Iron sharpens iron.

Each week I meet with another man from our church.
We usually meet at a local fast food place, where we have a coffee, chat about what's going on in our lives, encourage each other in our Christian walk, read & discuss a passage of Scripture from the Bible, & then finish with prayer before we go back to work.
We've been doing this most weeks for more than a year now, & I for one, can say how beneficial it's been!
As Proverbs 27:17 says "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."
And Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching & admonishing one another in all wisdom,"

Is there someone appropriate you could meet with each week?
Why not think about it. Remember, "Iron sharpens iron."

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.

Easter. A celebration of hope!

Easter is about so much more than chocolate eggs, fishing, camping trips with the family, days off work etc. Easter is the time to remember just what Jesus Christ has done for us. Good Friday focuses on his death on the cross, where he suffered & died so that we could live!
Easter Sunday is a joyful celebration of hope. Hope given to us because Christ rose from the dead!
If you find yourself in Gundagai for Easter this year, I invite you to join us as we remember & celebrate Christ's death & resurrection.
Good Friday 9.30am "5 reasons Christ came to die."
Easter Sunday 9.30am "Hope in troubled times."

Hay floats away!

The recent good weather has produced a Spring for making hay.
But when the river breaks it's banks, everything on the river flats either goes under or floats away.
Must be heartbreaking for farmers to see scenes like this, hay floating down the river :-(
Hopefully, someone down river will rescue these runaway bales!

2010 flood.

 

Yesterday the water was at the level of the 1984 flood mark, today it's level with 1952.
Still some way off 1974 which was the highest in recent living memory anyway.
12 year old at the time, I can remember riding my pushbike into water in the main street at the bottom of Otway street. So, still some way to go before that happens again!

Gundagai in flood!

 
Well it's been an interesting time over the last few days, as the recent rain has filled the Snowy dams to capacity, meaning that the overflow comes down the Murrumbidgee.
After 10 years of drought it's great to see so much water, spare a thought for the farmers who have lost crops & hay. (Hay bales seen floating downstream :-( sadly)
But on the positive side of things, we are thankful for the way this shall replenish ground water supplies & saturate the ground.

4 characteristics of a healthy church. MP3

What does a healthy church look like?
Well , thats a big question, & depending upon who you asked you could get a whole range of answers.
After all, we live in different places with different cultures, so are there any common characteristics?
Yes I believe there are!
As we read through the book of ACTS we see the early church being established, coming to life. And as we see from ACTS chapter 11, there are at least 4 characteristics that we should see in any healthy church!
1. A healthy church reaches out with the Gospel.
2. A healthy church is encouraging.
3. A healthy church teaches the Word of God.
4. A healthy church cares for people.

Is your church a healthy one?

Willing to be used by God? MP3

In ACTS chapter 9 we read about a man named Ananias. Not one of the most well known men of the Bible, but what we learn about him is important!
He was obedient to the call of God on his life!
He was willing to be used by God!
And because he did what God asked him to do, someones life was impacted, changed for the better, someone was empowered to get out there & talk about Jesus!

If we follow his example & say to God "Here I am Lord, use me"
what a difference that would make!
Listen along as we think about being used by God.

Saul's conversion MP3

The conversion of Saul is one of the most profound, complete, dramatic & powerful of all conversions recorded in the Bible!
Saul was a zealous, passionate, deeply committed religious man, with a single purpose, to wipe these Christians off the face of the earth!
But when he came face to face with Jesus of Nazareth, that all changed.
His encounter with the Risen Christ totally broke Saul of pride & self righteousness.
Saul had been trying to live a religious life, keeping laws, rules & regulations.
Saul had been trying to please God by all the good works he did.
Saul had been blind to the truth!
The truth is, God doesn't want us to be religious, He wants us to be in relationship with Him!
Have you had an encounter with Jesus Christ?
I guarantee it will change your life!

Marriage week in Australia

Welcome to Marriage Week in Australia

Marriage Week is a great time to reassess marriage. A time to see that it is more than a piece of paper, a word, or a contract. Marriage is a relational institution that makes two people one entity - a great team.

Our marriages are not private matters. Our children, gain emotional security and a myriad of benefits from our marriage, our love and union. Our marriages matter to our extended family. They matter to our employers.
They matter to society. They are the fabric that holds families together.
On average married people live longer and have good relationships with their children; families enjoy better physical health, married men earn more money.
Wow, that puts a lot of weight on marriage!

