Gus Cameron

8 July 2025

Daniel 4:1-18

Gus Cameron

8 July 2025

1 King Nebuchadnezzar,
To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth:
May your prosperity be multiplied. 2 I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
3 How great are His signs,
how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
His dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. 5 I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me. 6 So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
8 But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream: 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation. 10 In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass:
There was a tree in the midst of the land,
and its height was great.
11 The tree grew large and strong;
its top reached the sky,
and it was visible
to the ends of the earth.
12 Its leaves were beautiful,
its fruit was abundant,
and upon it was food for all.
Under it the beasts of the field found shelter,
in its branches the birds of the air nested,
and from it every creature was fed.
13 As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 He called out in a loud voice:
‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;
strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
Let the beasts flee from under it,
and the birds from its branches.
15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
and a band of iron and bronze around it,
in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven
and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man,
and let him be given the mind of a beast
till seven times pass him by.
17 This decision is the decree of the watchers,
the verdict declared by the holy ones,
so that the living will know
that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind
and gives it to whom He wishes,
setting over it the lowliest of men.’
18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

We will have to read on to discover the meaning of the dream, but we have already been told its purpose in v17: ‘so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’

God had appointed Nebuchadnezzar to rule but he was arrogant. God was about to humble him. For God’s desire is to set over mankind ‘the lowliest of men’. The ultimate expression of this desire is God placing his own Son over mankind. Jesus is ‘the lowliest of men.’ As Paul wrote to the Philippians, Jesus,
‘existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place …’ The lowliest of men now rules over the kingdom of mankind. If we aspire to any sort of leadership among God’s people we are also called to humble ourselves under God. We are his servants appointed by him to serve his people for Jesus’ sake.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

7 July 2025

Daniel 3:26-30

Gus Cameron

7 July 2025

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!”
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alex Chen

This is the victory of God’s people in a foreign land. Nebuchadnezzar finally acknowledges that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego serve the one true God. In light of God’s miraculous rescue, Nebuchadnezzar praises God. God’s people are praised for worshipping only the one God at the risk of their lives. Blessings fall upon these servants. God’s deliverance is a great testimony to Nebuchadnezzar.

Even the proud are humbled. The highest human power is shown God’s power and recognises it here. God’s saving power, and his exclusivity are on show here. Time and time again, he rescues his people. We see this ultimately done at the cross through Jesus, as God rescues his people from sin and death. Even in light of powerful human rulers – the God of the Bible is the only God to be known and praised.

We can rejoice that the all-powerful God knows us. Even anyone we think that is “beyond saving” – can be known and saved by God. But we are saved to a life of knowing God rightly and living lives for him. Jesus is both Saviour and Lord. We must be willing to let go of what is most valuable to us in an earthly way for the sake of following Jesus. Our whole lives are living sacrifices to God. The things which impede us knowing Jesus better – we must consider giving them up. The materialism of our society, chasing novelty in the latest fad or fun experience. We particularly live now in a society that is rejecting Christian values – how will we not get sucked into them? Is our time on social media or our phones replacing our time in our Bibles? Pursue God and the blessing of knowing him rightly. We know God’s deliverance already – we should live in light of the end, proclaiming God’s graciousness with as much of our lives as we can.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

5 July 2025

Daniel 3:19-25

Gus Cameron

5 July 2025

19 At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, 20 and he commanded some mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace.
21 So they were tied up, wearing robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and they were thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.
22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the fiery flames killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, firmly bound, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.
24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and asked his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, firmly bound, into the fire?”
“Certainly, O king,” they replied.
25 “Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alex Chen

This is the moment the enemies of God should be triumphing over God’s faithful people in a foreign place. The blazing fire sounds terrifying, but we don’t learn what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thought after their bold stance of worshipping only the one true God. The faithful are given the death sentence by the earthly ruler and his soldiers. But the enemy does not prevail here. There is divine intervention – one like a son of the gods appears. God protects his people, the faithful few in a foreign land. These are the people through whom he is going to save people throughout the world.

Deciding to stand up and declare allegiance to God here has its consequences, and we see it in full force here. We see here that God is faithful to his people Israel, that human rulers do not mean that God is not in control, or acting, or caring. Even at the lowest point of God’s people – his power and love are seen.

