Fill Your Cup

20/11/2020

My current bedtime reading is these two lovely books, as I work on creating some advent content for December.

11/11/2020

Episode 3 is now available on Spotify and iTunes ! This week Mark One: Part One - Meet John the Baptist, and hear his words about the coming Messiah, Jesus.

I'm always looking for more Bible podcasts to listen to, so if you have a favourite, let me know :)

Spotify: http://ow.ly/QBvy50ChT9p
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-three-mark-one-part-one/id1528497886?i=1000498179154

‎Show Fill Your Cup, Ep Episode Three: Mark One: Part One - 11 Nov 2020

06/11/2020

I was reading John Gill's notes on the Bible, and his ideas shed new light for me on this verse from Psalm 42.

Gill outlines two reasons that the deer might be panting for water:

1) She is thirsty.

Have you ever been so thirsty that all you can think about is the next chance for a drink?

In the context of longing for God, this thirst might mean that we haven't received from Him in a while, or that our circumstances are such that we need constant refilling to meet our needs.

This is the interpretation that always sprung to mind for me, but I find Gill's second reason intriguing.

2) She is running from predators.

In the wild, and particularly when she is being hunted by dogs, a deer runs to streams of water to evade them, providing a physical barrier, and also disrupting the scent trail the dogs are following.

In the context of God as the streams of water, this imagery paints God as a person who can bring safety from the things we fear, and the threats to our lives.

God is both our refuge, and a resource. If you are feeling dry and empty he can fill you with living water, and if you are feeling pursued he can provide you with safety.

05/11/2020

This is John the Baptist's description of Jesus. At the time he spoke these words, John was very popular, and many of the residents of Jerusalem had come to him, to be baptized by him, thinking he was the Messiah.

John's words remind us that whatever the magnitude of human achievement, only God is Holy, and only God can save us.

Whoever holds the reigns of human power, God is greater. However 'good' we are, we aren't as Holy as God.

It took Jesus, God made flesh, perfectly uniting what it means to be human and what it means to be divine to show us this truth, and through His death and resurrection we have access to the Holy Spirit who empowers us, and is the marker that we have been made Holy through Christ.

04/11/2020

This verse is from Psalm 23, a song written by David, who was both a shepherd, and a man who knew God intimately.

In this song, David describes God as a shepherd, who guides him through difficult times, taking him to places of refreshment and feasting.

I think it's tempting sometimes to read this Psalm and hear only part of the truth. It's certainly true that God guides us through bad times and into good, but the true preciousness of this song for me is the provision David experiences in the bad times.

In the presence of David's enemies, God prepares him a feast, claims him as His own by anointing him with oil, filling his cup to overflow. It's a picture of defiance of David's enemies - they can't prevent David from enjoying the richness of life with a loving God who shepherds him through life.

The Lord is your Shepherd. He provides everything you need. Whatever enemies you are facing today, God is able to fill you to overflowing.

13/10/2020

Episode Two of the podcast is now live!
This time we are looking at the beginning of Acts, as the disciples recieve their final instructions from Jesus.
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmlsbHlvdXJjdXAuY28udWsvZXBpc29kZXM_Zm9ybWF0PXJzcw&ep=14
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qPuFu6m4qJuEG3scRGlp6?si=-dUIWrC4QaOBxvuKfoQ5Yg
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=565596&refid=asa

13/10/2020

Upperroom's free worship is beautiful. Great for soaking in.

His presence transforming lives... morning, noon and night. For the latest information on all things UPPERROOM Dallas, be sure to sign up for our newsletter ...

13/10/2020

Are accounts of the life of Jesus just stories with a helpful moral, or are they the life changing, laws of physics breaking Good News which changes how you live and who you are completely?

25/09/2020

Could you use some joy today? This verse tells us that the joy given to us through the Holy Spirit is:

Constant: they were continually filled! Followers of Jesus didn't receive joy just once, God's plan was that they would be filled over and over again.

All Encompassing: it was throughout their hearts and souls. Not a part of them was left untouched by God's joy!

