Here is some more wisdom from the book of Proverbs as we begin a new week: Vs. 1. Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come. Today is all we have. Live in the moment and live it to the full. … Continue reading Proverbs 27
Australia is marked with the beauty of diversity. People from many backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs call this land home. Over the last several years I have had reservations about the treatment of asylum seekers, especially children in detention. The current harsh treatment of destitute people, seeking safety on our shores for a variety of reasons, … Continue reading I Will Take a Walk on Saturday … for Welcome to Australia
In the introduction to our HOME series this last weekend, I shared with our church about an Old Testament story where Isaac had to re-dig the wells his father had initially opened up but that had been filled with debris by his enemies (Genesis 26:15-18). He also took time to dig new wells of fresh water. … Continue reading Re-Dig the Wells
It's time for our weekly proverb again. Today we glean some wisdom from Proverbs 20. Vs.2. Quick–tempered leaders are like mad dogs – cross them and they bite your head off. It's a mark of good character to avert quarrels, but fools love to pick fights. Wise people are slow to anger. Take a deep breath. Ask the … Continue reading Proverbs 20
Lost and Found I heard an amazing story recently about a young boy in India who accidentally got separated from his brother and ended up lost. His name is Saroo Munshi Khan. He survived on the streets for weeks then was eventually taken into an orphanage where he was later adopted by an Australian family … Continue reading A Place Called HOME
I read an amazing story this week ... In 1986, five-year-old Saroo Munshi Khan and his 14-year-old brother were searching the streets for spare change in their home city of Berhanpur, India. Saroo's older brother Guddu wandered beyond the station and Saroo fell asleep waiting for his brother's return. A few hours later, Saroo woke … Continue reading Finding our Way Back Home
In October 2013, my wife and I participated with a number of other church pastors in an Indigenous Awareness Trip, sponsored by the Concilia organisation. We began by flying from Melbourne to Alice Springs. It was my first visit to this iconic Australian town. It was not as big as I thought it would be … Continue reading Indigenous Awareness Trip (October 2013)
As we continue our reflections on the book of Proverbs, let's look at five proverbs from Proverbs 13 today (from the Message Bible): Vs.3. Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. Our words are very powerful. We need to engage our brain before opening our mouth. Thinking before we speak preserves us … Continue reading Proverbs 13
Last weekend, as part of our Australians Together focus, we were privileged to host Max and Tracey Conlon at CityLife Church. They are indigenous Australian church leaders who founded Walkabout Ministry. They travel and minister to many of the isolated indigenous communities across our nation. Max was raised amongst 14 siblings in the Cherbourg … Continue reading Max Conlon – Aboriginal Artist
It's time for some more insight from the book of Proverbs as we look at chapter 6 today (from the Message Bible translation): A Lesson from the Ant Vs.6-11. You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest … Continue reading Proverbs 6
Australians Together is taking a fresh approach to building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Their web site has some inspiring stories and helpful articles. Check it out. This coming weekend at CityLife Church, I will be sharing some of our experiences on an indigenous awareness trip we did with some Australian pastors last year, sponsored by … Continue reading Australians Together
It's time for our weekly wisdom from the book of Proverbs. Today we are up to chapter 29 (from the Message Bible translation): Vs.1. For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, there'll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it'll be too late to help them. Do you take feedback … Continue reading Proverbs 29
We have a problem—and the odd thing is we not only know about it, we’re celebrating it. Just today, someone boasted to me that she was so busy she’s averaged four hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks. She wasn’t complaining; she was proud of the fact. She is not alone. Why … Continue reading The Busyness Bubble (by Greg McKeown)
In our world of social media, it seems like everyone has a platform from which to share their opinion. The benefit of this is that it gives everyone a voice and it encourages open dialogue. The downside is when people get to preaching without listening or considering their tone and the impact that their words … Continue reading A Blogger’s Creed
Here is some more valuable wisdom from Proverbs 22 (from the Message Bible translation): Vs.1. A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank. People can damage your reputation but that can't damage your character. That's your choice. Ultimately, our character, who we really are, shapes a lot of … Continue reading Proverbs 22
