What it means to give thanks in all circumstances

Life is never perfect. Sometimes it even feels like our world is falling apart and we are only just holding onto the pieces. A job finishes, a marriage ends, an unexpected diagnosis arrives. And in the midst of all this someone says to you, “Just give thanks in all circumstances.”

It can feel like the worst advice in the world. How is anyone supposed to be grateful while they are grieving, afraid or in pain? For a lot of people, this verse has done more harm than good, because it sounds like God is asking them to pretend everything is fine when it isn’t.

But actually, this is not what Paul wrote, and if we look closely, the difference can completely change our mindset.

Give Thanks In All Circumstances

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Notice the wording carefully. Paul does not say, “give thanks for all circumstances.” He says give thanks in all circumstances. It’s a small detail, but its implications can radically transform our heart posture.

Giving thanks for a cancer diagnosis, a broken relationship or a financial collapse would be strange, even dishonest. Scripture never asks us to celebrate suffering as though it were good in itself. What it asks is us is to keep our eyes on God’s presence and goodness even while we are standing in the middle of something painful.

Written to a Church Under Pressure

It helps to remember who Paul was writing to. The Thessalonian church was not a comfortable, thriving congregation with easy lives. They were a young community facing real hostility and persecution, and Paul had already written earlier in the letter to comfort them about believers who had died.

This was not a theoretical instruction dropped into an easy season. It was written to people who were grieving and under threat, which means Paul was not asking for shallow positivity. He was directing them to look at the One who is always good despite our circumstances.

Gratitude Is Not the Same as Pretending

There is an important distinction between denial and gratitude. Denial refuses to acknowledge the truth and pretends that everything is fine. Gratitude does the opposite. It recognises our situation yet still looks to God and trusts Him in the midst of it.

Giving thanks in hard circumstances is not about denying our feelings. It is choosing to notice what is still true even when everything feels like it is falling apart: that we are not alone, that God has not left, and that this moment is not the whole story.

That is a very different posture to forced cheerfulness. It leaves room for tears and honest lament, while still anchoring the heart somewhere solid.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Thanksgiving in difficult seasons is not easy for anyone. It’s not a switch that we can just flip and suddenly have a cheerful heart. Like any habit, it takes time, discipline and lots of practice. Here are a few ways you can start to implement gratitude into your day:

• Name one thing that is still good, even on the worst days, whether that is a friend who checked in, a roof over your head or simply having made it through today.
• Bring the hard thing honestly to God in prayer rather than skipping past it. Lament and thanksgiving can sit in the same prayer.
• Look for God’s presence in the details rather than expecting Him to remove the circumstance. Sometimes gratitude begins with noticing He is near, not with the problem being solved.
• Let thanksgiving grow slowly. It is rarely instant, and that is fine.

The Hope in the Hard Word

Paul’s instruction to, “Give thanks in all circumstances” was never meant to add guilt to grief. It was meant to give a struggling church something to hold onto when everything else felt unstable.

If you are in a season where thanksgiving feels impossible, that is not a sign of failed faith. It’s a chance to practise gratitude, whatever that looks like, and seek God in the middle of your storm.

God is not asking for a performance. Nor is He wanting you to wallow in the pain. He is inviting us to trust that even here, in the middle of the mess, He has not gone anywhere. And that is something worth being thankful for.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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What Joseph’s story reveals to us, and how God speaks through His Word in places we would least expect.

The story of Joseph (known for his Technicolor dream coat) is one many know well. A young man with dreams. A family fractured by jealousy. A descent into betrayal, then slavery and finally imprisonment. But there’s more to this tale than meets the eye. This was not simply a story about resilience or perseverance. It was about the way God still moves through people’s suffering to bring life to them and those in their world.

Because when you look closely, Joseph’s story is not about Joseph being a hero.

It is about the glory of God.

The Unexpected Way God Chooses

Joseph was not the obvious choice. In his family, position and honour were meant to belong to the older brothers. Yet God’s hand rested on the younger son, setting him apart for a purpose that no one else could see.

That choice stirred tension and as jealousy grew, it led to rejection.

Joseph’s own brothers turned against him, selling him into slavery and removing him from everything familiar. What followed was a season marked by loss, uncertainty and injustice.

Yet even in those moments, God had not stepped away.

This is often where the tension lies for us. We can recognise God’s calling in the good moments, but when the story takes a turn, we wonder if He is still present.

Joseph’s life answers that question with a quiet but powerful yes.

Suffering That Was Not Wasted

It would have been easy to see Joseph’s journey as a string of setbacks. Betrayed by family, falsely accused, forgotten in prison. Each moment could have felt like the end of the story.

