Mark Conner's Space

Lachlan Macquarie Internship: Developing Leaders in Public Policy

From Lyle Shelton, Chief of Staff at the Australian Christian Lobby ...

LYLE: Someone once said if you are unhappy with your leaders, start working on their replacements.

While Australia does have some fine political leaders, there is not too much disagreement that principled public leadership is in short supply. Just when we thought we could not get any more cynical about politicians, our Prime Minister reneged on her pokie promise to Andrew Wilke. 

Knowing our nation faces a crisis of leadership, five years ago ACL embarked on a long-term program to start developing tomorrow’s. Last week the fifth annual Compass Summer Conference was held in Brisbane with more than 70 young people on the program. Compass seeks to inspire Christian young people in tertiary study towards a greater understanding of their faith and how it applies to whatever vocation they might later pursue. While Compass is now a separate entity pursuing an exciting expanded brief, the Summer Conference continues to be run in association with ACL.

In addition to Compass, ACL last year commenced the Lachlan Macquarie Internship – a 13 week live-in program for people with post-graduate degrees with a passion for politics, public policy, the media or law.

Compass and LMI are long term initiatives but in the mean time we must require of our elected leaders – on both sides of the political fence – that they work to restore trust in what will be a long road ahead to restore trust in public leadership.

MARK: Jesus gave his followers a Great Commission and a Cultural Mandate. We have been given a geographical and ethnic challenge to take the good news of Jesus to every people group across the earth. We have also been given a social challenge to influence every strata of society (our kosmos or world), which includes business, arts and entertainment, education, family and government. No doubt, we need more followers of Christ to influence the political realm. Could that be you?

When You're Feeling Overwhelmed by Your Workload

Michael Hyatt has an excellent BLOG packed full of practical advice. Here is part of his recent post on what to do when you're feeling overwhelmed with your workload, which I'm sure we all experience from time totime.

MICHAEL: Here are six things you can do to cope. Trust me, I am preaching to myself!

1. Acknowledge you can’t do it all. The idea that you will eventually get caught up is a myth. It’s impossible. You have more work than you can reasonably expect to get done. And unfortunately, your workload is not static. Even now, while you are reading this post, your inbox is filling up with fresh new tasks.

2. Accept the fact some things won’t get done at all. This flows from the first item. You have to make peace with the fact that you must leave some things undone—for the sake of your own sanity.

3. Practice workload triage. On the battlefield, medics have to decide where to apply their limited resources. They can’t help everyone. According to Dictionary.com, triageis the process of sorting victims, as of a battle or disaster, to determine medical priority in order to increase the number of survivors.”

Some patients will survive without medical care. Some won’t survive even if they have medical care. Triage means ignoring these two groups and focusing on those that will only survive with medical care. You must know which things you can safely ignore and which things demand your intervention.

4. Categorize your tasks by priority. In my view, this is the one thing missing from David Allen’s system. It assumes all tasks are equal. Or to say it another way, you can only decide a task’s relative priority in the moment.This doesn’t work for me. I end up with scores of tasks I must review every day. My eyes glaze over, and I fall prey to what Charles Ummel calls the Tyranny of the Urgent.

Instead, I like the Franklin-Covey method of assigning a priority tag to each task:

A—urgent and important

B—important but not urgent

C—urgent but not important

D—not urgent or important

I personally categorize each task with one of these tags. At the beginning of each day, I focus on my A’s first. If I get those done, I move to the B’s, then the C’s.

Kids in Church

For a bit of a laugh ...

3-year-old Reese: "Our Father, Who does art in heaven. Harold is His name. Amen.' 

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am." 

After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, 
and I wanted to stay with you guys." 

One particular four-year-old prayed, "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets." 

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping." 

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.' Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, 'Ryan , you be Jesus!' 

A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?" 

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?" 

2011 Leadership Book Awards

They say that "leaders are readers" and "readers are leaders." Without doubt, each of us can only give out what we have inside. We fill our inner world through prayer and reflection on God's Word, through meditation and grappling with our own thoughts, but we are especially aided by engaging with others. Books are a terrific way to stimulate your thinking and help you engage with a wide variety of relevant issues.

Leadership Journal is an excellent Christian magazine for leaders in every sphere of society. They recently released their list of book awards for 2011. If you're looking for some new books to read, their list is definitely worth a look.

Click here to access it.

WORD and SPIRIT

A few thoughts from my prayer journal this morning ...

WORD and SPIRIT, Mark. These are your two legs for walking on. EVERY DAY, soak in My WORD and My SPIRIT. Allow them BOTH to saturate your soul - your mind, will, and emotions. In doing so, you will become STRONG in Spirit. Your inner world will develop a strength and resistance that will be much greater than the pressures increasing in your outer world. 

One without the other will cause you to be ineffective and will lead to imbalance, immobilizing your forward progress and movement. EXCEL in both aspects of your daily practices. Increase your uptake and download in BOTH the WORD and the SPIRIT. Double it ... and you'll know a tangible breakthrough in every aspect of your life. 

Life is lived INSIDE OUT. Pour IN to your heart, your spirit, your mind, and your inner world ... MUCH MORE of the WORD and MUCH MORE of the SPIRIT. You CANNOT survive without doing so, especially in the days and years to come. You cannot GIVE what you do not first RECEIVE. HEAR then SPEAK. SEE then ACT. Breathe IN ... then breathe OUT my Spirit and my life. 

NOW IS THE TIME! TODAY is the DAY of your VISITATION. DON'T MISS IT! 

JESUS is passing by. Reach out and touch the hem of his garment. Allow His virtue to flow into your life. Touch Him and let Him touch you. 

SYNC with heaven's server. Download messages from God. Send him your requests (he will read them and respond in his time and way). Converse with him. Ask for attachments and links to strategic places. Ask for his Word to be automatically 'pushed' into your heart and mind. Stay 'connected' at all times throughout the day.

I pray this will be an encouragement to you as it as to me.

 

10 Trends in Multi-Site Church Ministry

A few years ago, CityLife Church embarked on becoming a multi-site church. It has been an exciting journey and we have been encoruraged by the people God has helped us reach and the many people who have had new opportunities to step up into ministry and serving roles. 

Jim Tomberlin is an expert on what multisite churches are talking about these days. Recently he noted 10 trends in multi-site in the USA. 

The multisite model continues to grow in its acceptance as a legitimate and effective vehicle for outreach, volunteer mobilization, leadership development and regional impact with more than 3,000 expressions of multisite church across North America. Even though 50 percent of megachurches have multiple campuses and another 20 percent are thinking about it, the multisite movement has outgrown the megachurch movement. Each multisite church has a unique church-print but there are some common trends and buzzwords emerging from them as we enter 2012.

