The Incredible Journey

It might be surprising to many, but the first Europeans to settle in Australia were actually petty criminals or, as they were known then, convicts. It may seem like a tragic beginning, but these prisoners took the opportunity to be exiled to a faraway land to start a new life. From a struggling and starving penal colony, they began to build a nation. There are many stories of courage, resilience, and ingenuity that tell how people found a new life.

For thousands of years, the same yellow sun has risen over the vast collection of people that we have come to call India in the last century. The term country doesn't seem to capture it. Twenty-eight states — more like Twenty-eight countries — with many traditions, languages, and styles stretching over a geography that varies from the soaring Himalayas to the steamy Bay of Bengal. And yet, within this riot of colour and culture, one building has come to represent India to the world — the Taj Mahal. Today, we will journey into this magnificent masterpiece and discover the magnificent lesson this great building contains. A lesson it shares with the greatest book the world has ever known.

Bert Hinkler was a pioneering aviator, innovator, and designer. He is credited with being the first person to fly solo between England and Australia and was the recipient of numerous accolades. Hinkler’s passion was aviation. From a young age, he was fascinated by flight and the aerodynamics that surrounded it. When he was just 19, he invented his first flying machine which he took for a spin near his hometown of Bundaberg, from that point forward his life was fully immersed in his first love. There’s a lot that we can learn from the life of Bert Hinkler; passion, dedication, focus, and a single-minded drive toward achieving our goals. But Hinkler’s life also leads us to remember others who had a similar focus and drive. The Bible profiles countless individuals who were driven by a single-minded focus to accomplish their God-given mission in life. This week we take a look at the life of Bert Hinkler as well as the lives of a few pioneers that are featured in the Bible.

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How many times have you heard the hymn “Amazing Grace?”  It’s the most popular song in history, sung over 10 million times each year.  Ever wondered where it came from?  Hear the incredible story in our new program, “The Slave Trader – Amazing Grace.” It was written by a notorious blasphemer, a rebellious shipman, a slave trader, who later became a church minister, and an abolitionist who fought publicly to end slavery.  In this program, we’ll learn about John Newton and the history and meaning behind the best-loved hymn, Amazing Grace.

On Christmas Eve each year in Austria, thousands of people in Salzburg and the surrounding areas gather together in churches. Their worship services end with the carol “Silent Night”, sung in its original German form. The simple charm of this centuries-old melody has made it a popular hymn for many years. Join Pastor Gary Kent as he pieces together the clues that tell us the mysterious origins of this beautiful song that, for a moment in time, stopped the First World War.

On 26 September 1943, a group of six men paddled their folding canoes quietly into the Singapore harbour. All around them, the harbour bustled with activity, but they silently slipped undetected between the massive ships berthed along the docks. They were agents of Special Unit Z deployed by the Allied forces to sabotage shipping inside the Singapore harbour, which was occupied by Japanese forces. The men attached limpet mines to the hulls of seven ships and then paddled back to their forward base just 19 km/12 miles away. When the mines detonated, they sank or damaged 39,000 tonnes of shipping, leaving the Japanese completely stunned. Join us as we take a closer look at the amazing story of Operation Jaywick. 

This program is about something men tend to think of as highly complex: the inner workings of women. Most men have burned up lots of energy trying to figure out what a woman wants, what makes her tick, what’s on her mind, and how to make her happy. Well, there’s good news, success is more straightforward than people think. After years of research, Shaunti Feldhahn shows that women can actually be understood. She’s identified several key findings about women that explain many of their mysteries. In this program, Shaunti shares her helpful discoveries and guides us on a journey into the fascinating inner workings of women.

There are significant dates that are etched in our collective memories, and one of these dates is 22 November 1963. At 12:30 pm, a gunshot rang out that reverberated right around the world. Years after John F Kennedy’s assassination, people are still captivated by the event that happened on Elm Street in Dallas, Texas. As a young man, J.F.K survived WWII and received a Purple Heart for bravery, one of America’s highest honours for gallantry during battle, but his life ended on a peaceful autumn day, by an assassin’s bullet. We’re still fascinated by how the death of one leader could impact a people, a culture, a nation, or a world. Join us as we look more closely into this historic event and the message it carries today.

Owers’ Corner, about 50km from Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is visited by thousands of Australian pilgrims every year, yet it is not a church. It is forever consecrated in the hearts of Australians, yet it is not Australian soil. It is Australia’s most important military victory, yet it’s relatively unknown. Our men at Kokoda represented the very best of not just Australian values but the highest values of humanity as well. As you watch the program, you’ll discover that we all walk on a track. And for us, it’s not the Kokoda Track; it’s the track of life. We honour the heroes of the Kokoda Campaign. But let’s consider how much more we should honour Jesus.

In 2015 Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, exceeding the tenure of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. And then 7 years later in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated another milestone—a 70-year reign—a Platinum Jubilee. She was loved and admired by many and was the longest-reigning English monarch ever. She was an anchor for her nation and the Commonwealth. But did she have an anchor? Where did she get her direction, guidance, and inner peace from? The answer may surprise you and perhaps give us some guidance regarding an anchor for our lives. Find out more in our program: Queen Elizabeth II – The Power Behind the Throne.