Today is Pentecost Sunday and today we celebrate the birth of the Church and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is not simply the giver of gifts (as in 1 Cor 12), he is the gift of … Continue reading →

Ascended above His Enemies Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47; Eph 1:15-23; Matt 28:16-20 St Marks 28.5.17 Introduction    https://youtu.be/T6jtvzA494k Today we celebrate Christ’s ascension, the day when Jesus went back up to his Father in heaven. The Ascension elevates Jesus beyond the … Continue reading →

God knows his people in a way which differs from his knowledge of those who reject him.  This explains why Jesus can say that those who do not live in obedience to the Father will be told, “I never knew … Continue reading →

A Man and His God                                                              Mt Hawthorn Baptist 22.5.17 Let me begin by saying that although I find myself mentoring men from all over the world I do not have a “men’s ministry” and am a little unsure even … Continue reading →

Rebuilding the Church2. No Other Foundation               City Church of Christ 21.5.17 Introduction  1 Cor 3:10-15 When local Christian Tony Overhue (who I know) smashed a pie into the face of prominent gay activist and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce spiritual … Continue reading →

Baptism in/with the Holy Spirit is not explicitly mentioned in the Old Testament.  However, John the Baptist spoke to the people about this experience as if it were something they would understand.  This means that the concept must be congruent … Continue reading →

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Psalms 119:9 ESV Dear friends and family, there’s a strong law we put young men through; much older than trees, yet daily new. Lord … Continue reading →

“In Christ” in Ephesians   Alive@5         14.5.17     https://youtu.be/BAnRiP83CJM Introduction The first section of Ephesians is one of the most elevated parts of the whole Bible, especially because of its intense use of the expression “in Christ”. Scholars have argued that justification, … Continue reading →

John the Baptist spoke to the crowds about one who would come after him.  “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  … Continue reading →

One Heart Jer 32:36-41; Ps 133; Acts 4:28-37; John 17:20-27 St Mark’s 7.5.16 Introduction   https://youtu.be/sUezVMAgiqw If you’ve ever been a part of an extended family get together where from young to old everyone is talking happily and playing well together … Continue reading →

Restoring the Beauty of Fatherhood[1] 1.      Our problem  The presenting problem is siloing i.e. pastors, businesspeople, artists, scientists, lawyers, media folk etc. are isolated from one another. The seeds of the kingdom are shut up in the individual silos. These … Continue reading →

Transparent Yarloop Christian Fellowship 30.4.17 Introduction I’m part of a group that organises weekly testimonies in Perth and we had a very unusual one the other week. A mature aged woman shared all about the downs and ups of her … Continue reading →

Glorious Ambition https://youtu.be/iBlDzAH39d8 Personal Matters Why is it that despite the clear admonitions of scripture so many believers “set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches” and not “on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim … Continue reading →

Rebuilding the Church  1. Seeing it as it Is                        City Church of Christ 23.4.17 Key Text: Hebrews 12:18-29 Introduction Humanly speaking no one could be optimistic about the future of the Australian Church. Older established denominations are ageing whilst many … Continue reading →

Wall of Fire from 5.4.17    https://youtu.be/lz4TkbaAcHQ Personal Matters Adultery, pornography, divorce are no longer scandalous or rare amongst the people of God (Matt 5:27-28). In an age whose motto is; “Surely God wants me to be happy!”, this is hardly … Continue reading →

Resurrection Fear 2 Sam 7:12-16;Ps 16; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8   St Marks Easter Day 2017 (The church has been working through Mark’s Gospel Sunday by Sunday) Introduction Mark has the most surprising testimony to the resurrection of Christ of … Continue reading →

Divide the Image                               https://youtu.be/VrNRoSxiZ5g Personal Matters We are already separated over prosperity, baptism, the Sabbath, the Pope etc., now Satan is using same sex marriage to divide the Church. To a fractured Corinthian congregation Paul appeals, “Is Christ divided?” (1 … Continue reading →

The Rejected Stone Isa 5:1-7; Ps 118:19-29; 1 Cor 15:12-28; Mark 12:1-12 St Mark’s 2.4.17 Introduction Having arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus is bringing to a climax the great controversy between God and a system that perverted the temple from a … Continue reading →

Mirror              from 3.3.17      https://youtu.be/Z-FjlJriZuI Personal Matters Christians easily forget their true identity in Christ; “have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?”; “whoever (godly) lacks these qualities…is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former … Continue reading →

See me Up, Speak me Up Introduction Whilst there is an unusual amount of prayer going on for revival at the moment in Australia this is not something I can join in on without raising some foundational concerns  (2 Chron … Continue reading →

This morning I was praying for the Church in Australia and I prayed that we might desire the word of God as if it were bread itself.  In the midst of this prayer I was struck by the idea that … Continue reading →

“The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus.  To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.  He sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign?  Truly I tell you, no sign will be … Continue reading →

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ are you a servant of God or a son of God?  The answer is that you are both. The parable of the prodigal son is a well-known story.  The son ran away … Continue reading →

This is a message given to Tabor College combined chapel on 15th March 2107 Today I am calling this the Seinfeld message since it is a message about ‘nothing’.  What that ‘nothing’ involves will hopefully become clear as we go.  … Continue reading →

Fruit for God                              This teaching is available on video Personal Matters Every human being must bear spiritual and moral fruit, either “fruit for God” or “fruit for … Continue reading →

In the present church climate, there is a great deal of confusion about the nature of Old Testament law. One result of this is that people have been arguing that we don’t need to pay attention to Old Testament prohibitions, … Continue reading →

Spiritual Covering                                                                          from 10.2.17 … Continue reading →

A sermon for Mt Hawthorn Community Church You are a church which is interested in social justice issues.  Indeed God is quite interested in justice.  Because of your interest in justice, I have chosen a passage for today which puts … Continue reading →

Job understood, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart” (Job 1:21a).  Paul reminded Timothy of this very thing.  “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim. … Continue reading →