Here is a special prayer of blessing for you today: Romans 15:13. I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. NLT Read more →

The asylum seeker issue continues to hit the news here in Australia and beyond. On June 29 at 7:30 there is a free debate in the city of Melbourne. Business Faith Law and Morality: The Asylum Seeker Debate. What is Your opinion? The asylum seeker issue needs resolving. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to listen to expert opinion and have your considerations and suggestions discussed. What is the role of Faith and a United Faith Community in the Asylum Seeker debate? Are Asylum Seekers an Economic opportunity or threat? Does Business have a role to play... Read more →

We fight the drug of porn with the power of love Ephesians 5:1-14 [Josiah Conner kicked off our Modern Family series last weekend with a message entitled "Porn Kills Love" (watch or listen). Here is a summary, along with some reflection questions] Steak: We have taken the good gift of sex and turned it into something it is not. Steak: food is for eating (we have twisted sex into something it isn’t). 1. Think about the ways that sex has been twisted away from God’s intention. 2. The dictionary defines pornography as: Sexually explicit writing, images, video, or other material... Read more →

Professor Howard G. Hendricks (1924-2013) influenced a lot of people. Here is a collection of some of his more well-known quotes: You can impress from a distance, but you can only impact up close. You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are. You never graduate from the school of discipleship. It’s a sin to bore people with the Bible. Most people don’t think, they just rearrange their prejudices. Your strengths develop your confidence; your weaknesses develop your faith. My greatest fear is not your failure, but your success. Heaven is a person: Jesus. Never traffic in unpracticed... Read more →

Who would’ve thought that one photo could cause so much trouble? It wasn’t the first time I’d been criticized for my friendship and solidarity with the Muslim community, in fact I’d had some threats of violence when I spoke up about Halal certification but this one took it another level. Had I renounced the gospel? Sure, being friends with Muslims, but praying in a mosque? Did I even believe in Jesus anymore? The beard didn’t help any. Had I taken the instructions “love your neighbour as yourself” and “love your enemy” too literally? Too far? 1 John 3. This is... Read more →

To all the mums out there, Happy Mother's Day! We wouldn't be here without you. What amazing people you are. My mother passed away over 25 years ago now and I still miss her. Nicole's mother, affectionately known as 'Oma' passed away 7 years ago and we still really miss her. Mothers are very special people! The photo to above is an old one of my dad and mum (in the red top), and Nicole's dad and mum (light blue top)] Here are the lyrics to a song I heard many years ago called Love Them While You Can by... Read more →

We have a saying here in Australia - "No worries!" Yet, many of us carry worries with us all the time. Do you ever worry? A better question is probably, “What do you worry about?” Worry can come from many sources - our health, finances, relationships, the future, etc. There are many things to worry about that are real and relevant to our lives. To “worry” means to fret, to fear, to be afraid, to be anxious or to be overly concerned. Worry is simply ‘negative meditation’ or ‘negative imagination’. One worry feeds another so much that it becomes impossible... Read more →

Looking for a baby name? In 2014, around 1 in 10 Australian babies were given one of the Top 10 most popular baby names; a total of 30,581 babies. There were more than 2,189 boys named Oliver and 1,796 girls names Olivia last year. Keeping the top spot from 2013 is Oliver, the top boy baby name in Australia for 2014 having overtaken Jack and William which were 1st in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Oliver was the top boys’ name in all 6 states (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS) while William was the top boy baby name in the... Read more →