How is it that a marriage, that begins with such a great sense of hope and anticipation, can end just a few year later, in conflict, even divorce? Families are falling apart, …

Over the last few decades, the roles of men and women have changed significantly. And they’re still changing, so much so, that many, are struggling to make sense of it …

I don’t think there’s a one of us, who deep down, doesn’t yearn for peace. And yet all too often, we do the very things, that end up robbing us of our peace. I spent most …

Life has its ups and downs. It just does. And sometimes, it feels as though everything is in turmoil. As though peace in our lives, simply isn’t possible. Every time I hear …

It’s a good thing, to be surrounded by men and women of great faith. But have you ever noticed, how you end up comparing your faith with theirs, and then you come to the …

All too often, when faced with uncertainty, we allow our imagination to race of into the negativity of all the things that could possibly go wrong. And there’s not a single time …

We live in a world interested in “surface things”. Wealth. Success. Recognition … that’s what people value. So when we end up in a bit of a wilderness – it’s …

Growing in maturity, in one sense, is about learning to rely less on other people. Becoming more independent. Great. But what do you do when circumstances overwhelm you? Have …

We live in a world interested in “surface things”. Wealth. Success Recognition…..that’s what people value. So when we end up in a bit of a wilderness – it’s confusing, …

So many people’s lives are being plundered, ruined, because they believe the distorted self-image that the world projects on them. I remember the first time I heard about the …

I think sometimes, when it comes to the promises of God, we over-complicate things. We try to put this infinite God, into a little box where we can contain Him. When I was a …

Negative thoughts can absolutely overwhelm you. The sun can be shining, the birds can be singing, and yet, our negativity can rob us of those good things. Even the most …

Can I ask you a question: is it possible to have too much faith? To believe in God for something that is plainly impossible? Well? I have to tell you, I’ve seen people name …

One of the things that keeps so many people from going to God with their problems is the fact that they know that He’s perfect and that they’re not! I have a confession to …

Faith is something we all need from time to time. The problem is, in those difficult times when we need it the most, it often seems to elude us. People talk about having faith …

I was thinking the other day about how many different things in life can cause us to lose heart. People. Pressures. Just the daily grind. Well, the God I know doesn’t want us to …

Faith is something we all want to have, and yet, it’s something we’d rather not have to put into action, because if we need to actually use our faith, it means that the going …

Sure, we live our lives as though they’ll go on for ever, even though they won’t. We know that, but, then, we just go merrily on, as though nothing is ever going to …

It’s so easy to find excuses for rejecting God, for not believing that He exists. Sure it is. But then, for anyone who’ll take the time to look, the evidence is …

On that day when you stand before God, to give an account of your life, can I ask you, what are you going to tell Him? Credit cards are an amazing convenience. You wander into …

It’s easy, amidst the busyness of life, for us to let our relationships grow cold. Our relationships with people that matter, and our relationship with God. Romance is …

Man, if only God would layout His plans and purposes for us to see, instead of taking us on these wild goose chases, life would be so much easier, wouldn’t it?! Sometimes it …

Anger, resentment, the desire for revenge – they’re all pretty natural reactions to being treated badly. Problem is, they’re just not all that helpful. Can I ask you …

So many people say that they believe in God – but at the same time, they have a sneaking suspicion there must be something more to life. Join Berni this week, as He explores …

Some people think of Christianity as a religion. Fair enough. But the reality is that a personal encounter with Jesus is more, so much more, than that. The other day, my …

So, Christianity – an opiate for the masses as Karl Marx said. Or a true, vibrant, spiritual reality given as a gift from the living God? Which is it? I was chatting with a …

Question: how much of your sense of security is tied up in your assets, your balance sheet, how much you own and, I guess, how much you earn? The global economy – well, …

Sometimes, life can get so dark, so bleak, so lonely, so hopeless, that we get to thinking that tomorrow simply isn’t worth living. But nothing … nothing could be further from …

Question: how much of your giving portfolio, the money you give away, do you spend on feeding the poor? Actually putting food in the mouths of those who don’t have enough to …

Who is it in your life that you detest? That may sound a bit harsh, but come on, there’s always someone. So who is it in your life? We all have people or groups of people in …

Can I ask you a question today? Who is Jesus to you? If you had to pick, say, three adjectives to describe Him, what would they be? I think, sometimes, we have a bit of a wrong …

None of us likes to think much about dying – but come what may – one day our lives here on this earth are going to be over. And then the question is – how are we going to …

I’m going to do something today, that I do very rarely. I’m going to talk about alcohol. Specifically, the time that Jesus turned water into wine. Whenever I mention …

It’s funny how, the more affluent we become, the more our possessions dominate our lives. You buy this, you buy that … and before you know it, you have stuff spilling out …

