A rundown of a sermon for Illuminate youth group from 04.06.10
Relationships – You and Your Priorities
Seek first the Kingdom of God
• God wants synergy in relationships
o Ecclesiastes 4:12, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken”
• Matthew 6:33. “But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
How to start a relationship God’s way
1) Boy likes girl (or vice versa)
2) Boy explores friendship with girl.
a. As per my earlier sermon this term, that’s a REAL friendship, where you know something about the person and build a platonic relationship. Boys are prone to convincing themselves girls are good people just because they’re attracted to them.
b. Ask yourself:
i. Do I really value them as a friend, not just a face/body/status symbol?
ii. Are they Christian?
1. If not, at this stage you can start to invite them to church
2. It DOES NOT rule out a relationship but DOES make it harder – don’t date a non-Christian!
iii. Are we equally yoked?
1. A yoke is the wooden crossbar used to tie teams of oxen, cattle, or horses together for use in pulling farm implements or wagons.
a. If cattle are not evenly yoked, the farm implement will not be dragged correctly.
2. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 says this:
a. 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
b. Think of your life together as being that farm implement, going in two different directions at two different speeds, but still stuck together.
3) Boy prays to God about relationship with girl
a. If a clear: NO!
i. Boy dissolves all hopes for relationships
ii. Maintains platonic relationship with girl
iii. Backs away from CLOSE platonic relationship, but can still maintain some sort of friendship
1. WARNING: Can end in heartbreak if not followed.
b. If a clear: YES!
i. Boy talks to girl about potential relationship
1. WARNING: Can end in heartbreak anyway.
2. God sometimes asks us to do things we aren’t comfortable with in order to teach and grow us
ii. Moves on to #4
4) Girl prays to God about relationship with boy.
a. If a clear: NO!
i. Girl dissolves all hopes for relationships
ii. Discusses situation with boy
iii. Maintains platonic relationship with boy
iv. Backs well away from CLOSE platonic relationship
1. WARNING: Can end in heartbreak if not followed as boy and girl will be thinking two different things.
2. DON’T send mixed messages!
b. If a clear: YES!
i. Girl talks to boy about potential relationship
ii. Moves on to #5
5) Girl and boy pray together to God
a. Seeking guidance and His blessing
6) Girl and boy begin relationship with each other, with God!
7) Synergy! When a relationship begins this way God is with us and we together are greater than we could have been as two individuals
Things to remember.
• God is ALWAYS with us. Seek His opinions on every major decision in your life.
• Don’t think that every relationship has to end in marriage at your age. One of the reasons God tells people to save themselves for marriage is because He knows that we make mistakes when we’re young. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take every relationship seriously.
• Don’t get physically involved. Even kissing a girl/boy can have profound effects on both your lives
• Don’t start a relationship, and then get God’s blessing later. God needs to be FIRST in your lives.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
How do we believe in Jesus?
I was reading 1 Corinthians 2 today and was struck by the very first verse:
"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God"
Paul solidifies his opinions on this in verses 4 and 5, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power".
This verse is very similar to the podcast I was listening to today (Andy Stanley). He discussed becoming a Christian and how mature adults do not necessarily listen to wisdom concerning WHY to be a Christian. Even if we have specific problems that need overcoming, even if they are addressed specifically and well, even if the arguer concedes the point that often doesn't work. Why? Our choice to follow Jesus Christ must be based on faith in his deeds and life and on an interactive, loving relationship where both parties are honoured (and Jesus honoured us with his life before we were born). If we try and base it on a purely intellectual decision, it is not faith at all. It is a systematic series of checkpoints that fit the limitations and expectations we have placed on the Christian God. It means we've reasoned out why this seems sensible within our own minds. The whole relationship is governed by our world view and our sense of what are satisifiable reasons to follow Jesus. Do we respect him in this relationship? Most probably. Do we honour him? Absolutely not. To honour Jesus is to acknowledge his whole life, death and resurrection. It is to believe he performed miracles and have the faith in God's Holy Spirit that they can still be done today. It is to recognise that regardless of your personal perspective on whether the Bible has flaws or not, it is one way of several to communicate with God and it shares with us many perspectives on who Christ was, and is. Andy Stanley talks about loving and understanding the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind. If we merely have the intellectual component, it is without heart, without love, without relationship. If we only have the spiritual component we are like noise in the wind, demanding great acts and behaving in an unintelligible manner to those who do not believe. We are claiming the fire of God on every person, pushing people to be slain in the spirit and talking in tongues for the joy of hearing ourselves talk in tongues. Everything is spiritual, there is a demon on every corner, every dream reflects an individually named spirit to these people. If we have a purely heart relationship, we love and love and love and get burned out. When we are questioned on our beliefs, we may falter and fall because our faith is not built on a rock but JUST on a relationship. Human relationships, likewise, cannot just be built on "love" because cold reality gets in the way. In my experience, men are more likely to fall prey to intellectual Christianity, women to heart/emotional Christianity.
We must own our relationship with God and invest in it as we would with a spouse. We must spend time with them even when it doesn't suit us, love at all costs, believe that they can be capable of ANYTHING. Each element of God's nature - love, wisdom and spirit - is essential for us to have anything remotely resembling an understanding of His character and to get near having a deep, strong, powerful relationship with our Creator and Saviour.
"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God"
Paul solidifies his opinions on this in verses 4 and 5, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power".