We may not often face the furnace for our faith. We know that Jesus has done that at an even greater scale for us at the cross – and God was faithful in raising him from the dead. We have deep assurance that in our unity with Jesus, we too are kept by God. The last enemy of death has been defeated. But we must also be encouraged that in knowing God’s faithfulness to us already in Jesus – we can stand up and boldly proclaim Jesus’ name, even in hostile environments. Family, friends, work, strangers – we must show that we are known by our God, and so we live differently to what the world chases, what it worships. Security in money, job security, relationships; man’s praise for aligning with them – we must pray for a readiness to stand firm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

4 July 2025

Daniel 3:13-18

Gus Cameron

4 July 2025

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up? 15 Now, if you are ready, as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the statue I have made. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Everett

After being dobbed in by the Astrologers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are brought before Nebuchadnezzar. He is furious, and doubles down on his threat to throw them into the furnace if they won’t worship his statue.

But how incredible is their response? There’s no boasting or bravado, no fawning or begging, no attacks or insults. Instead, they just show that they really know their God, and they trust him.

They know that they don’t need to answer Nebuchadnezzar in this matter – they are accountable to God alone.

They know that the God they serve IS able to rescue them. He’s all powerful. He can split a sea, destroy an army, and stop a raging fire from burning a single hair on their heads.

They know that their God is sovereign – he does whatever pleases him. His wisdom is far greater than theirs. So they know he may choose not to rescue them.

But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego still know that their God is the only one worth worshipping.

I know that our culture is becoming increasingly hostile towards Christians. Laws are being passed to limit prayer, scripture, and even the sanctity of life. I wouldn’t be surprised if Christians start being imprisoned or heavily fined for following Jesus in the coming years.

But Daniel 3 encourages me to have a bigger vision of God amidst this. My God is the one I’m really answerable too. My God is able to rescue me from any danger or persecution. My God is sovereign, and controlling every event of history, even if I don’t understand it all. My God is still the only one worth worshipping. He’s the defeater of death, the king of kings.

So when the world becomes more hostile to Christians, we don’t need to respond with insults, or give in. We can calmly declare that our God is the risen Lord, and trust him to bring us home safely. Let’s pray for a bigger vision of our God, and for the strength to trust in him no matter what comes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

3 July 2025

Daniel 3:1-12

Gus Cameron

3 July 2025

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.
3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
7 Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews, 9 saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever! 10 You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. 12 But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Everett

Nebuchadnezzar has a short memory. Yesterday, he declared that Daniel’s God was, “truly the God of gods and Lord of kings.” (2:47). But in our passage today, Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden statue for people to worship. And he really does want everyone to worship it – from the satraps to the magistrates, people from every nation and language. His command is clear: worship, or burn. And sure enough, everyone bows down in verse 7.

Well, everyone except Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Even when threatened with death, they won’t bow down to this idol. We’ll see why in tomorrow’s passage.

But what stood out to me in this passage was the way Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego weren’t swayed by what everyone else was doing. Everyone else caved to Nebuchadnezzar’s pressure; everyone else worshipped the statue. But these three men went against the grain to stay faithful to God.

I find it hard not to follow what everyone else is doing. I see everyone constantly scrolling, and streaming on their phones. And I start to think it’s fine for me to spend hours on my phone because that’s what everyone is doing. I hear complaining and gossip constantly, and I start to think it’s fine for me to speak like that because everyone does it. Even in the car, its easy to think it’s fine to do 5km over the limit because everyone does it. Do you justify any of your actions based on what everyone else is doing?

This passage helped me realise I’ve been doing that, and I need to repent.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego weren’t concerned with pleasing Nebuchadnezzar, or going along with what everyone else was doing. They were concerned with pleasing the God of gods and Lord of kings. How much more should we aim to please the one who redeemed us with his own blood!

Why not take some time now to see if you need to repent too. And pray that as a church, we would be offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, not conforming to the pattern of this world (Rom 12:1-2).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

2 July 2025

Daniel 2:44-49

Gus Cameron

2 July 2025

44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. 45 And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future.
The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
46 At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

If you remember, Daniel chapter 2 began with Nebuchadnezzar deeply troubled—he couldn’t sleep because of a disturbing dream. That dream has been the focus of the whole chapter, and now, as we come to the end, he finally gets an answer. The interpretation brings him relief. In his joy, he promotes Daniel and his friends to positions of great authority over the province of Babylon.

