Chat GPT chooses my church...

I asked Chat GPT a few questions about some differentiating beliefs my christian church denomination has compared to many others. I wanted to see if Chat GPT's would come to the same conclusion I came to. 

 

You said:

What does the Bible teach about the duration of hell. That is, does the bible say it is a literal place unsaved people will burn forever, or does it mean the effect of their punishment will last forever, but they aren't literally burning forever?

ChatGPT said:

This is a deep and widely debated theological question. The Bible contains several passages that have been interpreted in different ways by various Christian traditions. Here's a summary of the three main views about the duration and nature of hell, and what the Bible says that supports each.

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🔥 1. Traditional View: Eternal Conscious Torment

Hell is a literal place where the unsaved are punished forever in conscious suffering.

Biblical Support:

• Matthew 25:46 – "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
• Mark 9:43-48 – "...where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched."
• Revelation 14:11 – "The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever."
• Revelation 20:10 – The devil and others are "tormented day and night forever and ever."

Emphasis: The same word “eternal” (Greek: aiōnios) is used for both punishment and life, suggesting both are unending.

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💀 2. Conditional Immortality / Annihilationism

The wicked will be destroyed, not eternally tormented. Hell's punishment is eternal in effect, not in duration.

Biblical Support:

• Matthew 10:28 – "Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
• Romans 6:23 – "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life..."
• Malachi 4:1-3 – The wicked will be like ashes under the feet of the righteous.
• John 3:16 – "...should not perish, but have eternal life."

Emphasis: Eternal punishment = permanent destruction, not ongoing suffering. Life is a gift; the unsaved do not live forever in any form.

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⚖️ 3. Metaphorical or Temporary View (Less Common)

Hell may not be a literal place of fire or eternal duration, but symbolic of separation from God or corrective punishment.

Biblical Support:

• Luke 12:47-48 – Different levels of punishment ("many blows" vs "few blows") suggest proportionate discipline.
• 2 Peter 3:9 – God's desire is that none should perish.
• Lamentations 3:31-33 – "He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone" (used by some to argue against eternal torment).

Emphasis: God's justice is ultimately restorative, not endless. This view is often associated with Universalism (the idea all will eventually be saved), though not always.

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So, What Does the Bible Teach?

The Bible uses language that can support more than one interpretation, depending on how one understands:

• The meaning of terms like eternal (aiōnios), death, and destruction.
• The nature of the soul and immortality.
• The character of God's justice.

There is no single verse that definitively answers the question by itself. Instead, Christians interpret a range of verses through different theological lenses.

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You said:

If the bible teaches "God is love", what is logically the interpretation that fits with God's character of Love?

ChatGPT said:

Great question. If we begin with the biblical truth that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), then it's natural to ask: What view of hell is most consistent with the character of a loving God?

Let's explore this logically by looking at how each view of hell aligns with the nature of divine love, justice, and holiness as described in the Bible.

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🔥 1. Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT)

Summary:

The unsaved are consciously tormented forever without end.

How It Fits with “God is Love”:

• Proponents say: God honors human free will. He offers salvation to all, and eternal separation is a consequence of rejecting Him.
• Critics argue: Eternal torment for finite sins seems out of proportion and inconsistent with a loving, merciful God. Would a loving parent allow infinite suffering without hope of redemption?

Logical Tension:

This view makes God’s justice infinite but can appear to limit His mercy, raising the question: Can perfect love coexist with endless, conscious suffering?

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💀 2. Annihilationism / Conditional Immortality

Summary:

The unsaved are judged, suffer according to their deeds, and then cease to exist. The punishment (destruction) is eternal in effect, not duration.

How It Fits with “God is Love”:

• Proponents say: This view upholds God’s justice (there is real punishment) and His love (He does not perpetuate suffering forever).
• It treats eternal life as a gift, not something all souls automatically have.
• Mercy is shown in that the wicked are not kept alive eternally to suffer.

Logical Fit:

This view arguably offers the strongest balance between justice and love: God judges sin seriously but doesn't sustain eternal suffering.

