12 Reasons I love Tony Reinke’s 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You
By Pam Tailyour, 29 May 20201. Tony Reinke is not an arrogant smartphone-basher or smartphone-phobe. 2. Technology isn't new - and neither are the problems it brings. ‘The good-bad-ugly mix of technology came to particularly obnoxious expression at the Tower of Babel, an attempt to consolidate all known building innovation to build...
Reading Creation 3b: Thanking God for clouds, our teacher
By Gerry Straker, 20 May 2020We've been thinking about how to read creation through the Word of God, and what God's creation teaches us. We've thought about sunshine and began to think about clouds. James Jordan writes this: “When we step outside and look up, what do we see? We see...
Reading Creation 3a: Thanking God for clouds, our teacher
By Gerry Straker, 19 May 2020Recently, we thought about how to read creation. As new creations ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:17), we can now see with new eyes the glory of God glowing in the world around us. The Word teaches us to read the world aright and the world sends...
1 John 1:5-2:2 Reflection
By Gerry Straker, 16 May 2020At Church by the Bay we need to listen to John’s apostolic message - the message about Jesus that he gave to his apostles, and they, and the Holy Spirit, caused to be written down in the New Testament for us today (1:5). These ‘antichrists’ John...
On Reading in an Age of Distraction
By Gerry Straker, 16 May 2020During the lockdown, we’ve been encouraging ourselves to read, if you'd like, remind yourself why in these articles: Reading the Word Reading Changes Lives We need help Read the classics The Tender heart Today we’re thinking about how to read in age of distraction. Incredibly, the average person checks their smart phone...
Tender Heart by Richard Sibbes
By Pam Tailyour, 10 May 2020During the lockdown, one way that Christians who have time can make the most of it is to read. We’ve been encouraging our Church family to read, and you can remind yourself in these articles: Reading the Word Reading Changes Lives We need help Read the classics In this blog,...
1 John 1:1-4 Reflection
By Gerry Straker, 09 May 2020The coronavirus is pretty awful isn’t it? But it’s not as bad as some plagues throughout history. The Black Death in the 14th century killed between 70 and 100 million, reducing the world’s population by 20%! A hundred years ago in 1918-1920, Spanish flu killed between...
Why do Christians suffer? Part 2
By Gerry Straker, 08 May 2020In our first article, we began to see why Christians suffer... Why do Christians get the coronavirus? Why do Christians struggle with mental health? Why do Christians have hard things happen to them? Wonderfully, Christians don’t suffer punishment for sins. If we trust Christ Jesus we have been forgiven...
Why do Christians suffer? Part 1
By Gerry Straker, 07 May 2020A while ago I promised some thoughts on why Christians suffer... Why do Christians get the coronavirus? Why do Christians struggle with mental health? Why do Christians have hard things happen to them? If Christ has died once for all, our punishment is taken away, we are forgiven, and...
Labour not in vain
By Gerry Straker, 06 May 2020'Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.' (1 Corinthians 15:58). My mother recently told me a story of my grandfather, Alan Woodfield who died in February age...
