http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.pb.org.nz en-us Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:23:46 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/169806/water-brings-hope/ Ezekiel’s river starts small — just a trickle from the temple — but it does not stay that way. Step by step, it becomes ankle-deep, knee-deep, waist-deep, and finally too deep to cross. What a hopeful picture. God’s life is not thin or limited. It grows, moves, and reaches the places that seem furthest from renewal. Even the Dead Sea, a place known for barrenness, becomes fresh and full of life. That is good news for creation, and for us. The Season of Creation reminds us that God’s he... Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:55:06 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post169806 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/169453/leadership/ What does good leadership actually look like? Good leaders do not need to be the loudest person in the room or act as if the rules do not apply to them. They listen, share responsibility, welcome honest feedback, and use their influence to help the whole community. It is less about standing above people and more about standing alongside them.Peter in his letter reminds us that being humble does not mean pretending we have nothing to offer. It simply means knowing our strengths without thinking t... Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:02:22 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post169453 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/169105/choosing-a-better-way-forward/ Real change is not only about what we leave behind; it is about the kind of community we choose to build together.Too often, our lives are shaped by self-interest, convenience, and the pressure to go along with what everyone else is doing. A better way begins when we look outward. It means noticing who is struggling, opening our doors, sharing what we have, and using our skills for the good of others. It means choosing honesty when dishonesty would be easier, compassion when judgement comes natu... Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:37:14 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post169105 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/168844/more-than-skin-deep/ It’s easy to focus on appearances, status, or getting our own way. But 1 Peter 3 points us somewhere deeper. Following Jesus is meant to shape who we are on the inside and how we treat people every day. That means showing respect at home, caring for our church whānau, choosing humility, and refusing to fire back when someone hurts us. None of that is flashy, and it isn’t always easy. Sometimes doing the right thing can put us out of step with everyone else. We might speak up, tell the truth... Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:28:08 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post168844 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/168619/living-differently/ ... Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:17:50 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post168619 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/168273/a-holy-stranger/ What does it actually mean to be holy? It can sound like being perfect, overly religious, or somehow removed from ordinary life. But in 1 Peter, holiness is much more grounded: it means being set apart for God’s purpose.Being holy isn’t about hiding from the world or proving we’re better than anyone else. It’s about belonging to God and letting that reshape how we live. God’s character—kindness, justice, faithfulness, and love—becomes the pattern for our choices.That shows up in ev... Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:56:45 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post168273 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/168000/hope-that-holds/ Hope matters. It’s one of those things we don’t always think about until life gets hard. In 1 Peter, Peter writes to Christians who knew what hard looked like. They were scattered, misunderstood, and facing real pressure because of their faith in Jesus. And yet Peter begins by reminding them of hope.Their hope wasn’t wishful thinking. It was grounded in what God had already done through Jesus’ death and resurrection. They were God’s people, held by God, and promised an inheritance that... Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:43:42 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post168000 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/167795/be-perfect/ When Jesus says, “Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect,” most of us probably think, “Well, that rules me out.” It sounds like being asked to clear a world-record high jump. Nice idea, but not likely. But Jesus is not calling us to anxious rule-keeping or religious point-scoring. He is inviting us to look deeper than outward behaviour.The Pharisees were great at rules. They knew how to build plenty of road cones around sin, and sometimes how to work their way around them t... Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:26:31 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post167795 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/167470/a-burden-named-money/ Most of us know what it feels like to worry about money. Bills arrive, prices rise, and the pressure to have more can quietly take over. We're constantly told that success means a bigger house, better car, newer phone, and a safer bank balance.Jesus once challenged a wealthy young man to sell what he had, give to the poor, and follow him. The man walked away sad, not because he was bad, but because his possessions had become too heavy to let go of.The question isn't whether money matters. It doe... Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:54:44 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post167470 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/post/167239/in-or-out/ Jesus sometimes says things which are hard to hear. Take the stories of the wheat and weeds, and the sheep and goats. They challenge our ideas on how we define ‘who is in’ and ‘who is out’. And if we’re honest, we often like those lines when they make us feel safe, right, or accepted. But Jesus turns the question back on us. Are we doing the will of the Father? Are we loving God and loving our neighbour? Are we noticing the people who are hungry, lonely, sick, poor, imprisoned, or simp... Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:33:12 +1200 http://www.pb.org.nz/blog/#post167239