But God was writing something bigger.

Every hardship became preparation. Each delay carried purpose. Every closed door positioned him for something that only God could bring about.

In time, Joseph rose to leadership in Egypt, placed in a position where his decisions would preserve life during a devastating famine. Nations would come to him for grain. Families would survive because of the wisdom God had given him.

From the outside, it might look like a remarkable turnaround. But through the lens Mandy shared, it becomes something greater. It was God sustaining His people. God fulfilling His purposes.

Joseph’s story reveals God’s purpose in suffering, turning what was meant for harm into something that carried life.

A Pattern Hidden in Plain Sight

Joseph’s story reminds us that Scripture is not random. The patterns we see are intentional, the stories are connected, the themes are repeated.

In the Jewish understanding of the Bible, there is an expectation that earlier accounts will mirror what is still to come. That readers would recognise familiar shapes and begin to connect them.

Joseph’s story carries that kind of shape. A chosen one who is rejected. A servant who suffers. A leader who rises, not for his own gain, but to rescue others.

This is part of how God reveals His plans across generations. He plants these moments throughout Scripture so that, when the time is right, the fuller picture can be seen.

Finding Hope for Your Own Story

Many of us know what it feels like to be in the middle of a difficult chapter, or to sit in the tension of unanswered questions. To carry disappointment, loss or uncertainty and wonder how it fits into anything good.

Joseph’s story speaks directly into that space. It reminds us that God is not absent in the waiting. He is working, shaping and positioning.

Even when the process feels hidden, God’s purpose in suffering is still unfolding.

This is the heart of Christian encouragement. Not that we avoid hardship, but that God meets us in it and leads us through it with intention and care.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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Masculinity has had a pretty bad rap from the media recently, but good men add incredible value to their families, friends, colleagues, community and broader society.

There are certainly distorted expressions of masculinity that deserve criticism. Aggression, emotional withdrawal and irresponsibility can greatly wound families. Yet the blessings of a man being a man, especially good fathers, are often the unsung virtues that strengthen and bring deep peace to a family and a home.

The mark of a good man and dad is selflessness. And selfless masculinity itself is not toxic. Weak character is toxic. Mature masculinity places his strength in the service of others.

Psychological research recognises that masculinity can contribute to relationships and wellbeing in either positive or negative ways, depending on how it is understood and expressed. The American Psychological Association specifically encourages positive father involvement and healthy family relationships.

1. A Good Father Shows Up Consistently

Children do not need flawless fathers. They need dads who keep turning up.

A father’s influence is built through ordinary moments: family meals, school drop-offs, helping with homework and listening when a child wants to talk. Research consistently shows that involved fathers contribute positively to children’s emotional, social and educational development.

As Harvard researcher Joshua Jeong observed, “Paternal stimulation positively relates to children’s Early Childhood Development Index scores.”

The challenge for many dads is simple – be there, and be fully present. Put down the phone, make eye contact and create regular family rhythms. Small moments repeated over years often become a father’s greatest contribution.

2. A Good Father Provides Protection and Security

Protection involves much more than keeping a family physically safe. A good father helps create a home where people feel emotionally, relationally and spiritually secure.

When difficulties arise, his family knows he will not disappear. He may not have every answer, but he remains invested while the family works through challenges together. Healthy strength is not intimidation or control. It is strength governed by love. Selfless.

Research into fatherhood and child development has found that a father’s emotional wellbeing and engagement can significantly influence a child’s development and family environment. Children thrive when they know there is someone dependable standing beside them through life’s uncertainties.

3. A Good Father Inspires Courage and Confidence

Fathers often help children take their first steps into the wider world. They encourage them to try again, take healthy risks and discover that failure is not the end of the story.

This is not about pushing children beyond their limits. It is about communicating, “I believe you can do this.”

A major review of father involvement and childhood cognition found that most studies reported a positive and statistically significant relationship between involved fathers and children’s cognitive development.

Whether teaching a child to ride a bike, apply for a first job or navigate disappointment, fathers can build confidence by offering encouragement rather than rescuing them from every struggle.

4. A Good Father Sets Loving Boundaries

Children need affection, but they also need direction.

A good father understands that genuine love includes guidance, correction and accountability. Boundaries teach children that choices have consequences and that freedom carries responsibility.

Christian fatherhood ministries frequently warn against two extremes: authoritarian control and passive withdrawal. Healthy fathers avoid both. They combine consistency with compassion, helping children understand not only what is right, but why it matters.

Strong fathers guide rather than dominate.

