Centre for Christian Living podcast

154: Against the machine with Stephen McAlpine

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Every now and then, a book comes along that makes such a sweeping, powerful and insightful argument about the nature of our lives, our world and our culture that it leaves you disturbed and almost disoriented, as if the ground has shifted under your feet and you’re not quite sure where you’re standing anymore. Paul Kingsnorth’s book, Against the Machine, is like this. It’s very broadly speaking a Christian book—or at least, is written from the perspective of a Christian worldview—and it makes a quite stunning argument about the dysfunctional nature of our contemporary, very technological machine-like society that resonates very deeply and yet raises many questions.

In this episode of the CCL podcast, Tony Payne talks to speaker, author and cultural analyst Stephen McAlpine about these questions, and about the strengths and weaknesses of Kingsnorth’s book and what it means for our lives as Christians in this machine-like culture we inhabit.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for “Left right out: The strange position of the political Christian” (Wed 20 May 2026)

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Please note: The episode transcript on your podcast platform may have been generated by AI and has not been checked for accuracy. If quoting, please check against the audio.

153: The smartphone disciple (Part 3)

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:12:55 GMT

Digital technology like smartphones has revolutionised the way we navigate daily life and the way our whole society functions. Such technology has its downsides. Even so, our stance as Christians is often something like, “Let’s use this technology wisely, but not abuse it”, as if the technology is simply a neutral instrument. But the good things of our world (like technology or money) can become much more than this: they can become master-teachers that dominate and disciple us.

In this final episode of the series, Tony Payne brings the discussion to its practical conclusion. If our smartphones are not neutral tools, but powerful forces that shape our habits, attention and desires, what does faithful Christian living with technology actually look like?

Building on the foundations from episodes 1 and 2, this episode asks the key question: what should we do now? How do we respond as followers of Christ? What does it look like to live wisely and deliberately with the devices that are constantly discipling us?

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for “Left right out: The strange position of the political Christian” (Wed 20 May 2026)

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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152: The smartphone disciple (Part 2)

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:00:00 GMT

In Part 1 of our series, we explored the extraordinary power and usefulness of the smartphone, as well as the powerful effects and consequences that follow from its widespread usage—the way that the phone, in fact, shapes the way we think about our lives and the way we act as humans.

In this episode—Part 2—we’re going to think about what God says about all this—what he says about what it means to be human, and how human technology and manufacturing relates to God and to the purposes he has for humanity. How do the Scriptures shape our understanding of technology in general and the smartphone in particular? We’ll find it does so in surprising and disturbing and liberating ways.

(Please note: Part 3 will be published in a fortnight’s time.)

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for “Left right out: The strange position of the political Christian” (Wed 20 May 2026)

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

Please note: The episode transcript on your podcast platform may have been generated by AI and has not been checked for accuracy. If quoting, please check against the audio.

151: The smartphone disciple (Part 1)

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Digital technology like smartphones has revolutionised the way we navigate daily life and the way our whole society functions. We have supercomputers in our hands that can answer almost any question instantly and perform many tasks that make life easier.

Such technology has its downsides, like the explosion of accessibility to pornography and the prevalence of online bullying. Even so, our stance as Christians is often something like, “Let’s use this technology wisely, but not abuse it”, as if the technology is simply a neutral instrument. But the good things of our world (like technology or money) can become much more than this: they can become master-teachers that dominate and disciple us.

In this first episode of a special three-part series, we explore this issue—interrogate and ask questions about what the smartphone really is and how it does affect our lives. How does this technology disciple us? How does it reorder our attitudes, operating beliefs and behaviours—not just personally, but on a society-wide level? Finally, what have been the costs and disadvantages of all this?

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

(Please note: Part 2 will be published in a fortnight’s time, while part 3 will be published in a month’s time.)

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for “Left right out: The strange position of the political Christian” (Wed 20 May 2026)

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

Please note: The episode transcript on your podcast platform may have been generated by AI and has not been checked for accuracy. If quoting, please check against the audio.

150: Prayerfulness with Peter Adam

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 21:00:00 GMT

It does us a lot of good to read a book on prayer every couple of years, because the Christian life is a praying life, and Christians need the occasional reminder and encouragement to keep praying or to start praying again after an overly busy or overly anxious period of life.

Enter Prayerfulness, a recent book by Peter Adam that, according to CCL Director Tony Payne, is the best book on prayer and the Christian life he’s ever read. It’s warm and full of pastoral wisdom, theological richness, and many practical helps and resources.

On this episode of the CCL Podcast, Peter Adam speaks about prayerfulness, how prayer is an expression of our relationship with God, why written prayers are helpful, and why we don’t pray.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for the 2026 Priscilla & Aquila annual conference: “Radical kinship: Men and women in God’s family” (2 February 2025)

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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149: Why the Nicene Creed matters with Mark Thompson

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:10:31 GMT

If you’ve been saying the words of the Nicene Creed for most of your life, you’ll have some sense that this ancient creed is profound and important, and that it summarises something basic and unifying about the Christian faith.

But why and how does it do that, exactly? Why is the Nicene Creed a big deal? Why have Christians been saying these words for around 1700 years? And what difference does it actually make to our Christian lives? Tony Payne talks to Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore College, who recently attended a conference celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, when the Nicene Creed was first written.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more about studying at Moore Theological College.

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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148: Men and women in God’s family with Simon Flinders

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:45:10 GMT

Christians have always been very pro-family. In fact, historically and in some parts of the world, Christianity and traditional family values are seen as much the same thing.

This makes the actual content of the Gospels and what Jesus says about family very surprising—even shocking. It's not as if Jesus is against marriage and family, but his teaching about how to relate to our families brings a radical challenge to our total and unquestioned devotion to our families and to our practice of putting our families first, above all else. CCL Director Tony Payne chats to Simon Flinders, Archdeacon to the Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, about Jesus’ radical new perspective on family life.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for the 2026 Priscilla & Aquila Centre Annual Conference (Mon 2 Feb 2026). Simon Flinders will be delivering the plenary addresses on the topic of “Radical kinship: Men and women in God’s family”.

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147: A biblical response to transgender theory with Rob Smith

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:00:11 GMT

One of the commonplaces of our culture is to distinguish between sex and gender. However, it wasn’t that long ago, when filling in forms, that we were asked about our sex—whether we’re male or female. Now forms ask us for our gender, and they often give us more than two options.

But did you know that the word “gender”, as applied to someone’s sexual nature or expression or identity, is a very recent invention? We only really started doing that in the late 1950s and 60s. The introduction of the idea of gender, and its separation or decoupling from the concept of sex so that we now have two potentially different things—sex and gender—is one of the extraordinary features of the story of Western culture over the past 30-40 years.

In this episode of the Centre of the Christian Living podcast, Rob Smith tells the story of how that happened, why it’s had such a massive impact on our society, and how it all relates to God’s theory of sex in his word.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Find out more and register for the 2026 Priscilla & Aquila Centre Annual Conference(Mon 2 Feb 2026)

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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146: A biblical theology of faith with Peter Orr

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 01:45:28 GMT

If there’s one word or concept that you would say is at the very centre of the Christian life, it’s the idea of faith. In fact, sometimes we describe the whole of Christianity as simply “the faith”.

Yet for something that’s so central and so foundational, it’s surprising how often people are confused or have misunderstandings about the nature and meaning of faith. In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living Podcast, we’re going to seek to dispel that confusion and sharpen our understanding of faith and its place at the foundation of the Christian life.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Next CCL event: The smartphone disciple (Mon 27 Oct).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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145: Neurodivergence and the Christian life (Part 3)

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 22:00:16 GMT

On the CCL podcast, we’ve been exploring the topic of “Neurodivergence and the Christian life” in a special three-part series. In Part 1, we opened up the issue and heard many wonderful and moving stories from neurodivergent people about their experiences, and the questions and issues that arise from their experiences—especially in relation to Christianity, the Christian life and church life. In Part 2, we looked at what the Bible has to say about these questions, and how to think about these things from the perspective of God and his revelation about his world and our lives through the themes of Creation and the Fall; ability, the Spirit and weakness; and community and the body of Christ.

In this final episode of our series, we return to the experiences of neurodivergent people and to the questions we have about how neurodivergence affects our lives, families and churches as Christians, and we explore some paths forward.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Next CCL event: The smartphone disciple (Mon 27 Oct).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

Please note: The episode transcript on your podcast platform may have been generated by AI and has not been checked for accuracy. If quoting, please check against the audio.

144: Neurodivergence and the Christian life (Part 2)

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 22:00:14 GMT

On the CCL podcast, we’ve been exploring the topic of “Neurodivergence and the Christian life”. In our first episode, we opened up the issue and heard many wonderful, extraordinary and moving stories from neurodivergent people about their experiences, and the questions and issues that arise from their experiences—especially in relation to Christianity, the Christian life and church life.

In this episode, which is Part 2 of 3 in our series, we will look at what the Bible has to say about these questions, and how we might think about these things from the perspective of God and his revelation about his world and our lives—through the themes of Creation and the Fall, ability, the Spirit and weakness, and community and the body of Christ.

(Please note: Part 3 will be published in a fortnight’s time.)

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Next CCL event: The smartphone disciple (Mon 27 Oct).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax deductible donation.

Please note: The episode transcript on your podcast platform may have been generated by AI and has not been checked for accuracy. If quoting, please check against the audio.

143: Neurodivergence and the Christian life (Part 1)

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 22:00:09 GMT

Neurodivergence, such as Autism and ADHD, is increasingly identified and understood in our society. Almost everyone has experience of neurodivergence either in themselves or in close friends or family.

How do we think about neurodivergence as Christians? What particular challenges and opportunities does being neurodivergent bring with it, especially in responding to the gospel and living as a Christian? How can we love all people in our families and churches?

In this first episode of a special three-part series on neurodivergence and the Christian life, we explore and assess what neurodivergence is—the experience, questions and issues of neurodivergent people, as well as the experience, questions and issues of parents, friends and ministers of neurodivergent people. We also look briefly at medical, clinical and social perspectives on neurodivergence. Finally, we raise questions that we will attempt to answer in more depth in Parts 2 and 3 of this series.

(Please note: Part 2 will be published in a fortnight’s time, while part 3 will be published in a month’s time.)

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

To ask questions or to get in touch with us about this series, send us a voice memo or email to ccl AT moore edu au.

Next CCL event: The smartphone disciple (Mon 27 Oct).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax deductible donation.

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142: Being progressive with Charles Cleworth

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:00:18 GMT

Moral progressivism is a feature of the best and brightest of our culture. It’s the idea that, just like technology, which is progressing all the time and getting better, so our moral beliefs, values and sensibilities are improving over time. There’s a relentless forward march to the moral status of humanity such that many of the beliefs and values we hold today will be seen as outdated and even irrelevant tomorrow.

Christians are often wary of moral progressives and moral progressivism, because it frequently wants to declare that the long-held moral beliefs or standards we get from the Bible are not only outdated, but positively harmful or evil. Yet on the other hand, many of the causes that moral progressives espouse do resonate with us as Christians. We do want the world to be a more just, more peaceable and more compassionate place.

So what is progressivism exactly? How do we come to be progressives in our modern culture? In addition, how should we think about this as Christians? Hear Tony Payne and Charles Cleworth consider these questions in this episode of the CCL podcast.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Next Priscilla & Aquila Centre evening seminar: A history of Complementarianism (Wed 13 Aug).

Next CCL event: The smartphone disciple (Mon 27 Oct).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax deductible donation.

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141: Ministering to older people with Ben Boland

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 02:00:25 GMT

Around 19 per cent of Australia’s population is of school age. A similar proportion—around 17 per cent—are seniors, if that’s defined as 65 and older. Are those percentages reflected in the time, people and resources that your church devotes to evangelising and ministering to these age groups?

Most of us would admit that our church has put vastly more effort into youth and children’s ministry than we do into ministry to older people. But why is that the case? Is it just a natural focus on the next generation, or is it a blind spot and a huge missed opportunity?

In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living Podcast with Ben Boland, chaplain for Churches of Christ Queensland, we think about the marvellous opportunities and challenges of ministering to older people.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Priceless People: Loving Older People and People Living with Dementia (Ben R Boland): available from Koorong, Reformers, The Wandering Bookseller, Word, 10ofThose and Amazon.

Next CCL event: The smartphone disciple (Mon 27 Oct).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax deductible donation.

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Soul care with Andrew Nicholls

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 22:00:16 GMT

Do you ever get that feeling that the teachings of the Bible, and the complex and painful things that actually happen in your life don’t always connect? Do you ever feel that when you’re in the midst of pain, grief and difficulty, you’re not exactly sure what the gospel has to say about it?

