A shed in Yatala in SE Queensland seems like an unlikely place from which greatness can grow. And yet it has. 3 women Aussie boxers are now world title contenders. The shed in Yatala and the seed in the Kingdom of Heaven have a lot in common.
Photo by Michael Starkie on Unsplash
Taylor Sheridan of Yellowstone fame is carving up our screens. I recently devoured the blood soaked Western 1883. Here's my reflections on it. This reflection is 100% spoiler because of the story telling arc of 1883 and the message behind it: freedom.
The world seems more dangerous than ever. One thing we can do is pray. This is a short and simple prayer.
There are two different ways of thinking about God (primarily). One of them is 100% wrong. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that the other is 100% correct. Understand these two different ways and you have the key to understanding God, the great news of Jesus and the Bible.
Photo by Gage Walker on Unsplash (Edited)
If you’re a Christian believer or a mission organisation, how do you evaluate risk? Or put another way, do you have a theology of risk?
With thanks to Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash (edited)
Following Jesus - growing as a disciple
A shed in Yatala in SE Queensland seems like an unlikely place from which greatness can grow. And yet it has. 3 women Aussie boxers are now world title contenders. The shed in Yatala and the seed in the Kingdom of Heaven have a lot in common.
Photo by Michael Starkie on Unsplash
If you’re a Christian believer or a mission organisation, how do you evaluate risk? Or put another way, do you have a theology of risk?
With thanks to Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash (edited)
Is work a gift or a curse? How should we think about work? Is there a Christian view of work?
In this short blog I outline a framework for thinking about work to answer these questions and get us started on thinking about faith and work or put another way, a theology of work.
The book of Revelation is a wild ride. It’s an artistic blockbuster full of powerful images. For this reason there are a lot of crazy interpretations. But it is possible to read Revelation! Here’s five keys to reading Revelation so that you can understand history from God’s perspective.
Photo by Scarlet Ellis on Unsplash
Grief and sadness will come by how can we face them and how can we can for those in the midst of grief and loss. This blog post shares how we might care for those grieving and experiencing loss and hardship in its many forms. This reflection sprang from the book of Proverbs and from facing my son’s battle with cancer and his death.
Photo by Claudia Wolff on Unsplash
It sounds so awesome, the armour of God: swords, helmets and chest plates. In amongst all those passages of the Bible that talk about mercy, compassion and turning the other cheek, here is red-blooded combat. And it is necessary combat. For the devil has his schemes and there are demonic spiritual forces at work, right here, right now in this present darkness.
But, perhaps, before we slip on our chest plates or breast plates we ought to ask, ‘What exactly is the Christian putting on?’
Original photo by Hugo L. Casanova on Unsplash Edited by G Hohnberg
Have you ever met one of those Christians who just seems so sure about their salvation? What’s with that? Are they so sure they’ve kept all God’s rules and laws? Is that it? No, not at all. A Christian’s confidence comes from the fact that the laws have been fulfilled for them by someone else.
Photo by Adrian Curiel on Unsplash
Every life has hard times and hard places. Sometimes those hard places feel like places of spiritual death. God has brought us out in the desert to die. But the Scriptures reveal that the opposite is the case. The hardest times can be the source of life.
Photo by Giorgio Parravicini on Unsplash
Luke’s Gospel is a beautiful piece of writing revealing to us the beautiful saviour Jesus Christ. May this short summary help you see the story line of Luke’s Gospel. You should also check out our Luke’s Gospel reading guide blog post.
Photo by Emerson Peters on Unsplash
When I moved to Brisbane, everything changed. Finding a new church was exhausting but even more exhausting was wondering if I’m good enough. I started to doubt myself and this turned out to be a very good thing.
With thanks to Beth Rufener for the photo on Unsplash
My life has turned 180 degrees in the last two years through the work of Jesus in my heart and being involved in Risen Church. I was influenced by Jesus but now I’ve become a follower.
Many people think that the Old Testament is all about keeping the rules. But, here’s the thing. The Jews could never keep the rules. And the only way they could be rescued was by God saving them. In Isaiah we discover a God who saves by grace - looking forward to Jesus. Here is the gospel in Isaiah.
When we hear the word dogma we get worried. It just sounds bad! But before we race to reject Christian dogma we need to consider things a little more deeply. I want to suggest that there is even - good dogma.
Photo by Jason Betz on Unsplash (edited)
Mark’s Gospel is short but punchy. It feels like the action version of the story of Jesus, with a kind of Bruce Willis, Die Hard feel, where events pile up on each other with barely a moment to spare. But there is a structure to Mark’s Gospel and understanding the structure opens the whole book up to us.
Without healthy teaching (sound doctrine) God’s people cannot live the lives that God desires for us and our mission to the world is crippled. But with godly thinking from godly teaching comes a godly life. Christians need sound doctrine.
In anxious times we look for help. Our true help is not the government, nor our own strength and power. Our true help is our creator, God. He is our protection and the one who can protect us even in death. Is God the one you look to in anxious times?
This world is not enough. Yes, it’s the name of a not great 1990’s Bond film with Pierce Brosnan, but it also how we are all living now. We live like this world is not enough. And you’re right. This world is not enough.
In my life the Bible has been a bright light shining in a dark world. It has been a living word in which I’ve heard the very voice of God. Now, many might recoil at this wild and dangerous assertion by a church pastor. So let me show you that this wild and dangerous assertion is made by the Bible itself.
Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR on Unsplash
Most of us fear the future. We fear the unknown. The future is an undiscovered country and no one has been there.
And this fear of the unknown future has caused untold misery in the world. Nationally and internationally as tribes, nations, rulers, companies and individuals have all jockeyed for positions of power and security.
But we don’t need to fear the future.
Original Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash.com. Edited.
There is a lot of gold on the internet. And there is a lot of dross! Slowly but surely I’ve kept a list of some of the gold. As they say - just click on the links.
Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash
