New location

Don't forget Sunday the 1st of July is our first week in our new location.

Cornerstone Stadium at Harvest Christian School, George Street Kadina. We will have a shared lunch after the service so please bring something to share.




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Good friday 2012 "its friday but sundays coming"

Another great service this Good Friday, what a great celebration of Jesus' sacrifice



If you want to see a video of Tony Campolo try here

It's Friday but Sunday is coming

Last day of the Lent Gospel reading challenge

Lent is a time of preparation for for the most important time in the Christian calendar, so it is fitting that we finish our readings on Jesus' death and resurrection.

I have a natural affinity with the story of Peters restoration. One thing that is important to remember is that peter needed this restoration not for Jesus' sake but for Peters I think he would have found it hard to forgive himself. Jesus made it clear to all that Peter had been forgiven for his stumble. We need to learn to forgive ourselves also, we will fail and make mistakes but Jesus doesn't hold them against us. We can be our own worst enemy.

Have a safe and happy Easter!

See you on North beach Wallaroo at 9 am Friday morning for our special communion service and then at Elizabeth str Wallaroo at the normal time of 10am on Sunday.

Lent gospel challenge penultimate day

John 16:21-22
It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

Clearly this is an indication of new life, Jesus gives us the image of childbirth as an illustration of his resurrection.

A new world, a new creation as on the last day of the week he says "it is finished " and on the sabbath he rests and on the first day of the week his newly created kingdom is birthed.

Last week of the Lent reading challenge tues

Jesus washes the disciples feet ! What kind of king lowers himself to do a servants job? Did Jesus have the gift of foot washing? Of course no such thing exists he is showing that when something needs doing we should get on with it and get our hands dirty. Being a follower of Jesus does not give us privilege but gives us responsibility.

I am often asked about the title reverend, MY view is that this is a way of keeping us accountable by being ordained I am accountable not only to my local church but to all Baptists and not only South Australia but to the whole of Australia and for that matter not only to Baptists but to the wider Church. By being ordained I have put myself under the authority of all true followers of Christ. I am their servant just as the apostle Paul was, does this diminish the leadership of Paul? I don't think it did !

The other dimension of this is also allowing others to serve us! That can be pretty hard cant it? Peter found it difficult to let Jesus serve him. We need others around us, we serve each other and we are accountable to each other.

Last week Lent Gospel challenge monday

The blind man

Jesus heals a man born blind on the sabbath and the chief priests don't see the miracle of sight they see that he was working on the sabbath! After questioning the mans parents and the man himself (several times) they still think he is a sinner then the formally blind man in frustration says
“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”(John 9:25). De we look for the sin or the miracle in life? Do we want to judge based on actions or based on Christ's love?

Then comes the most distressing interaction in John 9:32-34 when the man begins
Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

They refuse to believe in what actually happened because it doesn't fit within their view of the world?

We would never do something like that.... would we???

The final word to those who thought they knew better than everyone goes to Jesus, in John 9:41 he says to the pharisees;
“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

We need to be careful of our claims, claiming to know what Jesus thinks says and does without judging it with the help of scripture, prayer, wise counsel and experience is perilous indeed. Any one who claims to speak for God will be judged more critically in the end of days (Matt23) we better be sure we aren't pharisees ourselves!

Week 6 friday the woman at the well

The woman at the well.

it has always interested me that in this story too many pastors label this woman as promiscuous and sinful. It is always dangerous to import our 21st century ideals into a 1st century context.

In this culture it was almost impossible for a woman to divorce a man it is unlikely she was the instigator of the divorces. The most common reason for divorces was barrenness or the inability to bear children(there was no IVF). so even if we assume that the five previous marriages were divorces ( there could have been husbands who possibly died) then she is quite possibly a victim of them.

If Jesus is pointing out sin he does not say at anytime your sin is forgiven or does he ask for repentance. When she goes and tells the town they listen to her (she must have some influence). The amazing thing is that Jesus knew about her situation and valued her as she was. Which is quite possibly the first time a man has truly valued her.

In every text it is best that we remember the culture that it was written and not try to import our own understanding into it.

Week 6 Thursday John's Gospel

John really does have a different way of describing the Good news of the coming kingdom of Jesus. Most people when they think of John's Gospel think immediately of John 3:16, but one of my favorite passages is chapter 2:1-12 the wedding at Cana.