Andrew Nicholls, Director of Pastoral Care at Oak Hill College in London, had exactly that experience as a pastor, trying to help his parishioners with the pain and grief of their lives, and finding that he didn’t have a whole lot to say to them. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Andrew speaks about this experience of having not much to say, and how it led to a turning point in his ministry and his whole view of what a pastor’s job is, as well as his understanding of how the gospel speaks to the realities of our lives.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Centre for Global Mission event: Embracing Hard Ministry: The Bible and the practice of Global Mission(Wed 23 July).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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139: Getting over yourself with Caroline Spencer

Mon, 19 May 2025 22:00:15 GMT

Have you ever had one of those moments of self-awareness when some relationship or perhaps some conversation has just gone badly, and for some reason, you stop and think, “Why did that just happen? What did I do? What attitudes, behaviours and underlying thoughts did I bring to that conversation that contributed to what just happened?”

If you’ve ever managed to do that and also thought to yourself, “I really should do that more often and more thoughtfully,” then this conversation between Tony Payne and Caroline Spencer is for you. Also, if you’ve never stopped to think about yourself, your thought patterns and your behaviours, then this conversation is even more for you. It’s about healthy self-reflection and how we can develop good habits of self-reflection to serve others around you.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Getting Over Yourself: Developing a healthy self-reflection habit to serve those around you (Caroline Spencer).

Centre for Global Mission event: Embracing Hard Ministry: The Bible and the practice of Global Mission(23 July).

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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138: Is godliness complementarian? with Paul Grimmond

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 22:00:26 GMT

What does it mean to live the Christian life as a man or as a woman? Does whether we are men or women make any difference to living as a Christian and seeking to be a godly person in response to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Does godliness look any different for men as it does for women, or, for that matter, for young people as opposed to old people?

These kinds of questions can often cause controversy. But they’re also hard to avoid if we reflect honestly on our experiences as men and women, as well as reflect open-heartedly upon the Scriptures. In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living Podcast, Tony Payne talks with Moore College lecturer Paul Grimmond about these complex and very important questions.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Find out more about Moore College’s Open Events.

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137: The shape of the Christian life in Galatians with Tom Schreiner

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 22:00:12 GMT

Last year in 2024, Tom Schreiner, Associate Dean for the School of Theology, the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, delivered the Annual Moore College Lectures on the Book of Galatians.

In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr speaks with Tom about Galatians and how what God says in this marvellous letter directs the way we think and act as his people, and how it shapes the Christian life. Their conversation touches on the cross, justification by faith, the place of the law and of works in the Christian life, the role of the Spirit, and what the fruit of the Spirit looks like in those who follow Christ.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Find out more about our May ethics workshop: “Neurodivergence and the Christian life”

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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136: Navigating dating apps with Jocelyn Bignill

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 21:00:44 GMT

In the past, people used to date by asking each other out and getting to know each other over coffee, a meal or some other activity. But these days, many people use dating apps as a way of meeting others. How should we navigate this area as Christians? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach? What are the dangers we need to be aware of?

Jocelyn Bignill, Assistant Minister at All Saints in Petersham, Sydney, has been working on an unpublished article about dating apps, and in this episode, Peter Orr talks to her about the challenges and obstacles Christians might face when using them. It’s an important subject—not just for those who are in a stage of life where they may be using these apps, but also for those of us who have grown-up children who might need guidance in how to navigate this tricky area.

(Please note: Jocelyn Bignill’s article on dating apps, which Peter Orr refers to in this interview, is currently unpublished.)

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Find out more about our May ethics workshop: “Neurodivergence and the Christian life”

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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135: The gospel in schools with Peter Tong

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 21:00:25 GMT

Gospel ministry in our schools is incredibly important and strategic, and has changed many lives. But what does it mean for the gospel to do its work in a school? What sort of work does a school chaplain do? In addition, how does the ministry that takes place within our schools sit alongside, complement and relate to the broader ministry of the gospel that we’re used to seeing in our churches?

In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr chats to Peter Tong, chaplain at Barker College in Sydney, Australia, about what that ministry looks like, why school chaplaincy is important, and how we can support it.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Find out more about our May ethics workshop: “Neurodivergence and the Christian life”

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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134: Mission and the Christian life with Tania Snowdon

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:20 GMT

What’s the place of mission in the Christian life? In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr speaks to Tania Snowdon. Tania and her husband Mike spent a number of years on the mission field in Spain and have since returned. Tania speaks about the whole mission experience—why you would go; how to decide whether to go; how to decide where to go; the training you receive before going; what it’s like when you arrive and start speaking the gospel into a new culture; how Christians can support missionaries; and what it’s like to return from the field and re-enter your home culture.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit">https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-134/">visit our website.

Find">http://moore.edu.au/ptc">Find out more about the Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC)

Support the work of the Centre by making">https://ccl.moore.edu.au/donate/">making a tax-deductible donation.

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133: The evangelising Christian with Dave Jensen

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:00:15 GMT

As Christians, we know that evangelism is important. But most of us feel that we’re not very good at it and that we don’t do enough of it.

In this episode, Peter Orr speaks with Dave Jensen, who works as an evangelist for Evangelism and New Churches Sydney Anglicans. Dave helps us think about how we can increase in our fervour and ability for evangelism, and how we can do it as Christians together.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Find out more about studying at Moore Theological College.

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

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132: The gift of rest with Jocelyn Bignill

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:00:29 GMT

It seems if you talk to anyone and ask them how they’re doing, one of the most common things they’ll say is that they’re feeling tired. I think that’s true of Christian and non-Christian alike. What we all need is rest.

In this episode, Peter Orr talks to Jocelyn Bignill about some recent thinking she did in a talk on rest, and how we can rest spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s a really helpful and challenging discussion, and we hope you enjoy the conversation.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Complete our podcast listener survey.

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131: Who am I? The search for identity with Rory Shiner

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 06:31:26 GMT

Our culture is obsessed with identity: we’re often told, “You do you” and encouraged to live according to our “true and authentic self”, expressing publicly how we feel about ourselves internally.

However, the very concept of personal identity is inherently slippery. It encompasses things like ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, religion, belief, educational background, profession and personality, but it’s not fixed: it can change through time, circumstance, and even through self-invention.

So as Christians, how should we regard identity? God created us as unique individuals; how does our creatureliness affect who we are? Furthermore, as sinners redeemed and sanctified by the Lord Jesus and adopted into the household of God, how does Christ’s work change the way we view ourselves? How does the encouragement to “find your identity in Christ” actually play out in the complexities of competing sources of identity?

At our final event in our series on “Culture creep” in October 2024, Rory Shiner, Senior Pastor of Providence City Church in Perth, showed us how losing ourselves for the sake of the kingdom will help us find ourselves once and for all (Matt 10:39).

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

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130: A biblical vision for motherhood with Jocelyn Loane

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 02:08:58 GMT

Peter Orr speaks with Jocelyn Loane about her new book on Christian motherhood from Matthias Media: Motherhood: How the gospel shapes our purpose and priorities. In the book and in our conversation, Jocelyn helpfully shows how the gospel, more than anything else, should shape Christian motherhood. It’s very easy to read parenting books that contain a lot of helpful things, but in this conversation, Jocelyn shows us how key gospel truths are the most powerful things for thinking carefully and properly about Christian motherhood.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Complete our podcast listener survey.

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129: A stubborn and comfortable faith with Michael Parker

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:19:39 GMT

The Centre for Christian Living exists to bring biblical ethics to everyday issues, and on each episode of our podcast, we seek to do exactly that. But every now and then, we like to share stories of how God’s people seek to apply biblical ethics to the everyday and specific issues in their own lives.

In this episode of the CCL podcast, we get to know yet another member of our student team: a Moore Theological College student named Michael Parker. Michael grew up in country Australia in Victoria, and in some ways, his path to ministry and Moore College was quite typical. But in many ways, Michael’s journey was not typical at all.

It is our hope and prayer that as you hear Michael’s story, you’ll come away encouraged—encouraged and eager to pray for and support not just Michael and his future in ministry, but also the College as it carries out its vision of seeing God glorified by men and women living for and proclaiming Jesus Christ, growing healthy churches and reaching the lost.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Complete our podcast listener survey.

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128: Ruined sinners with Jonny Gibson

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 05:31:32 GMT

For centuries, theologians have debated the doctrine of total depravity, the belief that people are wholly and naturally corrupt due to original sin. In this episode, Peter Orr speaks with Jonny Gibson, who has edited a 1,000-page book on this topic. They talk about why it’s important for Christians to have a clear grasp of sin, and what can go wrong if we don’t.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit">https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-128/">visit our website.

Complete">https://ccl.moore.edu.au/podcastsurvey/">Complete our podcast listener survey.

Support the work of the Centre by making">https://ccl.moore.edu.au/donate/">making a tax-deductible donation.

127: Caring for people with disabilities with Nick and Dorothy Jones

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 07:00:43 GMT

In this episode, Peter Orr chats with Nick and Dorothy Jones about their life as a family—particularly loving and caring for their son William, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nick and Dorothy reflect on how their Christian faith sustains and strengthens them as they love and care for William, and they offer some very helpful insights not only about caring for a child with a significant disability, but also about how Christians can support people in a similar situation in our churches.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

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Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

126: Affluent and Christian? with Michael Jensen

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:08:38 GMT

The world is becoming wealthier and wealthier. Since the turn of the century, the net worth of many countries in the West and in Asia has tripled, poverty rates have fallen, and life expectancy has increased by more than six years.

At the same time, the divide between rich and poor has increased, with the richest one per cent owning almost fifty per cent of all the world’s wealth. Five to ten per cent of people still live in extreme poverty, even in the most affluent nations. Furthermore, while money can buy happiness, it can only do so up to a certain point, and wealthier people are more likely to be less generous and less kind to others.

How as Christians should we think about affluence? Is material prosperity a blessing or a curse, or both? Given the state of the world and income inequality, what are we to do with the riches God has given us? At our 2024 August event, Michael Jensen, rector of St Mark’s Anglican Darling Point, helped us to see our earthly treasure the way our heavenly Father does.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

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125: Translating the word with Susanna Baldwin

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 23:26:27 GMT

In this episode of the CCL podcast, we hear from Susanna Baldwin, a Bible translator in Darwin. She speaks about her work on the Plain English Version, the challenges of Bible translation, and also helps us to think through what questions to ask when we are considering which English version to read.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

Support the work of the Centre by making a tax-deductible donation.

124: The Lord of Psalm 23 with David Gibson

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 02:39:27 GMT

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most famous portion of the Bible. It’s a psalm that has brought comfort to Christians throughout history. In this episode, Peter Orr speaks to David Gibson, who has released a book that walks through the psalm in detail—“The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus our shepherd, companion and host”. David shows us that there are wonderful depths that are easy to miss, and how, in so many ways, this psalm encapsulates the entirety of the Christian life.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-124/

123: Losing a child with Jackie Gibson

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 22:00:41 GMT

In this episode of the CCL podcast, we speak to Jackie Gibson about her book, You are Still a Mother. The book recounts how Jackie and her husband Jonny lost their daughter Leila just before she was due to be born. Through this terrible experience, Jackie came to appreciate the comfort of the Lord Jesus.

We hope this episode is of comfort to you if you’ve experienced this kind of grief, or that it helps you to care for a friend or family member who has gone through something similar.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit our website.

122: God, artificial intelligence and you with Stephen Driscoll

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 22:00:24 GMT

Artificial intelligence or AI is one of the most important concepts that people are discussing today. It’s something that, as Christians, we need to think carefully about. Akos Balogh spoke about AI at our March event earlier this year. In this episode, Peter Orr talks to Stephen Driscoll about his new book on AI—“Made in Our Image: God, artificial intelligence and you”—particularly looking at how the gospel helps us to engage with AI and think about it positively and critically. Stephen’s book is an excellent resource for thinking about AI. We hope this conversation gives you a taster of the subject and helps you to begin to think about this important concept.

For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-122/

121: Casual sex or sacred sexuality? with Philip Kern

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 07:32:43 GMT

The sexualisation of society is not new. But the untethering of sex from all relational foundations has posed new problems. No longer is sex between a man and a woman, or even between a boyfriend and girlfriend, and nor is it even with another person you’ve met through an app; sex in our culture can now be with whomever you want, in whatever way you want—even with non-human devices. Obviously these practices are ruled out for those of us who are Christians. But we’re still immersed in that same cultural space. Our ideas of sex and sexuality can be easily and subtly shaped and changed by the world around us. So how do we engage these topics in this new cultural landscape? How do we cling to what God in his word says is good for sex and sexuality? How do we respond to those who say that it is time to let go of our beliefs in the name of progress? At our 2024 May event, Philip Kern, Head of New Testament at Moore College, brought us back to what the Bible says about relationships, about our bodies and about sexuality. In this episode, we bring you the audio from that event, minus the Q&A segment, which you can find on our website: ccl.moore.edu.au. We hope you find Philip’s talk helpful. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-121/

120: The politics of the gospel with Michael Jensen

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:50:03 GMT

Politics might be something that we shy away from because it’s so divisive—particularly in the current climate. But the gospel shapes us in the way we relate to our neighbours, and it gives us a fundamental lens to use in thinking about how we relate to one another and how we engage in political discourse. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr speaks to Michael Jensen about his new book, “Subjects and Citizens”, which aims to helps Christians think about politics in light of the gospel. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-120/

119: Living with a chronic health issue with Andrew and Kath Bruce

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 23:40:54 GMT

Most of us experience relatively good health. Occasionally we might get sick, then recover a couple of weeks later and return to normal life with no lasting ill effects. But what happens when you’re struck with an ongoing health issue that doesn’t go away—not two, three, six months or even a number of years later? What impact does an ongoing illness have on your physical health, mental health and even your spiritual health? In this episode, Peter Orr is joined by Andrew and Kath Bruce. Andrew is the rector of St Peters Anglican Church in Sydney and his wife Kath is a GP. Together, they help us think about chronic health from a personal, theological, medical and practical perspective. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-119/

118: The challenge of mental health difficulties with Paul Ritchie

Wed, 22 May 2024 01:09:28 GMT

In the latest episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr has a chat with Paul Ritchie, a pastor in Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, about his long-term struggle with different mental health challenges and how he thinks about these as a pastor. They also discuss Paul’s book, “Is it Unspiritual to be Depressed? Loved by God in the Midst of Pain”, the relationship between the medical and the spiritual, intrusive thinking, the importance of receiving medical help, and the role of the church in looking after people with mental illness. We hope you find Paul’s insights—drawn from both his own experience and his understanding of God’s word—helpful. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-118/

117: On the value of a good Christian book with Jane Tooher

Mon, 06 May 2024 02:44:23 GMT

Many Christians have testified to the power of good Christian books and how the Lord has used them in their lives. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr talks to Jane Tooher about the different Christian books that the Lord has used in her life. We hope you find it encouraging. You might be prompted to read some of the titles that Jane mentions, or to think about different areas of your Christian life where it would be helpful to read a Christian book. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-117/

116: Embrace AI and lose your soul? with Akos Balogh

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 04:02:46 GMT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being widely embraced across our society. When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, a large language model-based chatbot, the application became the fastest-adopted new tool in human history. Its impact—and the impact of AI more broadly—is only beginning to be felt. Many AI researchers are concerned that AI will harm humanity, with some even sounding the alarm about humanity’s future altogether. How should Christians think about AI? What does the Bible have to say about how we think about and use this new and important technology? Furthermore, how might it affect our faith? Akos Balogh, writer and researcher, spoke about technology, humanity and theology at this year’s March event. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-116/

115: Being sure about agnosticism with Andrew Sach

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 23:07:39 GMT

In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast, we talk with Andrew Sach, who has recently released a book with Jonathan Gemmell entitled, “Are You 100% Sure You Want To Be an Agnostic?” Andrew discusses the difference between agnosticism and atheism, and thinks about how we can share the gospel with our friends who might be agnostic or who might have other beliefs. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-115/

114: The joy of hearing Revelation with Tom Schreiner

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 05:05:43 GMT

The last book in the Bible, the Book of Revelation, is a book that many of us are intrigued by. We read its symbolism and the different imagery, and sometimes we don’t know what to do with it. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr speaks with Tom Schreiner, who has recently released a couple of books on the Book of Revelation. Tom helps us think about how we should read the book and talks about its relevance for the Christian life. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-114/

113: Technology in a post-truth world with Lionel Windsor

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 22:13:09 GMT

In our last episode, we heard from Lionel Windsor, who talked about his new book, “Truth Be Told: Living truthfully in a post-truth world”. In this episode, we’re going to focus in on one chapter in Lionel’s book, looking at how, as Christians, we can live truthful, godly lives in a world that is becoming more and more technologically complex. Technology is not all bad; you listen to this podcast through a variety of technologies. But it’s hard to know how to live in such a technologically complex world. Lionel helps us think through some of the core issues that are vital for us to grasp in a world like ours. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-113/

112: Telling the truth with Lionel Windsor

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 02:45:27 GMT

Jesus told his disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). The truth is absolutely vital to us as Christians. But in an era of fake news, media spin and social media manipulation, it’s never been more important as Christians that we are clear on what the truth is and how we as Christians should live as truthful people. In this episode, Peter Orr talks to Lionel Windsor about his new book, “Truth Be Told”, which sees to help Christians live truthfully in a post-truth world. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-112/ Lionel's book "Truth Be Told" can be purchased from Matthias Media: https://matthiasmedia.com.au/products/truth-be-told

111: The transfigured Jesus with Patrick Schreiner

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 05:53:52 GMT

Matthew, Mark and Luke all describe Jesus ascending a mountain and then being transformed in front of three of his disciples (Matt 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36). This is the event that Christians call the “transfiguration”. But why is it such an important event? What does it actually tell us about Jesus? Does it have anything to do with the Christian life? In this episode, Peter Orr talks to Dr Patrick Schreiner of Midwestern Baptist Seminary in the United States. He’s just written a wonderful book on the transfiguration, and he shows us just how vital and important this event is for understanding Jesus and for living the Christian life. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-111/

110: Hope for the hopeless with Ben Gray

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 02:38:33 GMT

How can we as Christians care for those who are on the margins of society? How can we share the hope of Jesus with those who, from a worldly perspective at least, look like they have the least reason for hope? In this episode of the CCL podcast, Peter Orr speaks to Ben Gray, minister of All Saints Petersham in Sydney’s Inner West, about how as a church they reach out to the homeless with the hope of the Jesus. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-110/

109: The power and pain of perseverance with Mark Thompson

Sat, 16 Dec 2023 06:48:56 GMT

Christians can often be caught off-guard by how difficult life can be. When grieved by loss, deserted by friends and family, faced with a hostile workplace culture or plagued by an existential crisis, it is easy for Christians to be tempted to give up or to doubt God’s goodness. Yet the Bible encourages us to persevere in the midst of hardship, reminding us that suffering is not a sign of God’s absence, but of his good presence. The storms of life we weather serve to refine our faith as we hope in his promises. But how can we build perseverance within ourselves? What does it mean to remain steadfast in our day-to-day walk in Christ? If we experience doubt, are we in danger of falling away? In this episode of the CCL podcast, which features the audio from our October 2023 event, Moore College principal Mark Thompson considers these things as he shows us how Christians can persevere even when we face trials of various kinds. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-109/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

108: The cross at the heart of Christianity with Rory Shiner

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 02:19:34 GMT

The Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church that when he was with them, he preached Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 1:23). The cross is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. It’s the means that God uses to secure our salvation. But it’s also so much more than that. In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast, Peter Orr talks to Rory Shiner about his book, “Forgiven Forever: Living in the death of Jesus” and how the cross is, to quote Rory, “A vast ocean of spiritual power and liveable truth”. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-108/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

107: Biblical critical theory with Christopher Watkin

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 04:08:24 GMT

At Moore College, we were recently joined by Professor Christopher Watkin to talk about his new book, “Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s unfolding story makes sense of modern life and culture”, which recently won Australian Christian Book of the Year. In this episode of the CCL podcast, we bring you the recording of an interview Peter Orr conducted with Christopher, as well as the Q&A that followed. Christopher introduces us to his book, and also demonstrates the power of the Bible for helping us to understand—and even lovingly critique—the culture we live in. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-107/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

106: The surprising importance of studying church history with Mark Earngey

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:15:55 GMT

It’s fascinating to read church history and learn about what God has done in the past. But how important is it for us Christians to be aware of church history? Is it just an interesting thing we can read about on the side, or does an awareness of church history actually help guard us from error and live godly lives in the present time? In this episode of the CCL podcast, Mark Earngey, Head of Church History at Moore College, shows us that it _is_ important, and that if we ignore church history, we can open ourselves up to all sorts of problems. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-106/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

105: Women of truth with Susan An

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Do you compare yourself to other people? As a Christian, do you look at your Christian friends and think, “They’re much more godly than I am. They’re better at prayer. They’re more patient. They’re better evangelists than I am.”? Maybe you look at your non-Christian friends or family and think, “Their lives are so much simpler than mine” or “I wish I have what they have”. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Susan An, Dean of Women at Moore College, helps us think through some of these issues in the light of Proverbs 31 and the godly woman it describes, so that we can learn to think correctly about ourselves. This episode is particularly geared to Christian women, but contains lots of application for all of us. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-105/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

104: Self-control in an era of self-actualisation with David Höhne

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 05:33:58 GMT

In an age when authenticity, personal potential and the fulfilment of that potential is so highly valued, the virtue of self-control seems counterintuitive. In contrast to the world, the Bible tells us that the good life is not located in unbounded self-expression, but in purposeful self-restraint. Why is self-control so necessary to the Christian life? What does the Bible say about it, and how can we cultivate it within ourselves? Furthermore, does the deliberate curbing of desire really play a key role in our self-actualisation? In this episode, we bring you a recording of our recent event in our series on virtue in the Christian life in which Moore College lecturer David Höhne helps us think through how to live as Christians, living self-controlled lives in a world that so values self-actualisation. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-104/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

103: The place of John’s Gospel in the Christian life with Tom Habib

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:56:55 GMT

What does John’s Gospel have to say about the Christian life? Famously, John tells us why he wrote at the end of his Gospel: so that we might “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). We can easily read John’s Gospel and think that it’s only about understanding who Jesus is and believing in him. Those are important, but the problem is we might not think that John’s Gospel is a rich resource for living the Christian life and thinking about Christian ethics. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Tom Habib, lecturer in New Testament at Moore College, helps us to think about what it means to live the Christian life from the perspective of John’s Gospel. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-103/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

102: The value of the Old Testament in the Christian life with Desmond Alexander

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 01:57:46 GMT

What is the value of the Old Testament for the Christian life? It might seem like an obvious question. We read the Old Testament, we draw comfort from the Psalms, and we can read the Ten Commandments. But in this episode of the CCL podcast with Professor Desmond Alexander, we’re going to focus on the first five books of the Old Testament and think about how they help us to understand the person and work of the Lord Jesus, and how they help us to respond appropriately to him. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-102/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

101: The good God and the life of faith with Peter Orr and Chase Kuhn

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:23:32 GMT

The Christian life is filled with all kinds of challenges and trials that easily raise questions about the goodness of God and what it means for us to continue on in faith, even in the face of hardship. In this episode of the CCL podcast, Chase Kuhn and Peter Orr discuss how good our God is and why we can entrust ourselves to him as we continue in the life of faith. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-101/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

100: The glory of true humility with David VanDrunen

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:39:55 GMT

Narcissism and vanity characterise the spirit of our age—particularly when it comes to social media, where we’re tempted to promote ourselves, make ourselves look good, and present a certain image of ourselves to the world. But when faced with the glory of God, Scripture calls upon us to exhibit a different attitude: humility. What does it mean to be truly humble? What does it mean to humble oneself before the Lord? If we’re serious about giving all glory to God, what should this look like in the Christian life? In this special edition of our podcast, we bring you the audio from the recent lecture Professor David VanDrunen gave for the Centre on “The glory of true humility” on 7 June 2023. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-100/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

099: A Q&A with David VanDrunen

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:32:16 GMT

Our most recent live event from our series on “A virtuous life” focused on true virtue in an age of virtue signalling. Our presenter was Professor David VanDrunen of Westminster Seminary California. In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast, Professor VanDrunen joins us again in a special follow-up episode to answer some of the questions that arose during the event. I hope that this discussion will be of good help to you as you continue to reflect on what it means to walk in the newness of life that we’ve been given in Jesus. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-099/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

098: Virtue in an age of virtue signalling with David VanDrunen

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 04:12:40 GMT

In the information age and the advent of cancel culture, public morality has taken an interesting turn. Virtue is signalled by what we approve publicly or cancel publicly. The deep irony is that this virtue signalling is most often not backed by _true_ virtue. This is seen in the fierce and cutting remarks too common on social media. The danger for Christians is that they follow the culture and become no better than whitewashed tombs. At this cultural moment, it’s all the more pertinent for Christians to cultivate true virtue. The Bible often encourages believers that their character is to match their calling. In this special edition of our podcast, we bring you the audio from our recent live event from our 2023 series on “A virtuous life”. In this episode, we hear from Professor David VanDrunen about “Virtue in an age of virtue signalling: Christian culture in a characterless society”. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-098/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

