Why do people who do wrong seem to prosper while I struggle?

It’s easy for us to waver and doubt when we confront the unfairness of life. In Psalm 73, the psalmist describes how this almost brought him to ruin. I’ll let him describe his dilemma in his own words,

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:1–3).

The psalmist’s answer is central to how we respond to the unfairness of life.

It’s easy to understand the dilemma that the psalmist was facing, because we ourselves have faced it many times. Why is it that the arrogant and the selfish seem to win? Why is it that those who seem to have no respect for others or for God prosper, while you struggle so much? It is one thing to acknowledge that God is good, but is he good to you when your whole world seems to be crumbling around you? It’s so easy for your feet to slip. It’s so easy to give up!

So, what is it that kept the psalmist on the right path? His answer is central to how we respond to the unfairness of life. This is what he says,

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you (Psalm 73:25).

What the psalmist says is that even though he can’t understand, God is all he has. If he lets go of God, where will he end up?

The challenges of life throw us back into the arms of God, calling us to trust him more deeply. 

God invites us to challenge and to question, because he knows that is how we grow. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are many people who question God and end up abandoning him altogether. The sense of unfairness they see around them is way too big, and the disconnect between the message of Jesus and how they see his followers live is just too great.

Psalm 73 shows us that the great questions of today are fundamentally the same questions that people faced millenia ago. These are the questions that we will all face in our lives, sometimes constantly, or in moments of crisis.

The Psalmist’s answer is still relevant today, even after thousands of years. His answer doesn’t involve the presentation of a rational or logical argument to explain the dilemma of the unfairness of life. Ultimately, as the book of Job illustrates, there is no such easy answer that we can understand this side of eternity. Instead, the challenges of life throw us back into the arms of God, calling us to trust him more deeply. 

Is God enough for you?

Don’t be surprised if there are people who do wrong and have a lot more money than you do, while you might even be poor and destitute. Don’t be surprised if the ungodly have plenty of good things to eat, while you may be limited in what you can feed your children. Don’t be surprised if the ungodly have fancy clothes and fancy cars and luxurious houses, while you don’t. None of these things are what God has promised to his children here on this earth. This is a reality that will be constantly thrown in your face by the forces of evil, with the purpose of making you doubt and abandon your faith.

This psalm asks us some very challenging questions. The ultimate question it asks you is, “Is God enough for you?” If you were to lose everything you have in this world, would you still count God as your friend? Would you still be faithful to him? If you think about it, this is really the question that the book of Job poses as well.

Too many people today follow Jesus for the blessings, in the same way that the crowds followed him for the miraculous bread and the fish. What about you? Do you follow God for his sake alone? Is God enough for you?

Article supplied with thanks to Dr Eliezer Gonzalez.

About the Author: Dr Eli Gonzalez is the Senior Pastor of Good News Unlimited and the presenter of the Unlimited radio spots, and The Big Question. Sign up to his free online course called Becoming a Follower of Jesus to learn about Jesus and His message.

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Three Common Habits that Lead to Self-Sabotage.

Most of us (and I include myself here) are instinctive blamers. When something goes wrong, it’s obvious whose fault it is. It’s theirs, and if it wasn’t for them, life would be so much better. The trouble is that every now and then we realise that that simply isn’t true. It is alleged that when asked the question “What’s wrong with the world?” the great G.K.Chesterton replied “I am”. You’ve completely missed the point if that makes you think we should blame Chesterton for everything! His counsel is wise. When looking for the cause of some wrong, at some point our eyes should turn inward, and we should ask the curious question, “In what way am I the mountain? In what way is my response the problem?” This becomes all the more pertinent when we ask why we don’t reach the dreams we aspire towards. We can usually rattle off a list of insurmountable obstacles. But what if the chief obstacle is your response, and you are engaging in the old rite of self-sabotage?

Longer term readers of this blog will know that I advocate that when we face a difficult scenario we run through a series of questions:

What is mine to carry? It’s true, not everything about this issue is likely to be my fault or my responsibility, but which parts are?

What is yours to carry? ‘Yours’ here refers to the other person or people involved in the situation. We don’t need to rescue others or to carry the load alone. It’s about objectively seeing who should carry what.

