Saints CVs – J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

His background John Charles Ryle enjoyed a privileged upbringing in Victorian England. The eldest son of a wealthy Cheshire businessman, J. C. Ryle was educated at Eton and Oxford. He captained the university cricket team and was also known for rowing. At a height of 6‘4” (1. 93 m) he towered over his fellow students. […]

Joining a Local Church

In the last article, we considered the command for believers in the Lord Jesus to be baptized. This is an essential step for every Christian since the Bible teaches that baptism should follow salvation, Acts 2. 41. But the verse goes on to say that on the ‘same day [they] were added’. Therefore, after the […]

Jehoram

In the series We 4 Kings we looked at the first four kings of Judah after the division of Israel under Rehoboam. In summary: Rehoboam: was a king with no conviction. There were three areas of conviction that we considered: The word of God must be the only authority for our opinions and actions. Otherwise, […]

Introduction

Andrew Dutton has asked me to work on a new series with him. I am delighted to do this and to continue contributing to Young Precious Seed. So, what are we trying to achieve? Hopefully, the title is self-explanatory. We want to revisit a range of topics and issues that face Christians today and discover […]

Editor’s Introduction – February 2025

Welcome to the February issue of YPS. With a new year, we have some new series of articles. Stephen Baker introduces a series intended to help equip Christians to face issues of our day – ‘Seeing the world through a biblical lens’. Also, Richard Smith is back drawing lessons from the kings of Judah – […]

Saints CVs – The Wesleys

In this article, we will consider three members of a remarkable 18th-century SUSANNA WESLEY (NEE ANNESLEY) 1669-1742 If a godly mother is the greatest blessing an infant can know, then Susanna’s nineteen children were blessed indeed.1 She was an intelligent woman with a mature grasp of Christian doctrine. Susanna endured a difficult marriage to an […]

John 2. 5

‘His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it’, John 2. 5 This is the final article of this series. When I started the series, I aimed to ask a range of people to write about a Bible verse that had significantly impacted their lives and had a very sacred place […]

Fascinating Facts – Part 8: Mighty termites

King Solomon, one of history’s most famous builders, was impressed by the preparation and organization of ants, Prov. 6. 6-8. He would certainly have been amazed by the architectural genius of all the social insects – ants, termites, and some bees and wasps – in how they build their different types of nests. Among all […]

Editor’s Introduction – November 2024

Welcome to the November issue of YPS. In this issue Phil Armstrong concludes his series on fascinating facts – evidence of a creator’s touch, looking at the amazing building ability of termites. We are also concluding the Soul-Searching Scriptures series, which Stephen Baker initially invited the contributors to write – it’s fitting that we hear […]

Baptism

‘They that gladly- received his word were baptized’, Acts 2. 41. ‘Delayed obedience is disobedience’ was advice I recently heard a friend passing on to children; it is good advice, and my own children may report that it has since been repeated in our home! Looking back on my own experience, it sums up my […]

Saints CVs – John Bunyan (1628-1688)

One Saturday evening shortly after I had passed my driving test, I set out in my car heading to Peterborough to attend a Bible study. Sadly, I got completely disorientated and arrived in Bedford, some forty miles away from my intended destination. But all was not lost! I spent a pleasant evening looking around and […]

Jeremiah 29. 11

‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end’, Jer. 29. 11 A few years ago, this text from Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 seemed to be quoted everywhere! It had almost become a cliche as it was […]

Fascinating Facts – Part 7: Monach Migration

Every spring, 100-200 million Monarch butterflies begin their epic migration from Mexico, flying northwards to the United States and Canada, before returning again to Mexico for the winter. With a total distance of around 5, 000 miles, the Monarch butterfly is the only type of insect that does anything like this. Their feat of endurance […]

Editor’s Introduction – August 2024

Welcome to the August issue of YPS. Now well into the summer season, perhaps you have already had the opportunity to take part in or support special outreach activities. It is great to use the extra time available during the holiday periods to serve the Lord or simply enjoy the company of other Christians. If […]

Daily Prayer

‘Watch and pray,’ that ye enter not into temptation’, Matt. 26. 41. In the last issue we looked at the importance of daily Bible reading, and one of the suggestions was to accompany Bible reading with prayer. The two activities are linked and are vital for every believer in the Lord Jesus. Yet prayer can […]

Saints CVs – John Newton (1725-1807)

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)A That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found,Was blind, but now I see. John Newton’s Amazing Grace may be the most famous hymn in the world – it’s instantly recognizable, whether played by a piper on an Edinburgh street corner or sung a […]

Proverbs. 6. 6-8

‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest’, Prov. 6. 6-8. In 1993 my grandfather, Kenneth Munro, suddenly died when I was away studying at university. He had been a spiritual […]

Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles chapters 17 to 21)

So far, we have investigated the lives of the first three kings after Solomon. We have applied the test of the ‘Triangle of Convictions’: The word of God. The house of God. The people of God. In the kings so far we have seen that: Rehoboam lacked any conviction. Abijah had conviction but no courage. […]

