Lantana and the Battle Against Sin If you've ever tried clearing lantana, you know it's no walk in the park. Those thorny branches are relentless — twisting, tangling, and digging deep into the ground. Funnily enough, lantana wasn't always like that. It's a reminder of the fall. The thorns only appeared after sin entered the world. Tackling lantana can feel overwhelming at first. You look at the thick mess and think, "There’s no way that I can clear this." But when you get started, you realise it's doable. It just takes perseverance, the right tools, and a little know-how from those who have done it before. Sometimes they come out easily. Other times, they’re so stubborn you need a mattock to dig deep them out. The trick is that

Think Biblically and Act Lovingly During Pride Month  As I ran along Francis Road the other day, I noticed a sign next to the footpath up ahead. As I jogged past, I saw that it was an advertisement for an upcoming Moreton Bay Council event in recognition of Pride Month, which, as I discovered, is taking place throughout the month of June.   The fact that I work for a Christian church located on the campus of a Christian school is probably why I was previously unaware of this fact. But I know this is not the case for many of us. I know many of us have these conversations placed front and centre at our schools, universities and workplaces.   How should we, as followers of Jesus, think biblically and

Creator God  I love Autumn, it’s my favourite season by far. I love the cool air, the clear sky, the warm sun, the changing colours of the leaves. And while I feel like this autumn was swallowed up in too many overcast, drizzly days, the clouds certainly do make for stunning sunsets. Being outside in nature makes me marvel and reflect on all that God has made, which always leads me to praise Him.  The Bible tells us that we can know much about God by contemplating His creation, for He graciously reveals Himself to us through it. Creation points to an intelligent and powerful being, capable of creating such intricate and impressive variety and beauty. Theologian Wayne Grudem writes that every part of God’s creation; the leaves, the

When Darkness Surrounds You  “I wake up in the night and all I see is darkness, all I feel is darkness.” “Why are all these bad things happening?” “I don’t understand!”  When darkness surrounded them, these fellow believers asked questions and wrestled with God. Pain has a way of confounding us. The truth is, we live in a cursed and broken world. Our ancient father Adam sinned, and groaning, pain and death were the cosmic result (Romans 5:12; 8:22). No matter what we do, at some time or another, we will be confronted by evil, death, and pain.  Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:   I saw the tears of the oppressed—   and they have no comforter;   power was on the

The Discipleship Need When you stop and think about who was responsible for passing the faith on to you and for helping you to grow in your faith, how many people were involved? How many of these people were older, wiser, and more mature? What were the ways that they intentionally sought to help you trust in Jesus and grow in your faith? How are YOU doing that for the next generation today? As people age and change stages of life, it is natural to be drawn to others who are of the same age and stage of life. However, this should not be to the exclusion of all others. In his letter to Titus (2:1-8), Paul writes: You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach

Mother’s Day: Celebrate & Mourn  I have friends who love Mother’s Day and others who find it to be a really difficult day. I wonder what your thoughts are about it? I’m blessed with a wonderful Mum and Mother-in-Law as well as a number of women in my life who are Mother figures to me. But I’m acutely aware of friends who have fractured relationships with their Mums or have lost their Mums. Friends whose children fail to show love and appreciation to them. Not to mention the heartache in the eyes of those who have longed for, but never been able to have children.   I read an article by Courtney Doctor that I think can help us approach Mother’s Day in a way that embraces all its beauty

Tell me the old, old storyWho doesn’t love a good story? The interesting characters, the ups and downs, the climax, the happy ending. Kids especially love stories. When our kids were small we would read stories at bedtime and often it would be the same story over and over and over until we knew it by heart. As they got bigger they loved to hear stories about themselves or their siblings, the funny things they did, the silly things they said, the antics they got up. Even now my grown up kids love to tell stories about funny things I’ve said or done. And according to them, there’s plenty of material to work with! We are now in a season of welcoming new babies into our extended family and I’m