On opening a new building…
Four years ago Vose Seminary, where I serve as principal, decided to embark on a building program. It has been a faith stretching time. Last night saw the official opening of our new conference centre and lecture rooms, the John Olley Centre – named after our second principal, Dr John Olley. As I prepared my talk for the opening, it struck me that others might be interested in what was said and why we embarked on this project… So here is the talk… Thanks so much for joining us on this wonderful occasion – the opening of the John Olley Centre. Actually, though it is...
Read MoreIs narcissism becoming a virtue – or whatever happened to humility?
Yesterday I led a professional development day for staff at Grace Christian School, in Bunbury. One of the topics we explored was the rise of narcissism, and ways Christian schools can help provide a corrective for it. Of course there might be some readers who wonder if a corrective is necessary. After all, pendulum’s tend to swing back and forth, and the current wave of self love has followed hot on the heals of too long an era where the need of the individual was always seen to be subservient to the needs of the group, and when any delight in self was viewed as sinful and a display...
Read MoreManaging Monday with G.K.Chesterton, take 2
We continue to enjoy the insights of English poet, novelist and Christian apologist Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936), who amongst his many achievements could list authoring the Father Brown novels – currently enjoying a renaissance thanks to the TV series based on them. A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it – G.K.Chesterton Courage is almost a contradiction. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die – G.K.Chesterton Art is born when the temporary touches the eternal – G.K.Chesterton Don’t...
Read MoreOlympic Glory…
Since the start of the Olympics I have noticed that there has been a drop in the number of page views of this blog. Sigh… Such muddled priorities. But then, as they say, if you can’t beat them, join them. So here is a post on the Olympics… Actually, you’ll quickly note that it was written during the 2012 London Games – and is about to appear as one of the readings in my latest book (which comes out next month, and is already available for pre-order) – Could this be God? Bumping into God in the Everyday (BRF, 2016). This book is a little different from my others being written fairly tongue in...
Read MoreWhen weak is strong…
At Carey we are running a series on emotionally healthy spirituality based on Peter Scazzero’s book of that title. It was my turn to speak this week, and I looked at his chapter on hitting the wall. The message was based on 2Cor 12:1-10 and focused on the Pauline paradox in 2 Cor 12:10 For when I am weak, then I am strong. Clearly this flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Here are the notes I spoke from… You’ve probably heard the Mae West quip: “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” How would you complete this one? I’ve been strong and I’ve been weak… It’s a...
Read MoreManaging Monday, with G.K.Chesterton
G.K.Chesterton (1874-1936) was a noted English poet, novelist, orator, literary critic, journalist and Christian apologist. He is also remembered for creating the fictional priest-detective, Father Brown. We will dive into some of his wisdom over the next 4 weeks. If there were no God, there would be no atheists – G.K.Chesteron Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions – G.K. Chesterton We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty – G.K.Chesterton There is the great lesson of ‘Beauty and the...
Read MoreA New Kind of Apologist…
I’m currently teaching a unit on apologetics at Vose, and as part of my background work have been reading through a collection of essays edited by Sean McDowell entitled A New Kind of Apologist (Harvest House, 2016). Apologetics explores the reasonable basis for the Christian faith, and addresses the common objections that people have to Christianity. Some of the articles in this book are really excellent – a few less so – but my intention is to highlight the helpful. Noting C.S.Lewis’s comment that all Christians are apologists (the question is not if we are...
Read MoreRedeeming Work: Job, career, or calling?
A significant portion of our life is engaged in ensuring that we have a roof over our head and food on the table. Some of us are able to work in such a way that life’s basic needs are just taken care of, for others it’s a pathway to wealth. But how do you view the work you do? Is it a job, a career or a calling? The answer given is a likely indicator of how satisfying you find Monday to Friday – or whatever days you dedicate to earning your keep. If you say ‘job’ it is probable that you are acutely aware of how many hours are set aside performing the activities your...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Ravi Zacharias – take 2
Last week we looked at some insights from noted Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. Here are a few more… Having the answers is not essential to living. What is essential is the sense of God’s presence during dark seasons of questioning – Ravi Zacharias We must learn to find the back door to people’s hearts because the front door is heavily guarded – Ravi Zacharias You’ll never get to a person’s soul until you understand their hurts – Ravi Zacharias Beginning well is a momentary thing: finishing well is a lifelong thing – Ravi Zacharias...
Read MoreThree challenges facing Christians…
Those of us who are embedded in healthy church communities sometimes wonder why there are so many who are not. Put differently, at a time when it is so easy to track down information about Jesus and to learn about his teaching, why are so many deciding that following him has little appeal. A fair amount of the negative response can probably be put down to the negative publicity surrounding the church, with people thinking, ‘well, if that’s the community he founded, count me out.’ But it is not just that. If you ask me what I think the three greatest challenges facing Christians in the...
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