This verse is very similar to the podcast I was listening to today (Andy Stanley). He discussed becoming a Christian and how mature adults do not necessarily listen to wisdom concerning WHY to be a Christian. Even if we have specific problems that need overcoming, even if they are addressed specifically and well, even if the arguer concedes the point that often doesn't work. Why? Our choice to follow Jesus Christ must be based on faith in his deeds and life and on an interactive, loving relationship where both parties are honoured (and Jesus honoured us with his life before we were born). If we try and base it on a purely intellectual decision, it is not faith at all. It is a systematic series of checkpoints that fit the limitations and expectations we have placed on the Christian God. It means we've reasoned out why this seems sensible within our own minds. The whole relationship is governed by our world view and our sense of what are satisifiable reasons to follow Jesus. Do we respect him in this relationship? Most probably. Do we honour him? Absolutely not. To honour Jesus is to acknowledge his whole life, death and resurrection. It is to believe he performed miracles and have the faith in God's Holy Spirit that they can still be done today. It is to recognise that regardless of your personal perspective on whether the Bible has flaws or not, it is one way of several to communicate with God and it shares with us many perspectives on who Christ was, and is. Andy Stanley talks about loving and understanding the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind. If we merely have the intellectual component, it is without heart, without love, without relationship. If we only have the spiritual component we are like noise in the wind, demanding great acts and behaving in an unintelligible manner to those who do not believe. We are claiming the fire of God on every person, pushing people to be slain in the spirit and talking in tongues for the joy of hearing ourselves talk in tongues. Everything is spiritual, there is a demon on every corner, every dream reflects an individually named spirit to these people. If we have a purely heart relationship, we love and love and love and get burned out. When we are questioned on our beliefs, we may falter and fall because our faith is not built on a rock but JUST on a relationship. Human relationships, likewise, cannot just be built on "love" because cold reality gets in the way. In my experience, men are more likely to fall prey to intellectual Christianity, women to heart/emotional Christianity.
We must own our relationship with God and invest in it as we would with a spouse. We must spend time with them even when it doesn't suit us, love at all costs, believe that they can be capable of ANYTHING. Each element of God's nature - love, wisdom and spirit - is essential for us to have anything remotely resembling an understanding of His character and to get near having a deep, strong, powerful relationship with our Creator and Saviour.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Rhyce Shaw Medal
While the Gary Abletts and Chris Judds of the world line up to receive their better-known medals such as the Brownlow, the Norm Smith, the AFLPA award and so on, there still remains one medal that has slipped largely under the radar of the widespread media.
The Rhyce Shaw Medal.
This noble decoration is awarded to the AFL grand final participant who, as a recognised name, has managed to perform the most underwhelmingly and inspired both their fans and opposition supporters alike to unite in disdain against their individually abysmal performance. It is named after the great Rhyce Shaw himself - an excellent footballer for both Sydney and Collingwood - who lowered the bar for all those to follow with his 2002 blunders against Brisbane. The inaugural winner was actually Leon Davis in the previous year but after Shaw's performance, the world knew it had found an icon worthy of naming such a prestigious award after.
In more recent years, the award has had some influence within the sport. Geelong coach Mark Thompson ruled out canny forward Matthew Stokes from the 2009 Grand Final after his Shaw-winning performance in 2008. Likewise, former medallist Alistair Lynch needed to imemdiately retire following his, shall we say, 'punchy' performance. Port coach Mark 'Choco' Williams was not spared after earning votes in Geelong's 2007 demolition of the Power, taking a sizable pay cut when (eventually) being re-signed. A few more votes and who knows - maybe Choco wouldn't have had a job at all?
The award is voted on in a 3-2-1 format by a hand-picked panel of armchair experts and this year will be no exception. I invite everyone to comment below and offer their picks following their event. Can Michael Gardiner win an historic second medal? Will the oft-inept Justin Koschitzke, the loathed Steven Milne or the bloodnutted Cameron Ling be the recipients? The moment, dear friends, is mere hours away!
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2002: Leon Davis, Collingwood
2003: Rhyce Shaw, Collingwood
2004: Alistair Lynch, Brisbane
2005: Michael Gardiner, West Coast
2006: Barry Hall, Sydney
2007: Daniel Motlop, Port. 13 votes. (R/Up: Michael Pettigrew, Port. 9 votes.)
2008: Matthew Stokes, Geelong. 23 votes. (R/Up: Cameron Mooney, Geelong. 18 votes.)
2009: ?????
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Illuminate Worship Service 31/07/09
I had the distinct honour of being able to share a part of my story at Illuminate on Friday night. Everyone's story is completely different and mine is no exception. I share it in the hope that others will be able to read it, understand it and hopefully be impacted in a way that brings people into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Enjoy and feel free to comment or raise questions.
Our memory verse at Illuminate for Term 3 2009 is from 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity". This had been a verse that I felt God put on my heart and I want to make sure that all the Illuminators understand that there is nothing stopping them from working in God's strength. Our theme this term is that "It's not what you can't do...it's what you can!"
My story is one quite similar to many others and I hope one of the reason it resonates is that it is so very...normal. In the world's eyes, there would be almost nothing unusual about it. In high school I was not super-popular, but had plenty of friends and nor was a nerd. I guess you could call me middle-class. I wasn't a major drug abuser, I wasn't beaten up, wasn't captain of the football team, wasn't a goodie-two-shoes, wasn't perfect. I lived through a lot that was normal in the culture I was a part of.
