Events

SMBC Hot Topics is a series of talks held on Wednesday evenings. They are open to the public and will run from Wednesday 10 February to 31 March. These talks are ideal for those who want their hearts and minds challenged biblically.

In 2021 the talks will be available online via Zoom. The cost is $10 per person per talk.

10 February
HOW TO TALK ABOUT JESUS WITHOUT BECOMING THAT GUY: PERSONAL EVANGELISM IN A SKEPTICAL WORLD
with Sam Chan
Christians want to tell their friends and family about Jesus. But evangelism is awkward in our post-Christian world. Recent studies confirm that most Christians rarely evangelize, worried they might offend their family or lose their friends. In this talk, City Bible Forum’s Sam Chan will equip everyday Christians who are reluctant and nervous to tell their friends about Jesus with practical, tested ways of sharing their faith in the least awkward ways possible.
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17 February
THE VIOLENCE OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
with Kit Barker
Kit loves the Old Testament, which he teaches at SMBC. But parts of it can be troubling, with accounts of violence, blood sacrifice, and slaughter of (or by) Israel’s enemies. Sometimes God appears not just to help Israel win battles, but to actually command them to conquer and punish their enemies in a way that leaves no survivors. How does the violence of God on the Old Testament fit with the God of love we know and see in Jesus?
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10 March
FROM THE WORD TO OUR WORLD: LIFE-TRANSFORMING APPLICATION
with Derek Brotherson
No one wants to "listen to the word but not do what it says" (James 1:23); but it’s sometimes hard to know how to move from reading the Bible to applying it in concrete ways in everyday life. Derek is the principal of SMBC and has researched biblical application in his PhD studies, and explored a range of approaches in his ministry in Asia. He will suggest some practical tips for our personal and group Bible study.
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17 March
JESUS, YOU AND MODERN SLAVERY
with Karine Woldhuis
With over 40 million victims, modern slavery is a problem of global proportions yet is as close to us as the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the devices in our hands. How can we truly love our neighbour who is being exploited close by or across the world? Karine is  graduate of SMBC and works for For Freedom: Anti-trafficking and Exploitation Ministries (SIM International).
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31 March
UNDERSTANDING GRIEF AND LOSS THROUGH JESUS’ DEATH AND RESURRECTION
with Colleen Hirst
The death of someone we love is one of the most significant losses we can experience. People often feel shattered, lost and alone. For months, if not years, it can be hard to think, sleep or make decisions. How do we care for ourselves – and for others – in grief? The most profound death in history speaks gentle and life-changing wisdom to guide us through the valley. Colleen, a clinical psychologist and family therapist, lost her husband three years ago.
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Please note: The views of our Hot Topics speakers don't necessarily represent the views of SMBC.