Queen’s Birthday Conference 2018 — The Cultures of Death and the Death of Culture

The Two Ways Ministries Queen’s Birthday Conference is coming up on Monday 11th June –  Read more

David Peterson on Romans — one of Albert Mohler’s ’10 Books Every Preacher Should Read’

“Dr Albert Mohler, theologian and current President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, sees the personal collections of preachers as an indication of their preaching priorities, style and engagement. In his annual book review for Preaching Magazine, he highlights the ten books that he believes essential in 2018 for pastors to be reading, reflecting on and shaping their own ministry now and into the future. …”

– Good news from Moore College.

Review: The Bible Project – Brilliant but Flawed

“Understanding and teaching the Bible can be hard work so it feels like a win to find a resource that can help us do it well. Over the last few years, many people have watched and enjoyed The Bible Project videos and started to use them more in teaching.

In this post, I want to raise a few concerns about the theology taught in The Bible Project and invite you to think about how you use them for yourself and in teaching.

Firstly, though, let me say there’s a lot to like about these videos. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Richard Sweatman raises some important questions about a popular teaching resource.

Ploughing Concrete in Australia

At the recent Geneva Push conference in Melbourne, Greg Lee (Hunter Bible Church) delivered a strong encouragement to keep evangelism central – even if we live in a culture where most people see no need for God. Listen here.

Colorado Wedding Cake Baker wins before US Supreme Court

“In Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd v Colorado Civil Rights Commission … the US Supreme Court by 7-2 overturned previous decisions against a Christian cake maker, Jack Phillips, who had declined to make a wedding cake for a same sex wedding. While the basis of the decision of the majority is fairly narrow, the outcome is clearly correct, and even in the narrow reasons offered by Justice Kennedy, there are a number of important affirmations which support religious freedom.

I have commented previously on cases which involve a claim that a cake maker or other “wedding industry professional” should not be allowed to decline to devote their artistic skills to the celebration of a relationship their religion tells them is wrong … But the Masterpiece decision is the first time such a case has made its way to the final appellate court in a common law jurisdiction, and for that reason is particularly important.”

– Assoc. Professor Neil Foster comments at Law and Religion Australia.

The Purpose of Romans — Gwilym Davies, Preaching Matters

In the latest edition of Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, Sam Manchester asks Gwilym Davies about the Purpose of Romans.

12 minutes – well worth watching.

What is the role of culture and culturalism in evangelism?

“Christians today are engaged in cross-cultural evangelism. In the past it was only missionaries going overseas to preach the gospel who had to understand cross-cultural evangelism, but today most of us do not have to go that far to encounter other cultures. Most English-speaking countries have the great joy of people from all over the world moving into their neighbourhoods.

But what does a post-Christian multicultural nation involve? Is it any different to evangelising a Christian monocultural nation – and if so, how? …”

– At GoThereFor.com, Phillip Jensen provides some good questions to think about – along with a reminder that they will be addressed at the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Conference on 11th June. (Register here.)

Meeting people where they are at

“One of the most helpful lessons I’ve learnt in ministry to people from a Roman Catholic background is to meet them where they are at and not to expect them to meet us where we are at as Protestants.

One practical example of this struck me as I looked at the sort of evangelistic material available for Catholics. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Mark Gilbert shares some very helpful observations.

How to preach 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 well

On this week’s edition of The Pastor’s Heart podcast/vodcast, Dominic Steele speaks with Dani Treweek and Lionel Windsor about a key New Testament ‘gender’ passage.

It’s well worth spending 38 minutes to think about the passage, and how to preach it in today’s culture.

Books for Reformed Evangelical Anglicans

The team at Reformers Bookshop in Stanmore have put together a list they think would be of interest to Reformed Evangelical Anglicans. Check it out here.

They also have a blog which is worth watching.

(And don’t forget Matthias Media as another source of quality publications.)

A small-step antidote to dull, dry faith

“Perseverance. I have been struck recently by how much the notion of perseverance appears in the Scriptures.

Perhaps this shouldn’t surprise me, but it just isn’t one of the first things I think of when I contemplate what the Scriptures are about. Faith, hope and love, the promises and faithfulness of God—these are the things I first think of. Yet the theme of perseverance comes up again and again…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Meagan Bartlett shares something very helpful.

Buried Coins: Jesus and the Parable of the Talents

“Back in 2014, news broke that archaeologists digging near the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv Highway had uncovered a cache of ancient Jewish coins. The inscription and images on the 114 bronze coins allow us to date them precisely to AD 70—the exact year that the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. In the midst of this turbulent time, a Jewish person saw fit to place the money in a small ceramic box and bury it for safekeeping.”

– At his blog With Meagre Powers, Moore College’s Dr. George Athas shares some insights into the Parable of the Talents.

Bibles for South Sudanese refugees

Australian Presbyterian World Mission is seeking to raise funds to buy 33,000 Bibles for South Sudanese refugees who have fled into Ethiopia –

“In 2013 civil war broke out in South Sudan between the two major tribes — the Dinka and the Nuer. Many South Sudanese fled to neighbouring countries with little more than the clothes they were wearing. In the neighbouring country of Ethiopia, the refugee camps house 385,000 people. About 100,000 of them belong to our sister church the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan.

What do our brothers and sisters ask for? Bibles in their mother tongue — the Nuer language.”

– Read about the need, and see the video from the refugee camps.

(The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid is also working to help refugees from the violence in South Sudan.)

God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9)

“In 2 Corinthians 9 Paul exhorts his readers to prepare to take their share in a collection that he is making for the poor Christians at Jerusalem. Let us see what we can learn from this chapter about Christian giving. …”

– The Australian Church Record republishes this piece by former Oak Hill Principal Alan Stibbs.

J. C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone, by Iain Murray — Review

“One of the greatest Christian leaders to come out of England in the nineteenth century was John Charles Ryle. Famously known as ‘the man of granite with the heart of a child,’ Ryle stands out as a towering example of Christian fortitude and pastoral excellence.

Although he died more than a century ago, he still has much to say to our generation. And perhaps no one is better suited to teach us about Ryle than renowned biographer Iain Murray. …”

– At the 9Marks website, Nate Pickowicz briefly reviews Iain Murray’s J.C. Ryle, Prepared to Stand Alone.

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