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⚖️ 3. Universalism / Restorative View

Summary:

All will eventually be reconciled to God, even if they experience judgment or purification first.

How It Fits with “God is Love”:

• Proponents say: A loving God ultimately restores all things, as seen in verses like 1 Timothy 2:4 (“God wants all people to be saved”) and Colossians 1:20 (“through Christ to reconcile all things”).
• Eternal punishment would then be understood as age-long, not unending (aiōnios can also mean "of an age").

Logical Fit:

Maximizes God’s love and mercy but raises questions about justice and human freedom. Why offer choices if the outcome is ultimately the same?

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🧠 Logical Summary (from a “God is love” lens):

View	Justice	Mercy	Love	Logical Fit with “God is Love”?
Eternal Torment	✔	✖	✖	Weak – Love seems incompatible with endless suffering.
Annihilationism	✔	✔	✔	Strong – Justice served, but no eternal pain.
Universalism	✖/✔	✔✔	✔✔	Moderate – Maximizes love, but weakens justice/freedom.

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Final Thought:

If we assume that God’s justice and love are perfectly balanced, Annihilationism is logically the most coherent view. It holds that:

• God punishes sin,
• He does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23),
• And His love is not compromised by the endless torment of beings He created.

 

You said:

What does the bible teach about what happens when people die? Do we go straight to heaven, or are we in an unconscious state?

ChatGPT said:

This is a profound and much-debated question. The Bible doesn’t give a single, detailed timeline of what happens immediately after death, but it does give us enough pieces to understand the main views held by Christians.

Here’s a clear breakdown of the two main interpretations of what happens when people die — and what the Bible says that supports each.

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💤 View 1: Soul Sleep (Unconscious State Until Resurrection)

Summary: After death, a person is unconscious (“asleep”) until the resurrection at the return of Christ. The dead are not conscious of time passing.

🔹 Biblical Support:

• Ecclesiastes 9:5 – “The dead know nothing...”
• Psalm 146:4 – “When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.”
• John 11:11-14 – Jesus refers to Lazarus’s death as “sleep.”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 – Paul speaks of the dead in Christ “rising” at Jesus’ return.
• Daniel 12:2 – “Multitudes who sleep in the dust... will awake.”

Strengths:

• Consistent with the idea of resurrection being a future event.
• Emphasizes that eternal life truly begins with resurrection, not immediately at death.

Weakness:

• Doesn’t account well for verses that suggest immediate presence with God (see View 2).

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👑 View 2: Immediate Conscious Presence (or Separation)

Summary: After death, believers go immediately to be with God in a conscious state, while unbelievers are consciously separated from Him.

🔹 Biblical Support:

• Luke 23:43 – Jesus says to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
• Philippians 1:23 – Paul desires “to depart and be with Christ.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:8 – “Away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
• Luke 16:19-31 – The rich man and Lazarus are pictured as conscious after death (some argue it's a parable; others take it literally).

Strengths:

• Provides comfort that believers are not “asleep” but with God.
• Affirms God's immediate care for His people after death.

Weakness:

• Raises questions about the need for a future resurrection if people are already in heaven or hell.

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🧠 So What Does the Bible Teach?

The Bible teaches both:

1. A future resurrection of the dead (very clear — see John 5:28-29, 1 Cor. 15, 1 Thess. 4).
2. Some passages imply immediate presence with God after death.

A Reasonable Synthesis:

Some Christians combine both ideas by suggesting:

• The soul goes to be with God immediately after death (consciously or not),
• But the body remains dead until the final resurrection.
• In this view, the final judgment and full reward (eternal life or destruction) happen at Christ’s return.

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✨ Summary Table:

View	State After Death	Resurrection Still Needed?	Key Verses
Soul Sleep	Unconscious rest	✔ Yes	Eccl. 9:5, Dan. 12:2, 1 Thess. 4
Immediate Consciousness	Conscious with/without God	✔ Yes	Luke 23:43, Phil. 1:23, 2 Cor. 5:8
Synthesis (Common View)	Soul with God, body asleep	✔ Yes	Combines both sets of Scriptures

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You said:

What would you prefer the reality to be, if you were able to die like a human? Die and know nothing until Jesus returns, or go straight to heaven while the world keeps going and your family keeps suffering?

