Articles, thoughts, essays, and content from Brian as well as students – our budding theologians.
Managing Monday with John Maxwell – Take 3
Say the name John Maxwell (1947 – ) and most people immediately think of his work on leadership. A pastor, motivational speaker and best selling author, his ability to summarize key leadership principles into memorable axioms or striking quotes is remarkable. This is our third look at some of his ideas… You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. John Maxwell Dreams don’t work unless you do. John Maxwell Leadership is not about...
read moreManaging Monday with John Maxwell – Take 2
Say the name John Maxwell (1947 – ) and most people immediately think of his work on leadership. A pastor, motivational speaker and best selling author, his ability to summarize key leadership principles into memorable axioms or striking quotes is remarkable. This is a second look at some of his thoughts… Every day, leaders must wake up and lead themselves before they can lead anyone else. John Maxwell If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone. John Maxwell When was the last time you did...
read moreManaging Monday with John Maxwell
Say the name John Maxwell (1947 – ) and most people immediately think of his work on leadership. A pastor, motivational speaker and best selling author, his ability to summarize key leadership principles into memorable axioms or striking quotes is remarkable. We will look at a few of them over the next few weeks… We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are. John Maxwell When it came to choosing disciples, Jesus picked people you and I would have missed. John Maxwell Many of us want the perks of leadership without the...
read moreManaging Monday with Elisabeth Elliot – Take 3
Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is usually remembered for her work with the tribe who killed her missionary husband, Jim Elliot. She went on to author over twenty books, was a popular radio broadcaster and inspirational speaker, an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a significant Christian leader. Here is a third and final look at some of her insights… If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!Elisabeth Elliot If we...
read moreManaging Monday with Elisabeth Elliot – Take 2
Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is often remembered for her missionary work to the tribe who killed her missionary husband, Jim Elliot. She went on to author over twenty books and was a popular radio broadcaster and inspirational speaker, as well as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Here is a second look at some of her thoughts… Fear arises when we imagine everything depends on us. Elisabeth Elliot God will not protect you from anything that will make you more like Jesus. Elisabeth Elliot One does not surrender a...
read moreReflections on 12 weeks in the UK…
I’m writing this while sitting in the Qantas lounge in London. Having heard that the flight back to Perth has been delayed 2 hours (which as they initially said it would be 3, is actually good news), I thought it better to jot down some of my thoughts from the time away, than to spend the time making constant trips to the food counter – tempting though the latter option is. For those who are not aware, Rosemary and I have just completed a 12 week Sabbatical in the UK where we were largely based at Spurgeon’s College in London, where I...
read moreLiving Mindfully: 10 Practices…
Mindfulness is the new buzz word in many circles, and it is easy to understand why. In a world which views multi-tasking as essential, and offers far too many distractions, the gift of the present moment often passes unheeded. We are at risk of becoming human doings rather than human beings – and the consequences are enormous. During my Sabbatical at Spurgeon’s College, I have been working on a book about forming spiritual leaders, and one of the formational practices I have been reading about has been mindfulness – and I...
read moreManaging Monday with Elisabeth Elliot
Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is often remembered for her missionary work to the tribe who killed her missionary husband, Jim Elliot. She went on to author over twenty books and was a popular radio broadcaster and inspirational speaker, as well as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Here are some of her thoughts… It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place. Elisabeth Elliot The devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements:...
read moreManaging Monday with Walter Bruggemann – Take 3
Walter Brueggemann (1933- ) is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars. Though in the first instance a distinguished academic, his work has reached a far wider readership, and the depth of his insights have spoken to many. Here is a third and final taster of some of his work… Prayer is a refusal to settle for what is. Walter Bruggemann I intend to focus on the question of truth. That means I do not inquire about facticity – what happened – but what is claimed, what is asserted about reality. Walter Bruggemann...
read moreThe Stories We Tell: Seven Basic Plots
Though writing with a little teaching and preaching has been the main focus of my Sabbatical time at Spurgeon’s College, I have also taken the opportunity to broaden my reading, and in doing so, came across Christopher Booker’s classic The Seven Basic Plots: Why we tell stories. Now truth to tell, I did not read it all (as in 728 pages – which took Booker 37 years to research and write) but read some and skimmed other parts to get a reasonable sense of the key ideas, which I thought worth discussing. Early on in the book...
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