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How We Can Support Our Chaplains
How We Can Support Our Chaplains Last Sunday we highlighted the ministry of Scripture Union Chaplains, specifically Kirsty and Bri from Bray Park State High School. If you made it along or joined online, I hope that you were as encouraged as I was by all that God is doing through our local ‘chappies’. We’ve actually been partnering with Scripture Union chaplaincy at Bray Park State High School for many years, along with our ongoing partnership with Genesis Christian College and their chaplaincy team. Chaplaincy is an important ministry for us because school chaplains provide a much-needed space for young people to unpack the challenges they are going through, and to be supported emotionally, spiritually, and socially. School chaplains have a unique opportunity to show the light and love
A Harvest-Sized Vision
A Harvest-Sized Vision Occasionally when I am in a large group of people in public (which happens less often these days), whether in a football stadium, at a shopping centre, or on a plane (remember those?), I will think to myself: ‘I wonder how many of these people know Jesus?’ I don’t mean those who would tick the ‘Christian’ box on the census, but those who are genuine, whole-hearted followers of Jesus. In these moments of reflection, I am usually reminded of Jesus’ words in Luke 10, when he sent out a large band of disciples to proclaim the message of the kingdom (v.11), by saying to them: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into
Less Phone, More Jesus
Less Phone, More Jesus Let me make a confession: During the sermon last Sunday, I got distracted on my phone. In my defence, I was distracted by applying something from the sermon, so I think I should be excused! If you missed it, last Sunday we heard from Adam on ‘Cultivating Healthy Emotions’—how we can establish spiritual habits which lead to a healthy emotional life. The habit which stood out to me was the second one: “Go Outside”. Or more specifically, a statistic that Adam mentioned related to that habit, namely, that on average we spend 6 hours and 42 minutes online every day, half of that on our phones. I’ve linked the article below if you want to have a read. As Adam mentioned, this is significant because
Helping Our Kids with Their Hearts
Helping Our Kids with Their Hearts “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23) I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: ‘Like father, like son’ or ‘Like mother, like daughter’. This maxim is meant to communicate the reality that children usually come to reflect their parents, for good or for ill. I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve either recognised yourself in your child or your parents in yourself. And of course, this is true not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. As Andy Stanley says: “Home environments mirror the hearts of those who head the home.” You may need to re-read that statement to truly feel its impact. In his book, ‘Enemies of the Heart’, which I’ve been
Time with God
Time with God The kids are back at school and guitar lessons and soccer practice and (insert your child’s extra-curricular activities here) and it doesn’t take long for life to get crazy busy again. Our calendar is full of reminders about school meetings, cello lesson times, orthodontist appointments…and the list goes on. And I don’t know about you but if I don’t write it down, it gets forgotten and doesn’t happen. We tend to naturally prioritize those things in life we see as important. We’ll rearrange the schedule and find time for those things we value. So, what about our relationship with God? Do we prioritize time spent with Him reading the Bible, praying, listening for His voice and His leading? Do we invest in those things that encourage
Singing and Emotions
Singing and Emotions Did you know that singing stirs the soul? There is a beautiful connection between singing and its ability to engage the heart. This might sound a little mystical, but the biblical truth is that we were made to sing; God created music and designed humans to sing along. Thanks to our gracious God, the wonderful gift we receive when we sing is that it connects our minds and hearts to the truths of who God is and who we are in Christ. This stirs our soul. The article ‘Singing Helps Us Feel the Gospel’, by David Mathis, helped me understand this wonderful truth and reminded me again about the joy and privilege it is to gather and worship in song together each week. Ask songwriter and
Turn on the Torch in 2021
Turn on the Torch in 2021 Did you know that the longest chapter in the word of God is about the word of God? Psalm 119 is 176 verses of acrostic poetry devoted to the beauty, necessity, and power of God’s written word, the Bible. And some of it is heady stuff. The psalmist says, for example, in verse 97, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long”, and in verse 103, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Kevin DeYoung says in his excellent book ‘Taking God at His Word’, “Surely it is significant that this intricate, finely-crafted, single-minded love poem—the longest in the Bible—is not about marriage or children or food or drink or mountains or sunsets or rivers
Youth is Back On!
Youth is Back On! Youth is starting up again next Friday (29th)! We have a lot planned for 2021, and we are excited to kick off term 1! This term is themed ‘Get Real’, and we will be challenging ourselves to think through and live out a real faith in Jesus. This starts off our 2021 theme of ‘Real Life’, which explores how real life, true life, can only be found in Jesus- and how Jesus’ love shapes our lives in the real world. I’m keen to get stuck into meaningful teaching & discussions which I pray will lead to a community of youth who are known for passionately following Jesus. Each Friday night we meet from 7-9 pm, here at the church. It is a fun, engaging night
