Chris Braga: ‘I believed therefore I spoke’
Posted on March 26, 2025
Filed under Encouragement, Evangelism, Resources Comments Off on Chris Braga: ‘I believed therefore I spoke’
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“That’s what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:13. And yet it’s a verse hardly referred to in the last few decades in discussions over who is responsible for evangelism.
Chris Braga of Grace West Anglican Church Sydney told the Nexus Conference in Sydney that 2 Corinthians 4:13 shows that there’s a spiritual reflex that internal faith (in the death and resurrection of Jesus) will challenge fear and lead to speech.
Not because we’re commanded, but because we can’t help ourselves.
Chris Braga says implications are that proclamation is for every Christian, one’s Christian faith is always public and a command is not needed to link faith to speech.”
The Goodness of God — Two Ways News
Posted on March 25, 2025
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on The Goodness of God — Two Ways News
From Phillip Jensen:
“‘Good’ is such a strange word. We all know what we mean by it, but it is so difficult to define. So when God declares his creation to be ‘good, very good’ what is he saying? Is the world itself good or simply pleasing? And if it is good, what is it good for?
In this week’s Two Ways News, Peter and I venture into the meaning of God calling the world good and the implications that has for living in this world and the next.”
– Listen (or read the transcript) here.
Addressing a Roman Catholic Resurgence
Posted on March 25, 2025
Filed under Apologetics, Resources Comments Off on Addressing a Roman Catholic Resurgence
“We are in the midst of something of a resurgence of Roman Catholicism, though many are not aware of this.
Despite many recent controversies, failures, disputes and divisions, it remains a real force in the world, influencing society, politics and spirituality.
Just recently, The Rosary in a Year podcast surpassed The Joe Rogan Experience to claim the top spot on Apple’s charts, with much being made of what implications this has for our understanding of where modern culture is heading. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Adrian Russell commends the Reformanda Initiative to help us understand and helpfully respond to the resurgence of Roman Catholicism.
Bible Society sells Koorong to Excelsia University College
Posted on March 24, 2025
Filed under News Comments Off on Bible Society sells Koorong to Excelsia University College
“Koorong’s Next Chapter: Excelsia University College to Lead Australia’s Largest Christian Retailer
The Board of Bible Society Australia (BSA) has announced BSA has entered into a contract of sale for Koorong, Australia’s largest Christian retailer, to Excelsia University College (EUC). This transition will take effect from the close of trading on Monday, 31 March 2025.
Koorong has been owned by the Bible Society Australia Group for nine years since the Bootes family sold the business to BSA Group in 2015. During this period, Koorong has remained a trusted and vital resource for the Christian community in Australia. As the country’s largest distributor of Bibles, its mission has always been deeply aligned with that of BSA. …”
– Announcement from Excelsia University College. (Until 2015, Excelsia College was known as The Wesley Institute.)
Update from John Sandeman:
“Excelsia University College was formerly the Wesley Institute which was founded as an offshoot of Wesley Mission with creative ministry and theology as its core. It has added business, counselling and education but has dropped theology. It has announced a move to a new campus at Pennant Hills in northern Sydney.”
Illawarra’s Wave of Hope
Posted on March 24, 2025
Filed under Good News, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Illawarra’s Wave of Hope
“Christians in the Illawarra have prayed high and low for the coming Hope for the Illawarra events, from Mount Keira to Wollongong Harbour.
‘It’s a combination of 18 months of endeavour,’ says Bishop Peter Hayward, chairman of the committee that has organised three major opportunities to share Jesus on March 28 and 29. …”
– Food for prayer – from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Word In Song Conference Sydney West — 21 June 2025
Posted on March 23, 2025
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Word In Song Conference Sydney West — 21 June 2025
Here’s something which may well be of interest to churches and church musicians in Sydney’s west –
Emu Music’s Word in Song Conference for Sydney’s west. Saturday 21st June 2025.
Being prepared
Posted on March 23, 2025
Filed under Encouragement Comments Off on Being prepared
American astronaut Butch Wilmore who, along with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, had an unexpectedly long stay on the International Space Station, was ready for a question in a press conference in space. (The two returned safely to Earth last week.)
Related: 1 Peter 3:15.
Prayer update from Cobar — March 2025
Posted on March 22, 2025
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on Prayer update from Cobar — March 2025
If you are praying for parishes in the Diocese of Bathurst, you’ll want to see the latest brief video update from James Daymond in the BCA-supported parish of Cobar.
Earlier:
New Resident Minister for Cobar after 20+ years – November 2022.
