Church as a community of people

August 13th, 2013

I am interested in effective communication, not as an end in itself, but because if we want to make disciples, we need to train and equip each other effectively. And for this, sermons just don’t cut it.

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Mungo Man and the first inhabitants of Australia

August 7th, 2013

Long before European invaders and settlers arrived in Australia in 1788, the aboriginal people had occupied this continent and developed a culture and lifestyle that could sustain them in some harsh environments. A fascinating recent ABC documentary, First Footprints, gave a deeper insight into the lives of these pioneers.

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Universalism is the new black?

July 31st, 2013

Recently I posted on Rob Bell and some of the ways he gets up the noses of many conventional christians. One of the biggest furores was caused by his book, Love Wins, which hinted at universalism – that everyone, regardless of belief now, would turn to God in the next life. Has universalism got a […]

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Witches, Burning Man, theremins, and even a pirate!

July 27th, 2013

Although I am rather straight and conservative, I have always appreciated those who are creative, alternative and ‘out there’. Recently I came across (on the web) someone who is all of those, and more. And loves Jesus too!

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Rob Bell: heretic, visionary, or …..?

July 19th, 2013

I have blogged about Rob Bell before (Hell and Rob Bell), but he hardly needs any introduction. After the President, he may be the person many conservative christians in the US most “love to hate”. I have been checking out a few of his videos lately …..

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Does the gospel include caring for others?

July 14th, 2013

Another way in which Christianity is changing is the number of churches that are getting involved in their local communities, offering help and counselling services to those who need them and finding ways to make their community a better and more caring place. We can learn from three different churches in three different continents.

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How can the kingdom of God be good news to those who don’t believe?

July 8th, 2013

Last post I examined how Jesus said he came to establish the kingdom of God on earth, and that was good news for us. But how can this be good news for those who don’t believe? Aren’t they totally missing out?

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The gospel = the good news, right?

July 2nd, 2013

We all know what the gospel is, don’t we, even though we might express it slightly differently? You’re a sinner (so am I), Jesus died to save you from your sins, now you can go to heaven instead of hell. That’s good news, and that’s what “gospel” means. Trouble is, that’s not exactly what the […]

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Grief ….. shame ….. and anger

June 24th, 2013

Yesterday I went to “A Christian Service of Commemoration for Those Lost at Sea”. It was a surprisingly moving experience for me.

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Two films about Australia's boat refugees

June 20th, 2013

Persecution and death threats in their home countries lead many Afghanis, Sri Lankans and others to seek to enter Australia as refugees. Many attempt the often perilous journey to Australia by crowded boat. Many die in the attempt, but most are found to be genuine refugees. We can assimilate these people without too much difficulty, […]

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A list of all blog posts, in reverse chronological order, is on the Blog archive page.