Church
Remember my bonds
I scan literally tens of thousands of blog posts a year in my work here at InFocus. It is at least a weekly—if not daily—event to read of persecution of believers around the world. I chose long ago not to focus on reporting such things on InFocus. My primary reason being that others are already [...]
Knowledge Nation
My apologies for not posting this morning or last week. I’ve been thinking a lot about canonicity and Christian education in the past two weeks – here’s a side discussion off of what I’ve been reading about. Futurist magazines in the 1950s promised us flying cars and space travel as a commodity. Sixty years later [...]
Considering Creation
Our church is providing another creation science event, with speaker Dr George Matzko (Bob Jones University). The first topic was “Design in Nature,” which surveyed various ways in which the universe has been precisely planned. Throughout the presentation, it was fascinating to see the precision of God in the natural world, such as the solar [...]
Learning from Luther
Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) was one the most colourful and passionate characters in church history. As a principle reformer, Luther took complex issues and unravelled them into the common vernacular – allowing theologians and farmers alike to respond with childlike simplicity to the Gospel. We know and love the narrative. The lawyer turned Catholic [...]
Deputation: Special Ministry Preparation
I have seen many missionary presentations, but there is one that will always stand out to me. One Sunday night, Di and I visited a church where a missionary family was presenting their mission. They had almost finished deputation and were departing for their field. Their message and testimonies were polished. They shared the blessings [...]
When you’re the broken arm in the body of Christ
Teaching, cleaning, painting, singing… life is busy in the body of Christ. But what about when it isn’t? What about when you can’t teach and you can’t clean? You’re too weary to paint and you’re too empty to sing? I think we generally find it easy enough to minister in the body. We are part [...]
Three Errors in Establishing Church Ministries
A good friend and mentor taught this personal life lesson to me. NO VISION, NO ABILITY TO EXECUTE “We’ve tried it before.” “That won’t work here.” “I’m too busy.” It can be very disheartening to meet people who have no vision for God’s work and no heart to see it accomplished. The Ephesians were partly [...]
What Kind Of Error Is “KJV Only”?
Defining “KJV Only” Before we consider this question, do you consider yourself to be “KJV Only?” By this, I mean: Do you believe that God preserved His Word to us in the King James Version only? Do you believe that any other Bible translation is unreliable and must not be used? Do you believe that [...]
Let Your Lantana Shine
“…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 Each month, volunteers from our church spend a Saturday morning working in bushland near Rouse Hill. We are part of the local council’s Bushcare program, which includes [...]
That’s just the end of my introduction…
The first time I had the opportunity to “teach” Bible in a public setting was at the age of fourteen. I had 10 minutes in a children’s Sunday School class to talk about David & Goliath. As a lifelong church attendee, I drew on a wealth of pulpit rhetoric to deliver a passionate talk with [...]
Church Music Training
Last weekend I attended a training seminar on church music, provided through a local Bible institute. Over fifty people attended from various independent churches, including a couple from Melbourne. The topics included the Bible’s emphases on music in the church, musicianship, audio / visual / technical support, and leading church music for congregation, choir, and [...]
Good Books
I once read a survey which listed top books recommended by evangelical leaders. It was fascinating to discover which books had influenced the minds of great pastors and leaders. Theological titles comprised most of the list, while some were biographical or fictional. Have you ever considered what books have impacted you? I browsed the bookshelves [...]