097: Bringing forth life with Jodie McIver

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 11:08:45 GMT

Motherhood is not something that we all know directly in our lives, but we all, at least, experience it indirectly: we’ve all been born of a woman. This is something common to humanity and is one of our deepest bonds with Jesus, our brother, who was born of the Virgin Mary. Motherhood can be viewed poorly. It can be seen as something to be endured, an interruption to life and a career, or something terribly painful and questionable in its goodness. But when we think about motherhood theologically, we see it differently. It’s something that God has designed with great purpose and goodness. It’s a beautiful thing that marks one of the distinctive roles of women in society. It’s something to celebrate, even in its pain and risk. Furthermore, in the expectation of life that pregnancy holds, there is a great picture of our expectation of eternal life. In this episode of the CCL podcast with Jodie McIver, we consider God’s purposes in pregnancy and birth. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-097/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

096: The Holy Spirit and the Christian life with Phillip Jensen

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 03:44:47 GMT

It’s sad that over the last century, so much division among Christians has come from different beliefs about the Holy Spirit. Perhaps what’s even more sad is that these differences are, at their core, about God himself. Who is the God we worship? What is the work that he does in our lives? How does he work, and to what end does he do this work? The tragedy is that the Holy Spirit is promised to us as the bond of peace among Christians (Eph 4:3). Indeed, it’s in spiritual unity that we confess one Lord, one faith and one baptism, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:5. In this episode of the CCL podcast with Phillip Jensen, we look a little bit more closely at what the Scriptures say about the Holy Spirit. In particular, what does the gift of the Spirit mean for us in our Christian lives? For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-096/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

095: Reaching Hindus with the gospel with Clive and Ben

Thu, 18 May 2023 20:00:18 GMT

Christians often think about evangelism in terms of what we say. It can easily become a formula of the right words spoken in the right way that amounts to faithfulness. In many ways, this is an entirely appropriate way to think. However, it’s also an incomplete way to think: our witness to the world is not just with our words, but also with our how we live our lives. We testify to the gospel as we live transformed lives. As we think about reaching cross-culturally with the gospel, _how_ we live is often as important as anything else. People want to see that following Jesus is a liveable way of being. This, of course, doesn’t mean that everything in life will be easy. But even in hardship, in the real cost of discipleship, we can demonstrate the goodness of God in Christ, living with real hope. In this episode of the CCL podcast with Clive and Ben, we consider the significance of the Christian life as we reach out to Hindus with the gospel. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-095/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

094: Is love really all you need? with Chase Kuhn and Caitlin Ogg

Tue, 09 May 2023 10:22:55 GMT

The Beatles’ message to the world was “Love is all you need”, and certainly in Scripture, the virtue of love is regarded as supreme (1 Cor 13:13). In fact, in the Bible, love is a catch-all term for morality, summarising the law. But with the mainstream use of slogans like “Love is love” bandied around today, what does the concept of love even _mean_? How do we know what love is? What does it look like? Furthermore, is love really all that we need? In a special edition of our podcast, we bring you the audio from our first live event of our 2023 series on “A virtuous life”. CCL Director Chase Kuhn kicked off the series by exploring the virtue of love. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-094/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

093: The value of the church calendar and traditions with Mark Earngey

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:50:49 GMT

Life is incredibly seasonal. In the last few weeks, with the turn of weather, it marks a change of clothing and habits. Days are cooler and shorter. There’s something wonderful about seasons that reminds us of the Lord’s provision and how dependent we are on him as creatures. Yet as Christians, it’s easy for us to approach seasons passively. Life can easily happen to us. But as we all know, discipline is key to living a deliberate, intentional life, even amidst various seasons. One of the historic ways that the church has approached life purposefully was to follow a church calendar. This marked specific seasons of the Christian life that helped people to be more deliberate in their spiritual reflection. This feels foreign to many of us today, but it may be a practice worth reviving. In this episode of the CCL podcast with Mark Earngey, we explore how tradition and the church calendar can aid us in the Christian life. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-093/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

092: Challenges to religious freedom with Patrick Parkinson

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:55:03 GMT

Whom should you be able to employ or not employ in your business? If you run a school, should you be able to hire only those who agree with the stated values of your school? What if your school is a religious school? Should those you employ support your faith position? All of these questions are about discrimination: when, if ever, should someone be excluded from an activity or occupation because of their support for or denial of a faith position? While these matters involve discrimination, they stand at the forefront of public discussion about religious freedom. It’s in cases where exclusion is seen or felt most is freedoms are being tested. In this episode of the CCL podcast with Emeritus Professor Patrick Parkinson of the University of Queensland, we look at how religious freedom is gradually being squeezed in Western society. We’ll consider why this is happening, how Christians can prepare for what is coming, and why we have good reason to continue to hope. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-092/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

091: Responding to WorldPride with Simon Swadling

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 02:07:50 GMT

Most of us struggle to keep pace with the speed of societal progress. This means that many Christians are unsure how to approach and even answer questions to do with LGBTQ issues. We’re concerned about fitting the stereotypes of Christian hatred or intolerance. We’re nervous about the names we might be called. We’re worried that we won’t really be heard. So what do we do when WorldPride comes to town? Sydney is hosting WorldPride in 2023, and many Christians wonder how we should respond. How can we genuinely care and show concern for people in this space when the LGBTQ agenda seems to be so against what we believe as Christians? In this episode of the CCL podcast, we’ll hear from a same-sex-attracted Christian about his reflections on how to think and live in such times. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-091/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

090: Grappling with sexuality with Simon Swadling

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 01:35:40 GMT

Discovering sexuality and coming of age is never simple, and tends always to be awkward. This awkwardness is intensified when your sexuality is not typical. Christians have a long way to go to help adolescents grapple with sexuality, especially when their sexuality differs from what the Bible says is good. How can we help same-sex attracted people be confident to live as God’s children, and share how they feel and experience the world with other Christians in gospel confidence? We’re exploring this on the podcast today as we hear one man’s story of coming to terms with his same-sex attraction. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-090/ Send us your ethical questions using the contact form on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/contact/

089: Virtue in the Christian life with Chase Kuhn

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 11:38:29 GMT

Do you remember the ALS ice bucket challenge of 2014? To promote awareness and raise money for ALS (that is, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also called Lou Gehrig’s disease), millions of people took to social media and posted videos of themselves getting buckets of ice water dumped on them. Celebrities, politicians and athletes took part. People made more and more elaborate videos documenting the challenge—many of which went viral. And the whole thing raised over $220 million for ALS research. Here’s the thing, though: even though many, many people took part in the ice bucket challenge, only a fraction actually donated to the cause. It seems that the majority were more interested in being _seen_ to be doing good, and thus being thought of as a good person, than actually doing good. We call this kind of behaviour “virtue signalling”, a way of demonstrating to others that you have good character without actually needing to change yourself. As Christians, we want to be people of virtue who walk the walk as much as we talk the talk. But what _is_ virtue? What are _Christian_ virtues, as opposed to virtues that aren’t that Christian? Why is cultivating virtue important—important enough that the Centre for Christian Living has devoted an entire year to examining the subject? These are the sorts of things Karen Beilharz and Chase Kuhn discuss in this episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-089/

088: Approaching Christmas with Chase Kuhn

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:17:50 GMT

When does the season feel like Christmas? Is when the decorations are hung, carols are playing, the shopping centres are full, the air turns crisp (or hot and humid, in the case of Australia), and when all the media is filled with festive ads? Or is it when we make a deliberate attempt to mark the season by turning our focus to the reason for all these celebrations? Marking the Advent season is a great way for Christians to be intentional in their celebration of Christmas. Advent means “the arrival of someone important”, and for Christians, we celebrate the arrival of the King, Jesus the Christ, God’s Son incarnate. But this is not simply a look back in history to the first coming of Christ; for Christians today, we live expectant of Christ’s second coming. If we want to be purposeful about valuing the gift of God’s Son at Christmas, we should mark the season. So for our last episode of 2022, CCL Director Chase Kuhn shares short devotion from an advent devotional he is currently writing. Our hope is that this short study on Luke 1 will help you better appreciate Christ this Christmas. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-088/

087: Fight for your pastor with Peter Orr

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:46:59 GMT

Today it’s very easy to be suspicious of people in places of authority. We’ve heard countless stories of how power has been abused. With our increased suspicion comes a level of distrust. This quickly leads us to criticise leaders, watching their every move and picking through their every word. The trouble that we have as Christians is that this sort of behaviour is destructive to our church relationships. Rather than appreciating the leaders that God has given to us, we tear them down. Sadly, this does more than just compromise our relationship with our leaders; it actually demonstrates a pervasive thanklessness in our relationship with God. In an effort to restore health to our churches and encourage those who God has placed over us, in this episode, we’re considering the need to fight for your pastor. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-087/

086: Commanding the heart: Vengeance with Andrew and Lauren Errington

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 09:17:03 GMT

From the dawn of time, systems of justice have demanded recompense for wrongs. The most fundamental systems have been kind for kind—such as, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or a life for a life. In fact, this sort of rudimentary justice system is biblical and it lies at the heart of so much of the law in Scripture. But in God’s kingdom, Jesus tells us that there is no room for vengeance. Instead, life in the kingdom demands forbearance and forgiveness. What does this mean for us practically? Can there be any justice? In this episode of the podcast, we bring you some of the audio from our most recent live event on vengeance, where we considered how Jesus transforms our expectations and pursuits of justice, and leads us away from vengeance. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-086/

085: The practicalities of complementarianism with Jane Tooher

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 10:06:51 GMT

Imagine being part of a church that wasn’t confused, reluctant or reticent about complementarianism, but rather embraced it. Imagine being so convinced of what God says that you’re able to express it confidently in what you say and do. Imagine being so compelled by the goodness of what God says that you express it positively in church life. This is the vision set forward in the new book, “Embracing Complementarianism” by Graham Beynon and Jane Tooher. In this episode of the CCL podcast, we consider the practicalities of complementarianism in our second episode with Priscilla & Aquila Centre Director and Moore College lecturer Jane Tooher on the matter. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-085/ To find out more about Jane and Graham's book, visit https://www.thegoodbook.com.au/embracing-complementarianism

084: Embracing complementarianism with Jane Tooher

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 05:01:58 GMT

Relationships can be difficult. One of the perennial issues for humans is how to relate as men and women. These conversations have changed over time, but they have not gotten any easier. For Christians, there is a deep conviction that God has made us male and female, equal but distinct. This is good. But what does it mean for this deep conviction to be realised in our practical life? In this episode of the CCL podcast, we explore how we might embrace complementarianism with Priscilla & Aquila Centre Director and Moore College lecturer Jane Tooher. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-084/

083: Commanding the heart: Deception with Tony Payne

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 07:45:16 GMT

Integrity seems almost mythical in our current culture. Suspicion runs deep—largely because of a history of lying and deception. At some points, our culture celebrates this sort of slight in order to gain the upper hand. This problem isn’t novel; we may use a variety of “guarantees” to back up our words—for example, “I swear …”, “On my mother’s grave …”, and so on. But often we fail to be people of our word. However, Jesus says that Kingdom living leaves no room for deception. As recipients of the truth, disciples must live a life of truth. In this episode of the podcast, we bring you the audio from our most recent live event, in which Dr Tony Payne leads us to discover discipleship without deception. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-083/

082: Pregnancy screening with Jonathan Morris

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 09:29:00 GMT

Life is filled with many things that we appreciate: health and children are among some of the most treasured things we enjoy. We all appreciate health, as sickness, disease and disorders can affect what we consider a "normal" life. There is also a desire in most of us to raise children. But as good as health and children are, are they ends to be pursued at any means? Much in our modern health practice has evolved to accommodate these good ends. We have better care for pregnant women and unborn babies than ever before. But we also have many practices that remain unquestioned. In this episode of the CCL podcast, we consider ethical issues related to pre-pregnancy and pregnancy screening. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-082/

081: You’re only human with Kelly Kapic

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 02:38:30 GMT

Have you ever wondered if you’re doing enough? It’s hard to escape this question. Do you ever feel like you haven’t exercised enough, read enough, given enough, spent enough time with people, or spent enough time alone? Thinking about these things is exhausting. It’s no wonder that many find life a worry. In the information age, there is always so much more than we can consume. And because we’re more connected than ever, we constantly compare ourselves to others. But what if limits aren’t bad? What if we’ve been pushing ourselves towards unachievable goals? What if we’ve misunderstood God’s design for us as finite creatures? In this episode of the podcast, we consider the goodness of our limits as human beings. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-081/

080: Men and women and church discipline

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 06:49:28 GMT

Church discipline is a much-neglected topic in the modern church. However, the Scriptures suggest it is needed for the good of the church and because Christians are called to love people caught in sin. How do we apply the biblical principles of church discipline to the modern church? What can we do at earlier points to ensure that more drastic church discipline is not required? Furthermore, how does our understanding of the danger of abusing power imbalances change the process of discipline? In this episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast, we hear audio from a June event run by our partner centre, the Priscilla & Aquila Centre. Phil Colgan, rector of St George North Anglican Church, and Kara Hartley, Archdeacon for Women’s Ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, discuss the difference between Big “D” discipline and small “d” discipline, and the implications that has for church life. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-080/

