Life + Faith – joncoombs.com

Tag: Bible

  • King Jesus: The Calling of The Ordinary

    Today, the announcement of good news, of great news, of world transforming news would be shared virally across social media, it would make headlines on news websites, it would be part of the regular conversation down the street and with neighbours. So it should be a little surprising to us that the first place Jesus proclaims the good news of the gospel of God (Mark 1:14-15) is in a small town up in the north of the country of Israel, away from the power and influence of Jerusalem and its religious leaders. 

    Here in Melbourne, important political news comes from Spring St, and important AFL news comes from AFL House. These are the places where the power and influence of our city come from. However, here in Mark’s gospel this news of Jesus and the good news he has to share appears in an out of the way, quite backward place, among ordinary people going about their ordinary days. 

    And we read of this in Mark 1:16-20: 

    16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

    19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

    Jesus sees Simon (Peter) and Andrew at work, casting their nets. A little farther along he see these guys James and John preparing their nets. These fisherman are in the middle of their normal work day and Jesus comes along and calls them to follow him into a completely new direction and purpose. 

    Notice who Jesus doesn’t call. 

    He hasn’t gone to the highly ranked schools and universities. He hasn’t gone to find who is the smartest or brightest in the country. He doesn’t look for the leading academics and performers. He doesn’t start with the religious elite. 

    Who does he call? 

    The ordinary. Ordinary people doing ordinary things. Everyday people. People getting on with their jobs and responsibilities. 

    How encouraging is it to know that God’s kingdom isn’t built by the impressive, the influential, and the highly credentialed. Jesus calls those who have not made it in the eyes of the world. He doesn’t choose people because of their status or education or reputation. 

    Jesus calls ordinary people to follow him. 

    And what’s even more amazing is that Jesus is the one who takes the initiative. It was usually the other way around in the first century, a prospective student would approach a rabbi to be their disciple. Here, however, Jesus takes the initiative. He is the one who calls. He chose those who are to follow him. 

    This is a pattern throughout the Bible. God calls a people to himself. He takes the initiative and forms a people who belong to him and live under his rule. This same pattern is here in Mark 1, but in personal form. Jesus calls these men to come follow and become part of God’s mission in the world. 

    We are called in the same way today.

    Those of us who follow Jesus can say that God has taken the initiative toward us. He has called us to belong to him. 

    On one hand this is personal and individual, but on the other it’s not. Jesus calls these fishermen into a small group, a small community of followers who will become the early church as the New Testament unfolds.

    Following Jesus is personal, but it’s not isolated. We follow Jesus together and are shaped by him as we walk with others in faith. 

    When Jesus calls these fishermen he calls them into a life that will be changed and reshaped. One moment they are known locally for their trade, expertise, and work. In the next moment they are disciples of the Son of God, leaving behind all that is familiar to them.

    What a call we are part of! What a calling we have in Christ Jesus!

  • King Jesus: The Kingdom of God

    Have you ever received news or advice that changed your life?

    There are moments and events that reshape how we live and how we see the world. On a cultural level we might think of events like 9/11 or the COVID pandemic and how they altered patterns of work, travel, and security. On a personal level it could be a job promotion, a relationship breakdown, or the loss of someone close. These moments leave a mark.

    On a spiritual level, coming to Christ and trusting him as Lord and Saviour ought to have been life changing. As we walk with Jesus we might come through seasons, take a step of faith, or sit under the influence of a mentor that alters our life. I know that when I read a very basic biography of the missionary Jim Elliott I was never quite the same again. There are a few other moments like that I could name. 

    In Mark 1:14–15 we come to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. It begins with an announcement and a call. It is a moment that is life altering not only for those who first heard it, but ultimately for the world. We read, 

    After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

    What do we notice? 

    First, Mark gives us the timing. Jesus begins his ministry after John the Baptist is imprisoned by Herod. The one who has prepared the way has completed his ministry, now it’s time for Jesus. 

    Second, Mark gives us the location. Jesus goes into Galilee. Technically he is already there because Nazareth is in that region, his home town. But the Sea of Galilee is around 30km away from there and this is where he shares this message. Note that this is not the religious centre of Israel or Jewish thought. This is a northern region, far away from the seats of power and influence. 

