Doctrine - Australian Church Record

The Congregation has spoken: “We also want systematic theology!”

January 30, 2020 by Ben Pakula

At the church I pastor a returning missionary was giving a brilliant sermon on Acts 17. Mid-talk he paused and asked the congregation to discuss this question: “Is Jesus still a man today?” I was perplexed as to why he would ask such an obvious question…until…

Pursuing Sanctification – God’s work or ours? Part 2

January 28, 2020 by Daniel Bishop

In Part 1, Dan showed us that God’s sovereignty in our progressive sanctification (that is, our ongoing journey in holiness) is not in conflict with our efforts in this area, but that both operate together, as friends. Here, Dan returns to explain…

Pursuing Sanctification – God’s work or ours? Part 1

January 24, 2020 by Daniel Bishop

John Owen says Christians need to “be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”[1] Yet from my experience most Christians aren’t employing everything they have at their disposal to kill sin or to pursue sanctification in any regard. The most I…

How long, Lord, must we call for help?

January 21, 2020 by Ben George

In light of the recent Australian bushfires, we perhaps cannot be blamed for asking, Why is God allowing such a thing to happen? How can God turn a blind eye to the devastation that has come as a result of these fires – the loss of property, animals,…

The message is the mission (Ephesians 1:13)

January 6, 2020 by Lionel Windsor

What is God’s ‘mission’? In the opening section of Ephesians, Paul talks a lot about God’s purposes for the world. God’s ultimate purpose is to sum up everything in Christ (Ephesians 1:10). God is moving everything in heaven and earth…

The truth about truth

December 24, 2019 by Ben George

Jesus Christ has always been a controversial figure. Take John 18:33-38, for example, when Jesus is addressing Pilate. He says that he came into the world to speak about reality, and everyone who listens to him knows the truth. This is controversial…

You: Lost and longed for

December 10, 2019 by Adrian Russell

How long do you last unplugged? Think about it. Once you unplug your phone, it will last maybe 12 hours. A tablet will last perhaps 9 hours? What about an electric car? 45 minutes? But how long does a human last when you unplug them from their life…