Can we remain silent? — a ‘Must Read’ post
Posted on March 21, 2025
Filed under Culture wars, NSW, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Can we remain silent? — a ‘Must Read’ post
From SydneyAnglicans.net, writing about a proposed bill coming before NSW Parliament,
“As the NSW Parliament considers widening access to abortion and forcing doctors to facilitate it – regardless of their conscience – two medical professionals urge Christians to speak out.”
‘I’ve been a doctor for 15 years and I love my work – I just love it. In general practice I’m in the privileged position of doing something I love, helping people and caring for them through all stages of life. …
if the Bill being considered by the NSW Parliament passes unamended … Christian GPs will be faced with the alternative of compromising either their faith and beliefs or their medical qualifications, and that’s a fairly nasty position to put people in.’
And this would be very good for congregations to know about / pray about this weekend. Image: SydneyAnglicans.net. Bold added.
See also:
Statement on Abortion Law Reform proposals – Media release from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 20 March 2025.
I bought a globe. You should too.
Posted on March 21, 2025
Filed under GAFCON Australia Comments Off on I bought a globe. You should too.
“I bought a beaten-up second-hand globe from a charity shop for $12.
It looks a bit faded and fragile, but it does the job. It sits in my office as a reminder that the world doesn’t end on the corner of the Google Maps screen. It doesn’t end at the diocesan or state border.
We are connected with people around the world, in ways both beautiful and powerful…”
– Michael Kellahan, Executive Officer of Gafcon Australia, encourages you to go out and buy that globe.
The Church Record’s Easter Recommendations
Posted on March 20, 2025
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The Church Record’s Easter Recommendations
From The Australian Church Record:
“A few of the ACR team share some top picks for a Jesus-focussed Easter.”
– on the ACR website.
Videos from Nexus25 available
Posted on March 20, 2025
Filed under Encouragement, Evangelism, Resources Comments Off on Videos from Nexus25 available
Thanks to the team at Nexus25, the videos of the talks from Monday’s conference are now available for your edification.
Talks by Dave Jensen, Dominic Steele, Chris Braga and Phil Colgan.
– See them here. Very helpful and challenging for ministry teams, small groups and individuals.
When Should a Pastor Preach Through Romans?: Thoughts from Sinclair Ferguson
Posted on March 20, 2025
Filed under Resources Comments Off on When Should a Pastor Preach Through Romans?: Thoughts from Sinclair Ferguson
The Banner of Truth has released this helpful 4 minute video excerpt from a longer (audio only) interview with Sinclair Ferguson.
Doctors’ conscience protection under threat
Posted on March 19, 2025
Filed under Culture wars, NSW, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Doctors’ conscience protection under threat
An important alert from SydneyAnglicans.net:
The New South Wales Parliament is considering a bill to force medical practitioners to facilitate abortions, against their conscience.
At present, doctors can object and not take part in referring patients for abortion. But the Greens party has put forward a bill that would scrap that protection for doctors and force them to refer women for abortion in violation of their conscience.
The bill is designed to expand access to abortions, especially in rural and regional areas.
Christians are being urged to voice their concerns about the bill to MPs, with the Archbishop of Sydney and the Social Issues Committee of the Diocese (SIC), expressing strong objections to Premier Chris Minns and the Opposition leader, Mark Speakman.
The letter from the SIC, signed by its chairman Dean Sandy Grant, said many will find the measures ‘morally compromising’.
“Should these amendments be passed into law, many Christian health practitioners, services, organisations and hospitals may feel forced either to break the law, or to act against their Christian convictions, or else to leave their job to avoid both of those two alternatives,” the letter says.
“No government should put any of its citizens in a position where they are required to make such a decision. Furthermore, the proposed expansion of the categories of people eligible to perform abortions up to twenty two weeks to include nurses and midwives will increase the number of individuals likely to be faced with such an unjust moral dilemma.”
The bill is in the NSW Upper House with the option for MLCs to make amendments there, and if passed it will go to the Lower House, so there is opportunity for Christians to contact MPs of both houses to express their oppiosition.
Please share and check sydneyanglicans.net regularly for updates.
– Source. (Emphasis added.)
Image: Anglican Media Sydney.
The Minister Imposter Syndrome — TPH with Archie Poulos
Posted on March 19, 2025
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The Minister Imposter Syndrome — TPH with Archie Poulos
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Pastors facing up to our imposter syndrome – navigating the noise that leads us to make bad decisions.
As Pastors, we feel the pressure to have the right answers to people’s questions.
We want to be able to navigate the complexities of life and church and land everyone safely at the other end.
People share with us and the hardest parts of their lives, they trust us with their most private issues, and time and their money.
And they trust us that we will handle the most complex relationship difficulties with wisdom.
We end up feeling like imposters. Who am I to lead the people of God? And how can I have wisdom here?
Archie Poulos from Sydney’s Moore Theological College has found the secular book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment helpful as he has addressed these issues.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…