What is the systems to carry? Often we are in trouble because of poor system design. It’s sometimes not about individuals getting their act together but reshaping dysfunctional systems that were always going to fail.

What is God’s to carry? We ask this because much of life is completely out of our control, and we simply have to leave many things in God’s hands, though this should not be an excuse to stop doing what we should.

But there is a layer to work on beyond these four questions- and it often falls into the category of “what’s mine to carry?” When things persistently go wrong, or fall short of what we hoped for, we should be willing to ask “in what way is this about me and the way I am approaching things? Could it be that my response is the key issue here?”

First it is as well to note that we have an inbuilt tendency to self-sabotage. Paul writes of this in Romans 7:15-20 when he laments that he finds himself doing the things he hates. He cannot understand himself and acknowledges that without God, the chance of real and deep change is negligible. We shouldn’t dismiss Paul as being too gloomy. He has identified a deep truth. We should face our need for change with humility. We are unlikely to be able to do it alone.

It also helps to identify some of the more common forms of self-sabotage. Here are three I have spotted in myself – and I imagine you can add others to the list:

One: The mountain is me when I play the victim card. 

Don’t misunderstand me on this. We all have sad and unfair things happen to us. No – they aren’t divided up in equal measure. Some face dramatically more difficult scenarios than others. For all that, if I think of myself as primarily a victim I dramatically reduce the likelihood that my situation will ever change, because those who act like victims (regardless of if they are or not) tend to stay there. Far better to look reality in the face and to ask what options I have, and if I have used them. In more dramatic cases the only option could be through my inner reality – an inner reality that insists that I am not who you say and think I am, and that in my inner being I am free – even if outwardly I am in chains. But I am pushing this to the extreme and reality is usually a long way from there.

For most of us it’s realising that just because our first, and perhaps second and third choices are not available, does not mean we can’t still engage meaningfully with what is possible. We can shift our focus from what can’t be to what can be, and assume responsibility in this sphere. Perhaps you didn’t have an ideal childhood, or education, or were belittled and ridiculed… No need to pretend that that wasn’t hard and damaging, but what next? Deciding to get up is an intentional choice. It’s refusing to play the victim. And so many positive things happen when we make that life serving choice. We might have to identify an inner script that works against us. 

That’s why it’s self sabotage – that little voice that says, “You aren’t worth it; you can’t do this; you always mess up; as if you could turn it around.” We need to embrace our counter voice. “You say I’m not worth it. Just watch me. And you know what? It’s not your evaluation that I’m going to pay attention to anyway…” Then get up, look at the mountain, and climb each step one at a time. You are not a victim.

Two: The mountain is me when I fail to prioritise. 

This is an easier one to work with, but I’m surprised at how many don’t take it seriously. There are many things in life that matter, but they don’t matter equally. Don’t sweat the small stuff. So you misunderstood something and it was terribly embarrassing. So what? We’ve all been there. Move along! Don’t be so serious about yourself that you lose perspective. Ask if you are spending the bulk of your time and energy on things that actually matter to you. Name your priorities. If you don’t, you are likely to find yourself focusing on secondary matters.

Three: The mountain is me when I continue to build on an unstable foundation. 

You are probably aware of Jesus’ instruction to build our house on the rock, even though sand is initially an easier option (Matt 7:24-27). Building on sand can happen in different ways. I consult with many organisations and have often heard leaders say: “If we could go back to the drawing board we would never build our company this way. But history is what it is and so we carry on as we always have.” And a year later it is even more of a problem, and five years later – well sometimes they aren’t around in five years – for the problems they refused to rectify have now consumed them.

People do this in so many ways. Often we run away from difficult conversations – but they are the conversations that open up a path to the future. Or we learn to live with a problem, rationalising that it is not worth the effort to put it right. What we fail to calculate is the compounding impact over time. It’s worth asking if you keep justifying some things even though you know they are not justifiable. We often come up with the most elaborate excuses to retain the status quo rather than face the temporary discomfort of putting things right.

