When in doubt  Have you ever found yourself doubting the goodness of God? Or at the very least wondering what on earth God is doing? Maybe you're in a tough season. Maybe someone close to you is. And you know that God is sovereign, that He has a plan and that His plan is good. But you just can’t see it. And so, you cry out to God for an explanation, thinking that if you could only understand what God was doing, you would be satisfied.   In the OT we find the story of Job, an upright man who faces a series of hardships and wants answers from God. He's lost his livestock and servants, sons and daughters, and his health (Job 1,2). For the most part He remains

A Book Every Parent Should Read  During my time in pastoral ministry, I’ve spoken to lots of different parents at all different stages. I’ve prayed with young parents who have felt overwhelmed by the task and responsibility of raising young children. I’ve sat with older parents who have expressed regret over parts of their parenting journey. I’ve heard from other parents at a complete loss about what to do with their teenagers. And I, as a parent of young children myself, have felt all of these emotions at different stages of my own parenting journey.   My point? Parenting is tough. Yes, it is rewarding and fun and deeply worthwhile, but it is also hard, and it can be very complex. While there is no silver bullet; no one single

The Idolatry of Coffee (And Other Things)  What are the things in your life that you could not live without? Day to day, what are the things that you depend on to get you through?   For many, it’s coffee. I’ve lost track of the times I’ve heard someone say something along the lines of, “Don’t talk to me before I’ve had my coffee” or “I’m not awake until I’ve had a coffee” or “I don’t function without having coffee”.  Perhaps a close second (regarding things we depend on) is family.  Now, it’s not that I dislike coffee drinkers…there is nothing wrong with drinking coffee to enjoy it. However, issues arise when we become dependent on it (and other energy drinks)…issues arise when coffee becomes an idol.   If reading this

Praying for One Another  Last week I wrote about one-anothering. The repeated Scriptural command to love and care for one another (among many other things). I have since come across a beautiful prayer by Scotty Smith that we can pray for and over each other as we seek to do this.   I encourage you to save it on your phone, print it out to stick in your Bible, or put it on the fridge. As you pray through it, open up the Scriptures referred to throughout and meditate on them.   A Prayer for Grace to Bear One Another’s Burdens  Dear Lord Jesus, the call to shoulder up under the burdens of friends and family drives us to you today. Otherwise we would simply turn and walk away, just like

One-Anothering  One-anothering isn’t a real word, but it is a concept I’ve learnt more about recently… and I love it! I’m currently enrolled in a Pastoral Care unit at Bible College and of the standout things I have learnt is what lecturer, Dr. Murray Capill, calls ‘one-anothering’. You’ve probably heard reference to the many “one-another” commands in the New Testament? Put simply, one-anothering is about heeding these commands and following in the steps of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.   In church terms, we usually call caring for others ‘Pastoral Care’, and I appreciate that sometimes this type of care will take place in more formal meetings with a Pastor or Church Leader. I also acknowledge that there are some who are specifically gifted and trained in counselling. But the truth

My Refuge  Toowoomba is a beautiful place, but bitterly cold in winter. I remember spending a week there with family a number of years ago now when our kids were small. It was quite warm when we arrived, but the temperature fell very quickly. On one of the mornings, it was decided that the small children had been cooped up long enough and we needed to get out for a bit. So we headed off, with morning tea in hand, in search of a playground. Not long after arriving at the park at Picnic Point, we realized what a crazy idea it was. It was freezing! OK, maybe not freezing, but the temperature was definitely in single figures. And being up on top of the Range, there was also a healthy

Five Common Misconceptions about the Holy Spirit  This Sunday (19th May) is Pentecost Sunday. It’s the day in the church calendar where we give thanks for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the people of God. You can read all about it in Acts 2 or listen to a sermon on it here.  Last year for Pentecost Sunday I wrote about ‘How the Holy Spirit Helps Us’. This year, I’d like to share five of the most common misconceptions about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It would seem to me that the Holy Spirit is not only the ‘shy member of the Trinity’ (Frederick Dale Bruner), but also the most misunderstood.  The following extract from the book ‘You Are a Theologian’ by JT English and

My Stroke Journey “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This precious promise is all-encompassing for those who love God. All things are from God—mercy, affliction, personal, and public. All things are good from all aspects—temporal, spiritual, and eternal. All benefit us—inclining us towards good, breaking us off from sin, bringing us nearer to God, weaning us from the world, fitting us for heaven. The prophet Jeremiah endured many afflictions, acknowledging that God was the ultimate author of those afflictions (Lamentations 3:1). Nevertheless, he also said, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations