Features
The Australian Christian Channel provides weekly feature articles from respected church leaders and teachers. Search our archive of feature articles for great bible-based teaching.
The time has come for a big gift
A few weeks before Christmas last year, the documentary film “What Would Jesus Buy?” made its debut in American theaters. The film created quite a stir among American retailers in gift stores and toy stores across the nation. more
Making the choice for 'Peace'
I speak at conferences in cities all over the world and sometimes I ask our crew to place a rocking chair in a conspicuous place on the stage. Occasionally, while I am speaking, I’ll walk over and sit in the chair and begin to rock. more
Why we continue to Fall
You’ve tried everything - counselling, accountability, memorising Scripture, listening to sermons on sin, and avoiding tempting situations. But you still continue to yield to the same sin over and over. Here are three suggestions as to why nothing is working. These are a culmination of things I’ve discovered in my counselling with others as well as in my own passage through the minefield of temptation. more
Known by Our Fruit
A little boy went over to a pastor's house, where the pastor was doing some carpentry in his garage. The boy simply stood there and watched him for quite a long time. After a while, the preacher wondered why this boy was watching him and was finally so curious that he stopped and said, "Son, are you trying to pick up some pointers on how to build something?" The little boy replied, "No. I am just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer." more
When the E is Silent
David was in trouble. A fierce enemy is threatening his nation, his friend Jonathan is going to die, and David’s own family has been kidnapped. His men have turned against him, and his possessions have been plundered and burned (1 Samuel 30). more
Laughter
Did you know that a typical child laughs 400 times a day, while the average adult manages only 15? What happens in life to make adults lose their laughter? Do we stop laughing because we get old, or do we age because we stop laughing? more
Becoming a Trumpet of the Lord
A few weeks ago I watched a vintage Billy Graham sermon from the 1950s that aired on television. I said to a friend who was with me that I rarely hear the gospel articulated today as clearly as we did through this amazing evangelist. A few days later, for my birthday, my buddy sent me three recorded Graham sermons that are now available on DVD. more
The God who pursues us
What do the religions of the world have in common? They all attempt to pursue and appease their gods, who have distanced themselves from humanity. That is a key difference between these religions and the Christian faith. Christianity is the only faith in which the one true God reaches out to humanity. He pursues and seeks us out; we are the ones who are lost — not God. more
Small Beginnings, Big Dreams
When I was a teenager I had a big dream in my heart to reach the nations. When I was in Bible school, I was particularly passionate to plant churches in Greece and Albania, and minister in Europe. It has actually taken years to see some of these dreams come to pass – and I still have so much more I want to do for God! more
Give Them a Break!
You’ve heard it before: Nobody’s perfect. All of us make mistakes…we all have personality quirks and need help in certain areas. The truth is, none of us have “arrived.” We are all just a work in progress. more
Financial crisis: A time for caution, not fear
This is undoubtedly a time for caution and reassessment; but it is not a time for crippling fear. The cover of this week's European edition of TIME screams 'London's Sinking', with a warning that the global economic crisis threatens to 'overwhelm' Europe's financial capital. Meanwhile, trillions (yes, trillions) of dollars have been wiped off the value of stocks and shares worldwide in the past week or so. more
A life changing decision
Anna's hopes and dreams were shattered with the arrival of a letter. Her husband, working in a third world country, wasn't returning home. He'd met and intended to marry a young national woman. more
The Art of the Heart
Each day your heart beats more than 100,000 times. In your lifetime, your heart pumps enough blood to fill three giant supertankers. Think about it and say, “Thank You, Lord!” But, you actually have two hearts. more
Build your life around eternal things that will last forever
I don’t know whether I’m just becoming more sentimental the older I get or if God is simply showing me how necessary it is to “number our days.” Everyone’s life is a richly designed tapestry—a collection of moments and memories that become fibres woven into the fabric of our very being. God has been teaching me some things lately about making the most out of our lives that I’d like to share with you today. more
New Chapters
When I completed 'Lost Boy', the book and the documentary, I was able to look back on my life with 20/20 hindsight and get a sense of the big picture. I could see that, despite my difficult childhood, God had used it to help me do what I do today. more
my hero of faith
One of my heroes of faith is George Mueller (1805-1898). One day he looked down the streets of Bristol in England and saw hundreds of homeless children. He was so moved with compassion for them, he knew that something had to be done. Although he only had a few pence in his pocket he decided to start an orphanage. Over 60 years, George Mueller took care of over 10,024 orphans. more
Restoring the foundations of fatherhood
Why has fatherhood fallen into such low esteem? It's almost fashionable to see fathers as buffoons. Take The Simpsons or Malcolm in the Middle or any other sitcom. Is this a passing fad, or something deeper? Did our rejection of God the Father in the twentieth century change people's impressions of fathers? And when we belittle our human fathers, do we end up belittling God? more
On Earth As It Is In Heaven!
