This week we look at a significant event in each month of 2025 including President Trump; the Death of Woke;  the election of Mark Carney as Premier of Canada; Censorship in the UK; The EU and Free Speech; the Iran-Israel war; Massacre of Christians in Nigeria; Cambodia/Thailand war; Immigration in the UK; the Assassination of Charlie Kirk; US attempts to end the war in Ukraine; the Intifada is globalised in Australia; the death of Brigitte Bardot; the Final Word - Romans 8.with music from Tom Macdonald, Taylor Swift, Metallica, Oasis,  Village People, Neil Young, The Sex Pistols, and the Gettys. 

As this weeks podcast goes out on Christmas Day we take a break from the news - and look at some Christmas songs, films and culture.   Including Justin Biebers rules for life;  It's a Wonderful Life; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Die Hard; Pride and Prejudice; Joyeux Noel; Lord of the Rings; Country of the Week - Australia; and the Last Word - Matthew 2. with music fromSlade; John Williamson; Justin Bieber; Theocracy; Enya; Steeleye Span;  and Boney M.

This week we look at the Bondi massacres and the rise of anti-semitism in Australia and the Western world;  Amsterdam; Belgium; Germany; France; England;  Country of the Week - Bulgaria; Chile turns Conservative; The unelected EU President argues for elected democracies;  Tommy Robinson's Carol Service;  with music from Annie Lennox; Joshua Aaron; Mystery of Bulgaria Voices;  Booker T and the MGs;  The Ramones;  and Dave Henderson 

This week we look at Christmas, clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan; attempted coup in Benin; Country of the week - Northern Ireland;  Males banned from Girl Guides; Rob Smith - The Body God Gives; The end of trial by jury?;  Climate Change - Deforestation in Indonesia; the humility of Mitchell Starc; The Queens Gambit and Nona Gaprindashvili; Radiohead and Gaelic Psalm 9; Rainn Wilson and Alex O'Connor;  Conversations with Geoff Bullock; Suffering with Steve Laws; and the Final Word.with music from Bob Dylan, Colin Buchanan,  Stiff Little Fingers, Anonymous Ulster, Radiohead, Back Gaelic Psalm Singers; Geoff Bullock;  and the Gettys.

This is a fascinating interview with Geoff Bullock, one of the founders of Hillsong - and a great musician/songwriter in his own right.  We talk about his life, the beginning of Hillsong, what went wrong....why he left....and how he is recovering now....includes the songs - The Power of Your Love; I am Carried; and the Great Southland

This week we look at the rising tides in our cultures - from climate protesters and trans ideology,  to AI and Islamists and war....including protest at Newcastle port;  Bjorn Lomberg; blackouts in Eastern Australia; Felling trees in Scotland;  China and Coal; the Maldives; the Great Barrier Reef; 2001 - a Space Odyssesy; the power needed by AI;  Islamic St Andrews Day; Immigration in the UK; Jakarta becomes largest city in the world;  Country of the week - Ukraine; the end of the Russia/Ukraine war?  North Korea and Russia;  Australia's sex discrimination minister doesn't know what a woman is; Your Party launches;  the new Archbishop of Melbourne; the intelligent pupils of Belmont Christian College; Feedback; and the Final Wordwith music from Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Richard Strauss, Ukrainian Orthodox music;  the Red Flag; Yothu Yindi and Hillsong.

I had the great privilege of having a discussion with several pupils from Belmont Christian College....I hope you find it as encouraging as I did.... Thanks to Hamilton, Faith, Meleluca, Liam, Josh, Kayden. And Alex Cameron The questions were What is the best advice you have received? How do you cope with people being bad to you? Are mission trips exploitative? If we keep sinning how can we be Christian?  What is repentance?  What about those we are lost?  Mental disorders…

This week we look at the controversial subject of Christian Nationalism...including Scotland qualifying for the World Cup; the Ashes; Tommy Robinson and Christianity;  What is Christian Nationalism;  Nick Fuentes; Putin and the Orthodox Church; The Covid Report; Piers Morgan apologises to Novak Djovic; Country of the Week - Papua New Guinea;  Steve Chalke on Christian Nationalism; James Watson and DNA';  Greg Sheridan; The Last Word Psalm 33. with music from the Proclaimers, Prelude,  West Papua Gospel; Coldplay; Choir of the Srentsky monastry.

In this second of our conversations we chat with Greg Sheridan, author and foreign editor of the Australian, about his book 'How Christians Can Succeed today".  Greg is a deeply experienced journalist, a staunch Catholic and a man with deep insight into what is going on in the world....what he has to say is fascinating....

This week we look at the Ashes; Mel Gibson explains cricket to Joe Rogan; India and Pakistan war; upcoming election in Chile;  Zack Polanski on persuading Putin to give up nuclear weapons; Feedback;  German Lutherans bless 'marriage' of four men; Alan Cumming and the Pitlochry LGBTQI+ festival; Country of the Week - Denmark; Danish Prime Minister calls for a return to Christianity; the BBC waters down Christian persecution in Nigeria;  YouTube Short - Who Created God? the final word -Psalm 8 -  with music from 10CC, John Lennon, Rachel Macshane and the Darwin project, Metallica, and Stille Stunder

This week we look at Oasis; Prince William at COP30 in Brazil;  Germany rearming; The crisis at the BBC; The Czech Election; Will Mandani change New York; Champagne Socialists;  Country of the Week Japan;  Shogun; Colbert, Plant, and Tolkien; A man says what he is thinking; Alex O'Connor and Bear Grylls; Giant Christian monument in England; and the Final Word (Philippians 2:14-16) with music from Oasis, Frank Sinatra;  the Vapors; Masaaki Suzuki; Led Zeppelin; and St Peters Free Church . 

