Last One!!!

Yesterday afternoon, I completed my final exam for the year. 3 hours of Doctrine was an exhausting yet exhilirating way to finish.

I've really enjoyed Doctrine lectures this year. It has been great to think through my understanding and knowledge of God and this world.

I expect that next year's lectures will be much more challenging but, for now, here are the questions I wrote on yesterday afternoon. If you want to talk any of them through, let me know - more than happy to discuss them!

• How is it possible for human beings to 'know God'?


• 'The Trinity is an impractical doctrine of relative unimportance.' Discuss.


• '... of infinite power, wisdom and goodness.' Consider the meaning and implications of this description of God.


• Respond to the suggestion that 'penal substitution' is unjust.


• Why must Christian believers take seriously the bodily resurrection of Jesus?

So, what's next? Well, today we have our final chapel service for the year, lunch together as a college and a high tea for the first year girls this afternoon. I'll spend a few days in Shellharbour early next week before coming back to college for much of the holidays.

I'm looking forward to reading for the sake of enjoyment (even re-reading some of my textbooks, just because I can), enjoying time to watch some movies, doing some scrapbooking, catching up with people, attending a silly number of weddings, doing Christmas shopping and even cleaning up my room and getting into Greek summer assignments!

In the meantime, I will be preparing to finish up at Shellharbour City, starting at Panania in January, attending CMS Summer School and assisting at Next Generation (previously known as Katoomba Youth Leadership Conference). As much as I first thought the holidays would be difficult to fill, now I'm pleased there at least seems enough time to fit things in.

Well, off to prepare to face today and all its celebrations!

Joys of Bible college

One of the things that has surprised me about being at Bible college is how much I love the doctrine lectures. I always expected that something like New Testament would be my favourite subject. However, I've found that I love thinking through what it is that I believe about God, Jesus, the Bible, etc.

Today's Doctrine 1 lectures were a continuation of last week's lecture on penal substitutionary atonement. Put perhaps a bit more simplistically, Jesus paid the penalty that I deserved to pay for rejecting God and trying to live life my own way. This is not something that I could ever do myself, nor is there anything I need to add - Jesus has already done it. All of it! And, because Jesus was the substitute that God provided to pay my penalty, I can now stand before God on Judgement Day and not be afraid of God's wrath.

How can it get any better than that?

In the meantime, New Testament lectures are exciting too! We are studying 1 Peter this term - there is so much to take in from just 5 chapters!

Please pray that I will continue to be excited by what I am learning and not get bogged down in all that I need to do.