    Third, Mark tells us what Jesus is doing. He’s proclaiming the good news of God. He is announcing something that demands attention and response. He is bringing a life changing message. 

    In the Roman world, good news (or a gospel) would often be declared after a war victory, or at the birth or coronation of a ruler. There’s even an ancient inscription that speaks of “the beginning of the gospel of Caesar Augustus.” Mark deliberately uses this same kind of language, but now the good news is not about Caesar. It is about Jesus and the reign of God.

    Jesus says, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near.” 

    The long-awaited moment in God’s plan has arrived. What God has promised and prepared is now here.

    It’s hard to define the kingdom of God. One commentator I recently read had nine different angles on the kingdom of God from Mark alone! 

    At its most broad, the kingdom of God is God’s rule and reign over his creation. But in other places Jesus describes the kingdom using metaphors and objects in life. It’s like a mustard seed that grows into a large plant (Matthew 13:31-32; Luke 13:18-19). It is like yeast that when mixed with flour transforms everything it touches (Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21). It’s like a pearl or a treasure that is so valuable that one sells everything to gain it (Matthew 13:44-46).

    In terms we might understand in our day and age, we might say the kingdom of God is like a washing machine. Dirty clothes go in and through the action of water and detergent they come out clean and renewed. Or perhaps it’s like the body when eating well and exercising, change is happening even if you do not see it on the scales each day. Or maybe it’s like a software update working in the background so that over time everything runs differently and hopefully better (!). 

    In Jesus the kingdom of God is not just an idea. It’s personified. The kingdom of God makes a personal appearance in Jesus. The rule and reign of God is revealed through the person and work of the Son of God. 

    When we enter this kingdom through Jesus, we are aware that it is not fully complete, either in us or in the cosmos. But as we step into it, and continue in it, we are asking Jesus to take his rightful place upon the throne of our heart and to establish God’s kingly rule over every dimension of our lives 

    This proclamation by Jesus then brings a call to action. To repent and believe. 

  • King Jesus: The Love of God the Father

    The baptism of Jesus, by John, is a key moment in the life of Jesus and his ministry. 

    In Mark 1:9-11 we read, 

    “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’”

    Jesus arrives from Nazareth and is baptised by John, who has been preparing the way for him to be received. Mark gives us a pretty simple description of what’s going on, but we can’t miss the vivid details either. Heaven is described as being torn open. The Spirit depends on Jesus like a dove. The voice of God the Father is heard. 

    This is the point of affirmation and anointing of Jesus. It establishes his identity. He is named as the Son, loved by the Father, and is pleasing to him. 

    We notice a particular closeness between Jesus the Son and his Father. This is unique in scripture. Throughout the Old Testament we know there are plenty who walk closely with God, think Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and others who are faithful followers and friends of God. But here it is the language of family. He is the Son. He is loved. God is pleased. The relationship described here is personal and direct. 

    As God the Father reveals the identity of Jesus the Son of God (Mark 1:1) it is also worth highlighting that this affirmation of identity and love occurs before he has done anything. This declaration occurs before Jesus has done any ministry at all. He hasn’t performed any miracles. He hasn’t taught any crowds. He hasn’t called any disciples to follow him. And quite obviously, he hasn’t gone to the cross or been raised from the dead. Yet, God the Father declares his love and pleasure in his Son. 

    I find this encouraging. 

    I find this a helpful reminder about God’s love and pleasure for us. 

    When someone you know tells you that they love you it lifts you. When someone says they are pleased with you or proud of you, then you are encouraged and stand a little taller. Here’s the Father speaking those kind of words over the Son. Love and pleasure is declared before achievement, not after it. 

    It’s the kind of reminder that helps us understand God’s love for us as we are, not in what we do. 

    God doesn’t love us because of what we are doing for him, how we are serving him, or whether we are becoming ‘better’ (whatever that might mean for us). No, God the Father loves us for who we are, as his child, as part of his family. God’s love and pleasure toward us comes before any sort of achievement we believe we are offering to him. 

    Remember John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” This isn’t after we have proved ourselves. Nor is it after we’ve improved ourselves. This is out of love for us. 

