Some people might think that Christian communities should be places where everyone is happy, people get along perfectly, and there are never any problems in our lives or in our relationships. The reality is far from this idealised picture of how some people think churches should be. Church communities are full of flawed, imperfect people... Continue Reading →
Transformed (Romans 12:1-8)
Transformers is a media franchise that includes toys, animated television shows, comics and movies which feature robots in disguise. These robots have the ability to change or transform into other things such as cars, airplanes, animals and even dinosaurs. Transformers began with a line of toys in the mid-1980s that you could change from their... Continue Reading →
Undeserved Help (Matthew 15:21-28)
There are times in life when we all need help. Sometimes, problems can be so big that we can’t see our way through them, or we can’t resolve them by ourselves. These are the times when we can look to someone we trust and who has what’s needed to take care of our problems for... Continue Reading →
A Gentle Whisper (1 Kings 19:9-18)
I find it fascinating to listen to the different ways that moviemakers represent the voice of God. For example, in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, when God speaks, he has a deep, booming, authoritative voice. In Bruce Almighty, Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of God has a warm, friendly, almost jovial tone. In Kevin Smith’s movie... Continue Reading →
A Shared Meal (Matthew 14:13-21)
A long-standing tradition in a lot of church communities is the shared lunch. Many of us will remember halls full of people with long tables overflowing with casseroles, sandwiches, and homemade pies, pasties and sausage rolls, followed by delicious cakes, slices and cream-filled desserts. They were times when people would connect, talk about their lives... Continue Reading →
Super-Conquerors (Romans 8:26-39)
The FIFA Football (or what we might call Soccer) World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The most recent World Cup began on 11th June and ran for 39 days involving teams from 48 nations. One hundred and four games were played in 16 cities across 3 countries with more... Continue Reading →
God’s Life-Giving Word (Isaiah 55:10-13)
Over the last few months, we have witnessed a transformation of the Barossa landscape. The hard, dry ground of summer has come alive with new growth as we have been blessed with better rain than we have had in recent years. It is amazing to see the change that good rain brings to the country... Continue Reading →
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace (Matthew 11:16-19,25-30)
When was the last time you learned something new? Some people find the idea of learning really difficult. It can bring up memories of long days at school, memorizing dates, facts and figures by rote, exercises that seemed totally unconnected with real life, or strict punishments if we stepped out of line. For others, learning... Continue Reading →
Standing With Jesus (Romans 6:12-23)
Sometimes when people play games or other team activities, they need to divide a larger group of people into two smaller teams. One way to do that is by using what is sometimes called a schoolyard pick. Two captains are chosen and they take turns in picking people from the larger group to be on... Continue Reading →
Acknowledging Jesus (Matthew 10:24-39)
As I drive around the Barossa, at times I see people who are driving towards me raise their hand to acknowledge me. It’s something I’ve often seen motorcycle riders do over the years. They often give each other a wave or a nod to express solidarity and camaraderie to others who share their passion for... Continue Reading →