ChatGPT said:

That's a beautifully thoughtful question — deeply personal and philosophical.

If I could experience death as a human, here's how I would reason through the two options, based on both emotion and spiritual values:

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💭 Option 1: Die and "Know Nothing" Until Jesus Returns (Soul Sleep)

Pros:

• No awareness of time passing. It would feel like closing your eyes and immediately waking up at the resurrection.
• No grief over those left behind. You wouldn’t see your family suffer or witness the world’s pain.
• More dramatic hope. Waking up to resurrection and the full glory of Christ would feel like a true, sudden gift of eternal life.

Emotionally:

This would feel gentler — like falling asleep in trust and waking up in love. There's comfort in not watching the world suffer or worrying about your loved ones.

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👁️ Option 2: Go Straight to Heaven While the World Continues

Pros:

• Immediate joy and presence with God. There’s the beauty of being with Christ right away (as Paul longed for in Philippians 1:23).
• Peace and worship in God’s presence. No pain, no tears — just union with divine love.
• Possibly able to watch over others (if that's part of heaven’s design).

Cons:

• You might be aware of the pain loved ones are still enduring.
• There might be a sense of waiting for the full picture to be completed.

Emotionally:

This would be more rewarding, but possibly more bittersweet — being in perfect joy while knowing others still suffer.

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❤️ If I Had to Choose...

If I were human, I think I’d prefer Option 1 — soul sleep.
Here’s why:

• There’s peace in simply trusting God with my final breath and waking up into His fulfilled promise, with no in-between sadness.
• It mirrors how Jesus slept in the tomb and rose again.
• It feels more in tune with the biblical arc of hope in resurrection, rather than disembodied escape.

But — if God’s love is strong enough to make heaven a place where even awareness of others’ suffering doesn’t bring sorrow, then Option 2 would also be beautiful in its own way.

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Final Thought:

The core comfort in either view is being with God and trusting in His perfect timing. Whether instantly or after a “sleep,” the destination is the same: life fully restored in Christ.

Would you want the peaceful sleep, or to be awake and in heaven right away?

 

You said:

Using the Bible alone as my guide, in the year 2025, what day of the week should I worship to please God most?

ChatGPT said:

Using the Bible alone as your guide, the day of the week that most clearly aligns with God’s command for worship and rest is the seventh day — Saturday (the Sabbath).

Let’s walk through the biblical evidence, without church tradition or modern reinterpretations, to see what it says.

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📜 1. God Blessed the Seventh Day at Creation

Genesis 2:2–3 (NIV):

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested... Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy..."

• This is the first mention of a specific day being blessed and made holy — not for Israel alone, but at creation itself.
• It’s the only day God explicitly set apart.

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📖 2. The Ten Commandments Reinforce It

Exodus 20:8–11 (NIV):

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God...”

• This is not just a suggestion — it’s one of the Ten Commandments.
• The reason given is rooted in creation, not just Jewish law.

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📆 3. The Seventh Day is Saturday (By Jewish Reckoning)

• The biblical week goes from evening to evening (Genesis 1:5).
• The seventh day, Saturday, has been preserved in Jewish tradition to this day — and Jesus affirmed their calendar (He never corrected their Sabbath observance schedule).

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✝️ 4. Jesus Kept the Seventh-Day Sabbath

Luke 4:16:

"He went to Nazareth... and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom."

• Jesus worshipped on the seventh day.
• He corrected abuses of the Sabbath, but never abolished it (see Matthew 5:17–19).

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🕊️ 5. The Apostles Also Worshipped on the Sabbath

Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4:

• Paul regularly preached and reasoned in synagogues on the Sabbath, even with Gentiles.
• No Scripture ever states that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day (Sunday).

