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 →
Stand Fast, Hold Tight (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17)
One game that is often played at church picnics or school sports days is a tug-of-war. Two teams of people engage in a competition of strength and persistence as they dig their feet into the ground beneath them, hold on tight to the rope in front of them, and pull with all their strength against... Continue Reading →
Justified (Romans 3:19-28)
When was the last time you were caught doing something wrong? Some of us might find it difficult to remember a time when that happened. That could be because either we rarely do anything wrong, or we might be good at not getting caught. Others of us, however, might find it a bit easier. Maybe... 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 →
A Trustworthy Saying (1 Timothy 1:12-17)
What makes a saying trustworthy? The English language has a huge range of sayings that people use in various situations. We can say things like, ‘Many hands make light work’, ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn’, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, and ‘Easy come, easy go’ for example. However often we might use... Continue Reading →
Heroes of Faith (Hebrews 11:29-12:2)
Just over a week ago some of the primary-school aged young people from our church were involved in their school’s concert. They did an amazing job showing incredible dance skills to songs from a range of popular musicals. Each part of the performance was received with massive applause from a packed theatre full of relatives... Continue Reading →
A Resurrection Mindset (Colossians 3:1-11)
There are lots of things that we can “set”. For example, if we were making jelly, it will take time to set. It also takes time for concrete to set and become hard. We can set our clocks and watches to the correct time. We can also play a set of tennis or we can... Continue Reading →
Faith-Filled Prayer (Luke 11:1-13)
An employment company is currently running a couple of advertisements which feature fictional characters who look for their perfect jobs on the company’s app. One of these characters is Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. She is working in a supermarket but finds what sounds like the perfect job for her by using the company... Continue Reading →
The Church: Christ’s Body (Colossians 1:15-28)
This Sunday St Peter’s is celebrating the 125th anniversary of their church building. For one hundred and twenty-five years God’s people have gathered in that place to hear the good news of Jesus, to welcome people into the family of God through baptism, and to receive the body and blood of our crucified and risen... Continue Reading →
Too Easy (2 Kings 5:1-14)
Some Australian capital cities are built on beautiful waterways. Sydney Harbour is rated as one of the most picturesque harbours in the world. Perth stands on the beautiful Swan River. The Brisbane River snakes around the Queensland capital and provides stunning views of its high-rise offices, apartment buildings and parklands. However, our own Torrens River... Continue Reading →