5. A Good Father Teaches Practical Wisdom

Some of life’s most important lessons are learned alongside a father.

Children absorb wisdom while helping with chores, repairing something broken, managing money, camping, fishing or simply watching how Dad responds when plans go wrong. They are learning far more than practical skills. They are learning character.

Researchers have found that fathers who engage in play and learning activities contribute positively to children’s developmental outcomes. Often, the lesson is not the task itself but the attitude demonstrated while completing it.

A wise father invites children into everyday life, explaining not only what he does, but why he does it.

6. A Good Father Leads with Integrity

A father’s credibility does not come from appearing perfect. It comes from being dependable.

Integrity means keeping promises, telling the truth, accepting responsibility and admitting mistakes. One of the most powerful lessons a father can teach is the ability to say, “I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

As leadership writer Mark Cole notes, “Children learn more from observation than instruction.” What fathers model often leaves a far deeper impression than what they say.

A man who lives with honesty and responsibility leaves an example that can influence generations.

7. A Good Father Encourages with Strength and Compassion

The best expressions of masculinity bring strength and tenderness together.

A father can be courageous while remaining compassionate. He can solve problems while also listening carefully. Sometimes children need advice, but often they simply need dad to sit beside them and understand.

Psychologists have warned that teaching boys to suppress emotion can create long-term relational and emotional difficulties. Healthy masculinity, by contrast, allows men to express love, grief, compassion and affection with confidence.

The voice of a loving father often becomes one of the voices children carry with them throughout life.

What Makes a Good Father Today?

Fatherhood is about influence as much as biology. Stepfathers, grandfathers, foster fathers, mentors, coaches and pastors can all provide a fatherly presence.

The qualities that matter most remain remarkably consistent – presence, protection, courage, boundaries, wisdom, integrity and compassion.

Healthy masculinity is not defined by dominance, noise or self-promotion. It is seen in men who make others feel safe, help others become brave and remain faithful when life becomes difficult. A father’s greatest legacy is often not what he achieves, but the character he models and the encouragement he leaves behind.

As Scripture reminds us, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).

Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

Tosh Sturgess is a pastor, evangelist and radio host with Vision Christian Media, where he hosts the Sunday Morning Together program. He is also the Director of Digital and Published Media.

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You have more influence than you think.

When you hear the word “leader”, who comes to mind? A pastor? A CEO? A politician? Most of us tend to think of leadership as something reserved for people with a title, platform or position of authority. But the Bible presents a different picture. In God’s Kingdom, every Christian is a leader because every Christian has influence.

Neil Johnson and Bible teacher Dr Kameel Majdali know the importance of leadership in a changing culture. While churches and communities often look for strong leaders to cast vision and inspire others, Neil suggests something many Christians overlook: every believer has influence. And wherever there is influence, leadership follows.

Whether it’s your family, workplace, church, friendship group or neighbourhood, every one of us has opportunities to shape the lives of those around us.

Why Every Christian Is a Leader

Many Christians assume leadership isn’t relevant to them because they don’t hold an official position. But Neil challenges the idea by pointing out that influence is something every believer possesses.

“We all have an opportunity to influence those who are in our circle,” he said.

For some of us, that circle is our family. For others of us, it’s our friends, colleagues, sporting club or local church. Even when we don’t always see it, people are constantly watching how we live, act and behave as Christians. We’ve fallen for the idea that leadership is all about authority, but it’s about influence.

The good news is that you don’t need a massive platform to make a difference. Some of the most significant Kingdom impact happens through ordinary conversations, acts of kindness and faithful relationships built over time.

Leadership Is About Bringing People Along

Leaders often carry the vision. But what Dr Kameel pointed out was that good leaders help others embrace that vision as their own too. “We have to take the lead by casting the vision as well as knowing the strategy of how to get to the goal,” Kameel said. “Winning people over to the vision, getting them stakeholders so it’s no longer your vision… it’s their vision too.”

And this is modelled perfectly through the best leader to have walked this earth- Jesus. Jesus didn’t force people to follow Him. He always started with relationship. He taught them, equipped them and gave them a shared mission. The disciples weren’t spectators in Christ’s ministry. They were active advocates for the good news of the Gospel.

The same principle still applies in Christian community today. Whether we’re serving in church, the people you live with, raising children, mentoring younger believers or encouraging friends, leadership is about helping others grow alongside us.

We Don’t Lead Alone

Dr Kameel reminds us that Christian leadership is never meant to be carried in our own strength. “If we think we’re going to do this all on our lonesome, we’ll fall flat on our face,” he said. “But if we understand that Jesus Christ is the one who is going before us… then we will find far more fruitfulness than trying to do things in our own strength.”

