When was the last time you had doubts about trusting Jesus? We all face temptations to turn away from what we trust about God: to disbelieve that he is trustworthy or good (or even there). Although “doubt” can describe a number of different feelings—and not all are equally serious spiritual problems—we heard from Matthew 28 […]
Busy! For most people, that’s the overwhelming sense of life at this time of year. That’s entirely understandable. It’s a busy time of year, with so many extra things added to our already full lives. And Christians are certainly not immune to that. But at the same time, what a tragedy when the stress of the […]
In church today, we will be focusing our prayers on the plight of persecuted Christians around the world—particularly in Africa. For those of us in safe, comfortable Sydney, it’s hard for us to imagine what it must be like to face the threat of losing possessions, imprisonment, or death for our faith in Jesus. Yet […]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was executed by the Nazis at the end of WWII, said this about the importance of Christian fellowship: Therefore, the Christian needs Christians, who speak to him the word of God; he needs them again and again, when he becomes uncertain and fails, because from himself he cannot find […]
Last week I encouraged us to take a mid-year health check of our bible reading. This week I want to encourage us to do the same with prayer. Nothing could be more impractical than private prayer. Prayer is not calling a struggling friend to see how they are going; Prayer is not giving a meal to […]
Daily personal bible reading and prayer has long been considered one of the “staples” of a healthy Christian life. Like a healthy diet, it grows and nourishes faith over the years in ways that you may not even notice in the day-to-day. Some days may provide a memorable feast, but every morsel of God’s word […]
Tomorrow our nation will pause to remember those who fought and gave their lives in defence of our country and freedom. For many it’s a time for solemn reflection; for others, it’s another chance to enjoy a long weekend (and maybe a game of two-up). However, with the war in Ukraine I suspect that this […]
It has been a week of bad news (several weeks even!). And bad news that feels significant. War in Ukraine, floods on our doorstep and even the shock of the sudden and unexpected death of Shane Warne have all added to a growing sense of uncertainty and insecurity of life in our world—unlike anything many […]
The Unstoppable Gospel: Sermon Series in Acts Next week we will begin a new sermon (and bible study) series in the book of Acts. It’s called: The Unstoppable Gospel. Acts is the story of “what happened next” after Jesus rose from the dead and then ascended to heaven. He left his disciples with the promise […]
FAITH fed by BABYLON We ALL live in Babylon. It is worldwide. Our faith and our future is both formed and informed by a creation united against, and wilfully independent of its Creator. Babylon’s unhealthy influence to rebellion permeates our souls, and soaks all our actions. Where we see disobedience, when we live amidst Godless […]