Category Archives: Faith

Following the argument – to God

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

In 1950, Antony Flew, a brilliant young philosophy student at Oxford University, presented a paper titled ‘Theology and Falsification’. It became the most widely published philosophical paper of the 20th century and Antony Flew went on to became one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agnosticism, Atheism, Faith, Seeking and Finding | Leave a comment

Unanswered prayers

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Reverend Daniel Hans wrote about a sermon he preached following the death of his three-year-old daughter to cancer. His heart broke as he watched her slowly die, so he asked his congregation to share things they’d hoped God would do … Continue reading →

Posted in Disappointed, Faith, God with us, Prayer | Leave a comment

Worry – a disease of the spirit

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old parable about a man meeting the Grim Reaper, who told him he was going to take 100 people that day. But 1,000 people died, and that evening he met Death again and accused him of breaking his … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Faith, Fear, Worry | Leave a comment

That ‘gnawing pain’ at the centre of our being

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Ever since I watched him being savaged by two reporters in a television interview, while trying to get them to listen to why he was introducing Medicare, I’ve admired Bill Hayden, one of Australia’s iconic Labor leaders and former Governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, God shaped holes, Searching | Leave a comment

Never underestimate a grandmother’s prayers

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who brought an end to the Cold War, was born into a family of committed atheists. But his grandmother had him secretly baptized by a Russian Orthodox priest, and she put an icon of … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Faithfulness, Family, Prayer | Tagged , | Leave a comment

It takes a great spirit to come through hardship

Posted on February 22, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Four centuries ago Martin Rinkert became the minister of his hometown parish in Eilenburg, Germany. A year later the Thirty Years War broke out and Eilenburg was caught in the middle. In the midst of it a massive plague swept … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Life, Life's journey, Life's lessons, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

‘Jesus, this is Jim.’

Posted on February 10, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Bruce Howell used to tell the story of Jim, a Londoner who, every day at Noon, would slip into a church where he would sit quietly for five minutes and then depart. The minister of that church got to recognise … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, God with us, God's faithfulness, God's love, Hope, Jesus | Leave a comment

There’s something about being a volunteer

Posted on February 10, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

When I was a volunteer firefighter our bushfire brigade would respond enthusiastically to fire calls at all times of the day or night. I remember one chilly winter night being called to a house fire to assist the professional fire … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessings, Faith, Volunteers | Leave a comment

It all depends on whose hands it’s in.

Posted on November 30, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

  A basketball in my hands is worth thirty dollars, but in Michael Jordan’s hands it’s worth thirty million. A tennis racket in my hands is a joke, but in Pete Sampras’ hands it’s a World Championship. A sharp knife … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, God, Trust in God, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Strong on pleasure but weak on joy

Posted on November 24, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

We live in a society that is strong on pleasure but weak on joy. We are blessed with so many opportunities for entertainment and personal fulfilment. No previous generation was so protected from want and disease. We are more highly … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, God, Joy, Uncategorized | Leave a comment