http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.pb.org.nz en-us Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:36:00 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/163632/to-lay-down-ones-life/ This coming Saturday is ANZAC day, when we as a nation will remember the people who served at Gallipoli, many of whom sacrificed their lives for others. And it is fitting that we remember those men and women who served on behalf of our country. Jesus said, ‘No greater love has a person than he lay down his life for his friends’, something he himself went on to do for all people.Sacrifice is not something many of us find easy, especially when our culture encourages us to pursue happiness and ... Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:49:48 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post163632 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/163419/who-do-you-trust/ Earlier this week the people of a particular country voted overwhelmingly to ditch their current leader and choose a new person. It seems that the people no longer trusted that the old leader was trustworthy. Later this year our country will once again get to vote for those we want to govern for the next three years. Who we will vote for is really a question of trust – do we trust this group of people to have our countries best interests at the centre of what they do. It’s not always an easy... Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:03:07 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post163419 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/163224/no-fear-in-death/ The resurrection story is a reminder that death has lost its power for those who place their faith and hope in Jesus. Jesus has conquered both the power of sin and the power of death. Which is why the early church faced death without fear. And why they refused to bow the knee to kings and authorities whose greatest threat was death. If the resurrection is true, then death has no power and need not be feared. The Christian lives with the hope that death is followed by a new resurrected life. This... Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:44:44 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post163224 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/162931/easter-services/ Thursday 2 April 7.00pm Service of the ShadowsFriday 3 April 9.30am Good Friday ReflectionSunday 5 April 10.00am Resurrection Sunday “He is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!” This is the traditional Easter greeting we use to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus during the season of Easter.Easter Sunday is when we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection and we invite you to join us as we gather together around the Lord’s table.... Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:05:47 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post162931 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/162929/a-big-surprise/ Last week we were visiting some friends when the husband showed our grandson a magic trick. He took a piece of string looped it around and got our grandson to cut it in half. He then took the two cut ends and stuck them in his mouth and when he pulled them out again the string was whole again. Our grandson was so surprised   at what had happened.  His face was a picture of incredulity as he tried to work out what had  happened.  How had the string come back together?On E... Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:50 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post162929 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/162445/the-humble-king/ Our world likes power and those who have power often like to use it to get their own way. We don’t have to look very far today to see how some of those who hold that power use it to bully others into giving them what they desire. Palm Sunday reminds us that true power is interested in serving others. As Uncle Ben says to Peter, in Spiderman, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.Palm Sunday tells us how the king and creator of the world chose to ride a donkey, a symbol of peace and... Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:15:02 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post162445 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/162095/truth-telling/ I’m not sure about you but sometimes been faced up to a truth about yourself is not easy. None of us likes to admit that we can be better or do better even if it is true. Often, we only see those truths when we create space or remove ourselves from the daily grind of life. A few years ago, I took some time out to do some personal reflection and when I did, I discovered some truths about myself that I didn’t really like. Removed from the normal routine of life had allowed me time to look at m... Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:53:51 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post162095 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/161776/giving-up-for-others/ Often during Lent people talk about giving something up or perhaps even fasting (going without food) as they head towards Easter. The idea is that the sense of loss we feel by going without something, reminds us of the cost Jesus faced at Easter. Sacrifice isn’t normally part of our Western thinking, we are much more used to getting more and more, not less and less. This sacrifice that we do isn’t about trying to impress God or earn brownie points with God, instead we do it our of gratefulne... Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:04:31 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post161776 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/161228/learning-to-lament/ How do we respond when life turns sour and it seems as though God has left us at the very moment we most desperately need him? Sometimes we get angry, sometimes we sulk, sometimes we just give up. The people of God experienced wilderness events, times when it all seemed to have gone wrong. Psalm 13 is a Psalm of Lament and asks the question “Where are you God? How long will I have to suffer? Here’s how it goes.For the choir director: A psalm of David. O LORD, how long will you forget me? For... Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:53:57 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post161228 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/160588/mountain-tops/ A mountaintop experience is Christian jargon for a moment in time when a person encounters God in a particularly life-changing way and profound way.  It refers to a story told in the Gospels when Jesus took Peter, John and James to the top of Mt Tabor to pray. While there something happens, Jesus is transformed and two figures, Moses and Elijah appear. And then to cap it all off, God speaks proclaiming Jesus to be the Son of God.The disciples, understandably, were overwhelmed by what they h... Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:47:38 +1300 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post160588