These are certainly not the only mountains of our own creating, and I imagine you could add many more (and feel free to in the comments). But I wanted to get us thinking and to ask the curious question: If this week I stopped blaming and asked “In what way is my response the problem” what might I start to do differently? Why not take the risk?

Article supplied with thanks to Brian Harris.

About the Author: Brian is a speaker, teacher, leader, writer, author and respected theologian who is founding director of the AVENIR Leadership Institute, fostering leaders who will make a positive impact on the world.

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How a workout group became a pathway to faith.

Many people go to the gym with a goal in mind. To get stronger, to release stress, to train for sport. But what if your workout could strengthen more than your body? What if it could deepen your faith too? Fitness and faith might seem an unlikely pairing, but they actually have more similarities than we realise. Nick Danev, a Melbourne-based health and fitness coach and Owen Hone, a men’s coach and personal branding strategist, discuss Gym Church and share how God is not just reaching people in seats on Sunday, but in between sets too.

Gym Church is a movement that started as a small group of friends training together and reading the Bible that is now reaching thousands across Australia and beyond. Nick shared, “Gym Church has become a bridge for many people that would never, ever set foot in a normal church.”

How Did Gym Church Start?

Gym Church started from humble beginnings. “[We] just wanted to train with each other,” Nick shared. “We wanted to deepen our faith and connect with other brothers.” It began with just a few men with a willingness to train their bodies and their hearts for Jesus.

What started as a small group of friends quickly became hundreds of regular attenders. But Nick and Owen continue to give the glory back to God. “We just know that this has been breathed by God, because we can’t take credit for this really at all,” Nick shared.

As interest in the group grew, they opened it to women. Now Gym Church runs on a simple rhythm the pair call the “Trinity effect”: exhaust the body, tame the mind and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And as they train together, they are building a Christ-centred community united by faith and shared purpose.

A Bridge to Church, Not a Replacement for It

Gym Church is not meant to take the place of a church service. Instead, it serves as a vessel to bring people into church. “We have specifically avoided the Sunday, we do not want to compete with the church,” Nick said. “We’ve always said that we are the bridge for the church. We want to bring people to church.”

Through movements like Gym Church, conversations around Christianity can be brought into places where they might not otherwise happen. As Owen puts it, “It’s that lower barrier for entry where they can come and get to encounter God. And then once God gets a hold of them, well, He takes care of the rest.”

The Ache a Workout Can’t Fix

Nick’s own story is part of why Gym Church exists. He grew up without a father figure, and he found himself seeking that kind of love from other men. That search led him into drug and alcohol addiction and severe depression. A friend who had turned his own life around kept inviting him to church, and Nick kept saying no. Then one desperate day, he said yes. “I received and felt the love from other people that I never have ever felt in my life,” he said. “I felt the love of the Father for the very first time. And from that moment, I just was completely changed.”

Owen describes the same emptiness in different words. “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle piece. You can try and stuff drugs, alcohol, sport, business in there, but until you find God and you put Him there, nothing will replace it.” Nothing else but God can satisfy. Not even a gym program. That’s why both men are so eager to lead other people back to the love they have found in Jesus.

The Hunger for Community

Owen believes the appeal of Gym Church says something about where people are at right now. “There’s two things that people absolutely need, and that is God and that is community,” he said. “With social media and AI and everything going on, people went down that route, and now they’re realising they’re more disconnected than ever.” That craving for real, in-person connection, the kind where people can be honest about what they are struggling with and pray for one another, is exactly what keeps drawing people back week after week.

Jesus is the Ultimate Model of Strength

As many men grapple with messages that leave them feeling undervalued or directionless, some turn to toxic online communities in search of identity and belonging. Nick and Owen offer a different path, pointing men to Jesus as the truest model of authentic masculinity. “Jesus was the, we call it the hardest man to ever live,” Nick shared. “He was loving and caring. But He came to stand against the corruption and go against what was happening at the time.”

When our eyes are fixed on Jesus as the perfector of our faith, other pursuits begin to find their proper place. “Your body can be an expression to go and advance His kingdom and to serve people.” When we recognise that our bodies are temples of the living God, we can begin to work out physically what God is working in spiritually, as we “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Hope for Every Empty Space

Gym Church proves something simple: when we open our lives to others and bring Jesus into the middle of it, ordinary places become sacred ones. For Nick and Owen, that looked like creating Gym Church. But for many of us, it might be bringing Jesus into our morning walk, a grocery run or even a weekly catch-up. None of these things seem especially spiritual on the surface, but they are often the places that people need Jesus the most.