079: Honouring God with our bodies with Sam Allberry

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 02:22:44 GMT

There are some very significant problems with the ways our culture thinks about our human bodies. For some, our bodies are everything, and therefore our physical appearance is what we work hardest on. But for others, our bodies have nothing to do with our true selves. Our true self, we’re told, is who we feel we are. So our bodies may actually be a block to us expressing our real identity. As Christians, how are we to think about our bodies? Having a body is not a mistake. But we won’t honour the Lord with and in our bodies properly until we understand his purposes for us. In this episode of the CCL podcast with Sam Allberry, we’re considering the significance of embodiment as God’s people. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-079/

078: Answering questions about lust with Marshall Ballantine-Jones and Dani Treweek

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 23:18:58 GMT

Our recent live event looked at Jesus’ teaching on lust in the Sermon on the Mount. We were challenged in that event to consider once more the lives of holiness befitting Christian disciples. This includes abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage, but we also looked at the problems of pornography and living lives in the midst of a sexualised culture. In this episode of the podcast, we’re following up on that live event with an extended Q&A session with our guest presenters, Dr Marshall Ballantine-Jones and Dr Dani Treweek. We work through many of the outstanding questions from our live audience in the hopes of getting even more clarity about what it means to live for faithfully under the Lordship of Jesus. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-078/

077: Commanding the heart: Lust with Marshall Ballantine-Jones and Dani Treweek

Wed, 25 May 2022 10:40:25 GMT

Jesus raises alarm when he warns us that adultery isn’t limited to sexual intercourse outside of marriage, but actually begins earlier in the lustful glance of the eye and mental fantasies. Adultery isn’t just physical; it can be done in the heart. So great is the threat of a wandering eye or a straying hand that Jesus suggests losing a part of the body instead of facing the fire of hell. Kingdom righteousness demands more than physical abstinence from sex outside of marriage, but not less. In view of such teaching, what kind of sexual conduct is becoming of a disciple of Jesus? In this episode of the podcast, we bring you the audio from our May 2022 live event on lust with Dr Marshall Ballantine-Jones and Dr Dani Treweek. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-077/

076: A defence of Christian thinking about defence with Akos Balogh

Sun, 08 May 2022 06:56:01 GMT

In many places around the world, it’s easy for Christians to take peace for granted. But for much of history and even in many current contexts, Christians live with the real fear and threat of violence. One of God’s great provisions in this world is the establishment of nations and national powers. These powers are intended to provide defence for their people, as well as just rule. But Christians can often question whether national defence should be a priority and whether defence is simply a means of justifying violence. Shouldn’t we simply advocate for peace? In this episode of the CCL podcast, together with Akos Balogh, Manager of External Engagement at Moore College, we think more about the place defending nations—especially considering the Russian attack on the Ukraine, and the rise of Chinese power and its expanding influence in the world. For an edited transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-076/

075: Commanding the heart: Anger with Chase Kuhn and Kara Hartley

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:51:59 GMT

Violence is not only a physical activity, it's also something that lurks in our hearts. The Lord Jesus cautions us that refraining from physical violence is only half of the equation. We are also liable for our thoughts towards one another. Kingdom righteousness demands that Christians pursue reconciliation with one another, rather than harbouring a grudge. This is urgent work! At our first live event in March 2022, CCL Director Chase Kuhn and Archdeacon for Women Kara Hartley consider how the command to not murder exposes the anger in our hearts. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-075/

074: Answering the call to faith and ministry with Jordan Cunningham

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:09:27 GMT

In this episode of the CCL podcast, we get to know another one of the students on our CCL team—a young man named Jordan Cunningham who, as you’ll learn, has come from quite a long way to study at Moore College. Jordan’s story is quite different to Brooke Hazelgrove’s, who we met in an earlier episode, though there are similarities in some of the steps they both took on their path to theological education and ministry. Jordan was not raised in a Christian home, he did not attend a Christian school, and when he answered God’s call to ministry, it was because he first answered God’s call to faith. It is our hope and prayer that as you hear Jordan’s story, you’ll come away encouraged and eager to pray for and support not just him and his future in ministry, but also the college as it carries out its vision of seeing God glorified by men and women living for and proclaiming Jesus Christ, growing healthy churches and reaching the lost. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-074/

073: Jesus and the law with David VanDrunen

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 01:45:18 GMT

For many Christians, the law is one of the most challenging topics for their life. It’s as if they feel they’re walking a tightrope between legalism on the one side and licence on the other—as if they either need to perform, or else they’re simply embracing a loose way of living. But careful examination of the teaching of Jesus helps us gain a richer picture of the law and its place in our lives. When we encounter the law in Christ, we see something beautiful. Today on the podcast, and in preparation for our four live events this year, we’re looking carefully at how Jesus reframes our experience of God’s law with David VanDrunen, the Robert B Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary in California. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-073/

072: Considering “one another” with Peter Orr

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 11:35:31 GMT

Some of our modern church practices can fool us into thinking that our faith is a private matter, or perhaps even that church itself is something for us to sit and enjoy, listening to a nice message and then leaving. But the Christian life is inherently focused on others, not just on self. A quick search of the New Testament will show that there are more than 50 occurrences of commands for one another. Think about the Lord Jesus’ teaching to his disciples in the upper room when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35). Jesus expects that all who follow him will take an active role in loving others. In this episode of the CCL podcast, we explore several of the “one another” commands and consider how, in becoming aware of them, we might live more faithfully as disciples of Jesus. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-072/

071: A different path to ministry with Brooke Hazelgrove

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 06:29:34 GMT

In this episode of the CCL podcast, we get to know one of the students on our CCL team—a young woman named Brooke Hazelgrove. In some ways, Brooke’s path to ministry and Moore College was quite typical of many of our students: she was raised in a Christian home, she attended a Christian school and she decided to answer the call to ministry around the time she graduated from university. But in other very key ways, Brooke’s journey is far from typical and she doesn’t fit neatly into the cookie cutter idea of what many people think a Moore College student is. It is our hope and prayer that as you hear Brooke’s story, you’ll come away encouraged and eager to pray for and support not only her and her future in ministry, but also the college as it carries out its vision of seeing God glorified by men and women living for and proclaiming Jesus Christ, growing healthy churches and reaching the lost. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-071/

070: Raising the next generation with Mark Earngey, Paul Dudley and Ruth Lukabyo

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 04:30:51 GMT

Community isn’t something that is static; it stretches through time, as culture is passed from one generation to another. The Bible has many commands about ensuring that its truth is passed on to the next generation. Yet as simple as this command is, the practice of raising up children and new leaders can cause great anxiety. At our October 2021 event, Ruth Lukabyo, Dean of Women at Youthworks College, Paul Dudley, Chaplain at Shore School, and Mark Earngey, Head of Church History at Moore College, offer us some instruction about how we might work to raise the next generation in the Lord. Whether we are young or old, a parent or a friend, we need to take an interest in seeing the next generation of the church grow to be followers of Christ. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-070/

069: God’s wisdom for dating with Paul Grimmond

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 07:43:25 GMT

In every age, societies have had methods for finding a future spouse. For better or worse, our culture embraces dating. But what is dating? Is it Christian or not? And if it isn’t, is it redeemable, or should Christians be looking for an alternative? In this episode of the CCL podcast, we feature a recent event from our partner, the Priscilla & Aquila Centre, at which Moore College Dean of Students Paul Grimmond explores God’s wisdom for dating and answers some audience questions. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-069/

068: Modern slavery with Emma Penzo

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 08:48:44 GMT

When Paul and Silas came to Philippi in Acts 16, a woman who was demon possessed began to pester Paul. Paul commanded the demon to come out of the woman and she was set free from spiritual bondage. But Paul and Silas then got into trouble, because setting this woman free came with economic consequences: she had been enslaved by owners who exploited her demonic abilities for profit. Now their slave was worthless to them. Tragically, this story highlights one of the worst evils known to humanity—the enslavement of others for economic gain. Many Christians in Western nations like Australia see slavery as a thing of the past or something unrelated to everyday life. But is this true? What comforts might we enjoy at the expense of others? What slavery might be taking place even in our own land? In this episode, we consider what modern slavery looks like and how we might take action against it. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-068/

067: Bringing up children and youth in the Lord and in the church with Tim Beilharz

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:23:55 GMT

Children are vital to God’s great plan to save the world: Jesus one said, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15). But as simple and stark as this object lesson is, it also has packed into that simplicity, incredible profundity and complexity, and some huge challenges for all of us who belong to Jesus. How can we best love and care for the precious gift of the children God has given us? How do we prepare them to grow and stand strong in a very uncertain and bewildering future? And what steps should we be taking to raise the next generation to be followers for Christ? For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-067/

066: Nurturing ourselves through the mental health crisis with Jenny Brown

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 01:53:29 GMT

Perhaps you’ve noticed that awareness about issues surrounding mental health has risen sharply in recent years. More and more people have been coming forward, sharing their own experiences of their struggles with depression and anxiety. New articles and books about this topic seem to come out every month. In Australia, RU OK? day in September has become a national annual fixture. And of course, the COVID-19 pandemic and various lockdowns have led to a sharp decline in mental health around the world. But despite growing awareness, increased activism, and an abundance of information and think pieces, the mental health crisis doesn’t seem to be getting any better. If anything, it seems to be getting worse. What’s going on here? If the current ways of tackling the problem aren’t working, how might we go about addressing it? Furthermore, how are we as Christians to think about mental health issues? And what role can we play as a community to help those who struggle? For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-066/

065: Learning to forgive with Archbishop Kanishka Raffel and Dr Philip Kern

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 05:29:37 GMT

The most liberating truth of the Christian life is that our sins have been forgiven. But one of the most difficult challenges of the Christian life is forgiving others as we have been forgiven. Does forgiving mean forgetting? If we forgive, must we still trust? At our August 2021 CCL event, Kanishka Raffel, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, and Philip Kern, Head of New Testament at Moore College, lead us through what the Bible teaches about forgiveness and how we might in wisdom learn to forgive those who have sinned against us. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-065/

064: Rejoice in the Lord! with Archie Poulos

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 02:23:37 GMT

What do you choose to rejoice in? What do you give thanks for? In the middle of a pandemic, do you thank God for your health, for your home, for your job that continues to provide for you through the restrictions? Could it be that you are focusing merely on the circumstantial—material and “desirable” lifestyle matters—rather than the theological? In this interview with Archie Poulos, Director for the Centre for Ministry Development and Head of the Ministry Department at Moore College, Chase and Archie look closer at the biblical command to rejoice. In the Book of Psalms, the command to rejoice is specifically to “rejoice in the Lord”—the Lord who is unchanging, the Lord who is faithful. The command is actually a call to faith—to continue taking God at his word and trusting that he is good, irrespective of our circumstances. But how do we Christians _do_ that? For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-064/

063: Domestic abuse in the church with Kara Hartley

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 02:39:36 GMT

One of the most horrible realities of living life in a broken world is knowing violence in your own home. Each person expects to have safety and security amongst their nearest and dearest. And yet, because of sin, too many people—women, children and even men—don’t enjoy safety in their homes. This has been true of families since the first family, when Cain killed Abel. But unfortunately, this remains true for too many families even now. On this episode of the CCL podcast, we’re considering the terrible reality of domestic violence. Many have been coming to terms with the sad fact that this isn’t just an issue “out there”, but actually one that is “in here”—that is, in our churches. What _is_ domestic abuse? How should you respond if you’re a victim? How should we care for perpetrators? And what can or should we do as onlookers? For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-063/

062: Living out our convictions with Jo Gibbs

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 05:33:00 GMT

There’s a been a long history of discussion about living life with purpose. This goes back to ancient times and the works of philosophers, but features more recently in Christian books like “The Purpose Driven Life”, or in secular leadership and lifestyle books. There’s something sensible in recognising that purposeful living is better than simply drifting. And yet while many of us think about wanting to live life with purpose, we find there is often a disconnect: circumstances press in upon us, prohibiting us from being as intentional as we might otherwise like. Decisions have to be made on the fly. Or sometimes it’s our sinfulness that steers us away from the purposeful ends we confess that we believe in. Today on the podcast, we’re discussing convictional intelligence—that is, living life governed by what we believe. I believe in the gospel, what does it mean for me to _live_ like I believe it? For a transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-062/

061: Dealing with sin Q&A

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 01:58:45 GMT

Our most recent event from our series on community focused on “Dealing with sin”. Today on the podcast, we bring you a special follow-up episode with our speaker, Moore College lecturer Chris Conyers, to answer some of the many outstanding questions that came to us during the event.