Jesus was not a sourpuss who looked down on the everyday lives of people he actually went to parties. At this party he turns water into wine and not just any wine but by the standard of the day it was the best wine possible! I grew up in a Baptist church and a Baptist home. We Baptists are infamous for being teetotalers but not in my family we were Germans so there never was any problem with moderate alcohol consumption. It seems like Jesus didn't have a problem with it either he obviously knew what good wine was and had no problem by supplying alcohol to this party!

Jesus was up for a laugh why are so many of his people the exact opposite?

Week 6 Wed

The complete betrayal of Jesus by Peter continues to astound me. But then again we all monumentally fail him in our lives! I don't say this as a good thing , just to point out that just as Peter was able to overcome his failures and serve the kingdom of Jesus we likewise are able to overcome
our failures and serve Jesus in his kingdom. Don't let guilt stop you from serving because guilt is not from Jesus.

Week 6 Tuesday

Jesus is coming to the final week of his life and his urgency has increased his patience with the leaders and chief priests is lessened.

Did Jesus claim to be King?
Well it is obvious that is what he was declaring by arriving in town on a donkey and allowing people worship him as such!
Jesus also declares the unrighteous rule of the chief priests over by telling the story of the ungrateful tenant farmers and turning over the tables in Jerusalem. It almost seems like he was picking a fight with the leaders! In fact he was he knew his time was coming and fast.

"The new kingdom is here," That is the Good news! ...is it ? Really ? Do we really believe that? If we do how can we go on living like the new kingdom is in some disembodied existence after we die?

Lent Gospel challenge week 6 monday Mark 5-8

Jesus really lets the disiples have it! He basically calls them thick! Have you ever doubted, or questioned? It isnt always easy for us to keep or faith, Especially in times of trouble when it looks like evil is winning.

If Jesus kingdom had begun why do we see such terrilble things still going on? The battle has been won but the war still rages, evil doesnt believe it has already lost, so the more we gain ground the more evil fights back. When we doubt it is reassuring to remember that even those closest to Jesus doubted and questioned so it is not something we should lose sleep over , but we should remind ourselves that Jesus is king!

Week 5 friday Lent Gospel challenge, Mark

"anyone who does God's will, are my brothers sisters and mother"

How often do we treat each other as family? Really, how often? At best from what I see of most followers of Jesus we treat each other as distant cousins, at worst as aquaintences! We are mostly civil, polite and dont fight with one another. But hardly family as close as brothers and sisters!

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters, we fought often when we lived in the same house. So much so that my father when asked what he wanted as a present for birthdays etc would respond "peace and quiet". We always thought he was joking but now as a father I am begining to understand.

However if anyone attacked one of us from outside our group we would always be the first to defend each other. If one of us was in need all the others would help, without asking? Support was a constant. Does that sound like your experience of "church"?

Week 5 thu gospel challenge

Pauls journey to Rome

Pauls strong sense of purpose drives him to continue through storms, shipwrecks, snake bites and opposition. On arrival paul proceeds to preach to the Jews! How strongly do we feel called to our lives?

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Lent gospel challenge week 5 wed

Acts 25-26

Paul is in custody in a court being judged by the king! So what does he do? Well of course he shares his story! It s obvious it is done with an evangelistic intention because the king says "do you think you can convert meso easily?" to which Paul replies "I wish everyone was as me".

Do we even know well enough why we are followers of Jesus? And if we do do we know how to effectively share our story with others?

Week 5 tuesday Lent Gospel challenge

Acts 21-24
Pauls friends plead with him not to go to Jeusalem, they fear he will be killed by the authorities. But his reply is that "if my life will be taken because I stand up for what I believe then I am ready for that" ( my interpretetation). In my opinion I dont see many people saying that they will stand up for what they believe. In fact most people go to church wanting to hear that the Bible vindicates their way of life so that they can go on their way and continue to live as they see fit. Whereas God calls us to do as he sees fit wether that is something we want to do or not. Not many of us( in the West ) will be asked to give up our physical life for faith, however we are definately called to give up our authority over our own life and give that to God!

