We’ve heard the question “Is it okay to date a non-Christian?” asked countless times. Some come from a place of genuinely not knowing the biblical answer to such a question. Others yearn for life-long companionship, and although they know the biblical standard for marriage, they still struggle with finding themselves drawn romantically towards the non-Christian. … Continue reading Is it Okay to Date a Non-Christian?
The Church of Laodicea
Imagine for a moment the sweltering heat of a summer day. You try to find chilled refreshing water to quench your thirst, but all that’s available is stale lukewarm water. Despite your best attempts to stomach the unsavoury liquid, you end up spitting it back out. This is exactly what Jesus promises to the lukewarm … Continue reading The Church of Laodicea
The Church of Philadelphia
If a friend asks you, “what is it like being a Christian?”, how would you respond? I want to encourage you to take a moment to come up with an answer in your mind before you read on. I suspect many of us would want to speak of the goodness of knowing Christ, the joy … Continue reading The Church of Philadelphia
The Church of Sardis
Zombie movies have gripped audiences around the world for many decades. There is certainly something about the living dead that captures the attention of people. And yet, this concept of one who is dead yet still alive has been around for centuries. In fact, Jesus uses this very image when describing the church of Sardis. … Continue reading The Church of Sardis
The Church of Thyatira
Everyone would get the occasional spam message now and then that they have won $1,000,000 in a giveaway and that they must redeem the prize before the deadline. Underhandedly, they would also ask for your account information, insisting that this is the only way to claim the sweepstake. Most of these messages are filtered out … Continue reading The Church of Thyatira
The Church of Pergamum
Jesus’ third letter to the churches of Asia Minor is addressed to the church of Pergamum, a church that faced intense external pressure and persecution whilst also tackling internal immorality and heresy. Their moral compromise with culture is condemned by Christ and while it is shocking and disappointing, it is also not exactly foreign to … Continue reading The Church of Pergamum
The Church of Smyrna
Has it ever occurred to you that 1 in 8 Christians are persecuted for following Jesus? I guess for many of us that’s not something we are aware of or even think about. Yet when we come to the word of God, as Jesus speaks to his church in the book of Revelation, this is … Continue reading The Church of Smyrna
The Church of Ephesus
What would Jesus say to your church if he were to return today? For the church of Ephesus, there was no need for speculation as Jesus spoke to them through the Apostle John in the book of Revelation. On the exterior, the Ephesian believers appeared to be flawless. However, they had a profound heart issue … Continue reading The Church of Ephesus
The Seven Churches of Revelation
The book of Revelation has developed a reputation for being mysterious & prophetic apocalyptic literature, but digging beneath the surface reveals that the book is actually filled with rich pastoral implications. Written by the Apostle John during his exile on the isle of Patmos, the book of Revelation uses vivid symbolism and imagery of Christ’s … Continue reading The Seven Churches of Revelation
What happens to those who never get to hear the gospel?
This is such an interesting question because it would be pretty rare for anyone living in Australia and particularly in Sydney to have not heard the name Jesus before. As a city, we are saturated with Bible-believing Christians and gospel-preaching churches. Yet, looking at global statistics, it shows a staggering 41.8% of the world population … Continue reading What happens to those who never get to hear the gospel?
Why Should We Catechise?
The Case for Catechisms Well folks, it’s time for the Catechism of the week! If you’ve been a regular member at our GracePoint Sunday worship services, you will have noticed a few additions to our church liturgy over the past year. Most notably, the interactive segment of catechisms, where we get to hear a central … Continue reading Why Should We Catechise?
Do we get rewards in heaven?
If one of your Christian friends were to ask you this question: Here's your friend: Do we get rewards in heaven? What would be your initial thoughts? If this is the first time you've ever encountered such a question, my best bet is that it would have made you quite uncomfortable! You were probably lost … Continue reading Do we get rewards in heaven?
Does the command to “take up your cross” no longer apply to us today?
Last night at ACG, one of our members asked this interesting question during QnA about the relevance of Jesus' command to "deny himself, take up his cross and follow me" for believers living in today's culture (see Matt. 10:38; Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27). She mentioned how she recently heard a conference … Continue reading Does the command to “take up your cross” no longer apply to us today?
Should I feel guilty for not studying enough?
One of our members at ACG asked me this question recently because she's been feeling guilty for sleeping through her alarm, especially during her exam period. She's a overthinker, an overworker, and an overachiever. She's busy juggling many different responsibilities in her life and she tends to sacrifice her health to prioritise her studies. She … Continue reading Should I feel guilty for not studying enough?