1. Mergers. This is the next big thing on the church scene, and though not exclusive to multisite churches, these mission-driven mergers are being propelled by multisite churches. Look this year for the first book ever published on church mergers, Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work, co-authored by Warren Bird and me. It will be released this April by Jossey-Bass.

2. Small Groups. Regardless what you call them—life groups, home groups, neighborhood groups, missional communities—small groups are big and an essential complement to multiple campuses.

3. Community Transformation. Church leaders are focusing less on church growth and more on serving their local communities through multiple campuses and collaboration with other like-minded local churches, ministries and organizations.

Reflections on Jesus' Model Prayer

Jesus taught his disciples to pray using this simple but powerful model prayer:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need

And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

[If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.] (Matt.6:9-15).

We are to avoid vain or empty repetitious prayers like the pagans use.

We begin with confirming our relationship with God as his children and he as our Father. What an amazing things to be a child of God and to know his love, acceptance, approval, care, security and discipline when needed. May he be set apart of holy or sacred in our lives and in our world.

Pray for God's kingdom (characterised by justice, righteousness, peace and mercy) to come. Then seek to be the answer to this prayer by being an instrument of God's kingdom throughout your day.

Pray for God's will to be done on earth as in heaven - starting with every area of your own life. Think about what God desires and pray for it to come into reality. What could you do today to work for his will to occur in your sphere of influence?

Pray for your own daily needs and those of your family and friends. God cares and will supply the resources you need.

As a reflection of our own experience of forgiveness, forgive those who may have hurt or offended you. Use their offence as a means of showing them Christ's love. This is so vital that Jesus amplifies its importance by an extra comment at the end of the prayer.

We have a very real enemy and there will be tests and temptations. Pray for strength, discernment and wisdom to overcome. 

Some manuscripts add "For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." This doxology was most likely added later (probably based on 1 Chron. 29:11-13). We can finish with praise and worship to God, acknowledging Him as the world's true Lord and giving him our adoration.

Mega-Church Downsizes - Cuts Non-Essential Members

[Below is a news release from Lark News. It's exactly that, a lark - "to engage in spirited fun or merry pranks." Enjoy it. It may also be thought-provoking]

WINSTON-SALEM — Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” — or worship elsewhere. “They basically called us freeloaders,” says Julie. “We were freeloaders,” says Bob.

In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, bellwether mega-church Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked “non-participating members” to stop attending.

“No more Mr. Nice Church,” says the executive pastor, newly hired from Cingular Wireless. “Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission.”

“Freeloading” Christians were straining the church’s nursery and facility resources and harming the church’s ability to reach the lost, says the pastor. “When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.

Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and “freebie events” but never volunteer, never tithe and do not belong to a small group or other ministry. The church estimates that of its 8,000 regular attendees, only half have volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.

“Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return,” says a staff member. “That’s changed. We’re done being the community nanny.”

Surprisingly, the move to dis-invite people has drawn positive response from men in the community who like the idea of an in-your-face church. “I thought, ‘A church that doesn’t allow wussies — that rocks,’” says Bob Clark, who admires the church more since they told him to get lost. He and Julie are now tithing and volunteering. “We’ve taken our place in church life,” he says.

God's Blessings - the Beatitudes

The Gospel of Matthew records five main teaching discourses from Jesus. Matthew 5-7 is Jesus' call to righteousness, which is about doing the will of God. Jesus is teaching his disciples and the multitudes from the mountain.

Jesus begins with what is commonly called The Beatitudes which are the blessings of God (Matt.5:1-12). The Latin word for "blessed" is beati.  

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. NLT

In pronouncing these blessings, Jesus is not saying "try hard to live like this." He is saying that people who already are like this are in good shape. They should be happy and celebrate because of the work that Jesus is now doing.

These are not timeless truths about how the world is. Mourners often go un-comforted, the meek don't always inherit the earth, and those who long for justice often find it eludes them in this life. This is an upside-down world. But Jesus is bringing good news with the proclamation of his kingdom. No matter what our condition, God is on the move. A new covenant is about to be put in place. New promises are being made. God's kingdom is near. We can enter it and live under it's rule right here, right now. That's good news.

Devotional Bible Reading

Every year, we encourage our church to read through the Bible. There are a variety of reading programs available online. This year we will read through the New Testament, as well as the books of Psalms and Proverbs. Click here for the complete reading program. 

There is a great benefit in using a devotional format for Bible reading aimed at hearing from God daily and responding to his leading. The goal is not to just ‘get through’ your Bible reading but to allow God’s Word to ‘get in’ to your heart and life, bringing about personal growth and positive change.

As you do your daily reading, consider using the following devotional format:

Scripture – write out a verse or two that speak specifically to you today.

Observation – make a note of what you observe in the text. What was happening back 'there and then'?

Application – write out how God’s Word applies to your life. What does this mean to you 'here and now'?

Prayer – write out a prayer of response to what God has said to you.

You can do this by yourself, with your family, with some friends or as part of your Life Group. As you make your time with God and his Word the priority of your day, you will experience a tangible ‘washing of the Word’ in your heart and life.

P.S. Click here for some other helpful resources.

Barna Group: Top Trends of 2011

The Barna Group recently released a list of trends it has observed during 2011 from its research in the USA. Although Australia is very different ftom America, there are similarities, and the profound influence of America on the world continues. 

Here is the first trend ...

1. The Changing Role of Christianity in America.

This year, Barna Group delved into many subjects of faith and culture in America, including the changing role of faith and Christianity. One of those shifts is the relative unknown nature of Christian leaders. Only Billy Graham, the Pope, Barack Obama and Joel Osteen were mentioned by more than 1 out of 50 adults as the most significant Christian leaders. What’s more, 41% of Americans are unable to identify any individual who they consider to be an influential Christian.

Another way in which Christianity hit the mainstream radar was prominent discussion about hell. This issue sparked so much controversy and vigorous debate in part because America is essentially split down the middle on most issues of universalism and religious pluralism. For example, 43% of Americans said it doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons; 54% of Americans disagree. Half of Americans (50%) believe that all people are eventually saved or accepted by God no matter what they do, while 40% disagreed. With the nation’s population so divided, expect to see these issue continue to stoke lively conversations.

Despite the fact that Christianity’s role is changing, Barna Group discovered in 2011 that there is a great deal of openness among millions of Americans to overtly supporting Christian business and brands. In fact, nearly half of all adults (including all faith groups) said they would be open to purchasing from a business or brand that operates according to Christian principles.