You may not be called to start a movement like Gym Church, but you can create space for meaningful conversations wherever God has placed you. Sometimes all it takes is a willingness to look beyond sets and reps and talk about the deeper things of life. More often than not, that’s where hope begins.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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Imagine walking for 7 hours each day in the scorching heat just to collect water.

My own two children are grown up now, but I’m constantly reminded of just how beautifully chaotic, exhausting, and all-consuming those early years of parenting are when spending time with our grandkids

These days, my wife and I get the joy of being Ma and Pa to our daughter’s two-year-old son and twin baby daughters. Whenever I visit them, my heart is reminded of how fragile, precious, and completely dependent little children are on us to keep them safe.

Each morning, I watch Harmony in the kitchen making her girls’ bottles or filling up her son’s drink bottle. She turns the tap on, water flows instantly, and she fills the kettle or drink bottle and moves on to the next task.

Which is why when I went to Tanzania, the different reality for mothers hit home.

Thinking back on my trip…

Visiting a school in the region of Simanjiro, I’m surrounded by dry, dusty earth under a blazing sun. And as a grandfather, my heart is heavy with a contrast that I just can’t shake.

[Photo of Joel A’Bell in Simanjiro, Tanzania with two yellow jerry cans] 

Here I’m holding two yellow jerry cans.  The type you might find in your local Bunnings. Empty, they weigh next to nothing. But filled up? They hold 20 litres of water each. That’s about 20 kilos I’m holding in each hand. 

As a grown man, I can lift these. But imagine a young mother or girl, maybe the same age as your daughter or granddaughter, carrying that crushing weight. 

Worse yet, imagine the distance she must walk each day to bring water home for her family. 

I met a mother named Nangida who walks ten kilometres twice a day to the nearest source of water.  The journey is hard, with a baby on her back and a toddler whose little legs can’t keep up.  She relies on her eight-year-old daughter Sophie to help, feeling guilty that she misses school because of it.  

[Nangida (above) walks ten kilometres twice a day with her children to collect water.] 

Think about that for a moment. To get enough water just to survive, Nangida and her children are walking up to 7 hours a day in the scorching heat. To get water that they need to survive, but that could also make them sick. 

The community here is incredibly resilient. Like my daughter, Nangida has dreams for her children’s future. 

Harmony wants her children to learn, play and grow. The families here want the exact same thing. They don’t want handouts; they simply want access to water so they drink, cook food and grow crops for themselves. They want their daughters to stay in the classroom, not walk half the day for water that isn’t even safe to drink. 

It feels overwhelming, doesn’t it? But the solution is simple. 

When a community gets access to clean water right where they live, the cycle of poverty breaks instantly: 

• Young girls can drop the heavy jerry cans and stay in school to get an education. 

• Children no longer get sick or die from water filled with bacteria and parasites. 

• Families can start farming, planting crops, and generating an income. 

Let’s use what we have been given to give these children the future they deserve. You can donate here.

Article supplied with thanks to Convoy of Hope

National Director, Convoy of Hope Australia and New Zealand

Feature image: Supplied

How having access to clean, safe water changed Kikama’s whole future.

Eleven-year-old Kikama lives in a remote village in Longido, Tanzania. She is bright, full of life, and dreams of one day becoming a doctor so she can help people suffering from sickness and disease. But from the young age of seven, Kikama’s dreams were sidelined by a heavy jerrycan. 

Instead of sitting in a classroom, Kikama’s days were consumed by walking for hours along rocky paths to collect water from the forest for her family. To make matters worse, the only water she found was shared with wild animals and contaminated with bacteria and parasites. 

“The water that we were going to collect in the forest was not safe to drink because wild animals were drinking the same water, the livestock were drinking the same water, at the same place. People were bathing there, washing right there. So the water was not clean,” she recalls. 

