Education
What defines a Christian school?
I attended a Christian school in Sydney for the majority of my K-12 schooling years. Recently, someone asked me answer this question: “How do you know that you attended a Christian school?” I’ve thought through the question and in relation to my experience at the school I could answer it this way: The school name [...]
Top 5 Kids Songs
If you grew up going to Sunday School, then - like me – you probably have many songs stuck in our head. The older I get, the more I appreciate the life truths that these songs declare. Next to Scripture memory, I can’t think of better words to have circulating in my head. Here are my top 5 [...]
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 [...]
Bible Truths for the Right-Brained
Ever heard the joke “Left-handed people are the only people in their right minds”? Roger Sperry, who won a Nobel prize in 1981 for his work with split-brain research, is responsible for much of our understanding of how the two halves of the brain control different functions. In summarising some of his findings, Sperry wrote [...]
Ministers & Science
Our church participated in our monthly bush regeneration project with the local community yesterday. While sitting in the mulch I was thinking about ministers and science. Ministers need to be professional curious about scientific issues. Ministers are usually able to be conversant on a wide range of issues. Furthermore, most people value what [...]
Sing your Children to Excellent Theology
For many of us, the burden of teaching our children about God leads quickly to a guilt trip. We search Christian catalogues for the right devotional material, written especially for children. We start off with good intentions only to fizzle out after a few weeks or even days. We salve our consciences by making sure [...]
Tirocinium: A Plea To Dads
English poet William Cowper (“cooper”) lived a dark life. His mother died when he was six, after giving birth to his brother. Little William was then sent away to boarding school and was cruelly abused. His father was a distant figure. After various episodes of instability, Cowper became a recluse and struggled with depression throughout [...]
The Christian Logjam
Thanks to Jason and the rest of the Infocus team for giving me the opportunity to write over the next twelve weeks. I’m excited about sharing what I have been reading and reflecting on with particular attention to the purpose of the blog – “Our purpose is to develop the Australian blogosphere, to cultivate serious [...]
Apollos from Alexandria
One of the outstanding personalities of the New Testament is the preacher Apollos, who hailed from Alexandria. He is first mentioned in Acts 18:- Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; [...]
The Epistle of Alen to the Australian Churches
I have this idea in mind and in order or not to see if it would be effective I want to gage interest if you will here on this blog. What I have in mind is a modern experiment in textual criticism. Basically what I want to do is write a letter and make a [...]
Of Relationship and an Open Mind
I try to keep an open mind. You can broach just about any subject with me and I’m willing to listen and consider other perspectives… usually. There’s one thing that tends to get in the way of my open mind. That’s when someone has a go at someone I love. Don’t get me wrong. I’m [...]
Resources For Youth Groups
For teens, youth group can be a great way to have fun and to learn and live out the Word. But for leaders, it’s often a challenge to juggle activities and provide proper instruction. Here are three educational resources I’ve used, which can enrich teens and assist leaders. A Sneaking Suspicion (John Dickson) Written primarily [...]
