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A Song for Every Season
A Song for Every Season I love the Psalms. They’ve been my ‘go-to’ in many times when I just don’t know what to pray. In times of great rejoicing, when God seems so awesome and mighty and my futile words don’t seem enough, there’s Psalm 145. In turmoil and uncertainty, there’s Psalm 91. When I need strength for life’s journey, there’s Psalm 18. The psalmists understood that life and history have many seasons: strength and weariness, joy and suffering, gain and loss. And in turn, praise takes many forms: repentance, reflection, confidence, thanksgiving, and lament. But through all seasons of life the character of God, the truth of his word, and his commitment to his people remain unchanging. This is the firm foundation for confident faith at all times.
Don’t say “I’ll pray for you”
Don’t say “I’ll pray for you” More specifically, don’t just say “I’ll pray for you.” I think the phrase easily falls out of your mouth, but sometimes the follow-through fails. Can you relate? I remember being in a conference a long time ago where the speaker was talking about this topic. He posed the rhetorical question: “Why don’t you pray for the person then and there...rather than telling them you’ll pray for them later?” It really made me think. In most situations when we find out someone needs prayer, we usually can pray for them then and there. I can remember soon after the conference a friend was telling me about the difficult time she was having. Her baby was unwell, her husband was needing to work long hours
Why Bother with the Trinity?
Why Bother with the Trinity? Why bother with the Trinity? You know what I’m talking about, right? The Trinity refers to our three-in-one God. God has eternally existed as three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. If you’re like me, you’re comfortable that the Scriptures reveal a Trinitarian God to us,[1] but you don’t necessarily know why it matters all that much, or why it makes much difference to life. At least, that’s how I used to think. Now, I love the doctrine of the Trinity. One of the reasons I appreciate it is because of that little word I just used, ‘love’. The Trinity shows us that the reason love matters so much to human beings is because it is grounded in ultimate reality. To desire love and to
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving How do you celebrate when something good happens? Dinner with friends? A special drink? A while ago, Pastor Adam stated that the three main ingredients of the Bible are burgers, chips and beer! I thought that was a fun way to remember that it’s really all about God’s people, God’s place and God’s blessing. Upon further consideration, I believe the burgers, chips and beer analogy can be applied to the subject of thanksgiving. Recently, I've been inspired by Leviticus, and it led me to write this note on thanksgiving. Nowadays it's all very easy to say a prayer of thanks by yourself to God and that's it. To be honest, my prayers of thanks are too quick and usually only in response to something good that has happened.
The End of Everything Changes Everything
The End of Everything Changes Everything I was on the edge of my seat. Quite literally. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest and I couldn’t stop fidgeting. I also couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. It was the final and deciding game of the 2022 State of Origin series and Queensland were in front by 4 points with ten minutes left on the clock. The whole game had been an arm-wrestle with neither team really seeming to gain the ascendancy. The whole game I’d been wound tighter than a drum. It wasn’t until Ben Hunt streaked away to score a try with only one minute remaining that I finally relaxed (after jumping off the couch and jumping up and down, of course). A few days
Reformation Revisited
Our next Ridley Training short course is starting next Thursday (21st)! If you haven’t heard about our Ridley Training yet, these are short courses designed to help busy people to better understand and apply the Bible, and over the next 6 weeks we’ll be on a journey through Europe as we look at the Reformation, one of the most significant events in the history of the Christian Church. Five hundred years on from its small beginnings, the Reformation continues to play a central role in shaping the identity of Protestant Christianity today. In this subject, Rhys Bezzant gives a guided tour of Reformation Europe, bringing clarity and context to the key places, people and events that changed the church forever. Get ready for beautiful scenery, thought-provoking commentary and fresh
Does Prayer Work?
Does Prayer Work? A friend of mine recently asked me why I pray. In the few seconds I took considering how I’d answer... she asked a second question “Does prayer work?” I attempted to keep the answer simple and honest. I told her that prayer keeps me close to God. That it reminds me that He is sovereign and in control. That I don’t have to rely on my (failing) strength. I’ve thought a lot about that conversation with my friend. It caused me to thank God for the gift of prayer. When you think about the question ‘does prayer work?’ It really depends on what you consider the ‘work’ prayer can do. I believe that as Christians, we can say with full confidence that prayer most certainly works!
Are You a Do-Gooder?
Are You a Do-Gooder? Have you ever been called a “do-gooder”? I have. It doesn’t feel very nice. Although, when you think about it, it should. It should be a compliment. Doing ‘good’ is actually a positive thing. How can it not be? And as Christians, we are called by God to do ‘good’ in this world. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Hebrews 13:16 says “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” The question is, what sort of ‘good’ should we be doing? And to whom should we be doing ‘good’? The answer of the Bible to this question
