MONDAY
I THINK I COULD APPLY REVD MARK’S THINKING TO MANY AREAS OF MY LIFE AT THE MOMENT. I’LL LET YOU GUESS WHAT PARTS!
27th October – Morning all…Have you ever noticed how autumn leaves fall so freely? They don’t cling or resist, they simply let go, drifting gently to the ground, trusting that their fall is part of something bigger. There’s no panic in their release, no fight to hold on. They surrender, knowing the cycle of change brings new life. Today, maybe God is asking you to do the same. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Some seasons are for holding tight, and others are for releasing, even when it hurts. Letting go can feel like loss, but in God’s hands, it’s often the first step towards renewal. Sometimes we cling to things that once gave us joy – an old habit, a familiar routine, or even a dream that used to make sense. Yet, if we’re honest, we know it’s no longer bearing fruit. God, in His grace, doesn’t rush us – but He does invite us to trust Him with open hands. Just as autumn prepares the trees for new growth, letting go makes room for something new to take root in us. That could mean releasing control over a situation, forgiving someone who hurt you, or surrendering a plan that hasn’t gone the way you hoped. Jesus said in John 12:24, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” There’s beauty hidden in the falling, in the releasing. When we let go, we make space for God to do what only He can do, bring life where there was death, hope where there was disappointment, and peace where there was striving. Remember – every leaf that falls makes way for spring.
Revd Mark Spiers
TUESDAY
WE’RE AT DAY TWO OF OUR THREE DAY RETREAT. WHAT BLESSED FELLOWSHIP WE HAVE ENJOYED – MEETING NEW PEOPLE AND SHARING TOGETHER IS ALWAYS ENCOURAGING. REVD MARK REMINDS ME OF ‘THE BODY SONG’ TODAY – PART OF THE KIDS PRAISE SERIES. THE VIDEO IS A BIT NAFF, BUT THE WORDS ARE WONDERFUL. HERE’S THE LINK –
https://youtu.be/w8eTSnxDo1s
28th October – Morning all, do you ever find yourself comparing your faith t someone else’s? Maybe you’ve sat in church and thought, “If only I had their confidence,” or “They always seem so close to God – why can’t I be like that?” It’s an easy trap to fall into. We live in a world that measures everything – success, beauty, even spirituality, as if faith were a competition. But Jesus never asked us to compete; He just simply asked us to follow. In John 21:22, when Peter was curious about what would happen to another disciple, Jesus said plainly, “You must follow me.” It was His gentle reminder that Peter’s journey was his own – unique, personal, and guided by God’s hand. The same is true for us. God has written your story for a reason. He knows your strengths, your struggles, your past, and your purpose. The moment we start comparing our chapter to someone else’s, well that’s when we lose sight of what God is doing in our story. Comparison steals our joy and clouds our calling. It distracts us from the good work God has placed right in front of us. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12 that the Body of Christ has many parts – and every single one is needed. The hand doesn’t envy the eye, nor does the foot compete with the ear. Each plays its part in bringing the whole body to life. So, instead of wishing for someone else’s gift, use the one God gave you – right where you are. God delights in faithfulness, not fame. What matters most is not how your faith looks compared to
someone else’s, but how deeply you walk with Jesus in your own lane. The church doesn’t need copies; it needs originals. You bring something no one else can – your voice, your experiences, your testimony, and most importantly your love. So, follow Jesus faithfully today, and trust Him to do something beautiful through your life. Because when you do, your whole Body will shine brighter
Revd Mark Spiers
WEDNESDAY
BY THE TIME I SEND OUT THIS DEVOTIONAL OUR RETREAT WILL HAVE CONCLUDED. REVD MARK HAS USED PART OF HIS HOLY COMMUNION SERMON TO INSPIRE US TODAY. OUR RETREAT THEME OF ‘LIGHT OF THE WORLD’ WAS INSPIRATIONAL AND GIFTED BY GOD. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO TOOK PART AND THOSE WHO LEAD THE SESSIONS. YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB. PRAISE THE LORD!
