Category: Purpose

May 15, 2023
Does Singleness Waste My Sexuality?

A thoughtful article by author Sam Allberry, reminding us to keep a gospel-focus on both marriage and singleness. "7 Myths about Singleness Sam Allberry This book responds to 7 common misconceptions about singleness, helping everyone—married and unmarried alike—value the unique opportunities that singleness affords to contribute to the flourishing of the church as a whole." Does Singleness Waste […]

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April 27, 2023
Who Do You Belong To?

We might consider that our sense of identity comes from within us. Dr Rosner examines the concept of looking outwards rather than inwards, and also explains the Christian understanding of looking up towards God for a more complete understanding of identity. "The first thing to say is that all human beings live stories. Our identity […]

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March 6, 2023
When Life Doesn’t Go to Plan

Presenter and author Sheridan Voysey speaks of longing and disappointment but suggests that may be part of a reorientation of our plans. "There’s a wonderful proverb: Hope deferred makes the heart sick. And gosh, we now know that when that hope is deferred and deferred and deferred, and another month and another month and another […]

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January 4, 2023
How to Handle the “Why” Questions

Katie Faris, a pastor’s wife and mother of five, is the author of "He Will Be Enough" (TGBC 2022). In this article she points us to the biblical book of Job, whose life abounded with suffering. Faris refers to the questions Job asked of God, which reflect our own human pleas for understanding in times of grief […]

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November 21, 2022
Making the Christian Life More Complicated than it Needs to Be

This short article provides a wise reflection for living each day as a Christian. Tim Challies reminds us that in every situation, whether good or bad, God has purpose for us all. "There is no circumstance in which God has nothing for us to do, no situation in which we cannot be faithful to his […]

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November 14, 2022
'Grief can have a chastening effect': in Faith, Hope and Carnage: Nick Cave plumbs religion, creativity and human frailty

Faith, Hope and Carnage – Nick Cave and Seán O’Hagan. Text Publishing, 2022 Deakin University's Personal Chair, Literary Studies, Lyn McCredden, reviews this recent acclaimed publication , stating... "Whether you adore or despise Nick Cave, this book offers you a great deal. Far more than the stereotypes of the gothic expatriate, or the drug-loving, post-punk, underground […]

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October 19, 2022
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU LOVE JESUS?

"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." John 14: 24 The Christian life is a path of discipleship, founded in our response of love to Jesus' love for us. The Bible clearly states that we should not be lukewarm in our faith […]

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September 29, 2022
THE PROBLEM OF DESIRE

In this podcast, Natasha Moore from the Centre for Public Christianity interviews Professor Sarah Coakley, Anglican minister, theologian and writer. In their discussion about her book, "The New Asceticism: Sexuality, Gender, and the Quest for God " (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015), Professor Coakley explains, "I see desire as a central human phenomenon … We see desire […]

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September 26, 2022
Loneliness and the cost of true community

Simon Smart reflects on the ever growing issue of loneliness. A recent Telstra and YouGov report reveals that 40% of Australians experience isolation. The pandemic certainly brought this to our attention, although it is not a new phenomenon, despite our increasing technological connectivity. It is a concern that loneliness can reduce a person's lifespan by […]

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August 24, 2022
Paul Bloom says happiness and suffering are closely connected. If you don't believe it, ask a rock climber

Did you know there are two types of happiness? There is instantaneous, in the moment pleasure, and there is also a more meaningful happiness that contributes to fulfilment in life. We look for ways to relieve the tension this causes in many ways. Paul Bloom explains how and why. "Psychologist Paul Bloom can't be the […]

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July 4, 2022
The Day of Small Things

How do we manage the emotional impact of tragic news reports from around the world? How can we help or make a difference? Meredith Van Der Klip offers some useful practical advice to help navigate troubled times. "God says in Zechariah 4:10, “Do not despise the day of small things.” In the face of large-scale tragedy, […]

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July 4, 2022
Women Can Have It All, Just Not at the Same Time

In the last sixty years or so, the lives of women have embraced many changes. They have gained freedom to make decisions about relationships, family, careers. Considering possibilities and making choices can be overwhelming, particularly if considered in the frame of a current worldview. Kara Martin reminds us that God values all spheres of work, […]

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