Learning to follow Jesus in 21st Century Australia
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
There are a lot of good things that come with living in a small town. People can know each other well and have relationships that go back a long way. There can be a strong sense of community as people do things together, engage in similar activities and participate in civic events. When people have... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Pastor Eugene Online 