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Month: August 2017

Wednesdays on the Web (30/08)

God Loves U-Turns We live in a world where U-Turns are difficult at the times we need them the most, reserving them only for unusual circumstances (for safety reasons, of course). But living our spiritual lives before God is different. Living authentically with God, and for God, in this world requires innumerable U-Turns. When I Survey – Voting for Jesus This is a fascinating statement from Creek Rd Presbyterian regarding the upcoming postal plebiscite on Same Sex Marriage, and why Christians may vote no, yes, or abstain. Kindness Begins at Home The fact is nowhere am I more tempted to be selfish and lazy than in my home and my closest relationships. Here Nancy provides a poignant, personal reminder that kindness – while it might look different at home – is so important for…

Top 10 Quotes from The Imperfect Disciple

I‘m grateful that Jared C. Wilson has written a book for disciples like me. The ones who try, and fail, and strive their hardest to walk ‘in step with the Spirit’, but who are broken, messy, and not there yet. The Imperfect Disciple: Grace For People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together is full of real, relatable wisdom and needs to be read highligher-in-hand. Below are (in no particular order) my favourite quotes from this spiritually formative but earthly little book. What is discipleship, then… …but following Jesus not on some religious quest to become bigger, better, or faster but to become more trusting of his mercy toward our total inability to become those things? It all boils down to this: we have, fundamentally, a…

The First Council of Constantinople

We’re in a series of articles exploring the councils and creeds of the Christian church. Why? Because when it comes to faithfully and diligently working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) we miss a great deal when we simply try to construct our own “real Christianity” with nothing more than a bible. To take heed from those who have gone before us is to benefit from the wealth found in the most important theological declarations of the Christian tradition. Today we continue the series with a look at the first council of Constantinople. Background The city of Constantinople (named by the ever-so-humble emperor Constantine) played host to three councils, and quickly became synonymous with Christianity. There were a wide variety of issues…

Wednesdays on the Web (23/08)

10 Common but Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce This article needs no introduction, except to say that I appreciate the clarity, and all Christians would do well to be equipped with a good theology of marriage/divorce/remarriage. Getting Bored with the Right Things Jared C. Wilson sagely observes how Christians are all too often prone to outspoken activity (whether it be social, political, or ethical) over that which is temporary, but when it comes to the things of the gospel, we can barely keep ourselves awake. Anxiety Resources David Murray provides a number of helpful new books and articles. In particular, I found Before You Advise Something with Anxiety… very insightful. God and the Transgender Debate Christians seem to be playing catch-up o the transgender debate. Often the…

The Technology Trap

Electronic devices are discipling our children – sometimes for hours a day. They are telling them what to think and feel; how to act and react; and are shaping them socially and spiritually. In a world where technology is ubiquitous and our children can no longer live without it (laptops and/or iPads are increasingly compulsory in schools, sports teams communicate via text, etc), parents have a responsibility to teach their children how to sail the technology storm so that these means don’t surreptitiously become their masters. But what does that look like? There’s no doubt it looks a little different in each household, and (as with everything) discipleship in this area falls under two categories: (1) activities or behaviours that the bible clearly speaks against, or (2)…

The Great Book Giveaway

Our home library is a carefully tended collection of kids books, fiction, biographies, history, and Christian books of all kinds that I’ve accumulated over my years at Bible College. I love that our kids love to read, and I’m looking forward to sharing the journey with them as they read through our library in the coming years. Personally, I know that my relationship with God is richer thanks to many authors who have teased out how to practically apply the teaching of the Bible for myself and my family. I’m grateful for the resources that help me understand hard doctrines or difficult parts of scripture. Recently however, I’ve come to realise that there’s also a hidden risk of pride, greed, or worse that could take…

Wednesdays on the Web (16/08)

A Christian Response to Charlottseville This week, I realised that as a white Australian, I don’t have all the categories in which to process the events that took place in Charlottesville recently. My mind boggles and my emotions reel at the horrific scene and the disturbing attitudes that are still very much alive in parts of American culture. There have been any number of responses to this painful experience, including Righteously Angry, Graciously Hopeful by J. D. Greear; The Five Crowds of Charlottesville by The Cripplegate; A Time for Moral Clarity by Denny Burk; and The Gospel Coalition’s What Now in Charlottesville? The Meaning of Marriage David McGregor, Senior Lecturer in Theology at Tabor Adelaide offers his thoughts on Tim & Kathy Keller’s book. I love…

