Alannah Francis

How Christians can give good testimony to the love of Jesus

After discovering a piece of good news, how long does it take you to share it with someone? Seconds, minutes, hours, days? If you're anything like me, it's somewhere in between seconds and minutes. When we hear about something good that can benefit other people, our normal reaction is to tell them about it.
Should we be afraid of labelling ourselves as Christians?Â

Unless our faith is directly related to our profession then it is unlikely that the word Christian will precede our occupation. Christians are employed in all different manner of vocations but people don't usually refer to us as the Christian librarian, the Christian baker or the Christian bus driver because from the onlookers perspective our faith isn't relevant to the role.
10 Bible verses to remind you how precious you are

We've all experienced times in our lives when we've felt unloved, low or as though we didn't really matter. Whatever the reason, whether it's because we feel lonely, far from God or distant from our family and friends, we can draw comfort from the Bible by reminding ourselves of the value of our lives. Here are 10 verses which illustrate just how precious our lives are.
7 misconceptions about Christians that most people have

Last week Donald Trump tweeted the following: "How can Ted Cruz be an Evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is dishonest". You might not take Trump seriously and already understand that the practice of politicians using faith to score points is nothing new, but his comment does lead us to think about some of the common mistakes people make when they think about Christians.
How organ and blood donation can be viewed as a Christian duty

As Christians we know that giving is a central component of the way we live our lives in accordance with Christ's example. But although we're accustomed to giving money during the offering, to charitable causes and making material donations to those in need, one aspect that we might not have considered is the donation of our blood and organs.
Can Christians really be friends and connect with those of other faiths?

For most of us, it's impossible to go a week, a day even, without interacting with someone from a different faith or of no faith at all. Whether it's a synagogue near our work or a sign for halal meat in our local supermarket, we're constantly reminded of the multi-faith society that we live in. More than just coming across people of different faiths, a lot of Christians will have friends who pray to and believe in different gods too. But should we?
Is attending Church really necessary for Christians?

Our experience of church can vary dramatically depending on the denomination, congregation, country and a variety of factors. But what unites the church is that it is the gathering of a body of believers in God's presence.
Random Acts of Kindness Day and the refugee crisis

It seems as if every day is a different international awareness day of some sort. But, Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th February) is surely one that Christians can readily get involved in. Although, there is nothing random about the reasoning behind acting kind when it comes to Christianity.
Celebrities on abstinence and sex before marriage

A-list celebrities often go to extreme lengths to keep their private lives private, withholding details about their family life, love life and even their faith. But in the digital age where doing so is becoming harder and harder, some celebrities are using the spotlight to motivate others by sharing details of their personal struggles, challenges and decisions.
Why celebrities thank God in award speeches

Awards season is well underway. As stars throughout the film and music industry are recognised by their peers and fans for their contributions, we get a chance to hear them thank those who made their achievements possible. During their acceptance speeches many celebrities tend to thank their parents, their agents and their co-stars but someone else is also thanked first...God.
What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol? What it means for Christians

Dry January, the alternate name given to the first month of the year because so many choose to go alcohol-free after overdoing it during the festive period, may be over but the trend of giving up alcohol or cutting down drastically for more than just one month shows no signs of slowing.
Could these two tips help improve your prayers?

As Christians, prayer is vital in maintaining our relationship with God. However, I'm sure there are some of us who would agree that we could use a little pre-prayer pep talk. Understanding how we can we go about improving our prayers is entirely dependent on what elements are in need of strengthening. But, there are two common areas that we can address.