For faith leaders, one of the most favorable Barna findings of the year was the fact that three-quarters of Americans believe that churches are a positive factor in their communities. Just 1 out of 20 adults believe that the influence of churches is negative. While the most common thing that people look to from churches is addressing poverty, churchgoers as well as unchurched residents look to congregations for a range of things.

Other trends include:

2. Down-sized American dream.

3. Millenials Rethinking Christianity.

4. The Digital Family.

5. Maximising Spiritual Change.

6. Women Making it Alone.

As always, trends provide opportunities for the church and the work of the kingdom. God calls us to be poeple who understand the times that we live in that we might know how to live. May each of us as Christ-followers and each local church continue to serve God and His cause with faith and passion this year. 

Faith for the New Year

Today begins a new year - a new season and a new part of our journey. It's not time to press 'Rewind' then 'Repeat.' It's time to move forward - into new things. Uncharted territory. New horizons. New experiences. We haven't been this way before ... so we must stay in step with the Spirit. We need God's presence to lead and guide us each step of the way. 

Thankfully, God promises to never leave us or forsake us. He is 'Emmanuel' - God with us. 

God has a purpose and a plan for our lives. He has already begun a good work in us and he is committed to finishing it. After all, He is the Alpha, the beginning, and Omega, the end. 

Here are a few of my favourite promises from Scripture:

Jer.29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Phil.1:6. I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Our journey is a walk of faith. Faith is complete trust and confidence in God, even when we aren't sure what is going on and what God is up to.

Heb.11:1,6. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see .. It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

What is God calling you to let go of? What is he asking you to reach out towards? What step of faith does he want you to make this year?

Mark Twain once said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover!"

Like Abraham, who followed God's call to leave his own country, we are to be people of faith. Let's step out of our comfort zones and engage fully in the adventure of faith that God has for us. It's called LIFE.

May this year be your most exciting and fruitful ever!

God bless.

The Centrality of Worship

All kingdom work is worship. Or to put it another way, worshipping the God we see at work in Jesus is the most politically charged act we can ever perform. Christian worship declares Jesus is Lord and that therefore, by strong implication, nobody else is. What's more, it doesn't just declare it as something to be believed, like the fact that the sun is hot or the sea wet. It commits the worshipper to allegiance, to following this Jesus, to being shaped and directed by him.

Worshipping the God we see in Jesus orients our whole being, our imagination, our will, our hopes, and our fears away from the world where Mars, Mammon and Aphrodite (violence, money and sex) make absolute demands and punish anyone who resists.

It orients us instead to a world in which love is stronger than death, the poor are promised the kingdom, and chastity (whether married or single) reflects the holiness and faithfulness of God himself. Acclaiming Jesus as Lord plants a flag that supersedes the flags of the nations, however "free" or "democratic" they may be. It challenges both the tyrants who think they are, in effect, the divine and the "secular democracies" that have effectively become, if not divine, at least ecclesial, that is, communities that are trying to do and be what the church was supposed to do and be, but without recourse to the one who sustains the church's life.

Worship creates - or should create, if it is allowed to be truly itself - a community that marches to a different beat, that keeps in step with a different Lord.

[An excerpt from Simply Jesus by Tom Wright - p.217]

Jesus in all the Books of the Bible

Luke tells us a story of two disciples who were sad and discouraged by the recent events they had experienced in the city of Jerusalem (Luke 24:13-35).They had hoped that this man called Jesus would have been the Messiah - the one who would deliver Israel.There were so many expectations raised by the birth of this child just a few decades earlier - barren women giving birth in old age, angels appearing, wise men coming from the East and prophetic words being given. But now Jesus was dead. Instead of overthrowing the pagans, he had been crucified by them!

Suddenly, a stranger joins them as they journey on the Road to Emmaus. Amazingly, he begins to show them that the whole story (not just a few isolated, random texts), from Genesis to Chronicles (the last book of the Hebrew Bible, the prophets came earlier), was about what Jesus had just accomplished. They had been reading the Bible through the wrong end of the telescope. They had been seeing it as the long story of how God would redeem Israel from suffering, but it was instead the story of how God would redeem Israel through suffering. NO ONE had seen that.

We're not sure what this stranger actually said, but maybe it was something like this ... 

Silent Night Story

Silent Night is one of the most popular carols sun across the world at this Christmas season. There are many romantic stories about how it was composed. Here is one of them that may contain an element of truth to it ...

On Christmas Eve 1818 in Austria, the Vicar of a small church in Oberndorf had written a new song to be sung on Christmas Day. The organist, Franz Gruber had set the words to music but the organ broke and it looked like it was all going to be a disaster. In an attempt to rectify the situation, Frank grabbed a guitar and accompanied the Vicar on the first ever rendition of Silent Night.

When the organ repair man turned up to fix the organ, Gruber played him the new song to test that the organ had been fixed. The repairman loved it so much that he took it back to his own village. There, the four daughters of a local glovemaker began singing it in concerts all over Austria and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. Silent Night is one of the great carols of the world and it got its first big break because an organ broke.

There's a good message in that story. Sometimes when things go wrong, something good comes out of it. God has a way of working like that.

Merry Christmas!

Ever Felt Dry Spiritually?

Have you ever felt dry spiritually? Sometimes our faith can get a little old and our love relationship with Jesus is not what it once was. We're not in "first love" anymore. Stuff has happened. Things have changed. 

Sometimes, we get stuck here ... like a rut that we just can't seem to get out of. What do you do? Stay where you are?

Could it be possible that God at times withdraws the sense of his presence from our lives (not that he ever actually leaves us) ... in order to create a hunger and a thirst for us to seek him ... like the lover in the Song of Songs who withdrew for a period?

Whatever, the case, downright honesty pleases God. He doesn't want us to fake it or keep going through the motions, playing a religious game. Like David, God loves it when we pour out hearts out to him - in transperancy and authenticity. After all, God is not surprised when we tell him how we really feel! He knows our hearts, even more than we do. 

I was reminded the other day of a simple but deadly honest song by Keith Green, a singer who had a big influence on me in my teenage years. Here are the lyrics. 

My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood

Click here to listen to the song.

May God's Spirit touch our hearts afresh today.

P.S. For some challenging reading, check out Keith Green's life story in the book No Compromise.

The Upside of Discomfort?

Long distance runner, Dean Karnezes, recently said,

"Western culture has things a little backwards right now. We think that if we had every comfort available to us, we’d be happy. We equate comfort with happiness. And now we’re so comfortable we’re miserable. There’s no struggle in our lives. No sense of adventure. We get in a car, we get in an elevator, it all comes easy. What I’ve found is that I’m never more alive than when I’m pushing and I’m in pain, and I’m struggling for high achievement, and in that struggle I think there’s a magic."

Popular blogger, Michael Hyatt, picks this theme up and suggest three insights:

1. Comfort is overrated. It doesn’t lead to happiness. It makes us lazy — and forgetful. It often leads to self-absorption, boredom, and discontent.
2. Discomfort can be a catalyst for growth. It makes us yearn for something more. It forces us to change, stretch, and adapt.
3. Discomfort is often a sign we’re making progress. You’ve heard the expression, “no pain, no gain.” It’s true! When you push yourself to grow, you will experience discomfort.

Yes, we want to be on guard against burnout, but let's not forget the dangers of being too comfortable either.

Food for thought.

Read Michael's full article here.

Back to First Love

Jesus' message to the church at Ephesus is always a challenging one. They were doing a lot of good things and church was going along as usual ... yet the love that they had for God and each other at the beginning had faded. Jesus wrote to warn them about the danger they were in to urge them to do the things they had done at the beginning - to return to "first love."

The lyrics of Steve Fry's song First Love captures the cry of a heart desiring a return to first love:

Take me back to first love. To the place where I once was. 
Where my passion was just obeying, 
And prayer was sweet, the sweetest thing I knew. 
Everything was possible with you. 
Take me to the place of my first love with you.

Take me back to first love. To the place where I once was. 
I could hear you, oh so clearly, and holiness was all I desired. 
Wanting nothing less than being like Jesus. 
My cry is take me to first love with You.

My heart was free from wanting to be seen. 
Just wanting only your anointing. 
They say you rise as you get older, all I know is I've grown colder.

Take me back to first love. To the place where I once was. 
Where my passion was just obeying, 
And prayer was sweet, the sweetest thing I knew. 
Everything was possible with you. 
Take me to the place of my first love with you.

May we each live in that first love with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Knowing God More

Back in the 1980s, Steven Fry wrote a musical entitled We Are Called. It was an outstanding call to worship and our team presented it numerous times. It contains some inspiring songs. One of favourites is Oh, I Want to Know You More, which was written during a spiritually dry period in Steve's life. Here are the lyrics:

Just the time I feel that I've been caught in the mire of self
Just the time I feel my mind's been bought by worldly wealth
That's when the breeze begins to blow, I know the Spirit's call
And all my worldly wanderings just melt into His love

Oh I want to know You more
Deep within my soul I want to know You
Oh I want to know You
To feel Your heart and know Your mind
Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me
Cries that say I want to know You
Oh I want to know You more
Oh I want to know You more

When my daily deeds ordinarily lose life and song
My heart begins to bleed sensitivity to Him is gone
I've run the race but set my pace and face a shattered soul
But the gentle arms of Jesus warm my hunger to be whole

Oh I want to know You more
Deep within my soul I want to know You
Oh I want to know You
And I would give my final breath to know you in your death and resurrection
Oh I want to know You more
Oh I want to know You more

May our cry to know God more grow each day.

You can listen to the original of the song here.

Australian Human Rights Award goes to Tony and Lisa Clark

Congratulations to Tony and Lisa Clark who were selected as the winners of the Australian Human Rights Commission - Community Organisation award at a ceremony in Sydney today.

Tony, who founded Swags for Homeless in 2007, started the non-profit homeless charity in Melbourne when he questioned what was given to street sleeping homeless turned away from shelters. Tony and Lisa Clark designed the emergency relief Backpack Bed, which received the worlds largest and most prestigious product design award the Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ in Germany this year. Backpack Beds are provided to homeless and are distributed through 139 charities around Australia.

“As well as warmth and protection, the Backpack Bed provides the homeless with dignity,” said Mr Clark.

This year the Backpack Bed also received an Australian International Design Award and the Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum Design Award for innovation and benefits to its users. 

Paul Moulds AM (Major) from The Salvation Army says the Backpack Bed has been invaluable to their organisation and used in many of their outreach programs for the homeless.

Before Christmas

CityLife Church's very own Christmas presentation, Before Christmas, is just over one week away. Over the weekend of December 17-18th, there will be five presentations at our Knox Campus - Saturday 4.00 and 6.15 pm, Sunday 9.00 and 11.15 am and also at 6.00 pm.

Special guests include the Melbourne Gospel Choir. Entry is free but come early for a good seat. This is an excellent opportunity to invite friends or family members to discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Full details here. 

Growing in the Dark

Jesus clearly explained to his followers that in this life there would be a good deal of challenges and difficulties (John 16:33). However, they were to not be overwhelmed by them knowing that they can overcome and continue to live with God's peace and joy, regardless of the circumstances. This perspective on trials of all kinds is emphasised by all of the New Testament writers (see Acts 14:22. James 1:2-4. 1 Peter 1:6-9). 

As we journey through this life of faith as disciples of Jesus Christ, some of our growing will be in the dark. We all face times and seasons when we aren't sure where God is or what he is up to. We can't see very clearly. We don't have God's full perspective so we have to trust that he is in control and working things together for our ultimate good - which is the formation of Christlikeness in us (Rom.8:28-29).

Click here to read an excellent article from Christianity Today on what some people refer to as the "dark night of the soul" and some lessons from those who have walked this path. For an even more indepth article by John Coe on this topic, click here.

Thankfully, even when we walk or sit in times of darkness, the Lord promises to be a light to us (Micah 7:8).  

Questions for Different Stages of Faith

We recently shared about "stages of faith" as a helpful model for understanding our journey as disciples of Jesus. All six stages are important in our journey as each one has a profound impact and role in our lives. Also, different activities are more helpful in one stage than they may be in another. For instance, during stage 4, times of solitude and silence, as well as time with a mentor or spiritually mature person can be extremely helpful.

Below are some helpful questions to ask yourself or a friend, relevant to each of the stages.

Stage 1

How do you experience God the most?

What need brings you to this place in your life?

Who do you need God to be for you right now? What do you need from God?

How has your image of God changed lately?

Stage 2

What new insights are you learning?

Who are your spiritual heroes that you seek to emulate?

Who is journeying with you?

Is your community supportive? Is it healthy or unhealthy?

Australian Communities Report

Olive Tree Media recently launched the results from their Australian Communities Report conducted by McCrindle Research to discover what Australians really think of Christian faith, Christians and the Church. Held in Sydney on 4th November, the research was launched by Archbishop Peter Jensen. Mark McCrindle, Principal of McCrindle Research presented the findings to 50 church leaders and business people. Click here to watch excerpts of the presentation and here to download a summary of the research results or purchase a copy of the full report. 

The Research was commissioned in preparation for a new Apologetics Series being produced by Olive Tree Media in 2012 which will tackle the issues arising from the research. 

