Signs Of The Times Radio

Plenty of us are control freaks. But there comes a point when not having things exactly organised causes debilitating anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can destroy lives. But there's hope . . .

We talk about chairs in this episode . . . a lot. Take a seat . . .

There's no getting around the fact that divorce is painful, particularly for children. But, says psychologist and daughter of divorced parents Deanna Pitchford, it's also an opportunity to thrive.

It was the best of cakes, it was the worst of cakes. Radio personality and keen amateur baker Monica Gallasch gained some unexpected insights from a recipe that went wrong . . . or did it?

Governments use mass surveillance to protect citizens from terror attacks. But can large databases of private information be abused? Daniel Kuberek joins Kent Kingston to discuss the implications on religious freedom.

Adoption can change a child's life, and yet the process can take years with many hurdles. Human rights lawyer James Standish joins Signs radio to tell why giving the gift of family is so important.

Handel's Messiah is one of the most well-known pieces of classical music. It contains the Hallelujah chorus, which is still sung all around the world. Why is this piece of music so well known? And what connections does it have with Christmas?

It used to be said that three topics should be off-limits for polite conversation, sex, politics and religion. The current debates into the proper place of religion in schools cuts across all three topics - the heated debates that have followed shouldn't be surprising. Author, lawyer, historian and political commentator Roy Williams is our special guest in this episode.

After more than 40 years, the Star Wars franchise has maintained its appeal and sparked the imagination of each successive generation. Film critic and cultural commentator Mark Hadley defends 2018's much-maligned Han Solo movie and says it reminds us that the right mentor can make all the difference for your life's path.

If you want to get ahead, it's important to have friends in high places. And what's true in life, is also true for the afterlife. It's who you know. Pastor Wayne Boehm, who heads up Hope Channel's Discovery Centre Bible school, explains the biblical teaching of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the heavenly High Priest and mediator.

Up until 200 years ago, human beings had not travelled faster than the speed of a galloping horse; in the 1880s railway technophobes warned the human body could not withstand speeds greater than 100 kph. Cue the Wright Brothers, the space race, bullet trains and the information revolution. Could we have ever predicted the exponential growth in knowledge and technology we're in the middle of now? The Bible did.

One hundred years ago this month world leaders signed the armistice that marked the end of the First World War. In this interview with military historian Dr Daniel Reynaud, we separate myth from fact and explore the spirituality of the Aussie digger.

Do we have an ethical responsibility towards the thousands - no, millions - of displaced people seeking safety for themselves and their families?

When it comes to charities are you a generous giver or a reluctant donor? How do you know where your money is going and how much thought do you put into which charities and projects you support and which you don't? In this interview, Kent Kingston chats with charities marketer Braden Blyde.

Meet the family who decided a number of years ago that they were due for a downgrade - they left their upper-middle class life in Australia and moved to a slum in India. Why did they do it and what have they learned?

Life can get so crazy-busy that it actually takes discipline to ensure we get some quality rest. The ancient tradition of Sabbath offers a weekly rhythm of rest, renewal and togetherness.

Why, at the crucial moment, can the outcome of a sporting or artistic performance be so dismayingly uncertain? What separates the sweaty palmed dizzy successes from the gut-wrenching failures? International speaker and brain-function educator Dr Arlene Taylor says it's all in your head.

If even a super-smart tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is worried about artificial intelligence and the rise of the machines, shouldn't the rest of us be?

The gradual acceptance in the medical and research community that cannabis can be an effective medication for certain conditions has led to changes in the legal status of medical marijuana. But it's still very difficult for patients to legally access. A Gold Coast journalist and a local GP share their perspectives.

There's no workshop manual for fathering - all most of us have is what our own dads taught us, and that can be a bit hit and miss. Family life educator Trafford Fischer offers some tips for dads raising sons and explores the tragic but fascinating history of Fathers Day.