Discussing The Nicene Creed
Mark Gilbert and Leonardo Di Chirico chat about their new book The Nicene Creed – The nature of Christian unity and the meaning of gospel words, published this month by Matthias Media.
This 17 minute video is a terrific introduction to understanding the key differences between Romans Catholics and Protestants, so that we can love our Catholic friends from a position of better understanding.
It may also make you want to get the book! (If so, click the image for details.)
Towards the end of the video, Mark mentions The Reformanda Initiative. where there are additional resources.
Anglican Heroes: Richard Hooker — Church Society podcast
In the latest Church Society podcast, Dr Ros Clarke speaks with Nigel Atkinson about Richard Hooker (1554 – 1600).
Why should we know about Richard Hooker today – and how has he been misrepresented (by Cardinal Newman, for example)?
Did he really turn his back on the Reformation? (Answer: No.)
This may be a revelation to many Anglicans.
More interesting than any Dan Brown novel — The Council of Nicaea
“This year, in May to be specific, marks 1700 years since the start of the Council of Nicaea. The town is now known as Iznik, in modern Turkey. From this Council’s determinations sprang the core content of what Christians now know, and regularly recite, as the Nicene Creed.
Why does the anniversary of such an old statement matter? It’s not ultimately about philosophical theology, or winning a debate, let alone the intersection of religion and politics, as some suggest.
Ultimately, it’s about worshipping God properly, as he truly is, and not just as we imagine or find convenient.
In particular, it was about honouring Jesus not just as perfect man, but truly as God.…”
– At the Cathedral website, Sandy Grant, Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, explains the significance of the Council of Nicaea.
He reminds us, “the background story is more interesting than any Dan Brown novel conspiracy theory. And the theology is more important” – so take the time to read (and also see the resources he links).
Richard Coekin: ‘Pious Passivity’ vs ‘Strategic Intentionality’
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“What happens when churches move beyond ‘pious passivity’ to strategic intentionality in reaching the lost?
Richard Coekin – founding pastor of Dundonald Church in London and director of Reach UK – joins Dominic Steele to unpack the revolutionary approach transforming churches across Australia and the United Kingdom.
Following on from Reach UK and Reach Australia in May, Richard candidly shares his journey from skepticism about ‘Pentagon language’ and structured frameworks to embracing these tools as valuable expressions of pastoral care and evangelistic intentionality.
‘If you don’t aim at anything, nothing will happen,’ he explains, challenging the notion that strategic thinking somehow diminishes reliance on God’s sovereignty.
We look at the biblical foundations for strategic ministry, with Richard pointing to Acts 6 as a model where the apostles prioritized preaching and prayer, built ministry teams for delegation, and ensured the church’s practical needs were met.
Plus we discuss measuring spiritual fruit.
Whether you’re skeptical of strategic approaches to ministry or already embracing them, this conversation offers fresh insights on leading churches that are both faithful to Scripture and effective in mission.”
Man in the Garden
From Phillip Jensen:
“One of the high points, if not the high point, of Genesis 1 is the creation of man, both male and female, in the image of God. There we are told of our responsibility to govern the earth, to multiply and to fill it. When we turn to chapter 2 of Genesis we are again told of the creation of man. This time it is in much more detail, and yet it still gives the same prominence and importance of man in God’s creation.
Today’s podcast is a discussion of the movement of Genesis 1 to Gen 2 where we look at man in the garden.”
Did Melbourne just see a sign?
Murray Campbell at Mentone Baptist Church in Melbourne reflects on events in Melbourne, including the election on Saturday of Bishop Ric Thorpe as the next Anglican Archbishop –
“Melbourne needs more churches. Melbourne needs 100s more Christ-centred, Gospel-believing and preaching, people-loving churches.
I’m not an Anglican so feel free to take my observations with the same volume of water found in a baptismal font (bad joke). My Melbourne Anglican friends are overwhelmingly encouraged and thankful for all candidates and the outcome, even as the Diocese looks over troubled waters. Like all our Christian denominations, much deep work of theological and spiritual reform needs to take place. Theological liberalism and moral progressivism is like sand in the car after a day at the beach …”
What It Means To Be Protestant — Book review
“Gavin Ortlund, not to be confused with his brother Dane Ortlund who wrote Gentle and Lowly (Crossway, 2020), is one of Protestantism’s foremost ‘accidental’ apologists. This is because, as Ortlund himself says in the introduction, he didn’t set out to become this but instead responded to a need he identified on social media.
Ortlund’s YouTube channel Truth Unites has become immensely popular and he is known for discussing various Biblical topics in a clear, historically insightful but most irenic way. This is also the case with What It Means To Be Protestant (Crossway, 2024) which I think is something of a model for how inter-faith dialogue – especially with Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox – should be done.
Due to the nature of the topic, this could easily become abrasive or overly hostile. However, Ortlund does a masterful job at maintaining a respectful and engaging tone.…”
– At AP, the Australian Presbyterian journal, Mark Powell reviews What It Means To Be Protestant.