060: Dealing with sin

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:36:58 GMT

Sin is a real threat and problem to our lives and our communities. The Apostle Paul warns us that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor 5:6) and Jesus told his disciples that it would be better to lose an eye or cut off a hand that causes one to sin than for a person to go to hell (Mark 9:42-48). But how are we supposed to deal with sin? We hide it in our own lives, and we are quick to judge it in the lives of others, but this only makes things worse. At our May event, Chris Conyers, Lecturer in New Testament at Moore College, helped us think about how the gospel enables us to deal with sin together and how, in practical terms, we can continue growing in our Christian lives, putting sin to death. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-060/

059: Caring for our girls in a sexualised society with Akos Balogh

Wed, 19 May 2021 02:00:44 GMT

Women undoubtedly face very different struggles than men. They have pressures related to body image, beauty and sex that men are often unaware of and certainly don’t understand first-hand. While there are many times women talk about facing up to these challenges, one question we don’t often ask is how men can help. Today on the podcast, Chase talks with Akos—another man—in full recognition that these issues are not their own as men, to consider what responsibility men have in helping women in the things they struggle with on a daily basis. Certainly men are complicit in creating and driving many of the problems. So, how in the home and in the church can Christian men better care for their daughters, wives and other sisters? For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-059/

058: Treating women better with Akos Balogh

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:27:53 GMT

Over the past few years, the mistreatment of women has been brought to the forefront of media attention through things like the #MeToo movement. It is as if a spotlight has been shone upon the terrible ways women have been objectified by men. In recent weeks in Australia, there has been accusation of sexual misconduct against women in our highest government buildings. There have been a range of responses in these very public discussions—from the vilification of all men to blaming women (as absurd as this may be) for this sort of mistreatment. Today on the podcast, together with Akos Balogh, CEO of The Gospel Coalition Australia, we aren’t weighing in on the political discussion as much as we are recognising the responsibility that men have to women. How can Christian men treat women better—as they should, as Jesus did? And how in a society such as this can we raise the next generation of men to not continue this sort of mistreatment of women? For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-058/

057: Living on mission with Ryan V

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 10:27:16 GMT

In Christian circles, we often talk about the fact that we’re all on mission. In fact, the Great Commission has been the battle cry for many believers passionate about living their purpose in the world: we are called to make disciples of all nations. But not all of us really understand what it means to think and live missionally. It is one thing to say mission is important, but another to know our place in it. Today on the podcast, Chase Kuhn is joined by a friend who is preparing to move overseas for mission with the Church Missionary Society, often referred to as CMS. But this isn’t, strictly speaking, a change in his life; he’s been thinking about and living on mission for years, even in his own workplace and neighbourhood. Our hope for you as you listen is that you’ll be encouraged to think about how you can live missionally wherever you are. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-057/

056: Can Christian community be good for you, me and everyone else?

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 06:13:41 GMT

Community is challenging because, quite frankly, it involves people. I want something different from you; you want something different from me; and we probably all need something different than what we want. How do we meet the needs and expectations of individuals while maintaining the interests of the whole group? As Christians, we look to Jesus as our example. He laid aside his own interests—even his own life—for the sake of others. But in practice, this can be very difficult. How are we to get on in our churches when our churches are filled with so many different people? In this special episode of our podcast, we share with you the audio from our recent live event, “Can community be good for you, me and everybody else?” CCL Director Chase Kuhn was joined by Moore College Dean of Students, Paul Grimmond, as well as Moore College chaplain and chair of EQUIP Women, Isobel Lin, on Wednesday 3 March 2021, and together they discuss biblical and theological principles for community, practicalities of this for community, and audience questions and answers. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-056/

055: Reading Proverbs as Christians, Part 2 with Dan Wu

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:28:38 GMT

Most of us want to live the good life, but we’re not always sure what this means. In particular, we hear words like “wisdom”, but don’t understand how what we read in the Bible leads us to wise living. The Book of Proverbs has long been considered one of the greatest collections of wisdom literature. But how are Christians supposed to read it? Does applying it to our lives lead to moralism? Is such an old book irrelevant in our modern day and age? In this episode of the podcast, Chase Kuhn speaks with Old Testament lecturer and colleague Dan Wu about how the Book of Proverbs helps us grow in wisdom as Christians. This is Part 2—the final part—of their conversation. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-055/

054: Reading Proverbs as Christians, Part 1 with Dan Wu

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 01:36:51 GMT

Most of us want to live the good life, but we’re not always sure what this means. In particular, we hear words like “wisdom”, but don’t understand how what we read in the Bible leads us to wise living. The Book of Proverbs has long been considered one of the greatest collections of wisdom literature. But how are Christians supposed to read it? Does applying it to our lives lead to moralism? Is such an old book irrelevant in our modern day and age? In this episode of the podcast, Chase Kuhn speaks with Old Testament lecturer and colleague Dan Wu about how the Book of Proverbs helps us grow in wisdom as Christians. This is Part 1 of their conversation. For show notes and a full transcript, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-054/

053: The glorious (and challenging) unity of the church with Peter Jensen

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 12:24:09 GMT

There is nothing more grand than Jesus bringing peace between us and God. A close second, perhaps, is that Jesus also brings peace between _us_, his people, who come from all sorts of backgrounds, social statuses and ethnicities. In many wonderful ways, this peace signifies how Jesus grants us the grace to obey the greatest commandment—to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength—and the follow-up command to love our neighbour as ourselves. But is peace just something we know on paper? What about the real experience of life together? Unity is good when it’s good, but we all know that churches are not immune to divisions. In fact, often churches are the places where fracturing is felt most acutely. So how should we think about unity _within_ our churches? On today’s episode, Chase follows up with Dr Peter Jensen, building on their last conversation on the unity of the church and moving from the universal to the local. They discuss how each local church relates to denominations, why relationships in church can be so tough, and how we are meant to get on together in gospel faith. For a transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-053/

052: Are denominations a problem for church unity? with Peter Jensen

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:59:47 GMT

For centuries now, people have questioned whether or not the presence of denominations actually hurts the unity of the church. In the 20th century, there were many attempts to try to bring all Christians together. In some ways, this “worked”, either reconciling parties or smoothing over differences. But in many other ways, it only clarified the divide. As we think about what we should do as Christians, is it bad that we can’t agree on everything? Is unifying denominations a must? _Should_ we? Today on the podcast, our guest Dr Peter Jensen speaks with Chase about unity, considering much of his own journey in helping to set up the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) as well as current events closer to home in the Anglican Church of Australia. Many have seen GAFCON as a threat to unity, but Peter and many others claim that this is actually a way for contending for the gospel. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-052/

051: The rise and triumph of the modern self with Carl Trueman

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 13:27:20 GMT

The sexual revolution has spun many of us out. What once was taboo is now not only acceptable, but saying otherwise attracts accusations of bigotry and hatred. What has led us to this point in our society? In this episode, Chase talks with Professor Carl Trueman about his new book, “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to the Sexual Revolution”. They discuss some of the movements that have brought us to where we are and how understanding these roots help us as Christians to better engage the world around us. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-051/

050: Facing infertility as a church family with Jonathan Morris and Megan Best

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 10:24:03 GMT

Infertility is one of the most difficult challenges Christians can face. In any given church, there will be people—family members, friends, fellow Bible study members—who long to conceive, but seem unable. In a time of incredible medical advances and seemingly on-demand treatments, how should Christians think about wise and godly options? More particularly, what do Christians need to be aware of in the midst of the marketplace of assisted reproductive technologies (e.g. IVF)? At our October 2020 event, we heard from two leading Christian doctors—Professor Jonathan Morris and Dr Megan Best—on what needs to be considered as Christians seek to face infertility faithfully—whether personally, or in support of others in our communities. For episode transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-050/

049: Politics, elections and responsible Christian living with David VanDrunen

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 01:29:06 GMT

As the world watches the US election in the coming weeks, it will raise afresh questions that have been considered by many Christians throughout the years. What should we hope for in elections? How should Christians participate in politics? Can we support a politician with whom we don’t agree entirely? Furthermore, how does what happens in the society relate to God’s gospel purposes? In this episode of the podcast, Chase Kuhn speaks with Professor David VanDrunen, author of "Politics After Christendom: Political theology in a fractured world", about God’s plans for politics in his world. After discussing how to think about these things theologically, they discuss an array of practical questions related to Christian participation in the world. This episode is a must-listen for all Christians thinking about responsible citizenship in society. For transcript, links and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-049/

048: Traditions, Christmas and thoughtful Christian living with Amy Kuhn

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 05:11:25 GMT

Christmas gets forced upon us by shopping malls and TV ads. But in the hustle and bustle of all the demands of the holiday, it is easy not to approach it thoughtfully. Furthermore, there are many challenges that come at holiday celebrations—reminders of what we’ve lost, what we don’t have, how distant we are from loved ones, and so on. At Christmas, we celebrate an incredible miracle: God’s Son took on flesh for us. In this episode, Chase Kuhn speaks with his wife Amy about how they’ve sought to cultivate good traditions together to remind them of this deep truth in order to help them celebrate, even in the face of distance, grief and longing. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-048/

047: Woke Christian Living?

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 23:22:56 GMT

Race continues to be a hot-button issue at the moment. In the face of this ongoing concern, a “woke” attitude is widely encouraged—that is, a life that takes notice of and participates in seeking to squash racial injustice. Many Christians feel compelled to join this cultural agenda often in the interest of political correctness and public righteousness. But is this the best way for Christians to tackle the issue of race? Today, Chase Kuhn is joined by Professor Carl Trueman to discuss whether or not, under God, we should pursue woke Christian living. For a transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-047/

046: How to live without sex

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 11:48:20 GMT

Following our recent livestreamed event on the topic of “Can we live without sex?”, many questions around the subject were raised. In this special episode, we welcome back our guest speakers, Dani Treweek and Chris Thomson, to answer some practical questions related to living without sex—including, “Is it wrong to desire sex and marriage if you’re single?”, “Why would God give us such strong desires for sex without also giving us a spouse?” and “If sex isn’t ultimate, is it okay to have a sexless marriage?” For transcript and show notes, visithttps://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-046/

045: Can we live without sex?

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 13:34:49 GMT

On Wednesday 19 August 2020, we held a special event on the topic of “Can we live without sex?” with Dani Treweek and Chris Thomson. During the evening, Dani spoke on whether life without sex is actually good. Chris spoke about whether life without sex is actually realistic for Christians. In the final part of the evening, Dani and Chris, along with Chase Kuhn, answered some questions posed by the audience. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-045/

044: The future of singleness

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 02:36:11 GMT

Statistics show that one in three people in our churches are single. And yet many of our church communities tend to make singles feel “singled out”—that is, we’ve so normalised marriage and children that we’ve made many single men and women feel out of place. In this episode, Dani Treweek helps us see a richer theological vision for singleness—one that shows us what life will be like for all Christians in the future. She argues that by thinking theologically, we will better appreciate the single men and women in our communities, and better appreciate our place and God’s vision for us if we are single. For shownotes and a full episode transcript, visithttps://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-044/ Find out more about our August event with Dani and Chris Thomson: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/events/2020-08-19/

043: The Lord’s Supper and the Christian life

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 23:00:01 GMT

One of the key parts of our life together as Christians in the church is taking the Lord’s Supper. But it is also a practice that is often misunderstood, controversial and irregular, with many men and women struggling to understand its value. Why should we take it? Must we take it? What, if any, benefit do we receive from it? Is it something that is private and personal? Isn’t it just some old ritual? In addition to these questions, people often feel a sense of guilt: they wonder if they’ve thought about it enough. Or they worry that the practice has become too routine—so routine, they haven’t appreciated it fully. Of course, at the other end of the specturm, there are others who wonder why we make so much of it. Why do we make bread and wine special? Why should we be so ceremonial? Can’t we take the supper any time and with anything? Why can’t we just eat Oreos and drink milk? These are some of the questions we consider in our interview with Mark Earngey as we seek clarity about the importance of the Lord’s Supper for the Christian life. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-043/

042: Is freedom of religion a human right?

