Alannah Francis
8 Bible verses explaining the importance of confession and repentance
As we remember how Jesus died for our sins, it's natural for our thoughts to turn to our individual wrongdoings. Throughout Lent, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confess their sins and reconcile with God and the church. For Christians who don't take participate in this sacrament, repentance is still a necessary act, and not just during the Easter period.
Six Bible verses to inspire you if you are finding it hard forgive
Lent is arguably the time when we weigh up the significance of our sin and forgiveness more than any other. As we Good Friday draws ever-closer, thoughts about sin and the forgiveness of sins are both paramount in the minds of Christians around the world.
Should Christians wear a crucifix?
"The crucifix is not a decoration; it's not a work of art with many precious stones like you see. The crucifix is the mystery of the 'annihilation' of God out of love," Pope Francis told those gathered at Santa Marta for morning Mass yesterday.
Is it OK for Christians to be angry?
Can you remember that last time you were angry? Did your anger cause you to do something that you're not proud of? Or were you able to channel it into something positive?
How can we identify God's voice?
Forward planning is a process that our society has a slight obsession with. In job interviews, a popular question candidates are asked is, "Where do you see yourself in five years?". For those of us who are uncertain about our future, this can be a terrifying enquiry.
3 reasons Christians should let their art reflect their faith
The content of the Bible and our personal faith experiences provide us with an abundant source of inspiration, not just in the practical sense of how we live our lives but how we express ourselves creatively.
Four ways to reinvigorate your faith during Holy Week
It's the most significant week in the entire Christian calendar, and is noted for bringing lapsed Christians back into the Christian faith and reinvigorating the spiritual lives of those who attend church regularly.
Faith like Peter: do we deny Christ even as we claim to believe in Him?
At a time when Christians all over the world are openly and unapologetically making it clear that they accept Jesus as their saviour, we're also reminded of how one of Jesus' followers denied him just before his death.
Meagan Good defends her style choices; suggests concepts of modesty are relative
The topic is making headlines almost a month on from the event as Good has discussed it in a new interview with Essence magazine. In her defence, Good said...
PETA calls for Christians to vegan in time for Easter; would you take up the challenge?
One of the world's most renowned animal rights activist groups has launched a last stitched attempt to get Christians around the globe to go vegan in the lead up to Easter.
A need-to-know guide to Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday will be here sooner than you know. Before you go searching the web for tutorials so that you can master the technique required to create the perfect palm cross (or something that, at the very least, vaguely resembles one) take a read of our handy guide to the feast day.
The green-eyed monster: what the Bible says about envy
In celebrating St Patrick's Day, millions of people around the world turning green, well, figuratively speaking, but celebrations of Ireland's patron saint aside, a certain green eyed monster can creep up on us all year round. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm talking about envy.
Mercy: what it means and what the Bible says about it
Mercy is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as, "Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." In Christianity, it's a quality that we attribute to God based on his merciful acts and character as revealed throughout the Bible.
Hillsong is set to reach a wider audience than ever before
It's one of the most well-known and wide-reaching megachurches, and it has become a firm favourite of celebrities but Hillsong's next move is about to enable it to reach out to an even bigger audience.
Christian couples: 5 ways to communicate better
Many of us are curious, desperate even, to know the secret to long-lasting love. What is it that helps couples remain happy and healthy together over time? We all have our ideas about why certain relationships work and why others don't and one ingredient that comes to mind when we think about the successful bond between two people is communication.
The importance of being honest with God
We've all heard the phrase "honesty is the best policy" but when we find ourselves in situations where we have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, honesty can actually appear to be the worst possible policy.