The Smith Lecture, 2013
The Smith Lecture (named in honour of Bruce Smith, pictured) will be held in 2013 on Thursday 24th October at the Art Gallery of NSW.
This year Prof Patrick Parkinson, will speak on “Child Sexual Abuse and the Churches: A story of moral failure?” Details here. Photo courtesy Ramon Williams.
How Pornography works
“We are fast becoming the pornographic society. Over the course of the last decade, explicitly sexual images have crept into advertising, marketing, and virtually every niche of American life. This ambient pornography is now almost everywhere, from the local shopping mall to prime-time television.
By some estimations, the production and sale of explicit pornography now represents the seventh-largest industry in America. …”
– Albert Mohler looks at understanding how pornography works in the male brain – and how that knowledge can be used in the battle against sin.
Related: The Porn-free family – Tim Challies.
Effective Gospel Ministry
In the next instalment of Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, William Taylor looks at Acts chapter 20.
Take the time to watch it here. (12 minutes.)
Garage Hymnal to release new album
“Garage Hymnal are back with a new album for 2013 titled Lowly. It is a collection of songs centred around Christ’s birth, the hope that comes through Jesus becoming human and the salvation that it brings. … The album will be officially launched on 1st Nov 2013 at St Stephens Church Hall, Newtown, NSW. Tickets are very limited, on sale now…”
Bishop of Tasmania – Pastoral Letter on Euthanasia
“Today I sent the following Pastoral Letter to all Anglican Parishes in Tasmania asking that the letter and attachments be made available to Parishioners.…
Pastoral Letter – Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
You will have learned recently that the Hon. Lara Giddings and the Hon. Nick McKim, Members for Franklin have recently introduced the “Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013” to the Tasmanian parliament.
This Bill would allow those who meet certain eligibility criteria to be prescribed and receive a lethal injection. This Bill is a direct threat to the lives of Tasmanians, particularly the sick and elderly. This Bill embraces a philosophy of human value defined by convenience and personal capacity. It stands against the responsibility of societies and governments to implement compassionate, timely, and effective care for those who are unwell or disabled in some way. …”
– Read it all at Bishop Harrower’s blog.
Related: Belgian helped to die after three sex change operations (BBC News).
“A transsexual has been helped to die by doctors in Belgium, after a series of failed sex-change operations. Nathan Verhelst, born a girl, asked for help to end his life on grounds of psychological suffering. He died in a Brussels hospital on Monday. Two doctors concluded the 44-year-old did not have temporary depression. …
Belgium legalised euthanasia in 2002. There were 52 cases of euthanasia on psychological grounds last year. … There were 1,432 recorded cases of euthanasia in Belgium in 2012; a 25% increase on the previous year’s figure.”
Bible Society Australia commemorates the 50th anniversary of CS Lewis’ death
“Bible Society Australia has launched a library of Australian resources on C.S. Lewis to celebrate the life of this great author and champion his contribution to literature and to Christianity for many years to come. …”
– from Bible Society Australia.
Getting to know Tim Challies
Many people benefit from Tim Challies’ blog. Tim was in Scotland a few weeks back, and David Meredith at Smithton Church chatted with him in the studios of Inverness TV.
St. Helen’s Training: Bible Overview
St. Helen’s Bishopsgate has posted two new videos in its ‘St Helen’s Training’ series.
These begin an overview of the Bible.
Acting the Miracle — free eBook from Crossway and Desiring God
The soon-to-be-published Acting the Miracle – God’s Work and Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification – edited by David Mathis and John Piper, is available as a free eBook from Desiring God.
via Andy Naselli.
How then shall we Tweet?
The Australian Church Record announces it will aim to help “fend off the keyboard cowards and take on the trolls” in upcoming posts encouraging godly conduct on social media.
“In the coming months … We will be publishing ten pieces of honest biblical wisdom for the social media circus.”
CMS Summer School 2014 Promo Video
CMS has uploaded a 55 second video you can use to promote the 2014 Summer School at Katoomba.
And don’t forget – families are asked to apply online by 16th September.
David Platt interviews Mark Dever on Evangelism and Discipleship
A 50-minute interview in 8 parts – via The Gospel Coalition.
Sermons from the 2013 Presbyterian General Assembly of Australia
The Sermons from the Presbyterian General Assembly of Australia 2013 (just concluded) are now available to hear and download.
All encouraging and challenging, including –
- David Jones (the immediate past Moderator-General) “Why are we here?”
- David Cook (new Moderator-General) “The Apostolic Pattern”, Acts 20.
- David Burge (Minister at Walcha) “The Christian’s Boast and Works”, Galatians.
- Ligon Duncan (from Jackson, Mississippi), three expositions.
Take the time to listen, and to pray for our Presbyterian brothers and sisters around the country, as they, too, seek to reach men and women with the gospel.
(Photo: David Cook.)
9Marks Journal — Evangelism. Part 1
“What does it mean to think through evangelism in a church-centered way?”
That’s the theme of the latest 9Marks Journal (September–October 2013), just released in several formats, for your edification.
Free e-Book — The Universal Compass: Why Study the Bible?
People from all walks of life would benefit from getting to know and understand the Bible.
George Whitefield College in Capetown has made available, as a free e-Book, “The Universal Compass: Why Study the Bible?” by Dr David Seccombe (Principal, 1993-2012). From the first chapter:
“From the death of the last apostle, the Bible has been the determiner of true Christianity. Almost all churches have accepted it in their statements of belief as the written Word of God, and as the final authority in matters of faith. …
However, although most modern denominations still subscribe in their statements of faith to the Bible as the final authority, some have abandoned it in practical terms. This collapse of confidence stems from the philosophical mood of the past two centuries. Man has placed himself at the centre and rejected all forms of authority not based on his own discovery of truth. …
[This book] is written in the hope that you will begin to read the Bible for yourself, or be encouraged to study it more deeply, if you already are a Bible reader. My prayer is that you may also consider the possibility of full-time study in a Bible-believing theological or Bible college.”
– The book is available as a 4.4MB PDF file from this page on the College website.
Get a copy and pass on the link to others who would benefit.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…