    This is part of the deep comfort of the gospel. We come to a loving Father through a loved Son. 

  • King Jesus: The Messenger

    One of the few times Mark directly quotes the Old Testament comes at the beginning of his gospel. He writes:

    I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Mark 1:2–3)

    The Messenger

    These words point to a coming messenger. Someone sent ahead of the Lord to prepare people for his arrival, like the announcer before a basketball game who introduces the players from each team or the caller at a darts match who declares each score as it lands. The role is to get people ready and paying attention.

    Mark tells us that this messenger is John the Baptist.

    He appears in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People from the Judean countryside and Jerusalem go out to him. They confess their sins and are baptised in the Jordan River.

    John is presented as a prophet in the mould of the Old Testament. His clothing of camel’s hair, leather belt, and wilderness lifestyle all point in that direction. He is especially reminiscent of Elijah. His role is to call people back to God and prepare them for what God is about to do next. In that sense, he stands as the last of the Old Testament style prophets, right on the edge of the new era that arrives with Jesus.

    The Message

    From this messenger comes a message that is clear and humble:

    “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7–8)

    John knows exactly where he stands in relation to the one who is coming. He is faithful and bold, but he is not the King. He says he is not even worthy to untie his sandals.

    That image can slip past us today. We tie and untie shoes all the time without thinking about it. But in the first century, with open sandals, dirty roads, and poor sanitation, feet were filthy. Cleaning them was servant work. The lowest servant work. It was considered such a degrading task that even Jewish servants where warned against doing it.

    John says he is not worthy to perform even that lowly role for the one who is coming. That is how great he understands Jesus to be.

    Baptism

    Part of John’s ministry is baptism, and it is worth noting what his baptism means. Mark says it is a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is about turning back to God.

    Repentance is a change of direction. Like when you miss a turn while driving and need to do a U-turn. Repentance is that turning of the heart and life back toward God, with confession and humility.

    Christian baptism includes repentance too, but it also goes further. It is baptism into Christ. It speaks of forgiveness, new life, belonging to God’s family, and receiving the Holy Spirit. John’s baptism prepares the way. Jesus brings the fulfilment.

    John’s role is not to draw attention to himself but to point forward. Prepare the way. Straighten the path. Get ready for the King.

    Have you got a prepared heart ready to hear from the King?

  • King Jesus: The Beginning of The Good News

    Do you like a good action movie?

    A James Bond film, Mission Impossible, or one of the Bourne movies? The kind where things are moving from the opening scene and the story carries real momentum.

    If one of the gospels were turned into action flick, Mark would be the script. It moves quickly, has lots of movement, and gets straight to the point. There is no warmup, no stretching beforehand, no long preamble. It is like the starter’s gun at the beginning of a race and we are off.

    Mark begins like this:

    “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)

    That single line acts as both introduction and purpose statement. It tells us what the whole book is about before anything else is said. Like the opening line of a great novel, it draws us in. Except this isn’t fiction. This is the announcement of a real person and the purpose for which he came.

    Mark doesn’t include genealogies, birth stories, or any post-resurrection events. His focus is clear and deliberate. He wants to announce and show that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. The book is centred on who Jesus is, what he does, and what it means to follow him.

    The word gospel (euangelion in the Greek) means good news. In the first century, good news would be publicly proclaimed when there was a military victory or a royal announcement. You can picture the town crier calling out the news of the day in the streets. In that sense, Mark is like a paper boy standing on the corner calling out the headline,

    “Good news. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God has arrived.”

    But this good news is greater than a victory in battle or the birthday of an emperor. This is the announcement of God’s King and the fulfilment of long-awaited expectation and hope.

    The good news is not merely an event. It is a person. Jesus himself.

    Notice the titles Mark gives him. Messiah. Christ. Son of God. These are not polite honourifics. They are identity claims. They tell us that Jesus is not simply another religious teacher or prophet. He is uniquely connected with God and shares in God’s own identity.

    From the first sentence, Mark wants us to know who stands at the centre of this story. Everything else in the book hangs from this opening declaration.

