Irish playright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), once said, "There is no love sincerest than the love of food." Okay, a bit exaggerated, but let's face it, eating is one of the enjoyable pleasures God has given us in this life. The wise man Solomon said, "People should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of … Continue reading My Favourite Meals to Cook (Pt.1)
A nurse has recorded the most common regrets of the dying, and among the top ones is 'I wish I hadn't worked so hard'. What would your biggest regret be if this was your last day of life? There was no mention of more sex or bungee jumps. A palliative nurse who has counselled the … Continue reading Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
Over the last week or so, we have shared some thoughts and reflections on a variety of issues, including singleness, dating, marriage, parenting, family conflict, sexuality, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Hopefully, this has been helpful, even though we haven't been able to address every possible question. I pray that these thoughts will be part of … Continue reading Some Final Thoughts on Relationships
Divorce Here in Australia, 43% of first marriages end in divorce, 50% of second marriages end in divorce and 70% of subsequent marriages have the same fate. This is so sad. We can hardly imagine the heartache and pain represented by those statistics ... for everyone involved, but especially for the children. God clearly hates … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Divorce and Remarriage
Today, we live in an increasingly sexually-charged culture. How can followers of Christ please God in the area of their sexuality? After all, God intended sex to be sacred. Firstly, make a commitment to sexual purity. Unless you do, it is unlikely that you will unintentionally slide towards it. Then, take time to understand why … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Sexuality
Relationships are built and maintained through communication. When communication breaks down, so do relationships. Consider the quality and nature of the conversation in your relationships. It creates an atmosphere. Eph. 4:29. Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Family Conflict
You can become a a father or a mother in an instant, but it takes a lifetime to learn to be a good parent. After all, kids arrive without instructions and each child is pre-wired (no 'blank slates'!) uniquely. What are some important principles for parents? Your greatest influence is who you are, not what you … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Parenting
According to the recent national census (2010), 49.4% of people in Australia are married. The medium age of a first marriage for men is 29.6 years old and 27.7 for women. Choosing to marry someone is an important decision that needs to be undertaken with much prayer and consideration. At our church, we require all couples … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Marriage
At some stage, many single people move into a romantic relationship with someone from their circle of friends. This in often an exciting yet somewhat scary time. Although it's often too early to tell, ideally, the couple see each other as a potential spouse, not just a relationship of convenience, which can easily become selfish … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Dating
Based on last year's national Australia census (2010), 41.9% of adults in our local State of Victoria are single. They include people who have never married (because they chose not to marry or have not found a partner) or those who have been married but are single again because of the death of a spouse … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Singleness
Created for Relationship The book of Genesis is the book of beginnings. It doesn’t tell us when the world was created or much about how the world was created (two matters that continue to be hotly debated today) … but it does tell us who created the world (God) and why he created it. God … Continue reading Update on the State of the Family
Jeremiah is one of my favourite people in the Bible. He was called by God at a young age and was given a tough assignment. He lacked natural confidence but God continually encouraged him. Not everyone liked Jeremiah and he had to endure some extremely difficult circumstances. Yet he remained faithful in bringing God's word … Continue reading Jeremiah: Prototype for Prophets, Preachers and Pastors
The parable of the vineyard workers (Matt.20:1-16) is unique to Matthew, although Jesus’ teaching about the first and last is not (see Mark 9:35. Luke 13:30 and also Mt.23:12). In this story, we have a vineyard owner visiting the marketplace looking for an influx of day workers to help with the grape harvest. A vineyard … Continue reading The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
On the weekend, I shared a few messages I felt that God put on my heart for various groups of people in our church. Here is a brief summary of them: 1. "You're It!" Did you ever play tag when you were a kid? No one likes to be "it." We'd rather hide and let … Continue reading A Word for You …
Right now it is autumn here in Australia and I love it. The spectaular colours of the leaves display the creativity of our amazing God. Seasons - God created them. He told Noah: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease (Gen.8:22)." … Continue reading What Season Are You In?
