Moore in the Word podcast

Posted on July 6, 2025
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Here’a another great resource from Moore College.

If you’ve missed it, so far there are 334 (!) episodes online for your encouragement and edification.

See what’s available –

Christian Songwriting: A Conversation with Greg Cooper

Posted on July 5, 2025
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At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Mikey Lynch interviews Greg Cooper in Melbourne.

Many will remember Greg as a member of Garage Hymnal and his beautiful songs such as ‘Hear our Prayer’.

“This extended interview is in two parts. First, Mikey discusses general principles with Greg about congregational songwriting, personal songwriting and the place of art and beauty in the Christian life. Second, Greg breaks down the composition and recording of one song—’The Same God’—in detail, drawing out general songwriting principles along the way.’”

– Listen here.

Bishop of Tasmania’s 2025 Synod Presidential Address

Posted on July 4, 2025
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Bishop Richard Condie gave this Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania, meeting in Launceston on 13 and 14 June 2025 –

“ You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

What an encouragement to us as we commence our Synod to know we are joined together as citizens with God’s people, as brothers and sisters in his household, and indwelt by the Spirit of God himself, gathered around Jesus as our cornerstone, our guide and the reference point for all that we do. …”

– Bishop Condie shares the latest encouraging developments in the Diocese of Tasmania.

Food for your prayers.

Image: Richard Condie in a Hope25 message for the Diocese of Bathurst.

Prisoners seek Prayer

Posted on July 3, 2025
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From the Diocese of North West Australia:

“Inmates at Greenough Prison are turning to the chaplain for prayer and encouragement.

Geraldton Assistant Minister Mal Walker has begun filling in as prison chaplain two days a week and says the experience has shown him God’s immense love for people.…”

– This and other matters for prayer and thanksgiving on the website of the DNWA.

Outprinting the Prosperity Gospel in Southern Africa

Posted on July 3, 2025
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“Seven years ago, Tommie van der Walt went to his elders with an idea.

‘I wanted to train pastors,’ he said. He especially wanted to train pastors in impoverished and underresourced areas. And he wanted to do it, in large part, by using books.

It sounds like the beginning of a great plan. Van der Walt lives in Africa, which is overrun with syncretism and the prosperity gospel. The need to train pastors is obvious.

But relying on books wasn’t as intuitive. First, getting books to Africa is prohibitively expensive. The shipping takes months. And if you do manage to get books there, Africa’s oral tradition and lower literacy ratesmean they’re likely to sit unread.

Not only that, but somebody else had beaten him to it.

‘Guys like Joel Osteen pay for imports or for printing,’ van der Walt said. It’s a financial strategy: ‘They pay for their resources to be dirt cheap, because they know if you read their books or see them on TV, you’ll give them money.’

It’s working—over the last 10 years, the prevalence of the prosperity gospel has been ‘getting worse,’ says pastor and TGC Africa Council member Conrad Mbewe. ‘One reason is that there is very little antidote for it.’…”

– A fascinating story of God’s grace at work – from Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra at The Gospel Coalition.

Photo: Gospel Coalition.

Preaching to Men

Posted on July 2, 2025
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David Cook:

“This year I have been preaching at Mens’ days at churches here in Sydney.

Domestic violence is dominated by men; there is growing focus on ‘toxic’ men’s culture; suicide rates are dominated by men at a rate of 3 to 1; mens’ mental health is an area of growing need. Men and true masculinity are under pressure.

Male models, patterning healthy masculinity are scarce in our schools and single parent families are mostly mothered families.

Two areas needing special attention are:

How can I be a better man?

Where can I find purpose and meaning in life?

In every Gideon’s Bible, the ‘Where to look when..’ page is dominated by references to …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook writes about true manhood, purpose and meaning in life.

Image: A 2024 photo of Armidale’s Bishop Rod Chiswell with David Cook.

Humility and Peace: the relationship between the Bible and science

Posted on July 2, 2025
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“There are understandings/interpretations of the Bible that conflict with the conclusions of modern, empirical research – where science and the Bible are thought to be giving competing explanations of the same event or concept.

One way of reading the Bible leads to the conclusion that the Earth is 6000 years old while your local science department will tell you it is more like 4.5 billion years old.

Were human beings created in an instant from dust, or over billions of years through a gradual, meandering evolutionary process?

Was there a moment in our historical timeline at the curse of God on the sin of Adam and Eve when the physical nature of our universe changed?

Were there no volcanoes or earthquakes or floods or bushfires before the curse, or has the universe operated on the same physical principles since its creation, as the conclusions of mainstream geology and astronomy suggest?

