Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.James 5:7-8If patience was a coin, it would certainly be one of the rarest and most valuable. For those of us eager to invest, James thinks we can l...  Read More

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”Acts 11:18Do you know Christians who have some different theological beliefs to you? I know lots. It’s a tricky business, Christians disagreeing with one another. Some prefer to pretend it doesn’t matter - making it less of a deal that it is. Ot...  Read More

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.Romans 3:23-24Few verses proclaim the gospel so succinctly. All have sinned. All who are justified are so by grace alone and Christ alone. It’s worth breaking down a little.Sinned → none live up to the standard of goodness that God created us for and de...  Read More

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8:12The world feels very dark right now. The Doomsday clock has been moved to 100 seconds to midnight. It’s the war in Ukraine and Palestine. It’s floods and fire. It’s COVID. It’s climate change. It’s the shattering of the narrative tha...  Read More

25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not c...  Read More

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge1 Corinthians 1:4-5There are moments in life that you just feel privileged to witness. I was at the Olympic Stadium in 2000 when Cathy Freeman won her gold. I was at the same stadium to watch Australia beat Uruguay on penalties ...  Read More

Q. 25. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?A. Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.Westminster Shorter CatechismI get called a priest all the time. People who don’t know me very well but know that I work for a Church sometimes call me that. No...  Read More

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.1 Corinthians 1:22-24Power is the currency of our world. It’s often called capital or social capital. Power is what impresses people. It’s what people most respond t...  Read More

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.Acts 9:31Sometimes when things are hard, it feels hard to know what God’s doing. I reckon Aussie Christian’s have felt some anxiety or confusion around God’s plan for Australia in recent decades. In 1900, th...  Read More

Create in me a pure heart, O God,and renew a steadfast spirit within me.Psalm 51:10King David has been confronted with the depths of his own sin. Have you ever had a moment like that? I know the feeling all too well. It’s that sinking feeling. Of shame. Guilt. Frustration. Helplessness. It’s terrible.But what do we do in the midst of that feeling? What should we do? David shows us the way. We turn...  Read More

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.James 5:16The Christian life comes with many costs that we are quick to count. Yet, the privileges far outweigh the costs (if only we would see them). Prayer is a great example of this.Most of us really like the idea of having people in our life th...  Read More

23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.Acts 9:23–25Do you ever wonder what you would do if persecution got really hot in Australia? Like, imagine t...  Read More