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 04:13:07 GMT

On Wednesday 27 May 2020, we held a special event on the topic of religious freedom with Michael Kellahan, Executive Director of Freedom for Faith, and CCL Director Chase Kuhn. During the evening, Michael presented us with a picture of why religious freedom is important in politics and society today, and Chase laid out some basic theological principles for why religious freedom should be upheld by Christians. Then Michael and Chase had a discussion about some of the practicalities of religious freedom for society and for Christians. In the final part, they answered questions posed by the audience. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-042/

041: Transformation in the Christian life

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 07:14:42 GMT

When someone becomes a Christian, a transformation takes place: they move from death to life—from darkness to light. This entails a shift in how they live their life, no longer walking as they previously did before knowing Jesus. But what does this transformation entail? How does it happen? When should it happen? Is it instantaneous or is it a process? Is it something one does themselves, or is it done for them? In this episode, Chase Kuhn interviews Caroline Clark about the transformation that came to her life as a result of following Jesus and the place of transformation in all of our lives as Christians. For a transcript and show notes, visithttps://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-041/

040: Religious freedom and the government

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:41:08 GMT

Freedom is something easily taken for granted—until it is taken away. COVID-19 has forced government-mandated restrictions on societies all over the globe, and these restrictions lead many of us to question what responsibility government has over us. Is it to protect people or their freedoms? As Christians, religious freedom is paramount. But does government have any right to regulate religion? Furthermore, is government the enemy of religion, or is it its enabler? In this episode, Chase Kuhn speaks with Akos Balogh, CEO of The Gospel Coalition Australia, about what Bible teaches us about the role of government in relation to religious freedom. For show notes and transcript, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-040/ Links referred to: Our May event with Michael Kellahan and Chase Kuhn: “Is freedom of religion a human right?”: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/events/2020-05-27/ The 2019 CCL annual: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/2019-annual/ The Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC): https://moore.edu.au/courses/preliminary-theological-certificate/ The Gospel Coalition Australia: https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/

039: Are sermons necessary?

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 08:00:08 GMT

For most churches, the sermon has a prominent place in the service. This is met with mixed reception from church goers—reception that is typically based on how engaging the preacher is and how long he preaches! But why do we keep the sermon? In different progressive church models, there have been experiments to do away with preaching in the “stand and deliver” model. As this sort of monologue becomes increasingly foreign in our contemporary culture, should we still keep the sermon in our churches? Putting it into our current climate, should we listen to sermons online? If so, can I listen to the best preachers around the world? Do I need to keep listening to my pastor? Furthermore, is church more than a sermon? We discuss these questions in this episode of our podcast. Our guest is Nigel Styles, the director of the Cornhill Training Course in London. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-039/

038: Mission in a time of global pandemic

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:24:04 GMT

Do all Christians have a responsibility for mission? If so, what does mission involve? Must we all tell the gospel, or are acts of mercy appropriately missional? Furthermore, how should we think about mission in a time of global pandemic? Is the mission of Jesus on hiatus? In this episode, Chase Kuhn talks with Simon Gillham, head of the Department of Mission at Moore College and former missionary in Namibia, about how we should think about mission in the Christian life in times such as these. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-038/

037: Moral realism in a relativistic age

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 03:17:49 GMT

The onslaught of progressive ideology in Western culture has left many of us Christians cowering in the corner. Despite holding to God’s views on morality, we feel increasingly timid about speaking about biblical morality in the public sphere. We often find ourselves in the minority in political debates and academic dialogue. We may even question whether speaking about morality is actually important. Surely each person is entitled to their own view of morality; who are we to tell someone who doesn’t believe in God that they are wrong because he says so? Can we as Christians be certain about what is right and wrong? And is what we believe anyone else’s business? In this episode, our new Director and host, Chase Kuhn, sits down with our former Director and host, Tony Payne, to chat about the difference between moral realism and moral relativism, the problem with moral relativism, and the issues moral relativism raises for Christians in our day and age. For a full transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-037/

036: Last things

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 09:50:29 GMT

An important piece of Christian jargon to master (if you want to appear like you know something) is the word “eschatology”. It simply “the last things”, and usually refers to discussions about the final resurrection and judgement, the return of Christ, the nature of the new creation, and so on. But “the last things” are not only about the future; they have a massive bearing on our everyday lives, because the Christian gospel is all about how the “last things” have invaded the present—how Christ has died and risen to make us members of his kingdom, which is to come. On this episode, we talk with David Höhne about his new book The Last Things and how understanding God’s plans for the future means everything for our lives now. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-036/

035: Lessons from a pastor’s heart

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 04:42:10 GMT

Over the past two years, Dominic Steele has interviewed around 100 pastors for his regular weekly podcast, The Pastor’s Heart (http://thepastorsheart.net). In this episode, we talk to Dominic not only about what he has learned and been challenged by in these conversations, but what we all can learn about the Christian life—whether we’re pastors or not—from the joys, challenges and heartaches of pastoral ministry. Transcript and show notes available at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-035/

034: Q&A with David Höhne

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 08:47:56 GMT

In this episode, Moore College lecturer David Höhne joins Tony to answer your questions, including such easy-peasy ones as: * How can we hold the creation account of Genesis together with modern science? * Is constantly advancing technology part of God’s plan for humanity, or more of a curse? * What’s the best way to prepare a small group Bible study? and * If we’re looking forward to a new creation, is there a really much point preserving the environment? Enjoy! Find out more about CCL at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/

033: The transgender tipping point

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 00:48:09 GMT

It’s debatable whether May 2014 was in fact “The transgender tipping point”, as the Time magazine cover story in that month suggested. But there’s no doubt that activism over transgender rights has exploded into the mainstream discussion of our culture over the past five years in ways that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. What are we to make of this as Christians? If we are to do better than a knee-jerk response, we need to understand both the facts on the ground—what transgenderism is, and what the implications are of its recent prominence—and how the teaching of Scripture should direct our thinking. Based on a long-running research project, Moore College alumni Rob Smith is in an excellent position to help us with both of these vital tasks. He is our guest on this episode of the CCL podcast. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/resources/podcast-episode-033/

032: Encore episode: Is God green?

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 10:17:32 GMT

In this encore episode from our CCL event on July 29 2019, Tony Payne and Lionel Windsor address environmentalism. It’s a longer than usual episode (around 80 minutes) in three parts: 1. Setting the scene: Tony looks at what environmentalism is, and the assumptions we bring to it; 2. A biblical theology of the environment: Lionel looks at what the Bible as a whole teaches about the world as God’s creation; at humanity’s place within it; and at how all this fits with God’s purposes in Christ; 3. The practical implications: An extended question time looking at how the Bible’s theology shapes our response to environmental challenges. For show notes, visit our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/08/15/podcast-episode-032/

031: An eyeful of idolatry

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 12:54:34 GMT

Idolatry can be confusing—not because there’s any doubt as to whether it’s a good thing or not (it’s definitely not), but because the concept is often applied these days to all kinds of actions that don’t obviously have anything to do with making statues and bowing down to them. My family can be an idol. So apparently can my work, my ministry and my devotion to the mighty Sydney Swans. But when everything can be a potential idol, does the “idolatry” as a concept lose some of its power? In this episode, we go back to the Bible with Phillip Jensen to discover what idolatry really is, and why it is still a danger to the Christian life today. For show notes and episode transcript, go to https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/07/31/podcast-episode-031/

030: Not a podcast about Israel Folau

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 12:47:44 GMT

The Israel Folau affair, which has clogged facebook feeds around the nation for what seems like months, is not the subject of this episode. But the question of religious freedom and religious discrimination is. Anglican bishop Michael Stead joins us to discuss why the cause of religious freedom is worth fighting for in our democracy, what the Australian government’s proposed “religious discrimination” legislation is likely to deliver (and not deliver), and what the implications of all this are for Christian individuals and organisations. One of Michael’s points is that Christians need to inform themselves about these issues—a service that he very clearly and helpfully provides in this episode. For show notes and episode transcript, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/07/15/podcast-episode-030/

029: Living with anxiety

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 02:59:27 GMT

In one sense, serious anxiety—the kind that could be called “clinical anxiety” or an “anxiety disorder”—is like other common medical problems: it afflicts quite a lot of us, it has various identifiable forms and physical symptoms, and it can be treated. But of course, suffering from an anxiety disorder is also different from having diabetes or heart disease, because it is a dysfunction not just of a bodily process, but of how we think and feel. This makes the experience of clinical anxiety doubly hard to cope with. Its physical symptoms and everyday consequences are hard enough, but there is also the confusing and disorienting experience of “me” being anxious or terrified, when another part of “me” is trying to explain to myself that there’s really no reason to be so anxious. Moore College lecturer Paul Grimmond knows about this firsthand, and in this episode, he not only explains what “clinical anxiety” is and what it feels like, but shares his insights into how we should think about and respond to anxiety as Christians. For show notes and episode transcript, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/06/05/podcast-episode-029/

028: We answer your questions

Tue, 21 May 2019 11:42:26 GMT

This is the first of our Q&A episodes, in which Tony answers a bunch of the questions that you’ve sent in by email or asked at one of our recent events. Questions include: * Does the fact that Christ alone is the basis of our fellowship mean that gender-based ministries or affinity-based congregations are problematic? * What’s the relationship between joy and thanksgiving? * Is personal Bible reading insufficient to resist temptation as Christian? * What’s the relationship between the mutual free word of encouragement Christians speak to each other, and prophecy? * If we’re supposed to admonish one another as Christians, how practically speaking do we do that? (If you have any questions from our podcast, or about the Christian life in general, send them to ccl@moore.edu.au. We’ll be running another Q&A episode soon.) Find an episode transcript and show notes at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/05/21/podcast-episode-028/

027: A page-turner for the Lord

Wed, 01 May 2019 23:00:09 GMT

Richard Borgonon is as natural a salesman as you’re ever likely to meet. But despite his engaging manner and flair for persuasion, he spent most of his life suffering the same frustration that we all experience most of the time: a sense of making no headway at all in sharing Christ with work colleagues and friends. But one day that all changed for Richard—thanks to an unlikely dinner with John Lennox and a non-Christian friend. In this episode we’ll find out what Richard discovered, and how the deceptively simple approach that he and others have developed has transformed the lives of Christians and non-Christians all around the world. For show notes and episode transcript, go to https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/05/02/podcast-episode-027/

026: Bonus episode: The elusive joy of Christian community (encore)

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 12:01:33 GMT

Quite a few of our listeners have been asking us to roll out the audio from our regular CCL public events as part of our podcast feed. That’s what you’ll be listening to in this bonus episode: an encore presentation of “The elusive joy of Christian community” event held on 26 February, 2019. The material falls into two parts of around 25 mins each: * Tony Payne on what Christian community really is (and what it isn’t). * Chase Kuhn on how we can miss the joy of Christianity in three crucial ways. Find show notes, links and transcript at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/04/23/podcast-episode-026/

025: The pursuit of Christian happiness

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 01:19:48 GMT

Is “happiness” a subjective emotional state? Or is it something that is more objectively measurable in terms of the standard of wellbeing someone enjoys? Given that the Bible doesn’t seem to have a particular word for “happiness”, does that mean that happiness is unimportant as far as God is concerned? Is there a Christian pursuit of happiness? And if so, how would it proceed? In this episode, Kirsty Birkett lets us in on the research she is currently doing into all these questions, drawing both on the massive amount of secular research into happiness that has flourished over the past few decades, and on what the Bible says about positive emotions like happiness. Find episode show notes and a transcript on our website: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/04/01/podcast-episode-025/

024: Similar but different? Graham Beynon on gender differences and gospel unity

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:23:45 GMT

What is a man? What is a woman? Are we essentially the same? If there are more than biological differences between men and women, how should we think about those differences? And how should we live in light of them? That’s the can of worms we’re opening in this episode of the CCL podcast with English pastor, church planter and author, Graham Beynon. (Graham was in Sydney recently for the annual Priscilla & Aquila Centre Conference, where he spoke on these issues.) In our discussion, we touch on the socio-psychological findings that chart the observable differences between male and female character traits, and ask what the Bible has to say about this. How does the Bible direct us to act as men and women, and relate to one another in Christian community as men and women? For a transcript and show notes, head to https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/03/03/podcast-episode-024

023: Where can I find Christian community?