  • Book Review: Spurgeon’s Sorrows – Realistic Hope for Those Who Suffer from Depression

    Would it surprise you to learn that one of the greatest preachers in Christian history, the so-called ‘Prince of Preachers’, struggled with depression throughout his life and ministry? 

    Charles Haddon Spurgeon, pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in 19th-century London, preached to thousands weekly, wrote extensively, and continues to shape preachers today. Yet behind the sermons, quotes, and books was a man who often walked through deep fog and valleys of darkness.

    I have known for many years that Spurgeon battled various health concerns, and at least a little depression, but I hadn’t realised how pervasive it actually was. In reading Spurgeon’s Sorrows by Zack Eswine I gained a better picture of the man but also the depths to which his depression and anxiety impacted his life. The other surprising thing about this was how public and how often he spoke about it. This short little volume (just over 100 pages) really opens the reality of mental illness not just for believers but also for pastors. I know it’s not talked about often, if at all, and this book is so helpful and insightful for all saints and sufferers. 

    Our churches are full of people who are going through depression, anxiety, and all ranges of mental illness. We may not see it while interacting with them on a Sunday morning, but they sit there, often silently, battling the melancholy of the mind. Older people carrying the weight of loneliness, middle-aged adults questioning their position in life, young people navigating their identity and uncertain future. They may not look depressed but are sure to be there in the pews. 

    As Christians it is important to talk about this. The Psalms do. So does Job. So does Elijah. So does Paul. And so does Spurgeon. One reason I found this book helpful was the normalising of this conversation without reducing it to Christian cliches or simplistic solutions.

    To give you an idea of the depth of Spurgeon’s struggle he once said, 

    “The mind can descend far lower than the body, for in it there are bottomless pits. The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.”

    He knew the darkness that makes it hard to pray, to preach, to feel anything at all. That numbness that comes over us when walking through an unending fog. He writes about this kind of depression as something that comes uninvited and stays longer than is welcome. And yet, in all of this, he saw no contradiction between faith and depression. He writes elsewhere, “Depression of spirit is no index of declining grace”. 

    This is encouraging for us as believers. It’s comforting to hear this from someone who has lived faithfully under the weight of this burden. How often are we prone to think such a thought or such a condition may disqualify us of our belief? But it is not so!

    We walk with Christ in the valleys and on the mountaintops and everywhere in between. 

    Eswine writes with care and warmth. He doesn’t overreach. He lets Spurgeon speak and then offers reflections that feel more like a conversation. 

    In one part of the book Eswine lists various helps that Spurgeon would undertake to help him recover from these periods of flatness, which again was really helpful. But he goes on to talk about how, 

    “The melancholy life thrives when it runs marathons instead of sprints, or when it sprints often, only to rest often. You needn’t try to do “the most things” in “the fastest ways” anymore. To resist this is to have seasons of rest and nature forced upon us by breakdown.”

    This is helpful for all of us who find ourselves running too fast and living on the edge of our limits. Whether it’s burnout, exhaustion, or anxiety, there is the invitation to slow down and let go of that performance mentality. 

    At times Spurgeon himself described what it was like when the overwhelm was upon him.In a sermon called The Christian’s Heaviness and Rejoicing he preached these words:

    “I was lying upon my couch during this last week, and my spirits were sunken so low that I could weep by the hour like a child, and yet I knew not what I wept for…”

    How about that!? How raw. How open. How vulnerable and honest. It’s not the kind of thing we would hear out of a 21st-century preacher would we?

    The book, thankfully, doesn’t offer neat answers, tied up firmly like a shoelace. It doesn’t promise that darkness will lift, but what it does do is point to Christ. It points to Christ to declare that He is the one who truly understands what we may be going through. 

    I would recommend this book to anyone, it’s a must read. It’s five stars. If you’re a pastor it will do your own soul a truckload of good, and also help you walk with those who suffer from mental illness themselves. If you’re someone who experiences depression, or are in it now, then this book gives you a helpful and faithful voice to that which you struggle with. And if you walk with those who do walk the road of mental illness then this book might help you understand it a little more. 