Some interesting insights from the research include:

• Overall, 1 in 2 Australians do not identity with a religion. 40% consider themselves Christian. 31% do not identify with a religion or spiritual belief, while another 19% consider themselves spiritual but not religious.
• Parents and family have a strong influence on people's perceptions of Christians and Christianity.
• There is significant "warmth" towards Christianity by a large proportion of Australians.
• The church's views on homosexuality, hell and science were seen as potential faith blockers.
• There was a surprisingly high awareness of some of the core teachings of Jesus, although 6% of Australians believe that "Such is life" was a statement made by Jesus (actually it was Ned Kelly!). More surprisingly, 28% of those surveyed had no idea when Jesus lived and 27% believed he lived in ancient times (BC).  

We live in a land of great opportunity. Although only 10% of Australians attend church on a weekend, many are open to a real and living faith, especially when modeled by their peers and friends. Let's continue to pray and believe that the Australian church will reach many more Aussies with the good news of Jesus Christ in these next few decades. 

 

 

 

Mark Conner eBooks

Three of my books are now available as eBooks via WORD bookstore here in Australia: Transforming Your Church (Revised Edition), Prison Break and Pass the Baton (2nd Edition). Click here for details and ordering information. Oh, the wonders of modern technology. 

GROW - Understanding Stages of Faith

This year as a church community we have sensed a need to go deeper and to focus more on our relationship with Jesus and our life as disciples. Our FOCUS for 2011 has been simply: Following Jesus. So far, we have looked at four aspects of following Jesus: SURRENDER, GO, LOVE and DISCOVER. This weekend we began our final teaching series and it is entitled GROW.

Kingdom Growth. God’s kingdom is often described in an organic way and is seen as growing larger and stronger (Mark 4:26-29. Lk.13:18-19). The church is also seen as growing and maturing (Eph.4:15-16). Individual followers of Christ are also called to grow in their relationship to God (Col.1:9-10; 2:6-7). Personal and spiritual growth occurs over a period of time and always involves a process that is very much like a journey. Many people find it helpful to have a roadmap or at least a loose guide for their journey of faith. In their insightful book, The Critical Journey, authors Robert Guelich and Janet Hagberg, propose the following six stages:

Stages in the Life of Faith

1. Recognition of God. This is where we all begin our journey of faith. The experience of faith at this stage is the discovery and recognition of God. It is accepting the fact of the reality of God in our lives. Someone bigger than us really exists and He truly loves us. This may occur in childhood or later in life as adults. For some people this is a very identifiable experience, like a moment in time where everything changes. For others, there is a gradual realisation, with no certainty as to just where or when the experience began. Either way, we simply ‘know’ that God is there. Factors contributing to this experience can be either a sense of awe or a sense of need in our lives.

2. Life of Discipleship. This stage is about learning and belonging. We begin to learn, explore, absorb and put into place our set of beliefs or faith principles. In this stage we learn the most about God by association with others we respect and trust. We are apprentices. We need others because we are relatively unsure and insecure at first in our growth and what we believe. The group also provides a sense of belonging, which helps to alleviate some of our feelings of fear and even inadequacy that accompany the excitement of new learning. The group begins to give us a sense of identity and security. We start to feel at home, with family. We are loved and accepted, despite our struggles. It’s not always easy but we are with our kind of people. We have a sense of security and comfort in our faith.

The Starfish Story - Making a Difference

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

This story has appeared all over the web in various forms, usually with no credit given to Mr. Eiseley. Loren Eiseley was an anthropologist who wrote extensively. He was the 'wise man' in the story, and he was walking along a beach after a storm and encountered the fellow throwing the starfish back. Sometimes it is a little girl throwing the starfish into the ocean, sometimes a young man, once even an elder.

 

Justice Trumps Spices (Pt.3)

Practicing Justice

Let's take this first important matter that Jesus mentions: justice. How can we move from believing in justice to actually living it out in practice? It requires as to ACT and that involves three things:

Awareness - Ignorance is not bliss. Sticking our head in the sand until the storm blows over is bot meant to be an option for us as Christ followers. Jesus has called us to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ (Matt.5:12-13) which both involve a proactive positive influence on our world. We now live in a global village and we need to have our eyes andears open to the needs and the cries of those who are hurting (see Prov.31:8-9). Abraham Heschel once said, "The opposite of good is not evil, it is indifference. Indeed, our very humanity depends upon our compassion."

We can do this though simply watching the news, listening to people’s stories, and become involved with ministries that advance the cause of justice such as World Vision, Compassion and our own Everyday Justice ministry. Churches commemorating Abolitionist Sunday is an example of creating awareness.

Jesus saw the multitudes as sheep who were lost and harassed because they had no shepherd … and he then acted, calling his disciples to prayer and sending them out to be the answer to their own prayer. Open your eyes and see the needs in our world. Hear the cries of the poor and oppressed. Feel what God feels.

Justice Trumps Spices (Pt.2)

Weightier Matters

In the Pentateuch, there was as many as 613 different laws or commandments that God’s people were meant to keep - 248 affirmative commands and 365 negative commands. Debates and discussions often occurred as to which were the more important ones. One teacher of the law even asked Jesus this question: “What is the most important commandment?” Jesus selected two: “Love the Lord your God …” and “love your neighbour as yourself.” While not neglecting the others, Jesus made it clear that these are the two most important commands and that if a person does these two things, they essentially encapsulate the rest of God’s requirements for his people.

Unfortunately, the Pharisees had focused on the minute details of tithing but had neglected other commands that were more important in the eyes of God. Jesus mentions three specific priorities: justice, mercy and faithfulness.

In some ways, Jesus was novel in his teaching, bringing new revelation about God and his kingdom. In other ways, Jesus continued in the tradition of the prophets of old. In this teaching, he is simply reinforcing the message that the prophets has preached time and again to God’s people. Here is one example from the prophet Micah … “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah.6:8).”

Justice Trumps Spices (Pt.1)

In Matthew 23, we have a record of Jesus’ strong condemnation of the religious leaders of his day, who had not led the people faithfully and who had become hypocritical and legalistic. Here is one of the seven “woe’s” he gave them: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law — justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things (NLT).”

To Tithe or Not to Tithe

The entire Israelite nation ran on a system of tithing, or of giving 10% of one’s income for the support of the Levites who worked at the temple and the needs of the poor (Deut.14:22. Lev.27:30). Being primarily an agrarian society, this mainly included the giving of produce from the farms.  Mint, dill and cumin were herbs (spices) from the kitchen garden and they were only grown in very small quantities and to tithe them would be such a small amount that most people would not have even worried about it. But the Pharisees were pedantic tithers!