The unsafe water meant Kikama constantly missed school, and watched her friends and family repeatedly fall ill. Even when food was available, the dirty water robbed children’s bodies of critical nutrients, threatening their health and stalling precious potential.  

“It led to diseases like cholera, dysentery, and people were getting sick because of that water. It was not clean at all,” she says tearfully. 

The Day Kikama’s Life Changed 

Kikama’s life changed when Convoy of Hope came to her community. Partnering with local leadership and experts, Convoy started with drilling boreholes and setting up water pumps, towers, pipelines, and taps – bringing a reliable source of safe water right to Kikama’s school in the heart of the community. 

Image: Kikama and friends using the new hand-washing station at school.

With fresh water available at school, everything transformed. Convoy provided agricultural training for local farmers – and helped set up a flourishing vegetable garden and tomato greenhouses at the school. It provides healthy food for school lunches, and also generates income that will help the community maintain the water pumps for years to come. 

Kikama no longer has to choose between an education and survival. Today, she can pour her energy into studying to become a doctor. As she joyfully puts it: “Everything is going so, so well after getting water.” 

“Our life has changed a lot after getting water at school… we are getting water for cooking, at school we’re getting food. We’re getting water for washing our clothes, for cleaning, doing all the hygienic activities at school.” 

Image: Children Washing Produce Grown with Water.

With water, Kikama’s school now grows fresh vegetables and tomatoes which helps her and her friends stay healthy.

You Can Give a Child Safe Water  

Joel A’Bell, National Director of Convoy of Hope Australia and New Zealand, says that access to safe water does so much more than quench thirst. It shatters the cycle of poverty and unlocks health, dignity, and opportunity for entire villages. 

“The harsh reality is that 1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water. For young girls like Kikama, this crisis turns daily life into a struggle and stops them from attending school,” he explains. 

Through a simple act of generosity, you can help transform the life of a child like Kikama.

Every dollar multiplies hope, one drop at a time: 

You can give a child like Kikama a life-giving gift of safe water here.

*Statistic provided by the World Health Organisation.

Article supplied with thanks to Convoy of Hope

Mariska Meldrum, Water for Life Day Campaign Manager 

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Finding rest in God every day.

As I write this, I am sitting on the verandah of a farmhouse built in 1915. The breeze is chilly, but I am rugged up and the sun occasionally breaks through the clouds. A couple of birds engage in a noisy game of chasey in a nearby tree. I haven’t seen a car for hours. I am surrounded by fields of green crops just peeping above the surface, encouraged by this year’s rains. It’s not just that I am resting. I feel completely rested.

But it’s not always a practical solution to drive out to the farm and stay for a few days. This feeling of being rested should be transferable to real life, even in the midst of daily routines and struggles. Rest needs to be something I can carry with me as much as something I do.

Matthew 11:28-30 tells us that we find rest in Jesus as we come to him, walk with him, and learn from him. Is that the answer?  I think that it is. We can implement routines for rest, create habits to help us, and set reminders to rest and work well. That’s still not the same as feeling completely rested. That feeling comes from surrender. It comes from total trust that even when things feel out of control, God is in control. 

Being rested and working from a place of rest starts with an acknowledgment that God is our place of rest. Then we can navigate work, life, family, and relationships from a posture of peace, even in the hard times.

Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.

About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.

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Why every child deserves clean access to water.

The morning before I flew to Tanzania started like so many others. 

My two boys woke up full of energy, ready to play. I packed their school lunches and filled their drink bottles without giving it a second thought. 

A few days later, after a long journey, I arrived in a village in Tanzania. 

I was expecting heat and dust. But nothing could have prepared my mother’s heart for the stark reality of thirst. 

In the village we visited, water wasn’t just scarce- it was incredibly difficult to access. 

Everywhere I looked, I saw evidence of it. But what struck me most wasn’t the dry landscape…

It was the children. 

As a mum of two boys, I found myself constantly comparing the children I met with my own sons back home. They laughed, played and joked with each other just like my boys do. Childhood looked familiar. 

One thing, however, stood out. 

Many of the children carried a plastic cup everywhere they went. Some held it tightly in their hands. Others had it tied to their clothing so they wouldn’t lose it. At first, I didn’t understand why. 

