The Samarians were desperate. The Aramean army had surrounded their city and was trying to starve them into surrender. Between the city wall and the Aramean camp, four lepers were living in quarantine. They decided that, because they were starving to death anyway, they'd go over to the Aramean camp and give themselves up. They were willing to risk capture on the off chance they'd be kept alive and fed. So off they went, only to find the Arameans had run away, leaving all their food and belongings behind. They had this amazing hoard to themselves. But before too long they realised that, while they were gathering treasure, their city was still in despair, starving and completely oblivious to their freedom. 'They said to each other, "What we're doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves"' (2 Kings 7:9 NIV). They'd started off in dire need and found real hope that they knew needed sharing.

Guess what? We're in the middle of people who don't know Jesus. People who are spiritually starving, completely oblivious to the freedom they could have in Jesus. We have the amazing privilege of knowing Jesus and the hope he brings to the world. Let's not hoard it for ourselves.

So what now? The next person who tells you they're hungry, buy them a snack (or even invite them for proper food). While you're at it, find a natural way to tell them about something that God gives to you. Sharing really is caring.

We may have received an email that somehow just didn't feel right? We couldn't put our finger on what was wrong, so we deleted it without opening it. Later, someone told us it was a scammer trying to steal our identity or unleash a virus. Thankfully, those subconscious alarm bells started ringing at the right time.

We've probably come across Christians talking about developing a spirit of discernment. When Paul is describing spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:10 NLT, he mentions 'the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.' Important stuff. Discernment gives us an extra layer of protection against anything that's harmful and not from God.

Hebrews 5:14 NIV describes spiritually mature Christians 'who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.' We can improve our spirit of discernment by spending more time asking God, and his word, whether something is right for us or not. That way, we'll develop a natural knowledge of his voice and what he wants, and it'll get so much easier to spot something that doesn't sound like him. Let's go to God to put our small/medium/big life decisions to the test. If it doesn't have his fingerprints on it, let's back away. And delete it.

So what now? Do you have a friendship or daily habit that just doesn't feel right? Don't ignore the alarm bells. Pray. Sometimes it will be clear what you need to do; sometimes not. Ask someone you trust to help you discern, if need be.

When we come to know Jesus, we become part of a huge Christian family. Galatians 3:26 NIV says, 'In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.' Apart from doing life with our immediate family, we now expand our life with our church family. For some, immediate family life may be very hard, but family is what we're all meant to be part of in the body of Christ. So, let's pray for it and look for it. It just doesn't always look like the perfect mum+dad+2.5 kids.

In the book of Ruth, Naomi was poor and living alone in a land that wasn't her home. In that culture, with no social security, she could've died from loneliness and isolation. But God provided her with the most beautiful support - Ruth, a daughter who wasn't hers.

For many of us, church gives us a family that isn't ours. And they can help get us through rough times, as long as we're brave enough to admit our struggles to them. Yes, our Christian family (just like a regular family) can be messy, even dysfunctional, because it's full of... people. But therein lies the beauty. We mess up, we make up and we build up. The people who get alongside us can change our lives.

So what now? Thank God for your immediate family, no matter its dynamics. And thank him for your church family. Find ways to build your church family - ask for their help, invite them for a coffee or a meal. Purposefully create valuable family time.

Does God care if we slip up occasionally and let a swear word or two creep in? God's seen language develop; he knows the etymology of all words. He's beyond words, too. So surely it doesn't matter?

Well, maybe it's just like anything else that he pulls us up on. It's usually the heart behind what we do and say, rather than the actual things, that matters. He warns us, or convicts us, especially when what we're doing or saying is damaging to ourselves and to others. In Luke 6:45 NCV, it says: 'People speak the things that are in their hearts.' If we're truly chasing after God's heart, guarding our hearts from the corrupt stuff of the world (Proverbs 4:23), and seeking his Kingdom, our words should be his, too.

So, let's get our heart close to God, and we'll know whether our words line up. We don't have to put together a list of banned words and their Christian alternatives. It's in our communication with the Holy Spirit that reveals how we should be talking; and actually we probably know those unhelpful words without having to record them down.

So what now? You may not think you swear often, or even at all. But just because mean or negative words don't fall under the official '?!*$%$-word' list, doesn't mean they're good, clean or wise. Pray today that God would pull you up for any 'unhelpful' words you may use. And thank him that he'll prompt your heart to change your day-to-day language.

Read John 21:1-14. The disciples have been fishing all night. Jesus calls from the shore and tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. They do it and end up with a huge haul. Sweet. So, will we end up with a massive net of good stuff if we follow Jesus? Yes. We definitely end up with a spiritually full net. But more importantly, we end up learning to listen for Jesus' voice and follow his instructions, even when we think we know better.

Peter was pretty clued up on fishing. He knew that fish feed at night. When Jesus arrives, it's daylight - surely that's the time to give up. But when Jesus calls out to them, they do exactly what he tells them. And by the time Peter hears, 'It is the Lord' (John 21:7), it's already pretty obvious thanks to the amazing miracle he's just done.

Jesus is part of our everyday life, but sometimes we put so much trust in other stuff and completely miss him. Then, when things go wrong, we have to remind ourselves that Jesus is standing over in the corner, waving, 'Hello, I've been here the whole time.' Let's try to listen out for Jesus on the shore, giving simple instructions. Then, let's dare to try and follow them.

So what now? Ask God to point out areas in your life where you need to try again. Then ask how he wants you to do things differently. Warning: be prepared to step out of your comfort zone.

Jeans shopping. These two words are enough to bring many to tears. The worst part about looking for new jeans is knowing how comfortable our old pair is. New ones can feel a bit cardboard-y to begin with, but six months down the line they become our new favourites. And so the circle of life continues.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV says, 'If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!' God loves us too much to leave us as we are. He has a clean heart and a new mindset for us. If we're Christian, we already have them. But he wants us to 'press on' (Philippians 3:14 NIV), to put the new heart and mindset on, even if they're uncomfortable to begin with. To do this we have to stop looking at the current ways and methods, no matter how well-fitting they are.

Whether we're looking back with regret or looking back longingly, quit looking back altogether. Let's strive for the new stuff. If we're not working to bring God's Kingdom on earth, we'll always be tempted to look back to what we had/were before. God has awesome stuff lined up for us.

So what now? Get in line with God's life-filled plans for you today and take part of them. Throw away your 'old jeans' and enjoy the new.