How we can live life to the full

As part of this year’s CAP Sunday initiative, churches across the UK are hearing more about John 10:10 to demonstrate how this verse guides us and how we work to transform lives.

Here at CAP, we see John 10:10 as a powerful scripture that aligns with our heart for the communities around us. The Bible often shows us that God does not merely want us to get by but wants us to be expectant for hope, faith, and living life positively. Working through the Church to follow the example of Jesus by equipping our communities to live life with hope is incredibly important to our mission. We see firsthand amazing people who, although they struggle at first with debt and poverty, fight back daily by leaning on the words of Jesus promising a life in all its fullness.

In John 10:10, Jesus spells out exactly who is responsible for the wave of destruction life can bring through debt and poverty: the thief. The thief thrives by creating brokenness and pain, but Jesus is in the business of offering us a full life in Him. Debt steals a person’s joy, poverty kills a person’s hope, and the thief ultimately tries to destroy lives—people we know and care for. But Jesus makes clear the reason for His very existence: that all may have life to the full and acknowledge His life.

Jesus identified the traits of the thief ahead of time to prepare us because He loves us. At CAP, we see the harrowing experiences of members of our communities, we see the poverty statistics rising year on year, and budgets just aren’t increasing as fast. However, we are still as determined and compassionate as ever to serve our local areas with the good news that Jesus wants us to have life to the full. Through His Church, we want to see that ring true now more than ever. When we see the challenges faced by the people we support, we see the need for belief in action. In our advocacy, campaigning and free face-to-face debt help, we demonstrate that we are people who believe that taking action truly matters.

We want to take action. We must reduce the pain we see in people’s eyes and lives. Together, with your prayers and support, our desire is to see hope restored and lives transformed. Our church partners are at the forefront, pushing back against the thief and calling out for justice—justice for the hurting, the vulnerable, and the people experiencing isolation because of debt and poverty. Churches are seeing more and more people be courageous and call out for help. We want to answer more on the brink of destitution with your help. Collectively, let’s declare enough is enough, and poverty simply cannot win.

Our CEO, Stewart McCulloch, is more determined than ever before to lead us in action, prayer, and wisdom to confront the brutal cost of poverty raging through communities, particularly this year:

“Our clients are suffering from overwhelming financial vulnerability and distress. But the thief takes so much more. Our clients are ordinary people like you and me whose money worries take them to a place of anxiety and isolation where they are scared to answer the door, the phone, the post. They are trapped and many consider the awful prospect of suicide to escape. The heroes in our story are thousands of mission field workers in our partner churches who wrap around them with practical help and the hope of the gospel. Our teams bring order to chaos, hope in place of fear, community in place of isolation, and most importantly the love and mercy of our Lord. Removing the grip of the thief is a first step to a life in all its fullness with the good shepherd.”

Many experience the painful side effects of debt. The people we support bravely approach CAP with their debt worries, but too often, that is only the surface. Our clients are often overwhelmed by issues that go beyond debts, health concerns, benefit entitlement, concerns about the children and much more. CAP never deals with debt in an isolated way but strives to look holistically at an individual because too often, debt is part of the chain of poverty and despair that needs to be broken.

John 10:10 is key for our need to be active against debt and poverty because we see Jesus’ description of the actions of the thief daily. The thief’s relentless chase for destruction is evident, and here at CAP, we are not satisfied with letting poverty get the best of people and communities we care about. We want a fairer world where people can live in peace and free from crippling worry over their finances.

John 10:10 doesn’t end on a negative note, although Jesus begins with listing the real arrows that the thief sends. Jesus completes his message with hope and an assurance that when we work collaboratively with the Church and communities we can experience life together, and have it to the full in Him. 

The power behind people compelled to serve their local community never gets old, it’s a story of continued seeking to support and bring hope. The heart of God is for no one to perish through life’s circumstances but to find themselves a community that reaches out in the spirit of love, empathy and a sense of urgency. Thank you for aligning with CAP to bring a life full of hope and promise to the nation. Discover how you can directly impact countless lives today.