Many of us hesitate to influence others because we don’t feel qualified enough. We worry we don’t know enough, haven’t been a Christian long enough or don’t have the right personality.

But Christian leadership has never been about having all the answers. It’s about faithfully walking with Jesus and helping others do the same.

The Influence You Have Matters

The people in your own backyard matter to God. Your friends, family, neighbours and church community.

You may never hold a leadership title, but that doesn’t mean you’re not leading. Every Christian is a leader in some capacity because every Christian has influence.

Every act of encouragement, every conversation about faith and every example of Christlike living is an example of Christian leadership in action.

And when we allow God to work through our everyday influence, He can use even the smallest acts of faithfulness to strengthen His people, build community and help others take their next step towards Him.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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How a workout group became a pathway to faith.

Many people go to the gym with a goal in mind. To get stronger, to release stress, to train for sport. But what if your workout could strengthen more than your body? What if it could deepen your faith too? Fitness and faith might seem an unlikely pairing, but they actually have more similarities than we realise. Nick Danev, a Melbourne-based health and fitness coach and Owen Hone, a men’s coach and personal branding strategist, discuss Gym Church and share how God is not just reaching people in seats on Sunday, but in between sets too.

Gym Church is a movement that started as a small group of friends training together and reading the Bible that is now reaching thousands across Australia and beyond. Nick shared, “Gym Church has become a bridge for many people that would never, ever set foot in a normal church.”

How Did Gym Church Start?

Gym Church started from humble beginnings. “[We] just wanted to train with each other,” Nick shared. “We wanted to deepen our faith and connect with other brothers.” It began with just a few men with a willingness to train their bodies and their hearts for Jesus.

What started as a small group of friends quickly became hundreds of regular attenders. But Nick and Owen continue to give the glory back to God. “We just know that this has been breathed by God, because we can’t take credit for this really at all,” Nick shared.

As interest in the group grew, they opened it to women. Now Gym Church runs on a simple rhythm the pair call the “Trinity effect”: exhaust the body, tame the mind and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And as they train together, they are building a Christ-centred community united by faith and shared purpose.

A Bridge to Church, Not a Replacement for It

Gym Church is not meant to take the place of a church service. Instead, it serves as a vessel to bring people into church. “We have specifically avoided the Sunday, we do not want to compete with the church,” Nick said. “We’ve always said that we are the bridge for the church. We want to bring people to church.”

Through movements like Gym Church, conversations around Christianity can be brought into places where they might not otherwise happen. As Owen puts it, “It’s that lower barrier for entry where they can come and get to encounter God. And then once God gets a hold of them, well, He takes care of the rest.”

The Ache a Workout Can’t Fix

Nick’s own story is part of why Gym Church exists. He grew up without a father figure, and he found himself seeking that kind of love from other men. That search led him into drug and alcohol addiction and severe depression. A friend who had turned his own life around kept inviting him to church, and Nick kept saying no. Then one desperate day, he said yes. “I received and felt the love from other people that I never have ever felt in my life,” he said. “I felt the love of the Father for the very first time. And from that moment, I just was completely changed.”

Owen describes the same emptiness in different words. “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle piece. You can try and stuff drugs, alcohol, sport, business in there, but until you find God and you put Him there, nothing will replace it.” Nothing else but God can satisfy. Not even a gym program. That’s why both men are so eager to lead other people back to the love they have found in Jesus.

The Hunger for Community

Owen believes the appeal of Gym Church says something about where people are at right now. “There’s two things that people absolutely need, and that is God and that is community,” he said. “With social media and AI and everything going on, people went down that route, and now they’re realising they’re more disconnected than ever.” That craving for real, in-person connection, the kind where people can be honest about what they are struggling with and pray for one another, is exactly what keeps drawing people back week after week.

Jesus is the Ultimate Model of Strength

As many men grapple with messages that leave them feeling undervalued or directionless, some turn to toxic online communities in search of identity and belonging. Nick and Owen offer a different path, pointing men to Jesus as the truest model of authentic masculinity. “Jesus was the, we call it the hardest man to ever live,” Nick shared. “He was loving and caring. But He came to stand against the corruption and go against what was happening at the time.”

When our eyes are fixed on Jesus as the perfector of our faith, other pursuits begin to find their proper place. “Your body can be an expression to go and advance His kingdom and to serve people.” When we recognise that our bodies are temples of the living God, we can begin to work out physically what God is working in spiritually, as we “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Hope for Every Empty Space

Gym Church proves something simple: when we open our lives to others and bring Jesus into the middle of it, ordinary places become sacred ones. For Nick and Owen, that looked like creating Gym Church. But for many of us, it might be bringing Jesus into our morning walk, a grocery run or even a weekly catch-up. None of these things seem especially spiritual on the surface, but they are often the places that people need Jesus the most.

