Commending & Contending

We made it! All twenty episodes of Season One are done and dusted. We are grateful for all the guests who made time to join us on the podcast. And thanks also to all of you who’ve listened and shared (we’ve even been featured in a local church’s newsletter).

Sometimes our guests had more to say than we could fit in the episode, so we’ve saved those bonus bits and made sure you get to hear them in this final episode. Also, if you listen carefully, at about the halfway point of this episode, you’ll hear our friendly dog barking—just keeping it real.

Bec lives and works in Perth, where she is busy in her church, home and work. But she made time to join us on this episode to share about the wonder and impact of hospitality. When we offer one another the welcome that God gives us in Jesus Christ, powerful things can happen. Bec has been intentional about this at the playgroup she coordinates.

You can find out more about Bec at her blog, The Sunday Morning Snuggle where you can read her poetry and listen to her podcast.

Council member, Paul Harrington, joins us to talk about his long association with Holy Trinity Church in Adelaide. Paul first arrived as a new believer, and has stayed. It’s been decades of seeing God at work and being shaped by the faithful, gospel-hearted people around him.

What’s it like to stay put, and be in the same church over many years? What might God teach us through having such long discipling relationships?

Heather Millard volunteers in a multi-faith Chaplaincy program, serving paramedics and those impacted by serious incidents. She speaks about how she prepares and leaves such moments of trauma and stress. Heather reflects on how all of us have moments when our behaviour might commend the gospel of Jesus and how we might trust God to do the longer work of leading people into a trusting relationship with him through Jesus.

Dominic Steele, pastor of Village Church Annandale, Sydney, and host of The Pastor’s Heart podcast joins us to talk about how we might show compassion to people we know and love, whose experience of same-sex attraction influences how they hear the call to live holy lives, in obedience to Jesus.

How we speak from the front of our church services, including how we pray, might create a situation we do not intend, where acknowledging our struggles to one another feels unsafe.

Council member, Gary Millar shares how important it is for Christian leaders to contend for the gospel in their own hearts, whether in in times of disappointment or during times of success.

Jo Gibbs from Reach Australia shares her passion for teams in churches, as a place for disciple-making. Hear about how both relationships and results can be on our radar when we serve alongside others. Jo recommended a couple of articles: https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/book-review/attempting-theological-triage/ and https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-dysfunctions-of-an-eldership-team/

TGCA website editor, Mikey Lynch talks with us about contending for the faith through the written word, writing well and what it's like to write for the website. Mikey recommended this article: https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/dear-penelope-or-on-children-and-hope/

Website writer, Jeanette Chin talks with us about commending the good news of Jesus in the midst of a challenging medical diagnosis.