It was 19 February, 2013 when Mum and I walked into the police station in Cairns and reported decades of crimes that had taken place in our home over the forty years leading up to that day. A few weeks ago, more than ten years later, we finally closed that […]
This prayer is designed for use in a worship gathering of a Christian assembly. By praying for those in poverty, we can help to shape our thinking about those in poverty in ways which are compassionate and Christian. This prayer is adapted for use in an Australian context from a […]
The Apostle Paul instructed an early Christian leader: I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.1 Scripture enjoins us to pray […]
Welcome to my new website! This website will have two functions going forward. First, it will serve as an online home for my writing. Second, it will serve as an archive for the best articles published at InFocus over the years. InFocus began in 2005 as the official blog of […]
Question: “How do you reconcile the angry, wrathful God of the Old Testament to the loving, good God of the New Testament?” It’s a question that I’ve wrestled with and am often asked about so I’ve decided to compile a small list of resources to address it. These are sermons […]
A number of months ago, David Strain wrote an open letter to “Thomas,” a fictional seminary student struggling with same-sex attraction. I appreciated the tone of his letter. It was a welcome contrast to Phil Johnson’s handling of the topic to which I offered a somewhat salty—but no less intellectually […]
Let’s face it. Conservative Christians tend to be wary of the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology. I have many friends in church leadership who view the soft sciences with moderated suspicion at least. Others reject them overtly. And this feels reasonable because, it is argued, the social […]
Moments ago I saw the news of an American megachurch pastor, Andrew Stoecklein, who took his own life after a battle with depression and anxiety. Almost immediately the commentary on Facebook began. As a pastor who battles mental health struggles, I feel compelled to insert a few thoughts into the […]
Phil Johnson recently began stirring the pot on the non-neutrality of same-sex attraction (SSA). You can read it here and here. It’s the sort of cantankerous monologue you’d expect from a hard-line fundamentalist like Phil. But he’s finally provoked me enough to get me writing. So that’s something. First, let’s […]
An old friend recently asked my thoughts on the local church and it occurred to me that I’m odd. If anyone should hate the local church, it’s me. I grew up in an extreme wing of Christian Fundamentalism. My childhood pastor—my Dad—is currently in prison. My world is full of […]