Hell is not a popular subject for Christians and non-Christians alike.  For over 2000 years, the mainstream Christian church has affirmed the biblical doctrine of eternal punishment in hell. In the last 60 years, however, a significant shift in belief has occurred. Our culture has no problem with a God of love who supports us no matter how we live. However, it objects strongly to the idea of a God who punishes people for their sincerely held beliefs, even if they are mistaken. People today consider tolerance the most important thing And the idea that a loving God could punish someone eternally seems extremely intolerant and unloving. A very common question is: How can a loving God condemn people to hell? A friend of mine said "If God tortured the wicked in a fiery horror chamber throughout eternity, He would be more vicious and heartless than men have ever been in the worst of war - he would be worse than Stalin, Marx, Hitler etc". Someone else said "The only God that is believable to me is a God of love. The Bible's God is no more than a primitive deity who must be appeased with pain and suffering." So, what does the Bible say? Find out in this talk. If you have any questions please email [email protected]

One of our youth shares how she came to trust in Jesus last year at SPARK.

Is our identity strictly tied to what we have done, or how we feel, or our sexuality? Can God save and change those who have lived their lives far from God and even given them a new identity? Find out in this week's talk. If you have questions email [email protected]

Suffering is everywhere. Tens of thousands of people die every day in unexpected tragedies, traffic accidents and cancer. That is comparable to the population of a small city being swept away every day, leaving families and friends devastated in the wake. It’s the numbers of people who suffer is overwhelming. Enormous numbers of deaths happen in one massive event such as the 1970 Bhola cyclone in Bangladesh, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, or the 2010 Haiti earthquake, each of which killed 300,000 or more at once And then there are is the horrendous evil that men have perpetrated. Three million Africans forcibly transported by the British slave trade. Six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. When we hear of a bad things happening we think it won’t happen to me. But no matter what precautions we take, no matter how good an atar we got, or how healthy we are something will inevitably ruin your life. When we are confronted with such pain, we find our selves asking, why? Every worldview has attempted to answer this question. But how does Christianity compare to all of these worldviews, in answering the question of why suffering happens? If you have any questions please send them to [email protected]

Have you ever found it hard to understand the Bible? If you have questions on how to read God's Word, especially, how to read the gospels, your not alone. Lauren, one of our youth leaders, provides a helpful answer. If you have any questions please email [email protected]

Much of what Jesus famously said is spoken as stories called parables. Sometimes it isn't straightforward what he's saying. Are Jesus stories just different ways of telling us how to be better people? Why does Jesus preach in parables? Find out in this Q & A. If you have any questions please email [email protected]

There is a Chinese proverb that says “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the (mountain top) view is ALWAYS the same.” No matter how different the various religions or belief systems seem to be, they all lead to the same destination. This is similar to the ancient Hindu story where a King gathered blind men and asked them to describe an elephant Each one grabbed one part of the elephant. The one that grabbed his trunk said “the elephant is like a hose” The one who touched his ears said the elephant was like a fan And so on they went. Each argued that they were right and the others were wrong. The point of the story is that they are all equally right. Today, its popular to have the same view, everyone’s beliefs are equally valid. It seems very tolerant. But are all paths to God equally valid? In this talk we investigate John 1 from the Bible to find an answer to this question. If you have any questions please send them to our youth minister at [email protected]

Isn't it egotistical for God to demand that we worship him? Why should we worship God? Here is as Biblical response from one of our SPARK leaders, Rhiannon. If you have any questions please send them to our Youth Pastor Mike at [email protected]

How can we instill within our children a lasting faith that perseveres against the tides of secularism, doubt, and fleeting temptations? According to the authors, humanly speaking, the best thing we can do according to the book Sticky Faith is “developing a clear and honest understanding of both the gospel and biblical faith. As our kids are led into an awareness of their significant role in the kingdom of God demonstrated throughout Scripture, they will have the best chance of discovering a faith that is compelling and life-giving”. (32) With this in mind we need to remember that there are no easy answers or simple steps to building a lasting faith. The best answer is loving, trusting, and praying to a faithful God for wisdom, love and strength. In this podcast, we hear from some parents and leaders at Enfield and Strathfield Anglican sharing the joys and struggles of discipling our kids and youth. If you have any questions please email Mike our youth minister at [email protected]

I remember on the night before catching a plane to Tasmania, I realised I hadn't washed any of my clothes so I had to do a late-night wash. The next morning I had to put my wet clothes in a garbage bag and take them on the plane. Being underprepared is a horrible feeling. Especially when you know, it could have easily been avoided. In this passage, Jesus, draws near the end of his public ministry, before his crucifixion. So he seeks to prepare his disciples and us for his return that we might not be caught off guard. If you have any questions please email our Youth Minister Mike Taylor at [email protected].