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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
Story Behind the Song: Abide With Me
Story Behind the Song: Abide With Me I find it encouraging that most hymns don’t have extraordinary stories behind them because, much like the writers of the songs, most of the people singing them are ordinary people. Many songs that have stood the test of time are not so much because of the writer, but because of the song itself. These songs point us to God, they help us understand His Word, and they enable us to lament or praise or pray. ‘Abide with me’ is one such song. It’s over 150 years old and has been sung in countless churches, war marches, funerals and weddings. The writer of the song, Henry Francis Lyte, lived much of his life with poor health and died from tuberculosis at the age
The Longing for Reunion
I’m looking forward to Monday. On Monday afternoon, I’ll be getting on a plane to spend two weeks with my family in Melbourne, who I haven’t seen since January! I have had it a lot better than many people through 2020, but I’ve definitely missed my family, and I am looking forward to spending time with them again. But this is also a time tinged with sadness, because I know there are many in our church family who are still not able to be reunited with their loved ones due to the international border closures, which will remain for some time. One year of separation gives me just a small glimpse into how challenging it is for those who have left family and friends in other countries. This desire
My Year in Books
My Year in Books Around this time for the last couple of years, I’ve shared with you some of the books I enjoyed during the year. I thought I’d do the same again this year. The following are all books I found stimulating, enjoyable, meaningful, and helpful, and I commend them to you. Destiny: Learning to Live by Preparing to Die by David Gibson I read this in preparation for our sermon series through Ecclesiastes (Chasing the Wind) and was greatly helped and greatly encouraged. Ecclesiastes is notoriously knotty and Gibson is a helpful guide to unravelling its complexity, revealing its insights, and applying its lessons. In particular, this book opened my eyes to the beauty and significance of the seemingly small moments in life. Untangling Emotions by J.
The Awe of Advent
The Awe of Advent I was at the park with a friend recently and we got talking about Christmas. I mentioned that our family wanted to celebrate Advent and his eyes lit up. (If you don’t know what Advent is, it’s the season in the church calendar where we meditate on Jesus’ 1st coming as a child and his 2nd coming in glory). He told me how he loved Advent. Christmas was full of joy and wonder while he was a child, but he lost that as he got older, until he discovered Advent. Advent brought back the joy and wonder of Christmas for him, not because it made him excited for presents, but because it made him excited about Jesus. I hope this is what we will allow
How to Celebrate Advent with Your Family
How to Celebrate Advent with Your Family Today marks the beginning of the Advent season, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent is a season of anticipation, of holy waiting. We reflect on Christ’s first coming with a thankful heart, and look forward in hopeful anticipation to His second coming, when Christ will make all things new. Advent acknowledges the already-and-not-yet nature of the Kingdom of God. This time of year can get crazy busy with activities and obligations, especially for families with young kids. I know our calendar is certainly looking very full. So, can I encourage you to set aside a few minutes to consider what you want this season to be for your family. Then make a plan so that the important rhythm of remembering