But here’s the irony: the comfort of the dream isn’t really for Nebuchadnezzar—it’s for Daniel and his friends. As we’re told, the dream is all about God’s eternal kingdom—a kingdom that will never be destroyed and will shatter all others.

Imagine how hard that must have been for Daniel to believe at the time. God’s people had been crushed. Daniel was living in exile under a foreign and oppressive king. Jerusalem had been ransacked. And yet, God gives Daniel this vision to strengthen him. God is saying: Keep trusting me. Stay faithful. My kingdom is still coming.

As I reflect on this final part of the chapter, I’m reminded of the very first words of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

Throughout the Gospels, we get glimpses of this kingdom. But in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we see God’s eternal kingdom breaking into the world. And more than that—we see that Jesus is the true king of this kingdom.

Today, it’s worth remembering where Jesus is right now:
He ascended to heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

This is the kingdom that will not fall and this is the King we follow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

1 July 2025

Daniel 2:24-43

Gus Cameron

1 July 2025

24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”
25 Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”
26 The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”
27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:
29 As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen. 30 And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.
31 As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. 32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.
34 As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
37 You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. 38 Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours.
Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.
40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others. 41 And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

When I visited China last year, one of the highlights was exploring its deep history. I remember walking through sites that were hundreds of years old. It was striking to see ancient ruins standing next to electric cars zooming by! But more than that, it was humbling. These once-bustling homes and lives had faded into history. The names and stories of those who lived there were long forgotten—only the crumbling walls remained. And in just a few generations, the same will be true of us. Our names and stories, too, will pass away.

I was reminded of that as I read today’s passage. Daniel not only tells Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was—he also explains what it means. At the time, it must have felt like Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was unbeatable. But the dream revealed something different: his kingdom was just one in a series to come.

History confirms this. After Babylon came the Median Empire, then the Persians, then the Greeks, then the Romans. No matter how powerful Nebuchadnezzar seemed, his kingdom wouldn’t last.

Like the statue in the dream, our world sees earthly power as impressive and permanent. It defines strength by might and dominance. The bigger the army or economy, the greater the influence. But Daniel’s interpretation hints at something else. Though the statue looked strong, its feet were made of iron and clay—materials that are fragile and easily broken.

If we are going to put our trust in something, we need to put our trust in the Kingdom of Jesus that will never be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). As you read the news today, and see the powers at play in our world, it’s worth remembering that they will not last. And it’s worth praying the words from the Anglican Prayer Book:

“God of the nations, whose kingdom rules over all, have mercy on our broken and divided world.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

30 June 2025

Daniel 2:14-23

Gus Cameron

30 June 2025

14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel replied with discretion and tact. 15 “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked.
At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 18 urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven 20 and declared:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 He changes the times and seasons;
He removes kings and establishes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals the deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with Him.
23 To You, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
because You have given me
wisdom and power.
And now You have made known to me
what we have requested,
for You have made known to us
the dream of the king.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

The crisis from yesterday now reaches Daniel and his friends. He hears about the king’s decree and, like the Babylonian wise men, he knows there’s no escape. But unlike the other wise men, Daniel does something different—he prays. He knows the answer won’t come from within himself (and certainly not by making up the dream!). Instead, Daniel humbles himself and urges his friends to do the same—to pray. Wonderfully, God answers their prayer.

This passage encouraged me in two ways.

First, I was struck by how natural it is for Daniel to pray in the face of crisis. Prayer isn’t a magic trick—it’s a relational act. When we pray, we’re turning to depend on and delight in our Heavenly Father. It’s an expression of faith that says, “I will trust the One who is in control and who cares for me.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the same could be said of us? That our first instinct, when faced with a challenge, would be to turn to the God who listens?

I’ve had a number of people tell me that they often intend to pray for someone, but later forget. A simple practice we can take up is to pray then and there—right after a conversation with someone, rather than leaving it for later.

Second, this passage helped me think about how to pray. If you have time, I encourage you to read Daniel’s prayer again. Read it slowly, and notice the deep and majestic view he has of God. There’s a clear sense of God’s ‘otherness’—His greatness beyond us. He is the one who removes and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise. He knows what is hidden in the dark.