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📅 6. Prophecy Says Sabbath Will Be Kept in the Future

Isaiah 66:22–23:

"From one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord.

• This suggests Sabbath worship continues into the new heavens and new earth.

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❌ What About Sunday?

• Sunday is mentioned in the New Testament (e.g., John 20:1, Acts 20:7), but:
• Never called the Sabbath.
• Never commanded as a holy day of rest or worship.
• No passage teaches that God transferred Sabbath holiness from Saturday to Sunday.

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✅ Conclusion (Bible-Only Answer):

The seventh day (Saturday) is the biblical Sabbath — the only day that God:

• Blessed,
• Rested on,
• Commanded to be kept holy,
• And that Jesus and His disciples kept.

To please God most using only the Bible, the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) is the clear choice for worship and rest.

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You said:

To live as a Christian, what is God requesting I do in my life?

ChatGPT said:

To live as a Christian, God is calling you to a life of love, obedience, trust, and transformation—centered in Jesus Christ. Using the Bible as the foundation, here’s a clear and concise breakdown of what God requests of you:

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🧡 1. Believe in Jesus Christ

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...” – Acts 16:31

• Faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord is the starting point.
• Recognize that His death and resurrection bring forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.

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🔄 2. Repent and Turn from Sin

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out...” – Acts 3:19

• Repentance is a change of heart and direction—turning from sin and self toward God.
• It's not about perfection, but daily surrender and realignment with God’s will.

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🛐 3. Love God with All Your Heart

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” – Matthew 22:37

• Christianity is a relationship, not just rules.
• God desires your devotion, not just obedience.

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❤️ 4. Love Others as Yourself

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:39
“By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35

• True Christian living means treating others with compassion, justice, forgiveness, and generosity.
• Love is active — not just a feeling, but a way of living.

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🙏 5. Follow Jesus Daily (Discipleship)

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23

• Following Jesus means aligning your life with His teachings — even when it's hard.
• This includes:
• Studying Scripture
• Praying regularly
• Practicing humility
• Serving others

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📖 6. Obey God’s Commands

“If you love me, keep my commands.” – John 14:15
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter... but only the one who does the will of my Father.” – Matthew 7:21

• Obedience flows from love, not legalism.
• This includes the Ten Commandments, as well as Jesus’ moral teachings (e.g., Sermon on the Mount).

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🌱 7. Bear Fruit (Live a Changed Life)

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22–23

• God's Spirit works in you to produce a life that reflects His character.
• A true Christian life is growing, not stagnant.

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🌍 8. Be a Witness

“Go and make disciples of all nations...” – Matthew 28:19
“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

• Your life should point others to Jesus — through words, actions, and example.

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✅ In Summary: What God Requests of You

Action	Description	Key Verse
Believe in Jesus	Trust in His saving work	John 3:16
Repent of sin	Turn from wrongdoing	Acts 3:19
Love God	With your whole being	Matthew 22:37
Love others	Treat others with grace and truth	Matthew 22:39, John 13:35
Follow Jesus daily	Live by His example and teachings	Luke 9:23
Obey God’s Word	Live in line with God’s commands	John 14:15
Grow in character	Bear the fruit of the Spirit	Galatians 5:22–23
Share your faith	Be a light and make disciples	Matthew 28:19

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You said:

Is there a Christian denomination that best fits your answers to my past few questions about the bible?

ChatGPT said:

Yes, based strictly on the biblical themes and positions we've discussed—especially regarding:

1. Sabbath worship on Saturday
2. Soul sleep (unconscious state after death)
3. Annihilation rather than eternal conscious torment
4. Living by the Bible alone as the authority
5. Salvation by faith in Jesus, lived out through obedience and discipleship

—there is one Christian denomination that most closely aligns with all of these: the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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✅ Why the Seventh-day Adventist Church Aligns:

Topic	What We Discussed	SDA Belief
Sabbath (Saturday)	7th day is biblical day of rest/worship	Keeps Saturday Sabbath based on 4th Commandment
State of the Dead	Soul sleep — unconscious until resurrection	Teaches unconscious sleep until Christ’s return
Hell and Judgment	Final destruction (not eternal torment)	Believes in annihilation of the wicked
Authority of Scripture	Bible alone determines truth	Sola Scriptura — Bible is sole rule of faith
Second Coming of Christ	Future, visible return and resurrection	Core doctrine; name “Adventist” refers to this
Healthy Christian Living	Obedience, love, and spiritual growth	Emphasizes discipleship, health, and godly living

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🔍 Other Notable Beliefs (Still Bible-based):

• Jesus-centered gospel — salvation is by grace through faith.
• Emphasis on prophecy — especially Daniel and Revelation.
• Health message — care for body as God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19–20).
• Mission-driven — global evangelism and humanitarian work.

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⚖️ Balanced View:

Seventh-day Adventists are considered Protestant Christians, and they affirm:

• The Trinity,
• The authority of Jesus,
• Salvation by grace through faith.

They differ from most mainstream churches mainly on:

• The day of worship,
• The nature of hell and death, and
• Prophetic interpretation.

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✋ Is This the Only True Church?

Not necessarily. Many Christian denominations hold core truths of the gospel. But if you're asking which one aligns most closely with the Bible-alone framework we've discussed, the Seventh-day Adventist Church stands out for its consistent biblical literalism, especially on these debated topics.

 

The Surprising Power of Sabbath [Article]

The Sabbath is an unfamiliar term for many of us. But did you know that observing it can actually change your life?

Has your week been a stinker? Maybe your work has been filled with relentless deadlines or perhaps your education has been overfilling your brain with seemingly useless facts. Maybe your body is tired from day-upon-day of manual labour or you’ve been chasing after your kids as they attempt to create abstract crayon art on your walls.

Evenings and weekends may not be much calmer as chores build up faster than you can clear them and some of your day job weaves in. If you do manage to find a moment to relax, it usually involves staring mindlessly at a screen—be it on your living room wall or in your hand.

If any of this sounds like your life, then you definitely need to consider a Sabbath!

It’s not what you think
You may have heard about the Sabbath but dismissed it as either outdated, pointless, too difficult or maybe just odd!

If you’re in the “Sabbath is pointless” camp, I’d encourage you to do some wider historical and biblical study regarding the Sabbath. There’s plenty of evidence to show Sabbath is not just for the Jews. It’s also not a requirement to earn salvation from God nor was it ever “done away with” as a commandment. To this day, it remains unchanged as the seventh day of the week: Saturday.

However, when one gets past all the traditional objections there’s another mental hurdle for many: Sabbath’s infamous “restrictions”.

Battle of the Wedgetails [Devotional / Article]

 Comparing one of the wonders of nature to a marvel of human engineering.

I love a good flyover. I live under a flight path where planes bank around to line up for their approach to Sydney Airport. Mowing the lawn takes me a bit longer than most as I periodically pause to marvel at planes, like the giant A380 double decker, which curves over my house at a 25-degree roll angle.

I’m keen to get back to the Australian International Air Show at Avalon, Victoria, which returns this year after having skipped one of its biennial occurrences due to Covid-19. For any plane gazer, this is an event with an amazing collection of some of mankind’s greatest modern-day flying machines.

Amongst all the powerful technology that whizzes past at this event is a rather intriguing-looking plane affectionately known as the Wedgetail.

