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Why join Christian Union? In the next few weeks, thousands of uni students all around Australia will be heading back to university as semester gets under way. In this episode we ask the question: why get connected to the Christian group on your campus? This episode is a recording of a talk I gave last… Continue reading Summer Special – Why Join Christian Union? The post Summer Special – Why Join Christian Union? appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this final episode of Season 3, we hear from a student as he reflects on the question, “Why am I still a Christian?” Recently at UWA we had a blokes night, where students came along to hang out and spend time together, and three students shared a short reflection on why they are still… Continue reading S3E10 – Why Am I Still A Christian? The post S3E10 – Why Am I Still A Christian? appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is an interview with Jeremy Wright, a student who is considering cross-cultural mission. Jeremy studies Maths & Physics at the University of Western Australia, and has just been elected as the President of Christian Union for 2021. In our churches we often get to hear from missionaries who… Continue reading S3E9 – Considering Cross Cultural Mission (Jeremy Wright) The post S3E9 – Considering Cross Cultural Mission (Jeremy Wright) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is the final talk in a sermon series looking at the life of Abraham. In this episode we look at Genesis 23, “Leaving Home, Finding Home.” Over the past 50 years, our society has become increasingly mobile. Many of us know what it feels like to leave home… Continue reading S3E8 – Homeward Bound (Gen 23) The post S3E8 – Homeward Bound (Gen 23) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

Would you sacrifice your child? In Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. It’s a pretty well-known passage, but when you stop and think about it, it raises some pretty big questions. What kind of God would ask someone to do this?What kind of father would obey? Christopher Hitchens saw this… Continue reading S3E7 – Would You Sacrifice Your Child? (Gen 22) The post S3E7 – Would You Sacrifice Your Child? (Gen 22) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this episode of Faith On Campus we hear from Howard Spencer, who has been serving with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) for 24 years. Now, at the age of 66, he’s at a point in life when many people would be thinking about slowing down and enjoying retirement. But not Howard! Instead,… Continue reading S3E6 – No Retirement For This Man! (Howard Spencer) The post S3E6 – No Retirement For This Man! (Howard Spencer) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this episode of Faith On Campus we hear from Gad Rasmussen, a student studying Primary Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, WA. Gad is president of the Christian group at his campus, called the Gospel Stand. At the start of 2020, Gad was on a mission trip in a remote community when he… Continue reading S3E5 – I See God Better With One Eye (Gad Rasmussen) The post S3E5 – I See God Better With One Eye (Gad Rasmussen) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is the fourth talk in a sermon series looking at the life of Abraham. In this episode we look at Genesis 16-17, “When God’s Promises Seem Slow.” In Genesis 12, God makes some pretty huge promises to Abraham and Sarah, including a promise that they’ll have many descendants… Continue reading S3E4 – When God’s Promises Seem Slow (Gen 16-17) The post S3E4 – When God’s Promises Seem Slow (Gen 16-17) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is the third instalment in a series of Bible talks in Genesis, looking at the life of Abraham. In this episode we look at Genesis 15 and ask the question, ‘how can bad people please a good God?’ I meet a lot of people on campus who say… Continue reading S3E3 – How Can Bad People Please A Good God? (Gen 15) The post S3E3 – How Can Bad People Please A Good God? (Gen 15) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

I chat to a lot of non-religious students on campus who think there probably is some kind of God, but even if there was, it wouldn’t make any difference to this life now. Is that true? If the Christian God is real, does that have an impact on life now? Or is it all just… Continue reading S3E2 – Pie In The Sky When You Die? (Gen 13-14) The post S3E2 – Pie In The Sky When You Die? (Gen 13-14) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

We’re back for Season 3 of Faith On Campus! Episodes come out each week during university semester, so now that semester is back up and running, so are we. The Covid-19 pandemic meant that earlier this year, all universities in Australia (and most around the whole world) had to shut down their physical campus presence… Continue reading S3E1 – Hope For A Broken World (Gen 12) The post S3E1 – Hope For A Broken World (Gen 12) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

What does campus ministry look like under Covid-19 restrictions? In recent months Australia has put in place unprecedented lockdown measures to slow the spread of this novel coronavirus. Most parts our lives have been significantly impacted, and campus ministry is no exception. In this episode of Season 2, we speak with Mikey Lynch about what… Continue reading S2E10 – Campus Ministry Under Covid-19? (Mikey Lynch) The post S2E10 – Campus Ministry Under Covid-19? (Mikey Lynch) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this episode of Faith On Campus we hear from Andrew, a student who is actively engaged in sharing the gospel with Muslims on campus. Due to the sensitive nature of his ministry we can’t tell you what uni he’s at or talk with too much detail about some of the specifics of what he’s… Continue reading S2E9 – Sharing The Gospel With Muslims (Andrew) The post S2E9 – Sharing The Gospel With Muslims (Andrew) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this week’s episode of Faith On Campus we hear from Jacinta Patterson, a 2nd year Ministry Apprentice at UWA in Perth. Earlier this year she shared this story at a commissioning service attended by many supporters of AFES ministry, and I was really encouraged by it, so I wanted to share it with you… Continue reading S2E8 – Investigating Jesus With A Stranger (Jacinta Patterson) The post S2E8 – Investigating Jesus With A Stranger (Jacinta Patterson) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this week’s episode of Faith On Campus I interview Lucy, a student at James Cook University in Townsville. Lucy didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but she had a Christian friend who invited her along first to church and then to Bible study. As she looks back she wasn’t actually a Christian, but… Continue reading S2E7 – God At Work At JCU (Lucy) The post S2E7 – God At Work At JCU (Lucy) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

Is Christianity just an emotional crutch? In this week’s episode of Faith On Campus I interview Shaun Liew, an international student from Malaysia studying Psychology. When Shaun first moved to Australia for uni he felt pretty isolated and was having a tough time. A new friend of his shared a gospel outline called ‘Two Ways… Continue reading S2E6 – Is Christianity Just An Emotional Crutch? (Shaun Liew) The post S2E6 – Is Christianity Just An Emotional Crutch? (Shaun Liew) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week we’ve got a special episode on facing Coronavirus as a Christian. We’ve got a bunch of interviews lined up for the coming weeks, but given how quickly things are developing with Covid-19, I thought it’d be worth having a special episode to think through how we respond to this crisis as Christians. So… Continue reading S2E5 – Facing Coronavirus as a Christian The post S2E5 – Facing Coronavirus as a Christian appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this week’s episode of Faith On Campus I interview Steve, a staffworker who works full-time on campus helping students “get the gospel right, and get the gospel out.” I can’t tell you Steve’s last name or where he works due the sensitive nature of his ministry context and the content of this interview, but… Continue reading S2E4 – Looking For God Through Drugs (Mystery Steve) The post S2E4 – Looking For God Through Drugs (Mystery Steve) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this week’s episode of Faith On Campus I interview Lachlan Batley, a Sport & Exercise Science student at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, NSW. He shares with us about how he’s seen at God at work on campus, with gospel opportunities coming up through conversations about death and suffering on the one hand, and… Continue reading S2E3 – Death, Suffering, & Pancakes (Lachlan Batley) The post S2E3 – Death, Suffering, & Pancakes (Lachlan Batley) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus was recorded at Kickstart, an orientation camp run by the combined Christian Unions from all WA universities to help incoming first-year students have a great start to their life at uni. In this episode I interview Sarah Hunter, a second year student at Curtin University. Sarah shares with… Continue reading S2E2 – Kickstart (Sarah Hunter) The post S2E2 – Kickstart (Sarah Hunter) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.