Jesus actually commends them for their attention to such detail. Giving is important and we should honour God with our resources.

There has been a lot of debate about tithing over the years ...

Recycling Hotel Soap to Save Lives

Derreck Kayongo, from Uganda, is one of this year's Top 10 CNN Heroes nominees. Click here to read his amazing story. Through simple presence of mind, Derreck had an idea to collect used hotel soap, that usually ends up as landfill, and recycle it for use in impoverished nations such as Haiti, Uganda, Kenya and Swaziland.

Each year, more than 2 million children die from diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization, these deaths occur almost exclusively among toddlers living in low-income countries. The issue is not the availability of soap. The issue is cost. If you are living on $2 a day, paying 25 cents for soap is probably out of the question when there is food and medicine to buy. 

So far 300 hotels in the USA have joined in with the program generating 100 of tonnes of soap. Volunteers collect the soap and ship them to the Global Soap Project warehouse in Atlanta. Over 100,000 bars of soap have been distributed free to communities in nine countries.

Last summer, Derreck  personally delivered 5,000 bars of soap to Kenya Relief's Brittney's Home of Grace orphanage. "When we were distributing the soap, I could sense that there was a lot of excitement, joy, a lot of happiness," said Kayongo, whose work was recently recognized by the Atlanta City Council, which declared May 15 as Global Soap Project Day in Atlanta. "It's a reminder again of that sense of decency. They have (someone) who knows about their situation, and is willing to come and visit them ... to come and say, 'We are sorry ... We're here to help.' "

May we live with open ears, open eyes and open hearts today. Who knows who God may touch through you ... or what idea he may give you to make our world a better place. That's good news!

A Great Sermon

Here’s an old poem by Edgar Guest that's worth reflecting on, especially for all of us who teach and preach others ... 

A SERMON

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day;

I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way.

The eye’s a better pupil, and more willing than the ear;

Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear.

So I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do;

It is not enough to preach it, you must live the sermon, too.

For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,

But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

Abolitionist Sunday

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery will be recognised by many churches around the country by holding an Abolitionist Sunday on November 20th this year. Although the fight to end slavery is a year round activity, Abolitionist Sunday provides an annual focus for churches to unite in action against this injustice.

Tim Costello from World Vision says, "Whilst legal slavery has been abolished, tragically there are far more slaves in the world today than when William Wilberforce was campaigning for the abolition of slavery in the first part of the 19th century. Today churches are challenged to work for the abolition of this modern evil."

At CityLife, we will be hosting the Melbourne Gospel Choir who have recently released a new album called Freedom. We will also be taking time before each weekend church meeting to pray for this issue. Of course, there is much more we can do than just pray, as powerful as that is. Click here to visit the World Vision Don't Trade Lives web site and find out more about some practical ways you can help. CityLife's Everyday Justice, Everyday Choices ministry will be hosting a Don't Trade Lives workshop on Tuesday evening, November 22nd. Click here for details. Everyone is welcome.

For a very moving video clip, "Beautiful Slave," by the music artist Take No Glory click here.

Thank you for your passion and support in taking action on this important issue. Together, let's continue to fight to end global injustice.

Tom Wright for Everyone

Tom Wright (also known as N.T. Wright) has achieved global recognition as a biblical theologian through his academic and popular publications. He is a leading New testament scholar and former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. His most academic work is his Christian Origins and the Questions of God series, of which three editions have been released so far. These include The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God and The Resurrection and the Son of God. Tom also has also written a commentary series on the entire New Testament called For Everyone, as well as a contemporary translation. His more popular books include Simply Christian (likened to C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity), Evil and The Justice of God and Surprised by Hope.

Because of the number and size of Tom's books, few people have engaged fully with his thought and grappled with the implications. Stephen Kuhrt has done us all a favor through the release of his new book Tom Wright for Everyone. He provides and excellent summary and overview of Wright's theology in a broad range of areas, then describes in detail the way in which he has sought to put this theology into practice through the ministry and mission of his own local church, Christ Church in New Malden, England. This is a terrific book, well worth reading.

On a personal note, while on holidays in the UK recently, I was priviledged to have a coffee with Tom at St. Andrew University in Scotland, where he now resides (see pic). I found him warm, friendly, insightful and a joy to converse with. 

P.S. Visit the unofficial N.T. Wright page here, where there is a wealth of articles, lectures and links.

 

You Lost Me - Latest Church Research from Barna Group

People are calling it "The Great Departure" - Christian young people leaving the church. Close to 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school. Now the bestselling author of unChristian trains his researcher's eye on these young believers. Where David Kinnaman's first book unChristian showed the world what outsiders aged 16-29 think of Christianity, You Lost Me shows why younger Christians aged 16-29 are leaving the church and rethinking their faith.

Based on new research, You Lost Me shows pastors, church leaders, and parents how we have failed to equip young people to live "in but not of" the world and how this has serious long-term consequences. More importantly, Kinnaman offers ideas on how to help young people develop and maintain a vibrant faith that they embrace over a lifetime.

Kinneman identifies three types of young people who have left church:

1. Nomads - they walk away from church engagement but still consider themselves Christians.

2. Prodigals - they lose their faith, describing themselves as "no longer Christian." 

3. Exiles - they are still invested in their Christian faith but feel stuck (or lost) between culture and the church. 

Kinnaman goes on to offer "six reasons" why the next generation is disengaging from church:

Blind Dining

Christian Blind Mission does an outstanding job reaching out to people in need of care, support and God's love. CBM New Zealand is hosting some "blind dining" events coming up. If you live in New Zealand or know someone who does, they are worth attending. They will be held in Simon Gault's restaurant. Simon is the master chef judge in NZ.

It will be a memorable experience and you will have the opportunity to invest in this life-changing ministry. Click here to buy tickets. What an amazing thing to realise that you can make a difference with your eyes closed while eating!

Evaluating Vitamins and Supplements

Ok, so how many vitamins and/or supplements do you take each day? Personally, I take a few tablets with my breakfast each morning - fish oil, vitamin D, and a men's multi-vitamin. The fish oil (Omega 3) helps to keep my cholesterol down a bit and the Vitamin D gives me a little extra energy, especially since I work mainly indoors and don't get a lot of sunshine. A few years back I took some supplements but found them so expensive to buy and I didn't really notice that much difference in my energy levels. 

So do they make a difference? Are they worth the cost?