I was born on September 25th, 1981. I was then given away on November 2nd, 1981. I was adopted. The first miracle God did in my life was allowing my parents to give birth to me, helping them make the brave decision to give me up for adoption rather than abort me. For that I will be forever grateful to them. My adoptive parents - the only parents I've ever known - were fantastic about it, always making me feel their child, not an added part of the family. Furthermore, they were always open to me about the fact that I was adopted and that they'd brought me into their family. For that reason I felt chosen, special, blessed - and I suppose I was. A brief overview of my life: attended kindergarten, Tea Tree Gully primary school and then Pembroke during my high school years. English and maths were my strong points at school and I was tagged early on as a highly gifted child - something that would come to play a strong role in how I developed in my later teen years. I was an absolute sponge for knowledge and information and really, still am. I played basketball and table tennis as a child at school - table tennis being inexplicably popular at TTGPS - and did a bit of piano and even dabbled briefly in clarinet. My mother raised me to believe in God and took me along to her church with her for the first 13-14 years of my life. Brougham Place Uniting Church is a beautiful, big, old church in North Adelaide with lovely, faithful worshippers, but at the time I attended it had no ministry for youth and was a traditional, 'boring' service. My small group of friends who attended with me all tried to leave as quickly as we could once we hit our teen years. One thing that mum taught me at this time really stayed with me though: I could pray to God for anything, at any time.
Primary school was an absolute breeze for me. I was top of every class - I'm not just saying that, I really was - and it led me to expect that I should be top of everything I attempted in life. Obviously I encountered a bit of failure as a child (athletics was an example. My body is not built for sprinting or high jump) but all in areas where I could overlook it. Anything I showed promise in, especially academics and sports, demanded perfection.
Attending an elite academics high school was a big shock for me. No longer the big fish in a little pond, I was a shrimp in a freshwater river the size of the Amazon, where all the other fish were barracudas with 145 IQ's. I couldn't coast any more, couldn't rely on natral ability to get me past all the obstacles and my grades started slipping a bit until I finally learned how tostudy hard for my year 12 exams. I graduated with a TER in the 90's and after a year off, attended Adelaide University to study commerce. I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma of Market Research in 2003.
All this seems pretty straightforward. I succeeded, right? Ticked all the boxes? Wrong. The gifted tag weighed heavily on me. I felt that I had been put on a pedestal, that nothing less than perfection in school, university, sports and relationships would do. The result was that I could never be happy with anything less than perfection and if I tried and failed, the result was depression and some suicidal thinking. I also started binge drinking pretty hard in my later teen years (16-20 or so) and I don't want to minimise or embellish the importance of what happened here. The depression was a result of what I had set myself up for, the drinking was purely cultural. It was what my friends were doing and so I did the same. It also isn't possible to emphasise enough how good my parents were. They honestly never put me on a pedestal, never demanded more than I could give and were always willing to let me try new things. It was the burden of my expectations that caused me to get caught up in what I couldn't do, rather than what I could.
I attempted to live for now and only now, yet I still wanted and expected a perfect future.
You cannot have perfection when you choose worldly imperfection.
Perfection is in Christ alone - when you choose drinking, parties and even the wrong uni course over God's plan for you, things go the wrong way in your life.
I wasted a year of my life working at McDonald's, then another 3 years of my life studying something that I didn't enjoy and that I came to realise I had no interest in pursuing in the long term. All of this led to 2003 - a real watershed year for me.
I had left Brougham Place by the time I was 15 and hadn't bothered to search for a new church. Church was out-dated and irrelevant to me and I had no idea it could be different to what I had experienced. I did, however, have a close group of friends (Jeremy and Craig Wilson, Brett Steinert, Shannon Macaitis) who I had grown up with and who were attending a nearby church called Pedare Uniting. When I was about 19 or 20, they encouraged me to come along. I also had another friend from uni called Cal Iles attending the same church. He later became my best man. I fell in love with the journey and before my 21st birthday was reglarly attending.
- - -God had been working in me all this time - - -
I began to realise, through my encounters with God at Pedare and the people who attended, all of the things I never knew that I always wanted. Everyone has fears that threaten to overcome them at times. Mine were loneliness and feeling unworthy, that I would not be capable of meeting expectations - expectations that I did not realise came from me and me alone.
* The psychological isolation of being an only child was overcome by the strength of my friendships, the truest friends I could ever know. The above guys, along with another mate called Sim Jones, were the real catalysts to beginning my relationship with Jesus Christ.
* My fears of being unloved and unworthy, that sunk me in deep depression, were met by my girlfriend, a beautiful woman of faith and courage who loved a guy I thought was unlovable and ultimately even married him!
* New passions, hopes, ideals and futures were created by my encounter with Pedare Uniting Church. That became The Journey Uniting Church, the very church I still attended now.
What had changed?
I personally had a strong encounter with God during a sermon at Pedare, spoken by a gifted speaker, Luke Greaves. Luke was talking about 'road signs' in our time as a Christian, including Stop, Give Way, Slow and Traffic Lights. Something really hit me at this time and during the incredible worship music and I broke down and began to cry. Very embarrassing, but such is the way of the Holy Spirit. When it is letting you know that something is happening, sometimes you just cry.
I began to understand mercy, grace and forgiveness and why they were needed. This is something you really can't get properly until you have this encounter. This took me on a journey of asking forgiveness from a lot of people, particularly those close to me. Again, this was difficult and a little embarrassing, but so worthwhile in the long run.