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 08:54:56 GMT

We all want our churches to be more than clubs, more than institutions and more than events that we turn up to each week. We want to experience the joy of genuine community with other Christians. But let’s face it: that sort of community is hard to come by. Our churches often feel more like clubs or institutions or concerts than genuine communities. What does it mean for churches to be “communities”? And how can we be a part of such a community and experience its joys? In advance of our 27 February CCL event that will address this topic, Tony talks with Chase Kuhn about Christian community. Find transcript and show notes on our website at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2019/02/07/podcast-episode-023/

022: Enjoying God

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 01:19:05 GMT

Do you feel as if your Christian life is dry? Do you feel as though you believe the truth and (mostly) do the right thing, but that the experiential joy of loving God somehow passes you by? Do you think you feel some of the joy of Christ on a Sunday at church, but that carrying that forward into the mundane world of Monday morning seems impossible? Christians have been asking these sorts of questions forever, and there have been many proposed answers over the years. But most of them are dissatisfying or hard to put into practice. In this episode, we talk to Tim Chester, who has written a book on this subject that (for once) is both biblically deeply insightful and warmly practical for Monday mornings. Tim’s book is "Enjoying God: Experience the power and love of God in everyday life", and in this episode he speaks with Tony Payne about its main themes and ideas. For transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/12/06/podcast-episode-022/

021: Mexico, MOCLAM and Mariachi

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 10:37:35 GMT

When Peter Sholl headed off to Mexico more than a decade ago as a missionary, he learnt his first word of Spanish on the plane. Now Mexico is home, not only to Peter and his wife Sarah and their family, but to the extensive teaching ministry Peter conducts throughout Latin America using the Moore College “MOCLAM” course. Peter recently dropped in to our studio to talk about the profound lessons he has learned in Mexico as a Christian and as a trainer of pastors. He also has some wise observations about Australian Christianity (as most returning missionaries do). For the episode transcript and show notes, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/11/05/podcast-episode-021/

020: “Is God Anti-Gay?” with Sam Allberry

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

When Sam Allberry wrote his best-selling little book “Is God Anti-Gay?” back in 2013, it was one of the few good books available on the subject. Five years down the track, it remains an excellent short primer to the main questions that both Christians and non-Christians have about God and homosexuality. In this episode, we talk with Sam about the main message of his book, about the way that the landscape has continued to evolve over the past five years, and about the challenge of presenting the message of the Bible about homosexuality not only as true, but as good. The strength of Sam’s book (and this conversation) is that he approaches the whole subject from the starting point of the gospel: “The message of Jesus on sex has been countercultural and challenging to every single culture. And is challenging to every single person. So it is not the case that Jesus comes up and says, ‘To all heterosexual people, you know, well done, good job, keep it up! As you were.’ You know. ‘Bless you.’ And then he says to everybody else, ‘Oh dearie me, we’ve got a problem.’ Jesus says to all of us, we have a huge problem.” For show notes and transcript, visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/10/04/podcast-episode-020/

019: Being single and Christian

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:04:31 GMT

If your church is like most churches, around a third of the people sitting in the congregation on any given Sunday are single. Some have never married; others are widows, widowers or divorcees. What’s it like being single and Christian? How can we think biblically about the subject? And how can churches minister more effectively to the many single people in their midst? Dani Treweek is currently doing some postgraduate research into these questions, and she joins us in this episode not only to share some of her personal experience of being single (and ministering to other singles), but to give us a sneak peak at the results of her research. Transcript and show notes available from https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/09/03/podcast-episode-019/

018: Hard thoughts about pain and suffering

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Most of us can cope with pain and suffering for a short while. But what happens when you wake up each morning not wondering whether it might be better today, but knowing in your heart that it won’t be? How can we deal with that kind of chronic pain and suffering without becoming bitter with God and with those around us? And how can we minister to those who endure this kind of long-term pain? That’s the subject of this episode of the CCL podcast, with American theologian and author Kelly Kapic. Kelly knows about this kind of suffering firsthand, and has written an award-winning book on the subject called "Embodied Hope: Theological meditations on pain and suffering". Kelly brings biblically rich reflections and honest practical wisdom to the conversation. You won’t want to miss this one. Find show notes and transcript at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/08/01/podcast-episode-018/

017: Political freedom and Christian freedom

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 13:56:32 GMT

We are accustomed in modern Western societies to various freedoms: the freedom to associate, to have opinions and express them openly, to own and dispose of our own property, to act politically and to vote for those who would govern us, to pursue our own interests and intentions—and to do all these things without unjust restraint or coercion or oppression from the state. We take much of this for granted. But according to Os Guinness, as a matter of history and political philosophy, the foundations of this sort of free society are profoundly Christian, and as our society progressively abandons or repudiates these foundations, so also it undermines our freedom. In this special edition of the CCL podcast, we bring you an edited version of the challenging talk Dr Guinness gave at our May 30 event on the nature of true freedom—both Christian and political. Find transcript and show notes at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/07/10/podcast-episode-017/

016: Training our children in the way they should go

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 04:44:39 GMT

“It takes a village to raise a child”, so the saying goes—which may mean that the rich web of relational networks that a close-knit community provides is essential for giving children the social world their upbringing requires. Or it may mean that unless you have someone close by you can offload the kids onto occasionally, you’ll go crazy. Either way, as Christians, we’re aware that raising and training children in the ways of the Lord is not just a parental responsibility, but a communal one. It’s something we do together as a church. At most baptisms or dedications, we promise as the congregation to be part of this. But do we take that responsibility seriously? And what does it mean in practice—for both parents and churches—to “train up a child in the way he should go” (as Proverbs 22:6 puts it)? Peter Tong joins us on this episode of the CCL podcast to answer these questions. Visit https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/06/18/podcast-episode-016/ for show notes, links and transcript.

015: What’s the deal with Jordan Peterson?

Tue, 15 May 2018 14:25:55 GMT

Like most cultural sensations who seem to have come out of nowhere, Canadian psychology professor Jordan Peterson has, in fact, been building a large and passionate following in various corners of the internet over the past several years. But it was his recent interview with the BBC’s Cathy Newman that went viral and introduced him to a new level of fame—not only as an opponent of political correctness and the progressive Left, but as the teacher of a bracingly down-to-earth vision of practical wisdom for living. Many Christians aren’t sure what to make of Jordan Peterson and his "12 Rules for Life". In this episode, we talk to David Höhne about the foundations and main elements of Peterson’s program, and how Christians should understand and respond to his ideas. Show notes and transcript: https://ccl.moore.edu.au/2018/05/15/podcast-episode-015/

014: Tim Challies on history, evangelism, technology, culture and more

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Tim Challies is known throughout the Christian world as a prolific and insightful blogger and author. More recently, he has turned his hand to documentary film-making, with a new project in the works looking at the history of Christianity through significant objects. While in Sydney to look at some of our Christian treasures (like the Fleet Bible), Tim dropped into the CCL studio for a wide-ranging and fascinating chat about history, technology, evangelism, Billy Graham, Western culture and more. Visit http://ccl.moore.edu.au/listen/podcast/ for shownotes and a full transcript of this episode.

013: How are you travelling?

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 04:27:55 GMT

Everybody travels these days. The question is, most often, not whether we will travel overseas, but where we are thinking of travelling to next. It’s hard for us to recognise just how historically novel this experience is. And it can be hard for Christians to realise that, like every other aspect of our lives, our travel plans need to come under the lordship of Jesus Christ. In this episode of the podcast, we hear the very useful insights of Stephen Liggins, author of a new book on Christians and travel—in fact, the only book on Christians and travel that, to the best of our knowledge, exists! Find shownotes on our website at http://ccl.moore.edu.au.

012: The Holy Spirit and the Christian life

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 08:07:53 GMT

There was a time not so long ago when the question of how the Holy Spirit worked in the life of the Christian was a source of high controversy. Arguments over the “baptism in the Spirit” and the “gifts of the Spirit” dominated Christian conversation. These days, those arguments seem to have died down, and that may be a good thing—or then again, not. If we’ve stopped thinking and talking so much about the Spirit because we’ve sorted out the controversies and have a very clear idea of what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit, that would be a good thing. But if we’ve just swept the subject under the carpet, or moved on to something else more interesting, that's not so good. We do need a clear, biblical understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit—especially in relation to our daily Christian lives. That’s what we tackle in this episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast, with Tony Payne talking to Phillip Jensen.

011: The extraordinary Mrs Zell

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

It’s been a year of “Reformation”—of remembering, celebrating and learning afresh from Reformers like Luther, Calvin, Cranmer and Tyndale. But among the lesser known Reformers was Matthew Zell, an admirable, courageous and extraordinary man who was one of the leading Reformation pastors in Strasbourg. However, this episode of the CCL podcast is not about Matthew Zell and what we might learn from him about the Christian life; it’s about the equally admirable, courageous and extraordinary woman who was married to him. In episode 11 of the CCL podcast, Jane Tooher introduces us to the extraordinary Katherine Zell.

010: The gospel and the good life

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Of the many insults and accusations that were flung at Martin Luther and the other Reformers, one of the most common (and stinging) was that their “gospel of grace” de-motivated people from actually living a godly life. If heaven came free without works, what was the point of trying to be good? And it wasn’t just in the Reformation: Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously wrote in the early 20th century about the deadly effect of “cheap grace”—the idea that someone could accept the grace and forgiveness of Christ as a cheap gift requiring no response from us. Does the Reformation gospel—the one that evangelicals still believe—cut off repentance and living a new life from the good news of Christ? Just what is the relationship between the gospel and the good life? That’s the subject we’ll be discussing in Episode 10 with our guest, theologian and church historian Marty Foord.

009: Understanding guilt and shame

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 06:07:33 GMT

Dan Wu grew up with one foot in an Asian “honour/shame culture” and the other foot in a Western “guilt culture”. So he was more than a little interested when he read that the Bible was supposedly a “shame culture” book and that we Westerners misread it from our “guilt culture” perspective. The result was a fascinating journey of scholarship into the meaning of honour, shame and guilt in the Bible. In this episode of the CCL podcast, we talk to Dan about “honour”, “shame” and “guilt”, and how a fresh understanding of these three closely related ideas helps us understand not only the whole story of the Bible, but whole story of our Christian lives—whichever culture we happen to be from.

008: Let’s change the story about domestic violence

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:36:12 GMT

What do you feel when you hear the claim that one in four Australian women have experienced domestic violence? Are you shocked (or even sceptical) that it could that many? Do you feel anger, abhorrence, or a sickening lurch of recognition? Whatever we feel, it cannot be indifference. As painful and as difficult as the subject is, domestic violence (DV) is a reality that we must understand and respond to. That’s what we’re aiming to at least begin to do within the brief confines of this episode of the CCL podcast. Our guest is Kara Hartley, a member of the Sydney Anglican Domestic Violence Taskforce, and our conversation ranges over the nature of domestic violence, how widespread it is, how we can understand its causes, and how we can respond as Christians.

007: The everyday Reformation

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 10:04:45 GMT

The Reformation was a revolution in the lives of ordinary everyday people. It changed family life and work life. It radically altered daily spiritual devotion and the weekly experience of going to church. Tony Payne speaks to Carl Trueman about this "everyday Reformation".

006: How reading the Psalms will change your life

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 07:28:38 GMT

Tony Payne talks with Andrew Shead about how the extraordinary collection of poems we call ‘Psalms’ can shape and form our Christian lives.

005: Duty vs delight

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 07:25:59 GMT

There are two Bible verses that capture the tension this episode explores: on the one hand, there is Ecclesiastes 2:24: “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God …”. On the other, there is a verse like Luke 14:26: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” So which is to be? Love the good life that God has given you and enjoy it to the full? Or hate your life, pick up your cross and follow Christ? Mikey Lynch is intrigued by this tension, and is writing a book about it. He dropped into the plush CCL studios here at Moore College (i.e. a table in a corner of the morning tea area) to talk about it.

004: Listening to the Lion in our small groups

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 01:06:13 GMT

Spurgeon famously said that defending the Bible was as necessary as defending a lion. But if the Bible is where the powerful Lion of Judah speaks to us, challenges us, comforts us, changes us, why do we so often find it difficult to slow down and actually listen—even in “Bible study groups” that most of us meet in each week—groups that are supposed to be specifically for this purpose? In this episode, Tony Payne and David Höhne talk about the challenges of reading the Bible with one another in small groups—in particular, the difficulty of being patient enough to listen closely and humbly to the Word itself, rather than just skipping quickly to familiar answers and applications we already know. The underlying issue is authority: does it lie in the traditions and common truths we hold in common—even good evangelical traditions and truths—or is it in the Scripture, from which those traditions and truths come?

003: The dignity of work

Wed, 03 May 2017 03:16:26 GMT

What dignity, value or significance does our daily work have? Does it really matter to God? Or are gospel preaching and Christian ministry the only things that really matter in the end? This much-discussed question (at least recently) is the subject of Episode 3. Moore Theological College lecturers Chase Kuhn and Peter Orr speak with Tony Payne about the dangers of both over-valuing and under-valuing our work, about the common arguments and key texts that come up in the debate, and about the vexed question of how our work relates to ‘the work of the Lord’.

002: Exile and the Christian

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 03:27:33 GMT

Christians have always grappled with how they should relate to the world around us. Is the idea or category of ‘exile’ a good one for thinking about that perplexing relationship? In this episode, Tony Payne talks with Phil Colgan and Lionel Windsor about what ‘exile’ means in the Bible, whether or not we should think of ourselves as being in ‘exile’ in our culture as Christians, and what difference it all makes to how we live in the world.

001: Bonhoeffer and your best self

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

How can you become the best possible version of yourself? In this very first episode of the Centre for Christian Living podcast, Tony Payne interviews David Höhne about the work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the self—who we really are and who we long to be—and shows that the seemingly elusive and impossible quest to become our best selves is indeed impossible, but at the same time, it's also very possible—if, however, we know where to look.

Centre for Christian Living podcast (trailer)

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 01:33:47 GMT

A little bit about the Centre for Christian Living podcast. Find out more at https://ccl.moore.edu.au/podcasts/