Learning to follow Jesus in 21st Century Australia
Here is a summary of my messages over the Easter weekend as we continue to listen for God’s grace in his Word… Maundy Thursday: ‘Meals of Grace’ (Exodus 12:1-4,11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) The Easter long weekend is a time when a lot of people spend time with family. For some, it might mean a camping... Continue Reading →
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 →
Who do you listen to? We are surrounded by a lot of voices saying different things to us. We all have people in our lives, such as family members, friends, teachers, employers or colleagues, who say various things to us or about us. There are voices in the media that are constantly communicating different messages... 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 →
When we go shopping for meat at our local butcher or supermarket, there is usually a range of different meats that we can purchase. For example, we can buy beef, pork or bacon, chicken, or even kangaroo to eat. For a long time, the classic Aussie meat has been lamb. Probably most of us at... Continue Reading →
Australia was horrified last Sunday evening when news services reported a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Two men opened fire on members of the Jewish community as they observed the start of Hanukkah, a festival which celebrates the victory of light over darkness. The darkness of sin and evil spread over Bondi that... 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 →
The year was about 556BC. It had been just over 30 years since the armies of the Babylonian Empire had invaded Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and taken the Jewish people into exile. For thirty years, God’s people had lived in a foreign land under the oppression of a military dictatorship and dreamed of God restoring them... Continue Reading →
Pastor Eugene Online 