You may not be called to start a movement like Gym Church, but you can create space for meaningful conversations wherever God has placed you. Sometimes all it takes is a willingness to look beyond sets and reps and talk about the deeper things of life. More often than not, that’s where hope begins.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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God wasn’t tired. So why did He rest?

Most of us can picture the creation story, but have you ever wondered why God rested on the seventh day? We read of the six days when God spoke light into darkness, separated the seas from the land, filled the sky with birds and created humanity in His own image. Then, almost as an afterthought, Genesis tells us that God rested on the seventh day.

Berni Dymet says we’ve often misunderstood this part of Genesis. We tend to assume God rested because He was exhausted, but the Bible reveals something quite different. God rested because His work was complete. When we truly understand the significance of the seventh day in Genesis, we see God’s character and His design for humanity in a brand-new light.

The Creation Story Doesn’t End With Adam and Eve

When we think about the climax of creation, we naturally assume it comes when God creates people. After all, humanity is made in His image and given the responsibility of caring for His creation.

But Genesis doesn’t stop there. Genesis 2:3 says, “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” The seventh day isn’t just an appendix to creation. It’s woven into the story of creation, suggesting that it is just as important as everything that came before it.

God’s Rest Was Never About Being Tired

It’s easy to read our own experience into the text. Because we are human, our bodies require rest at the end of a long week. We’ve never experienced it any other way. So when we read of God resting on the seventh day, we assume it’s because He needs rest too.

But this is not the case. Psalm 121 reminds us that God “will neither slumber nor sleep,” making it clear that the Creator doesn’t become weary or run out of strength. If this is the truth, then why did God rest on the seventh day? If God wasn’t exhausted, then His rest must have meant something else.

Why Did God Rest on the Seventh Day?

Berni points out that before God rested, “God sat back to enjoy what He’d made. It wasn’t just good. It was very good.” His work was complete. Nothing needed improving, correcting or adding to it.

God’s rest wasn’t the rest of someone who had reached His limit. It was the rest of someone who had completed something perfect and stopped to enjoy it. He wasn’t recovering from creation. He was delighting in it.

Understanding this changes the way we see God’s character. The seventh day points us to a satisfied Creator who delights in the goodness of His finished work.

The First Thing God Made Holy

Genesis doesn’t say that Eden was holy. It doesn’t describe the rivers, the mountains or even Adam and Eve as holy. Instead, the first thing God sets apart as holy is a day.

Long before there was a temple, a nation of Israel or the command to keep the Sabbath, God built a rhythm of work and rest into creation itself. “The seventh day is a Sabbath day of solemn rest, holy to the Lord,” Berni shares. Rest wasn’t introduced because humanity was struggling to keep up. It was woven into the world from the very beginning.

Why Does This Matter Today?

We live in a culture that celebrates the hustle and bustle of life. It’s easy to believe our value comes from what we achieve, how productive we are or how much we can fit into a day. But the creation story invites us into something so much more worthwhile.

Why did God rest on the seventh day? He paused to delight in what He had made. Berni says, “There’s another dimension of rest, which is about enjoying our lives, enjoying the fruits of our labours, enjoying our relationships.”

That’s the invitation we find in Genesis. We can follow God’s example by weaving healthy rhythms of rest into our lives, taking time to enjoy His goodness and remembering that He is the One who sustains the world, not us.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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Or what happens to a voice artist if their voice is cloned and used without their permission?

It seems like every day there is another news headline or technological advancement about the emergence of artificial intelligence. We are bombarded with new AI developments, technology warnings and predictions about what the future might look like. With so much information coming at us, it can be difficult to know what role AI should play in our lives, especially when it begins touching something as personal as our human identity.

For Christian voice actor Colin Cassidy, this is something that has become increasingly real in his career. Colin shared how his voice was allegedly cloned and used without his permission after years of work building his career as a professional voice artist. “It was so good they stole it,” Colin said with a laugh.

Colin said his experience highlights a growing cultural shift that affects far more than actors, musicians or public figures. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of replicating voices and personal characteristics, many are asking where the line should be drawn.

When AI Copies Human Identity

Have you ever had someone steal something that belonged to you? Maybe it was food, clothing or even a car. But what about your voice? What about your face? What about the unique characteristics that make you who you are?