When I watch the news each day, it can feel like the world is spinning out of control. There are literally missiles being fired, and instability feels like the norm. But Daniel’s prayer reminds me that no power sits outside of God’s rule. Work through Daniel’s prayer of praise and let it shape your heart and mind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

28 June 2025

Daniel 2:1-13

Gus Cameron

28 June 2025

1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him. 2 So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
5 The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
7 They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”
8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final. 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”
10 The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer. 11 What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”
12 This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

Yikes! What a request from Nebuchadnezzar! Today’s passage is almost comical. The most powerful king in the world wants his dream interpreted—but not just the interpretation. He wants the wise men to tell him what the dream was in the first place! And if they can’t, he threatens them with a brutal death. The wise men respond just as you’d expect: No one alive can do that!

Tomorrow, we’ll see that the true God steps in. Without giving too much away, this becomes a powerful display of God’s wisdom and might. But the key to today’s passage is verse 11: No mortal can know the king’s secret. In that moment, the wise men actually speak true wisdom. There is a kind of knowledge that belongs to God alone.

As I reflected on this, I was reminded of Romans 2:16, where God is described as the “judge of people’s secrets.” God’s knowledge has no limits. He sees what is hidden. He knows every secret. Even the thoughts we’ve never voiced—the ones we try to hide from others, and even from ourselves—He knows them all.

It’s easy to laugh at the wise men and their guessing games. It’s like calling a psychic hotline to predict your future—they can say anything in their interpretation, but ask them to tell you what you dreamed and they’d hang up the line. They don’t know. Yet God really does. And that’s not just amusing—it’s confronting. If God knows everything, then He knows me. The good parts, yes—but also the things I’d rather keep hidden. But that shouldn’t drive us to run away (after all – where can we run to?). The right response is to keep turning back to the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the one who knows the heart of humanity and yet still draws near to us, so that we can know God’s unconditional love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

27 June 2025

Daniel 1:6-21

Gus Cameron

27 June 2025

6 Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.
9 Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, 10 but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”
11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearances with those of the young men who are eating the royal food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14 So he consented to this and tested them for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. 16 So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.
20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The Babylonian indoctrination program was thorough, but Daniel had a line he wouldn’t cross. He would not disobey God’s law. So when he was offered food that God had declared unclean, he wouldn’t eat it. This was a courageous stand. You can imagine the Babylonians not taking too kindly to someone who thought their royal food was not good enough for them.

God has given us a clear line we shouldn’t cross – the commands of Jesus and his apostles in the New Testament. The world will pressure us to cross that line. “Everyone’s doing it” will be the catch cry. It could be bad language, disrespect, gossip, slander or dishonesty. We could be pressured into drunkenness, sexual immortality, cruelty or greed. But God calls us to say “No, I will not cross that line, no matter what happens.”

God honoured Daniel’s courage and faithfulness. He gave him success in the food trial and in entering the king’s service. He gave him great wisdom and understanding. He even caused him to outlast the kingdom of Babylon. He remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus. Cyrus was the Persian king who defeated Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to Judah and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Likewise, God will honour us when we take a stand for him. He will be with us. He will even cause us to outlast Satan’s kingdom! Long after Satan’s dominion has been destroyed, we will be reigning with Christ in the New Creation.

Let’s pray. Father, when the pressure comes from the world to disobey you, help us to stand firm and obey you, no matter what happens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

