Category: Current Issues

The Commonwealth Government is examining the proposed introduction of a Federal “Charter Of Human Rights” and has appointed Fr. Frank Brennan as Chairperson along with Mary Kostakidis, Mick Palmer and Tammy Williams. They have been tasked with asking the following questions and reporting to the Government. Which human rights and responsibilities should be protected and … Continue reading Australian Federal Charter of Rights

Anytime we lose something or someone special to us we experience grief. Grief is our natural emotional response to loss of any kind. Many people are facing this right now through the tragedy of the bush fires here in Victoria - the loss of friends, family members, and loved ones, as well as the loss … Continue reading Dealing with Grief

As we continue to sort through all of the various emotions and heartache of the bush fires here in Victoria, lots of questions are raised and all sorts of discussions result. The age-old question of "Why?" emerges once again, a question that people have grappled with for centuries on end. Even as adults, we often … Continue reading Helping Children Process Tragedy

Tragedies such as the current bush fires, often bring out the best and worst of humanity. To hear of people looting, vandalising, setting up fraudulent fund-raising schemes, and even committing arson, is so shocking and sad. In contrast, to see how most people rise to the challenge to support and help each other with genuine … Continue reading Responding to the Bush Fire Tragedy

Whenever there is a tragedy or disaster in our world, conversations about the judgment of God often emerge. This is a sensitive topic that needs to be handled with care. Are the recent bush fires in Victoria the judgment of God? What about that person who died in a car accident last week, that person … Continue reading Are the Bush Fires the Judgment of God?

Our State of Victoria is caught up in the worst round of bush fires in our history. Over 200 people have died as a result of the fires and over 1850 homes have been destroyed.  This is a tragic situation and it is so sad to think that a number of the fires may have … Continue reading Bush Fires

Last week, on November 7th, Billy Graham turned 90 years of age. He is one of the most well-known Christians in the world today and through his evangelistic ministry he has preached to over 215 million people. Through many decades of ministry he has remained humble and he has lived with utmost integrity, a shining … Continue reading Billy Graham turns 90

The prophet Isaiah challenged the people of his time that God was more interested in their works of love for the poor and needy than he was in their worship (see Isaiah 58). This is a message strongly echoed by other prophets (see Amos 5:21-24). Jesus reinforced this strongly in the parable of the sheep … Continue reading God’s Heart for the Poor and the Needy

Integrity is one of the most important character qualities to develop in your personal life. For leaders, it is vital, as it is part of the foundation of all credibility and influence. Integrity means that there is an integration between who we really are (when no one is looking) and who we appear to be … Continue reading Developing Personal Integrity

Within a few short months, a new president will be elected in the United States of America. Will it be John McCain or Barack Obama? It's been a long campaign and there are lots of opinions about who is the best candidate for the 44th American president. What do you think? Here are a few additional links … Continue reading The Next American President

Here is another post borrowed from Steve Murrell's blog on a similar theme as yesterday's post ... This list is similar, but a bit different. Over 90% of drop outs happen during a “life change” season. Many of the top 10 “life change” moments that fueled the drop out seem mundane. But, when a person … Continue reading Top 10 Life Changes that Cause Young People to Drop Out of Church

Here's an interesting post taken from Steve Murrell's blog. Steve is the co-founder of Every Nation, a thriving network of churches around the world, with its headquarters in Manilla, Philippines ... The American church loses 70% of its 18 and 22 year olds. That’s scary. Think about your youth group, the teens in your church … Continue reading Top 10 Reasons People Quit Church

We live in a world of exponential change that often results in stress in our lives. Stress can come from the high pace of change, from increasing mobility, from time pressures, from work, from feeling like things are out of our control, from fear, from strained relationships, from competition, and from emotions such as frustration … Continue reading Stress

Each Christian is described as one of God’s 'sheep', who He personally loves and cares for. He delegates this responsibility of care to leaders in the church, or shepherds who represent Him on earth. Notice Jesus’ last concern as He spoke to Peter before He ascended to heaven. Three times He said to Peter, “Feed … Continue reading God’s Sheep

It's amazing and saddening to see the amount of literature that has been produced in recent decades by Christians that is aimed at judging other churches or ministries and even going to the extreme of labelling them “demonic” or “of the devil.” Yes, it is important to “contend for the faith once delivered to the … Continue reading Discern, Don’t Judge