Many of us might not have to worry about this right now, but for actors like Colin this has become a challenge he cannot ignore any longer. “My identity has been stolen,” he said.

The concern isn’t just that AI can mimic a human voice, but that something that is intrinsically human and personal to us can be copied, monetised and distributed without consent. “All those sorts of little human touches that we pull on from our soul and our memory and our life,” Colin said.

While actors like Colin are facing the brunt of this challenge right now, it begins to raise significant questions for us too. How far should AI be allowed to imitate what makes us human? And who exactly is vulnerable to it in the future?

Why Christians Should Pay Attention to AI

But beyond the technological challenges, this issue reveals a deeper truth that has been around since the beginning of creation.

The Bible teaches that human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Our identity is not something we created ourselves. It’s a gift from our Creator.

The way you speak to others, how you carry yourself, your laugh, the way you greet people. These are all personal to you because God created you to be that way.

“We speak things into being in the Bible,” Colin said. “The whole world and universe was spoken into being. So, our voice is pretty special from a Christian’s perspective.”

When technology treats our God-given human identity as raw material to be copied and commercialised, Christians should at least pause and consider the implications.

More Than a Technological Problem

It is important to understand that technology itself is not evil. Throughout history, new technologies have improved lives, advanced medicine and expanded opportunities. However, as Christians we must approach these technological advancements with wisdom and discernment.

“We’re at a foundational time right now,” Colin shared. “It’s not about me… It’s about the future of other generations.” The decisions being made today will shape the way future generations understand privacy and where their identity comes from.

Remembering Where Our Human Identity Comes From

In today’s day and age, these conversations will continue to circulate, but they do not have to define us. Our identity is not found in our appearance, our voice, our talents or even our profession. It is found in Christ.

AI may be able to imitate a voice. It may be able to replicate an image. It may even become increasingly convincing at mimicking human behaviour. But it cannot recreate a person made in the image of God. It cannot replicate an authentic relationship with Jesus.

And it cannot replace the unique purpose God has given you.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape our culture, we have an opportunity to bring a needed Christian perspective to the conversation. We can embrace technology without surrendering our understanding of what it means to be human.

Because our voices are more than digital assets to be copied and sold. They are part of the unique gifts God has entrusted to us.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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Why two Christians can read the same Bible and disagree

Have you ever wondered how two sincere Christians can read the same Bible and come away with completely different ideas about God? Or listened to two different Christian podcasts that seem to contradict each other in their teaching? Questions like these reveals why spiritual maturity matters and why the Apostle Paul warned believers against being “tossed by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). This phrase might sound unusual, but it speaks directly into the challenge of staying grounded in God’s truth.

What Does “Every Wind of Doctrine” Mean?

Pastor Adam Ramsey explained that Paul is describing spiritual immaturity. In Ephesians 4, he speaks through the metaphors of children, waves and powerful winds to illustrate what happens when believers are not grounded in God’s truth.

Imagine a small dinghy caught in the middle of a storm. It has no control over where it goes. The waves push it one way, then another. Or picture a leaf being blown through the air by every gust of wind. That’s the image Paul is painting.

Adam explains that a spiritually immature person can be easily swayed by whatever opinion or cultural trend comes along. Their beliefs shift depending on the latest book they read, podcast they listen to or speaker they hear.

“Paul wants us to come to a place where we’re grounded in our theological convictions,” he shared.

Why Does Paul Compare Spiritual Maturity and Children?

At first glance, Paul’s comparison to children might sound harsh. Especially because didn’t Jesus call His disciples to have childlike faith?

Children are naturally trusting. That’s one of their strengths. But it can also make them vulnerable. They haven’t yet developed the wisdom to evaluate every claim they hear. Paul isn’t criticising their innocence or trust. Rather, he’s highlighting their lack of discernment and spiritual maturity.

In the same way, spiritually immature Christians can become vulnerable to every new idea, trend or teaching they encounter. So, while God calls us to trust Him with childlike faith, He also calls us to grow in wisdom and understanding.

Why Are Christians Vulnerable to False Teaching?

This spiritual maturity Paul describes in Ephesians 4 isn’t just to convict us. It is also to warn against false teachers. Charles Spurgeon captures this idea like this:

“Discernment is not merely the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong, but between right and almost right.”

Right and almost right. That’s a fine line to cross.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan didn’t begin by completely denying God’s Word. He just led Eve to question it. It wasn’t right, but it was almost right.

When we are unable to differentiate the lies, our understanding of the gospel can become poisoned and shallow. Adam used an analogy of a perfectly cooked meal. When even a little bit of poison is added, it becomes dangerous.