Then I realised. The cup wasn’t the problem. The missing thing was water. 

I noticed many of the children seemed tired. Compared to my own primary-school-aged boys, they didn’t have the same energy. Yet they still found ways to play. I watched them play soccer on a dusty field using a ball made from strips of fabric. Their joy and resilience were remarkable. 

The memory of one child in particular stayed with me. 

His name is Jonathan. He’s 11 years old, quiet and softly spoken, with kind eyes that reminded me so much of my eldest son. 

Jonathan lives in a village in Simanjiro, Tanzania. 

When I asked Jonathan about his life, he told me that water is one of his family’s greatest challenges. 

His mother collects water for their family. The journey begins around seven o’clock in the morning and can take hours. Sometimes they come face-to-face with elephants along the way.  

When I asked Jonathan whether he drinks water every day, his answer stopped me in my tracks. 

“I don’t drink water every day. There are days that I don’t drink water and some I do.” 

He explained that they go without water three times a week. 

As a parent, I couldn’t imagine telling my children they couldn’t have a drink of water when they were thirsty. Yet for Jonathan, this is normal. 

Despite the challenges he faces, Jonathan still dreams about the future. He wants to become a doctor so he can help people. 

When I asked him how he would feel if water was available at school, his face lit up. 

“I would feel so good. Because we have water to drink.” 

Meeting Jonathan reminded me that children everywhere are remarkably alike. They want to play. They want to learn. They dream about their futures. 

The difference isn’t their potential. 

It’s access to something many of us never have to think about. Safe water. 

As I left the village, I couldn’t stop thinking about my own boys. Every day they turn on a tap without a second thought. Every day they run, play and learn with water readily available. 

Jonathan deserves that same opportunity. And so do the children in his village. 

When I came home, I sat down with my boys and told them about Jonathan. Like most primary-aged kids, their first ideas were simple and sweet. “Can we just buy them lots of water?” one of them asked. It opened up a beautiful conversation about what really helps. 

We talked about how buying bottled water might help for a short time but wouldn’t change things long-term. Then we spoke about something bigger, like how helping to dig a well, teaching the community how to care for it, would create a lasting source of clean water. 

Their eyes lit up. 

When I explained that it costs $25 to give someone safe water for life, our boys were eager to be part of it. Recently, my youngest had a birthday and received some money. We’ve been teaching our boys to spend some, save some, and give some- and without hesitation, he chose to give part of his money to help a child like Jonathan. 

For our family, a profound lesson in gratitude started with a boy carrying a cup, and a simple reminder of how much we have, and how easily we can share it.  

As mums, we constantly look for ways to raise kind, empathetic children.

By giving a gift, you aren’t just filling an empty cup, you’re unlocking a child’s health, education, and future. To find out more about how you can make a difference, visit here.

Article supplied with thanks to Convoy of Hope

Michelle McAndrews, Communications Director, Convoy of Hope Australia & New Zealand

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Rosedale isn’t the kind of place you’d expect to find a rapidly growing church, but God’s moving in regional Australia.

The regional Queensland town of Rosedale is about 30 kilometres inland from Bundaberg.

Dave and Shelly Drage lead Power Community Church in Rosedale. Across the Rosedale district, Dave estimates the population to be about 300 people.

With around 100 people in the town itself, it’s surprising to find around 120 people are connected with Power Community Church.

“Yeah, the math doesn’t work out real well, does it?” Dave shared.

From Acoustic Guitar to a Growing Congregation

Five years ago, a 100-year-old chapel stood waiting in Rosedale when Dave and Shelly arrived with a sense of calling, not a master plan.

“We came here from up in the Gulf Country,” Dave said.

“There was nothing, but God said, ‘Buy this little place and open up the doors and see what I’ll do.’

“And so, we did that.”

“We started with my wife, myself, and an acoustic guitar. We opened up the doors one Sunday and just said, ‘Look, we’re here and we’ll see what [God will] do.”

What followed has been steady, organic growth without marketing campaigns or big-city resources.

“For the most part, we just get out of the way and let Jesus do what he does best.”

“We just kept it simple and kept it Jesus focused,” Dave said.

