The Incredible Journey

Abram leaves Ur at God’s call, stepping into the unknown and receiving promises of land, descendants, and blessing for all nations. His journey takes him through famine in Egypt, conflict with Lot, rescue missions, and encounters with Melchizedek, ending with God confirming His covenant of land and countless descendants under the stars. But what does it really mean to trust God when everything familiar is left behind?

M*A*S*H was a hit television show based on the exploits of army doctors in Korea during the Korean War. The public loved the series, and the last episode in 1983 became the most-watched television broadcast in American history. 

But few actually know about the horrific war that forms the setting for the series, a war that has theoretically never ended. Often called The Forgotten War, it was overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War. Yet it was the first hot battle of the Cold War and received very little publicity. The Korean War lasted only three years, from 1950 to 1953, but devastated both North and South Korea. Families were torn apart, and millions of soldiers and civilians were killed. The conflict was never officially declared a war, and even though an armistice was signed in 1953, the two sides are still technically at war today. Nothing was really achieved; the border remains exactly where it was before the fighting began. 

But from this bitter conflict comes an incredible story of courage and heroism, the greatest rescue operation by a single ship in history. Join us as we unpack the events leading up to the Korean War and discover the amazing courage of the captain and crew of the Miracle Ship.

Like most small towns and villages around Australia, Emmaville has its war memorial, complete with the names of those who volunteered from this area. But the name of Emmaville’s most remarkable son is not here, for by the time he enlisted, he had long moved away — Tom Richards.

Richards' grew up to be an athletic young man, and his speed, strength and intelligent play led to his selection in the Queensland team in 1905 as a breakaway. His light brown hair led to the nickname of ‘Rusty’, and over the next thirty-five years, Richards would become the only man to represent both Australia and the United Kingdom in Rugby Union, and eventually the trophy for Wallaby-British Lions contests would be named after him. He would win a gold medal at the 1908 Olympic Games in London, and then be awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry on the battlefields of France. 

In July 1940, Hitler issued a directive formally launching Operation Sea Lion, Nazi Germany's plan to invade and conquer Britain. Despite the fall of France, Britain, under its new Prime Minister Winston Churchill, showed no intention of surrendering. In a series of defiant speeches, Churchill rallied the British people, famously vowing that they would fight on the beaches, in the streets, and in the hills. It soon became clear to Hitler that if he wanted to end the war in the West, he would have to force Britain to its knees.

Reptiles are not only deadly and numerous, they are also creatures who have some of the most bizarre behaviours in the world. Inhabiting every single land mass with the exception of Antarctica, reptiles are everywhere. Reptiles are generally classified into four main groups; crocodiles and alligators, lizards, snakes and turtles and tortoises. They are all cold-blooded, which means they rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. They also have cool, dry skin, which is either scaly or joined together with bony plates. Reptiles are also not very hands-on parents. Though alligators raise their young over a period of two years, they are the exception and not the rule. Generally, reptiles lay their eggs in a simple nest and then abandon their young. Reptiles are also masters of disguise, using camouflage as a mechanism for self-defence often. This week we will explore the weird and wonderful world of reptiles; their habits, behaviours and some of the strange methods they use to keep themselves safe.

In 1975, the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh fell to a rebel movement known as the Khmer Rouge. These Marxist revolutionaries seized control of the country and unleashed a reign of terror rarely seen in modern history. Over the next four years, the regime, led by dictator Pol Pot, was responsible for the deaths of nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population. Entire communities were destroyed, and the nation’s religious and cultural heritage was systematically dismantled.

The horrors of the Cambodian killing fields are difficult to confront, but they cannot be ignored. In a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” So what can we learn from the story of the Cambodian killing fields, and how can we ensure such a tragedy is never repeated?

It's 70 years since one of the most extraordinary achievements occurred. This accomplishment is spoken of, remembered, and often used as the gauge of success. And so, it is no surprise that the name of this one man is carved indelibly into history. In his home country, he's considered a hero and has been voted the most admired person in the nation. He even has a commemorative five-stamp series to honour his status and achievements. He is the best-known New Zealander in the world. But it's not just his achievement as a mountaineer, the conqueror of Mount Everest, the first man, along with Tenzing Norgay to climb to the top of the highest mountain in the world that he is honoured. It's because Edmund Hillary showed us how an ordinary life can become a truly extraordinary one. He has shown us that greatness is possible. 

Nancy Bird Walton, Australia's pioneering female aviator, became the youngest woman in the British Empire to gain a commercial pilot's licence at 19. Her passion for flying started at 13 with a joyride in a de Havilland Gipsy Moth, prompting training with Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, purchase of her own plane, and barnstorming tours across New South Wales with Peggy McKillop to offer joyrides and charters that brought aviation and women pilots to rural areas. She is best known as the "Angel of the Outback" for her 1930s humanitarian flights with the Far West Children's Health Scheme, transporting doctors, nurses, supplies, and baby health services to remote outback communities, often navigating by road maps and landing in rough paddocks, to provide life-saving care to isolated families. With remarkable courage, she broke gender barriers in aviation while revolutionising healthcare access in regional Australia.

In the late eighteenth century, the nations of Europe were plunged into the chaos and terror of a series of bloody revolutions. But England was spared. Not many people know the story of John Wesley, the man who saved England. Today we often focus on economic and military power as the ways that we can save nations. But Wesley did it by bringing about spiritual revival. When France and many other countries in Europe were plunged into chaos and terror, England took its place as the leading nation in Europe. And it was all because of this one man – John Wesley. He transformed his nation. But first, he had to be transformed himself. This is the story of John Wesley, and how he saved England.

King Solomon, of the royal House of David, is considered the richest human being the world has ever known. For centuries, the legend of his gold mines, said to be the source of much of his immense wealth, has captured the imagination of people from all nations and stations in life. According to the Bible, Solomon, the wise son of King David, ruled from Jerusalem from 970 to 930 BC, presiding over Israel’s Golden Age and becoming renowned not only for his extraordinary wisdom but also for his unmatched riches. 

Centuries later, in February 1851, Edward Hargraves ignited the Australia gold rush when he discovered gold in what is now known as Ophir, New South Wales. Thousands of eager prospectors from across the colonies and around the world flocked to the region, and within a decade, Australia was producing nearly a third of the world’s gold. The gold rush profoundly reshaped Australian society, transformed the nation’s economy, and ensured that, like Solomon’s legendary wealth, gold would leave a lasting mark on history.