Dr Lewis Jones is an astrophysicist from North Carolina, who moved to Sydney to do post doctoral research. Lewis is now director of the Simeon Network, the postgraduate and academic arm of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students.”

– Watch or listen here.

Men and Women: Re-thinking the reality, role and differences.

Posted on July 1, 2025
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From Phillip Jensen at Two Ways News:

“As we come to the end of Genesis Chapter 2, we open up some of the biggest topics for debate, happiness and unhappiness in humanity today. Re-thinking marriage has been part of our social dialogue since the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s. Re-thinking the reality and role of men and women, their sexual differences and similarities has caused great turmoil in society.

I’m sure you will find our discussion in this episode gives more food for thought and ammunition for debate.”

– Hear the latest illuminating chat with Phillip and Peter Jensen.

Thinking about the Occult — Church Society podcast

Posted on June 30, 2025
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In the latest Church Society podcast, Tony Cannon asks Kirsten Birkett about the dangers and fascination of the occult, and what the Bible says about it.

Biblical and pastorally helpful.
31 minutes.

In peace I will lie down and sleep

Posted on June 30, 2025
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“It was another night of lying on the floor in the dark, my arm raised awkwardly through the cot so my daughter could hold my hand against her face, her favourite (and seemingly only) way to fall asleep.

How many minutes had we been like this now? Five? Ten? Twenty? You start to lose track of time when lying still for so long, night after night after night, kept awake only by the ache in my hips reminding me of the need to do more exercise. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Kat Cowell ponders the Lord’s love, power and presence.

Evangelism for Introverts and other Encouragement

Posted on June 29, 2025
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“Street vendors fascinate me. I’ve refused them time without number — but it hasn’t been personal. Deep down, I admire them. I wish I were more like them.

They seem unafflicted with the fear of man. They step into the middle of the walkway, make eye contact, smile, and then thrust their perfumes or cellphone covers upon you. They know we don’t want to hear, yet they speak anyway. One woman snared me recently with her heavy accent. She lifted her voice, and when she saw me pause, she knew she had me. She smelled fear. Before I knew what had happened, my children held massive balloons in their hands and toys in their arms, and she was asking them which ones they liked best. She was insistent that I hear her message.

Why don’t I share the gospel like that?…”

– At Desiring God, Greg Morse writes to encourage us to speak the news people need to hear.

The Forgotten Evangelists: Mobilizing Ordinary Members in Everyday Evangelism – 9Marks.

“Something concerning is happening in many faithful churches today. The gospel is proclaimed from the pulpit. Prayers are lifted. Mission trips are put into the budget and scheduled for the year. And yet week after week, many church members fail to evangelize the lost.

It’s not usually because they don’t believe in evangelism. I would bet that most church members genuinely want their friends and neighbors to know Christ. But when it comes to speaking up, they freeze.

What’s holding them back? …”

Alternative Anglican Ordinations: seven South African deacons

Posted on June 28, 2025
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Law and Religion UK introduces a guest post on recent events in London:

“Seven lay ministers from dioceses across the Church of England were ordained in May 2025 by a visiting Anglican bishop from South Africa.

In this guest post, Andrew Atherstone provides the first report of this event, based on interviews with several of the leading participants.

‘On Wednesday 21 May 2025, the Archbishop of York received notification from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH SA) of their plans to ordain “missionary clergy” for ministry in England.

“A group of churches from various Church of England dioceses”, declared Bishop Martin Morrison from Gauteng, “have approached us with a request: that we consider ordaining a number of emerging leaders, all of whom are appropriately selected and theologically trained.” Following the commendation of the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) in December 2023 by the Church of England’s House of Bishops, these young leaders found themselves unable “in good conscience” to pursue ordination through the normal channels, and their congregations were deeply concerned that “no clear or lasting pastoral provision has yet been made”, especially in terms of “legal and permanent structural protections or future ministry pathways”.

Therefore, Bishop Morrison explained to the Archbishop, REACH SA had decided to accede to their request for ordination. He emphasised: “This decision has been made with the aim of sustaining and advancing faithful Anglican evangelical witness and to ensure we do not lose a generation of gifted gospel workers to ordained ministry.”

Morrison’s letter was copied to the Bishop of London (in the absence of an Archbishop of Canterbury) and to the Bishop of Leicester (lead bishop of the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) project until his sudden resignation in early June). …’ ”

– Read the full report here. (Paragraph breaks added for clarity.)

Welsh Primate resigns in Cathedral leadership scandal

Posted on June 28, 2025
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“The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev. Andrew John, has announced his immediate resignation following a motion of no confidence passed by the Church in Wales’ Representative Body – the province’s trustee group. He has served as primate since 2021. …”

– Story from The Living Church.

Image from the News item on the Church in Wales website.