PREACHER’S NOTE                            11 OCTOBER 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us what our lives
should be full of as we live with God’s Spirit in us. In that
list is one that is not often discussed – gentleness. We are
called to live gently. In our dealings with the world, others,
and with ourselves, we are to live with a soft touch,
knowing that each thing is fragile, and we need to be
patient and kind, because each person we encounter is
walking their own difficult journey.

In the modern world of achievement, competition and
frankly, an epidemic of selfishness, gentleness is not considered
something that leads to success. Browsing in a
bookshop this past week, I found a book with a title that
resonated: “Nice girls don’t get the corner office”.
You’ve got to fight for what you want! While preparing
for this Sunday’s service, I amused myself by wondering
what Donald Trump, Elon Musk or Benjamin Netanyahu
would say if it was pointed out to them that they needed
to be gentle?

And yet, in so many places in Scripture, our Lord points
out there is a better way: a gentle answer is better than a
harsh word, and that we would find the rest for our souls
we’re searching for if we would only learn to be gentle
and humble.

Come along on Sunday as we unpack what turns out to
be another of Jesus’ difficult, counter-intuitive teachings,
and find that this one is key as we walk with Him.