There are so many characters in Scripture, many who stand out in our minds as ‘superheroes’ for one reason or the other. Yet despite their amazing achievements, often it is their weaknesses, their struggles, which resonate with us and set an example for us to learn from. These exceptional characters provide ‘superhero’ moments, as well as more ‘human’ moments, which, … Read More
Grateful
The goal of this plan is to take you through 7 days of thankfulness. It will help you explore different aspects of thankfulness and our need for thankfulness every day. To sign up for the 7-day devotional click on this link to read: with our church individually
‘Effective Forever’
The essence of Easter – Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, is described by the Apostle Paul as a message of “first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It is the message of Good News, “on which your faith stands firm”. The events of Easter upend the Jewish sacrificial system forever. Jews and Gentiles, every human being, now have unprecedented access to the … Read More
to understand, we need God’s help.
Lent Reading: John 12:12-16 What does it take to understand the Christian faith? You don’t have to be clever. If you have ever read the Bible, you know it is mostly not a complex, esoteric text. You do need faith or to be seeking faith, because to really understand, we need God’s help. This is seen our Lent reading. It … Read More
god has new things for you
Lent Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21 Israel was in exile in Babylon. Captives because of their unfaithfulness to God. It is to the captive Israelites the prophet Isaiah reminds them of another time they were slaves. The time was a nearly thousand years earlier, in Egypt, when God “made a way through the sea” and defeated the army of Pharoah. From Egypt … Read More
REJOICE WITH GOD
Lent Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 God wants us to share his joy. This is the heart of the three parables Jesus tells in Luke 15 of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons. When the man finds his lost sheep, he invites his friends and neighbours, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ (v6) When … Read More
When do we listen to God?
Lent Reading: Isaiah 55:1-9 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and … Read More
Rollercoasters are OK!
Lent Reading: Psalm 27 You couldn’t pay me enough to go on a real rollercoaster –being terrified for my life isn’t my kind of fun! But I confess that my emotions can sometimes take me for a bit of a ride. At times like that, Psalm 27 has real resonance for me. The psalmist begins so strongly – The LORD … Read More
Knowing Jesus brings blessing.
Lent Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 How is your life better for following Jesus? After freedom from slavery and wandering the desert, the Israelites settled in their land promised by God. In Deuteronomy 26 they are instructed to take a portion of their first crops and bring it to the priest as a thanksgiving offering for God’s goodness. As people gave, they … Read More
Lent and 40 days of Prayer
Lent is a time Christians from many different traditions prepare for Easter by fasting and giving up something for Lent. To fast means we don’t eat something we like or don’t engage in some activity we prefer. Fasting can be a way of saying ‘no’ to something important to us, so we can say ‘yes’ to God who we love … Read More
Family
“Families are like fudge… mostly sweet with a few nuts…” “Family is like pizza. It’s messy, might give you a stomach ache, and you can’t get enough of it.” I first came to Unley Park Baptist when I was a teenager. There weren’t many young people then, but I distinctly remember that there was a sense of family across the … Read More
Practicing the Way
Who are you becoming? If you envision yourself at age 70, 80, or 100, what kind of person do you see on the horizon? Does the projection in your mind fill you with hope? Or dread? In this devotional, John Mark Comer shows us how we can be spiritually formed to become more like Jesus day by day. CLICK HERE