Word on Wednesday with John Mason

GK Chesterton once observed, "On five occasions in history the church has gone to the dogs, but on each occasion it was the dogs who died." Are you interested in playing a part in a gospel movement today? Find out more in this week's podcast.

What do you think of prayer? Do you pray with purpose and confidence? Prayer is integral to our partnership with the Lord - and not least in our promotion of the gospel. This third podcast in the series God's Great Passion focuses on prayer, especially as it relates to gospel mission.

The February Barna Report revealed "that while 71% of adults" (in America) "believe in the existence of one or more gods or spiritual authorities, far fewer said they believe in the existence or influence of Jesus Christ (59%) or the God of the Bible (40%)". In the second week of this series, join me in exploring Matthew 28 verses 18-20.

In a report released last week, Dr George Barna wrote, "Fewer American adults put God at the center of their lives, view their relationship with Him as important, or rely on Him for daily guidance." Fine out more in this podcast.

It is often said that we have only one life to live. Yet how many people really believe this? C.S. Lewis commented, "If I find in myself desires which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." Find out more in this week's podcast.

In his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 Jesus says, Let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. In chapter 6 he says, Beware of practising your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them. Is Jesus contradicting himself? Find out more in today's podcast.

HG Wells, historian and author, said, "Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history". Why then was HG Wells, and many like him, not a believer? Perhaps it has something to do with what we might call, God's deep irony. Find out more in this podcast.

The crucifixion of Jesus is key to the Christian faith. And yet it seems utter foolishness and weakness. Find out more about the wisdom of God and the power of God at work, in this podcast.

As the Anglican form of the Lord's Supper is often misunderstood, this podcast gives a brief introduction of key themes.

As the Anglican form of the Lord's Supper is often misunderstood, this podcast gives a brief introduction to key themes.

Why do people suffer in a world where a good and loving God rules? Find out more in this reflection on Psalm 46.

Elections can prompt us to wonder if there will ever be a leader who truly governs for the good of the people and the country. Can we hope for a perfect leader whom we can honor and respect? This podcast addresses this issue and the longing we have for a truly good leader.

If we are to understand the trauma and trials of life, we need more than human wisdom and understanding. When the Bible speaks of wisdom it speaks of the complex matrix of intelligence, knowledge and power within a moral framework working together towards a good outcome. Find out more in this week's podcast.

Martin Luther's 1963 "I have a dream ..." speech in Washington DC fired the hearts of American people across the racial divide to a new vision and energy to promote harmony and peace. Yet within five years, Martin Luther King himself was gunned down by an assassin's bullet. Will there always be death and destruction or is there some hope for our world? John us as this week's podcast considers Isai...

Writing in the Weekend Australian January 4-5 2025,Greg Craven, former Vice-Chancellor of The Catholic University in Sydney, observed that Christmas has not merely "become commercial ... but that it has become materialist". Later on he adds, " ... people long for a spiritual reality that transcends mere functional reality". Considering this desire to reawaken the meaning of the Christmas story, th...

T.S. Eliot prophetically observed in his Choruses from the Rock in 1934: " ... Men have left GOD not for other gods, they say, bur for no God: and this has never happened before. ..." What is the most pressing issue as we enter the new year? T.S. Eliot suggested it is the matter of God in our lives. This podcast reflects on the reality of this truth.

Does Christmas hold out something special for you? Or is it nothing but fake news and a season of stress? This podcast reflects on two scenes from Luke chapter 2, which places Jesus's birth in its historical context and focuses on some insights into the event.

We all like to think that there are areas in our life where we are in control. CS Lewis in Surprised by Joy wrote of his pre-Christian phase: “… But, of course, what mattered most of all was my deep-seated hatred of authority, my monstrous individualism, my lawlessness. No word in my vocabulary expressed deeper hatred than the word INTERFERENCE. But Christianity placed at the centre what then seem...

"Prepare ye the way of the Lord" are the opening words of the musical Godspell that opened in 1971.The lyrics pick up the theme of John the Baptist's preaching 2 millennia ago as he prepared people for the coming of God's promised Messiah or King. Now in the season Advent, we need to prepare for the return of God's King.

Lord Acton observed in 1887, that leaders are inclined to use their powers corruptly. this is especially true of despotic rulers who are not held accountable. Significantly, Isaiah the prophet spoke of a very different leader who would emerge.

Thanksgiving is a theme that permeates the Bible - especially the Psalms. And while we do live in an uncertain world, there is still much for which to be thankful. Paul the Apostle encouraged the Philippian Christians to be thankful in these words in chapter 4 and verses 4 through 9: Rejoice in the Lord always. This week's podcast reflects on this during this time of Thanksgiving.

Jesus's physical resurrection from the dead is fundamental to the Christian faith. Without it, as Paul the Apostle says in First Corinthians chapter 15, our faith is meaningless.

The 1995 Joan Osborne hit What If God Was One of Us? asked the seemingly impossible question about seeing God face to face in human form. It challenges our worldview and our view of God. This podcast reflects on these issues.

John the Gospel writer tells us of a woman at a well in Samaria two thousand years ago, who was longing for happiness. It had eluded her, until she had an unexpected conversation at the village well.

In March 1973, Pink Floyd introduced the line, 'The dark side of the moon'. The album enjoyed great success, addressing dark questions about life. In the sixth of the seven signs, Jesus encounters a man who had known nothing but darkness from birth.