The Lord’s Supper — Uniting in fellowship

From Phillip Jensen –

“One of the longest standing debates amongst Christians is, strangely, about one of our strongest illustrations of unity. For the Lord’s Supper is meant to be an expression of our unity in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ as we proclaim his resurrection. Yet as long ago as 1 Corinthians was first written, we find Christians divided at this event to such an extent that Paul declared that what they did was not the Lord’s Supper.

So what is the Lord’s Supper about, and what were they doing that so disqualified them from celebrating it?

It is an interesting and defining passage on this important activity which is so central to church life.”

– Peter and Phillip discuss in the latest episode of Two Ways News.

Have you ever felt like an outsider?

“As someone who is visibly not from an Anglo-Celtic ethnic background, I am often asked where I am from and when I arrived in Australia.

I do not mind talking about this – I welcome seeing the bemused looks on people’s faces when I describe my first day at school in Australia. All the children with colourful hair coming and saying ‘Hi’ (which I could not respond to – I only knew three English words at that point: ‘Yes’, ‘No’ and ‘Hello’). Do not get me started on how disorienting it was to be in a carpeted classroom with everyone eating sandwiches for lunch!

From these experiences, being an outsider, or foreign, is a feeling that is very familiar to me.…”

– Susan An, Dean of Women at Moore College, writes of being an outsider, and reminds us of ultimate identity and belonging.

Photo: Moore College.

Plan a Sermon Series — on Proverbs

From Moore Theological College –

“Join us for a day of expert teaching and planning on the book of Proverbs. Dr Dan Wu is a lecturer at Moore Theological College and spoke from Proverbs at CMS Summer School, 2026. Dan will work closely with individuals and staff teams to help them prepare a future sermon series.

Dan will spend the morning exploring the theology and overall message of Proverbs as well as considering the issues that arise from the book. The afternoon will provide time, space and resources for collaborative work preparing your sermon series, with College Library resources being made available. Each day will finish with an opportunity to share your sermon series with other participants and ask our lecturers any follow-up questions.”

– Details at the College website.

How to preach sermons that change lives — The Pastor’s Heart

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“Do our sermons actually land in the lives of the people in front of us?

Do they help anxious believers, tired parents, proud leaders, compromised Christians or sceptical guests to hear, trust and obey the living Word of God?

Richard Coekin says application is part of faithful preaching itself.

But application has dangers, it might come not really from the text, or could be overly directive. Or we could give accurate lectures that fail to shepherd the church.

Richard Coekin leads Reach UK.  Richard has just written ‘Apply the Word: A Practical Guide to Preaching with Application.’”

– Watch here.

Men and Women in Church

From Phillip Jensen –

“Dear friends,

This episode of Two Ways News brings us to one of the most controversial passages of the Bible. Since the Sexual Revolution and feminist movement of the late 20th century, the roles of men and women have been fiercely debated in our society. Within the church, this topic has been contested with the main focus being on the various ministries of men and women.

So when we come to 1 Corinthians 11 and read of women praying and prophesying, our debaters are alerted to possible data for discussion. But when it turns to the head covering of women, the issues brought up are very complicated. I doubt that our discussion here will be the last word or even a significant turning point in the debate. But I hope that, irrespective of the debate, we may make 1 Corinthians 11 a little clearer.

By the way, I recently spoke on Prophecy Today at the Kings Birthday Conference. You can listen to the recordings of that conference at phillipjensen.com.

Yours,

Phillip.”

– Hear Phillip and Peter’s latest discussion at Two Ways News,

A Contested Space

David Cook writes at The Expository Preaching Trust –

“Dr Brendan Murphy was the Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth during most of the Covid crisis.

Dr Murphy’s presence at the many press conferences was quietly reassuring.

It was a surprise, then, that at a Senate Estimates hearing, when he was asked, ‘Dr Murphy, what is a woman?’ he could not reply, saying that that was a highly contested area!

In my lifetime different areas of Christian truth have aptly matched the needs of the time; in the ’60s it was the authority of Scripture; in the ’70s it was the person and work of the Holy Spirit; in the ’80s and ’90s, I remember hearing John Stott say that if he were to begin parish ministry at that time, he would spend the first year preaching on the doctrine of the Church.

These are days of gender fluidity and identity issues wherein ‘what is a woman’ is a contested area. …”

– Read it all here.

And note that – if you are quick – you might be able to secure the last spot available at the Expository Preaching Trust’s annual Preaching Workshop at Drummoyne, 4th-6th August.

Church attenders do better — The Pastor’s Heart

From The Pastor’s Heart this week –

“New global research associated with Harvard University suggests that people who regularly attend church tend to do better in life than people who do not.

The Global Flourishing Study is following more than 200,000 people across 22 countries and tracking not only happiness, but meaning and purpose, relationships, character, mental and physical health, life satisfaction and material stability.

But if churches are helping people flourish, what is happening to the pastors who lead them? Senior pastors carry grief, crises, expectations and organisational responsibility that most people never see. A church may appear to be growing and successful while its pastor is quietly being depleted.

And how do we know whether a church itself is healthy?

Valerie Ling joins us from the Center for Effective Serving to explore richer ways of recognising flourishing in pastors, churches and the communities they serve.”

– Watch here.