I became part of a community that loved each other and part of a vibrant, growing church that valued what each individual person's relationship with Jesus meant to them. Somewhere in all of this, I began to form my theology that every person has a story, a different story that is completely unique to them and has the distinct imprint of God upon it.
- - - I started to change my perspective from self-centred, to Christ-centred. - - -
The wish to meet Jesus changes us naturally. There's no need to force it, it just happens as you centre your world on a man who centred his world on love, for God IS love. Sharing love (and toys, and candy) can be hard for an only child but it began to happen.
Philippians 4:13 became a very important verse to me, "I can achieve all things through Christ who strengthens me". The stigma of expectation I had placed on myself started to fade as I realised that all things are possible, just not in my own strength. Only in the strength of my saviour could I achieve the unthinkable and at the same time release myself of expectations that were far beyond my own personal abilities. An incredibly powerful realisation.
Some people choose not to follow God because they feel He will restrict them too much. My God is a God of freedom. I am free to think differently, love stronger and risk more because of the faith I have in His perfection. My relationship with God does not take away what I love and desire, but it enhances it.
* I still love sports, but God uses that. My friend Brandon, now a committed Christian and a great man of faith, stands in faith today in part because of the group of guys he played fantasy NBA with that I was a part of.
* I still love learning and knowledge but God uses that. I work as a Christian Pastoral Support Worker, in Out of School Hours Care, as a School Services Officer and as a Youth Leader and get to share knowledge and disciple and encourage young people to do the same. By helping them to meet Jesus I get to give a little bit of the love back that He first gave me.
* I still love my friends and family, but God uses that. He uses me, as He made me, to be an example to friends who need to know Him and can see something different in my life. He used me to be a part of bringing several of my friends to Christ and I believe my prayers were a part of helping my dad to be in a closer relationship with God.
Romans 8:23 says that "we, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children".
You see, I get that! I've been there and been adopted and I understand that because of the way my parents gave me full rights. I was never an outcast, I was always the child they dreamed of having and couldn't do it on their own. How much more are you that child for God!
God has given me literally everything I hoped for. A wife, daughter, house, loving friends and family and a job I love. But it's not enough, because with Jesus in your life THERE IS ALWAYS MORE.
This story continues for me. So many don't know the gospel, don't understand the story of Jesus, don't know the sheer, powerful DEPTH of God's love. So many are still burdened, not just with expectation and depression, but with drug afflictions, broken relationships, stolen childhoods and embattled families that tear at their hearts and souls. Jesus heals. Our Heavenly Father individually formed each one of us in His image. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb". For me, there are many more chances to explore my passions, inlcuding two big risk-takers, mountain climbing and writing. And I still have a whole other family out there somewhere, waiting to be met. So many more adventures are left in my life.
I realise that I can't promise that every person will be as blessed as I am. I also realise that I've glossed over a lot of events in my life, both good and bad. I don't have time to write down every story that's ever been told in my life, but I can tell you that no matter who you are, your story can start right now if you let it be so. Repent of your sins, tell Jesus that you love Him and long to be in a relationship with Him, then believe that you are forgiven and let go of all that you've been clinging to. There is freedom in this way in a way that there is no freedom in the world.
1 John 4:19 says this, "We love each other, because He loved us first". That love is available to all of us if we show some faith, take a risk and simply believe. You won't have my life - you have an entirely different story to write - but you will be profoundly changed for the better by the experience.
I offer you five things to remember once you begin this journey, that if you do them all, will impact you deeply.
1) PRAY. Always talk to God in times of need.
2) WORSHIP. Spend time listening to music and praising and worshipping God.
3) BIBLE. Read the Bible consistently, daily if possible. Be fed by the Word.
4) CHURCH. Be in a faith community. Namely church, but smallgroups/youth groups as well.
5) FRIENDS. Build a friendship group who will encourage and love you in the right ways and whom you can encourage and love right back.
May you encounter our Creator in a way that lets you know you are worthy, loved and unique. May you understand that His imprint is distinct upon your life.
May you wake up each day and know that God will never, ever stop loving you and that He has already paved the way for you to love Him back and share His kingdom for eternity.
Blessings to you all. May your story be the one you'd always dreamed of through Christ.
Mike
Our memory verse at Illuminate for Term 3 2009 is from 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity". This had been a verse that I felt God put on my heart and I want to make sure that all the Illuminators understand that there is nothing stopping them from working in God's strength. Our theme this term is that "It's not what you can't do...it's what you can!"
My story is one quite similar to many others and I hope one of the reason it resonates is that it is so very...normal. In the world's eyes, there would be almost nothing unusual about it. In high school I was not super-popular, but had plenty of friends and nor was a nerd. I guess you could call me middle-class. I wasn't a major drug abuser, I wasn't beaten up, wasn't captain of the football team, wasn't a goodie-two-shoes, wasn't perfect. I lived through a lot that was normal in the culture I was a part of.
