Small Things Are Great

We’re currently reading through the book of Romans in our fellowship, and this past Sunday, we landed on chapter 13. Let’s just say—we didn’t sing. We prayed, then dived straight into the deep end. It wasn’t planned, but everything from our hearts to our history books showed up. One kid showed up with an injury and so we started by nursing the wound and hearing how his Batman stunts backfired, then we went into maandamano and finally the Bible. Romans 13 talks about leadership and love . The chapter begins by saying that all authority comes from God, and that resisting authority is like resisting God. Paul calls government leaders “SERVANTS OF GOD”, and that line alone shook the room, especially considering the times we’re living in. Romans 13 (GNT) reads thus... Everyone must obey state authorities , because no authority exists without God's permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God . Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; an...

What do you do as a man when lightning strikes twice—and keeps on striking? Do you pray for the storm to end, ask God to reverse events, or just curse Him and die? I think that’s what happened to Job. He received a series of terrible news, one after another. It’s also what happens to many men. When lightning strikes at a distance, it’s a wow moment. " Did you see that ?" "That was huge!" People smile, point, and marvel. But when it strikes home—and all you’ve been building goes up in flames—that’s when you desperately hope to find someone who’s gone through the same storm and learn how they stood again. Unfortunately, most men coil back. We try to run the course solo and the world allows it. I relate deeply with Job. This being Mens Mental Health Month, I’ve been reflecting on my life—as a child, a boy, a man, and a minister. It's been fun, tough, and threaded with every shade of emotion. As the lastborn, I received the end and last bit of everything—from clothe...

There’s a blank page in most Bibles — right between Malachi and Matthew. No words. No lines. Just silence. But I’ve been wondering lately… what if that page isn’t just a divider of testaments — what if it’s a symbol? A reminder of what life becomes when God withdraws? Blank. In Malachi 2:16, God SAID something raw and direct: “ I hate divorce ,” says the Lord, the God of Israel. He’s talking about covenant-breaking, not just relational splits. And yet, right after that book — God goes quiet. For over 400 years, not a single prophet speaks. No visions. No burning bushes. No thunder from Sinai. Just… silence. To me, it feels like a separation. I think He actually divorced them. Israel had repeatedly walked away from Him — idols, injustice, lip service without life change. God had warned, pleaded, sent messengers. And then… He stopped speaking. He didn’t stop being God. He didn’t stop loving. But He stepped back. And I wonder… is that what divine separation(divorce from God) looks like? N...

I find it fascinating that when Jesus was laying the foundation for how His Church would grow and thrive, He only chose five titles to describe the roles of those who would serve and lead: * Apostles * Prophets * Evangelists * Pastors * Teachers Just five and yet, when Jesus arrived on the scene, there were already plenty of functioning religious titles: priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes. He could have used those. But He didn’t, and that makes me pause. Why Not Use the Old System? The old Jewish system had spiritual roles clearly laid out. Priests handled sacrifices and temple worship. Scribes knew the Law inside-out. Pharisees were law-keepers. Sadducees were the elite, skeptical about resurrection and angels. It was a fully staffed religious enterprise. So why didn’t Jesus just tweak it a bit? Why not update the job descriptions and keep the same framework? I think it because Jesus wasn’t interested in renovating religion. He came to rebuild humanity — to establish something rad...

When Paul told Timothy to pray for those in authority, he said: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; for kings and all others in authority, so that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct. This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.” — 1 Timothy 2:1–4 (GNB) Now, not many of us think of this instruction from Paul as a soul-winning strategy . Most times, we take it as a governance prayer guide because of how verses are broken up. Verse 1 is read on its own, verse 2 separately, verse 3 and 4 independently—and we miss the flow and connection. As a result, when we’re told to pray for leaders, we pray for their performance, not their salvation. We view them as civil servants in need of common sense, not sinners in need of salvation (#Jesus, Yeshuah, The God who saves). But here’s the truth: common sense...

ROMANS 1–5: The Problem and the Promise Theme: We all fall short — but God offers us righteousness through faith in Jesus. Guiding Questions: 1. Who do you think Paul is writing to, and why is he so eager to talk about the gospel? (Romans 1:1-17) 2. What does Paul say about people who ignore God even though they can see His power in creation? (Romans 1:18-20) 3. Paul talks a lot about sin. What does he mean when he says, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory”? (Romans 3:23) 4. If we can’t become right with God by keeping the law, how can we become right with Him? (Romans 3:28; 5:1) 5. Why does Paul talk about Abraham’s faith? What lesson can we learn from that? (Romans 4:1-3) 6. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." What does this teach you about God’s love? ROMANS 6–10: The Change and the Challenge Theme: Grace doesn’t give us a license to sin — it gives us power to live differently. Guiding Questions: 1. Paul asks, "Shall we conti...

In our fellowship — by God’s help — we wrapped up Acts last week. We’ve now dived into Romans, aiming for 3–4 chapters a week with a group discussion during our Sunday meet-up. Now I must confess: this letter — sorry, book — isn’t my favourite. And honestly, I doubt it was a favourite to its original readers either. For starters, it’s long. I asked ChatGPT, and according to the NKJV, we’re dealing with 9,447 words. That’s a lot. Was Paul writing a letter or applying for a theological doctorate? I pity the scribe. Secondly, some scholars still argue about who actually wrote it. Many say it couldn't have been Paul because it doesn't fit in his Acts missionary trips. I hate arguments. The fact that our predecessors couldn’t agree unsettles me. Thirdly, let’s be honest — teaching through a long, debated document is a heavy responsibility. But, our leader didn’t consult me when choosing this next book, so my opinion didn’t count. And so, here we are again… studying Romans. Every tim...

"Mwana mkaidi hafaidi hadi siku ya Idi" was a popular proverb back in my high school days. Like many others, it had a rhythm to it that made it stick. We’d get so caught up in the rhyme that sometimes we’d completely miss the meaning! Remember sayings like: Cha mkufu huha, Mwenda tenzi na omo, Maskini akipata... They had a way of gluing us to the words. Which one was your favorite? Now, I opened with the Eid proverb because today we’re taking a break to mark Eid al-Adha. I say “we” not because everyone is celebrating, but because it’s a national public holiday. However — just like those catchy proverbs — many of us don’t actually know what this day is all about. You might hear the resurrection of the Akorinos joke “When will the Akorinos give us a public holiday?” 😅 But truly, most of us hear “Eid” and carry on without asking questions. So, What Is Eid al-Adha? I encourage you to make the internet your friend today. Look up what Eid al-Adha means. It's more than just a d...

The registration of church fellowships with the government has, in many ways, done us — the members — a great disservice. In this article, I explore how registration has led to: * Divisions  among believers, * A shift in domain and authority, and * A deep negative impact on discipleship . 1️⃣ Divisions Born from Denominations Let’s begin with a basic truth: The government does not register the Church — it registers denominations. The Church, the body of Christ, is not an organization but an organ — a living, spiritual organism. You can’t point at a building and say, “That’s The Church.” That may be a church building — but not The Church. Because the Church has no earthly CEO, the government engages what it can control — registered denominations. These have: * Names, * Physical addresses, * Board members, * And signatures. And that's where the trouble begins. We begin to mobilize people toward denominations instead of Christ. We think of ourselves as separate from other believers...