So, do something for your marriage in this week in September.
Write a letter of thanks or praise to show your love for your spouse. Buy them a special gift, it does not have to be large or expensive. Go out on a date, share a picnic, just do something romantic! Celebrate your married life together.

Marriage Week 12th - 19th September 2010

Father's Day message MP3

Well happy Fathers day!
I recently did one of those huge things Dad's get to do, when I walked my daughter down the isle!
It all went really well, although I must admit to feeling bittersweet, I wore a black shirt which represented mourning, (sort of anyway) & a bright orange tie to express my joy!
Now, I firmly believe that fatherhood is under attack in Australia.
At a time when we need men to stand up & be counted, our Government is undermining societies view of fatherhood by moving towards giving same sex couples adoption rights. It's not that I'm being 'homophobic' in saying this, but the fact is every child deserves to grow up with a Mum & a Dad!
We just need to look at the growing statistics that point to the increasing vandalism, drug & alcohol abuse, violent crime, rape etc that teenage boys in particular are involved in.
Much of this is because these boys don't have a strong godly male role model in their lives to give them the discipline & direction they desperately need!
So as a father myself, I need to ask myself, "What sort of role model am I?"
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 1 calls us to "Imitate God" or "Grow up like Dad."
I hope you'll listen along as we think about what that means.
Happy Fathers Day!

The Reconciling Gospel. MP3

We read in ACTS 8 about the Gospel going out of Jerusalem into Judea & Samaria.
As the church suffered persecution, God used that to spread the Good News about Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear it!
A huge barrier to that happening was the relationship, or the lack of it, between Jews & Samaritans. To say that they disliked each other would be to put it lightly!
No wonder Jesus upset people when he told the parable of the good Samaritan! (Luke 10:25-37)
How would this barrier be broken?
With the Gospel!
The Gospel is all about reconciliation, firstly between God & mankind, & then between each of us! No longer Jew or Samaritan, Greek or anything else. (Galatians 3:28) And God has given us the Gospel to bring about that reconciliation!
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself & gave us the ministry of reconciliation;" (2 Corinthians 5:18)
We all need Christ working in our lives, reconciling us to God, & to others!
What a joy to be able to view each other as brothers & sisters, no matter the colour of our skin or the nationality of our birth!
That's the Gospel of Jesus Christ at work!

NSW Government to vote on private bill.

Religious agencies seek gay adoption bill exemption

Independent MP Clover Moore introduced a bill in June that seeks to legalise adoption for gay couples.
But Anglicare has written to MPs urging them to vote against the bill and is threatening to withdraw its adoption services if the laws are introduced.
Community Services Minister Linda Burney says Cabinet will this week discuss amending the bill so Anglicare and Catholic Agency, Centacare, can refuse gay couples adoption rights.
Ms Burney says the agencies have a right to voice their views but it will come down to a conscience vote in Parliament.
"Anglicare and Centacare not only are adoption agencies, they also work very closely and are important partners in our fostering endeavours in NSW," she said.
"I think the exemption is sensible and I think it's important that it's there."
Anglicare is one of the three accredited non-government adoption agencies in the state.
Its chief executive Peter Kell wrote to MPs outlining 11 reasons why the bill should be rejected, including that children need the opportunity to have both a mother and a father.
He says adoption is not a gay rights issue but needs to be carried out in the interests of the child.
Mr Kell says MPs should take a conservative approach when it comes to a conscience vote on the issue.
"Our understanding of how families are best constructed is that children need the opportunity to have both a mother and a father," he said. "Men and women complement each other and the optimal care for children really consists of being in a family for both a mother and a father."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/08/2976698.htm

The Persecuted Church MP3

In the book of ACTS we read about the beginning of the Christian church, & we also read about how those early believers were persecuted for their faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ.
In chapter 8 of ACTS we see Jesus followers scattered out of Jerusalem into Judea & Sameria, taking the Good News of the Gospel with them, just as Christ had told them (ACTS 1:8) Ever since that time, Christians have suffered persecution for their beliefs, right up to this very day.
A simple internet search for "Persecuted Christians" will reveal accounts from many places around the globe, such as China, Nigeria, India, Indonesia, North Korea, Iran, Iraq & the list goes on!
So, can we see anything good in all of this?
I believe we can!
We can see God using bad things that happen to the church for His good.
Through persecution the Gospel spread out of Jerusalem & around the world!
Why not listen along as we see 4 points of encouragement from ACTS 8:1-8