Witness when the Vibe shifts

Posted on August 14, 2025 
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“Have you heard the vibe has shifted? Whether you call it a quiet revival, the surprising rebirth in belief in God, or something more modest, it appears there is a new sense of openness towards Christianity.

Christians may have felt increasingly sidelined in the recent past, but now, at least in some circles, we are being given a hearing where we weren’t before. Something of this phenomenon has been reflected in my own local experience. There has been a steady trickle of young people who are seeking answers to big questions and are willing to listen to what their Christian friends have to say. Perhaps you have seen the same in your own context.

That raises the question, how should we conduct ourselves when we feel we are finally given a hearing? …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Pat O’Keefe, a member of the team at St. Mark’s Northbridge, points us to the encouraging example of the Apostle Paul’s witness.

Beyond the Crisis: Global Perspectives on a training culture for the next generation

Posted on August 13, 2025 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“A training culture for the next generation:  Healthy Churches producing new ministers for the next generation.

Across the world, the number of candidates putting themselves forward for gospel ministry is in decline. Many churches are feeling the pinch – struggling to find leaders and often looking elsewhere to fill ministry gaps.

Yet healthy churches don’t just maintain ministry; they reproduce it. They raise up and send out the next generation of gospel workers.

This week in Sydney, a group of evangelical movement leaders from across the globe have gathered to sharpen one another in this task: creating a culture of training that will multiply gospel workers for the decades ahead.

The shift they are calling for is from passively plotting decline to actively asking, What are we going to do?—and then taking decisive steps toward it.

We’re joined this afternoon by three of those symposium participants.

From the UK, Robin Sydserff of the Proclamation Trust.

From Santiago, Chile, Matt Pope – pastor and trainer of pastors in five Latin American countries, formerly of St Ebbe’s in Oxford.

And from Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Sweeney – pastor for training at Old North Church and long-time champion of multiplying ministry apprentices.”

– Watch or listen here.

The Faith of Satan — Know your enemy

Posted on August 12, 2025 
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From Phillip Jensen:

“Two words commonly misunderstood today are ‘faith’ and ‘Satan’. In this week’s episode, Peter and I pursue our understanding of faith and Satan’s contribution in undermining it.

Once again, can we encourage you to mention the weekly podcast to friends, colleagues, and neighbours? I hope you will enjoy this episode.”

– Listen at Two Ways News.

Donison Down Under Tour — November 2025

Posted on August 12, 2025 
Filed under Australia, GAFCON, New Zealand Comments Off on Donison Down Under Tour — November 2025

A prayer point from Gafcon –

“We pray for the upcoming November visit to Australia and New Zealand by our General Secretary, The Rt Revd Paul Donison, as he presents the ‘Gafcon Global Vision’ events, and visits key leaders in the two countries.

Bishop Paul will be speaking at free evening events this November in Melbourne (Tuesday 18th), Hobart (Wednesday 19th), Perth (Thursday 20th), Adelaide (Friday 21st), Sydney (Wednesday 26th), Brisbane (Friday 28th), and Christchurch (Saturday 29th).

Pray that this two-week visit will energise and inspire Aussies and Kiwis as they hear important updates about our movement, and that it will help grow their Gafcon Global Vision as they hear of the many opportunities to partner with brothers and sisters around the world in generous fellowship.”

– Prayer point and photo: Gafcon. Might be good to pop in your calendar.

More prayer points and stories from Gafcon here.

‘He is Able’ – Yes, He is!

Posted on August 12, 2025 
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“Let’s think about one of the most beautiful verses in the whole Bible – Hebrews 7.25: Jesus is able to save to the utmost all who come to the Father through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. …”

– Bob Thomas shares Christ-focussed encouragement at The Australian Presbyterian.

Peter Williams speaks with apologist Wes Huff

Posted on August 11, 2025 
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From Tyndale House:

“Peter Williams interviews apologist Wes Huff about how he became a Christian, the Bible research he has been working on, and why he still believes Scripture is reliable.”

– Watch here. (Many younger people, in the US in particular, are hearing from Wes Huff, and he will be speaking in Queensland next month.)

The Case for Pew Bibles

Posted on August 10, 2025 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on The Case for Pew Bibles

These days, how many of our churches use pew Bibles?

This article at Mere Orthodoxy makes a good argument for doing so –

“Is something lost when we depend on digital media for our Scripture consumption? Is projecting the Scripture passage onto the screen adequate for whole-person and whole-church discipleship and mission, or can a case be made that pew Bibles are an essential part of making God’s Word accessible for all?

…

Pew Bibles empower the people in the hearing and heeding of God’s Word since they place the revelation of God in their hands with no impediment and with the endorsement to see for themselves. As the pastor speaks the Word of God, the people may follow along; they are both physically and metaphorically on the same page.

The presence of pew Bibles is certainly not the only way to accomplish this, but a church that actively and intentionally places the Word of God before the people signals the leadership’s subservience to the Word.”

– Read it all here. (Link via challies.com.)

Enrolments in Bible Colleges

Posted on August 9, 2025 
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Some historical perspective and a challenge from David Cook:

“Moore College and SMBC experienced record enrolments in 1960, 1969 and 1980.

