12–18 February 2017. Luke 21:1–19 (click to read). We spoke last week about the dangerous temptation to look for signs of the end of the world. We saw how it distracts us from the work God wants us to do now, today. And even though this type of “sign reading” was popular in Bible times […]
5–11 February 2017. Luke 17:20–37 (click to read). It’s hard to walk into a Christian bookstore these days and not find several books on the shelves about the so-called “end times”. The authors advertise how they are the only one who can really read the signs and predict the coming end of the world. They […]
29 January – 4 February 2017. Luke 13:1–17 (click to read). One day when I was walking in Taipei, I saw a church group on the street calling out to people, saying “Become a Christian, and all your troubles will disappear!” As I heard this, it made me really uncomfortable – because that’s not true at […]
15–21 January 2017. Luke 9:37–62 (click to read). In today’s business world, networking is important. People go to business dinners hoping to meet important people, to swap name cards, and build relationships with people who can help their businesses grow. But knowing so-called important people doesn’t just help our businesses, it also boosts our own […]
15–21 January 2017. Luke 6:27–49 (click to read). What does it mean to be like God? That’s a difficult question that many people have argued about all through history. For some, to be like God means having enormous power; it means bossing people around and telling them what to do. For some, to be like God […]
8–14 January 2017. Luke 3:21–38 (click to read). If we take a very simple look at the Christmas story, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the coming of Christ was somehow just part of God’s backup plan. We read through the Old Testament and look at the way that Abraham and […]
1–7 January 2017. Malachi 3–4 (click to read). Over the last few weeks we have already heard other Minor Prophets talk about their hope for a coming Messiah, one who will come judge the people. Sometimes that sounded frightening because the prophets imagined the Messiah would be like a violent king coming to destroy Israel’s enemies. […]
25–31 December 2016. Zephaniah 3 (click to read). Merry Christmas everyone! Zephaniah 3 is a beautiful and well-known text that we often read in the church during Advent, in the lead up to Christmas. That’s because it is a text full of hope and joy, and the promise of our coming Saviour. But the chapter […]
18–24 December 2016. Micah 1–3 (click to read). In the book of Micah we see many of the same themes that were raised last week by Amos, especially the concern about economic oppression and corruption, and the abuse of the poor and weak. Really, this is a constant theme all through the Bible and in […]
11–17 December 2016. Amos 3–4 (click to read). One of the biggest temptations we face in our faith lives is the idea that our faith has nothing at all to do with the outside world. Even worse is the idea that our faith has nothing to do with how we make our money. It’s easy […]