Learning to follow Jesus in 21st Century Australia
Sometimes in movies, TV shows or cartoons, a character in a story will have a sudden realization, idea or inspiration. These moments can often be represented by a lightbulb appearing over the character’s head. The lightbulb indicates that the character has worked something out, come up with a new solution to a problem, or realised... 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 →
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 →
In 1974, a Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor named Ernö Rubik invented a puzzle which has challenged and frustrated people ever since. If you’ve never seen a Rubik’s Cube, it is a small cube with nine tiles on each face. When you buy a Rubiks’ Cube, the tiles on each face are the same colour... Continue Reading →
Whenever we look at another person or a group of people, we can see them in different ways. For example, we might see a group of supporters for a sporting team in a positive way, such as people who share our passion for a sport or club, or more negatively, even maybe as the enemy,... Continue Reading →
Next weekend, the second weekend in June, will be a long weekend for most Australians to celebrate the birthday of King Charles III. Whatever our thoughts might be about the monarchy, most of us will probably be happy about the public holiday as it gives us an extra day to relax and do something enjoyable... Continue Reading →
What would you do if your employer handed a large amount of money over to you and asked you to look after it for them? There are so many things we could do with that money! For example, we might put it in a long-term savings account and earn a reasonable amount of interest. Or,... Continue Reading →
Pastor Eugene Online 