I was born on September 25th, 1981. I was then given away on November 2nd, 1981. I was adopted. The first miracle God did in my life was allowing my parents to give birth to me, helping them make the brave decision to give me up for adoption rather than abort me. For that I will be forever grateful to them. My adoptive parents - the only parents I've ever known - were fantastic about it, always making me feel their child, not an added part of the family. Furthermore, they were always open to me about the fact that I was adopted and that they'd brought me into their family. For that reason I felt chosen, special, blessed - and I suppose I was. A brief overview of my life: attended kindergarten, Tea Tree Gully primary school and then Pembroke during my high school years. English and maths were my strong points at school and I was tagged early on as a highly gifted child - something that would come to play a strong role in how I developed in my later teen years. I was an absolute sponge for knowledge and information and really, still am. I played basketball and table tennis as a child at school - table tennis being inexplicably popular at TTGPS - and did a bit of piano and even dabbled briefly in clarinet. My mother raised me to believe in God and took me along to her church with her for the first 13-14 years of my life. Brougham Place Uniting Church is a beautiful, big, old church in North Adelaide with lovely, faithful worshippers, but at the time I attended it had no ministry for youth and was a traditional, 'boring' service. My small group of friends who attended with me all tried to leave as quickly as we could once we hit our teen years. One thing that mum taught me at this time really stayed with me though: I could pray to God for anything, at any time.
Primary school was an absolute breeze for me. I was top of every class - I'm not just saying that, I really was - and it led me to expect that I should be top of everything I attempted in life. Obviously I encountered a bit of failure as a child (athletics was an example. My body is not built for sprinting or high jump) but all in areas where I could overlook it. Anything I showed promise in, especially academics and sports, demanded perfection.
Attending an elite academics high school was a big shock for me. No longer the big fish in a little pond, I was a shrimp in a freshwater river the size of the Amazon, where all the other fish were barracudas with 145 IQ's. I couldn't coast any more, couldn't rely on natral ability to get me past all the obstacles and my grades started slipping a bit until I finally learned how tostudy hard for my year 12 exams. I graduated with a TER in the 90's and after a year off, attended Adelaide University to study commerce. I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma of Market Research in 2003.
All this seems pretty straightforward. I succeeded, right? Ticked all the boxes? Wrong. The gifted tag weighed heavily on me. I felt that I had been put on a pedestal, that nothing less than perfection in school, university, sports and relationships would do. The result was that I could never be happy with anything less than perfection and if I tried and failed, the result was depression and some suicidal thinking. I also started binge drinking pretty hard in my later teen years (16-20 or so) and I don't want to minimise or embellish the importance of what happened here. The depression was a result of what I had set myself up for, the drinking was purely cultural. It was what my friends were doing and so I did the same. It also isn't possible to emphasise enough how good my parents were. They honestly never put me on a pedestal, never demanded more than I could give and were always willing to let me try new things. It was the burden of my expectations that caused me to get caught up in what I couldn't do, rather than what I could.
I attempted to live for now and only now, yet I still wanted and expected a perfect future.
You cannot have perfection when you choose worldly imperfection.
Perfection is in Christ alone - when you choose drinking, parties and even the wrong uni course over God's plan for you, things go the wrong way in your life.
I wasted a year of my life working at McDonald's, then another 3 years of my life studying something that I didn't enjoy and that I came to realise I had no interest in pursuing in the long term. All of this led to 2003 - a real watershed year for me.
I had left Brougham Place by the time I was 15 and hadn't bothered to search for a new church. Church was out-dated and irrelevant to me and I had no idea it could be different to what I had experienced. I did, however, have a close group of friends (Jeremy and Craig Wilson, Brett Steinert, Shannon Macaitis) who I had grown up with and who were attending a nearby church called Pedare Uniting. When I was about 19 or 20, they encouraged me to come along. I also had another friend from uni called Cal Iles attending the same church. He later became my best man. I fell in love with the journey and before my 21st birthday was reglarly attending.
- - -God had been working in me all this time - - -
I began to realise, through my encounters with God at Pedare and the people who attended, all of the things I never knew that I always wanted. Everyone has fears that threaten to overcome them at times. Mine were loneliness and feeling unworthy, that I would not be capable of meeting expectations - expectations that I did not realise came from me and me alone.
* The psychological isolation of being an only child was overcome by the strength of my friendships, the truest friends I could ever know. The above guys, along with another mate called Sim Jones, were the real catalysts to beginning my relationship with Jesus Christ.
* My fears of being unloved and unworthy, that sunk me in deep depression, were met by my girlfriend, a beautiful woman of faith and courage who loved a guy I thought was unlovable and ultimately even married him!
* New passions, hopes, ideals and futures were created by my encounter with Pedare Uniting Church. That became The Journey Uniting Church, the very church I still attended now.
What had changed?
I personally had a strong encounter with God during a sermon at Pedare, spoken by a gifted speaker, Luke Greaves. Luke was talking about 'road signs' in our time as a Christian, including Stop, Give Way, Slow and Traffic Lights. Something really hit me at this time and during the incredible worship music and I broke down and began to cry. Very embarrassing, but such is the way of the Holy Spirit. When it is letting you know that something is happening, sometimes you just cry.
I began to understand mercy, grace and forgiveness and why they were needed. This is something you really can't get properly until you have this encounter. This took me on a journey of asking forgiveness from a lot of people, particularly those close to me. Again, this was difficult and a little embarrassing, but so worthwhile in the long run.
I became part of a community that loved each other and part of a vibrant, growing church that valued what each individual person's relationship with Jesus meant to them. Somewhere in all of this, I began to form my theology that every person has a story, a different story that is completely unique to them and has the distinct imprint of God upon it.
- - - I started to change my perspective from self-centred, to Christ-centred. - - -
The wish to meet Jesus changes us naturally. There's no need to force it, it just happens as you centre your world on a man who centred his world on love, for God IS love. Sharing love (and toys, and candy) can be hard for an only child but it began to happen.