I am reading a lot of Bonhoeffer at the moment. One of the many things that stand out to me about him, was that he had an oppourtunity to stay in America and fight Hitler from there in safety but he chose to return to Germany in the full knowledge that he may die in his quest to lead the confessing church. But he said he could not in all good conscience be part of the rebuilding of his beloved Germany if he did not suffer with his people during their time of need.

How often do we choose suffering ahead of security?

Week five monday gospel reading challenge acts 17-20

The seven sons of Sceva!

Acts 19:14-16
Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

I always find this funny it is almost cartoonish that these 7 men think they can use the name of Jesus and Paul to subdue this spirit with out the benefit of the Holy Spirit!

Week 4 friday lent gospel challenge Acts 13-16

Ahhh Paul what a character! I wish i was a s zealous as he is some times.

It is difficult to make Hard and fast rules based on what paul does and says, for instance he goes to jerusalem to advocate on behalf of gentiles so the need not be circumcised. Then he makes sure Timothy is circumcised before he comes with him on his journey. So do we get circumcised or not? I believe Paul was an expert at "not causing his weaker brother to sin" if timothys uncircumcision was a problem for those around he needed to be circumcised. If it was a problem for people to support his mininsty he worked as a tentmaker , but he believed that a leader deserved his wages. "to the jew i became a jew to the greeks a greek etc". Do we put too many blocks in front of our brothers/sisters? You must do this or that or act this way?



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Lent gospel reading challenge week 4 thursday

Acts 8-12

I am constantly amazed at what God can do when his will is required. Gentiles are included as his people, the worst critics are converted, even roman soldiers believe and the laws of physics are suspended as peter just walks out of gaol.

Why do we not see the same things happening today. I believe we do we just dont take the time to recognise them for what they are.

Ps. Really loving reading Acts , inspiring stuff!



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Week 4 wednesday Acts5-7

Acts 5:40-42
The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

This passage always makes me laugh because the response from the disciples after they are beaten is not to get angry with God for what happened and to stop preaching, it was continue to preach Jesus was the messiah. They could have taken the beating as a sign that they were doing the wrong thing, but they didnt they took it as asign that they were doing the right thing.

We easily get discouraged when trouble hits our lives we seem to think that our lives will be trouble free if we live for Jesus Kingdom. All of the prophets faced opoosition and most of them were killed for it. As modern day prophets what makes us think that we wont follow the same fate?

Week 4 tueday acts 1-4

I love Peter the apostle I love the fact that he speaks before he engages his brain , I love the fact that when he makes mistakes he makes massive ones and when he gets things wrong he gets them coloosally wrong. Not the kind of person you would make a leader in your church.

But in Acts we see a different person he stands up as the(or a) leader of the early church, he preaches the first sermon after Jesus ressurection a sermon with power and authority, he stands up to the cheif priests and when they tell him to stop (unlike Pilate) he says NO. What happened to change this man?

He was a witness to the death and ressurection of Jesus the King! He knows that the kingdom of God has truly come and he knows that he can do nothing elses.

How much do we GET the kingdom of God?

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Week 4 monday luke 22-24

I have always wondered about Pilate why was he the bad guy? This passage shows that several times he refused to put jesus to death. In jesus christ superstar the musical one of my favorite songs is "Pilates dream" in it he sings about a dream he has:

"Then I saw thousands of millions
Crying for this man
And then I heard them mentioning my name
And leaving me the blame".

Pilate had a chance to do the right thing and he tried but he listened to the voices of the people instead.

Do we ever go against what we know is right because a crowd of voices tells us to? How about our politicians their job is to listen to the people? Sometimes doing the right thing is unpopular and it may cost us much ( our jobs , promotions, ministry, peace in our families) but Jesus didnt say "I have come to make you as comfortable as possible". Peter realises the danger of trying to make peace with the crowd and he denies Jesus 3 times, ( I bet he never did again). Pilate could have said NO and stuck to his guns then the death of Jesus could have been the responsibility of others. But he chose to please the crowd.


