Stephen McDonald

No Other Name (Acts 4:1-12)

Today, you can think anything is true, so long as you don’t say anything else is false; you can believe anything, as long as you don’t think other people should believe the same thing. Inclusivity is exclusive. And tolerance is intolerant. You can say that Jesus will get you to heaven, but you cannot sayContinue reading “No Other Name (Acts 4:1-12)”

By Faith in His Name (Acts 3:1-26)

What does it mean to be blessed? When something turns out well, we say, ‘We really are blessed!’ If something good happens to someone else, we say, ‘What a blessing!’ Good news from the doctor, success at work, a good exam result, they’re all blessings. But Jesus tells us that God sends the sunshine andContinue reading “By Faith in His Name (Acts 3:1-26)”

The Best Church (Acts 2:41-47)

We are not the best church in Benalla. The best church is big, with the best preachers, the best teaching, the best kids programs, the best music, the best friends, the best fellowship, the best resources. It’s not that we plan to be a bad church. But I doubt that there is a church inContinue reading “The Best Church (Acts 2:41-47)”

Repent and Be Baptized (Act 2:36-42)

The advice of every feel-good movie or TV show for teenagers for adults is ‘Follow your heart.’ But the human heart is not the innocent source of wonderful dreams and desires. If we saw our hearts as they truly are, we would be disgusted. Sometimes we get a glimpse at other people’s hearts, when theirContinue reading “Repent and Be Baptized (Act 2:36-42)”

Both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:29-38)

Identity matters. It’s the first thing we want to know when we meet someone, ‘Who are you?’ We ask it more subtly: ‘What do you do?’ ‘Tell me about your family.’ It might only take a moment to discover that someone is not who you thought they were! When I was 10, my parents tookContinue reading “Both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:29-38)”