    To close I can’t but leave you with one of my favourite quotes from Spurgeon about suffering and depression. While speaking about God providing all our needs from Philippians 4:19 he preaches,

    “Then comes our need in suffering, for many of us are called to take our turn in the Lord’s prison camp. Here we need patience under pain and hope under depression of spirit. Who is sufficient for furnace-work? Our God will supply us with those choice Graces and consolations which shall strengthen us to glorify His name even in the fires! He will either make the burden lighter, or the back stronger—He will diminish the need, or increase the supply.”

    Amazing. 

    How great that the Lord our God is with us through the troughs of life and will indeed supply us with everything we need. 

  • Pull Up A Pew

    Pull Up A Pew

    I’ve been toying around with poetry lately, both as a fun little exercise and something to learn and improve my writing.

    I wrote the following after reflecting on Matthew 14:23, where Jesus, even after all the ministry and miracles, withdraws alone to pray. I suspect many of us live in the tension of hurry and stillness, this is a kind of prayer from that place. An invitation to slow down and respond out of the rest in his presence.

    Pull Up A Pew

    Driven, my heart beats fast and faster
    Hurried, from one to the next
    The urgent crowds out my time and place
    To sit, be still, and seek your face. 

    The mind, it races on and on
    Thinking, what I ought to do
    So much, so many, so few pursue
    But here you call, pull up a pew.

    You stopped and went with task after task
    Up the mountain, where in the Father you bask
    Teach me your ways, for I forget
    Instead I find I just project.

    I want to stop and pray my Lord
    To find the rest you promise so
    To leave the work in your hands
    As you lead me to the silent lands.

    After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. – Matthew 14:23

  • AI, Ministry, and the Shape of Discipleship

    AI, Ministry, and the Shape of Discipleship

    There’s something particularly human about opening the Bible and seeking to make sense of it for others. For pastors, that moment of sermon preparation isn’t just about information or knowledge transfer, it’s about formation, for the preacher and the people who hear it. Now, however, we need to deal with AI. It’s fast. It’s helpful. And, it’s kind of fun too! 

    But, it also raises deeper questions about our pastoral and ministerial calling, especially when it comes to the slow and patient work of preaching and shepherding others in the way of Jesus. 

    Recently, I’ve listened to two podcast episodes (here and here) from the team at the Expositors Collective (who I’d recommend you follow) and been reflecting on AI, sermon preparation, and its wider use in church ministry. 

    Tools or Crutches

    Tools abound for pastors and ministry leaders of churches. Whether it’s Bible software, commentaries, whiteboards, Canva, or various books and study guides, there’s plenty out there. AI fits into this category. A tool. It can structure meetings, summarise transcripts, brainstorm sermon series, and tidy up emails. It’s like a digital intern who doesn’t need smoke-o. 

    But there is a tipping point. And for some that might be further down the track than others. Nevertheless, the tipping point is when the tool becomes a crutch, something that ends up doing the deep work that is part of the calling of gospel ministry–the exegesis, illustration, sermon outlining, the writing, even. This tipping point comes when we trade formation for efficiency. And it is a poor trade. We may well save time, but what we risk is the personal formation of our soul and a disservice to our people.

    Sermons are lived, they are to be ‘in’ us, they are to be lifted up in prayer, and spoken through the Spirit by a person, not a prompt. 

    Presence Over Productivity

    Of course, AI promises productivity. And it’s a performance trap for us too. In some areas, like admin, research, and note-making, it’s certainly very helpful. But ministry isn’t measured by these things, nor is it measured by performance and efficiency. It’s measured in faithfulness, presence, and love for others. Those in the church who are dealing with challenge, hardship, grief, health concerns, financial difficulty, or a dark night of the soul don’t need a TED Talk crafted message, they need a pastor who has sat with the text, prayed through the text, and then communicates through the work of the Spirit. 

    And don’t get me wrong, I’m not some Luddite with anti-tech sensibilities. I’m engaging with AI tools in many areas of life, including church ministry. But we’ve got to remind ourselves that our calling is to shepherd not to massage content in ChatGPT. 

    I suppose, the danger isn’t really AI itself, it’s what it might slowly be doing to our hearts as we build faster content but remain less formed and wise in the process. 