An interesting article recently appeared in the October 10th edition of TIME magazine, telling the story of John Cloud who took 3,000 supplements over five months (22 pills a day), then took a battery of tests to see what really happened. A total of 31 measurements were taken - before and after. Remarkably, only two of the values on his blood report had changed significantly. There was a 75% vitamin D increase (due to a vitamin D3 supplement he had been taking) and an increase in the level of his good cholestoral - HDL (due to the 2,000 mg fish oil concentrate tablet he had taken). Absolutely, nothing else had changed!

Amazingly, John felt different - healthier and more robust. But his blood hadn't changed, meaning that a strong placebo response had occurred. This resulted in a licensing effect (which nutritionists call 'compensation') which caused him to change his routine. Because he was feeling a little better and woke up with more energy, his eating habits took a bit of a dive, as did his exercise routine.

The conclusion of the study was that a normal diet with adequate exercise is all that the average person needs to be healthy. Good health is not a series of tablets to take but rather is a series of responsibilities to meet - water instead of soda, a piece of fruit instead of chips, and real fish instead of a giant fish-oil capsule.You can take vitamins on the faith that they will make you better - and if you have a real vitamin deficiency, they will. But there's more science behind another way of getting your vitamins - eating right.  

Some interesting facts:

• It is estimated that Americans spent $28 billion on dietary supplements last year. The figure was only $11 billion in 1995.
• No government agency catalogs (let alone tests) dietary supplements. Since 1994, the FDA has not approved the safety or efficacy of even ONE supplement.
• Safety isn't the real problem with nutraceuticals, most of which are harmless. Instead, effectiveness is the issue: many supplements may not do enough to be worth the money. 
• The nutraceutical market is growing fast amongst aging boomers. Usana made $565 million in revenue last year, GNC made $1.93 billion and Pfizer earns $68 billion annually.
• In the 1940s, Dr. Ernst Boas, a famous Columbian University cardiologist, called the vitamin business, "the damnest racket every perpetuated upon the public."
• Whether nutraceuticals improve health - and how - is a matter of enormous scientific enquiry. Click here to read one a recent article on this hot topic.

Ready for Adventure? An Invitation from Earnest Shackleton

Apparently explorer Earnest Shackleton placed the following notice in a newspaper while preparing for an expedition to Antarctica:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."

Supposedly there were 5,000 men and 3 women who responded!

Have we become too comfortable today?

P.S. The search for a copy of the advert still continues today. Click here to read more.

 

 

Unlikely Friends

Christopher Hitchens is one of the most outspoken atheists today and author of the best-selling book God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Francis Collins is a world re-known scientist with a strong Christian faith, noted for his leadership of the Human Genome Project and his best-selling book The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Faith.

The Telegraph, a newspaper based in Great Britain, reported on an unlikely bond of friendship and trust between these two very different people. Even so, a March 2011 newspaper headline announced, "Atheist Christopher Hitchens could be 'saved' by evangelical Christian." The article went on to report, "The two had often met in the past as adversaries in the debate about whether God exists. Against the odds they [have] become friends." This improbable friendship started because Hitchens, a cancer patient, became part of an experimental treatment program that involves genome sequencing. Doctors plan to map Hitchens' genetic makeup so they can target and treat his damaged DNA. It just so happens that this experimental treatment is being pioneered by Dr. Francis Collins.

Hitchens has spent years blasting religious faith and religious believers. In his book There Is No God, he argues that "Organized religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry …." But when asked about his friendship with Dr. Collins, Hitchens spoke with only respect and admiration. "It's a rather wonderful relationship," he said, "I won't say he doesn't pray for me, because I think he probably does; but he doesn't discuss it with me."

What an interesting story ... God does work in mysterious ways.

Sources: Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com and Richard Alleyne, "Atheist Christopher Hitchens could be 'saved' by evangelical Christian," The Telegraph (3-26-11).

Reflections on the Parable of the Talents

Jesus came to earth as the long-awaited Messiah to die on the cross for our salvation and for the redemption of humanity. He also came to establish the kingdom of God on the earth, which he saw as beginning small and somewhat unimpressive, like a mustard seed, but eventually blossoming to cover the entire earth. When teaching, Jesus often used indirect forms of communication that appealed to the imagination of people and provoked further thought. As a result, he often left his hearers puzzling and pondering over the implications of his message.

After entering Jerusalem the final time (Mt.21:1-11) and weeping over the city of Jerusalem for their refusal to accept him and his kingdom message (Mt.23:37-39), Jesus gave some final instructions to his disciples for the days ahead of them (24:1–25:46). Through a series of parables, Jesus warned them to be watchful, prepared, faithful and productive during this time. One of these parables was The Parable of the Talents or The Parable of the Three Servants.

The Parable of the Three Servants (Matthew 25:14-30)

This story moves along with a rhythm that creates a sense of expectation. But there is a twist at the end. The decreasing quantities of talents given (a ‘talent’ was a large amount of money) simple serve to build the story to a climax. Surely the one given the least would have the easiest time of all making good use of it. But, no! This third servant is not only severely reprimanded by the master; what he has is taken away and given to another. In many ways this story is a tragedy.

The parable raises many questions. Who is this ‘wicked and lazy servant?’ It is a disciple or not? ^[1] What is Jesus trying to say to his disciples … and to us? Is the end of life like a big final exam? Aren’t we saved by grace not by works? We know that God is loving and kind, but is he also hard and stern at times too? What does the parable tell us about God?

No doubt, the master is this story represents God and the servants represent various types of people and their response and relationship to God. In most parables, Jesus is endeavouring to teach his listeners a number of lessons. Let’s look at a few of them together.

An Inspirational Life: Helen Keller

In life, it is so easy to focus on what we don't have rather than what we do, on our limitations rather than our opportunities. Helen Keller is one of the most inspiring example of someone who rose above her challenges to do something commendable with her life. 

Helen was born in 1880 in Alabama. She was born blind. I don't know about you, but I was afraid of the dark as a child and was really happy to be able to leave a light on in the hallway. I can't imagine living your entire life ... in the dark. Not only that, she was born deaf. If anyone had a reason to curl up in a corner and give life a miss, Helen did.

But she didn't. Through the inspiration of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, she started to make a life for herself. In fact, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree at the age of 24 and she was top of her class! Not only that, she went on to be an author, a lecturer and an activist, establishing a foundation to help blind and deaf people all around the world. No wonder she ended up on Time magazine's list of the 100 most important people of century. She died in 1968 at age 87.

Here are some of her inspirational quotes:

I can see, and that is why I can be happy, in what you call the dark, but which to me is golden. I can see a God-made world, not a man-made world.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

I seldom think of my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.

It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. 

We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in to be content.

Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all!

CityLife Church Resources

CityLife Church is committed to resourcing its own congregation and others outside the church in their personal and spiritual growth. To help achieve this, we have a variety of free resources available on our web site.

