How shall we live? How shall we love?

How swiftly life has changed. Whether we’re part of that vital body of key workers serving our nation or juggling home schooling and work; whether we’re self-isolating or supporting others who are, our everyday contexts – our personal frontlines − are radically altered. What will fruitfulness for Jesus look like? How will the presence of God transform our experience of national and personal pressures? How might we align ourselves with God’s purposes through us in our particular context these days?

This month, four of our team introduce resources to shape your imagination for life with God on new frontlines. We trust that the biblical lenses and prayer perspectives will give you eyes to see God afresh and insight into the ways that God is with you and works through you, whatever your context, day by day.

The resources can all be accessed digitally and can be used personally, at home, by any small group that’s finding ways to journey together through these weeks.

Whatever you’re facing…

‘The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’

NUMBERS 6:24-26

The LICC Team

Ruth: Drawing on a Deeper Love

Recommended by Tracy Cotterell, Managing Director – Mission

Who are we listening to these days? Whose voices will we privilege? Of course, there are lots of voices we must hear to pray and act wisely for the sake of our nation. As Christians, we’re also listening for the word of God in these tumultuous times.

Mark Greene’s study, Ruth: Drawing on a Deeper Love, is the latest title in our Gateway Seven series. The book of Ruth is short, yet God speaks volumes through it – revealing himself and his dealings with people living through agonising circumstances, and extending a radical invitation to pray into the future in a way that will be transformative.

Available for immediate download as an eBook for £2, or in hard copy for £4.99, or five for £18. Discover more on the LICC website.

Whole Life Whole Bible

Recommended by Antony Billington, Theology Advisor

Just as an earlier generation told stories of what it was like to live through the Second World War, so today’s children will tell the story of life during the coronavirus lockdown. While such moments inevitably shape our lives in different ways, the most crucial story for shaping the way we think and live as Christians is the biblical story.

Whole Life Whole Bible walks through the unfolding story of Scripture in 50 readings and reflections, written from the conviction that God’s word sets the agenda for our lives as followers of Jesus today, whatever he calls us to face.

Available on email or the YouVersion app, plus you can download the introduction on the LICC website.

Trusting God Prayer Journey

Recommended by Bev Shepherd – Prayer Journeys Project Lead

We’re all facing a raft of practical challenges at the moment, from supporting our families to grappling with video-conferencing tech. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed one minute, and distracted by constant news updates another. To focus and pray takes more energy than usual.

That’s where our 40-day prayer journeys are designed to help. We’ll send you prompts every day to help you pray – for however long – with renewed energy, creativity, and faith that God’s purposes will be worked out in your life.

You might find our ‘Trusting God’ journey, designed to help us grow our trust muscles, particularly relevant in this time of change. And we’ve updated the introduction to help you think about what trusting God looks like specifically during this pandemic.

Trusting God is available on email or via the YouVersion app. Discover more prayer journeys on the LICC website.

Talks & Interviews on YouTube

Recommended by Josh Hinton – Marketing and Editorial Lead

With so many of us spending additional time at home, we’re all looking for good things to watch. As well as devouring the latest series of The Good Place or Planet Earth, it’s a great opportunity to watch things that will grow us in our faith and help us engage with the world around us.

Our YouTube channel is full of talks and interviews for you to discover, covering issues from science to human identity, mental health to education.

Oxford professor Alister McGrath explores what Einstein tells us about the intersection between science and faith. Doctor, chaplain and academic Alasdair Coles unpacks the impact of brain disease on faith. And you can watch LICC’s own team on how scripture equips us for fruitfulness in our daily lives, including sessions on Matthew, Joshua, and 1 Peter.

Available for free on the LICC YouTube channel.