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Justice Sunday 2021
Justice Sunday 2021 This Sunday is a special Sunday in our church calendar. It is what we call ‘Justice Sunday’, a day we set aside to focus our attention on God’s heart for justice and the role he has called us to play. It’s a day for us to pursue the vision of Micah 6:8 together: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” These well-known words are a clear call to all believers to be engaged in the pursuit of justice in our day. To lean into and push back on the darkness in our world so that more people might find the freedom
The Value of Written Prayers
The Value of Written Prayers Perhaps, like me, you grew up thinking written prayers were somehow less spiritual, less meaningful, less authentic. As if the act of reading a prayer automatically diminished its value or spirituality. I can certainly remember feeling those who read out a written prayer, especially in a corporate gathering, were somehow cheating. I have a feeling I’m not alone. Broadly speaking, modern evangelical Christians tend to prefer spontaneity and passion in worship over specificity and precision. This, I think, can be to our detriment. I recently started reading ‘Everyday Prayers’ by Scotty Smith, a collection of 365 Scripture-centred prayers. I’m aiming to read one prayer before bed each night. To be honest, when I fall into bed at night, I find it difficult to fight
Gospel Truth in a Fracturing World
Gospel Truth in a Fracturing World Our world is fracturing. It’s fracturing across many issues: from politics to race; from climate change to gender. And as it fractures, it becomes more and more tribal. People self-sort into groups that think the same way and often act the same way. And social media turbocharges this polarisation. I recently read an excellent article published by The Gospel Coalition titled “Four Big Lies Christians Believe in our Fracturing Age.” I’ve summarised the main points below, but I encourage you to check out the full article by Akos Balagh here. Lies are fracturing our world. And Christians are not immune from believing these lies. These lies drive how opposing groups think about the world, how they talk, and how they act, especially toward
The gospel and parenting: How do they go together?
The gospel and parenting: How do they go together? Have you ever asked yourself what makes a good parent? What about, “What makes a Christian parent?” How should the gospel shape and change your parenting? I mean, there are plenty of parents who don’t know Christ who we would think of as “good parents”. They show love to their children, they give them an education, they teach them manners, they play with them and explore their talents… but, should Christian parenting look any different? If your vision for parenting doesn’t require Christ, is it really Christian? People can tap into Christian principles in their parenting, but it still doesn’t quite make their parenting Christian. I’ve been thinking lately about how the gospel is supposed to shape my parenting and
None Like Him
None Like Him I’ve been a follower of Christ my whole life. And yet I am still learning – learning more about God and more about myself. I’ve recently started reading a book by Jen Wilkin called ‘None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us (and why that’s a good thing)’. I’ve only read one chapter so far but I’ve learnt such a lot already, and I can’t wait to read more. The first chapter explores the notion that God is Infinite. Jen writes, “Any discussion of how God is not like us must begin with an acknowledgment that we are measurable and His is not. God is infinite, unbound by limits. He defies measurement of any kind. His limitlessness underlies all of His attributes; His power,
Where Love Is, God Is
Where Love Is, God Is I was lining up in the service station waiting to pay for my fuel. Deep in thought about the things I needed to get done that afternoon, hoping the kids hadn’t turned the radio up to extreme decibels that would damage their hearing. It was taking longer than it should, so I looked to the front of the line and realised that the gentleman trying to pay for his fuel had his payment declined. While he fumbled with his phone to transfer funds or call for help, the lady behind him stepped forward and said to the cashier and gentlemen “let me pay for your fuel, please”. It was a beautiful moment. I’m not sure if the lady was a Christian or not. But
Revisiting the Wisdom of Ecclesiastes
Revisiting the Wisdom of Ecclesiastes This time last year we were working through what has become one of my favourite books of the Bible, and what has been (so far) one of my favourite series to preach: the book of Ecclesiastes. For 9 weeks in our series ‘Chasing the Wind’ we went on a whirlwind tour into the wild and winsome wisdom of the Teacher (the character whose voice we hear throughout Ecclesiastes). Perhaps this is surprising to you? Given a cursory glance, Ecclesiastes can seem like a pretty dense and dour affair. Remember the opening words of the book? “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (1:2). Not exactly the most compelling way to begin, and not the book we might naturally turn to for encouragement, especially
Certainty Despite COVID
Certainty Despite COVID I have been reading and watching a lot of news reports and press conferences recently, and one word has been conspicuously common: uncertain. Of course, there is so much uncertainty; uncertainty about restrictions, about quarantine, about the spread of COVID, especially in light of the Delta variant. The future seems to be increasingly uncertain. This uncertainty makes it difficult for all of us to plan for the future. Whether it be holidays, work, or even whether you’ll be at school next week, everything is unsure. I feel this particularly keenly as Rachel & I are (hopefully!) getting married in just 8 weeks! With much of our family living interstate, the uncertainty makes any plan difficult to make and difficult to rely on. But despite all the