Pray with me today: "Father, send your Holy Spirit to me now. Whatever the circumstances, let me be fully and constantly filled with your supernatural joy."

23/09/2020

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

I’ve been talking a lot recently with a friend about how we can trust God in the everyday. How we can make plans and then give them over to Him to fulfil or not. In our discussion what we keep coming back to is God’s power, love, and knowledge.

Unlike me, God has the power to achieve anything, even the impossible, speaking light into being with His words.

Unlike me, God is not selfish or impatient in His love – but works all things for good for me, even going so far as to die a horrible death to wash me clean of my sins.

Unlike me, God knows all the outcomes. He goes before me into the future, and works to make that future a place where I thrive and grow closer to Him.

So I lean not on my own understanding. I fall deeper in love with my God who is ever-able, ever-loving, all-knowing.

21/09/2020

A beautiful reminder that when we mess up, God doesn't look for us to punish us. He comes to us, ready to help us, ready to wash our sins from us so thoroughly that no trace or stain can be found on us.

We are in Jesus, so we are as unmarked by sin as he is.

21/09/2020

I'm currently creating a resource for a lockdown friendly retreat day. What kind of activities would you like to see included?
If you're interested in helping to test the resource, send me a message :)

16/09/2020

Welcome to the Fill Your Cup page. Here you can find snack sized posts reflecting on the Bible, as well as announcements each time a new podcast is published.

Podcasts give a short meditation on longer passages of the Bible, and aim to be an accessible way to interact with God's Word.

Fill Your Cup will be launching later this year on Etsy, with worship plans that are easy to plug into, and encourage deep interaction in your quiet time.

You can read more about the ethos of Fill Your Cup here:
https://www.fillyourcup.co.uk/about

Creating accessible worship. The gospel of John tells the story of Jesus meeting a woman at a well. There were several obstacles to her having a meaningful connection with him. Alone at the well, at the hottest time of day, she was working hard without help for her survival. With five past husbands....

24/08/2020

The saying goes "If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated." In the summer, I keep a bottle of water with me at all times to keep my body and brain running smoothly.

What would it look like to apply this to our spiritual lives? What action can you take this week to keep your relationship with Jesus well hydrated?

23/08/2020

"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." Mark 4:31

Are you facing a literal or metaphorical storm today? This was Jesus' response to his disciples calls for help in a storm.

22/08/2020

God loves you so much that he created the sun, moon, and stars to give structure to your days and years.

21/08/2020

The first Fill Your Cup podcast is now live! You can always find episodes at fillyourcup.co.uk/episodes and soon on your favourite podcatchers. If you want be sure you've found this podcast, look for the yellow cup!

Episode One is a meditation on Psalm One, what it means to be wicked or righteous, and how Jesus is the ultimate revelation of how we should live.

Your feedback is always welcome.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Q2AeWAOrILrifcCvztj4O?si=DA-vAg4HQyq_uLQ-eh5SXg
Sticher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fill-your-cup-2
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fill-your-cup/id1528497886

Google Podcasts: Coming Soon

Bible Meditation Flik Foster 8/20/20 Bible Meditation Flik Foster 8/20/20 Psalm One Read More Episodes RSS   Subscribe to our newsletter. Sign up with your email address to receive a notification when a new episode is published. Email Address Sign Up Thank you!

20/08/2020

Kings Church Eastbourne 's series on the Psalms is such a blessing at the moment.
Highly recommend!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

14/08/2020

God's unchanging, unbreakable, reliable love has been present throughout all history. He loved you before you existed, on your very worst day, when you were kind, or heartless, abandoned, or surrounded. He will never stop loving you.

13/08/2020

Which translation of the Bible is your favorite to read?

13/08/2020

Recent research by Samaritans has shown that 42% of men feel that Lockdown has affected their mental health.
How has your mental wellbeing been affected by covid-19? Have you felt joy at a retreat from usual life or have you felt the pain of loss?

-19

12/08/2020

Jesus declares that we can come to him when we feel weary and overburdened with life, and find rest. As we follow him, he teaches us the gentleness and humility that gives our souls peace.