This week we look at Home, Heretics and Hate Speech - including Canadian government minister defines Bible as hatespeech;  Sudan; Anti-semitism in Melbourne and London; The Dutch election; Free Speech in France; The BBC edits Trump speech;  Fiji and Samoa celebrate Christ after rugby match;  country of the week - Germany;  the most infectious German song ever!;  Prunella Scales; The Queering of Jesus; Shape Singing in the US; Joe Rogan sticks with Jesus; and the Last Word - John 4:12  with music from RunRig, Jimi Hendrix; Plastic Betrand; Mountain Crew; Bach; 600 Shape Singers; and Matt Redman. 

This week's is a special in memory of my mother - including Kathren Maher on the truth; Ukraine war;  John Lennon's relationship with his mother;  Child abuse in Australia; Matt Redman on suffering; Birth rates throughout the world; and Proverbs 31 with music from Duncan Chisholm; Deep Purple; John Lennon;  Ray Davies; Matt Redman; Capercaillie;  and Warren Haynes 

Beauty for Ashes Conversations is an offshoot of the Beauty for Ashes Podcast, featuring interviews we do with the famous and the not so famous.  Our first conversation is with Matt Redman - the Christian songwriter.  We discuss his early life, his songwriting and some of the sufferings he has experienced....with some of his best known songs....enjoy!

In episode 2 we look at the question of bias; are Jews welcome in Birmingham?  Birmingham Imam instructs congregation on how to stone women;  Jewish children in Germany need armed guards to go to school; Victorian police have had enough of Far Left rioters; Robbing the Louvre; ChatGPT goes 'adult';   Dundee beat Celtic;  Country of the Week - Sweden;  Bill Maher on Swedish immigration;  Robert Irwin and LGBT symbols; Nottingham University wants to decolonise Lord of the Rings; Anglicans Split;  Is there Revival in the US? Isaiah 61:1-4  with music from ABBA; 10CC; Roxette;  Swedish Lutheran Chant;  Steph Macleod and Celtic Worship. 

Welcome to the first episode of Beauty for Ashes - in conjunction with Rhema Newcastle we are putting out a weekly radio programme and then this podcast.  It will follow the same pattern as Quantum of the Wee Flea - looking at news, culture, religion,  sport and music from throughout the world.    This week we look at Trump's Gaza piece;  Drugs in Estonia; Indoctrination in a Dorset school;  JK Rowling on Changing her mind and God; Senator Clare Chandler and Andy Cody; Country of the Week - Indonesia;   the Ashes; and the Final Word from Isaiah 61 with music from the Who;  the Verve;  Fun Boy Three; Iwan Fals-Bongkar; Ku Nyanyi Haleluya; Booker T and the MGs;  and Hillsong; 

This is a special edition of the Islam special....we have removed the localised and time limited references and a bit of the music....so that it is something that can be used as an ongoing resource.    Tom Holland on the incompatibility of Islam with Western liberal democracy;  Douglas Murray and James Orr on Muslim immigration;  Mousa Kadri;  Spencer Fildes on the new blasphemy law;   What happens if you leave Islam?  The genocide against Christians in Nigeria;  Country of the Week – Afghanistan;  Israel and Gaza;  Sharia Law in the UK;  Islam in Australia;  The Rape Gangs;  Islamic Education; Christian Apologist murdered in France;  The Church and Islam- Andy Bannister and Sam Green; with music from Yusuf,  Karl Jenkins; Afghan Christian Worship;  Bachman Turner Overdrive;  Bob Dylan; and Chris Tomlin.

In this weeks final Quantum (before we change into Beauty for Ashes), we take a look at the church throughout the world including the Pope blessing a block of ice; Vishnal Mangalwadi and Christian Education; US school vouchers; Church and State; Ofcom vetting sermons; The Church in China; the Church in South Korea; Bill Maher on Nigeria and the Persecuted Church; Spanish Priest arrested for Islamaphobia; The Weak Church - Jim Davies's response to Charlie Kirk; The Apostate Church - pastor takes child to Drag Queen shows;  Tony Evans; John Lennox on finishing well;  The non-transcendent church; the new Archbishop of Canterbury; Sydney Anglicans plan church growth; the 2025 Westminster Declaration; Marilyn Simon; Louise Perry; Gospel music in Japan; the church amongst the 'Angsha' tribal people; the last word - Matthew 16:18 with music from Sons of Korah, Gloria Kollectiv;  Ps 133 in Chinese; the Tenebrae Choir;  the Cave Church;  Megumi and Kenji Sato and The Kingdom Ambassadors;  the 'Angsha' people; and St Peters Free Church. 

John 5:37-38 - Jesus's third witness is the big one! The Father. What does this mean?

In this Quantum I look at 12 times I have changed my mind about something.....the EU;  Israel and the Jews;  Democracy; Scottish Independence;  Immigration; Socialism;  Education; Climate Change;  Islam; Transgender Ideology; Equality before the Law; Netflix.  And the final word from Acts 28. with music from Europe, Dave Alvin, Leonard Cohen;  Dougie Maclean, Pink Floyd; Supertramp; and Robert Plant.