My church recently finished off our Ephesians series, and in our concluding sermon we came across the exhortation from Paul for us to 'pray in the Spirit'. But what does that mean? Is it some special kind of prayer? If so, certainly it must be some kind of extra-spiritual prayer... but how do we know… Continue reading What does it mean to ‘pray in the Spirit’?
Month: November 2013
Is the Gospel offensive, or are we?
I just recently read an article written in response to the close defeat of a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in New South Wales. I was surprised to find that the article had pretty much nothing to do with same-sex marriage at all, but was instead a vitriolic tirade against Christianity. The author criticised the… Continue reading Is the Gospel offensive, or are we?
Fundamentalism and the Word of God
Fundamentalism and the Word of God , written by J.I. Packer over half a century ago, is keen knife that cuts into the ever-raging debates between conservative and liberal Christians on the nature of Scripture. This book, although written many decades ago, speaks ever clearly and directly into the same dialogues that go on today, and… Continue reading Fundamentalism and the Word of God
The Full Armour of God
Ephesians 6 is a familiar passage, a memorable section of Scripture that encourages us to put on righteousness, truth, faith, and salvation as if they were clothing, so that we will be prepared for the Christian life. There's much to be gained from looking at this passage and thinking about how these different things –… Continue reading The Full Armour of God
Does the Bible Condone Slavery?
Best estimates suggest that over a quarter of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves – a staggering figure. And since it was in the midst of the Roman Empire that Christianity was born, slavery was a reality that Christians have faced since our inception. So how did the earliest Christians view slavery? And… Continue reading Does the Bible Condone Slavery?
Wives, Submit to Your Husbands
As promised, this post is written by a guest-blogger, the lovely Alex Smart. Just as last post was written specifically to husbands on what it means to live out the biblical pattern of marriage in Ephesians 5 (loving their wives), so this post is to wives on what it means to submit to their husbands. Before… Continue reading Wives, Submit to Your Husbands
Husbands, Love Your Wives
This post is a follow-up to the one I put up earlier in the week on Ephesians 5:21-33 and what the Bible teaches about gender roles in marriage – that husbands are to sacrificially love their wives as Christ loved the church, and wives in turn are to submit to their husbands. But what does that… Continue reading Husbands, Love Your Wives