Author Archives: Stephen McDonald

Where does power come from? Who has power? And How can it be controlled? We see a tussle going on, don’t we, between the powers of goodness and the powers of evil, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom Satan. We see this struggle going on throughout the book of Acts, in fact. We’veContinue reading ““But Who Are You?”

Imagine that coming to church this morning, it was the first Sunday of the Christian Church in Benalla. We know that it’s not, and we’re very thankful for those who have come before us. But imagine that there was no history of Christianity here. Imagine that there were no forebears, there was no provision madeContinue reading “Bold Reason (Acts 19:1-10)”

What is God’s will? Is that something you wonder about? Some things God reveals, like His promises to Paul in Corinth: “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who areContinue reading “A More Excellent Way (Acts 18:12-28)”

In Athens, Paul had engaged with the great thinkers in the Areopagus. He had understood their culture and connected with their understanding. He quoted their poets to show that their religion would only condemn them. He showed that God is the Creator of the world, the Sustainer of life, the Ruler of all nations, theContinue reading “Sovereign Fuel for Faithfulness (Acts 18:1-11)”

If you travel, what do you look for? When you’re a tourist in another place, do you look for beauty? For skill? For ideas? Do you look to see what you can learn about people’s beliefs? God tells us that we are foreigners in our own culture too. In Hebrews 11:13-16, we are told aboutContinue reading “Accommodation and Confrontation (Acts 17:16-34)”