Category Archive

Reading: John 2:13-22 I get angry, mostly regarding petty or selfish matters. On social media there is a regular beat of moral outrage regarding public matters, from people with strong opinions and low investment. These expressions of anger can carry the sharp smell of self-righteousness. What might we learn from Jesus regarding righteous anger? As the time approached Passover, Jesus … Read More

“My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” You may know these aching words from Jesus’ cry on the cross. The original audience heard this as the opening line of Psalm 22. By quoting this Psalm, we are given insight into Jesus’ physical and spiritual battle.

Reading: Matthew 6:1-6 “When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.” (CEV) Does motivation matter? Rabbi Shmuley Boteach in “Judaism for Everyone” wrote, “Action is far more significant than dogma or belief. The right thing should be done even if for the wrong reasons.”  I … Read More

Are you like a duck paddling upstream? Little legs furiously thrashing underwater, the picture of composure and control above water? There are seasons of life when this happens, but no one wants to make this a habit. It is exhausting. If you feel like a duck paddling upstream, what might you do? The Serenity prayer, attributed to theologian Reinhold Neihbur, … Read More

As our year really begins to get going, I encourage you all (adults and kids) again to consider taking up the challenge to memorise a passage of scripture each month. God’s Word is true and powerful and the more it becomes part of us, the more it will change and shape us, as well as equip us for whatever comes … Read More

How do we help people grow in faith? The simplest answer would be to help them know Jesus and follow him. It is not rocket science. But is it easy? No. The parable of the soils tells us there are plenty of things that will snatch away or choke good seed.  A few questions to consider. If you are a Christian, what helps you grow? Knowing the bible, … Read More

As Christians our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20-21). 1 Peter observes, we are foreigners in this world, as we await the return of our Lord Jesus (1 Peter 2:11). In CS Lewis’ “Last Battle”, the unicorn captures the sentiment of what the new Narnia is like, ““I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for … Read More

Is it possible your efforts could be a waste of time? This seems to be the concern of Psalm 127. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” In short, if God is not in it, then efforts are useless. It is not that … Read More

Last year our Council and staff met together in January to plan for 2020. As we know, by March those well-intentioned plans were skuttled. Once again, 16 January 2021, the Council and staff meet again to plan. Is this folly? 2020 taught me to hold planning lightly. We had no idea what was to come. That is not a problem … Read More

Tough times can make great teams. At the start of the year a team went to Port Augusta for the Aboriginal Evangelical Convention to run the kids program. It wasn’t always an easy time. There were challenges with the accommodation, organisation, heat, team dynamics. But we knew what we were doing was worthwhile. The kids were fantastic, and we saw … Read More