The FIFA Football (or what we might call Soccer) World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The most recent World Cup began on 11th June and ran for 39 days involving teams from 48 nations. One hundred and four games were played in 16 cities across 3 countries with more... Continue Reading →
Standing With Jesus (Romans 6:12-23)
Sometimes when people play games or other team activities, they need to divide a larger group of people into two smaller teams. One way to do that is by using what is sometimes called a schoolyard pick. Two captains are chosen and they take turns in picking people from the larger group to be on... Continue Reading →
Finding Hope Under Pressure (Romans 5:1-8)
In 1981, two big names in the popular music scene of that time collaborated to write a song that described the stresses of life a lot of people were facing. Under Pressure, written and performed by the band Queen and solo artist David Bowie, became a big hit for the musicians. Its lyrics resonated with... Continue Reading →
Tongues (Acts 2:1-21)
In our Bible readings over the last couple of weeks, we have been hearing Jesus promise his disciples to send them the Holy Spirit. Two weeks ago, in John 14:15-21 Jesus told them, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit,... Continue Reading →
An Unknown God (Acts 17:22-31)
After Paul’s dramatic conversion to the Christian faith on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-31), he spent the rest of his life traveling around the Eastern Mediterranean Sea spreading the gospel, establishing new churches and encouraging young Christian communities. In what is referred to as his Second Missionary Journey, which we can read about in... 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 →
Given, Not Earned (Romans 4:1-5,13-17)
Sometimes we can hope for things in life, even though we might never earn enough to own them for ourselves For example, in recent years the price of housing has increased so much that many people are saying that younger generations won’t earn enough to afford buying their own home. There might also be other... Continue Reading →
Covering Grace (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7)
In our Transfiguration Sunday message last week, we heard the story of Jesus going up a mountain with Peter, James and John in Matthew 17:1-9. His appearance was changed to reveal his heavenly glory, and the voice of God spoke these words to Jesus’ disciples: “This is my dearly loved Son who brings me great... 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 →