A Different Perspective Official Podcast

Believing in Jesus is a step of faith.  Plain and simple.  Believing that He can and will make a difference to our lives – well that's a step of faith too.  And sometimes – it can be a huge step.

Over these last few weeks we've been talking about being the "me" we were each meant to be, and do you know, we all want that. We all want to somehow grow into who we are meant to be and to realise our destiny. And maybe over these last fe...

When we make a change – a real change for the better in our lives, it involves in effect dying to the old things and living in the new things.  But try as we will, sometimes we can still be wrapped up in the old.

I don't know if you've ever watched one of those old black and white westerns on TV, I grew up with them. There were the baddies and the goodies and then there was that ubiquitous wanted poster, you know the one that said ...

It's one thing to believe in Jesus and to believe in eternal life – but there are people walking around who believe that stuff, yet somehow they're not quite living the life that He promised us for here and now.

You know, it can sometimes be easier to believe in eternal life, than the fact that God wants to give us a rich, abundant life here and now.  What do you think?

I passionately believe that God has the most amazing plan for your life and mine.  In His heart He conceived us and with His hands – He made us who we are. And He wants us to be the person He made us to be.

So many people compare themselves with others and come to the conclusion – Well, I'm not much good for anything.  But each one of us has a gift.  An ability.  Something that's just ….well, us!

So many people aren't happy with who they are.  But – well, what if God is?  What if God looks at you and is the most delighted Dad in the universe?  And what if we saw ourselves the way He does?

Everyone and everything seems to want to tell us who we should be and how we should live.  It's like the world is trying to squeeze us into its mould.  The problem is – we don't fit.

Truth: We can't change the past. We may well want to, but we can't and yet, it's amazing how many people are gripped by the hurts and failures from their past.  Jesus came to set us free – maybe it's time for you to break with the power of the past.

I remember how hard it was for me to give up smoking all those years ago.  And in the same way, giving up other bad things in our lives can be hard.  Do I or don't I? And if I do – how do I give them up?

Let's say that God has a plan for each one of us.  For our lives.  Now – is that a good thing or a bad thing?  Maybe He has a good plan.  But – what if we don't like that plan?  Does it become a straitjacket?

Over the years something I've thought a lot about is whether the idea of that this God I happen to believe in has a plan for my life is a good thing or a bad thing. I mean on the one hand the idea that a good God could have a ...

Have you noticed how just living life produces waste products.  We breathe out Carbon dioxide.  We perspire.  We create rubbish.  The same is true in life – and if we don't take out that rubbish, it can kill us.

I don't know if you've ever noticed but living an average normal everyday life creates dirt. I mean just eating and drinking and living, the most basic things, create waste products. Carbon dioxide that we breathe out with ...

Most of us have a sense of destiny – something that we're supposed to fulfil in our lives.  But if I'm going to be the me I was meant to be, if you're going to be the you that you were meant to be, then we have to know who we were meant to be in the first place.

If you want to ask yourself the question, am I being the "me" I was meant to be, am I really fulfilling the destiny for my life, how would you answer? On a scale of one to ...

Have you ever sat down and wondered – who am I?  Where's my life headed? Am I being the me that I was meant to be?  Well, you're not alone.  We all ask those questions at some point.

I remember once a few years back being in the airport in Christchurch, New Zealand. My international flight from Australia was late in getting in and I had to race to make the last domestic connection that night to my final destination Wellington, New ...

God wants to unleash power, power unlimited in your life. And one of the ways that He does that is when you hear His Word preached and take it into your heart. There's power, real power, power unlimited right there in God's Word.

If you spend anytime with me here on the program one of the things you will know is that I'm really passionate about God and what He has to say. Not in a religious sort of a way but in a Jesus sort of way.

So many people, when they open their Bibles, run into a significant problem. They don't quite understand what's going on – that's certainly the problem I used to run into. It's not that I'm stupid, it's just that a lot of it didn't make all that much sense to me. So if you find yourself in that boat from time to time, stick with me, because today, we're going to make your Bible a whole bunch more accessible to you.

I have to tell y...

God's Word is packed full of power … power unlimited … to transform your life. But one of the biggest problems people have with the Bible is understanding it. Making sense of it. Knowing where it comes from, and where what they're reading today fits into the big picture. Well, I think it's time we did something about that.

We've all heard of those word association tests that psychologists use. You know, they say 'black', you say 'w...

So, we've been chatting on the program recently about laying hold of the unlimited power that God wants to give those who love Him. Great … but come on, how do you actually lay hold of that power? Well … the answer may not be what you think.

A few years ago now, I had the opportunity to speak with a group of high school students at the opening of their college and senior campus. The subject of my presentation was this: 'How to Get ...

They say that following Jesus isn't easy. And not just "they". In fact Jesus said that following Jesus wouldn't be easy. Because following Jesus means swimming against the tide of popular opinion. Following Jesus means, all too often … in fact most of the time … going in the opposite direction. That's why we need power … power unlimited … to follow Jesus.

Last week on the program, we were chatting about the unlimited power that's a...