“If the resurrection of Christ is not reality, then we have no assurance that God is the living God, for death has the last word. Christian faith is incarcerated in the tomb… if Christ is indeed dead.” (George Ladd) The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation on which the Christian faith either rises or falls. In fact, the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that the resurrection is “of first importance” (v.3), and if it is not true then our faith is “useless” (v.14) and “we are of all people most to be pitied” (v.19). Strong words. But the reality is if Jesus has not been raised he was a fraud, our sins are not forgiven, justice is not coming, and our hope is baseless. So, the

One of my favourite accompaniments of the Easter season is the hot-cross bun. Perhaps you didn’t know this, but there are actually a few theories about the origin of the humble hot-cross-bun. The most popular is that in the late 12th century a monk baked spiced current buns and marked them with a cross in honour of Good Friday. The monk, Brother Thomas Rocliffe, then distributed the hot-cross-buns to the local poor on Good Friday. I love this story! And even if it is not completely accurate, it’s a wonderful illustration of showing God’s love tangibly to those who don’t know Him and those who are in need. Easter on the Lawn is an opportunity like this; to tangibly show the love of Jesus to our local community. Easter

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil… Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer I’ve been reading biographical books lately about Christians during World War II. The first one is about a man called Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an anti-Nazi pastor in Germany who witnessed Hitler’s rise to power. The other is about Corrie Ten Boom, a faithful woman of God who lived in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. Both of them lived extraordinary lives. The evils of war confronted them both at the deepest level and forced them to work out the implications of their faith in ways they had never imagined. Do I really love my neighbour enough to risk the concentration camps (Matthew 22:39)? Are God and his

Are you familiar with the word ‘selah’? Perhaps it reminds you of the popular Christian vocal group by the same name? Or maybe you recognize it from the Psalms? The most comprehensive way to define selah is to combine a few different meanings: ‘to hang’, ‘to praise’, ‘to lift up’, and ‘to pause’. The Amplified Bible help us understand how selah can be interpreted by adding “pause, and calmly think of that” to each verse where selah appears. Each of us can take heed of selah moments in our private worship and also in corporate worship during a Sunday service. During corporate worship on a Sunday we have selah opportunities at different times in the service. During prayer we might be given the opportunity to pause and reflect. When

Do you celebrate or recognise Lent? Do you do anything special or significant to prepare your heart for Easter? Maybe you haven’t given it a lot of thought. So, what is Lent? The season of Lent is traditionally the 40 days leading up to Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. For many Christians, Lent is a time for self-examination and reflection, a time to prepare spiritually for Easter. Lent offers us an opportunity to again acknowledge our sinful nature and our need for a Saviour. It’s a time to repent of our own rebelliousness, and return to God. Lent is also an opportunity to contemplate and reflect upon what our Lord Jesus

What did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up? I love asking my children what they want to be. Over the years they’ve wanted to be superheroes, postmen, policemen, and more. Once my youngest son told me he wanted to be a car-robber, so he could drive really fast – that was an interesting teaching moment about stealing and making right choices! When we become adults and actually start working, the anticipated joy and fun of working we had as children quickly fades! But of course, work is a blessing, isn’t it? In his book ‘Called to Create’, author Jordan Raynor talks about work being used in powerful ways to glorify God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus Christ. He uses Casper ten Boom as an excellent

Growth doesn’t happen automatically. Ask anyone or anything. To grow tall and strong, trees need sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from the soil. A baby needs love, sleep, and lots and lots of milk. There are certain elements required for all organisms to grow. It is the same when it comes to our relationship with God. Our growth in Christ-likeness doesn’t happen automatically with the passing of time. The writer of Hebrews once said to a group of Christians: “...though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.” (Heb. 5:12). These Christians grew older, but they did not grow up. The truth is that spiritual growth requires a commitment to grow. The Apostle