“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.Jeremiah 17:7In the Hebrew, the word blessed literally means happy (or if you prefer, deeply joyful). It’s funny, sometimes we should be happy and yet we don’t feel happy. That can be for a number of reasons. But, sometimes, we need to remind ourselves that we have every reason to be happy.Memorise this passage and be remin...  Read More

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.Acts 2:42One of the things I love about Village Church is our dinners together. Food is a wonderful way to celebrate togetherness, to serve one another and to enjoy each other in Christ. When we do this, we partake in a tradition from the earliest converts to Christ.Acts 2 reminds us that th...  Read More

16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.1 Peter 4:16I grew up hating my last name. Kids at my primary school would tease me because it was Italian. My nickname in some circles is a remnant of those days. It went from Canosa, to Cabanossi to Cabo.As I got older, I started to really warm to my name. It has a rich history. There is a whole r...  Read More

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.Colossians 3:16Many of us love singing. Particularly at Christmas. There is something special about singing Christmas carols, songs that we only sing at a particular time of year but that we have always...  Read More

Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.Westminster Shorter CatechismI think today’s topic is one of the more controversial/strange theological realities, at least to modern eyes an...  Read More

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.Proverbs 26:11Are you a New Year’s Resolution person? Have you already failed? Hopefully you haven’t! No doubt you made some great commitments. Exercise more, spend more time with people you love, (hopefully) read the Bible/pray more.If you are anything like me, New Years Resolutions often take the form of starting something or doing more ...  Read More

3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.1 Peter 4:3I spent four hours talking to the phone company about my latest bill. Feels like such a waste. There are so many things I would have rather been doing in that time. Our language when it comes to time is instructive isn’t it. We sa...  Read More

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of ChristEphesians 3:17-18The start of a new year is always a good time to begin new habits (or is it!?). Either way. Why not commit to memorising a passage of Scripture each week? And no need to come up with which passage on ...  Read More

Greet one another with a holy kiss.2 Corinthians 13:12No. It’s ok. I’m not going to suggest we start doing this. I don’t think Paul is either (well, not exactly). In the Greek/Roman world of the early Church, similar to perhaps modern day France or Italy (before COVID), some form of kissing on the cheek was standard practice. It’s a physical gesture that indicates welcoming and closeness. It’s a c...  Read More

21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.1 Peter 3:21-22So here we have one of the dividing passages between Roman Catholicism and ...  Read More

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”Revelation 4:11Like most of us, I am in awe of God’s creation. As I write this blog, I look out to the mountains and the sky, the sun is just rising. The birds provide the soundtrack backed up with the faint sound of waves crashing. No human technolog...  Read More

Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein thy were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.Westminster Shorter CatechismWell they did love to break it down these Catechism writers. Ok, so Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit. But what was it about the forbidden fruit? The Ge...  Read More