26 June 2025

Daniel 1:1-5

Gus Cameron

26 June 2025

Over the next 5 weeks or so, we are going to be working through the book of Daniel. Our staff team are writing the reflections.

~~~

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5 The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The book of Daniel begins about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. God had already judged the northern kingdom of Israel, and he is about to bring the southern kingdom of Judah to an end as well. Daniel 1 describes the first deportation of a few of the young Jewish nobles to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar will attack Jerusalem twice more, and the final attack will bring about the destruction of the city and the temple, and the end of Judah as an independent nation ruled by a king in David’s line.

This is the start of the Jewish exile in Babylon. The book of Daniel is all about God’s people living and suffering under foreign powers, waiting for God to intervene and rescue them. And yet, as we see today, some of them were offered special privileges.

Put yourself in the shoes of one of these young Israelite men selected for the King’s Academy in Babylon. Imagine you are a faithful Israelite – you believe the God of Israel to be the Creator God sovereign over all nations. He is your God. You’ve been devastated to see the kings of Judah lead your people away from God and bring down on them God’s discipline through the King of Babylon. And so now you find yourself a captive in Babylon.

But then this amazing opportunity opens up. You’re selected for the three year training program at the King’s Academy to prepare you for service in the palace – all meals provided!

Then your parents pull you aside and say “Son, we know you love God. We don’t want you to abandon your faith. But please keep your head down. Please don’t make a fuss about the details of your faith. Fit in with the other students as much as you can. Go along with the teachers. This could be a great opportunity for our family and all our people. You could rise in this kingdom and be a great help to all your people. You just need to let your faith slide under the radar for 3 years.”

Whenever we enter a new situation – a new course or a new job or a new neighbourhood for example – we are faced with a similar decision. Will we blend in for a while, downplay our faith and try to fit in with everyone around us, or will we – right from the start – be praying for opportunities to identify with Christ and talk about our faith?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our assistant ministers.

Gus Cameron

25 June 2025

Philemon 18-25

Gus Cameron

25 June 2025

18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

So far, Paul has challenged Philemon on what the gospel means for how we view one another. God calls us to see one another as we truly are through faith in Jesus: partners in the gospel, coworkers, children of God with the same honour and value and status.

But there is one final issue he needs to address, which for Philemon might be even more difficult. It’s the twin topics of reconciliation and forgiveness. For Philemon to receive Onesimus back as if he were receiving Paul himself (v17), their relationship needed to be fixed. Onesimus had committed some serious wrong against his master, and Paul must have known that Philemon still felt … anger? resentment? a sense of entitlement, of demanding payback?

For Philemon to begin to obey Christ, there needed to be reconciliation. But Paul recognises that reconciliation can’t happen unless Philemon is willing and able to forgive Onesimus – to release the debt, let go of his demand for personal payback.

That can be SO hard, can’t it? But that’s what I love about the Bible: God knows that we struggle to forgive, and Scripture is realistic about how long it will take and how often we will need to be forgiven for failing to forgive!

That’s what we see here. Not only does Paul know Philemon will struggle to forgive Onesimus, he offers to help him with it – at his own expense. He offers to pay whatever damages Onesimus owes, simply to help Philemon to let go of his unforgiveness. What an amazing example of valuing the gospel and relationships over material things!

But Paul also slips in a subtle reminder to Philemon of the biggest thing that will help us to learn to forgive. He reminds Philemon, “you owe me your very self” (v19) – that is, Philemon is eternally in debt to Paul, and through Paul to God himself, for his eternal salvation and joy. Because Paul was the one who brought Philemon the gospel.

Our sin meant that all of us had a debt to God that we couldn’t ever pay off, not even if we had all eternity. But through the gift and sacrifice of his Son, God has gladly freed us from that debt. Compared to that, every other moral debt we are owed is trivial. Remembering that is what will help us to learn to not hold onto our personal grievances, and to extend the same kind of extravagant forgiveness to others that we have received in Christ.

As we saw yesterday, others at church might sometimes treat you by society’s stereotypes of classes and levels. Can you learn to forgive them? Because if you can forgive them first, it will be so much easier to do the hard work of talking with them about the way they’ve treated you. In the end, that is what will help us to grow as the very best thing there is: brothers and sisters in the Lord, and spiritual royalty together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

24 June 2025

Philemon 12-17

Gus Cameron

24 June 2025