Hope and Hopelessness This Christmas
“Even in the inevitable moments when all seems hopeless, men know that without hope they cannot really live, and in agonizing desperation they cry for the bread of hope.” Martin Luther King Jr.[1] 2020 has been hopeless and fearful. None of us has been able to live the kind of life we expected, the kind … Continue reading Hope and Hopelessness This Christmas
What is the purpose of fasting?
Question: What is the purpose of fasting, and why don't modern Christians seem to fast as much anymore? What is fasting? To cut to the chase, fasting is a voluntary and deliberate abstaining of something that is good, namely food, for a temporary period of time for the primary purpose of intensifying our spiritual need … Continue reading What is the purpose of fasting?
How to Listen Well to Sermons in an Online World
Most Christians consider the Sunday sermon to be a staple meal of their spiritual diets that they receive throughout the week. It is the nutritious meal that every family of believers share around the dinner table, as they open up to the weekly bible passage together and are fed through the reception of the preaching … Continue reading How to Listen Well to Sermons in an Online World
Why do we refer to God in masculine terms?
Question: Actually received this question from one of my youth and we were quite perplexed with regards to how to answer! She was basically asking if God has no biological gender (neither female nor male), then why do we refer to God as "He" or "Him"? I suspect this might have something to do with … Continue reading Why do we refer to God in masculine terms?
How should Christians think about saving, giving or spending money?
Question: How should Christians think about saving money? How should we balance offerings to church, financially supporting overseas/local ministry work, money spent on daily living (e.g. expenditures from gathering with brothers and sisters, raising a family, etc.) and saving? From a purely financial standpoint, it is shrewd to save, but doesn't saving also raise issues … Continue reading How should Christians think about saving, giving or spending money?
Are there different degrees of punishment in hell?
In his earthly life, Jesus spoke on the topic of hell more than he ever spoke about the kingdom of heaven. He describes hell using vivid imagery all throughout the gospel accounts, illustrating it as a place of unquenchable fire (Mk. 9:43), outer darkness (Matt. 8:12), and eternal torment (Lk. 16:23) where there will be … Continue reading Are there different degrees of punishment in hell?
Can true Christians fall away from the faith?
Two ACG members have asked a series of similar questions concerning the topic of assurance in light of last Friday’s exposition, and so I make it my aim to answer all these as succinctly as I can in this article: Question 1: In light of John 6:37, how do we make sense of those who … Continue reading Can true Christians fall away from the faith?
God’s Call to Busy Australians, Be Still!
As we currently sit in our homes quietly during the lockdown, Australians all across the country are on edge with what’s to come. As our government implements strict measures to contain the further spread of this virus, it has made a catastrophic impact on our economy to say the least. A month ago, it was … Continue reading God’s Call to Busy Australians, Be Still!
3 Ministry Lessons To Learn During This Pandemic Season
On the 14th of March, as I was grinding out my sermon draft in preparation to preach in a couple of weeks time, I received the following text message from my pastor at 10:30pm with some rather unpleasant news… “Heads up for you. Tomorrow will be the last Sunday we will meet for the rest … Continue reading 3 Ministry Lessons To Learn During This Pandemic Season
Are women supposed to be silent in church?
The following questions come from the passage 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Is the women not speaking directive aimed at church governance and involvement in teaching, or is it just a general command to be quiet during service? I'd hope it's not the latter because I know the women at our church are not mute every time … Continue reading Are women supposed to be silent in church?
How can the Bible be God’s word when there are so many interpretations?
Generally my blog writing doesn’t get much traction, so I’m always super thrilled whenever someone leaves a reply on one of my articles! A short while ago, a spicy skeptic posted a rebuttal to some of the points I’ve made in my article on Scripture Alone and this was his reply: “How can the word … Continue reading How can the Bible be God’s word when there are so many interpretations?
Why you should write up your own mission statement
2019 was a busy year for many of us. And as the year concludes, it calls for a time where we can pause and reflect on what we have learned and been taught, on our greatest joys and highest points, as well as on our deepest sorrows and lowest points of our year. One of … Continue reading Why you should write up your own mission statement
How do you battle anxiety?
Question: Regarding last friday’s ACG bible study on Daniel, my microgroup members raised up two questions which I thought would be good to write in here. 1. If after recognizing our fears, we still hold onto it and it is somehow very hard to resolve, does this mean we aren’t trusting God after all? And … Continue reading How do you battle anxiety?
