Author Archives: Stephen McDonald

Sunday 21/06/2020 Hypocrisy, grumbling, greed. They all reveal a heart that says, “I deserve better than God is giving me.” And that’s one of the oldest lies around. When Satan asked Eve, “Did God actually say ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the Garden’?” (Genesis 3:1), he wasn’t questioning whether God had actuallyContinue reading “The Unfading Crown (1 Peter 5:1-8)”

Sunday 14/06/2020 Being a Christian should be so easy! Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are citizens of God’s worldwide, eternal kingdom (1:9-10); we are united with Him in His new, resurrection life (3:18); we are given God’s grace (4:6, 10-11), and are free from the power of sin (4:1-2). But is being aContinue reading “The Fiery Trial (1 Peter 4:12-19)”

Sunday 07/06/2020 Driving with Jock was hair-raising! Distances didn’t bother him. He’d drive 10, 12 hours without a worry! But turning did. He injured his neck some years before I met him. But that didn’t stop him! So, pulling up to an intersection, his co-pilot would say, “Clear left” to save him having to turnContinue reading “The End is Near (1 Peter 4:1-11)”

Sunday 31/05/2020 I’m fascinated by stories about people in witness protection. They arrive in town with new identities, hiding their real lives out of fear for their own safety. Christian, are you in witness protection? Do you think you can follow Jesus but not talk about it? Maybe you’re afraid that if people know you’reContinue reading “Always Be Ready (1 Peter 3:13-18)”

Sunday 24/05/2020 Have you been enjoying the isolation of the past couple of months too much? Even before the arrival of COVID-19, the statistics showed that around 10% of Australians of all ages were socially isolated. Why does that happen? There are no simple answers, but a lot of the time it’s a breakdown inContinue reading “Loving Life (1 Peter 3:8-22)”