    Discernment In Discipleship

    My point is that we’re not here to create fear or hype about AI. Every generation is already using it to some degree, and those digital natives among us are well beyond this being ‘new’. Our job is more about wisdom and discernment than it is to give some moral judgement on these technologies. It’s to help people realise that following Jesus may not be the road of shortcuts and speed.

    We need to help our churches, our people, see the difference between information and wisdom. To be able to sit in the deep with God, and let him do the work within us over a long period of time. Outsourcing formation won’t get us very far, but embracing slow discipleship, the unhurried way of Jesus will. 

    So, yes, we use these tools. But we realise that this is what they are. The question of challenge is whether I am shaping this tool or is it shaping me?

  • The Pastor’s Role in Preaching

    The Pastor’s Role in Preaching

    Christopher Ash’s The Priority of Preaching outlines a vision for pastoral ministry that puts preaching front and centre. According to Ash, a pastor’s main responsibility is to feed the congregation through diligent and faithful preaching. This is not an add-on or bit part to ministry but at the core of it. In this little gem of a book, as I’ve already written about, Ash understands the priority, graciousness, urgency, and community aspects of preaching. Here I’m focussing on how, like a good meal, the pastors views preaching, using it to nourish and shape the hearers. 

    Ash uses the image of the pastor as a shepherd who feeds the flock through the Word. Drawing on the example of John 21, where Jesus commissions Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 21:17), Ash suggests that pastoral ministry centres on delivering God’s Word in a way that sustains and strengthens the church. Preaching is not just one task among many; it is the primary way a pastor fulfils the call to shepherd God’s people. The words of Paul to Timothy echo this focus: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). For Ash, preaching is the pastor’s highest responsibility, and it’s a role that calls for dedication, preparation, and humility.

    The shepherd’s role is also one of “borrowed authority,” as Ash puts it. This authority doesn’t rest in the pastor’s own wisdom or personal charisma but is grounded in the Word of God. Ash warns that preaching is “costly,” because it requires the pastor to set aside personal ambition and serve as a messenger. This humility is vital, as James 3:1 reminds us: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” The authority that comes with preaching is given from God, and it calls pastors to treat the pulpit with a sense of reverence, understanding that they are accountable to God for how they handle His Word.

    One of Ash’s strongest points is that pastoral ministry, centred on preaching, is about leading people to grace. Preaching  isn’t primarily about moral instruction or behaviour change; it’s about continually pointing people back to the grace of God, bringing them back to the gospel. This is what sustains. This is what transforms. This emphasis on grace aligns Titus 2:11-12, which teaches that “the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions.” For Ash, the pastor’s call is to regularly remind the congregation that grace is at the heart of the Christian life. This is the true “food” of the flock, helping them grow in faith and godliness.

    Ash’s perspective on preaching as a form of shepherding challenges us to think about ministry not as a collection of tasks but as a singular calling to nurture and sustain God’s people through the Word. This vision pushes back against the idea that a pastor’s role is primarily administrative or focused on personal connections. While those are important aspects, Ash argues that the heart of the role is to be a steward of grace through preaching. This focus calls pastors to prioritise their study, prayer, and preparation for the pulpit above other activities. It echoes the approach of the apostles in Acts 6:4, who, despite the demands of church leadership, committed themselves “to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

    This view also has practical implications for how pastors approach their work. Effective pastoral ministry requires a commitment to feed the church regularly and intentionally through the Word. This means more than just delivering a message each week; it involves shepherding the church toward spiritual maturity, addressing encouragement and correction where needed. It’s in line with Paul’s charge to the Ephesian church to “equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Preaching is a means in which God uses to guide the church toward unity and maturity. 

    However, this isn’t all about the congregation either. This perspective encourages pastors to approach their calling with humility, and also with the need of grace. It’s one thing to deliver a sermon, having spent time in God’s Word during the week, but it’s another to make sure it is in you. It is shaping and nourishing me as the preacher. I, more than anyone else, know the grace I need each and every week. And with the responsibility, the care, and the excitement of getting up there on a Sunday morning I know more than anyone else in front of me how much of that grace God has given during the week. To preach with conviction and to authentically will mean the need to be walking closely with God throughout. 