Multisite Churches: What works and what doesn’t?
From The Pastor’s Heart — an extra edition from the Reach Australia Conference:
“Multisite was a buzz seven years ago. Today, with thousands of campuses launched in the United States—and many hard lessons learned—the mood is more measured. What’s changed? What’s endured? And what can church leaders here learn today from the American experience?
Live from the sidelines at the Reach Australia Conference on the Central Coast of New South Wales, we sit down with Wade Burnett from McLean Bible Church in Washington DC and Derek Hanna, Reach Australia’s church planting and multisite specialist, for a fresh look at the multisite church model. …”
What are Matthias Bible Guides and how can they help you?
The Australian Church Record speaks with Geoff Robson about The Matthias Bible Guides:
“Matthias Media recently launched a new series of books: the Matthias Bible Guides. As one of the editors of the series since its inception, can you tell us how the idea came about? Who in particular do you want to serve with these books?
I often remind myself of this quote attributed to Spurgeon: ‘Visit many good books, but live in the Bible’. As someone whose job is to help bring (hopefully) ‘good books’ into existence, I have to remember that it’s not an end in itself; it’s a means to the end of helping people live in the Bible so they might know the Lord and live for him. That’s the overall aim of the Matthias Bible Guides. …”
– Read here.
Exposition
“Along with the many students who studied at Moore College under the Principalship of Dr. Broughton Knox, I have deep gratitude for his twice-weekly lectures to first year students, Doctrine 1.
What struck me most was Dr. Knox’s determination to test all things against Scripture. We studied using T.C. Hammond’s, In understanding be men, and Dr. Knox would even correct that fine book, in minor areas, when he believed it to be inconsistent with the Bible.
In 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter in the New Testament, Paul reminds his young mentee, Timothy, of the nature of Scripture. …”
– David Cook reminds us of the essential place of faithful and engaging expository preaching. At The Expository Preaching Trust.
Image: Dr. Broughton Knox.
Ascension — Church Society podcast
“Ed Moll talks to Ros Clarke about the ‘Cinderella doctrine’ of the ascension and why we should pay more attention to it.”
– The latest Church Society podcast.
Related:
Daniel 7 and the Ascension of the Son of Man – Wyatt Graham at The Gospel Coalition Canada.
Paul and Sue Harrington: Lessons on the way
From The Pastor’s Heart – this week at the Reach Australia conference on the NSW Central Coast:
“Paul Harrington has led the Trinity Network of Churches in Adelaide for 33 years, guiding it from a single congregation of 800 to a thriving network of 13 churches with over 2,600 members.
Sue Harrington is a Reach Australia board member, has been deeply involved in supporting pastors’ wives, families, and women in ministry and runs a consultancy business.
Together, we discuss the lessons learned along the way, the emotional and practical challenges of planting daughter churches, and the role of humility and servant-hearted leadership. We explore the cost and recovery after sending, the evolving nature of church leadership, and the often overlooked but critical support needed for ministry households.”
The Christian’s daily battle
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13)
“Paul’s letter to Titus takes as one of its central themes ‘knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness’ (Titus 1:1).
The apostle is eager to show the relationship between the ‘grace of God that has appeared’ in Jesus, and the ‘self-controlled, upright and godly lives’ that are the fruit of God’s grace in the lives of those who ‘wait for the blessed hope’. …”
– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Also in the print edition of Southern Cross magazine, May-June 2025.)
Celebrating Nicaea
From Moore College:
“Today Moore College celebrates the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a landmark event in the history of the Christian church that reaffirmed the perfect equality in being, honour, and power, of God the Father and God the Son.
Though the Father and the Son are distinct persons in asymmetrical and non-reciprocal relationship (the Father is always the Father and the Son is always the Son, so they are not interchangeable), they are entirely and absolutely one in being.
This great truth has always been taught and held unequivocally at Moore College. There is only one true and living God, and the Son is as much God as the Father is (something that is true of the Holy Spirit as well). The creed formulated by the Council of Nicaea used one little Greek word to express this truth, homoousion, which in English becomes the phrase ‘of one being with’ or ‘of the same being as’. It also insisted repeatedly that the Son was ‘begotten not made’. …”
Work and Rest — What does God’s rest mean for his people?
From Phillip Jensen:
“The creation account of Genesis finishes in a most unexpected place – rest. The idea of God resting on the seventh day is so familiar to us that we sometimes miss how extraordinary it is. That God should rest and bless the seventh day, inviting us to share it with him is one of the wonders of the Bible.
In a society dominated by and priding itself in ‘busyness’ and confused and conflicted over ‘work/life balance’, God’s teaching on the Sabbath day is a welcome relief for Christians. Yet it is not simply an individual issue, for the Sabbath is to be celebrated by all of creation.”
– Listen at Two Ways News – including listeners’ feedback!
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…