Philippians 4:13 became a very important verse to me, "I can achieve all things through Christ who strengthens me". The stigma of expectation I had placed on myself started to fade as I realised that all things are possible, just not in my own strength. Only in the strength of my saviour could I achieve the unthinkable and at the same time release myself of expectations that were far beyond my own personal abilities. An incredibly powerful realisation.
Some people choose not to follow God because they feel He will restrict them too much. My God is a God of freedom. I am free to think differently, love stronger and risk more because of the faith I have in His perfection. My relationship with God does not take away what I love and desire, but it enhances it.
* I still love sports, but God uses that. My friend Brandon, now a committed Christian and a great man of faith, stands in faith today in part because of the group of guys he played fantasy NBA with that I was a part of.
* I still love learning and knowledge but God uses that. I work as a Christian Pastoral Support Worker, in Out of School Hours Care, as a School Services Officer and as a Youth Leader and get to share knowledge and disciple and encourage young people to do the same. By helping them to meet Jesus I get to give a little bit of the love back that He first gave me.
* I still love my friends and family, but God uses that. He uses me, as He made me, to be an example to friends who need to know Him and can see something different in my life. He used me to be a part of bringing several of my friends to Christ and I believe my prayers were a part of helping my dad to be in a closer relationship with God.
Romans 8:23 says that "we, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children".
You see, I get that! I've been there and been adopted and I understand that because of the way my parents gave me full rights. I was never an outcast, I was always the child they dreamed of having and couldn't do it on their own. How much more are you that child for God!
God has given me literally everything I hoped for. A wife, daughter, house, loving friends and family and a job I love. But it's not enough, because with Jesus in your life THERE IS ALWAYS MORE.
This story continues for me. So many don't know the gospel, don't understand the story of Jesus, don't know the sheer, powerful DEPTH of God's love. So many are still burdened, not just with expectation and depression, but with drug afflictions, broken relationships, stolen childhoods and embattled families that tear at their hearts and souls. Jesus heals. Our Heavenly Father individually formed each one of us in His image. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb". For me, there are many more chances to explore my passions, inlcuding two big risk-takers, mountain climbing and writing. And I still have a whole other family out there somewhere, waiting to be met. So many more adventures are left in my life.
I realise that I can't promise that every person will be as blessed as I am. I also realise that I've glossed over a lot of events in my life, both good and bad. I don't have time to write down every story that's ever been told in my life, but I can tell you that no matter who you are, your story can start right now if you let it be so. Repent of your sins, tell Jesus that you love Him and long to be in a relationship with Him, then believe that you are forgiven and let go of all that you've been clinging to. There is freedom in this way in a way that there is no freedom in the world.
1 John 4:19 says this, "We love each other, because He loved us first". That love is available to all of us if we show some faith, take a risk and simply believe. You won't have my life - you have an entirely different story to write - but you will be profoundly changed for the better by the experience.
I offer you five things to remember once you begin this journey, that if you do them all, will impact you deeply.
1) PRAY. Always talk to God in times of need.
2) WORSHIP. Spend time listening to music and praising and worshipping God.
3) BIBLE. Read the Bible consistently, daily if possible. Be fed by the Word.
4) CHURCH. Be in a faith community. Namely church, but smallgroups/youth groups as well.
5) FRIENDS. Build a friendship group who will encourage and love you in the right ways and whom you can encourage and love right back.
May you encounter our Creator in a way that lets you know you are worthy, loved and unique. May you understand that His imprint is distinct upon your life.
May you wake up each day and know that God will never, ever stop loving you and that He has already paved the way for you to love Him back and share His kingdom for eternity.
Blessings to you all. May your story be the one you'd always dreamed of through Christ.
Mike
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Baptism breakdown
Sunday 21/06/09
What an amazing night. What an incredible example of Jesus Christ changing lives through His grace. Sometimes I encounter the kids of Illuminate, ICONS and MAD youth and I think they are simply unstoppable. There is an infectious joy about them, something that is part age, part personality and part (mostly) the way that the Lord affects people, especially when they encounter Him for the very first time.
So we had some baptisms tonight at The Journey Uniting Church. Two guys from ED, Josh Bell and Nathan Pycroft, that I was lucky enough to get to know on our recent Easter Camp and two of our Illuminators, Laura Graham and Rob Ross-Naylor. At least fifteen other Illuminators were on hand to witness this and I don’t mind admitting there were nights 18 months or so ago when we barely hit that number for Illuminate. A whole bunch of our core people were on hand to support and encourage Laura and Rob as they dedicated their life to Jesus.
The pastor of The Journey Uniting Church, Andy Hogarth, had some words for each kid getting baptised. For Laura, that she was a woman of great faith who would encourage and grow the faith of others through her own. For Josh, that he was a man, much like his namesake Joshua, that would come under the wing of great leaders and be mentored and grow in this fashion and that his family would be affected by this. For Nathan, again that he would have the ear of leaders like his namesake Nathan and be an encourager in the manner of Barnabas. Finally, for Robert, that he would be a man who would change the spiritual temperature. He is also a charismatic man with great leadership qualities.
All these kids are potentially future leaders. Everyone’s path is uncertain to those on earth, only our heavenly Father above truly knows where we are headed. I’ve been around enough young people to know that as much as I love sowing in to them and can pray my guts out, it will ultimately be their relationship with Christ - the depth and weight of that on their soul - and their personal character and that of their friends that sees them through to eternal life.
Life is too hard to do on our own.
