Tag: Simon Guillebaud Blog

Come and See!

Come and See!

Today’s talk is the fifth in a series given recently at Lee Abbey. Come to me Weary! Come to me Dirty! Come to me Hungry! Come to me Thirsty! Come and See, then Go and Be! Here are a few juicy bits if you haven’t the time to listen: You won’t have heard of Edward Kimball. This man was becoming increasingly active in church and wanted to make an impact with the youth. His constant refrain was ‘come and see’. There was one lad he saw great potential in but just wasn’t able get through to. In the end, Kimball just decided to […]

Thirsty!

Thirsty!

Today’s talk is the fourth in a series given recently at Lee Abbey. Come to me Weary! Come to me Dirty! Come to me Hungry! Come to me Thirsty! Here are a few juicy bits if you haven’t the time to listen: “Lord, please put salt on my lips that I might thirst more after you.” Augustine The revival on Lewis (1949-1952) was steeped in prayer. Seven men and two old ladies had decided to pray and not stop until God visited them in a powerful way. One night, at a prayer meeting held in a barn, one of them said, […]

Hungry!

Hungry!

Today’s talk is the third in a series given recently at Lee Abbey. Come to me Weary! Come to me Dirty! Come to me Hungry! Here are a few juicy bits if you haven’t the time to listen: George Orwell described a wasp that “was sucking jam on my plate and I cut him in half.  He paid no attention, merely went on with his meal, while a tiny stream of jam trickled out of his severed oesophagus. Only when he tried to fly away did he grasp the dreadful thing that had happened to him.” The wasp and people without […]

Worthy or Unworthy? Dog or Heir?

Worthy or Unworthy? Dog or Heir?

Do you feel worthy of God’s love, or unworthy? It’s an important question. Lots of people live under guilt and shame, which is no way to do life. You see, we may be undeserving of God’s grace but we are certainly not unworthy. Because our worth is defined or measured by what Someone is willing to pay for us. And Jesus showed us just how valuable we are on the cross, didn’t he? He settled the matter there. Below is the second in a series of talks given a few weeks ago at Lee Abbey. The first was ‘Come to […]

Choosing Between Your Children

The new school year is big business in the West, with supermarket aisles crammed full of uniforms, pencil cases, notepads, and more. I asked my daughter Grace to film me as I recounted one of the most moving encounters I ever experienced with a mother desperate for her children’s future: Even a hard-working family with a modest income will struggle to shoe, clothe and supply stationery to all their children. Often, they’ll only be able to equip one or two of their children with the bare minimum. I can’t imagine having to choose between which of my kids get to […]

Turning Down the Queen’s Invitation

Turning Down the Queen’s Invitation people rushing past the gates of buckingham palac

Back in 2017, I received an invitation from the Queen to join her at Buckingham Palace. I turned her down. Why? Because I’d already heard her on the radio. I’d read her written messages. I’d seen her on TV plenty of times. That was enough for me. Seriously? Of course not! Lizzie and I went there with a great sense of privilege, anticipation and honour, and had a wonderful time. Now, what is on offer today, to all of us, is not a personal invitation from the Sovereign of a nation, rather one from the Sovereign of the Universe, the […]

Who Do You Say I Am?

In a talk for a local church last Sunday, I was asked to look at this passage and the question Jesus asks of His disciples, ‘Who do you say I am?’ If you agree with what Peter answered then the implications are huge. Do take a listen. You can also listen to the sermon or download the audio recording. Some Quotes Oswald Chambers: Is God going to help himself to me, or am I so taken up of my conception of what I want to make of my life? CS Lewis: “Anything which isn’t eternal is eternally out of date” […]

(STOP) Their Education Bleeding Away!

It’s taboo. It’s hidden. It’s devastating. So many girls suffer in silence, in shame, in sadness. We interviewed a few of them in the poignant video below. Now that we have a teenage daughter, this issue resonates even more deeply with us than before. We would do everything in our power for her to thrive and not miss out on her studies. We all are (or have) sisters, daughters, nieces, etc. So this is something we can all relate to and do something about. We can all spare £4/$5 to help one (or 5 or 10 etc) precious teenager in […]

Inspired as Ever!

Inspired as Ever! ben kwashi jos nigeria

Ben Kwashi is one of my heroes, so I was thrilled to get to interview him today. You can hear it here. A little on him: Benjamin Kwashi is the archbishop they just couldn’t kill. Three times, the terrorists tried. Each time, they failed to take his life, crush his faith or dampen his joy. Neither bomb nor bullet can silence this turbulent priest who courageously continues to speak truth to power. Ben Kwashi has been described as one of the most influential Christians alive. His home is on the frontline of faith in Nigeria. Here, Boko Haram and heavily-armed […]

Burundi Bread and Butter Needed Now!

Great Lakes Outreach is a lean machine, I’m proud to say. And we use donated money carefully, accountably, and strategically. Today is the culmination of 6 months’ intensive work, and is the launch of our spanking new website. You might think we commissioned a marketing agency for £20k, but no, it was all done in-house, so huge thanks to Paul and Adam – great work guys! Why not take a look now, starting with the stunning short film on the front page explaining what GLO does?  I’m very encouraged as we continue to have a nation-shaping impact. There are masses of positives in […]

Down with the Kids!

