transformation

BE TRANSFORMED— NOT CONFORMED!

(July 09, 2025) Carol Round challenges us regarding our discerning… 

I like refinishing furniture, taking something old and making it look new. However, I haven’t had time to do that lately. My sister mentioned recently she wanted to refinish a used piece she’d found for sale into a coffee bar for her kitchen.

Like me, she bemoaned the fact of her busyness and not having time to transform the furniture into something new and useful.

Transforming the Mind
In Romans 12:2 Paul talks about a different kind of transformation. This type of transformation isn’t physical… it’s about our mind being transformed so we can ‘be able to test and approve what God’s will is for our lives— His good, pleasing and perfect will.’

(more…)

THE CROSS: CENTREPIECE OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

(April 03, 2023) Richard Winter highlights the deeper meaning of Calvary’s cross…

Anyone who has ever attended a wedding should be familiar with centrepieces. They tend to be the focus or centre of attention… it is the central or most important feature. The centrepiece of the wedding is the bride; the centrepiece of the reception is the couple.

In other arenas of life we can see that the centrepiece of –

  • Philosophy is the love of wisdom.
  • Science is knowledge
  • History is facts.
  • Most religions is works.

God’s centrepiece
The most important centrepiece of all time is the centrepiece between the Old and New Testaments – the cross of Calvary where our Saviour Jesus hung between two thieves.

That cross is the centrepiece of the gospel. And why? It focuses our attention, especially on Good Friday, on Jesus who alone is our salvation!

In Jesus’ day crosses were seen as death and defeat. But Jesus wasn’t defeated! The blood that spilled from His wounded side –

  • Drowned death,
  • Extinguished the flames of hell, and
  • Completely covered the accusations of our enemy the devil!
(more…)

RAISED BY GAY PARENTS, HE SHOCKED THEM BY BECOMING A CHRISTIAN – AND A PASTOR

Mark Ellis
Mark Ellis shares a great story of God’s love and grace …

When he was two-years-old his university-professor parents divorced and his father and mother entered the gay lifestyle. His lesbian mom and her partner took him to gay pride parades, LGBT clubs, parties and campouts, while his father remained ‘closeted’ for several years.

‘Mom was a political activist,’ says Caleb Kaltenbach, author of Messy Grace (Waterbrook Press). At gay pride parades, Caleb witnessed Christian demonstrators spray homosexual marchers with water and urine. When he asked his mom why they were doing this, she said, ‘Because Christians hate gay people.’ (more…)