    To finish this series of reflections on this book by Ash it is a reminder that pastors are not just communicators or leaders, but that we are people who dispense grace. To keep the gospel central to our own lives and the lives of those we shepherd. 

  • Rest in the Rock – Trusting God in the Pressure Cooker of Life

    Rest in the Rock – Trusting God in the Pressure Cooker of Life

    We live in a world that celebrates busyness and productivity, yet many of us feel burned out and empty. Sometimes we feel like we’re barely holding it together. All these demands on our time and on our life stack up, and no matter how hard you try to push through, telling yourself it’ll be easier once this season of busyness is over, the pressure doesn’t ease. 

    In working through Psalm 62 we don’t find a quick fix or productivity hacks, but we find something deeper, something that speaks into this reality: rest in the refuge of God. 

    In my last post we explored the idea of finding our true rest in God alone, using the phrase ‘Rest in the Rock’ as somewhat of a reminder of this. Flowing on from this we find Psalm 62 helpful as we navigate the pressure cooker of life, reminding us that trusting in God as our refuge provides rest for us. 

    The Pressure Cooker

    Over Summer, here in Melbourne, we’ve already had plenty of days that have hit 30 degrees or more. Days where the heat is sapping our energy, where if we’re out in the heat of the day for too long we are drained more than usual and only find relief in our iced drinks air conditioned living rooms. It sometimes surprises us that a heatwave, even a couple of days in a row, can bring on a sense of weariness. 

    The psalmist David captures this kind of weariness in Psalm 62 when he writes, 

    Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. (Psalm 62:9)

    If we’re honest this verse can be a bit of a downer. It gives a picture of the fleeting life. No matter our position or status, no matter the things we chase after like wealth, recognition, and achievement, it’ll all be gone. It’s the same for all.  

    When we are faced with a heatwave we go searching for shade or a cool room. When we are inside with the blinds drawn, or under the air conditioner, or even in the pool, the sun is still there. The heat is still there. What those things do is shield us and offer us relief. This is what it means to take refuge in God. It doesn’t mean the pressure of life will vanish, but he gives our soul a place to breathe, to rest, to cool down again. 

    The False Refuge

    But, when the pressures of life stack up, one upon another, we don’t always run to God first. Often we turn to those temporary comforts. 

    These days it’s most likely going to be scrolling through social media or playing around on our phones. But it could go the other way, being focussed so much on work or picking up a project that stops us from being involved in others responsibilities in life. These ‘refuges’ dull that heatwave of pressure but leave us just as empty as before. 

    In v10 the psalmist warns about these false refuges when he writes, 

    Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. (Psalm 62:10)

    I doubt most of us are engaging in extortion or stealing or fraud, but the bigger point is about what we put our trust in. Whether it is money, status, performance, or distraction, these things are not given to us to sustain us. In fact, they are as fleeting as our own lives. Our search for rest and fulfilment in these things soon become as exhausting as the other pressures of life.

    God Our Refuge

    Instead, Psalm 62 offers up a better way.

    Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:8)

    We have here an invitation into an honest relationship with God. 

    It’s funny how we often put aside our raw and honest selves, hiding those things deep within our hearts to God. He knows them anyway, but something about the sin and brokenness of our soul makes us shield ourselves from the guilt and shame we know sits there. We’d like to present polished versions of ourselves to God, but instead we’re like Adam and Eve just after they’ve eaten from the forbidden tree, hiding our true selves from the God who loves us so. 

    God, after all, is the only refuge in life that we can come to in total abandon. He is the one who will hear us, have compassion and kindness toward us, when we ‘pour out our hearts’ to him. Like a dam that must release the overflow, our hearts full of the pressures of life are invited to release and freedom when we acknowledge our trust in him. 

    Rest In Jesus

    This theme of refuge finds its fulfilment in Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus gives this powerful invitation:

    Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

    This is the kind of rest we need—not just relief from our circumstances but a deep, soul-level peace that comes from knowing we are held by him who loves us.

    Jesus doesn’t promise to remove life’s pressures, but he does offer to walk with us through them. When we trust him as our refuge, we find freedom from striving to prove our worth or control everything ourselves.

    Psalm 62 reminds us that our true refuge is in God. He is the shade in the heat, and the rest our souls long for.