Most people simply wouldn’t live in a slum, unless they had to. Really. So, what do you make of a God, who sends His Son to grow up in a slum? Let me ask you something: if …

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? And yet sometimes, …

We have a habit of doing some stupid things in life. Come on, be honest, we just do. And the more dumb things we do, the more it hurts us, and the more we hurt other …

The lie that’s been doing the rounds, for years now, is that if you manage to accumulate lots of wealth, lots of really nice things, then … then you’ll be happy! I …

I used to think that I was made to win, to succeed. After all, that’s the message these days. If you buy this watch – you’re a winner. Buy this car or these shoes or this …

To tell you the truth, I’ve had a tough few weeks. Lots of travel, hopping across time zones, the pressure to write and record and deliver on time, meeting after …

Here’s a vital question – a question that each one of us needs to answer for ourselves. “If I died tonight … would I be ready for eternity?” Now – many people know …

None of us likes to think much about dying – but come what may – one day our lives here on this earth are going to be over. And then the question is – how are we going to …

I visited a man a little while back, who is blind and ninety-two years old. His wife died of dementia several years beforehand so he lived completely alone. He wasn’t as fast on …

When is faith, faith, and when is it fantasy? The Bible is full of story after story about God doing miraculous things. And yet, I’ve seen people believe in God for things. I …

A while ago, I had the opportunity to spend an evening with a bunch of Christian businessmen. And over a simple meal, we all shared our lives and our stories. As I sat and …

I was listening recently to a man – Tim – telling his life story. He had a real heart to follow after God, so he set up a business to do just that … but God seemed to lead …

Not too long ago, I had an event to launch a new book, “Unlocking the Power of Prayer”. And look, it was great. So many people turned up, and it was one of those nights when, …

A few years ago, we had a function here at Christianityworks to launch a new book called, “Unlocking the Power of Prayer”. One of our supporters had an office on the 42nd …

I was in Thailand recently. And if you’ve ever had anything to do with the Thai people, you’ll know that they are so incredibly gracious. It’s part of who they are. I …

Joy is such a simple word. Three letters. One syllable. So why is it in such short supply?So many people believe in Jesus. And yet they don’t experience His joy. And that’s so …

I was in a dress shop the other day looking at clothes with my wife. She pulled a blouse out from the “specials” rack, which I have to tell you, was absolutely stunning. While …

Sarah, the young woman who runs the coffee shop near our office, is a real character; a gold stud in her nose, loud, but lovable. You know the sort. The other day, she’s on …

I was having lunch the other day with an old friend and he asked me, “Berni, why is it that you eat so quickly?” Well, the answer is that it all happened years ago, when I was …

A few years ago, I saw the weirdest thing on TV; these young people, sprinting through a cavernous chamber in a grand old art gallery in London. Every thirty seconds – a …

A few years back, I visited the Tate Gallery, down by the River Thames in London. It’s one of those incredibly grand old buildings that the Brits do so very well. And let me …

I was staying overnight with a friend recently. It was a cold night, so I was really quite pleased to get inside that front door. And almost immediately, I was greeted by Charlie, …

I was on a train recently, travelling from the north of England down to London. The seating setup was with two people facing another two people, with a small table in …

Joy is such a simple word. Three letters. One syllable. So why is it in such short supply?So many people believe in Jesus. And yet they don’t experience His joy. And that’s so …

I was chatting with a friend, Tony, recently. We were talking about our natural tendency to ask God to fix our problems. This is what Tony said: I’m going through a really …

A few years ago, my old mobile phone gave up the ghost, so I purchased my first smartphone. Now these days, we take this technology for granted. But back then, I tell you, it …

I was sitting at the funeral of a dear friend of mine the other day. He was only in his mid-fifties. There were hundreds of people in the church, everybody was shocked at this …

I was just about to sit down to prepare today’s message, when the phone rang. It was a colleague of mine to let me know that another man, Tom, with whom I’d worked for many …

The other morning, I stopped for a break around eight o’clock and I realised that I’d spent time on a call to the US, another to Canada, responded to an email from the UK, and …

I want to tell you today about a good friend of mine. He’s a man with a huge heart, but sadly, he had a body to match. He was eating himself into the grave. Literally, I could …

What pressures are you facing at the moment? What’s eating away at you, deep inside? Just think about that for a moment, because there’s always something. And now, let me ask …

Power – people steal for it, fight wars for it and die for it. Power is a seductive commodity in this world. And yet … so many people are powerless. God talks a lot about …

The other morning, I received an email with a cartoon that really tickled my fancy. It was kind of like this folksy, little postcard with an old lady and a little girl sitting on …

