Note: I first started writing this post over two years ago, but never published it. Since the advent of the Charlie Hebdo massacre and subsequent hot debates about cartoon depictions, religious expression, and equating Christian and Muslim extremism, I have decided to finish and post it. Principles of free speech […]
In 2008, I had the great privilege to travel to Israel. Obviously as a Christian, a trip to the Holy Land was significant to me because of the chance to visit locations I have read about in the Bible. However, one unexpected impact that hit me was number of generations […]
As we go about our daily lives, we subtly adopt the terminology of our workplace and culture. Many of the sayings we use come from pagan origins (such as thank your lucky stars). Even though we don’t think about astrology when we utter such a phrase, we are missing an […]
In today’s world of social media, personal branding has become important. Many people are concerned about how they are perceived and how others define them. Facebook statuses, categories, and posts are often crafted to create a certain opinion of how we want to be known. However… How we define ourselves […]
A sad characteristic that follows some people is the need to be critical or in conflict. This 'way of relating' is often observed in 'independent churches' who have made an art form of it. However, conflict and criticism has also flowed over into how individuals from such backgrounds relate to other individuals in life in general.
Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Twenty centuries later, Christ’s church has crossed the globe. Yet, in its visible form, we often define it by buildings or large gatherings of people. So how big does a church need […]
A large benefit of my faith in Christ, is that it helps me make sense of this world. As a follower of Jesus and his teachings, I realise a few critical points. 1) I am a sinner, along with everyone in this world. 2) Our sin explains the evil things […]
Maybe I am just getting older, but I am increasingly hearing about the big C. People I know are increasingly being diagnosed and talking about their cancer experiences. Cancer is simply a growth of cells that is not natural. It can occur in any part of the body, but commonly […]
Over the past five years, the rise of the smartphone has been incredible. They have changed the way we live, the way we work, the way we communicate, and—with the recently released iPhone 5—the way we pay for things. We have been enamoured by the features of these gadgets and […]
With the 2012 London Olympics having come to a conclusion, many of us have witnessed the incredible efforts of talented athletes. Australia was somewhat disappointed with our overall medal result of seven gold and sixteen silver. One newspaper reported that government funding through the Australian Institute of Sport represented $10.6 […]