12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today Paul finally gets to the heart of why he is writing to Philemon. He’s taken a while to get there, because … he’s a godly, caring pastor. He was eager to start by affirming Philemon of his thankfulness to God for their partnership in the gospel and for the encouragement Philemon has been to him. I love seeing this example of Paul’s gentle, pastoral manner.

Now he gets to the point. Paul is about to send Philemon’s runaway slave back to him – Onesimus, who has now been transformed by knowing Christ. So what does Paul want Philemon to do? In a nutshell: receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but “better than a slave, as a beloved brother” (v16). Or in v17: receive Onesimus back just as if he were receiving Paul himself!

That doesn’t necessarily mean Onesimus would stop being Philemon’s slave, in legal terms. Slavery in the ancient world was very different from the pure evil of the African slave trade. Under a godly master, it could be a good form of employment. The issue for Paul was not whether Philemon was going to release Onesimus. It was how Philemon was going to view Onesimus from now on. Was he going to relate to him as an inferior, a good-for-nothing slave, or as Christ called him to – as an equal through the gospel, a cherished brother in Christ, someone to both encourage and be encouraged by?

This was an unbelievably radical thing for Paul to ask an ancient slave-owner to do. But that’s how radical and countercultural the gospel is! Christ raises all of us up to the same level. We will still have different styles, different backgrounds, different cultures and subcultures. But in Christ, there is only one level: the highest one there is. Jesus himself calls every single one of us his brothers and sisters (Heb. 2:11)! That makes us all spiritual royalty.

But it’s so hard to live that out in church life. It’s so easy to subconsciously think of each other by society’s class stereotypes. I’ve seen it so often in ministry (and in myself!) – tensions and conflicts and misunderstandings, because of blind spots on both sides of the class divide or the cultural divide. We slip so easily into looking at “those people” with suspicion, interpreting their words and actions in the worst possible light instead of with grace, generosity and deep affection.

Have you ever been on the wrong end of that? That wouldn’t be surprising. We’ll think about that more tomorrow. For today, pray that God would help you to view and treat all your Christian brothers and sisters as spiritual royalty in Christ, just like you are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

23 June 2025

Philemon 1-11

Gus Cameron

23 June 2025

Over the next 3 days, we are looking at the little letter of Philemon.

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ. 7 I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
8 So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper, 9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Like 2 Timothy, Paul wrote this letter from a prison cell, though this was some years earlier (how many times was Paul thrown in jail for preaching Christ?!).

It’s a simple letter, but it’s important to understand the situation of the two main people Paul talks about. He wrote the letter to Philemon, who was a close Christian friend and a gospel coworker. It seems that Philemon was reasonably well-off – he had a church gathering meeting at his house, and he had at least one slave. Well, until recently.

That’s the other main character: Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus. It seems that Onesimus had been an unbeliever and a lousy slave, and had wronged his master Philemon in some way (we don’t know how – maybe he stole something from him). He then fled, but he somehow ended up with Paul in prison. Through Paul, Onesimus not only came to faith in Christ, Paul clearly came to have a deep affection for him. On top of that, Paul tells Philemon, “now he has become useful both to you and to me” (v. 11).

Paul is having a bit of fun with Onesimus’s name there. His name means “useful” or “profitable.” But before he knew Christ, when it came to the things of faith and eternity and salvation, Onesimus didn’t live up to his name. He wasn’t Mr Useful, he was Mr Useless, Mr Good-For-Nothing. But how amazing and transforming is it to know Christ?! Christ turned this crooked and spiritually useless runaway slave into Mr Useful-For-Jesus.

So Paul wants Philemon to see his slave Onesimus, not as a loser who will scrape into heaven in last place. Onesimus is now Philemon’s partner in the gospel, just like Paul is.

Two thoughts to finish. As you think about yourself: Jesus doesn’t just save us from hell. He saves us for useful work. His goal is to transform us into “gospel doers” in his service, hard-working partners with our brothers and sisters. Are you aiming and striving for Christ’s goal for you?

And as you think about your brothers and sisters at church: Which of them do you see as your potential gospel partners, as Useful-For-Jesus people? If there are some you don’t put in that category, pray for your heart and mindset now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

21 June 2025

2 Timothy 4:16-22

Gus Cameron

21 June 2025

16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.
21 Make every effort to come to me before winter.
Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Everett

My heart broke for Paul when I read v16. Going on trial must be scary. That’s why family and friends of a defendant usually come to court to support them. But Paul says no one stood for him at his defence. Not even his Christian brothers and sisters stood up for him while he was on trial for the gospel. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve felt abandoned, hopeless.