This world seems to be full of crazed individuals trying to pack more and more into their day. And the temptation for me is to be one of those crazy people. The more technology we …

Life often feels like a bit of a juggling act. Family, work, friends, so many things to do, so little time to do them in. It’s like one of those jugglers with multiple plates …

New Zealanders and Australians have a funny little relationship going. We’re like bickering siblings, having little digs at each other across the Tasman Sea. We Aussies like to …

When you’re confronted with a problem, the easiest thing to do is simply to run away. Don’t like this person? Ditch them. Don’t like my boss? Change jobs. Don’t like my …

This world can be a pretty cold and brutal place sometimes. It’s great if you are surrounded by people who care for you, but sometimes circumstances turn against you. Sometimes …

Let me ask you, have you ever sought after God with all your heart? Are you hungry, are you thirsty for Him? Do you want Him more than anything else on this earth? Because …

Power – people steal for it, fight wars for it and die for it. Power is a seductive commodity in this world. And yet … so many people are powerless. God talks a lot about …

Power – people steal for it, fight wars for it and die for it. Power is a seductive commodity in this world. And yet … so many people are powerless. God talks a lot about …

Have you ever felt that something’s missing out of your life? It’s as though you’re going through all the motions, but one part of the puzzle, in fact a big part of the …

In this world that’s moving ever faster, becoming ever more transactional, becoming more digital than it is real, it seems that more and more, the norm for us is to opt for …

Let me be blunt. Large swathes of the church are just going through the motions, playing out rituals, singing songs, listening to sermons … all good things, and yet there’s no …

Have you ever felt as though God is playing a game of hide and seek with you? Sure He’s out there … somewhere … but where? Lord what are you up to? What do you have …

The vast majority of parents are naturally hardwired to want to bless their children. We can’t help it. Of course their disobedience interrupts the flow of blessing, because we …

For the first half a dozen years or so of my Christian walk, I had a rather low view of prayer. I was always way too busy to stop and pray; racing off doing this and doing that. …

All too often we get so bogged down in our day to day reality, that we struggle to find any hope in our hearts for the future. And hope is absolutely critical in our day-to-day …

Now I’m no genius, but every now and then, the obvious hits me between the eyes. I wrote a book a while back called, “Unlocking the Power of Prayer”. And as I was doing the …

Do you know what’s fascinating? Jesus had His disciples with Him for about three and a half years during His public ministry. And those guys learned a lot during that time. Why …

Life can be hard work. And that’s not a bad thing. We’re made to use our gifts and abilities for the benefit of others and to earn a living. But sometimes life is such hard …

The day starts like any other day. You get up, shower, breakfast, brush your teeth … and you’re up and running. Perhaps with more things on your to-do list than you can …

The thing that so often hits me about Jesus hanging there on the Cross, is what happened to His body. We sing songs about the old rugged cross, but … His blood actually soaked …

Question: when this life is done and dusted, what are you hoping for? There’s a great song by Mercy Me called, “I Can Only Imagine”. It goes something like this: I can …

According to the German Society of Ophthalmology, women cry on average between thirty and sixty-four times a year. For men, and this won’t surprise you, it’s a lot less at …

No doubt you’ve heard that Proverb: “pride comes before the fall”. How often have you seen the guy who’s absolutely full of himself, living the high life, walking over …

Without hope, life just isn’t worth living. So many people, even those who say that they believe in Jesus, are living lives of quiet and sometimes desperate hopelessness. And …

All too often we get so bogged down in our day to day reality, that we struggle to find any hope in our hearts for the future. And hope is absolutely critical in our day-to-day …

No doubt you’ve heard that Proverb: “pride comes before the fall”. How often have you seen the guy who’s absolutely full of himself, living the high life, walking over …

At my church we often have homeless people attend our service. Now the statistics are these: over ninety percent of the people who live rough on the streets in our area, either …

At my church we often have homeless people attend our service. Now the statistics are these: over ninety percent of the people who live rough on the streets in our area, either …

I was at church the other Sunday and the pastor, during His sermon, asked this question of the congregation: “Are you pure and holy?” I put up my hand and said “Yes, …

I was at church the other Sunday and the pastor, during His sermon, asked this question of the congregation: “Are you pure and holy?” I put up my hand and said “Yes, …

When you stand before the throne of judgement on that day that will surely come, will you be pardoned, or condemned? Will you spend the rest of eternity in God’s Presence, or …

When you hear or read a strange turn of phrase, something odd that you don’t come across all that often, it has a way of grabbing your attention. A couple of times in the New …

When you hear or read a strange turn of phrase, something odd that you don’t come across all that often, it has a way of grabbing your attention. A couple of times in the New …