What an amazing night. What an incredible example of Jesus Christ changing lives through His grace. Sometimes I encounter the kids of Illuminate, ICONS and MAD youth and I think they are simply unstoppable. There is an infectious joy about them, something that is part age, part personality and part (mostly) the way that the Lord affects people, especially when they encounter Him for the very first time.
So we had some baptisms tonight at The Journey Uniting Church. Two guys from ED, Josh Bell and Nathan Pycroft, that I was lucky enough to get to know on our recent Easter Camp and two of our Illuminators, Laura Graham and Rob Ross-Naylor. At least fifteen other Illuminators were on hand to witness this and I don’t mind admitting there were nights 18 months or so ago when we barely hit that number for Illuminate. A whole bunch of our core people were on hand to support and encourage Laura and Rob as they dedicated their life to Jesus.
The pastor of The Journey Uniting Church, Andy Hogarth, had some words for each kid getting baptised. For Laura, that she was a woman of great faith who would encourage and grow the faith of others through her own. For Josh, that he was a man, much like his namesake Joshua, that would come under the wing of great leaders and be mentored and grow in this fashion and that his family would be affected by this. For Nathan, again that he would have the ear of leaders like his namesake Nathan and be an encourager in the manner of Barnabas. Finally, for Robert, that he would be a man who would change the spiritual temperature. He is also a charismatic man with great leadership qualities.
All these kids are potentially future leaders. Everyone’s path is uncertain to those on earth, only our heavenly Father above truly knows where we are headed. I’ve been around enough young people to know that as much as I love sowing in to them and can pray my guts out, it will ultimately be their relationship with Christ - the depth and weight of that on their soul - and their personal character and that of their friends that sees them through to eternal life.
Life is too hard to do on our own.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Unestablished nothing
In an old discussion between the two of us, Cal and I talk about a generational dissatisfaction with the church as a whole.
Cal says:
Historical Christianity is a fascinating thing. It is the same God that we worship today, but the way He moved and reached a nation has changed for every generation. It is amazing how in the early American days and even up until World War 2 the gospel that was preached was a ferocious breed of ‘fire and brimstone.’ William Finney and Jonathon Edwards spoke the wrath of God boldly, placing an emphasis on repentance and holiness. This type of message spoke to those people, and instilled in them a real reverence and ‘fear’ of their heavenly father. The next generation of baby boomers were a group that respected their parents so much that they trusted everything that came out of their lips, especially that of faith. My mother has a faith so firmly embedded in who she is, birthed through her parents, that she doesn’t need to develop a systematic theology. The children of those types are what I am a part of. A twenty-something who needs to know ‘why’ things are believed rather than finding out ‘what’ I should believe from a person I respect, or getting ‘fear’ seared into me.
And here is the problem I am seeing with my generation. So many of my friends are unhappy with established religion. They find all these problems, inspired by these books on the ‘emerging church,’ and while these books are great in that they offer another option to religiosity, very few of them offer solutions to this ‘holy dissatisfaction’. Rather they challenge current beliefs, current church systems and budgets. They point out where ‘baby boomer’ Christianity falls short for them; they point out where ‘fire and brimstone’ gospel impinges on their rights as an individual and how they have incorporated this thinking into their lives and their church. For your average layperson, they have no outlet for this dissatisfaction other than to disparage the established church. Rather than doing something about it, they choose nothing over established Christianity. A few people started house churches but they soon fizzled out to a lack of structure and motivation. Others desire an organisation like Philadelphia’s ‘Simple Way,’ but God-forbid they would have to organise it themselves.
So there is a group of Christians who choose nothing over structure. I felt this dissatisfaction, and for a period did contemplate leaving my church, but thought objectively about what that would achieve, which was very little. So I set out trying to change things from within. I joined my church management team to see why financial decisions were made and picked a couple of issues that I would see brought up. I stayed within the church and saw a change in culture where it became more community focused, groups became more inclusive and missions became more important on the agenda. People started praying more and seeking God’s heart for our church and I saw how the important thing with dissatisfaction is to find an outlet for it. If that is to start up a new organic community of believers then do it, if that is to be the change in your church then do that, but don’t choose nothing.
I see my friends who don’t go to a church now craving community. They need that outlet for their love for Jesus, because at the moment they are becoming dulled. ‘Take a coal away from the fire and it will soon cool down’ in the words of my pastor. That dissatisfaction comes from a true grasp of the gospel. They have seen where their church has been falling short and it is up to them to speak that word of truth to the body. The church needs to change to speak clearly to the new generation of believers and our Lord is doing that step by step through us. It is up to us to challenge existing church culture and structure so that we don’t become stagnant and stuck in our ways, but it is possible to do that and to stay within the established church.
Mike says:
Did you write this mate? It's excellent - absolutely fantastic - but it overlooks one thing: the extreme selfishness of Gen Y. We are children of privilege and have become accustomed to getting what we want, when we want, to diversity and change, to events, people and places that stimulate all our senses. I think the dissatisfaction with the church can come from a true grasp of the gospel, but often it represents a dissatisfaction within ourselves that we are not being serenaded in a way that makes us feel special. The idea of serving consistently and without complaint is basically foreign to the me-first generation that want to be given to rather than give themselves. This is a strict generalisation and I very much agree with your point that the church needs to change, but I also believe it is crucial we all examine ourselves carefully as to our motivation for dissatisfaction. Is there something really wrong with the church? What can we do to change it? Or is it our own desire to be given a show, a spectacle, entertainment from on high? And whatever the answer to these questions, we should frame every one of them around the question, "Is this where God has asked me to serve?" If yes, let's change it. If no, let's move on.
