Why Are There So Many Versions of the Bible?
“Why are there so many different translations of the Bible? Go into any Christian bookstore, and you can find an entire shelf—sometimes an entire section!—of different Bible translations. There’s the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), and the Revised Standard Version (RSV). There’s the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New Living Translation (NLT) and the New International Version (NIV). And then, to top it all off, many of…
Please, Talk to the New Person
“I don’t consider myself shy, but I’m not extroverted enough to have the courage to approach a group of strangers at a party. I looked around for any other woman who was by herself, because I would have been brave enough to talk to her. But there were none. I guess I was hoping that someone would recognise me as new and come up and introduce herself. No one did.” Read more…
Remembering our unshakable God
“I have taken to listening to the daily COVID updates. I’ve watched the numbers of infected rise slowly from zero to more and more again. Our safe world in Sydney has been shaken and we have retreated to lockdown to curb the spread. I have found it unsettling watching regular news updates and hearing people speak of what the Government could be doing or should be doing or looking for someone to blame for this recent outbreak. Last year’s strange,…
7 Things Your Church Needs From You
“Not too long ago I had the opportunity to speak to a gathering of young adults from several churches across our city. I chose to speak about how any Christian (not only young adults) can make a church better and stronger. Here are some of the things I came up with: 7 things your church needs from you.” Read more…
Men, Are You Submissive?
“Submission.Of all the words in the Bible, this may be one of the least popular. After all, our cultural moment is not one that values a posture of submission to authorities. On the contrary, our world insists we should challenge and critique those over us.” Read more…
Leaving a Legacy of Bible Reading
“I have had many opportunities in my life where I woke up and didn’t read Scripture. Instead, I got showered, dressed, ate something, and then ran out the door to start my day. But as I’ve grown a little older and become responsible for the lives around me, I’ve learned that those mornings of quiet process with God’s truth are what set me in motion to love well during my day. And when I wake up late or miss the…
Sing when you’re losing
“The gathered church sings. That’s what we do. It’s not the only thing we do, but it is what we do.For millennia, since song joined sacrifices in Israel’s worship at the dedication of Jerusalem’s Temple in David and Solomon’s liturgical reforms, the people of God have sung. In innumerable styles, with words sublimely profound and wonderfully plain, we have sung and offered our sacrifice of praise.It’s who we are.We sing to worship the Lord, we sing to bolster one another,…
Think Little
“Thinking Little isn’t an attempt to shrink and narrow our horizons; it’s not a strategic withdrawal. Nor is it an attempt to glorify little churches or excuse ourselves when we play it safe and avoid risk. Rather, it’s a strategy for a certain kind of growth. When we Think Little, we’re attempting to build something solid and real, rather than fake. It’s an attempt to build with gold, silver and precious stones, rather than wood, hay, and stubble (1 Cor…
There is No Age Limit for Kingdom Work
“Older saints, please press on. You have walked the path of faith longer than us newbies, and although sin still sways your ways and thoughts, your many small victories of faith can greatly encourage us young wanderers. There is nothing wrong with being young (1 Timothy 4:12), but there is nothing wrong with being old, either. God isn’t alarmed by your aches and pains or lack of energy. Plus, we younger Christians need you more than we let on. Don’t…
God Doesn’t Need Us to Evangelise, But He Wants us to Anyway
“It’s kind of like when my dad used to let me ‘help’ him as a child fix the car. He didn’t need my help. In fact, my help probably slowed everything down and made things a bit messier. But the things I did were definitely some sort of help. I was definitely involved in the work. And the reason my dad included me was to help me grow and so that I could spend some time with him. He didn’t…