3 Unhelpful Phrases Single People Don’t Need to Hear
You know you have hit your mid-twenties when it seems like half your weekends are spent attending bachelor parties, wedding ceremonies, and evening receptions. No doubt it seems like one of the most exciting things to do on these occasions is to speculate about who would be most likely to be wedded off next. Before … Continue reading 3 Unhelpful Phrases Single People Don’t Need to Hear
To All My Leaders Who Have Fallen Away
I don’t know where you are in life right now, but if you are not living for God, if you are not living as though Christ is your everything, if you are not bearing your cross and are instead chasing fading pleasures of this world, please hear this plea from your once naïve (and still … Continue reading To All My Leaders Who Have Fallen Away
When does humour become sinful?
Humour is one of the great blessings God has given to mankind. Spontaneous joy is often received through our laughter at the comical incidents we experience in the world and with those we interact with. Scripture also presents humour and laughter as expressions of delight: Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who … Continue reading When does humour become sinful?
The Right Way to Pray – Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is … Continue reading The Right Way to Pray – Matthew 6:5-13
Why must we keep seeking forgiveness from God if He has already forgiven us?
Reflecting back on my adolescent years when I attended a Catholic high school, we were often encouraged to pay an occasional visit to the chaplain of our school (or to the local priest nearby) to lay bare any sins that trouble our mind from the last time we visited them. These visits could be as … Continue reading Why must we keep seeking forgiveness from God if He has already forgiven us?
Can Christians commit the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31-32?
Those who have read the gospels would be well-acquainted with this rather daunting passage, when Jesus spoke these infamous words: “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be … Continue reading Can Christians commit the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31-32?
Is evolution compatible with Scripture?
From the early onset of childhood to late adolescence I was catechised by our education system that my very existence came about as a result of an evolutionary process, where every single living creature on the planet shared a common ancestor from a miniscule germ that lived billions of years ago. And alongside the vast … Continue reading Is evolution compatible with Scripture?
Can sinful people have righteous anger?
Question: We are called to be slow to anger (James 1:19-20) because it does not produce righteousness that God desires. But we've also read how God can be angry and it is justified considering how sinful we, his people, are. God's anger is thus a righteous anger. I'm wondering if we can too claim this … Continue reading Can sinful people have righteous anger?
Godly Regret Paves the Way to New Life – 2 Corinthians 7:8-12
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became … Continue reading Godly Regret Paves the Way to New Life – 2 Corinthians 7:8-12
Are we chasing with as much fervour?
One of the things that characterise young people is fervour. I remember chatting with a friend of mine a few years ago who told me his bold ambition to make a million dollars by the time he turned 30. By the looks of how he is progressing in his career right now, I'd say he … Continue reading Are we chasing with as much fervour?
The Crisis of Covetousness
I believe that in our day and age, it has never been easier to covet. What do I mean? Well first of all, what does coveting actually mean? Few of us have this word in our mental dictionary, and so it is hard for us to see this as a 'crisis' if we do not … Continue reading The Crisis of Covetousness
The Gospel for the Young and the Old
Reformed Evangelical Christians are well familiar with Romans 1:16 which speaks about the Gospel being available to everyone who believes: both to the Jew and to the Gentile. Consequently, we know full well that our evangelistic efforts and discipleship methods should not be targeted at one particular race or ethnic group, but to all. However, … Continue reading The Gospel for the Young and the Old
5 Practical Ways to Doing Corporate Worship Well
Corporate worship is God’s gathering of Christians from all around the globe, through the glorious grace that was bestowed on them, so that they may all be united in declaring His magnificence. Through the atoning death and resurrection of Christ, God welcomes us to commune with Him and to find everlasting intimacy and joy in … Continue reading 5 Practical Ways to Doing Corporate Worship Well
Working through God’s vision for work
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep. Bzzz Bzzz I lay completely still, telling myself that if I can pretend it’s not happening, it’s not really happening. Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep! Bzzzzzz Bzzzzzz My phone continues to bleat relentlessly, louder this time to communicate the supposed urgency. I shove my pillow over my head. … Continue reading Working through God’s vision for work
Making your Resolution Count: Making your Spiritual Gifts count for God’s Glory
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 … Continue reading Making your Resolution Count: Making your Spiritual Gifts count for God’s Glory
Allelous Community Group 