MONDAY
YESTERDAY, WE HELD OUR ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICES. IT WAS JOY TO SEE SO MANY NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES AND TALK TO THEM AFTER THE SERVICE ABOUT HOW THEY ARE COPING FOLLOWING A LOSS. AS WE ALL MOVED THROUGH A SEASON WHERE EVERYTHING SEEMS TO SHIFT AROUND US, IT’S EASY TO NOTICE HOW QUICKLY LIFE CHANGES – SOMETIMES FASTER THAN WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF.
8th December – Morning all… Have you ever driven down the road and suddenly realised something familiar has changed? A shop that’s always been there is now boarded up. A building you pass every day has been knocked down. Even the systems we use at work or the technology we rely on seem to have updated overnight and leave us wondering, “When did all this change?” This time of year, makes those changes feel even sharper. December often brings transitions, children moving placements, families reaching crisis points, new processes being introduced, shifting expectations in our teams, and the constant pressure of preparing for Christmas in our churches and homes. Our world moves quickly, and it’s easy to feel like we’re always trying to catch up. But as followers of Jesus, we don’t need to fear change. We can look toward the future with hope, even when the path ahead isn’t fully clear. Hebrew’s 13:8 reminds us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In a world that shifts around us, He is our constant. John the Baptist understood what it felt like to stand on the edge of a major change. He knew the world was about to turn upside down – the Messiah was coming. His calling was simple but world-shaping: prepare the way. We stand on the other side of that moment. We know Jesus has already changed the world. Yet we walk among people, children, families, colleagues, congregations who are still waiting for that hope to reach them. And like John, we’re invited to join God’s mission to prepare the way in small, everyday ways that make room for Jesus to be seen. So today, in all the change and all the uncertainty, take heart, what you do matters. And the God who never changes is already preparing the way ahead of you.
Revd Mark Spiers
TUESDAY
MY DIARY IS FILLING UP FOR 2026 – DR BOB TOLD ME RECENTLY THAT HE IS FULLY BOOKED UNTIL EARLY 2027. SO AS THE END OF THIS YEAR IS IN SIGHT AND WE TAKE IN THE WEIGHT OF WHAT 2025 HAS HELD, WE ARE REMINDED THAT EVEN IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, GOD IS STILL AT WORK.
9th December – Morning all… “The days are coming,” declares the Lord… (Jeremiah 33:14) We are almost at the end of 2025, many of us are looking back and realising this year has been a lot. It’s been a year of constant change, breakthroughs in technology, rising pressures in public services, economic uncertainty, and families stretched thin? People feel tired, overloaded, and often unseen. Even in the Church, many are hopeful but weary; hungry for God yet overwhelmed by the pace of life. That’s why God’s words from Jeremiah land with surprising relevance. Jerusalem was in crisis when God spoke this promise. Systems were failing, people were afraid, and hope felt fragile. It wasn’t spoken into comfort it was spoken into chaos. Just like today. And yet God said, “I will fulfil the good promise I made.” Not after life settles. Not after the pressure lifts. But even while things remain uncertain. At the end of this year, this promise means something powerful: God has not changed His mind about us. What He started in our life, our family, our team, and our ministry, He intends to finish. His promises are not weakened by a difficult year. His faithfulness is not tied to how empty or full we feel. God’s promise still stands, “The days are coming…” Days of renewed strength. Days of restoration. Days of hope fulfilled. Days where what He has planted finally begins to bloom. Even if we can’t see it yet, I know He’s already preparing it.
Revd Mark Spiers
WEDNESDAY
TODAY, REVD MARK TELLS US ABOUT TRUE PEACE – THE PEACE THAT JESUS SHOWED IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF CONFLICT BUT THE COURAGEOUS, GOD-GUIDED WORK OF BRINGING HARMONY INTO TROUBLED PLACES AND RELATIONSHIPS.