“He’s just done some very special and amazing things.”

Today, a typical Sunday sees between 60 to 80 people gathering, filling the small heritage-listed building to capacity.

“The little church only fits about 60 or 70 people. So, yeah, if everyone comes on the one day, we’re in strife.”

Lives Totally Changed by Knowing Jesus

For Dave, the real story isn’t the numbers.

“People’s lives are completely turned upside down and changed,” Dave said about the impact of Jesus on Rosedale. More than 80 per cent of those attending the church are new believers – “That’s the exciting part.”

“Marriages [have been] put back together, people have been receiving healing, physical, spiritual and emotional,” Dave said.

Church life now stretches well beyond a Sunday service. What began as a basic morning tea has grown into something much deeper, as people stay, learn and share their lives.

“That morning tea no longer cut it because people didn’t want to go home,” Dave said.

“So we’ve turned it into lunch.

“And then people were still wanting more… because most of them are new believers, they’re wanting to be equipped, they’re wanting to know how to pray for people… so we do what we call ‘Sunday Extra’.”

Come to Country Australia and Revive Churches

Dave doesn’t believe Rosedale is unique. Rather, it is an example of what can happen when someone says “Yes” to regional or remote Australia.

“There’s so many [country church buildings] for sale and they’re being made into AirBNBs, houses and shops.

“We’re here and we’re on the shoulders of people’s prayers over the last 100 years.

“They built these churches and we’re seeing the fruit of those prayers. We’re seeing God encounter and empower the surrounding community today.

“I guess God just really gave us a heart for [knowing] these are churches, and He wants His church to be His church.”

Dave points directly to Bible colleges and urban churches as key partners in renewing regional communities.

“If I had the money, I’d buy every single one of them,” Dave said.

“And I’d be in the Bible colleges, in the local churches saying, ‘Come on guys, God’s called you to ministry’ Not everyone’s called to the Gold Coast. Let’s go out and open these up and make communities again.”

It’s a simple vision, grounded in faith and action rather than strategy.

“For the most part, we just get out of the way and let Jesus do what he does best,” Dave said.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Ben hosts Mornings on Hope 103.2 and the ‘Money: Faith & Finance’ podcast.

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Every day, the headlines remind us that the world is hurting.

Conflict, disaster and extreme poverty continue to shape the lives of millions of families, and children are often the most affected.  

Right now, more than 831 million people face hunger and unsafe living conditions. Over 117 million people have been forced from their homes due to conflict and persecution. And disasters are happening more frequently than ever before, placing even greater pressure on families already living in survival mode. 

It’s a confronting reality. One that can leave us feeling overwhelmed, even tempted to switch off. 

But because of Jesus, this is not the end of the story. 

Scripture reminds us that creation groans under the weight of suffering (Romans 8:22), yet we also hold onto a living hope—one anchored in a God who steps into brokenness and makes a way for restoration. As Christians, this is the hope we carry. Not fragile or fleeting, but defiant. A hope that chooses to trust in what we cannot yet see and respond with compassion, even when the need feels overwhelming. 

The global Church stepping into brokenness  

Across the world, we’re seeing that hope take shape in powerful and practical ways through the global Church, which continues to step in even when others look away.  Local churches and communities are responding with quiet acts of kindness and courage that are becoming movements of change.  

Because they are already present and deeply connected within their communities, local churches are often the first to respond in times of crisis, ensuring help can reach families on the frontlines within hours of disaster striking. And when the immediate need has passed, they remain, walking alongside families as they recover and rebuild.  

In places like the Philippines, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, this kind of support is a lifeline for families living in poverty. A series of typhoons hit the Philippines late last year, causing devastation in several cities and provinces.  

Hope in action: the Philippines  

For families like 11-year-old Jasmine’s, who live in a coastal province in the eastern Philippines, recurring typhoons amplify the hardships of daily life in extreme poverty.  

When a powerful super typhoon approached her community, Jasmine and her mother were evacuated to safety. But her father and older brother stayed behind, trying to protect their fragile home—built from tin sheets and scrap materials. 

