Shepherds of Assurance

“How did the Puritan pastors use their doctrine of personal assurance of salvation to assist believers in living the Christian life?

And what lessons can we learn today from their pastoral specialization in the vast field of experiential Christianity connected with the assurance of salvation?…”

– At Desiring God, Joel Beeke looks at the Puritans and outlines how their examples are a great encouragement to pastors in understanding their roles today. (link via Tim Challies.)

How Can Jesus and the Father both be God?

“Thanks for asking this great and important question. There are a few issues tied up here but let me begin by offering a basic answer and then try to explore it a bit more deeply.

You ask how the Father can be God and yet Jesus can also be God. Of course, this is similar to what John talks about at the start of his gospel. Referring to Jesus as the ‘Word’, he declares that:

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

How can the Word (the eternal person who became Jesus) be with God and be God. Is this simply a contradiction?

How can this make sense? How can the Word (the eternal person who became Jesus) be with God and be God. Is this simply a contradiction?…”

– In a new feature at The Gospel Coalition Australia (“Ask TGCA”), Andrew Moody seeks to bring some clarity in answering the question “How Can Jesus and the Father both be God?”.

Three Encouragements for Pastors Pursuing Wandering Sheep

“One of the unintended consequences of the pandemic has been the disintegrating weekly habit of attending the Sunday gathering. What should a pastor do when faced with wandering sheep, those who have left the safe pastures of the local church and found themselves in dangerous territory away from the herd?

Let me encourage you, pastor, to consider three things as you seek out wandering sheep. …”

– At 9Marks, Nick Gardner has some encouragement in these changing times.

Not as good as we hope to be? — Leadership effectiveness and ministry blindspots

“Senior leaders long to be effective leaders, but we may not be as good as we hope to be.

Leadership in a church context has become much much more complex, with increasing demands on the senior pastor to be excellent in leadership, managerial, and administrative on top of preaching, teaching and pastoral care. …”

– This week at The Pastor’s Heart.

Diocese of the Northern Territory Prayer Cycle for 2022

From the Diocese of the Northern Territory –

“We covet your prayers for the work of the Gospel in the Diocese of the Northern Territory.

Please keep praying that God will raise up the next generation of leaders in all the parishes here in the Northern Territory, for additional resources for our urban and remote parishes and that we will use the resources that God has given wisely.”

– Download the Prayer Cycle for 2002 here.

Law and Religion elective for later year Law students

“This is an announcement which may be of interest to readers of this blog who are, or who know, later year Australian law students. Please feel free to pass this on to others who may be interested.

Students in the final 2 years of their law program are invited to consider applying for cross-institutional study with Associate Professor Neil Foster at the University of Newcastle, NSW, who will be offering the course LAWS6095 “Law and Religion” in semester 2, 2022. The course is open to both postgrad JD students and LLB students in their final 2 years of study.”

– As noted at Law and Religion Australia, perhaps you may know a law student who would benefit from this.

The Real Cost of Social Media

“Like it or not, we live in a world dominated by social media. While many older forms of media continue to exist and to exert their influence, all have in some way had to bow before the ascendancy of new media. It is pervasive, it is ubiquitous, it is addictive, and it is changing everything.

Yet because social media rose with lightning speed and so quickly became nearly omnipresent, we may already have lost sight of the influence it has over us. …”

– Tim Challies commends “Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media” by Chris Martin.

Southern Cross magazine, March 2022

Anglican Media Sydney has just released Southern Cross magazine for March 2022.

Printed copies will be available in parishes from this weekend, but you can download a PDF version now at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net.

‘Two faces …?’ — an Ash Wednesday reflection

“Human relationships on the personal and international level must rate as the greatest challenge for the world’s future. The cold-blooded invasion of Ukraine reveals an oft unspoken issue that confronts us: flawed human nature.

The Russian author, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once commented, If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

Robert Murray McCheyne, who was a great influence on CS Lewis, observed, The seeds of all sins are in my heart, and perhaps all the more dangerously that I do not see them.

Let me make a suggestion. Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent that continues through to the day before Easter Day. …”

– Read (or listen to) John Mason’s Word on Wednesday reflection for Ash Wednesday from the Anglican Connection.

Growing Gospel Workers

“Dear fellow-workers in ministry,

We face a pressing concern. In twenty years’ time, who will be the ministers of our churches or leading youth and children’s ministries? Who will be serving overseas as missionaries? Who will be our chaplains in schools, hospitals, prisons, universities, defence force, aged care, and sporting bodies? Who will be our church planters, here or abroad? …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Peter Adam addresses a pressing concern.

When Bec and Anton Visited Church (a Parable)

“‘This is it,’ she said. ‘Quick, turn left!’”

Bec had spotted the parking sign for Hope Church and was pointing at it as her husband turned on the indicator and started to turn.

As they drove slowly into the carpark she started to feel her stomach churn. She hadn’t been to church since she was a child more than 20 years earlier. …”

– Published last year – but with Easter fast approaching – here’s encouragement from Steven Kryger at Communicate Jesus.

Sunday morning Encouragement

After September 11 2001, Colin Buchanan wrote a song he has sung over and over again: The Lord is King. Always relevant.

And read Psalm 2.

“Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.” – Psalm 2:10

Colleague Critiquing

“In 2019, Dr. William S Dobbie, Professor of Public Policy of the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, MA, USA, visited Australia to speak to the Independent School’s Association.

Dr. Dobbie spoke about the factors which encourage academic progress in students in middle teenage High Schools in the US.

A prominent factor was the availability of experienced colleagues to observe and give feedback to younger, newer teachers. Colleague feedback according to Dobbie was the best use of extra funding for education and did more to accelerate academic progress in students than many other more expensive options. …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook has further opportunities for growth and encouragement.

2022 — Year of 5fish

We’ve previously mentioned the Australian-produced 5fish app and website for sharing the news of Jesus in thousands of languages.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the app, GRN (Global Recordings Network) is calling 2022 “the year of 5fish” to help get the word out about these wonderful tools.

They are also looking for help in increasing the user interface translations from 19 to over 40. (The page linked above has a list of the user interface translations needed. Can you help?)

The 5fish app is a terrific resource to have on your device.

Church Society podcast — Reading the Bible Better

Here’s the latest podcast from Church Society in the UK –

“In this week’s episode, Chris Moore and Lee Gatiss discuss how we can read the Bible more and better. They talk about different Bible translations, how to establish a good routine, listening to audio Bibles, using devotional resources, singing and saying the Scriptures aloud. …”

– Listen here.

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