29th October – Morning all, have you ever walked through a dark room and wished you could just see the whole way ahead? You hold your phone’s torch out in front of you, but it only shows the next few steps. That can be frustrating – yet it’s enough. You don’t need to see the whole journey, just where to place your feet right now. Faith works the same way. God doesn’t floodlight your future; He hands you a lamp for today. Children are beautifully content with that; they don’t demand to know what’s around every corner. They simply take your hand and walk in trust. Somewhere along the line, as adults, we lose that simple confidence in God’s direction. We start demanding details instead of walking in faith. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) So, when you read God’s Word today, don’t look for the full map, just look for the next step. His Word doesn’t show you everything, but it will always show you enough. Each verse you read, each truth you recall, is another beam of light guiding you safely through uncertainty. Perhaps the invitation this week is not to know more, but to trust better. The lamp is in your hand – now walk in its glow.
Revd Mark Spiers
THURSDAY
LIGHT HAS A QUIET BUT UNMISTAKABLE POWER – IT DOESN’T NEED TO DEMAND ATTENTION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IN A WORLD THAT CAN OFTEN FEEL WEARY AND DIM, WE SOMETIMES FORGET THAT GOD CALLS US TO BE BEARERS OF HIS LIGHT RIGHT WHERE WE ARE. REVD MARK’S DEVOTIONAL IS A GENTLE REMINDER THAT THE LOVE OF CHRIST SHINES MOST BRIGHTLY THROUGH SIMPLE ACTS OF KINDNESS, QUIET FAITHFULNESS, AND A HEART AT PEACE IN HIM.
30th October – Morning all… Have you ever noticed how some people seem to brighten a room the moment they walk in – not because they’re loud or confident, but because there’s something peaceful, kind, and genuine about them? I recall a famous a quote by a missionary named James Keeler, he wrote these words: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” What I’ve realised working with children most of my life is that children shine without even realising it. They laugh freely, forgive quickly, and see wonder where adults see weariness. Jesus must have had that in mind when He called His followers “the light of the world.” The light He gives us isn’t for hiding, it’s meant to spill out into every room we enter. You don’t have to be loud to shine. Light doesn’t need to shout; it just needs to be seen. Your gentle patience with a difficult person, your quiet honesty when no one’s watching, your small word of encouragement at the right moment – all of these reflect Jesus. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14–16) Children often light up their surroundings simply by being themselves. Maybe God is inviting you to do the same, so stop trying so hard and let His presence within you do the shining. You are the vessel; He is the light. Today, wherever you go, remember you carry the radiance of Christ. Your light might be the only gospel someone sees.
Revd Mark Spiers
FRIDAY
A FEW YEARS AGO, ON HALLOWEEN, WHEN WE HAD A LARGE YOUTH CLUB, WE HELD A ‘LIGHT PARTY’ WITH FOOD – PUMPKIN SOUP MADE BY REVD MARK’S MOM AND FIREWORKS. ON ONE OCCASION A SMALL SPARK FLEW INTO AN OPEN BOX FILLED WITH FIREWORK AND THE LOT WENT UP – HORIZONTAL ROCKETS AND OUT OF CONTROL CATHERINE WHEELS. IT WAS A MIRACLE THEY MISSED EVERYONE IN THE CROWD. THANK YOU, LORD.
31st October – Morning all… In Wolverhampton, we walk under a motto carved into the very heart ofur city: “Out of Darkness Cometh Light.” You see it on the crest, the council buildings, and Wolves Football Club – a reminder of where we’ve come from, and of the hope that leads us forward. Today is Halloween – a night when shadows seem to take centre stage. Costumes, cobwebs, and candles flickering in the dark. For some, it’s all fun and laughter; for others, it can feel unsettling or uneasy. Yet for followers of Jesus, this night brings a precious opportunity to remember a deeper truth: no amount of darkness can ever extinguish the light of Christ. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) Darkness is not just the absence of sunlight, it can be the weight of worry, the sting of regret, the burden of sin, the ache of grief, the fear of the unknown. Many around us know what it means to walk through dark valleys. But Wolverhampton’s motto speaks something powerful – and so does Scripture. Light doesn’t run from darkness. Light enters it. Jesus stepped into the darkness of our world, and into the darkness of our hearts to bring hope where there’s despair, peace where there’s fear, life where there’s death. And the beautiful truth is this – where Jesus shines, darkness cannot remain. This Halloween, as children knock on doors and lanterns glow in windows, remember who your Light is. Let His light shine in you, not just as a shield against the dark, but as a beacon to others. Out of darkness cometh light – and that Light has a name: Jesus.
Revd Mark Spiers