But Paul knew he wasn’t alone. I love the comparison between vs 16 and 17 – Paul says, ‘no one stood with me’ (v16), but in v17 says, ‘the Lord stood by me.” Even though no one else in that courtroom saw him, Paul knew that Jesus was with him, and was giving him the strength he needed to proclaim the gospel in that courtroom.

Paul also had confidence that Jesus would rescue him and bring him ‘safely into His heavenly kingdom’ (v18). That didn’t mean Paul wouldn’t suffer – he knew his own death was near (v6). But he had confidence that God would protect him spiritually, and help him to persevere and enter His heavenly kingdom.

I know Jesus calls us all to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matt 28:19), like Paul. I haven’t been on trial for the gospel, but I still find it scary to start a gospel conversation with my friends or invite them to church. Maybe you do too. But we all can have the same confidence as Paul here. As we share the gospel with friends, family, coworkers, and team mates, we can know Jesus is standing with us, right there, giving us strength. He’s with us always (Matt 28:20). And no matter what happens – whether people like what we say, don’t care, or even hate us – we can know that Jesus will protect us, and bring us safely home to heaven. “To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (v18).”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

20 June 2025

2 Timothy 4:9-15

Gus Cameron

20 June 2025

9 Make every effort to come to me quickly, 10 because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry. 12 Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Today’s passage brings home some harsh realities of what it’s like being involved in the ministry of the gospel message. Doing ministry is heavily relational, and requires being involved in people’s lives. But as this passage reminds us, there are seasons to these relationships, and sometimes, those seasons end badly. There are four examples that I can see from this passage.

First, we have Demas, who appeared to have been in partnership with Paul in his ministry, but his love for the world resulted in him deserting Paul. Second are Titus and Tychicus, who were together with Paul in his ministry, but probably for the sake of the kingdom, have moved on to do ministry elsewhere. Third are Timothy and Mark, who are moving to join with Paul in his ministry. And finally, there’s Luke, who perseveres with Paul through his ministry, appearing to never leave.

In my workplace, over 6 years ago I started a Bible reading group. Initially it was just me. But then a few months later another joined, then another, then after the first year we had five people. These were mostly Christians, with the occasional borderline non-Christian joining. As the months rolled on, people left and others arrived. Overall, I have probably seen about 50 people pass through – people who I have read the Bible and prayed with. Only 1 person has stayed through the whole 6 years. He has been a great encouragement to me, and is someone who continues to wrestle with his faith in light of the world’s pressures.

Let’s pray for the ministry of the gospel everywhere, and that God would enable us to press on in faith and continue to be light to those around us, especially in seasons where relationally things might be tough.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

19 June 2025

2 Timothy 4:5-8

Gus Cameron

19 June 2025

5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Matt Radloff

These verses are packed full of emotion as Paul passes on the torch of gospel ministry to Timothy. Paul has reached the end of his life, he has run the Christian race that we all run, and he wants his apprentice and his friend, Timothy, to run like he did. As we run the path following Jesus, it’s hard! There are times when the Christian journey might not feel hard – sometimes it might feel like a pleasant jog through the park. We feel joy in God’s word, prayer feels easy, going to church is refreshing. Thank God for those times!

But the Bible does promise us that there will be times of hardship. Times where it’s just difficult to keep doing the work we know God wants us to do. Times when it’s hard to keep trusting in Jesus. When it’s hard to keep the faith. The weight of sin, the desires of our hearts and the temptations of the world pull at us, call us to step off the track and take a break from the race. I find it comforting that Paul is real about the hardship of running for Jesus. He doesn’t sugar-coat it. He poured himself out for the sake of serving Jesus. That’s hard to do! He gave up everything in order to run the race. But Paul is also in no doubt that it was 100% worth it.

Finishing the race means receiving the crown of righteousness. When we reach the end of the race, God isn’t just going to give us a participation trophy. Not a “you ran in a race” ribbon. Not a “you tried your best” medal. God will give us the 1st place prize – not the prize for our own righteousness, but for the righteousness which Jesus won for us. Trusting in Jesus, through the good times and the bad, will be 100% worth it in the end. Knowing the prize means I can run with confidence. We can always know that it’s worth continuing to run.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

18 June 2025

2 Timothy 4:1-4

Gus Cameron

18 June 2025

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.
3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alex Chen

