Have you ever gone on a long hike, perhaps over many days or weeks. Perhaps you have walked the Appalacian Trail or the Pennine Way– maybe you have even tackled a mountain range somewhere like the hike to the Everest Base Camp. Perhaps you have a dream or ambition to tackle a great trail in the years to come, like a portion of the Alps.

What does authentic gospel ministry look like? What are the marks of a ministry that is shaped by God’s word and faithful to Jesus? What are the characteristics of a ministry that you would be willing to sit under?

I wonder if you have ever suffered from the “impostor syndrome” – the sense that, although you occupy a role within a community of some kind, you’re not the real deal and you don’t really belong. Others are genuine and others fit in. But you’re just faking it – and soon enough everyone will find out. The feeling is common enough.

Isn’t it amazing how fast children grow up? How exciting it is for parents to see their children develop along the way, to transition from crawling to walking or from babbling to speaking. The writer of Hebrews references one such transition: that of moving from drinking milk to eating solid food.

Life can indeed be a perilous journey. John Newton’s famous hymn, “Amazing Grace”, speaks of "dangers, toils and snares" that he experienced firsthand. On one occasion, he was thrown from a horse, narrowly missing impalement on a row of sharp stakes.