Not Gathering with the Church Hurts You Spiritually
“Some will think this is insensitive, some will think it’s overdue, but I want to make sure it’s said: not physically gathering with the church hurts you spiritually.
So, pandemic-weary Christian, work to gather again with your church, even if your church continues to offer a virtual option.
Likewise, pandemic-weary pastor, gently encourage your pandemic-weary congregation to gather as soon as they can. …”
– Timely words from Jonathan Leeman at 9Marks.
Help or Harm: The Gospel Coalition Australia’s planned campaign
In the latest edition of The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele speaks with Akos Balogh and Bill Salier from The Gospel Coalition Australia about a social media campaign being launched this week.
These brothers each want to see people saved and Christ glorified. We are thankful for them all. Their discussion might help you think through how to best speak of the Lord Jesus in the public square.
Book Review: Born Again This Way
“Rachel Gilson’s book Born Again This Way is what I wish I’d read about 25 years ago when a Christian friend shared with me that she was same-sex attracted and she didn’t know what to do. Neither did I, and at the time, praying with her was the only thing I could think to do.
Fast forward to 2021 and this conversation is far more common. Today, there are a number of books on the subject of Christians and same-sex attraction. What makes Gilson’s book stand out is the way it combines a careful treatment of the topic with her own deeply personal story. …”
– At Equal but Different, Victoria Colgan commends Born Again This Way by Rachel Gibson.
God, the Bible and Mardi Gras
“The 2021 gay and lesbian Mardi Gras held at the Sydney Cricket Ground was quite a spectacle. It was colourful, loud, celebratory and was reported by various media outlets as being the best celebration yet (as it is every year). And yet, the Scriptures teach us that what they were celebrating was in fact part of God’s judgement. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Ben George takes us to Romans chapter 1.
But be sure to read the full article.
“… Knowing that we are all in the same boat, all equally rebellious against God, all equally deserving of death, and all equally in need of Jesus who saves, then it is in fact loving and good that Christians reach out to all communities, including the LGBQTI+ community, with the gospel.”
John Piper’s Magnum Opus on the Providence of God
“Joe Rigney sits down with John Piper about his magisterial new book on Providence, a volume over 700 pages that is a culmination of his life study and work.”
– Watch the video and read about it from Justin Taylor at The Gospel Coalition.
Book Review: The Whole Counsel of God by Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid
“The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible is designed to help you give to the Lord’s people what he wants them to hear—the Bible.
Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid write from both an academic and practical background. As church ministers and professors in Australia and southeast Asia, they want to convince, inform, and train their readers to preach the entire Bible.
The book has already begun to influence my ministry, and I anticipate it will be a much-used resource in the future. …”
– At 9Marks, Shane Walker reviews a very helpful new book.
It’s available from Reformers and The Wandering Bookseller as well as other bookshops.
What will you do when the Culture demands that you Pivot?
In his The Briefing for 2nd March 2021, Albert Mohler again warned Christians to be ready for the inevitable challenge to forsake Christ to appease the culture.
He has now expanded his comments into a must read essay:
Pivoting to Surrender: A Warning for All Christians – 4th March 2021.
“Every Christian and every Christian ministry will come to a reckoning – we must all decide here and now where we stand.
Will we pivot or will we hold fast to faithfulness and the hope of the gospel?”
Discovering the Holiness of God
This 14 minute documentary from Crossway shares something of R.C. Sproul’s conviction of the centrality of the holiness of God.
GAFCON’s Lift Up Your Hearts Devotions for March 2021
From GAFCON:
“Canon Craig Roberts, along with his colleagues at Anglican Youthworks (Australia) contribute to the Lift Up Your Hearts Devotions for the month of March.
The focus of the devotions demonstrates how throughout scripture, we see God at work through intergenerational discipleship.
The devotions are also available in Spanish and Portuguese, and in audio version in English.”
AMiE Resource Library
AMiE, the Anglican Mission in England, has an online Resource Library you might find helpful.
In Our Discipling Relationships, Best-Sellers are Great . . . But the Bible is Best
“Books are tremendous tools for discipling. But with so many good resources out there, we can be tempted to forget the best book on discipleship – the Bible.”
– At 9Marks, Sam Koo has some encouragement for you.
Investing in Preparation
“I am facing the dilemma of all retirees – Australia’s inflation rate continues at between 1 and 2%, at the same time as interest rates are virtually non-existent.
This means that $1 in the bank after a year is worth 98c and there is no gain added from the bank in interest. Bank balances therefore are shrinking. So retirees are looking for return on investment, at least buying shares in Australia’s banks returns 3-4% on investment.
What does this have to do with preaching? In preparing to preach it is important to invest your time where it will pay a rich dividend!…
In his book Why Johnny can’t preach, T. David Gordon says that every sermon must have one idea – what is your sermon about? Is the idea related to the text and are relevant applications offered?”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook strongly encourages preachers to invest their time in preparation – and has something which can help you.
Tactics for the Spiritual Battlefield
“If we are to be effective as soldiers of Christ, we need to understand and employ strategies and tactics which will defeat the enemy, seizing his territory and releasing the captives.
In order to do this, we need military-type discipline: unquestioning loyalty and obedience to our King Jesus. We also need sound spiritual-military strategies. …”
– In the February 2021 “Ministry Matters” newsletter of the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand, Vicar-General, the Rev. Michael Hewat, encourages churches to be ready to adapt methods of proclaiming the gospel.
And it’s a good reminder to pray for the progress of the gospel in New Zealand.
When vice presents as virtue: stopping sin before it’s too late
“Some personal styles can result in highly effective ministries.
If you are task-orientated, decisive, and confident, your ministries will probably be highly efficient. And if you pair your efficiency with some charisma, people will certainly want to follow you.
But there is a challenge for people who fall into this category (and those of us who serve alongside them): could this kind of ‘effective’ personal style inadvertently excuse sin?…”
– Wise words from Nathan Milham at The Australian Church Record.
Make the most of Easter evangelism post COVID
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Don’t let Easter creep up on you.”
Dominic Steele is joined by Paul Webb, Elliot Temple and Andrew Levy in thinking about how to make the most of Easter this year.
Also at The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic addresses the tragedy of the recent revelations concerning Ravi Zecharias.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…