Author: otsgef
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The Ten Commandments #1 — No Other Gods (Exodus 20:1–3)
The first commandment is short — and ruthless. Exodus 20 starts with rescue, then demands exclusive allegiance: no rival gods. Mark 10 shows how a respectable life can still be ruled by a functional god. The only way through is Christ — fulfilment, forgiveness, and new desires.
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Mark 6:1-29 – from the archives from 2016!
Mark 6 is a chain of previews: Jesus rejected at home, disciples sent into rejection, and John’s death under a cowardly “king”. It’s all pointing forward — to the cross, and to the kingdom’s advance despite refusal.
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Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control
Self-control is not willpower with a Christian sticker on top. It’s the Spirit pressing the grace of Christ into an ordinary life until a new steadiness grows.
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Jonah 1 — The Reluctant Evangelist (Mona Vale, 18 Sept 2016)
Jonah 1 — The Reluctant Evangelist Preached at Mona Vale Anglican — 18 September 2016 This sermon opens the Jonah series with three fears in the passage: • The fear of Nineveh — a brutal, violent superpower whose cruelty was legendary. • The fear of the sailors — terror that becomes worship when the storm…
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Word Matters #8 — “Saint”: Why Ordinary Christians Can Use the S-Word Without Blushing
“Saint” doesn’t mean spiritual hall-of-fame material. In the New Testament it’s the family name for every believer—ordinary Christians set apart for God in Christ. This piece clears the fog and gives the word back to Scripture.
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Word Matters #7 — “Church”: Why Buildings Aren’t the Church (They’re Just the Rain Shelter)
A deep dive into what “church” really means — why ekklēsia is people, not buildings, and why the “rain shelter” joke is good theology.
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Word Matters #6 — “Holy Catholic Church”: Why I Don’t Say “Holy Universal Church”
Early in ministry I thought replacing “catholic” with “universal” in the creed was pastoral genius. Years later, I’m convinced the swap creates more confusion than it solves. “Catholic” is the older, clearer, safer word — once you explain it. This piece explores why the historic term guards the gospel better than its modern substitute, and…
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Word Matters #5 — The P-Word: Priest, Presbyter, and “The Rev on the Railway”
On the railway my nickname is “The Rev” — short for “Reverend”, because I’m an Anglican priest. But the P-word is complicated: OT priests, NT priests, presbyters, English drift, Sydney’s “presbyter” fix. This post untangles why the labels matter without messing with the gospel.
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Word Matters #4 — Metanoia: the Spirit-driven U-turn
A fresh look at metanoia — the New Testament’s repentance word — and how a small Greek verb helped overturn a medieval system, reshape the Reformation, and still calls believers today into a Spirit-driven U-turn of life.
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Word Matters #3 — Was Jesus “Moved with Compassion” or “Indignant”?
A fascinating little variant in Mark 1:41 — why do some Bibles say Jesus was “moved with compassion” while others say he was “indignant”? A gentle guide for ordinary Christians.