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Who Do You Need to Forgive Today?
Who Do You Need to Forgive Today? Justine writes: Imagine you can’t eat gluten—no cakes, no bread, no pasta. Then one day, you discover a bakery that makes scrumptious gluten-free treats that taste almost as good as the real thing. You even find a lamington that’s dense, chocolatey, and fluffy. Yummy! But just as you're about to enjoy it, a very cute two-year-old toddles over and eats half of it! That kind of situation is easy to forgive—after all, it was just an innocent accident. But what about the times when forgiveness doesn’t come so easily? What about when the hurt runs deep? What if you need to forgive someone for causing deep emotional pain? First, dear brothers and sisters, remember this: you are fearfully and wonderfully made, created
Let Singleness be Honoured Among All
Let Singleness be Honoured Among All “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” (1 Corinthians 7:7) In this verse, the Apostle Paul admits that he wishes all the Corinthian Christians were as he is. What did he mean by this? Did he wish they were all Jewish like he was? No. Did he wish that they had received the same Biblical training? Maybe, but that’s not what he’s saying here. In this verse, Paul is saying that he wishes they were all single. Why would he say this? Was Paul against marriage? Paul is clearly not anti-marriage (1 Timothy 4:3), he teaches that it is a
How to Help When Life Hurts
How to Help When Life Hurts Have you ever felt helpless when faced with someone else’s hurt? Have you ever been lost for words or unsure what to do when someone close to you is experiencing deep pain and sorrow. As a pastor, I have sat with people during some of their worst moments. I have often felt inadequate and unhelpful. And yet the awkwardness and uncertainty must not stop us from entering into the pain of others. To minister to those who are walking through sorrow is a clear and sacred calling in Scripture. Paul writes in Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” When someone is being crushed under the weight of life’s varied sorrows, it
I So Hate Consquences
Don’t you? Have you ever asked yourself, “Why did I do that?” Have you ever had moments of regret? At the time, it might seem like an ok course of action, but in hindsight, it was terrible, and maybe even traumatic. Now, sometimes, we simply make mistakes. However, at other times, we intentionally overstep boundaries, and maybe we end up on a Coldplay Kiss Cam…and then on endless memes. Whether we’ve made a simple mistake or a mistake that turns into news headlines, there are (almost) always consequences. And in echoing the American Christian rock band Relient K, we “so hate consequences”. And yet, even when we know there will be consequences, we still think we can get away with doing wrong. And so we do whatever it is,
Make Sunday’s Uncomfortable (an article by Rebecca McLaughlin)
Make Sunday’s Uncomfortable (an article by Rebecca McLaughlin) Did anyone cut your conversation short last Sunday at Church? Anyone notice an emergency? If you haven’t listened to last week’s sermon, you might not know what I’m talking about. In our ‘One-Another’ series we unpacked the command to show hospitality to one another. Not the kind of hospitality that’s about putting on a perfect meal or impressing our guests. Rather, the kind of hospitality that reflects the heart of God, who welcomed us when we were strangers. We saw from 1 Peter 4:9 that Biblical hospitality is about stranger love; opening our hearts, homes, and lives to others, especially those who are on the margins. It’s not a site note in the Christian life; it’s central to our discipleship. We
Kids in Church
Kids in church It’s school holiday time and so our kids ministries are on a break and our kids are with us in church. I love the opportunity holidays give us to worship together, all ages, as the family of God. Having little people in church brings an energy, a buzz, and yes a bit of extra noise! This is good! Our church family is healthy, alive, growing. In the holiday time the services are planned with kids in mind. We aim to have regular Kids spots, familiar songs and sermon/colouring in sheets to help our kids feel welcomed and part of the church family. With this being said, my children were small once and I do remember how restless they could get. Parents, I know that having your
To forgive, divine.
To forgive, divine. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Antonio declares “What’s past is prologue!” (2.1). According to him, an act of murder was an inevitable result. A historical injustice required present retribution. I’ve often let this sentiment justify my choices in conflict (no, not to murder of course!). I’ll gather up past hurts like a little catalogue. A library to wallow in and reference when I’m feeling self-indulgent or when I lash out with a sharp tongue. But unlike me, there are people who do forgiveness well and have taught me that there is a better way. And unlike anyone, the costly sacrifice of Jesus’ grace is the ultimate and the perfect example of forgiveness. What a scandal that we are reconciled to God, and we did nothing to deserve
Waiting with God
Waiting with God What are you waiting for? Maybe you’re waiting for results from a doctor. Or waiting for a job to come through. For healing. For peace. For a child to return. For direction. The truth is—at any given moment, most of us are waiting for something. And while waiting can be a small inconvenience (like standing in line at the supermarket), it can also feel like a heavy burden that presses on your heart daily. Psalm 62 meets us right there—in the tension of waiting. David, the author of this Psalm, was likely writing during a time of deep personal crisis, perhaps even betrayal by his own son Absalom. But what’s striking is this: the Psalm doesn’t focus on the resolution. It focuses on who David turns
