Kingdom people living Kingdom lives.

With all that's going on in society, it's vital that every Christian understands how Christ calls us to live.              

In Matthews gospel, chapter 5:13-16, Jesus calls His followers "Salt & Light."
Salt has a number of uses, but if we just think about how it flavours food for a moment, then we can  relate that to our lives as Christians.
Jesus wants us to live in such a way that we add flavour to the culture around us!
Food can be quite bland without a pinch of salt, & as we engage in our communities, we can add positive, aromatic flavour, by showing love, mercy, kindness, grace, all characteristics that Christ Himself showed.
The when we think about light, it's not hard to picture being in a dark room & switching on the light.
What happens?
Suddenly the darkness is consumed by the light!
Again, Jesus calls us to live in such a way that we bring light into our community.
So, has your faith in Christ been influencing the way you've been living?
My prayer for you, is that you shine brightly for Christ, at home, at work, at school, wherever you are!
And that you live in such a way that our society is enriched, enhanced, & flavoured with the Good News !

http://www.box.com/s/fece3d5bd3337190b47d

The Lord is Risen!

He is risen indeed!!

What a great reason to celebrate!

 Jesus rose from the dead, the tomb is empty, death has been defeated & no longer has power over us because Christ is alive!

This is always good news for those who have believe Jesus & surrender their lives to His authority.

What better reason could we have to celebrate & sing! As Charles Wesley wrote:

        Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
        Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
        Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
        Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

     Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
       Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
       Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
       Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!  

http://www.box.com/s/3ddb916e15abc6f0330f

Each year Good Friday gives us reason to stop and reflect on what God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ.

700 years before Christ was born, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah the message of the Gospel.

The Messiah would come to be our substitue, to die in our place, to take the wrath of God on himself, to taste death so that we can have life, life that is eternal!

May we never forget what it cost, for our Saviour to go to the cross for us!

Sabbatical

Pastor Steve is currently on sabbatical after being in ministry for just on 7 years.
While he is away studying, being refreshed & spiritually recharged, please contact either church Elder Ian on 0438268402 or church Secretary Allen on 0269441162.

Peace of heart and mind

I read recently of a survey a Christian doctor asked his patients to fill in while they were waiting to see him.
One question asked "What is your number one wish?"
When he tallied up the responses, he was surprised to find that the number one response was "Peace of mind."
We all want peace don't we, peace of mind, peace that we feel in our hearts, peace in our relationships, peace in our country, the list goes on.
Christians understand peace to begin with God, & come from God.
When we read Romans chapter 5 verse 1, we see how to have peace with God.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
 Then, once we have peace with God, He gives us His peace. Jesus said:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
 But we need to be on guard, because there are things that would rob us of that peace we all desire.
The old English meaning of our word "Worry" means "To strangle."
Apart from worry, what things try to strangle peace in your life?
I listed six things.
1. Worry.  
2. Busyness.
3. A lack of trust in God & His Word.
4. Disobedience and deliberate sin.
5. Relational conflict.
6. Bitterness & unforgiveness.
 As you look at that list, is there anything that seems relevant to your life at the moment?
You can do something about it!
Bring it to God in prayer, & ask Him to replace it with His peace!

Peace of heart and mind MP3

http://www.box.com/s/jvt4ruttm7a5sbtg344k

Church leadership

Does church leadership matter?
Leadership does matter, & it's important that the right people are chosen, with the right character, maturity & ability!
Why do we need leaders in the church?
Without good leadership, the church can so easily stray away from the path that God has laid out for us, in His Word. There are far too many examples where that has happened, bringing conflict, confusion & chaos into the church. People leave, disillusioned, disappointed, & hurt. All this can be avoided if we chose our leaders well.
Does the Bible say anything about leadership?
Well, yes, the Bible clearly lays out for us God's design, His plan for the church. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7,  we read about the qualifications of Elders. In 1 Peter 5:1-4 we read about their important role in the life of the church. And in ACTS 20:28-30 we read a stark warning to those Elders, what to watch out for!
Listen along to "The what, who & why of Church Elders."http://www.box.com/s/c5jkf7oyaz39dnr6virf

Trusting God in the storms of life. Podcast

Have you ever seen a storm approaching, a storm that you cannot avoid, it's going to envelope you & there's nothing you can do about it.
In ACTS chapter 27 we read about a terrible storm that Paul, Luke & 274 other people were sailing through. A storm that would eventually rip the ship apart!
In that storm, those aboard that ship had given up all hope, fear had overtaken them, all except one man, Paul.
Paul had the confidence to speak God's hope into that storm, "Take heart,..for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told." The previous night, an angel had told Paul that God would save them, even though the ship would go down.
Life brings us many storms apart from those like the photo above.
Storms that come in the shape of illness & grief, financial crisis, depression & anxiety, relationships that fall into conflict, sadly the list goes on.
But if we know Christ as Lord, we can stand on God's Word & say, along with Paul "I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told."
God tells us that He "loves us with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3
I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong & courageous," Joshua 1:5
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9
We can trust God in any & all situations in life, even when those dark storms come upon us.
God will make a way, even when there seems to be no way!
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.