This is the latest blurb that is published on the front of our weekly bulletin
If I asked you to create a picture of freedom, then what would you draw? Maybe you might paint a prison door opening, or the shackles of a slave being released? Or perhaps you might draw a picture of a person running down an endless beach, or someone standing at the edge of a giant … Read more
This week we learnt that over 60% of adults who returned the postal survey indicated that they were in favour of changing the definition of marriage to allow same-sex couples to marry. Our Archbishop Glenn Davies says he accepts the outcome of the marriage postal plebiscite, but warns that there must be freedom of speech, … Read more
Healthy small groups have always been an important part of a healthy church. These groups have typically been called lots of different names: bible study groups, connect groups, life groups, growth groups, and so on. But now we’re going to introduce a new name for our groups that will help us clarify why they exist. … Read more
Can you imagine what it would be like to have a bad reputation before you were even born? That’s what life was like for the Old Testament character, Jacob. God told his mother, Rebekah, that the twin sons in her womb would be at war with each other. After their birth, the tension also grew … Read more
I’ve been reading a number of detective books recently. So when someone handed me a book about Jesus written by a detective I was curious. The book is called ‘Cold Case Christianity‘ by J. Wallace. He’s a seasoned homicide detective and he applies what he has learnt to the witness accounts of Jesus, especially from … Read more
As the closing date for the marriage postal survey approaches, it’s worth reflecting on some of the slogans we’ve heard throughout the campaign. One well-known ‘hashtag’ is #loveislove. It’s a catchy phrase, but what does it really mean? Maybe it’s saying that if a person feels love, then that love is enough to allow them … Read more
When I once visited Las Vegas, I was stunned to hear the slogan,‘If Las Vegas is Sin City, then MGM Grand is the Capitol Building.’ This hotel we were visiting for for a family meal took pride in the sin of sexual immorality, drugs, alcohol, and of course, gambling. Yet, this week, Las Vegas experienced … Read more
(CREDIT: t-bet via Flickr) Our church has recently started testing a new, online prayer diary called ‘PrayerMate.’ It enables people to subscribe to prayer points from many, terrific organisations and missionaries. It also helps us connect with the regular prayer points of our own church. One benefits is that it gives me a list of … Read more
(CREDIT: Mathias Appel via Flickr) Recently I read someone attack a Christian about the Bible, saying, “that’s fine if you want to believe a bunch of goat herders living in tents from 4000 years ago!” As Christians, our trust in the Bible as the divinely-inspired word of God is increasingly seen as antiquated at best, … Read more
Young kids love to dress up and pretend to be somebody else. Whether it’s Elsa or Buzz Lightyear, they love to play another character. Adults also enjoy pretending to be someone else, often at a costume party or a masquerade ball. Sometimes we pretend to be someone else on social media. Even though Facebook requires … Read more