When we drive around the Barossa Valley it’s easy to tell when we leave one region and enter another. Every town has a sign to welcome people and then farewell us when we leave. We can tell when we move from one local council area to another because more signs let us know when we... Continue Reading →
Unstained Religion (James 1:17-27)
The word ‘religion’ can mean lots of different things. For example, when people say they aren’t religious, it can mean that they don’t attend church services. An increasing number of people talk about being ‘spiritual but not religious’ which can mean that they believe in something but aren’t part of a religious organisation. People can... Continue Reading →
A Hearing Heart (1 Kings 2:10-12,3:3-14)
If God offered to give you anything, what would you ask for? An offer like this can present us with almost endless possibilities. We could ask for our mortgage to be paid off, to travel around Australia or the world, or a holiday home where we can spend winters in a warmer climate. Or we... Continue Reading →
The Way of Love (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)
There are a lot of things we can learn from YouTube. Since it was launched in 2005 it has become the world’s second-biggest search engine behind Google with more than 2.7 billion users every month. If we want to learn how to sew on a button, change a tap washer, or even restore a tractor,... Continue Reading →
Knowing Christ’s Love (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Australia is a big country. Anyone who has looked at a map of the world will notice the land down under, situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, occupying a significant portion of the face of the earth. We are comparable to the sizes of Europe and the USA, and while we are smaller than... Continue Reading →
The Grace of Giving (2 Corinthians 8:7-15)
Every week Australians spend millions of dollars on lottery tickets. Their hope is that they will pick the winning numbers and take home the first prize of many millions of dollars. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you won that amount of money? Would you pay off the mortgage, travel the... Continue Reading →
Inside (1 Samuel 15:34-16:13)
When people shop at the supermarket, we can choose products for a range of reasons. We might look for the least expensive items, products that are made in Australia or from fair trade companies, the best value, or maybe better-quality products no matter what the cost. Could you imagine shopping at a supermarket and only... Continue Reading →
God’s Commands (Exodus 20:1-17)
Just about everything we do has rules. Every game we play has a set of rules to follow, whether it’s cards, chess, football, or any kind of sport else. We need to learn and follow the rules of the road when we drive so everyone can be as safe as possible. Our nation is governed... Continue Reading →
Building Up Love (1 Corinthians 8:1-13)
A lot of people like to celebrate Australia Day with a barbecue. Usually that means cooking sausages, lamb chops, possibly some prawns or bacon and eggs if it’s a breakfast event, or other meat products on the barbecue before sharing them with family and friends. If you enjoy eating meat, could you imagine going to... Continue Reading →
One More Year (Luke 13:6-9)
You probably don’t need to be a fig farmer to connect with what’s happening in the Parable of the Fig Tree which Jesus tells in Luke 13:6-9. Anyone who has had limited success in cultivating plants can probably identify with the frustration of the person who came looking for figs but didn’t find any for... Continue Reading →