twofold: bring your own brokenness to the One who sees you, and become people who see others with the compassion of Jesus. Jesus welcomes the unfortunate ones—and He calls His church to do the same. "He's drawn to the brokenhearted, to those whose spirit is crushed, hopeless."

In Lukas sien ons 'n Jesus wat nie net na mense met status, mag en 'n goeie reputasie gaan nie. Hy beweeg na die mense aan die buitekant – die gebrokenes, die armes, die treurendes en diegene wat voel dat hulle geen mag oor hulle omstandighede het nie. In Lukas 7 ontmoet Jesus 'n weduwee wat haar enigste seun verloor het. Sy roep Hom nie. Sy vra Hom nie om te help nie. Tog sien Jesus haar en gaan Hy na haar toe. Dit is die hart van die evangelie: ons dien 'n God wat ons raaksien – verby ons prestasie, ons werk, ons beeld en ons sukses. En Hy nooi ons om dieselfde te doen: om mense raak te sien wat die wêreld maklik miskyk. Ons is nie geroep om die Redder te wees nie. Ons is geroep om mense te help ontdek dat die Redder naby is. Waar daar dood is, bring Jesus lewe.Waar daar hopeloosheid is, bring Hy hoop.Waar daar gebrokenheid is, bring Hy herstel. “Jy is die God wat my raaksien.”

We live in a world filled with options—and sometimes that makes commitment difficult. We can approach church community in the same way, always wondering if there is something better somewhere else. But Christian community isn't ultimately about finding the perfect people, the best worship, the best coffee or the perfect experience. It's about people. Dylan de Jongh challenges us to “do the thing”—to choose a community, show up and participate. And once we've chosen, we remain devoted by sharing truth, sharing forgiveness and sharing ourselves. Deep community doesn't happen when everything is easy. It happens when we stay, have difficult conversations, forgive, become vulnerable and allow ourselves to be known. Because ultimately, we long to be fully known and fully loved. Choose community. Show up. Stay. Go deeper.

Spiritual maturity does not mean that we never feel afraid, overwhelmed, emotional, or uncertain. It means learning, like Jesus in Gethsemane, to say: “Not my will, but Yours.” We grow when we learn to surrender our will to God, choose Him over our own desires, and stop living only for ourselves. Jesus shows us what true maturity looks like: a life of prayer, obedience, community, honesty, surrender, and ultimately a firm decision to follow the Father’s will. The question is: Have you come to a place of resolve? Are you choosing Jesus? Because before you ever chose Him, He chose you.

Geestelike volwassenheid beteken nie dat ons nooit bang, seer, kwaad of moeg sal wees nie. Jesus het self in Getsemane sy diepe emosies uitgespreek—maar Hy het steeds gesê: “Nie my wil nie, U wil.” Melissa le Roux herinner ons dat groei beteken om ons eie wil al hoe meer aan God oor te gee. Ons leer om te vergewe wanneer dit moeilik is, om te dien wanneer ons eerder onsself sou kies, en om aan te hou volg wanneer die pad swaar raak. Petrus wys vir ons dat ons kan struikel en steeds kan groei. Judas wys vir ons hoe gevaarlik dit is wanneer ons toelaat dat ons begeertes ons lei. En Jesus wys vir ons wat ware gehoorsaamheid lyk.

What does it mean to truly be devoted to Christ? In Acts 2, we see a church transformed by the Holy Spirit. They devoted themselves to God's Word, fellowship, prayer, breaking bread and one another. Their devotion wasn't a checklist—it was the natural outflow of lives changed by Jesus. But what does that mean for us? We live in a busy and distracted culture where work, family, sport, school and countless other things compete for our attention. Mari-Louise challenges us to ask: Is Christ truly at the centre of our lives? And even more challenging: Are we devoted to His body—the people He has placed around us? “Devotion to Christ means devotion to his body.” May we be a people who don't simply know about Jesus, but who are devoted to Christ, filled with His Spirit and committed to His church.

Wat beteken dit om werklik aan Christus toegewy te wees? Handelinge 2 wys vir ons ’n kerk wat deur die Heilige Gees verander is. Hulle het hulle toegewy aan die leer van die apostels, aan mekaar, aan gebed, aan die breek van brood en aan ’n lewe wat rondom Jesus Christus gesentreer was. Hulle toewyding was nie ’n kontrolelys nie. Dit was die natuurlike uitvloeisel van mense watJesus ontmoet het en deur die Heilige Gees verander is. Maar wat beteken ditvir ons? Ons leef in ’n wêreld vol inligting, verpligtinge, werk, skool, sport en aktiwiteite wat almal om ons tyd en aandag meeding. Die vraag is: Waarin is ek werklik toegewyd? Is Jesus die middelpunt van my lewe? En is ek toegewyd aan die liggaam van Christus—die mense wat God rondom my geplaas het? “Minder hokkie, meer etes.” Mag ons nie net mensewees wat van Jesus weet nie, maar mense wat aan Christus toegewy is, deur die Heilige Gees gelei word en bereid is om in gehoorsaamheid saam as Sy liggaam te leef.