All kingdom work is worship. Or to put it another way, worshipping the God we see at work in Jesus is the most politically charged act we can ever perform. Christian worship declares Jesus is Lord and that therefore, by strong implication, nobody else is. What's more, it doesn't just declare it as something to be … Continue reading The Centrality of Worship
Jesus in all the Books of the Bible
Luke tells us a story of two disciples who were sad and discouraged by the recent events they had experienced in the city of Jerusalem (Luke 24:13-35).They had hoped that this man called Jesus would have been the Messiah - the one who would deliver Israel.There were so many expectations raised by the birth of … Continue reading Jesus in all the Books of the Bible
Silent Night Story
Silent Night is one of the most popular carols sun across the world at this Christmas season. There are many romantic stories about how it was composed. Here is one of them that may contain an element of truth to it ... On Christmas Eve 1818 in Austria, the Vicar of a small church in … Continue reading Silent Night Story
Ever Felt Dry Spiritually?
Have you ever felt dry spiritually? Sometimes our faith can get a little old and our love relationship with Jesus is not what it once was. We're not in "first love" anymore. Stuff has happened. Things have changed. Sometimes, we get stuck here ... like a rut that we just can't seem to get out … Continue reading Ever Felt Dry Spiritually?
The Upside of Discomfort?
Long distance runner, Dean Karnezes, recently said, "Western culture has things a little backwards right now. We think that if we had every comfort available to us, we’d be happy. We equate comfort with happiness. And now we’re so comfortable we’re miserable. There’s no struggle in our lives. No sense of adventure. We get in … Continue reading The Upside of Discomfort?
Back to First Love
Jesus' message to the church at Ephesus is always a challenging one. They were doing a lot of good things and church was going along as usual ... yet the love that they had for God and each other at the beginning had faded. Jesus wrote to warn them about the danger they were in … Continue reading Back to First Love
Knowing God More
Back in the 1980s, Steven Fry wrote a musical entitled We Are Called. It was an outstanding call to worship and our team presented it numerous times. It contains some inspiring songs. One of favourites is Oh, I Want to Know You More, which was written during a spiritually dry period in Steve's life. Here … Continue reading Knowing God More
Australian Human Rights Award goes to Tony and Lisa Clark
Congratulations to Tony and Lisa Clark who were selected as the winners of the Australian Human Rights Commission - Community Organisation award at a ceremony in Sydney today. Tony, who founded Swags for Homeless in 2007, started the non-profit homeless charity in Melbourne when he questioned what was given to street sleeping homeless turned away … Continue reading Australian Human Rights Award goes to Tony and Lisa Clark
Growing in the Dark
Jesus clearly explained to his followers that in this life there would be a good deal of challenges and difficulties (John 16:33). However, they were to not be overwhelmed by them knowing that they can overcome and continue to live with God's peace and joy, regardless of the circumstances. This perspective on trials of all … Continue reading Growing in the Dark
Questions for Different Stages of Faith
We recently shared about "stages of faith" as a helpful model for understanding our journey as disciples of Jesus. All six stages are important in our journey as each one has a profound impact and role in our lives. Also, different activities are more helpful in one stage than they may be in another. For … Continue reading Questions for Different Stages of Faith
Australian Communities Report
Olive Tree Media recently launched the results from their Australian Communities Report conducted by McCrindle Research to discover what Australians really think of Christian faith, Christians and the Church. Held in Sydney on 4th November, the research was launched by Archbishop Peter Jensen. Mark McCrindle, Principal of McCrindle Research presented the findings to 50 church leaders and business people. … Continue reading Australian Communities Report