10th December – Morning all… When we think of peace, it’s easy to picture serenity – quiet moments free from conflict or turmoil. But when we look at Jesus, the Prince of Peace, His life was anything but conflict-free! Even His closest friends, the disciples, often disagreed and struggled to get along. Yet through all of this, Jesus demonstrated a peace that went deeper, a “peace that surpasses understanding.” This peace came from His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He blessed peacemakers, those willing to do the hard, ongoing work of bringing peace into families, communities, churches, and homes. Peace doesn’t happen when there’s no conflict; it happens in the midst of conflict. Have you ever considered how different the disciples were, and how challenging it must have been for them to find peace with one another? Matthew, a former tax collector, is a prime example of someone the others likely struggled to accept. Yet, through Jesus’ example, they learned to live in peace. Scripture reminds us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) So here is our challenge today – look for ways to bring peace into the spaces you enter. Where there is family strife – make peace. Where there is conflict at work – make peace. Where your heart feels unsettled – make peace. And where kindness feels hard to find – make peace.
Revd Mark Spiers
THURSDAY
HAVE YOU NOTICED THERE’S NOT MUCH PEACE IN THE WORLD. OUR LORD GENTLY INVITES US TO CARRY HIS DEEP, STEADY PEACE INTO EVERY MOMENT WE ENTER, ALLOWING HIS PRESENCE TO SHAPE US INTO PEOPLE WHO BRING COMFORT, KINDNESS, AND HOPE TO A WORLD MUCH IN NEED… READ ON…
11th December – Morning all… Reflecting on yesterday’s devotional I’m reminded that peace is not just something we receive from Christ, it’s something we’re called to carry into the world. Advent is a season where we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, but it’s also a time to reflect on the kind of people He is shaping us to be. Peace isn’t passive. It’s not simply the absence of arguments or the quiet after chaos. True, Christ-centred peace is active, courageous, and deeply rooted in God’s
presence with us. It takes strength to hold our tongue when tensions rise. It takes humility to apologise first. It takes faith to be gentle in a world that rewards harshness. And it takes grace to keep trying, especially when peace feels fragile. Every day we walk into situations where peace is needed, where families are stretched, children are hurting, and colleagues are weary. Yet in each moment, Christ invites us not to force peace, but to bring it… through compassion, wisdom, and quiet strength. Jesus said, “My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) The world’s peace is temporary, dependent on circumstances. His peace is eternal, born out of His presence dwelling within us. So today, let this be your prayer and purpose: ‘Lord, make me a carrier of Your peace. Wherever I go today, into meetings, homes, conversations, and moments of tension let Your peace go ahead of me, flow through me, and remain after I leave.’ May you experience His peace, and may others find peace because of Him at work in you.
Revd Mark Spiers
FRIDAY
HERE AT ST ANDREW’S, WE ARE HOLDING OUR CAROLS AND LESSONS SERVICE THIS SUNDAY. I WAS SHARING WITH DR BOB AND BISHOP MATTHEW EARLIER THAT I HAVE 36 READERS TAKING PART – WHAT A JOY!
12th December – Morning all… This time of year can be joyful, but it can also be stressful, lonely, or overwhelming. Many of the families we support feel the strain more than ever in December. And even within our churches, many put on brave smiles while quietly carrying worries, grief, or exhaustion. But Advent joy is different. It doesn’t ignore the struggle. It doesn’t demand that we “cheer up” or pretend
everything is fine. And it certainly isn’t tied to circumstances or perfect Christmas moments. Advent joy comes from Christ Himself – from the One who stepped into our world of pressure, mess, and pain, from the Saviour who draws near to the weary, from the Lord who brings light right into the places we’d rather hide. That’s why the Scriptures remind us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) Not a fragile joy. Not a seasonal joy. But a strong, steady, sustaining joy, the kind that holds you together when life tries to pull you apart. So, as we approach the weekend, choose joy. Not the surface kind that fades when the day gets difficult, but the deep, quiet, anchored joy that comes from knowing this truth, He is with you. He is for you. And He is enough. May His joy be your strength, and may you carry that strength into every decision you make, and every moment you face.
Revd Mark Spiers