Every one of us experiences something we could call “the grandstand affect.” From a very young age, we have people watching us and responding to our choices and actions. If we do something that people like, they cheer us on. If we do something that people dislike, they frown at us or they may even … Continue reading The Audience of One
Have you ever been to a really bad movie? I’m sure you have. Did you go see it again? Of course not! Did you buy the DVD? Come on ... Why would you watch through something you didn’t like all over again! That would be silly. But in reality that’s something we all do from … Continue reading Move On
Here is a recently published book I'd like to recommend - Sentness: Six Postures of Missional Christians by Kim Hammond and Darren Cronshaw. From the back cover: Ever wonder why people fall asleep in church? It happens. We’ve all seen it. We shuffle into rows of seats that grow more comfortable with every new fundraising campaign. We slouch … Continue reading Embracing our Sentness
Matthew tells us the story like this: Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face … Continue reading He’s Risen! (Easter Sunday Reflections)
Christmas is barely over and now it’s time to talk about Easter. No wonder little children get confused. Did you hear about the little boy who said to his mother, “Jesus has just been born and now you’re telling me He’s died!" Over this Easter weekend, millions of Christians will reflect on what Jesus Christ … Continue reading Why Did Jesus Die? (Good Friday Reflections)
"There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." Jesus - John 15:13. NLT
“We can’t all do great things but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa
Every year a new word is added to the English dictionary. In 2014, it was 'shirt-front', thanks to our Prime Minister, Mr Tony Abbott. In 2013, it was 'selfie'. Yes, taking a self portrait. Doesn't that capture the spirit of our age! We even have selfie sticks to get a better view of ourselves and … Continue reading Life is not about ME!
As a pastor and church leader, I have a confession to make: The church has not handled the matter of domestic violence well. Let me be more specific: 1. We have not done a good job of helping to prevent domestic violence, of confronting it when it does occur nor of helping those … Continue reading Say ‘No’ to Domestic Violence
Are you afraid of the dark? When I was a kid, I sure was! We lived in Portland, Oregon in this old 4-story house. Often at night I’d hear footsteps coming up the stairs, getting faster and heavier with each thump … only to discover it was my heart beating. Around this time, a friend and I … Continue reading A Light in the Darkness
From her tireless work on the streets of Melbourne to her rise as global leader of the Salvation Army, Eva Burrows has been remembered for a lifetime dedicated to the less fortunate. Retired General Burrows, known as "the People's General", died late on Friday night. She was 85 years old. Dr Billy Graham, with whom General … Continue reading Eva Burrows
Australia has more churches (13,000) than schools (9,500), and more Australians attend a church service each week (1.8 million) than there are people in South Australia (1.6 million). And while the latest Census results show that Christianity is the religion with which most Australians identify (61.1%), well above the second most popular religion in Australia, … Continue reading Church Attendance in Australia (McCrindle Research)
As you think about your life right now, what do you really need? Is it more information? Probably not. If we are honest, most of us know that we are educated beyond the level of our obedience. For example, we know we should pray, forgive, exercise, serve, give, etc ... but it's in the application … Continue reading Decisions
Around 3,000 years ago, one of the wisest men to ever lived made this observation: Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no revelation (vision or insight), people cast off restraint (they perish, run wild or live carelessly); but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. NIV A vision can be defined as "a picture of a preferred … Continue reading Vision
In our series of BLOG posts on the wisdom we glean from the Book of Proverbs, we noted frequently how the person of wisdom is continually open to learn and grow. In contrast, the arrogant person believes that they already know it all and therefore aren't open to new things or to feedback from others … Continue reading Never Too Old to Learn
