Discernment
Living Under Shadows.
Ignorance is bliss is probably best summed up in the famous allegory of the cave where: “Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire [...]
Is Gay Marriage an Attack on the Gospel?
Let me put my cards on the table about marriage: I don’t believe the government should have any say in marriage. Marriage is a religious ceremony established by God. So to be consistent, why should atheists even bother getting married? To be further consistent, why should Christian couples bother getting a marriage certificate issued by the [...]
iMortal
This week we saw the passing of Steve Jobs. Without doubt he achieved remarkable feats in technology, business, his career and social change. I admire much of what he did with his 56 years. He was a man who was productive and focused. I own several Apple products. However, it has been [...]
Labels … More Harm than Good?
Do you every wonder why Spirituality is respected, but Religion is a dirty word? Consider the myriad of Christian terms: Protestant, Orthydox; Reformed, Charismatic; Fundamentalist, Evangelical; And this is before we use sub-denominations, philosophies or personalities. If this definition growth continues, we will soon run out of phone boxes to meet in. Through history, Christ’s followers have fought long and significant [...]
Life As A House
For most of us, our biggest financial investment, will be the purchase of a house. The need for shelter is a necessity of life. However, in recent years, housing markets are more focused on investment, than shelter. Australian house prices have climbed steadily over the past 20 years. Most first home buyers are now [...]
I Kissed a Girl, and I Liked It
The elephant in the room is sexuality. Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are everywhere. Sex is rarely discussed in churches, but Sex is the one issue that dominates our City. Historically Christianity has allowed the world to set the agenda for sexual discussions. Sadly, now the world has gone gaga over the church’s hypocrisy and [...]
Cultivating a Culture of Growth in the Church
Another sad story of church stagnation. Faces lined with weary stubbornness dot the congregation. Numbers are depleted since our last visit a few years ago, but besides the smaller numbers, nothing has changed except the decorations in the church lobby. Knowing a little of the background of this once thriving church, I wonder what led [...]
Doubt: A Self Examination
This quote from Tim Keller’s The Reason for God has really challenged my thinking over the past two weeks: “A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do [...]
Is Judaism Christian?
I have been amazed in recent years by the strong influence of Judaism within Christianity in Australia. I recently heard of an Independent Baptist church publicly celebrating Passover. I regularly hear of itinerant speakers who teach Jewish ceremonies and encourage their practice within the Christian community. In my travels, I’ve spoken to many Christians who [...]
Learning from history
CONTENT WARNING: This post contains material which some readers may find disturbing. If you do not wish to see this material, please stop reading now. “Mum! Why do I have to study all this boring history stuff? I’ll never use it!” “I just want practical training. I don’t want to go to a university where [...]
What’s Your Style?
I worked part-time in a department store during my seminary years. The store promoted clothing from Ralph Lauren and other brands, with glossy posters and creative displays. Each brand presented a certain “look” to attract the customer. I soon became aware of the value of style. What is style? Style (from “stylus” or pen) [...]
Three Headlines
“Puppy nips toddler” . “Dog bites kid” . “Canine savages boy” . One message. Three headlines. The power of headlines Have you ever considered the power of a headline? It sets the tone for everything you’re about to read. But every story has three headlines. One that attempts to be objective and straightforward and two [...]
