a spot of shameless self-promotion
My article on ‘non-combative apologetics’ came out in the May issue of The Briefing. It’s not (yet?) available online. So you’ll have to get hold of a print copy of the magazine. Here’s a teaser: I am...
View Articlecould your life be more of an empty tomb story?
A couple of weeks ago I got to preach on the closing verses of John’s Gospel — John 21.15-25. You can listen to my sermon HERE. I wouldn’t normally mention this. But I found the experience of preparing...
View ArticleI guess I’m more conservative than I realised
“I guess I’m more conservative than I realised…” That was what popped into my head as I was haranguing a group of students last night about how their allegiance to Jesus should impact their politics....
View Articlethe boat and the anchor
My article on Christian apologetics is now available on The Briefing website. For free. It’s called ‘The Boat and The Anchor’ — in the spirit of Matthias Media’s ‘The Blah and The Blah’ series. You...
View Articleturns out I’m more liberal than I realised too
Having recently concluded that I may be more conservative than I realised, this past week I’ve found myself reflecting on whether I might be more liberal than I realised too. What sparked this...
View Articlemaybe I’m not so crazy after all…
I’d given up hope of getting a blog post in this week. But inspiration has struck — at 4.30 on Friday afternoon! (Better late than never I guess). Although, rather than ‘inspiration’ I should say...
View Articlethe spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
Last week I heard a terrific talk on Matthew 26.36-46 — Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is the journey it took me on: As we kneel beside Jesus in this moment of intimate prayer, we get...
View Articlerestoring hope
It’s Refugee Week in Australia. The overall aim of which, according to the Refugee Council Of Australia website, is to “raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive...
View Articlesecularism in Australia
I’ve been thinking a bit about secularism in Australia recently. Lots of factors feed into this. But the spark that’s ignited the powder keg came when I stumbled across this report called ‘Making...
View Articleparental guidance recommended?
I assume you’re familiar with this sort of prayer: ‘Lord – please guide us and make your will really clear to us’. I hear it all the time. Often from my own mouth! I guess that’s no surprise. I go to...
View Articlethe games we all play
I’d like us to do some thinking about the games we all play. No. Not those kind of games… Games like Candy Crush Saga (or Angry Birds). And I’d like us to set our thinking about such games in the...
View ArticleAttention! Attention!
Apparently we’re living in an attention economy — where one of the most scarce and precious commodities is our attention. What this means is that whoever and whatever can capture and hold our attention...
View Articleyour formative years?
I’ve been reading James K A Smith’s book, Desiring The Kingdom. And I’m absolutely loving it! Although, I have to say that it leaves me in equal parts thrilled and freaked out. Why? Check out this...
View Articlea question of trust
As I mentioned, I’ve been reading a lot of James K A Smith lately. I find his emphasis on our bodiliness tremendously stimulating — especially in tackling the challenge of how to co-operate with God’s...
View Articlethey always told me that practice makes perfect
I’m continuing to wrestle with the dynamics of spiritual growth. Namely, how do we get on board with the Spirit’s work in ‘perfecting’ (or maturing) God’s people in Christ? So I really enjoyed this...
View ArticleA Thorn In Our Collective Flesh?
A Disappointing Choice Maybe it’s unnecessarily dark and dramatic. But I’m starting to think of tomorrow’s federal election a bit like this: “So that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was...
View Articleinformation vs inclination
I’ve been chewing on Luke 16.19-31 — you know, the passage where Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. And it’s really stimulating me as I think about the dynamics of spiritual growth. I’m...
View Articlewhy I’m giving up on Q&A
I have a confession to make. I’m giving up on Q&A. Yes – I know it’s the ABC’s flagship talk show. I know it’s all about giving different views a hearing. About that all-Australian virtue of giving...
View Articlewhat if Mr Rudd was right after all?
I wrote this piece for the weekly bulletin at a Melbourne church that generously supports and prays for me in the work I do with the Christian Union at La Trobe University. “The Bible also says that...
View Articlemaybe I’m more Lutheran than Calvinist
A bunch of critical questions about Calvinism have appeared in my Facebook feed lately — usually posed by people who consider themselves Calvinist/Reformed. (If you’re interested in catching up there...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....