The Pastor’s Pen

When writing Romans, Paul began by reminding his readers of the essentials of faith. He, along with the other apostles, had “received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his (Jesus) name among all the nations” (Romans 1:5). Paul’s mission was straight forward. The very nature of faith…

We live in an age where appearance is promoted as being all important. But are appearances really the best God has for you? The prophet Habakkuk summed up life this way; “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). But what does this faith look like if it is real? Your faith relationship with…

Authentic faith does not speak of human perfection. Rather, it speaks of a repentant attitude which has determined to persevere at a Christ focused life. This attitude deals faithfully with the realities of Christian living. The apostle Paul confessed; “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but…

Christian authenticity speaks to “the tested genuineness of your faith” (1 Peter 1:7a). The apostle Peter had much to say about real personal faith in Jesus Christ. That is, faith which is seen and experienced by others, which can be tested and proven, which perseveres, even following times of stumbling and disappointments. Peter explains that…

We all have things which we treasure above all else; things we value highly and are willing to sacrifice for. For the Christian it’s no different, except that believers’ most precious treasure is securely stored in heaven. Jesus, having just instructed His disciples on a right pattern of prayer life, goes on to clarify what…

For a Christian, it’s inspiring to realise that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). As stunning as that truth is, each Christian is responsible for what they do with that love. While it’s one thing knowing that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love…

Growth is an integral part of all life; from plants, the animal kingdom, to humanity. We expect to see growth in all that lives, so it is in the body of Christ. The apostle Paul explained to the Colossian believers; “…holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through…

I encourage you to let the Body of Christ grow in God’s strength In Ephesians 3:14-16 we find the apostle Paul praying for the strength of the church. Two thousand years later, few believers would deny their need for spiritual strengthening. So, we’re going to look at Paul’s specific requests, acknowledging they are as relevant…

I encourage you to let the body of Christ be filled with joy Out of all the emotions in life, joy ranks amongst the highest. Joy is pleasurable for everyone involved, including those watching on, plus it glorifies God. Joy can range from a simple thought of contentment through to bellows of laughter and excitement.…

I encourage you to let the peace of Christ rule the body of Christ While peace is desired by many, few permit it to actually rule their lives. Life is sweet when peace governs; however, often temporary peace is nothing more than the product of getting what you want. It’s short lived because selfishness can…