I was part of the student enrolment in SMBC in 1969, we had 35 men enrolled in our year compared to 7 men in the year before.

What had happened?

Billy Graham had conducted campaigns in Sydney in 1959, 1968 and 1979.

There is a direct relationship between lively, faithful, engaging Bible preaching and people both being saved and people offering themselves to train for ministry.

Here in Sydney in my own denomination, J. Graham Miller’s ministry at Hurstville Presbyterian was the catalyst God used to call numbers of men into training in the late 1970s,  Phillip Jensen at Uni of NSW was similarly used of God.

Men and women would be changed by such preaching and would be so challenged that they gave serious prayerful consideration as to make such ministry their life’s vocation. …”

– Do read it all – at The Expository Preaching Trust.

And see the end of his article for some fine aids for preachers.

See also:

Daily Bread’s Journey Through.

On Graham Miller’s Method for “Personal Daily Bible Study”.

Image: David as a guest preacher at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.

Moore College Sunday

Posted on August 9, 2025 
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It’s not too late to pray for Moore College!

“Moore College Sunday is officially held annually on the first Sunday of August. If you can’t hold Moore College Sunday on this day, that’s OK. We value your prayers and support of our College, and will have resources available for the rest of the year!”

– Details here.

Confident Prayer

Posted on August 9, 2025 
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“What do you think of prayer? Do you pray regularly? And if you do, do you pray with confidence? Can God, whom we call ‘Father’, be trusted to hear our prayers and answer them?

In Luke chapter 11, verses 9 and 10, Jesus says: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

On either side of these words Jesus answers two questions we might have about prayer: Does God always listen to us? Does he always have our very best interests at heart? His answer is found in two metaphors that sit on either side of his words in verses 9 and 10. …”

– John Mason shares encouragement for prayer at The Anglican Connection.

Discover serving in Bathurst Diocese

Posted on August 8, 2025 
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From the Diocese of Bathurst –

INFORMATION ZOOM EVENING
12 AUGUST @ 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM

Are you interested in ministry opportunities and pathways outside of the city? Are you curious about what it actually looks like to minister out west? Are you keen to hear about what it is like to SHARE JESUS for LIFE in the Bathurst Diocese?

Join us for an Information Zoom session and have all your questions answered! All welcome!

– Interested? Register at this link.

(And even if you are not able to go, you can still pray for the progress of the gospel and the building up of Christ’s people in Bathurst.)

The believer’s assurance in times of groaning — Romans 8:1-39

Posted on August 8, 2025 
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In anticipation of celebrating Dick Lucas’ 100th birthday next month, here’s a recording of ‘brief notes’ on Romans chapter 8 he made late last year.

He points us to the sure hope of everyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ, whatever our age –

“Recorded in early October 2024, this is expected to be Dick’s last formal talk, though he continues to speak penetratingly of biblical truths with the many scheduled visitors to his home.

In this brief survey of Romans 8, he considers not only the deep comfort of the chapter, rooted in solid hope for the future, but also its realism concerning present experience in a ‘groaning’ creation.”

– Listen here, from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.

PDJ on the ‘Quiet Time’

Posted on August 7, 2025 
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“Friends in Christ, the most helpful article I ever read on personal Bible reading and prayer was written by Phillip Jensen.

This was more than 30 years ago when he was a university chaplain – long before he became Dean of this Cathedral. At that stage I had never even heard of him. But his article helped me so much I kept it all these years. Today I share an extract with you…”

– Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant shares an encouraging extract – in the Cathedral newsletter.

The Power and Purpose of Apocalyptic Preaching

Posted on August 7, 2025 
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From The Gospel Coalition’s Carson Center, an audio recording of a lecture by Don Carson –

“In this lecture, Don Carson discusses the unique nature of apocalyptic literature, emphasizing its distinct historical context and symbolic language. Carson argues that apocalyptic texts like Revelation can be engaging and evangelistically effective. He discusses the importance of understanding these texts within their original setting and literary genre to grasp their full theological significance. …”

Listen – or read the transcript.

Is 5% Enough?

Posted on August 7, 2025 
Filed under Australia, Evangelism Comments Off on Is 5% Enough?

“There seems to be a change in the cultural atmosphere in much of the West.  It may be that people are more open to the Gospel.  The question is, how should we take advantage of that?  How do we use this cultural moment to bring the gospel to those who are lost?  We always need to humbly remember that ‘many are the plans in the heart of a man, but it is the Lord’s purpose that stands’ (Proverbs 19:21).

This year’s General Assembly of the NSW Presbyterians accepted a motion I put forward to reflect on how we do evangelism.  The Assembly ask the Mission Committee to evaluate the status of evangelism within the Presbyterian church of NSW and to report back to the 2026 GA with recommendations which will help the whole church work together to bring the Gospel to all the people of NSW.

The Assembly also heard a call for the Presbyterian church to double in 20 years.  Providentially the Gospel Coalition recently held a summit where the same doubling in 20 years was agreed.  They declared that this could be done by seeing 5% conversion growth in each church over a period of 20 years.

The Pastor’s Heart, a fascinating and helpful podcast presented by Dominic Steele, has recently had three podcasts focusing on this numerical target …”

– At AP, the online Presbyterian journal, David Robertson reckons we should ‘go for glory’.

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