Centre for Christian Living — Commanding the heart: Lust
Coming up on Wednesday 4th May, Marshall Ballantine-Jones and Dani Treweek are speaking at the next Centre for Christian Living event at Moore College.
Attend in person or watch online.
How to apologise — The Pastor’s Heart
On the Pastor’s Heart:
“Actor Will Smith has apologised for his actions at the Oscars and former Hillsong Global Pastor Brian Houston has apologised to his church.
It makes one think then – what makes a good apology, and how can we apologise well?
Bruce Burgess from Peacewise speaks to us today on the seven things that make up a good apology.”
Gary Millar on Brian Houston — Keith Condie on The Pastor’s Marriage
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“The Chair of the Australian Gospel Coalition Gary Millar says the fall of Brian Houston brings significant lessons for anyone in any level of Christian leadership that power and authority are very dangerous.
Co-Director/Founder of the Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute at Mary Andrews College, Keith Condie, says there’s a series of steps that pastors need to take to safeguard actions and protect marriages.”
How to navigate a messy pastoral transition
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“For 15 years Hugh Isaacs has been at the centre of messy pastoral transitions, as an ‘emergency responder’ to churches going through a transition crisis. Today, he he joins us to give us insight into the process.
After initially helping members deal with their grief, there are five key steps Isaacs tells that need to be worked through for the best outcome. However, Isaacs warns of the land mines that come off at any moment though this process. …”
A Wake-Up …
“With the continued missile onslaught on the cities of Ukraine we feel the pain and the suffering and the loss of life. ‘Why this evil and suffering in this 21st century?’
In his 1940s book, The Problem of Pain, CS Lewis considers the question of pain and suffering from the perspective of the meaning and purpose of life. …”
– At the Anglican Connection, John Mason has a reminder of the signs of the times.
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.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…