I invite you to listen to this last Sunday’s sermon, it’ll challenge you to the core! We had a powerful time… Watch the sermon: Listen to the sermon below or download here. Jim Wallis writes: “The danger of secular fundamentalism is its allergy to spirituality and disdain for anything religious. Prophetic religion is the antidote to bad religion. Prophetic faith is not the battle between secularism and faith, but rather between cynicism and hope. Prophets begin in judgment, social critique of status quo, but end in hope – that those realities can be changed. It’s a spiritual choice. Ultimately, cynicism […]

Jesus at the Door!

Jesus at the Door! hand on door handle opening door

I’ve had a fun day so far, and yet it’s been such a normal day. Let me explain: Our church was serving the local community at the weekend by providing four skips for people to bring their stuff and save them a trip to the tip (many locals don’t have a car, so it’s very much appreciated). There was one last skip that needed filling, so a couple of us did that this morning. As the skip was loaded onto the truck and about to be driven away, I showed the driver a picture on my phone, and asked him […]

Nuts for Life!

Nuts for Life!

Guys, I love hearing great stories, so here are the three most recent podcasts – so good! We’ve just launched this today: Alli ‘Mbabazi’ Blair is nuts (in a good way)! What compels a 67-year-old a few months ago to pack all her earthly belongings in two 23kg bags and move to the jungle in the North of Cambodia? She discusses naked Mai Mai soldiers, her 4m pet python, post-genocide rebuilding in Rwanda, exposing a paedophile, Freddy with the melted face, injustice, craziness and more. (If you don’t have access to Spotify or Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom of […]

Book Recommendations…

Book Recommendations… man sits on a bench by the sea reading a book

Hi folks, In case you wanted some book recommendations, I thought I’d send a few your way: A House Built on Love tells the stunning story of Founder Ed Walker’s journey in setting up Hope into Action, which has won secular awards as the nation’s best homelessness charity. I did a podcast with Ed which is also well worth listening to, click here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Eugene Peterson was a legend. A Burning in my Bones is his authorised biography, and is well worth reading to glean many gems from this remarkable man. Guvna B and Michael Emmett’s stories […]

Love Bites

Love Bites

Have you ever had a love bite?! No, I’m not talking about the hickey variety… Below is last Sunday’s sermon from St Mark’s Battersea Rise as part of their series ‘Love Justice’. After so long in lockdown, it was lovely to be back preaching in the flesh. Have a listen, it’s challenging stuff: Here are some quotes that I shared: Anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Edmund Burke: “All that it takes for evil to prosper is for good people […]

Listen Now to My New Inspired Podcast!

Listen Now to My New Inspired Podcast!

Today we’re launching a new podcast: ‘Inspired… with Simon Guillebaud’. Upbeat and uplifting, ‘Inspired’ introduces us to a stunning variety of people from all walks of life. It celebrates perseverance, overcoming, and costly faith. Stories of adventure and risk-taking stir the listener to imagine new possibilities. I’ve loved recording the first few episodes already, which have included tales of dramatic answered prayers, Mai Mai militias, a 6-ft pet cobra, punch-ups, a melted face, witchdoctor and drag queen conversions and more. I have so many crazy/courageous/resourceful/faith-filled friends whose stories will be told over the coming months, and I’d love you to […]

Wake up NOW to the Satanic Lullaby!

Wake up NOW to the Satanic Lullaby!

Can you hear it? Let me explain. An extraordinary phenomenon has taken place over the last few years in Iran – or, to give it its full title, the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the context of the strict application of Shariah Law and in a climate of severe persecution for anyone who converts to Christianity, a steady stream of people are risking life and limb in their declaration of allegiance to the way of Jesus. To become an apostate of Islam is extremely costly, and there are plenty of documented cases of rape, imprisonment and torture of those brave […]

Doubling Easter Hope in Burundi Now!

You will be healed if you have sufficient faith. Still sick? It’s your lack of faith! That loved one of yours who died? It was because they sinned.You can have anything you set your heart on… Just claim it by faith, and God’s Word says it is yours! Amen?  Hmm… I hate false teaching, heresies, lies like the above. Sadly, they are very popular and common in Burundi. The Church is growing – you could say exploding in growth – which is wonderful. But the challenge of that growth is the prosperity gospel drivel disseminated on the radio, from the pulpit, or in the classroom. And why […]

From Beggars to Entrepreneurs in Burundi!

This is a guest blog by my Norwegian friend Arne. It’s something we’re looking to get involved in. It is so strategic, so empowering, so beautiful.  This short film (under 4mins) explains the concept: Over to Arne: Hello folks! Why do we think that the solutions for those who are poor in Africa are different from the solutions in the UK, USA and Norway? Every human throughout the world has God-given talents, as well as needs. The need for a job, to feel wanted and valued, to provide for the family, and to have a relatively predictable and secure future […]

You did it and they’ve got it now!

Do give yourself 57 secs of joy by watching this! This is just the briefest of messages feeding back on your beautiful response to our Christmas appeal to provide health cards to several thousand desperately needy folks. £2.50/$3 was what it cost to provide them and their immediate families three years of access to medical care. We filmed this at one of the handout events where a thousand people received their card.So we say A MASSIVE THANK YOU on their behalf. Oof, there will be fewer senseless deaths! With guaranteed healthcare provision, they’ll have deep peace rather than crippling anxiety! […]

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