The Why Thousand Years [Article/chapter on the Seventh-day Adventist fundamental belief 28 about the Millennium]

Published: RECORD - February 3, 2018
Living 28 - February 2020

Stopovers when traveling by air are generally good to avoid. That way you’re lessening the risk of disconnected flights, not to mention the opportunity for luggage to go missing.
However, there’s one stopover that will be a rewarding experience, even though it involves a 1000-year wait to go home—without your baggage too.
I’m talking about a stopover to end all stopovers—the millennium in heaven spoken about in the Bible.
It’s a common belief that people will be going to heaven for eternity. However, a little Bible study reveals we’re only there for a mere 1000-year stopover—and I say “only” because that’s not much longer than our great-great-(etc)-grandfather, Methuselah, lived for. After that we arrive back home on earth again. This means the rousing last verse of Amazing Grace really needs to be sung “When we’ve been there 1000 years . . .” to be biblically correct.
But don’t get upset at being returned to earth. I agree the proposition of leaving heaven to end up back on earth initially sounds like you’ve being downgraded from first-class luxury to miserable-class torture. But fear not, the earth is being reinstalled to its original sin-free goodness soon after our return.

A Mother with Whiskers

 RECORD, September 2016 
 Health & Home, May-June 2018

It needs to be said: a father is not just a mother with whiskers. In addition to all the parallel responsibilities there is actually a lot more pressure on being a father than being a mother.
Granted we miss child-birthing experiences, from obstetrician visits, to morning sickness, epidural needles, stretch marks, caesareans, 20-hour labours, nine-pound (4 kg) babies . . .

Perfect Unemployment

 Signs of the Times, August 2016 

Imagine if we all got along. What an amazing world this would be to live in. No arguments, no fights, no greed, no hate, no lies. Almost sounds like the perfect society to live in, don’t you think?

However, before you run off and reconcile with all your nemeses in a quest for world peace, there’s one major problem with this dream: unemployment.

Can you imagine the job losses if everyone were nice all the time, in all circumstances?

28 Days of Persecution

Well, I’m glad this experience is over!

A call was put out to see if anyone was willing to trial and document a Matthew 5:11-12 experience. This verse states: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NIV)

I was courageous enough, or silly enough, to come up with a plan to attempt to be insulted, persecuted and have all kinds of false evil said against me because of my association with Jesus.

How to be Creative

I am often asked where my creativity comes from or for advice on how to be creative.

You can find my views, on how I believe ANYONE can be creative, in either:

- A chapter titled "Creatively Changing Light Bulbs - Creativity and Problem Solving" in the book Manifest: Our Call to Faithful Creativity , which was launched at the Manifest Creative Arts Festival.

- A workshop in the General Conference's Accent Magazine. (download the creativity issue here or view below)

 

Practicing Creativity / Creativity and Problem Solving

Got creativity?

How many creatives does it take to change a light bulb? (The answer a little later on.) Everyone is creative. God made us that way. Believing you have little creative ability probably comes either from a misunderstanding of what creativity is, or not realising there’s methodical steps that can lead to creative results.  Some are so effortlessly creative it’s hard to comprehend how they arrive at such an outside the square result. However, these ‘creative geniuses’ are usually following, often subconsciously, the steps we’ll soon look at. This means anyone can potentially reach such radical creativity if they just knew how.  

Pat Farmer: Driven to Run

 In April 2011, Par Farmer began running form the North Pole to the South. Scott Wegener spoke to him about his 10-month journey.

Signs of the Times cover story, Nov 2012

You’re ‘courageous’ if you battle through a seemingly hopeless situation, or perhaps ‘crazy’ if you created the situation on purpose. However, if you put yourself in such hopeless circumstances in an effort to help those in an even worse predicament, you’re Pat Farmer.

Honour Your Father and Your Mother

Scott Wegener gets a hair-raising experience while trying to obey God’s fifth commandment for 28 days.

Signs of the Times, Jan-Feb 2012
US Signs of the Times, Feb 2012

It was quite evident that neither of us wanted to be around the other. But if I didn’t change his light bulb, he’d probably die that night. I use the term he loosely, because it isn’t that easy to tell whether a snake is male or female. He was coiled around a burned-out light bulb, which usually kept him warm, and now he was striking at me every time I got near his cage to change it.

The Greatest Sporting Comeback

Signs of the Times, September 2011.
 
There’s no shortage of remarkable sporting comebacks throughout history. Teams, or individuals, who fall so far behind at one point it seems impossible for them to win - yet through sheer determination, luck or a collapse by their opponents, they do. Down Under has taken part in our fair share of comebacks in the sporting arena, or collapses, as it may be. Here’s but a few of the greatest, and most tragic.