Most of us could pick out an idea that directly contradicts Scripture, but when it is watered down, diluted and sandwiched in between truth, can we recognise the difference?

This is why discernment matters. It helps us recognise the difference between what is genuinely true and what is just convincing.

How Do We Remain Spiritually Mature?

Now more than ever we have countless resources and technologies available to help us grow in our faith. This is a wonderful opportunity, but it also requires wisdom. Not every confident voice is a trustworthy voice. Not every viral clip represents sound biblical teaching.

Adam points out that Christians are called to become settled in their convictions about Jesus and the Gospel. To become spiritually mature and not “swayed to and fro by the waves” we have to come back to the Bible. “We only ever know God as much as we know His word,” he shared.

When we study the Scripture and know His Word, we learn to discern and test what we hear against the truth. This is exactly what spiritual maturity is all about.

The Goal Isn’t Knowing Everything

Thankfully, Paul isn’t calling Christians to become theology experts. Adam acknowledges that none of us will ever know everything about God, and what a blessing this is! We have the privilege of spending our entire lives growing in our understanding of Him.

Instead, spiritual maturity means becoming grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  As Adam puts it, “We don’t graduate gospel doctrines, we just mature into them.”

Sometimes we can assume spiritual maturity means moving beyond the basics of the gospel. But Paul teaches the opposite. We can never outgrow the gospel. Instead, we slowly learn how it can transform every area of our life.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

Feature image: Canva

Their purpose and how to use them

When most Christians think about spiritual gifts, the first question they ask is, “What’s my gift?” But what if that’s actually the wrong question? The truth is, the gifts of the Spirit are often misunderstood, and serve a far greater purpose than we realise.

What if the real meaning of these gifts has been hiding in plain sight all along?

Dr David Jeremiah gets to the very core of this idea and explains that every believer has been given a spiritual gift, and that gift was never meant to stay hidden or unused. The question is not whether you are gifted. The question is how you are using what you have already received.

The Gifts Were Never Meant for You

When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit, we tend to ask, “what is my gift? What am I good at? How does this fulfil me?” But Scripture takes us in a different direction.

Dr Jeremiah explains that spiritual gifts are given “to profit all.” They are designed to strengthen others, not elevate ourselves. “When people use their spiritual gifts within the church, they bless us with those gifts.”

In other words, your obedience becomes someone else’s encouragement.

What Happens When You Don’t Use Your Gift of the Spirit?

We often think receiving and using our gifts are an optional extra. An added bonus here and there to please God. But this is not the case. When a gift is left sitting idle, something is missing in the body of Christ.

If your gift is meant to build others up, then not using it leaves a gap where strength, encouragement, or truth should be. Someone misses out on what God intended to give through you.

There is an old saying that Dr Jeremiah quoted: “Use it, don’t abuse it, or you will lose it.” Spiritually speaking, a neglected gift loses its impact. But when it is used faithfully, it becomes a channel for God’s work in other people’s lives.

Why Gifts of the Spirit Don’t Make You “Spiritual”

Dr Jeremiah pointed out an excellent yet daunting truth. “You can be greatly gifted yet still not walking with the Lord.”

The church in Corinth is the clearest example. They were rich in spiritual gifts, yet spiritually immature. Their lives did not match the power they displayed.

That is a warning for all of us. Spiritual gifts are tools, not proof of holiness. They are meant to point beyond us, not draw attention to us.

The “Specialist” Mistake

Some Christians assume that if they don’t have a particular gift, they’re not responsible for that area of ministry. Scripture says otherwise.

James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” While some are specially gifted in certain areas, all believers are called to live out the basics of the Christian life. The gifts amplify obedience; they do not replace it.

As Dr Jeremiah puts it, “Just because you don’t have the gift of evangelism doesn’t mean you can’t share the gospel with somebody you love.”

The Real Goal: Bringing Glory to Jesus

The ultimate purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is not church growth, personal identity, or even helping others, though all of those are part of it. The final goal is the glory of Jesus Christ.

As 1 Peter 4:11 puts it, “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

Every gift, whether visible or quiet, points in the same direction. When it is used rightly, it draws attention to Him.

How Do You Discover Your Gift of the Spirit?

If the gifts matter this much, the natural question is: how do you find yours?

Dr Jeremiah outlined a practical path to follow:

• Investigation: Learn what Scripture says about the gifts
• Involvement: Start serving where you are
• Interest: Notice what you are drawn to
• Introspection: Look for where God is using you
• Input: Ask others what they see in you

He shared how “you cannot steer a parked car.” Growth happens when you step out and serve, not when you wait for perfect clarity.

