Building a house doesn’t happen by accident. A huge amount of planning needs to go into constructing a house, or any sort of building, if it is to serve its purpose and provide a suitable dwelling for the people who will live there. From the footings to the frame, the building materials, colours, internal fittings... Continue Reading →
Grace Comes Down (Philippians 2:5-11)
A lot of Australians are excited that the new AFL season has started! For the next six months or so, eighteen teams will play each other until only two are left to battle for the Premiership Cup on the last Saturday in September. During the whole season, players, coaching staff and supporters will all have... Continue Reading →
People of Light (Ephesians 5:8-14)
We all enjoy the benefits of light – both natural light from the sun and artificial light generated by electricity – each and every day. Light helps us to see where we’re going so we don’t bump into things or get lost. Sunlight helps us to stay warm and powers the solar panels on the... Continue Reading →
Shining Lights (Matthew 5:13-20)
One of the greatest blessings of the modern world would need to be the electric light. We have them in every room of our homes and workplaces. We have lights on our cars and motorcycles, in our sheds, illuminating the streets of our towns, and even on our mobile phones. We can take these lights... Continue Reading →
Cheerful Giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
When I was a young boy in Sunday School, we were given Bible verses to learn each week. One of these was, “God loves a cheerful giver” from 2 Corinthians 9:7. At the time I thought it meant that we were supposed to give to others and be happy about it. This interpretation might have... Continue Reading →
Change (Matthew 4:12-23)
Someone once said that the only constant thing in life is change. If we look at the world around us, we can see a lot that supports that idea. The moon has different phases, seasons change through the year, and plants, animals, and all living things grow, develop and mature. God has built in change... Continue Reading →
Not Ashamed (Hebrews 2:10-18)
Christmas is a time of the year when a lot of families and extended families make the effort to gather together for a meal. These family gatherings can be a lot of fun as we catch up with relatives that we might not have seen for a while. We can share what we’ve been up... Continue Reading →
Harmony (Romans 15:4-13)
As we move towards Christmas, we might be hearing a lot of Christmas songs and carols. They can be ancient carols through to modern songs, sung by choirs, rock bands or vocalists in a wide variety of musical styles. One musical group with a pretty large following that performs Christmas music is called Pentatonix. Pentatonix... Continue Reading →
A Beautiful Temple (Luke 21:5-19)
Many of us might be able to understand what Jesus’ disciples were thinking in the opening verses of this week’s Gospel reading, Luke 21:5-19. They were walking with Jesus through the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, pointing out and marvelling at its ‘majestic stonework … and the memorial decorations on the walls’ (v5 NLT). Instead of... Continue Reading →
A Faith-Filled Investment (Jeremiah 32:1-3a,6-15)
Life was looking hopeless to Jeremiah in this week’s Old Testament reading, Jeremiah 32:1-3a,6-15. He was under arrest for speaking God’s word to his people. King Hezekiah didn’t like what Jeremiah was saying and so put him in prison. At the same time, the mighty and all-conquering Babylonian army was camped outside the walls of... Continue Reading →