This post explores whether Christians are obligated to tithe. While the New Testament does not explicitly dictate a percentage, it emphasizes generosity and support for the church. Christians are e…

The post discusses how to effectively respond to prophetic words from the Lord, emphasizing prayer, discernment, and action. It suggests engaging with God's guidance to test the truth of a word and determine appropriate responses. Recognizing timing and actively participating in fulfillment can help prevent confusion and encourage faith.

The post discusses discerning prophetic words within Christian contexts, especially when they don’t resonate. It outlines three essential tests: whether the word strengthens faith in the Gosp…

The recent church conference featured speaker Cate Lewis, focusing on prophetic ministry. Despite lower attendance than expected, the weekend fostered a deeper connection with God's Spirit. Key takeaways included solid teaching, activation of listening for God’s voice, and encouragement of youth engagement. The experience highlighted the importance of nurturing spiritual growth and fostering partnerships.

The author reflects on the multicultural nature of their church, celebrating diversity while acknowledging the challenges posed by rapid immigration. They express concerns over a planned "March for Australia." Instead, they advocate for embracing diversity through faith and community, emphasizing that their identity is rooted in Christianity, not nationalism.

Murray Capill’s “The Elder-Led Church” explores church leadership, emphasizing collaboration among elders. The book outlines the roles of elders, focusing on theological clarity, …

#blog/posted Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.’ (Matt 21.31-32)

For many, the problem of suffering isn't a philosophical puzzle – it's a gut punch. For me, it became profoundly personal in 1989 when my father died instantly in an airplane crash. While his death didn’t raise questions of suffering, it did raise questions about the goodness of God. My dad was a missionary pilot and a good man; he died with another pilot who left behind a 2-year-old child.

The post discusses racism, particularly in Australia, highlighting systemic issues affecting Indigenous people. It critiques both critical race theory and color-blindness, advocating for a gospel-c…

The post discusses the significance of the Bible beyond just Christian belief, emphasizing its role in addressing existential questions like suffering and meaning in life. It argues that the Bible …

I’ve always loved the Bible. In Sunday School, I was the kid who answered all the questions. (And no, the answer isn’t always, ‘Jesus’.) My love and appreciation for the book has only grown in recent years and one of my great regrets is not keeping up my biblical languages after Seminary. In my Baptist tradition, the Bible is considered the final authority for all matters of life and faith.

The nature of God is a mystery. We shouldn’t be surprised when we run up against aspects of God’s identity that we don’t understand, that are mysterious, or that seem counter-intuitive. He is transendent and infinite. I most definitely am not. One aspect of God a lot of people get a little freaked out about is the Holy Spirit. Last week I wrote about the time I was filled with the Spirit, and you can also read about the work of the Spirit in my church, here.

The author reflects on his journey toward understanding and experiencing the Holy Spirit, transitioning from a Cessationist belief to becoming a Charismatic Christian. He recounts encounters with different people, personal struggles for spiritual connection, and a transformative experience of 'being filled with the Spirit,' which brought profound changes in their faith and worship.

What comes to your mind when you think of Pentecost? Next Sunday marks the day we remember this pivotal moment in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was poured out and the church was born. It’s an event that is rich with meaning. In this post, I want to reflect on what the Spirit is doing among us at Bentley Baptist.

Baptist churches traditionally celebrate Communion fortnightly or monthly. In this post I give four reasons why we are celebrating it weekly.

Spending extended time in prayer can be challenging for many. This guide offers suggestions on prayer activities, aids, and a structured pattern to facilitate meaningful prayer, emphasizing that genuine communication with God is the core of the experience.

In this post I explore the importance of parents as discipling figures, highlighting that true parenting involves imitation, deliberate training, and setting boundaries, ultimately guiding children responsibly and spiritually.

I recently became a vegetarian. In this post I explore my journey from happy carnivore to sentimental vegetarian.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm blogging again. You didn't know I blogged? I'm not surprised, it's been pretty random in recent years. The latest iteration came about after my ministry coach (John Finkelde; look him up at Grow a Healthy Church if you're in ministry) asked a question:

What does church renewal look like? How about revival? These are questions underlying last week's 24-7 Prayer Australia National Gathering in Perth. In this post I want to share my my responses to the sessions in the context of my church.

“And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that people often don't perform to expectation (I know because I'm one of them). Sometimes that's because expectations are unrealistic, but in his letter to the infant church at Thessalonica in Greece, the Apostle Paul identified 3 common kinds of 'extra care required' people.

Disappointment with God can be a faith-breaker. When God has neglected to do what we think he should it can leave us wondering if he cares or even if he’s real. Some people say God answers every prayer but sometimes his answer is no. I don’t think that’s very helpful, why does he say no? Why doesn’t God answer prayer, especially ‘big’ ones like healing a child or saving a marriage?

We love strong heroes. When I was growing up, Superman (my then favourite), Captain America and Wonder Woman were particularly iconic heroes who embodied strength, truth and justice. At least, that’s how I remember it. In this day and age, we prefer our heroes to have flaws but to still bring justice. (For all its violence, I found the story of Wolverine as told in the movie, ‘Logan’, to be particularly compelling — a broken hero who lays down his life to save others.) The old heroes represented ideals to which we aspired, the new are icons with which we can relate.

We're facing challenging times. How can Christians maintain resilience and give hope? I explore that in this post.

Climate change is a major issue in Australia with 80% of Australians agreeing we need to take action and just over half seeing it as an election issue. Leaving it out was an oversight on my part (not deliberate), but it’s a big enough issue to deserve its own post, so here it is! How should we think about the environment, especially in regards to voting?