1. Free audio messages. Most weekend messages from our English-speaking congregations are available by the following Tuesday and there is a large library of messages available from the last few years. Click hear to access this. [One message is available each week via iTunes also - click here]

2. Free sermon summaries and small group discussion questions. These are available for most of our major series of messages and there is a library of notes for quite a few years back now. Click here to access these notes.

3. Free video messages. We launched this just a few weeks ago. One of our weekend messages is available to watch on-line each week. Click here to access this. 

I hope that this will be an encouragement and inspiration to you and your friends.

Spread the news!

Teen Speak

Are you still using words like "cool," "man" and "dude?" If so, you are so last century. Social researcher Mark McCrindle has written a new book to help us keep in touch with the language of a new generation, which is full of new ways of communicating, including via text messaging. Ever seen LOL? The book is called Word Up - A Lexicon and Guide to Communication in the 21st Century. The book's purpose is to help older generations keep up with all the changes in communication.

For more, check out the recent news article Dude, Hold the LOL.

If you're looking to learn some of the common text messaging abbreviations - read more here.

YW

Paul's Prayers

This morning, I was reading Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In chapter one we read of his prayers for these faithful followers fo Christ.

"Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom* and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called — his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms (Eph.1:15-20. NLT)." 

Paul had three prayers for them and I pray this for you today:

1. For spiritual wisdom and revelation (Greek apokalupsis) so that you can grow in your knowledge of God (1:17). God is hard to understand at times and we need HIM to show us himself and what he is up to. Unless He does, we remain confused.

2. For your heart to be flooded with light so you may understand the confident hope God has given to those He has called (1:18). So often life can seem dark and confusing and we need HIS light to open our eyes and fill us with HOPE that there is a better future. 

3. That you would understand the incredibly great power (resurrection power) given to us who believe in Christ (1:19-20). I love the resurrection. Of course, Jesus went through pain, death and the tomb in the process. Sometimes we do too, yet his power is at work and promises to bring us through … not leave us in the grave.

I hope this is an encouragement to you.

Love

Jesus told us that the two greatest commandments are to (1) love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and (2) to love our neighbor as ourself. Life truly is all about loving God and loving people.

Of course, our love is simply a response of God’s love for us. We love Him, and others, because He first loved us. As we receive God’s love, we can begin to accept ourselves, even in our imperfect and frail state. This then enables us to love others … as ourselves. 

Unfortunately, many people struggle to love others because in reality they hate themselves and have no love inside to give out freely to others. Unless we know that WE are loved, we will find it difficult to truly love others. 

2,000 years of religious tradition have imbedded in us the mistaken belief that God’s love is something we earn. Giving that up isn’t easy.

Religion is all about what we have to DO to earn our way to God. Christianity is totally different. It’s all about what Jesus Christ has already DONE for us.

Now, that’s good news! … think about it.

The Audience of One

Every one of us experiences something we could call “the grandstand affect.” From a very young age, we have people watching us and responding to our choices and actions. If we do something that people like, they cheer us on. If we do something that people dislike, they frown at us or they may even boo us.

Over time, we can easily learn to play to the grandstand. We thrive on the applause so we seek to please people. We hate disapproval, so we try not to disappoint anybody.

The danger with this is that we can become addicted to the approval of others. Then when we need to make a choice that others may not approve of, we have no courage to do what we know is right.

Maturity requires us to gradually empty our grandstand. Parents, teachers, and other leaders are important people in our life and it is good to have them on the field as coaches and advisors … but we must not live for their approval.

The only person we want to leave in our grandstand is God. Live your life for the audience of One.

Think about it.

A Voice

The Gospel writers tell us that after Jesus was baptized in water the Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus knew that his Father loved him.

As you go through your day, what voices do you hear? What are they saying to you? Many people hear voices that tell them they aren’t good enough, that they are a problem, a burden or even a failure.

What would it look like for you to start to hear a different voice … a voice that says, “You are my son … or my daughter … whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” A voice that says, “I created you in your mother’s womb. I love you with an everlasting love. I have a purpose and plan for your life. I want to give you a future and a hope.”

Sometimes the negative voices are so loud and persistent that they can drown out the soft, gentle whisper of God’s voice.

What voice are you listening to today? … think about it. 

Longings

Every human being has desires on the inside of them – longings for acceptance, for approval, for a sense of identity, for a sense of belonging, for significance and for a sense of purpose in life.

Where do these longings come from? Are they merely a “wish projection” or could they indicate that there is something outside of ourselves that we were created for … just like the presence of thirst indicates that there is something called water?

History shows us that we will do anything to try to fulfill these desires on the inside of us.

One man tried everything and summarized his experience in a prayer, “O God, our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” His name is St Augustine.

Could it be that there is a God who is not only our Creator but who also longs to be our Father too? A God who desires for us to be his child?

I pray that God will fill your heart with his love today … helping you to find the acceptance, the security, the significance and the purpose you long for … in Him.

Longings … think about it. 

The Love of God

Many years ago, a man living in an insane asylum died and was carried to his grave. When they were cleaning out his room they found some words written on the patient’s wall. This is what he had written …

    Could we with ink the ocean fill

    And were the skies of parchment made

    Were every stalk on earth a quill    

    And every man a scribe by trade

    To write the love of God above

    Would drain the ocean dry

    Nor could the scroll contain the whole

    Though stretched from sky to sky

These amazing words were eventually incorporated as a verse in a well-known hymn about the love of God.

It is one thing to know that “God is love” and quite another to know that God loves you. If you could only grasp how much God loves you, it could change your life … and provide a strong foundation for you to have what it takes to truly love others.

The question I’d like to ask you today is not, “How much do you love God?” … but “Do you realize how much God loves you?”

God’s love … think about it.

Trust

Someone once said that trust in the glue of all relationships. Trust holds things together. In contrast, when there is no trust, the relationship starts to break down.

Trust creates confidence and removes suspicion and fear. When trust is high in a relationship, you could say the wrong thing and it will be okay. People give you the benefit of the doubt. Where trust is low, you could say the right thing and even then, people take you wrong or misinterpret you.

How do we build trust?

• Trust starts with being trustworthy.
• Be transparent – open, real and genuine.  Don’t be fake or two-faced. Don’t wear masks.
• Have the courage to speak the truth in love.
• Treat people with respect, as you would want to be treated.
• Admit it when you are wrong and be big enough to apologize.
• Be loyal and avoid gossip. Integrity is how we treat those who are not present.
• Keep your commitments and your word.
• Restore trust when it has been lost.
• Be quick to forgive.

How is the level of trust in your relationships?

Trust… think about it.