We have recited it in private and also prayed it publicly in unison with others; we have even sung it in reverence on select Sunday mornings. It's been a familiar prayer at somber cultural events. Yet I wonder if we really grasp what was in Jesus' heart when He gave His disciples the words to "The Lord's Prayer." more
But God...I'm Single!!
In many Greek families, turning eighteen is a milestone for women because it means they can get married. Whenever I visited any of my relatives they tried to marry me off to the next eligible Greek Boy – only I was never very interested. more
Change your focus
God is fitting us for the battles of life. Sorrow, frustration, and pain are often the tools He uses to shape and mold our lives so that we become reflections of God's mercy and grace to others. While He is not the author of heartache and tragedy, He certainly knows exactly how to use them for our benefit and His glory. more
How to Survive the Perfect Storm
In Florida, United States, where I live, hurricane preparedness is on everyone’s mind in June. Insurance agents and politicians constantly tell us to stock up on plywood, batteries, duct tape and bottled water. Meanwhile local weather forecasters offer a daily dose of dire predictions about how many storms will slam our coasts. This year the warnings seem more ominous because we are already facing other storms. more
Loving Your Child
As parents, we want our children to love us, spend time with us, talk with us, and stay close to us for as long as we live. More importantly, we would like them to want to do those things. But if we don’t love them unconditionally now, there’s no guarantee they will remain nearby in the future. more
A Trophy of Grace
Did you know that God has a trophy cabinet full of trophies He’s earned for all the things He excels in? He has trophies for Restoration, Healing, and Deliverance, for Forgiveness, Love, and Hope. But in my mind, the center of God’s trophy case is saved and set apart for those trophies He treasures most of all…His Grace trophies. more
Live for the Future - not the Past
The apostle Paul wrote: “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14) more
Doing things that make no sense
When was the last time you did something that made no sense? more
Losing your worry reflex
What is worry? Worry is failing to trust in God and stirring up your own anxiety. And it is a colossal waste of time. more
When Kings go out to battle
There are many examples of David's valor. As a young man, for instance, while others trembled, David was ready and eager to face Goliath. David is an example of one whom God chose, whose passions for God sustained him for most of his life. more
The God of second chances
Have you ever looked at your circumstances and thought, I would love to have a chance to do that again? Or If I could just change that, I would. I need a fresh start. That is what grace is all about. more
The Promise of Humble Greatness
I have been accused of many things, but I have never been accused of having excessive humility. Yet Jesus told us to have the humility of a child. I wonder why Jesus made the promise that the greatest among us would be those who become as little children? Humble greatness is required in adults. We are to repent, turn, to become as little children. more
Creating A Culture Of Influence
It is fundamental to the Christian worldview that human beings were created for influence. According the Gen. 1:26-28, the first calling God placed upon the shoulders of humankind was command to influence. We were enobled and enabled to influence our environment more than it influences us; to shape our world more than it shapes us. more
God is Drawn to Movement
There are, broadly speaking, two distinct schools of thinking among charismatic Believers with regard to divine guidance and the discovery of God’s will for our lives. School one, and by far the largest, is summed up by the mentality that says: ‘I don’t move without God’s guidance’. School two is the complete opposite. It says: ‘I don’t expect God’s guidance until I move.’ I wonder which one you are in. Do you believe that God’s guidance is the cause of your movement, or an effect your movement causes? more
Your Hands Have Been Anointed to Heal
In the days of Jesus, rabbis observed a myriad of extra rules that were not in Scripture. Their legalistic code focused on what they could and could not touch. These guys invented the original version of the holier-than-thou religion. They stayed away from women, children, dead bodies, lepers, beggars, sinners, blood, shellfish, pigs and, especially, people of other ethnic backgrounds. They didn’t want “unclean” gentiles to corrupt them. more
A Justice Generation
A few years ago Bobbie (my wife) and I were in Africa with Compassion visiting some of the thousands of children our church sponsors in Uganda. On that particular visit we were in Kasese in the south west of the country. more
Appreciating Mum
With Mother's Day upon us, our thoughts obviously focus on "mum". For this year's celebration, let's make sure that we do more than just buy mum a rose or two, take her out to dinner and go back to the way we've acted all year. Let's make a resolution to start appreciating mum every day of the year while we still have her. more
Spiritually bored?