Cal says:
Historical Christianity is a fascinating thing. It is the same God that we worship today, but the way He moved and reached a nation has changed for every generation. It is amazing how in the early American days and even up until World War 2 the gospel that was preached was a ferocious breed of ‘fire and brimstone.’ William Finney and Jonathon Edwards spoke the wrath of God boldly, placing an emphasis on repentance and holiness. This type of message spoke to those people, and instilled in them a real reverence and ‘fear’ of their heavenly father. The next generation of baby boomers were a group that respected their parents so much that they trusted everything that came out of their lips, especially that of faith. My mother has a faith so firmly embedded in who she is, birthed through her parents, that she doesn’t need to develop a systematic theology. The children of those types are what I am a part of. A twenty-something who needs to know ‘why’ things are believed rather than finding out ‘what’ I should believe from a person I respect, or getting ‘fear’ seared into me.
And here is the problem I am seeing with my generation. So many of my friends are unhappy with established religion. They find all these problems, inspired by these books on the ‘emerging church,’ and while these books are great in that they offer another option to religiosity, very few of them offer solutions to this ‘holy dissatisfaction’. Rather they challenge current beliefs, current church systems and budgets. They point out where ‘baby boomer’ Christianity falls short for them; they point out where ‘fire and brimstone’ gospel impinges on their rights as an individual and how they have incorporated this thinking into their lives and their church. For your average layperson, they have no outlet for this dissatisfaction other than to disparage the established church. Rather than doing something about it, they choose nothing over established Christianity. A few people started house churches but they soon fizzled out to a lack of structure and motivation. Others desire an organisation like Philadelphia’s ‘Simple Way,’ but God-forbid they would have to organise it themselves.
So there is a group of Christians who choose nothing over structure. I felt this dissatisfaction, and for a period did contemplate leaving my church, but thought objectively about what that would achieve, which was very little. So I set out trying to change things from within. I joined my church management team to see why financial decisions were made and picked a couple of issues that I would see brought up. I stayed within the church and saw a change in culture where it became more community focused, groups became more inclusive and missions became more important on the agenda. People started praying more and seeking God’s heart for our church and I saw how the important thing with dissatisfaction is to find an outlet for it. If that is to start up a new organic community of believers then do it, if that is to be the change in your church then do that, but don’t choose nothing.
I see my friends who don’t go to a church now craving community. They need that outlet for their love for Jesus, because at the moment they are becoming dulled. ‘Take a coal away from the fire and it will soon cool down’ in the words of my pastor. That dissatisfaction comes from a true grasp of the gospel. They have seen where their church has been falling short and it is up to them to speak that word of truth to the body. The church needs to change to speak clearly to the new generation of believers and our Lord is doing that step by step through us. It is up to us to challenge existing church culture and structure so that we don’t become stagnant and stuck in our ways, but it is possible to do that and to stay within the established church.
Mike says:
Did you write this mate? It's excellent - absolutely fantastic - but it overlooks one thing: the extreme selfishness of Gen Y. We are children of privilege and have become accustomed to getting what we want, when we want, to diversity and change, to events, people and places that stimulate all our senses. I think the dissatisfaction with the church can come from a true grasp of the gospel, but often it represents a dissatisfaction within ourselves that we are not being serenaded in a way that makes us feel special. The idea of serving consistently and without complaint is basically foreign to the me-first generation that want to be given to rather than give themselves. This is a strict generalisation and I very much agree with your point that the church needs to change, but I also believe it is crucial we all examine ourselves carefully as to our motivation for dissatisfaction. Is there something really wrong with the church? What can we do to change it? Or is it our own desire to be given a show, a spectacle, entertainment from on high? And whatever the answer to these questions, we should frame every one of them around the question, "Is this where God has asked me to serve?" If yes, let's change it. If no, let's move on.
A blog full of keywords and labels
Who am I?
Faith: Jesus, Christianity, family, community, friends
Teaching: Mark Sayers, Mark Driscoll, Erwin McManus, RC Sproul, Andy Hogarth
NBA: New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, LeBron James
AFL: Shinboner Spirit, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Glenn Archer, Daniel Wells
English Premier League: Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas, Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry
Cricket: Australia, Matthew Hayden, Cullen Bailey, Callum Ferguson, Mike Hussey
NFL: New York Giants, Eli Manning
Hobbies: Snowboarding, NBA Fantasy, ESPN, Wakeboarding, Hoops, Illuminate, Reading, Thinking, Learning, Developing
Family: Wife, Daughter, Mother, Father, God
Work: Christian Pastoral Support Worker, Schools Ministry Group
Faith: Jesus, Christianity, family, community, friends
Teaching: Mark Sayers, Mark Driscoll, Erwin McManus, RC Sproul, Andy Hogarth
NBA: New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, LeBron James
AFL: Shinboner Spirit, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Glenn Archer, Daniel Wells
English Premier League: Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas, Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry
Cricket: Australia, Matthew Hayden, Cullen Bailey, Callum Ferguson, Mike Hussey
NFL: New York Giants, Eli Manning
Hobbies: Snowboarding, NBA Fantasy, ESPN, Wakeboarding, Hoops, Illuminate, Reading, Thinking, Learning, Developing
Family: Wife, Daughter, Mother, Father, God
Work: Christian Pastoral Support Worker, Schools Ministry Group
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