A Life That Gives Back

There is a simple way to understand the gifts of the Spirit:

Your gift is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

That is the hidden truth many of us miss. So be intentional, step out and see what happens. Spiritual gifts aren’t ultimately about discovering your potential. They’re about participating in God’s mission. As you faithfully serve where He has placed you, He delights in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things for His glory.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

Feature image: Canva

What makes a marriage last?

It seems like everywhere we look today there is a new “marriage hack” promising to solve all our problems. Social media projects picture-perfect, storybook marriages all over our feed, convincing us this should be reality. And when we look back at our own marriages and see struggle and conflict, we are left feeling dissatisfied and unfulfilled. But the strongest marriages aren’t built on clever life hacks or perfect compatibility. They’re built intentionally, one decision at a time.

Pastor Greg Laurie reminds us that healthy marriages don’t happen by accident. They are cultivated through God’s design and a daily commitment to choosing one another. As Greg puts it, “If you see a marriage that is strong, it’s because they’re working on their marriage. They’re not taking their hand off the wheel.”

Why Do Marriages Drift Apart?

Very few marriages fall apart overnight. More often, distance develops through busy schedules, competing priorities and slow neglect of the relationship. We assume our spouse knows how much we love them, so we stop expressing it. Before long, we’re simply managing life together rather than intentionally building a relationship.

Strong marriages don’t casually drift towards health. They grow because two people spend intentional time investing in one another.

Greg reminds us that every healthy marriage requires ongoing care. Just as you wouldn’t expect a garden to flourish without tending it, a marriage won’t thrive if it’s left on autopilot.

God’s Design Was Always Relationship

Marriage wasn’t humanity’s idea, it was God’s. Greg shares that according to the Bible, “we are built for relationship with one another.”

In Genesis 2, after creating Adam, God declares, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Everything else in creation had been called “good,” yet Adam’s loneliness was the first thing God described as “not good.”

Marriage wasn’t created simply to make people happy. It was God’s loving provision for companionship, partnership and mutual support.

Greg explains that Eve wasn’t created because Adam needed someone to complete household tasks. She was created as “someone who assists another to reach fulfilment.” Together, Adam and Eve reflected God’s intention that men and women flourish through faithful relationship.

When we realise that marriage isn’t just a cultural or “man-made” tradition, but a covenant created by God, it completely reshapes how we approach relationship.

Leave, Cleave and Keep Choosing Each Other

One of the Bible’s most practical principles for marriage comes from Genesis 2:24:

“Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Greg points out that “marriage begins with the leaving of other relationships.” That doesn’t mean abandoning our families but recognising that a new primary relationship has begun. Our spouse becomes our first earthly priority.

Then comes cleaving. The word means to cling, to hold fast or to be joined together. Greg compares it to superglue. Not in the sense of being “stuck” with someone, but of choosing to hold tightly to one another through every season of life.

Healthy marriages aren’t built on grand romantic gestures alone. They’re built through thousands of small decisions to keep choosing each other every day. Greg encourages us to “have intimacy and closeness and friendship in this marriage that you can cultivate and keep alive forever.”

A Strong Marriage is More Than Romance

Culture often tells us that love is primarily about feelings. It’s all about romance, desire and physical attraction. And if the feelings fade, then the relationship wasn’t meant to be. But biblical love offers a radically different perspective.

Romance is a wonderful gift, but feelings naturally rise and fall. Biblical love is rooted in commitment long before it’s rooted in emotion. It chooses faithfulness when life becomes difficult. It continues serving even when it’s inconvenient.

Greg reminds us that “marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church.” As husbands sacrificially love their wives and wives respond with honour and respect, they display the gospel to the world around them. And when we realise this, we learn to understand that marriage is not just about our own happiness but reflecting God’s faithful love to the world.

Daily Choices Create Strong Marriages

There is no secret formula for a strong marriage, no “marriage hack” that will suddenly make your life easier. There is, however, a daily choice.

Strong marriages are built by couples who keep showing up for one another. Even when it’s hard, they keep communicating, they keep laughing and they keep praying.

But Greg reminds us of the ultimate truth, “our greatest needs are not fulfilled in marriage, our greatest needs are fulfilled in Jesus.” Jesus is the centre of our marriages, not just someone we turn to when things go wrong. When Christ is at the centre of a marriage, love becomes less about getting our own way and more about serving one another. That’s where lasting strength is found.

The secret behind a strong marriage isn’t perfection. It’s two imperfect people, trusting God’s perfect design and choosing, day after day, to keep their hands on the wheel.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

Feature image: Canva