Lionel Windsor, beloved Sola Panellist and general all-round nice guy has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move from Wollongong, which is located just south of Sydney, to Durham in the UK.

Let's weigh up his options: he could stay in one of the most beautiful places on earth located within 10 minutes of the beach where the average temperature for the year is 21.8 degrees Celsius, or he could move to a place where the average temperature for the year is 12.5 degrees Celsius and where, in spite of being near the coast, nobody ever goes to the beach for obvious reasons. Oh, and it costs twice as much to live there!

Why would he do it? For the sake of the gospel. Why should we care? Because it will be for the good of God's kingdom if he goes.

More »

10 Comments »

One of the advantages of living in Mexico is that you are in the same time zone as much of the USA. For NBA and NFL fans, this is good news. Last week, I discovered another advantage: the Gospel Coalition was holding its annual conference in Chicago, and was streaming the sessions live. Throughout the day and evening, I could listen to the likes of John Piper, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll and Ajith Fernando in real time. Apparently, about 3,500 people attended; who knows how many watched like I did!

But as good as it was (the technical production was brilliant, and I could see and hear everything—maybe better than some of those attending), it wasn't the same as being there. This got me wondering about the concept of cyber-church, e-church, virtual church or whatever you want to call it. Will it ever work? Should we try and make it work? Are there essentials of meeting together that the internet just can't provide?

More »

12 Comments »

Isn't it delicious to share stories with a friend, a spouse, a brother or a sister: “Remember the time when ...”? Whether it's funny stories, tragic stories, joyful moments or painful recollections, it's the stories that bring us close—that breed familiarity, friendship and love. Shared stories are the glue of relationship.

More »

2 Comments »

Try this mental experiment. Imagine that a swine flu pandemic swept through your part of the world, and that all public assemblies of more than three people were banned. And let’s say that, due to some catastrophic combination of local circumstances, this ban had to remain in place for 12 months.

How would your congregation of 120 members continue to function—with no regular church gatherings of any kind, and no small home groups (except for groups the size of three)?

If you were the pastor what would you do?

More »

12 Comments »

Given that we're moving towards winter at a rapid pace here in Oz, we decided it was the perfect moment for spring-cleaning. (There's nothing like getting in early!) You've already noticed us sprucing up the site a bit, no doubt, but it's also time to say some farewells.

With The Sola Panel slowly but surely turning into The Sola Conference, we've decided it's time to acknowledge reality. In the midst of busy lives and many responsibilities, some of our panellists are less able to contribute than others. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is a little over-committed. So instead of just having them slip quietly off the roster, never to be heard from again, we thought we'd say a formal farewell to Archie Poulos and Mark Thompson. They are both dear brothers in Christ with whom we share a deep bond of fellowship. Thanks for being part of The Sola Panel, and may God continue to use you both in your ongoing ministries for his glory.

5 Comments »

I want to put a flea in your ear. Some of you will hate me; it's irritating and distracting to have a flea in your ear. You can't quite concentrate on the immediate tasks before you.

Disciples of Christ are restless, dissatisfied souls. Once we have grasped the grace of God in Christ, it is our God-given desire that all should hear. The world is full of beggars, and we have found the bakery. The gospel radicalizes us, cutting to the root of reality. What is more important than telling others the news of Christ and building his church?

More »

1 Comment »

You read what you see.

You knock on the door of the dingy inner city terrace. You probably did see a whole lot of Harley Davidsons outside on the footpath, but obviously you weren't thinking. The door opens, and now you see a room full of leather-clad, patch-emblazoned, hairy types of the bike riding persuasion. You were supposed to invite the happy householder to a gospel thingy at the local church. If you go along with that plan, you suddenly see a different future stretching out before you—and it doesn't seem to stretch that far any more.

More »

2 Comments »

Today we interview Andrew Barry.

How did you come to Christ?

I grew up in a Christian family. Thanks be to God for giving me such a great Mum and Dad! Although I went to church throughout my childhood, I don't think the penny dropped until I was in Year 10. I just moved to St Matthias (the original home of The Briefing), and three things happened:

1. I heard an amazing sermon series on the book of Ecclesiastes by Ken Simpson, and I understood for the first time that I couldn't hold onto everything else, but I could hold onto Christ.
2. I was discipled by Martin Pakula (whom I hold in the highest regard) and a brilliant group of youth leaders. They pushed us so hard. I went out with them sharing Two Ways to Live on a university campus when I was in Year 12. They put flesh and blood on to what it was to live for Christ.
3. When I joined St Matthias, I met Christians my age who actually wanted to talk about God and who actually wanted to pray. I liked them so much, I ended up marrying one of them!

More »

7 Comments »