An App for That

As a musician, I used to think that poetry was just a waste of good song lyrics. Perhaps I’ve learned now to appreciate more creative diversity, but my feeble attempts at writing poetically show I might yet have some way to before I master this art. If rhyming qualifies, though, then I just might be able to pull out the thesaurus and begin. So here goes. A few reflections on how technology has changed us.

When a driver was a golf club and hardware meant some nails,
Forgetting important dates were our only memory fails.

Fifty Years On

This past weekend marked the 50^th anniversary of the first moon landing. The ‘why’ of Armstrong’s famous “giant leap” became comparable to an Everest climb. He was first, and it was there. Of course, we haven’t yet colonised or mined the moon and the initial visit did little other than afford galactic bragging rights over the Russians. Was it really so important and how does it matter now?

The Truth About Why Jesus’ Death Matters

The nature of Jesus’ redemptive work is, of course, crucial to understanding its application. It has sometimes been described as the ‘at-one’-ment by which people are joined in relationship to God. The mechanism of this reconciliation, though, makes the Atonement more multi-faceted than the simplistic picture we gain from isolated theories put forward to explain it. Easter only makes sense when Jesus’ death does, and here’s why it matters more than just gaining a four-day weekend.

What I’ve Learned About Intentional Parenting

When I arrived early at my daughter’s basketball game, I figured this might allow us some quality time together before everyone else arrived. Needless to say, teammates were already in the stadium and I was promptly directed to a lonely ‘parent bench’ on the other side of the court. It reminded me just how intentional our parenting impact needs to be in the small window of opportunity we are have before other influences seem to take over. What does this look like?

Millennials’ Attitudes Toward Faith-Sharing Revealed

U.S. sitcoms, Seinfeld and Friends, began to popularise the communal determination of morals in the 90s. Few could have imagined how the next generation of Christians would then relativise their own beliefs. The Barna research group now report some staggering findings that make one wonder what it is that shapes faith or even the reading of the Bible today.

Why the Dating of Revelation Really Matters

The date of origin of the Bible’s last book has a significant bearing on its interpretation. If it partly prophesies the fall of Jerusalem, known to have occurred in A.D. 70, then it must have been written prior to that date. Support exists for A.D. 95-96, though, given a late second century Irenaeus comment about a 90s emperor: “For it was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian’s reign” (Against Heresies V.30.3).  But is this valid? Plenty of evidence points to the book being written in the mid-60s during the reign of Nero, making it potentially less futuristic than some would have us believe.

Your Best Christmas Gift

The original Christmas story begins with the promise from an angel that Mary would become the earthly mother of Jesus. This is significant because Jesus was and is God’s gift to us, one needing to be unwrapped, and therefore appreciated, by every person. He is not just God’s gift to the world but to every individual. Here’s three reasons why He becomes everyone’s best Christmas gift.

The Truth About Lasting Peace

Earlier this week, the world commemorated the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The League of Nations’ short-lived attempt at enforcing global peace after 1918 was an example of the repeated failure of human attempts to bring lasting international harmony. The urgent quest for a truce during times of war will quickly give way to new priorities and expectations. This reveals a sad fact about our own internal drivers and how they typically conspire against attempts to find lasting peace.

The Missing Gift?

The 1997 movie, The Apostle, was another of the many films that paint Christian ministry in a negative light. Today, the apostle is an important, but missing, gift in churches needing reinvigoration. Apostles are often misrepresented, though, as supposedly-superior leaders worthy of recruiting devotees beyond their local church. Self-designation becomes especially problematic when people gravitate to the charisma of leaders deemed to speak for God who have built little and assumed much. Given that the term is itself biblical, it is important to understand its significance to then understand its benefits.

Leading by the 101% Principle

Leadership expert, John Maxwell, advocates the 101% principle. He suggests that you find the 1% that you can affirm in people and give it 100% of your attention. He obviously exaggerates intentionally in order to make a point that can too easily be lost; you catch more bees with honey than vinegar. What does this look like in practice for better leadership impact?