When a child grumbles that they're bored, their parents wince and answer, "What do you have to be bored about? If only I had your problems." But if we're honest about it, adults feel boredom, too. The difference is, while children verbalize their feelings of boredom adults try to mask them. more
ANZAC is more than symbolism
Well-Being Australia chairman Mark Tronson says that the national day of commemoration of those who sacrificed in times of war immortalized on the 25 April each year (ANZAC Day) has become much more than a symbol of a battle. Our current generation of new adults has captured and taken ownership of it in a revived nationalism. more
Countercultural icon: A tribute to Charlton Heston
In the modern world, film and television are powerful shapers of culture. They provide shared experiences; they influence the way people think about the world around them. more
How To Enjoy Everyday Life
All of us have a large amount of time that we need to devote to “common life” or everyday business. You know what I mean—laundry, grocery store trips, doctor visits, washing the dishes, going to work, etc. We tend to see these chores as being quite different from and even far below our "spiritual life" or the things we do that we consider to be holy. Most of us who really love and are devoted to God prefer the holy times to the common. Holy times include praying, spiritual reading and meditation, sharing conversation about the Lord with friends, going to church or other spiritual meetings, etc. Seeing these two sides of our life as two entirely different categories usually causes quite a problem within the believer. more
Distractions in life come in a variety of ways
I heard about a woman who was travelling on a bus with her baby. She was so deep in conversation on her mobile that when the bus driver reached her stop, the woman got off the bus, leaving her four-month-old son behind. Fortunately, she quickly realised her mistake and got a taxi to chase the bus, and the baby was still where she had left him on the bus – crying, but otherwise OK. more
The Sin Of Living In The Bubble
I often make fun of what I call the “Christian media bubble.” For those non-believers in the audience, that simply means people who live inside Christian radio, publishing, TV, or music. For an earlier generation, people of faith actually interacted with the surrounding culture. But 30-40 years ago, when we noticed the Christian audience was a buying audience, we stopped preaching to the world, and started preaching to each other. As a result, now we have entire industries built around “Christian” radio, television, publishing, or recording. more
The Ultimate Sacrifice
I heard a true story about a man who operated a drawbridge. At a certain time every afternoon, he raised the bridge for a ferryboat to go by, and then lowered it in time for a passenger train to cross over. He performed this task precisely, according to the clock. more
Amazing Grace in John Newton
Are you familiar with the classic song, Amazing Grace? Do you know its songwriter’s inspiring story? Maybe like I did, you think you know the real story. more
Lessons from a marathon runner
I have discovered that many lessons can be learned from the discipline and determination of athletes. The Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of training and discipline. I like to run, and Paul’s vivid description of running to win in life inspired me to do some research on what makes a marathon runner tick. more
Nothing is permanent but God’s grace
Many people today feel their heart has been tattooed or branded with a record of their sins, like the “A” the adulterous woman had to wear in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, or the old brand of a slave or criminal. more
Your work matters to God
Each of us spends a large amount of our time working – either in paid employment or in other forms of work. But for many, work is only something we do to survive; it has no relationship to our Christian faith. Ken Costa, a London-based investment banker, in his book ‘God at Work’ makes this powerful comment: “If the Christian faith is not relevant in the work place, it is not relevant at all.” more
Is there a catfish in your tank?
I heard a story about some fish suppliers who were having problems shipping codfish from the East Coast. By the time the fish reached the West coast, they were spoiled. They froze them, but by the time the fish arrived, they were mushy. They decided to send them alive. But the fish arrived dead so they tried sending the fish alive again, but with one difference. They included a catfish in each tank. more
Spending Time with God
How do you spend your daily allotment of time? Are you able to spend time on the important things or do those high priority items constantly keep getting moved to the back of your mind? It’s tough, but it’s very important to keep our priorities straight. God says that anything that takes His place in our life is an idol. more
Building friendships that last
In today's fast-moving culture, millions of hearts are filled with loneliness. The inability to make friends and to keep friends has become a modern-day pandemic. Even for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ — people who know that their friendships are for eternity — nurturing eternal friendships has become a lost art. more
I was the product of a rape
Sandra was a 17-year-old girl who was with her mother and father on a vacation visiting family friends. The friends they were visiting had an 18-year-old son. more
Identity
Over recent years I have become aware of a struggle many of us have to deal with and a journey we all need to embark upon. My awareness was in part because of my own journey, a journey that has forced me to think very deeply about my true identity as a person. This was then increased by a series of encounters with other Christians who were having what I can only describe as an identity crisis. more