Love, Enjoy, Resist the World

When it comes to Scripture’s use of world, it’s easy to misinterpret the term in one verse or another. The Christian who doesn’t carefully consider context can find themselves living with too much legalism or too much liberty. In his book The Disciple-Making Parent, Chap Bettis reminds us that God loves every person in the world, and as followers of Jesus He calls us to do likewise. Further, God made the world that we live in and He declared it good. He made the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon, and he gifted us with every good thing the world contains for our enjoyment. But at the same time, Christians are clearly called to leave the world behind and wholeheartedly…

The Athanasian Creed

We’re in a series of articles exploring the councils and creeds of the Christian church. Why? Because when it comes to faithfully and diligently working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) we miss a great deal when we simply try to construct our own “real Christianity” with nothing more than a bible. To take heed from those who have gone before us is to benefit from the wealth found in the most important theological declarations of the Christian tradition. Today we continue the series with a look at the Athanasian Creed. Background The Athanasian Creed is refreshingly straightforward in its presentation of the Trinity, in particular. By 1090 AD the great theologian Anselm held the Athanasian Creed as part of the Tria…

Wednesdays on the Web (09/08)

I Don’t Understand Christians Watching Game of Thrones I don’t expect those who are strangers to the light to be bothered by the darkness. But for conservative Christians who care about marriage and immorality and decency in so many other areas, it is baffling that Game of Thrones gets a free pass. The Gospel is the Entire Meal Often and in various ways, well-meaning Christians may try to supplement the gospel with more “meaty” teaching; as if the gospel were a side-dish, or at best the appetizer designed to whet your appetite for the rest of the meal. But the gospel is a great and glorious meal, and the only one we’ll ever need. On “Orthodox Christianity” This post from James K. A. Smith encourages Christians to…

The Simple yet Costly Call

A few years ago, I took a week-long prayer retreat on a small island off the coast of Queensland. It was a time of crisis in my life, and I needed time to process, pray, and pursue God’s will for my present, but also my future. The afternoon that I arrived on the island, I took the sage advice of my pastor; I dropped my bags inside the door, and went straight to sleep. This might not have felt like a particularly appropriate or highly spiritual way to begin a prayer retreat, but actually it was both. Trying to seek God when I was emotionally exhausted and mentally spent would have been unfruitful; likewise – as my pastor encouraged me – taking time to rest was actually one way…

The Council of Chalcedon

We’re in a series of articles exploring the councils and creeds of the Christian church. Why? Because when it comes to faithfully and diligently working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) we miss a great deal when we simply try to construct our own “real Christianity” with nothing more than a bible. To take heed from those who have gone before us is to benefit from the wealth found in the most important theological declarations of the Christian tradition. Today we continue the series with a look at the council of Chalcedon. Background Back at the First Council of Ephesus, Christians sought to better articulate the position stated by the Nicene Creed regarding the relationship between the man Jesus Christ and the…

Wednesdays on the Web (02/08)

Making the Most of Working from Home I’ve used Evernote for many years and consider myself a power-user, but one feature I’ve under-utilised is their blog. This post has a great deal of wisdom when it comes to successfully being able to manage your work/life balance, while also dispelling some common productivity myths. Are You a Healthy Church Member? A healthy church member is someone that, in one sense, shares all the sensibilities of a good pastor. They’re going to have a concern for the spiritual growth of others, they’re going to have a concern for the right teaching of God’s Word, and they will have a concern for the church’s witness to the community, for reaching their neighbors and friends. They’ll do that as…

What I[‘m] Read[ing] in July

July turned out to be a whirlwind month filled with all sorts of unexpected curveballs and unseen circumstances. As a result, I didn’t get through the books I had set for myself for this month, and so this edition of What I Read gets renamed “What I’m Reading”, because I’m mid-way through everything. The Disciple-Making Parent This could be the best book I’ve read on parenting so far. There are plenty of books that teach about parenting as connecting with the heart of your child, taking expected and unexpected moments to disciple your children, and infusing the gospel into your conversations as well as your corrections. But the value that The Disciple-Making Parent brings has been the importance of highlighting that discipleship begins with you…