Jesus changes how we should value truth and continue to share it even when our world doesn’t want to hear it. Paul has such a fatherly encouragement to Timothy to hold fast to the truth and keep proclaiming it, even when people only want to listen to what suits them. We might look out at the world and point fingers at greedy corporations or progressive politics and say, “they are closing their ears to the truth.” But it matters even in our homes. We too are in danger of only paying attention to things that suit our itching ears or our own desires, and closing our ears to harder truths. It might be finding self-value in status, money, or job fulfilment. We don’t just need small changes in these areas. We have died to the old self that sinfully put these above God, so we must live new risen lives.

I often thought preaching the word in season and out of season meant a taking loud, bold stance. But it’s more about the everyday – faithfully and consistently holding onto the gospel. Our decisions in small things making it easier to make decisions at big moments. Our character in small situations will make it clear in big clashes what truth we stand for. This is being prepared in season and out of season. We won’t always be given a few days to prepare a speech.

Often, the hard part is where Paul says to do this with “patient instruction.” We can be so zealous and bold for the truth that we forget that it’s a person in front of us who is being corrected, rebuked, and encouraged. When we just want the truth to be upheld, it can be hard to use our words wisely, love the person, and exercise self-restraint instead of being harsh. It helps to humbly remember that we too are sinners who need correction, and we all want to run the race together. Remember that Jesus will ultimately judge and will return to bring us to glory.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex is one of our Student Ministers.

Gus Cameron

17 June 2025

2 Timothy 3:14-17

Gus Cameron

17 June 2025

14 But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Annie Davies

So far in this chapter, Paul has warned about people doing evil things in the last days. Despite the circumstances, now he encourages Timothy to continue to hold firm to Scripture and to the biblical truths he has learned since he was young. The reason? It makes you wise for salvation.

As I read this passage I am reminded of the importance of God’s word in the Bible. As we see people do wrong and seemingly live a full life, as we encounter new ideas or hard times of suffering, all we need is God’s word. God’s word is where He reveals His great plan of salvation for those who trust in Jesus. We can hold firmly to God’s word, knowing it is all we need. Those other things will pass away but our salvation through faith in Christ will remain.

Sometimes when I read the Bible, I can rush through, thinking, “I’ve read it before and I know it,” or I can skim over it and not be impacted by it. I can think it is old news – and slowly my life starts to look more like those around me who don’t know Christ. But this passage encourages me to continue to hold onto the precious teachings and promises God has made, and to be reminded that they are all I need. As Paul says in verse 17, God’s word makes us complete and is enough to equip us for the good work God has planned for us to do.

Timothy was taught the Scriptures “from infancy”. Having kids of my own, this passage also reminds me of the importance of teaching my kids from the Bible from when they are young, so that they might have the same certainty of salvation and comfort knowing the truth of God’s word throughout their lives. In the busyness of managing naps and meals and activities with young kids day to day, I am challenged to ensure teaching the Bible is a priority and a part of each day. After all, it is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ, and that is the most important thing I want for my kids.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

16 June 2025

2 Timothy 3:10-13

Gus Cameron

16 June 2025

10 You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, 11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Adam Davies

In the previous reading, Paul has just warned Timothy about people who will manipulate and abuse their power to gain from others. But how does Timothy know Paul himself isn't just like that as well!? How do we know that those who teach and disciple us aren't manipulating us or abusing their power for their own gain.

Well, it seems like we can discover that by doing life together. When we do life together, like Timothy saw for Paul, we see the shape of the lives of our leaders and teachers and mentors. Look at that list in verse 10 and 11. Timothy has seen it all! Everything about Paul – his teaching, yes, but also his conduct, his purpose, his faith in Christ, his character or patience, love and perseverance. He's seen that Paul is the real deal, willing even to suffer for the sake of living a godly life and proclaiming the gospel.

I'm so thankful that our ministers open their homes and share their lives with us, and that we know and spend time with their families. We get to know what kind of people they are, and see that their walk matches their talk. There might be some really smart, talented bible teachers online, but we don't know them or their lives, and that's dangerous. How can we know that they're the real deal? I'm keen to be taught and discipled by those leaders we know, whose lives match up in honouring Christ, and I feel at peace that I'm not missing out on anything I need for life and godliness. Praise God for giving us a church family and great leaders who we can share life with, so that we don’t just talk the talk, but together we walk the walk of the Christian life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.