Three Truths to Treasure When Suffering It’s often said there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. I’d suggest we could add a third to the list: suffering. Suffering is an unavoidable fact of human existence. It doesn’t discriminate and it cannot be stopped. This fact has felt especially true these last few months. The suffering endured by so many recently, both near and far, is almost incomprehensible. A global food crisis. The ongoing war in Ukraine. A young Dad passing away suddenly and unexpectedly. An unforeseen cancer diagnosis. The ravages of dementia. And of course, more recently, the devastation of an earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which has, at time of writing, claimed upwards of 35,000 lives. It makes the mind boggle and the heart ache.

Creating a Culture of Desperation “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 (NIV) There are times in life when most, if not all, of us experience a deep craving for something that we just cannot shake until it has been satisfied. Usually, this kind of language is associated with food. Maybe it is a craving for a particular flavour of ice-cream. Maybe it is a craving for a slice of your favourite pizza. Maybe it is a craving for an ice-cold drink on a really hot day. Maybe it is just a craving for food, full stop. For some, these cravings can be held in check until they go away or are otherwise satisfied, but for others, there is this

Which Translation Should I Choose?  NIV or ESV? Or perhaps NASB or KJV? Have you ever wondered why there are so many different translations of the Bible? Have you ever wondered if one translation is better than all the rest? Which translation should you read? Well, my hope is that in the next 3 minutes you’ll have a better grasp of this issue and feel more confident when you choose which translation to read and recommend.  The Bible is powerful. As Christians, we believe that the Creator God himself has chosen to reveal himself through the Scriptures. We believe that he personally inspired them, and that he has continued to work through them since they were first written down. Furthermore, as spiritual descendants of the Reformation, we hold to

Enjoying the Beach for the Glory of God You don’t have to ask me twice to go outside and enjoy the great outdoors. What about you? Are there any particular aspects of God’s creation that you particularly enjoy? Maybe it’s plants or the ocean or animals or wide, open spaces. What about food or drink? I love the coffee bean, especially once it’s ground and extracted into my coffee cup! What about the amazing creation that is the banana; God even made it pre-packaged, ready to pop into your lunch box. Amazing! I’ve been reading and listening to podcasts this last week about creation and have been reminded of how awe-inspiring and worship-inducing it is. God created the universe out of nothing. Think on that for a moment. The

Another New Year, Same Gracious God The last Sunday of January (this coming Sunday) is always an exciting and meaningful time in our church community. We call it ‘Launch Sunday’. It’s the day we set aside to pray for the upcoming year, to ordain our new elders and deacons, to re-commission our existing elders and deacons, as well as pray for our staff team, launch our new sermon series, and, of course, host our Summer Party after the service! I do hope you will join us for this special occasion this coming Sunday. Just a reminder that we will be gathering together for one combined service at 9am and then hanging around for the Summer Party afterwards. Our 6pm service will be held in the evening as usual. Personally,

Encouragement for a new school year In Feb of last year, I shared some of what I’d learnt from Reggie Joyner’s book ‘Think Orange’. As we head into another school year I’d love to revisit and further explore some of Reggie’s thoughts around the impact church and family can have when we work together to raise kids who love and follow God. Reggie lists 5 things that he believes every kid needs- A REALLY BIG GOD they can trust no matter what SOMEONE ELSE who believes what they believe ANOTHER VOICE saying the same things parents say UNCOMMON SENSE to help them make wise choices NOSY PARENTS who know where their kids are spiritually I love all these points but I want to focus on the second and fifth.

The Unsearchable Depths of the Bible I have a distinct memory from when I was 10 or 11 years old. I was in church one Sunday and an older lady in our church was saying how happy she was that even though she had read her Bible her whole life she still found new things in it, she was still learning from God’s word and God was still speaking to her through it. Even at that young age I was excited and encouraged to know that God’s word still spoke to people who had been studying it for decades and decades. Over the years as I’ve read the Bible, specific passages have jumped out at me, speaking into my heart and into my life. A few months ago, I