Fellowship in the Gospel — Eating for the other’s salvation

From Phillip Jensen –

“We come at last to what appears to be the end of the discussion, which started in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians on food offered to idols.

Here, with the background of thinking about the existence of idols in chapter 8, the priority of other people’s salvation in chapter 9, and then the prophetic warning against all idolatry in the first half of chapter 10, we finally reach the concluding discussion on food offered to idols.

Whether in the idol temple at the time of offering, buying meat already so offered, or eating the meat in somebody’s home, the question of our participation is critical.

I hope you profit from this discussion on Christian freedom and responsibility.”

– An important episode with Phillip and Peter Jensen. At Two Ways News.

Why (and how) I teach my kids to say sorry

From The Australian Church Record –

“If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last few years, you might have come across the current parenting advice never to make your child say sorry. This approach is broadly consistent with the values of authenticity, consent and innate morality that underpin modern child-rearing. It comes from a place of wanting to help children understand why their actions matter, rather than simply requiring outward compliance.

There is much in this instinct that Christians can appreciate. Most parents want their children to grow into people who are genuinely compassionate, who take responsibility for their actions, and who seek reconciliation because they mean it—not merely because they have been told to do so. …”

– Leah shares these helpful ideas.

In the Library: Books and Reading with Peter Adam

The Gospel Coalition Australia has republished this 2016 interview with Peter Adam on reading and Christian books –

“I remember my first day at Sunday School at the age of 11. The teacher told us that God did not like new clean Bibles: he much preferred Bibles which looked well-used. So when I got home I got out my new Bible, scribbled in the margins, and loosened some pages. Surely God would approve! …”

– Read it here.

The Preacher as an Artist?

“Recently, my wife and I, along with four hundred residents of Anglicare, Castle Hill were entertained with a delightful rendition of classical music from Brahms, Schubert, Chopin and Prokofiev by two artists of the highest quality – Richard Tognetti (violin) and Constantin Shamray (piano). It was a joyous occasion and in response the audience gave full rein to their appreciation.

Nevertheless, I find that while listening to pleasure-giving music my mind wanders. …”

– David Palmer writes to encourage preachers in their communicating of God’s word. At AP, the Australian Presbyterian journal.

This is the Christ — new from Emu Music

“This is the Christ” is the latest release from Emu Music. It’s the second single from their forthcoming EP ‘Just As He Said’.

“We wanted something anthemic that the whole church could sing together, capturing Paul’s heart in Colossians 1. ‘He, Christ, is the one we proclaim’. That line became the anchor for the whole song. Whether we’re leading church, writing songs, or just talking with a friend, our message never changes. It’s all about Jesus.

Our hope is that this song helps people see and delight in his beauty and power. May we never grow tired of proclaiming him.’ – Liv Chapman & James McDonald.

– Watch here.

Audio file and sheet music is available at this link.

Five things to love about the Mark Drama

“This year I’ve been involved with the national committee for the Mark Drama – or as we call it in France, Marc L’Expérience (MLE). It’s been a year of transition and learning as I take over coordinating the committee and all projects for MLE in France, as well as finishing my training to be a director.  

MLE is a theatrical presentation of Mark’s Gospel. It’s performed all over the world, including in Australia. In France, MLE is coordinated through the GBU student groups, though we also help local churches put on performances. …”

– Karina Brabham, who serves with CMS in Poitiers, France, shares the blessings of the Mark Drama. At the CMS Australia website.

Photo: The first performance by the Strasbourg students. CMS photo.

How AI makes us Sovereign Slaves

“Artificial intelligence may or may not be coming for our jobs, but it’s certainly coming for our anthropology.

AI promises us the status of a monarch, with swarms of agents bowing before us and saying, ‘Your prompt is my command.’ And we’re all too familiar with the allure of chatbots, which affirm our every whim and indulge our every appetite.

AI will write your email, plan your lesson, draft your sermon, design your logo, summarize your book, tickle your pride, indulge your vices, and stroke your ego. We’re all monarchs now. What’s not to like?

But the more closely we look, the stranger the story becomes. The tool that promises to make us sovereigns is also quietly making us slaves. …”

– Chris Watkin writes at The Gospel Coalition.

An important topic deserving of wide consideration. (You can also hear him read the article – at the same link.)

Photo: Chris Watkins delivering the New College Lectures in 2023.

Pastoral heartbreak: young adults leaving evangelicalism for Orthodoxy and Catholicism

From The Pastor’s Heart – Pastoral heartbreak: young adults leaving evangelicalism for Orthodoxy and Catholicism and what to do about it, with John Diacos.

“On the surface, some are drawn by beauty, history, liturgy, mystery, masculinity, discipline and Orthodoxy’s claim to be the original church.

But John Diacos says beneath many of the surface attractions lies something much more spiritually dangerous.

John was converted from Orthodoxy to a clear faith in Jesus Christ 50 years ago, has served Jesus for decades in Melbourne and is the author of Certainty for Life: An Invitation for Those in Eastern Orthodoxy.

We ask: Why are evangelicals leaving for Orthodoxy? What is Orthodoxy offering that some evangelical churches seem not to offer? Where is Orthodoxy right in its critique of us? Where is it wrong? And what should pastors do when someone in our church starts drifting?”

– Watch it here.

Related:

Targeted and Engaged Evangelism to the Eastern Orthodox – The Gospel Coalition Australia.

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