Working all things together for good  A little while ago my brother-in-law, Trevor, loved his job as a truck driver. But out of the blue, he got seizures and stroke-like symptoms. It took a long time before doctors could diagnose his condition as functional neurological disorder. As a result of this condition, he’s lost his job and will most likely be unable to work a normal job again. He can do some work, but it is very limited in nature. Some days he feels good, while others he doesn’t. This is your classic ‘life’s turned upside down’ story. For those of you who don’t know Trevor, you may remember reading about it in the prayer news.   What has transpired from that moment until now is an incredible act of

What You and I Need this New Year    “Did you make a resolution for this new year?”. I was asked this question by a family member recently. Maybe you’ve been asked too? A quick online search told me that the most common resolutions people make are health-related. I’m a big fan of healthy habits, spiritual disciplines and rhythms of grace. For example, the wise person habitually meditates on God’s Law (Psalm 1:1-3). But, the subtle danger of the New Year resolution buzz is that we can begin the new year under the world’s yoke of performance rather than Jesus’ yoke of grace. Jesus talks about His ‘yoke’ in Matthew 11.    29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

My Year in Books Desiderius Erasmus, the Dutch priest and theologian from the 1400 and 1500s, famously said, “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” I’m sure he was exaggerating (I hope), but I agree with his sentiment. Good books are a valuable investment. They stimulate our thinking, deepen our understanding, broaden our perspective and strengthen our discernment. Christians especially should be people who are devoted to the life of the mind. After all, Jesus commanded us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). Below you will find a list of books I read this year which I found stimulating, enjoyable, and

Thank You for Your Feedback  “Listen to advice and accept discipline,     and at the end you will be counted among the wise.” — Proverbs 19:20  We recently carried out our annual church-wide survey, which is something we’ve done for the last few years. We do it to gather feedback from as many people connected to our church as possible; to help us identify where we are going well and where we could grow. While the survey is not the only factor we consider when determining priorities and goals for the upcoming year, it does influence our decision-making. We greatly appreciate all those who took the time to complete the survey and to share any feedback.  I’m thankful to report that we had almost 200 people from a diverse range

Putting People in Their Place  ‘They really put them in their place’. Have you ever heard someone use that phrase or something similar? To ‘put someone in their place’ means to tell them or show them that they are less important than they thought. They placed themselves in a position they didn’t deserve or hadn’t earned, so they needed to be taken down a peg or two. They needed to be reminded of their rightful place.  The Bible, too, talks about putting people in their place. But not as you might expect.  Philippians 2, which is surely one of the most sublime passages in all of Scripture, describes the mindset we are to have in our relationships with others. To put it simply, we are to emulate the example

A Gospel Course for Your Friends  Do you want people to experience the love and freedom of Jesus like you have? Maybe there’s someone in your life that you desperately want to share the gospel with but they live too far away to come to our Alpha Course… or they’re not ready to come to something on a church campus… or you’re not confident you have the right words to say yourself. While we should all strive to learn the gospel so that we can share it clearly with others (1 Peter 3:15), we’re also blessed with access to wonderful courses and content in our digital age. One such course is the brilliant 321 Course by Speak Life and Glen Scrivener. Glen Scrivener is an Aussie who lives in