Signs Radio

It used to be said that three topics should be off-limits for polite conversation, sex, politics and religion. The current debates into the proper place of religion in schools cuts across all three topics - the heated debates that have followed shouldn't be surprising. Author, lawyer, historian and political commentator Roy Williams is our special guest in this episode.

After more than 40 years, the Star Wars franchise has maintained its appeal and sparked the imagination of each successive generation. Film critic and cultural commentator Mark Hadley defends 2018's much-maligned Han Solo movie and says it reminds us that the right mentor can make all the difference for your life's path.

If you want to get ahead, it's important to have friends in high places. And what's true in life, is also true for the afterlife. It's who you know. Pastor Wayne Boehm, who heads up Hope Channel's Discovery Centre Bible school, explains the biblical teaching of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the heavenly High Priest and mediator.

Up until 200 years ago, human beings had not travelled faster than the speed of a galloping horse; in the 1880s railway technophobes warned the human body could not withstand speeds greater than 100 kph. Cue the Wright Brothers, the space race, bullet trains and the information revolution. Could we have ever predicted the exponential growth in knowledge and technology we're in the middle of now? T...

One hundred years ago this month world leaders signed the armistice that marked the end of the First World War. In this interview with military historian Dr Daniel Reynaud, we separate myth from fact and explore the spirituality of the Aussie digger.

Do we have an ethical responsibility towards the thousands - no, millions - of displaced people seeking safety for themselves and their families?

When it comes to charities are you a generous giver or a reluctant donor? How do you know where your money is going and how much thought do you put into which charities and projects you support and which you don't? In this interview, Kent Kingston chats with charities marketer Braden Blyde.

Meet the family who decided a number of years ago that they were due for a downgrade - they left their upper-middle class life in Australia and moved to a slum in India. Why did they do it and what have they learned?

Life can get so crazy-busy that it actually takes discipline to ensure we get some quality rest. The ancient tradition of Sabbath offers a weekly rhythm of rest, renewal and togetherness.

Why, at the crucial moment, can the outcome of a sporting or artistic performance be so dismayingly uncertain? What separates the sweaty palmed dizzy successes from the gut-wrenching failures? International speaker and brain-function educator Dr Arlene Taylor says it's all in your head.

If even a super-smart tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is worried about artificial intelligence and the rise of the machines, shouldn't the rest of us be?

The gradual acceptance in the medical and research community that cannabis can be an effective medication for certain conditions has led to changes in the legal status of medical marijuana. But it's still very difficult for patients to legally access. A Gold Coast journalist and a local GP share their perspectives.

There's no workshop manual for fathering - all most of us have is what our own dads taught us, and that can be a bit hit and miss. Family life educator Trafford Fischer offers some tips for dads raising sons and explores the tragic but fascinating history of Fathers Day.

What if being a believer is less like wearing your favourite football team's shirt and chanting the team song and more like lacing up and turning up for regular training and games? Book editor, activist, basketballer and former Signs of the Times editor Nathan Brown is up for the challenge.

Jews, Hindus, Christians and Muslims all practise ritual purification by water. What does the Bible say about baptism and its meaning? Pastor Wayne Boehm explains.

In Australia there are about half a million households where kids are growing up without a dad. What's the impact of that, and what can be done about it. We chat with fatherhood advocate Warwick Marsh.

Laughter is contagious. It releases tension, breaks though our defences and helps us connect with everyone from close family to total strangers. In very real sense laughter is an incredible gift.

Are we too obsessed with the private lives of celebrities, politicians and other public figures? Or should we be concerned when their private ethics don't match up with their public statements? And how would you or I fare under the same spotlight?

In this episode we get to know Daniel Kuberek, Signs of the Times' new assistant editor. We also take a sneak peak at the highlights of the August edition of the magazine. Check it out at http://signsofthetimes.org.au

Australia's indigenous history is entangled with its Christian history, for better and worse. What's the way forward and how are the arts involved? This episode springboards from the cover article of the July 2018 Signs magazine - https://www.hopechannel.com/au/read/bittersweet-the-christian-aboriginal-connection

Before there was Banksy there was Mr Eternity, an anonymous street artist who tagged the footpaths of Sydney for 35 years. This is his story. This podcast contains an interview with Roy Williams, leading author of the Mr Eternity book, which is also reviewed in this month's Signs of the Times magazine - http://signsofthetimes.org.au

Do you volunteer or serve your community in some way? Do you “do good”? Well, it’s great if you do, but have you ever stopped to wonder who you’re actually helping – whose interests you’re really serving. Is it possible that, right down deep, buried at the bottom of your generosity, there’s lurking more than a little self-interest? Listen for details of how you can get a free copy of Darren Morton...

Is beauty a trap? Or a trapdoor into a deeper reality. Vanesa Pizzuto thinks it's kind of both. Check out the interview here and read the original article at https://www.hopechannel.com/au/read/beholding-beauty

Depression is at epidemic levels in Western countries, including Australia. Could our lifestyle in the "lucky country" be killing us? Lifestyle medicine researcher Dr Darren Morton has some practical tips to "Live More Happy". Read the article online at https://www.hopechannel.com/au/read/the-healing-power-of-green-time

Rome Ulia was headed for a life in and out of prison, or a violent death on the streets. Then came a baby, a bus-stop and an ancient book. Read the story at https://www.hopechannel.com/au/read/blood-in-blood-out