Dr Paul Allen

I love and care about people – from all walks of life; people with various beliefs, ethics, perspectives and lifestyles. I care that humanity and some within the Christian church can be so quick to alienate and ostracise others who are different than them; those who live differently, think differently, speak differently. I also live by my own convictions, and hold to traditional Christian thought on gay lifestyles and gay marriage. I do believe God’s word is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman. The writings of the apostle Paul in scripture on the subject of homosexuality are also clear, as I have mentioned in previous public statements. Hillsong Church welcomes ALL people but does not affirm all lifestyles. Put clearly, we do not affirm a gay lifestyle and because of this we do not knowingly have actively gay people in positions of leadership, either paid or unpaid. I recognise this one statement alone is upsetting to people on both sides of this discussion, which poi

Whether a person is searching for their calling or wholeheartedly pursuing their life's purpose, LIVE LOVE LEAD will help them navigate a faith path that is all their own and discover unique gifts tailored perfectly for their journey. How do people experience the best life that God intends for them? The answer lies in understanding that the Christian life is an adventure, and that they only have to follow the greatest Guide who ever walked the path of life--Jesus. In this straightforward book, Brian Houston shows readers the way to live fully, love completely, and lead boldly--the hallmarks of Jesus' time on earth. "This is a remarkable book by a remarkable man. You will love his transparency and passion!"―Rick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Church , author of bestseller The Purpose Driven Life "A book that will prove to be a gift to the world."―Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, creators and executive producers of The Bible and A.D.: The Bible Con

Holy Spirit dove window (Photo credit: hickory hardscrabble ) A further test which we can apply to ourselves in order to discover whether we are guilty of ‘quenching the Spirit’ suggests itself immediately when we remember that the Spirit is represented by the emblem of fire. It is the one mentioned by John the Baptist . He said, ‘I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire’ (Luke 3:16). Fire is characterized not only by heat and light but also by power. It advances, and destroys wherever it goes. Similarly, power is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit . Are we, then, aware of the power of the Spirit within us? If not we are quenching the Spirit. An extraordinary paradox is involved in this matter. The Spirit is the Spirit of God, and is allpowerful; and yet it is possible for us to ‘quench’ the Spirit, to ‘resist’ the Spirit, to ‘grieve’ the Spirit.

Game of Thrones (soundtrack) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The TV series Game of Thrones is breaking records, winning awards, and captivating millions of people worldwide. But you don’t have to be a Christian to be uncomfortably aware that Game of Thrones pushes moral boundaries as well. Film and literature containing vivid depictions of sin is nothing new. For years, subscription channels like HBO and Showtime have blurred the line between literature and pornography. The question remains—can Christians , in good conscience, watch shows like Game of Thrones? The issue is arguably contained within the larger question, are things themselves inherently sinful? Are we entering into sin ourselves by being surrounded by sin? And even if we can watch shows like Game of Thrones, should we? ( 1 Corinthians 10:23 ). John Piper  weighed in on Game of Thrones, and for him, the answer to the question involved twelve more questions . JOHN PIPER 'S 12 QUESTIONS “Pastor John, do you believe t

During Hillsong Conference Sydney , Pastor Brian Houston asked Carl Lentz to speak on Hillsong NYC. Carl delivered a message about the church 's humble beginnings and the importance of remaining close to God through life's highs and lows. "The story of Hillsong Church has never been about chasing a movie, or chasing the spotlight, it's always been about chasing the Shepherd! Sometimes when you don't know the journey, people can look at certain moments and say that they want that but they don't understand that our pastors , all they've done their whole lives is chase the shepherd ," said Lentz. His message was given days after Hillsong announced a new film "Let Hope Rise," which will document the international rise of the church's Hillsong UNITED worship band, is currently in the works. Lentz's message was solely focused on Psalm 23 but he also addressed the speculation that people oftentimes make when pastors and

Bill Hybels shared at Hillsong Conference the message: 15 minutes with God. He challenged his friend about allocating time to have devotions and meet with god. Years later he met this same friend who looked completely different. Bill had a meal at his house and the man showed him his rocking chair . Bill had challenged him about his devotions, so he bought a good rocking chair, got his coffee, Bile and chair and started a life changing habit. Bill encouraged the Hillsong Conference to allocate time to God each day by doing the same thing. Brain Houston, thanked Bill for his insight and contribution over the years to the Christian church in Australia.  Related articles Hillsong - Australia's most powerful brand (mumbrella.com.au) A Baptist Pastor goes to a Hillsong Conference! (exposingerror.wordpress.com) Hillsong Conference 2013 ... On Live! (becauseheartmatters.wordpress.com) SOAR 2014 Song List (aaronwilliamsblog.com) Colour 2013 (vspeech.wordpress.com) C