Posts by toowoombacrc (Page 24)
Marriage Manifesto for Men
“Every couple of months it is worth drawing up a fresh husband policy. We can always benefit from a little sharpening of our marital calling, goals, and intentions. Lately, I have been thinking about responsibility.” Read more…
Spiritual Disciplines and the Sinkhole Syndrome
“You know the story. A man has been a believer in Christ for decades. To all outward appearances he’s a man of Christian faithfulness and integrity. He has maintained a reputation as a fine example of public and private faithfulness to the things of God for decades. Then, without warning, it all collapses into a sinkhole of sin. Everyone wonders how it could have happened so quickly. In most cases, it soon becomes known that—like most sinkholes—the problem didn’t develop overnight.”…
Parenting a Difficult Child
“I’ve heard many a parent say, “We’ve exhausted all options, all approaches, all forms of consequences… and nothing worked. I tried being calm; I tried consistent discipline; I tried appealing to their conscience and praying with them and for them. Nothing helped. Nothing changed.” What the parent means is that it did not produce the desired behaviour change or a visible heart change. The assumption is that, once again, the formula was applied, and it proved useless. But this is…
Are You Too Christian for Non-Christians?
“Separation from the world isn’t really so hard. One could suggest it is a preferred and more comfortable course than engagement with it, especially if your love of God is strong. It is easier in many ways to be not of the world than it is to be in it and not of it.” Read more…
Eliminating the Human
“In a world of impersonal automation, we form communities of real presence. In a world that is eliminating so many forms of human interaction, we promote it, embrace it, and invite others to experience it. The more technology continues down this path, the more the church will stand out in beautiful, living contrast.” Read more…
Margaret Court Vs Sensible Evangelicals
“Aptly named Aussie tennis legend Margaret Court’s outspoken public comments today against same sex marriage may have her opponents on the other side of the net seething. But it’s her doubles partner that I most concerned with – her fellow Christians who don’t necessarily want to be seen on the same side of the court as her. You see, one of the biggest fears among evangelical middle class Christians in these increasingly confusing and hostile times in the public square,…
Loving Your Annoying Family
“Church shouldn’t be a place where we go to hang out exclusively with our friends. Of course we will do that, but we also need to open our horizons to those other people sitting in our circle. We need to switch on our ‘family radar’ to locate those who are struggling, feeling like an outsider, lost, awkward. They may well be annoying—after all, nobody is as funny as we are, and they haven’t memorized our plans for the day—but that…
An Awkward Discussion
The way in which our sister Mae Bennetts prepared much of her thanksgiving service in advance reminded me of an article Rev. John Zuidema wrote recently. And I’d be very happy to talk with you about it over the coming weeks if you’d like to give this some thought together – Pastor Andrew Read the article…
6 Very Good Reasons to Consider Your Short Little Life
“Our lives are short. They are, in the words of the author of Ecclesiastes, little more than vapour, dust blown by the wind. Yet the very thought that could dismay or depress you, can also motivate you. Here are some blessings that will be yours when you pause to consider your short little life.” Read more…
Creating a Culture of Hospitality
Church doesn’t just happen on Sunday morning and Wednesday nights. We all know that. In our busy and self-isolating culture, we have to make intentional, personal contact with each other if we want to be a real community. But how do we do it? Let me suggest one centuries-old method: invite people over. Read more…