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 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 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 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 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

How Should We Relate to Authorities? If Jesus is Lord, how does that affect our relationship with other authorities? Have you ever thought about this? How much obedience do you and I owe to authorities like governments and employers? This question has become important for Christians in Australia because we see the cultural tide changing rapidly. Recently, I read an article by Rory Shiner (a Pastor in Perth) which addressed this very issue. I found it Biblically informed and wise. I share with you below in the hope that it too will help inform your thinking. Here’s Rory: But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?” (Acts 4:19) The question of our relationship to earthly authorities comes out of

What the Rising Sun Tells Us About God Are you a sunrise or sunset kind of person? When was the last time you even took a moment to properly watch a sunrise or sunset? I love sunrises, although not so much in winter! Did you see the beautiful orange and purple sunset earlier this week? It was beautiful. In my current Bible reading plan (‘Reflecting God’s Image: a 10-day devotional with Jen Wilkin’), I was reminded about God’s incredible mercy towards us. Lamentations 3:22-23 says ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ Just as each and every day we experience another sunrise and another sunset, so too the mercy of God is