Fascinating Facts – Part 6: The Spider With Golden Silk

Golden orb-weaver spiders live in Southern and East Africa, and are among the largest spiders in the world with a massive leg span of around twenty centimetres. The reason for its name is that God has given it the ability to make a beautiful, golden-coloured silk that it spins to make its webs. Interestingly, one […]

Editor’s Introduction – May 2024

Welcome to the May issue of YPS. I’ve really enjoyed reading the articles in this issue. Richard Smith looks at the reign of Jehoshaphat and notes some important lessons that will help us live consistent lives for God. There is a new series on ‘Christian Basics’. If you are a new believer in the Lord […]

Daily Bible Reading

‘Give attendance to reading’, 1 Tim. 4. 13. The Christian life is a different life. New believers in the Lord Jesus will find that their daily routine will need to change to accommodate fresh priorities as they seek to follow Christ. Others may have been saved for a longer period but recognize that there are […]

Saints CVs – Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791)

‘I am encircled in the arms of love and mercy’1 Selina Hastings often thanked God for the letter ‘m’ since, she said, she would never have been saved without it. She referred to the fact that ‘not many noble are called’, 1 Cor. 1. 26. Certainly Selina was a member of the upper class, born […]

Matthew 26. 39

For most people, there is a routine to the days of our life that is somewhat comforting. We make arrangements for the days, weeks, and months that lie ahead and try to organize our lives so that we can accomplish our plans. However, there are times when an event happens, or we receive news, that […]

Fascinating Facts – Part 5

From late October through to March, many of us in the UK and across Europe will see an amazing phenomenon. As twilight falls, thousands of starling birds flock together and fly in large groups called ‘murmurations’. The flock constantly remoulds its overall shape and produces rippling patterns as birds change direction in unison. It is […]

Editor’s Introduction – February 2024

Thanks once again for reading YPS. This is the first issue for 2024, but for me, it is my final issue of Young Precious Seed. From the May 2024 issue Andrew Dutton will be taking over as Editor of YPS. Andrew has been involved in the work of Precious Seed for several years now, and […]

Asa

In this series, we’re looking at the first four kings of Judah after the division of the nation. We’ve seen that Rehoboam lacked conviction and that his son, Abijah, though a man of conviction, lacked courage. The third king is Asa. Asa was different from his father and grandfather. From the start of his forty-one-year […]

Saints CVs – William Tyndale

WILLIAM TYNDALE 1494 – 1536 Can you imagine the hardship of not being able to read the Bible in your own language? This was the situation throughout the Middle Ages when the scriptures were only available in Latin, which few people could read or understand. William Tyndale stated his great ambition to a Catholic priest, […]

Luke 9. 60

One of the pieces of evidence that the Bible is the inspired word of God is the way the Holy Spirit takes a verse we may have read many times and impresses a lesson from it upon us personally. That happened to me with this verse a few months ago; and it has continued to […]

Fascinating Facts – Part 4

One of the stand-out events of 2023 was the coronation of King Charles III, and I became rather interested in the Crown Jewels used in the ceremony. Perhaps you have been to the Tower of London and queued up to view this collection of ceremonial objects, which includes crowns, swords, sceptres, orbs, trumpets, and even […]

Editor’s Introduction – November 2023

Thanks once again for reading our magazine – we really do appreciate it. Whether you read it from cover to cover or just dip in and out of it, we hope that you find the articles interesting, challenging and biblical. One of our objectives is to encourage the study of scripture. Please don’t ever replace […]

Abijah

If Rehoboam was a carnal man, lacking in any conviction at all, is there any hope for his family? You’ve maybe heard the expression, ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’, or ‘a chip off the old block’. In other words, we often behave in the way that our parents did before us. It […]

Saints CVs – Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora

MARTIN LUTHER 1483-1546 As a young man, Luther abandoned his legal studies after being caught in a dramatic thunderstorm, during which he vowed to become a monk if he survived. He entered a monastery and devoted his life to the formal, religious routines of the Catholic church. These included frequent confessions to more senior clerics […]

Rehoboam

‘Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it’, Winston Churchill(1948 speech to the House of Commons) There is no such thing as a perfect generation. Each fails in one way or another. Our choice is whether to repeat the mistakes of the past, or to learn and change. In these studies, […]

Plotting Your Path Through Life – Knowing the Will of God Part 2

The prescribed will of God This brings us to the difficult part of knowing the will of God in relation to a specific matter. It is not always easy to know God’s will when it comes down to our personal decisions. What we do know, however, is that God has given us the indwelling Holy […]

Fascinating Facts – Part 3

One of the few places I find my emotions occupying the small overlap between excitement and fear is the bat cave at the zoo. Knowing that bats use sophisticated echolocation to build a detailed picture in complete darkness helps settle my nerves a little. Yes, they can see where they are going, and they are […]

Editor’s Introduction – August 2023

Depending on where you live in this country, or overseas, you might get this issue before you have your summer break or holiday. This summer, my advice, for what it’s worth, is – take a break and do some serious reading. Although technological advancement has brought many advantages, one of its dangers is that people […]