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Feb 22 2023 
Judging // Discerning
Reading Time: 9 minutesIt seems to me that it has become increasingly difficult to speak into many issues or situations that the church faces today; not because the Bible is silent, not because the church doesn’t have or hasn’t held a historical position on a matter, and not because we, as Christians, don’t know what we ought to be doing. Rather, we are feeling pressed into silence, in many instances, simply on the basis of one little verse…
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Feb 14 2023 
What The Church Is (And What She Isn’t)
Reading Time: 6 minutesI really love talking about church.
Not, as in, my church or your church.
Not, as in, what flavour of church, in a denominational sort of way.
And not, as in, which kind of church; mega church, home church, missional church, or cell-group church (and, oh boy, I wish whoever had come up with that last descriptor had really given it a bit more thought…).
I love talking about church, as in, The Church. The bride of the lamb,… -
Nov 16 2022 
Loving The Church
Reading Time: 5 minutes“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour.” | James 3:18, MSG
It can be hard to love the church. Frankly, at times, she can seem like a big, fat disappointment.
Infighting. Divisions. The failure of leaders and the apathy of congregants. The assimilation to culture. A preoccupation with… -
Jul 30 2022 
Dual Citizens
Reading Time: 7 minutesI was born and raised in New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud and a ratio of nearly six sheep for every one person. I often remember as a child watching the sun in summer sink below the horizon late at night, and, in winter, layering up as warmly as possible through the short, dark, freezing days of relentless rain and oftentimes snow.
My husband and I moved from New Zealand in 2008, the… -
Jul 07 2022 
Women Must Keep Silent?
Reading Time: 6 minutesYou may be aware that there are a few verses that, as traditionally interpreted, seem to completely contradict Paul’s recurring message of ‘freedom and oneness in Christ’, particularly in relation to women’s contribution to and participation in church ministry. The verses in question are found in 1 Corinthians 14:34-36, 1 Timothy 2:11-12, and 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.
1 Corinthians 14 is the only passage that (seems to) explicitly forbid women ‘speaking in church’ (and which is… -
May 02 2022 
When God Moved Into The Neighbourhood
Reading Time: 10 minutesI think our view or perspective of God and His intentions may have been shaped by many things, but the Bible sets the narrative straight pretty much right away, declaring His intent and purpose from the beginning. We read in Genesis 1:6 that God said “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the…
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Apr 09 2022 
Will Progressive Christianity Destroy The Church?
Reading Time: 8 minutesI want to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a while. Some time ago, I watched a commentary by a ‘Christian pastor’ that totally shocked me. In fact, I haven’t really stopped thinking about it since.
I found it disturbing; equal parts ridiculous and horrifying, and I really couldn’t believe it was being presented under the guise of legitimate Christianity.
For me, it highlighted a disturbing and, frankly, heartbreaking direction that modern Christianity, or… -
Nov 09 2021 
By One Man
Reading Time: 8 minutesI like the Apostle Paul.
I like his ability to ‘call a spade a spade’, the unrelenting pursuit of his faith, and his bold assertion to “preach nothing but the cross of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:2). No doubt he ruffled more than a few feathers at times, with his unapologetic directness and refusal to tolerate any other gospel than that of being saved by grace through faith alone.
He doesn’t shy away from telling it how it… -
Aug 23 2021 
Majors And Minors | The Danger Of Extremism
Reading Time: 7 minutesThe appearance of Jesus on the Jewish scene was a dramatic collision between grace and spiritual performance. Jesus came preaching repentance and forgiveness for all people; not on the basis of their social status, their ethnicity, or their gender, but on the basis of God’s generosity and undeserved grace (Mark 16:15, Luke 14:23).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish…
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Aug 16 2021 
Fidelity In Friendship
Reading Time: 6 minutes“Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” | Thessalonians 5:15, ESV
Fidelity.
It’s a word perhaps more likely to be used in the context of its absence rather than its presence. Regrettably, it often comes to our attention through it’s lack; infidelity.
While we tend to think of fidelity as describing physical faithfulness in committed, intimate relationships, it’s not just restricted to these.(Not a reader? Take a listen instead ⇓)
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