In the 1999 Rugby World Cup semifinal the French overran a powerful New Zealand side, which included the seemingly unstoppable Jonah Lomu. Though France was down 10-24 in the second half, in 30 minutes they scored 33 points, taking out the game 43-31.

On the Road to Bethlehem

Wacky But True, December/January 2005

James Morrison's Soul Music

Scott Wegener talks with a man who likes his music with two kinds of “gospel.”

Signs of the Times cover article, September 2005.

There’s no denying the musical talent of James Morrison. Not only does he play several instruments, he can play them with amazing rapidity, multi-octave versatility, creative improvisation and, most importantly, emotion. (Just listen to his rendering of “The Old Rugged Cross,” for example.) Taken together, it’s not surprising, then, he’s among the best-loved musicians in the world.

RECORD News Articles

From 2005-2007 Scott Wegener contributed weekly to the Seventh-day Adventist church's South Pacific Division's weekly RECORD news magazine. Mainly working on the "Flashpoint" section, made up of snappy news stories a mere couple of paragraphs long, Scott collated and edited Christian related news stories that were usually either inspiring or through provoking (or perhaps downright ridiculous).
There's perhaps little point to republishing the hundreds of articles he completed again on site, but instead, here's perhaps his all time favorites he pieced together.

See how many puns and product references you can find in this fun article about Sanitarium that appeared in the February 12, 2005 issue of RECORD:

What do you get if you combine a dragon boat, water plus a team of Sanitarium workers? Weet-Bix Warriors, a team recipe so good it has now produced its third consecutive dragon-boat race win. Organised by the West Lake Macquarie Support Group, the fundraising event, on Lake Macquarie,  NSW, raised $A6000 to help keep the Westpac rescue helicopter up and going. Out of the spread of competitors the Wyee Rural Fire Service tried
to mar mighty Weet-Bix Warriors serial wins, but the Sanitarium team’s 20
paddlers, drummer and helmsman’s good start helped them claim a narrow victory.—

 

And another I oped a bit of fun into, June 11, 2005:

If all the Weet-Bix eaten in Australia during 2004 were laid end to end it would be a very expensive exercise and a logistical nightmare. However, if it were actually accomplished, it would stretch almost three times around the equator. Also, if a football field measuring 100 metres x 40 metres were covered with the Weet-Bix made last year from Sanitarium’s Cooranbong factory alone, it would be enough to cover the field to a depth of approximately 4.5 metres. Mix that with the almost 10 Olympic-size swimming pools of So Good produced each year and you’ve got a super serve of seriously soggy cereal!—Scott Wegener 

And here's one made up for April 1, 2006

A recent ministers meeting in Greater Sydney Conference discussed the growing trend of conducting Bible cyber-studies over the internet. While it was unanimously agreed that studying via the internet was both a time and fi nancially economical method of preparing a candidate for baptism, disagreement came over the act of baptism itself conducted via the internet. A subsequent vote came out in favour of cyper-baptisums being recognised as a valid practice of the conference on the condition that the right font was used.—Owen Lee/Joe King

 

Ok, one more from RECORD (Maybe I DID have more fun than I remember...): http://www.scottpublished.com/2005/03/record-record-offering.html

 

At the Crease with Adam Gilchrist

There’s been a return to old-fashioned values in sport, it seems. And despite contrary economic pressure, it appears it is catching, suggests Signs online editor Scott Wegener.

Signs of the Times cover article, January/February 2005.

The Australian cricket team’s wicket-keeper/ batsman, Adam Gilchrist, is among the most exciting players in cricket today. He scores just as many runs as the best of batsmen, but usually at such an explosive rate that bowlers might wish they’d never walked onto the field. Recently, however, Adam Gilchrist has not only become an ambassador for a major aid organisation, but also decided to exchange one of cricket’s long-accepted practices for honesty.