Through the night, the storm raged. Violent winds tore off the roof and sent one wall collapsing inward. Jasmine’s father and brother spent the night cold, soaked and fighting to keep what remained from blowing away. By morning, the damage was overwhelming. They were simply grateful to be alive. 

And that same morning, the local church showed up. 

Compassion centre staff and volunteers from the local church walked through mud, debris and fallen branches to reach families like Jasmine’s. They carried bags of rice, food, clean water and essential supplies. They prayed with those who had lost homes and livelihoods, offering comfort and reminding each family they had not been forgotten. 

“When we arrived, they needed food, yes,” one local leader shared. “But they also needed comfort—someone to remind them of God’s faithfulness and protection despite the typhoon.” 

For Jasmine’s family, this support was more than practical help, it was a tangible expression of God’s love in one of their darkest moments. 

This is what defiant hope looks like in action.  

Not ignoring suffering but stepping into it. Not losing heart but trusting that God is still at work.  

Through emergency relief, prayer and ongoing support, Jasmine’s family have begun the slow journey of rebuilding.  

Not the end of the story  

Their story reminds us of something important: when the needs of the world feel overwhelming, the story is not finished. Because of Jesus, we know that God is restoring what is broken.  

And we are invited to be part of that, alongside the global Church, which is already bringing real help to those who need it most.  

Amid all the uncertainty, let’s choose to respond with faith, compassion and hope.  

Please pray for:

• Families facing disaster, poverty and displacement around the world 
• Children like Jasmine, that they would be protected, supported and able to dream of a brighter future 
• Local churches serving their communities with courage, compassion and practical care 
• Hearts in Australia to remain grounded in hope and respond with generosity and compassion  

 
Written by Compassion Australia, with local reporting by Edwin Estioko, Compassion Philippines. 

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A new study finds young adults are increasingly interested in faith, but with little change in core beliefs.

A new report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that young people in Amercia aged 18 to 23 are moving in two spiritual directions at once, showing increased interest in faith while also drifting away from key beliefs.

On one hand, there are clear signs of growth.

More young adults are calling themselves Christian, Bible reading has increased, and a growing number say they are committed to practising their faith.

On the other hand, deeper beliefs remain largely unchanged. The study found that just 1% of this generation holds a fully developed biblical worldview.

Activity is rising, but foundations are not

The data highlights a gap between behaviour and belief. Increases in church involvement and Bible reading suggest openness and curiosity. Yet when it comes to core questions about truth, God and morality, most views have stayed the same.

Researcher George Barna described the findings as only “a lukewarm affirmation of revival”, noting that spiritual activity alone does not necessarily lead to lasting change. That distinction matters.

As the report explains, behaviour can spark interest, but without understanding, it often doesn’t take root over time.

The same pattern is emerging in Australia

While the study focuses on the United States, recent Australian research suggests a very similar trend among young people here.

The 2025 McCrindle report An Undercurrent of Faith, based on national census data and a survey of more than 3,000 Australians, found that the country’s relationship with Christianity is increasingly complex.

On one hand, many young Australians are moving away from organised religion. Between 2016 and 2021, more than one in three young people aged 15 to 24 shifted from Christianity to “no religion”.

At the same time, the report highlights a strong sense of openness and searching.

Young Australians are described as being on a “quest for meaning”, with more than half open to spiritual conversations and exploring belief for themselves.

Fewer, but more committed

Perhaps the most striking similarity is what happens among those who do engage with faith.

Even as overall identification declines, young Australians who are Christian tend to be more active than older believers.

Around 68% of Gen Z Christians attend church at least monthly, significantly higher than older generations.

This reflects a broader shift away from cultural or inherited religion, toward something more personal and intentional.

Open, but still searching

Taken together, the findings from both the US and Australia point to a generation that is not disengaged, but still exploring.

Young people today are less likely to inherit faith by default, but more likely to question, examine and search for meaning on their own terms.

That creates both a challenge and an opportunity.

Interest is there. Curiosity is real. But without deeper understanding, that interest may not translate into long-term change.

This article was researched and prepared by Hope 103.2 staff writers, with assistance from AI in its presentation. Final review and fact-checking was undertaken by our Digital Team prior to publication.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

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