The Application Revolution – with Paul Grimmond
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“It’s like they got the exegesis spot on, then closed their eyes, fired an arrow randomly into the air, opened their eyes to see where it landed and said, ‘That looks like a good place to do application!’” – Theological College lecturer on student sermon application.
But are those of us who have graduated from theological college much better? For after all the students are just imitating what we have modelled.
Dean of Students at Sydney’s Moore Theological College Paul Grimmond has just completed a doctor of ministry project on improving application in evangelical preaching.
Armidale Next Phase Conference 2024
Armidale Diocese is running its Next Phase Conference for 2024 on May 3 and 4 at St. Peter’s Cathedral.
“How can we stay faithful and fruitful as followers of Christ as we move into the next phase of our lives?
This year, we are looking forward to having Rev. Simon Manchester open the bible with us over four talks and help us to see how we can stay vibrant in our faith and ministries as we age.
We will also be joined by Dr. Patricia Weerakoon who will be interviewed during Friday dinner and run two seminars for us on Saturday.”
– Details and a short video from Bishop Rod Chiswell at this link.
France moves to enshrine Abortion in its Constitution
In his latest edition of The Briefing podcast (Monday 4th March 2024), Albert Mohler speaks further on the Culture of Death – including the French Parliament meeting to enshrine abortion in their Constitution.
The ‘dark logic’ is not confined to France.
– Listen here.
Church of England is blasted for trying to hire £36,000 a year ‘anti-racism’ officer to ‘deconstruct whiteness’
“The Church of England has been blasted for hiring an ‘anti-racism’ officer to ‘deconstruct whiteness’ – with critics accusing it of ‘drinking the critical race Kool Aid’.
The £36,000-a-year and 35-hours a week role is part of a new 11-person ‘racial justice unit’ being set up by the Diocese of Birmingham to work across the West Midlands.
The job advertisement, published on Tuesday, described the role as ensuring that ‘structures, practices and behaviours’ throughout the church allow UK minority ethnic people to ‘flourish’. …”
– Story from Mail Online.
Embrace Compassion as the World Rejects Life’s Sanctity — Archbishop Kanishka Raffel writes
“In the past five years, two momentous decisions have been taken by our State Parliament, both under the banner of ‘right to choose’.
The first, the abortion liberalisation in 2019, was a change against which Sydney Anglicans, led by my predecessor Dr Glenn Davies, took a firm stand.
The other was in 2023. On November 28, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022 (NSW) (the Act) came into force in this State, enabling eligible people to choose to access euthanasia in accordance with the regulations and guidelines stipulated by the Act.
This watershed shift in medical practice and community expectation marks the final abandonment of one of the cornerstones of Western civilisation over the past two millennia: the sanctity of life. …”
– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
The article includes two helpful links.
The Bible Matters Podcast — an encouraging new resource
The Bible Matters Podcast – an initiative of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London – is sure to be a real encouragement – especially (but not only) to preachers.
Launched at the end of January, the first two interviews are with Dick Lucas.
See what’s been published so far at this link.
Is there a glimmer of hope?
“The conduct of the House of Bishops has been deceitful and dishonest and disgraceful – concealing legal advice and the game plan. …
To believe there are glimmers of hope is not to prepare for the end of evangelical ministry in the Church of England. Such ministry is being squeezed out and it is naive not to see it, not say it, and not help others prepare for it.”
– Anglican Futures has published this honest assessment from a clergyman in the Church of England.
Do continue to pray for Bible-believing Christians in the CofE.
Introducing the Global Anglican Podcast
Terrific new resource from GAFCON.
It’s in the Fridge!
“‘The sauce is on the middle shelf of the fridge’, so says my wife, but for the life me, I can’t see it.
My wife goes to the fridge and finds the sauce immediately.
Is it a man thing, an age thing or just a human thing?
Recently, I have been working on Luke 7:36-50, Jesus, Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman.
I went through the whole process of sermon preparation and wrote out the sermon manuscript, but I knew I had not cracked the passage. I preached the sermon to my preaching club and knew it still was not right, so did they.
I prayed over it, I read and reread the passage, there was something I was not seeing…”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook encourages us to look for what may be staring us in the face.
See also:
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…