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Week 3 friday

Luke 17:1-4

Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith

1 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!
“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Forgiveness without repentance! This is what Bonhoeffer calls "cheap grace" this can rarely restore our relationships. The goal of forgiveness and repentance must be restored relationship but if our "brother" doesnt want forgiveness( makes no effort at repentance) how can relationship be restored! Sometimes forgiveness can be one sided but this kind of forgiveness is for ourselves so we are freed from the bondage hate and despair. If the one who sinned against us passes away before they can repent we may need to forgive to free ourselves.




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Week 3 thur

The Pharisees were very good at making rules and forcing people to keep them , who you can eat with how to prepare food and yourself for the meal on what day you can and cannot work. Jesus says not in my kingdom in my kingdom we dont put obstacles in the path of the lost and suffering we remove the obstacles.


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Week 3 wed

Jesus sends out the disciples and tells them to rely on him, not to plan for their trip out of their own supplies. Then he feeds the people when the disciples cant figure out how they will ever afford it. Do we try to do ministry under our own abilities also? I wonder what would happen if we just left it up to Jesus?.


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Week 3 tue

"why do you eat and drink with such scum?" matt 5:30

Why do we spend our lives around all the best people?


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Week 3 day 1

Luke1-4
Luke 4:18-21
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Good news to the poor, captives released, blind seeing and oppressed set free... Is that what we see happening in our world? Is that the same good news we are sharing with people. We need to think about what "Good News" means in our society.


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Week 2 day 5 gospel challenge

The last 3 chapters tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. For the last 2 weeks we have read the other 25 chapters of Matthew. Why did matthew bother if the death and resurrection is the totality of the "Good news", he could have saved a lot of papyrus? Out of the 89 chapters of the Gospels only13 chapters are dedicated to his death and resurrection.
Well perhaps that was not the only message that Jesus came to tell or that Matthew, Mark , Luke and John wanted us to hear. The rest of the Gospels tell us that Jesus came to begin his kingdom and how we should live as his followers/subjects.
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Week 2 day 4 gospel challenge

Matt 24-25 be "ready" what does that mean? I dont need to "DO" anything for my salvation do I ? We certainly need to be ready so that we are prepared for the day that Jesus comes again.

Just as a pilot practices his craft over and over and over again with monotonous repetition, so that it becomes more than second nature it becomes instinct. One day he might find a bird flies into his engine and in 3 minutes from take off he needs to crash land his plane in the busiest city in the world. His training and discipline will determine how many passengers survive and how many dont. It doesnt matter that at some stage he got a licence to fly , what matters is his character and his commitment to do what has become second natureor instinct.( for the real story read here

We too need to practise our "craft" and become discipled to Jesus so that when we are called into action we can be ready. Ready to use our character, second nature or instinct for God. We need to be ready.



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Week 2 day 3 gospel challenge

Ahhhh, I love Matt 23!

Jesus reserves judgment on people until he gets to the Pharisees and Sadducees. His condemnation doesn't fall on prostitutes, tax collecters or adulterers but on the legalistic, judgmental religious leaders of his time. His problem isn't so much with what they say but how they act. He says "listen to them but don't follow their example". Jesus calls them Blind guides , snakes , sons of vipers, white washed Tombs, hypocrites and filthy. Not very Christ like is it? ...

Hang on he is the Christ!

What I take from this is that, character or virtue is an important part of following Jesus. It is no good saying "this is what I am take it or leave it" . Jesus takes us as we are and while we were still sinners he died for us, that doesn't mean we have to stay that way!




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Week 2 Day 2 matt 16-19

Todays reading reminds us that Jesus calls us to become like children, to have humility (Matt 18:4). We seem to see leadership as an advantage as something to aspire to (just look at the recent events in Canberra).

The Kingdom that Jesus began with his life, Death and resurrection is an upside down kingdom where the meek inherit the earth where the children have the right answers and the leaders are servants. I wonder why so many Christians still work under this worlds way of doing Kingdom rather than Jesus' way of doing kingdom. Of course sin is the obvious response. Not sin in the impersonal "something that is out of my control which  I accidentally find myself in"style that we like to write off. But the sin where we still want to control our lives because handing over control to God is a sign of weakness. No wonder Jesus sets out a very clear conflict resolution guide to follow.

Lent Gospel challenge readings

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

M 20

-

M 27

12-15

M 5

Luke 1-4

M 12

22-24

M 19

17-20

M 26

5-8

M 2

7-10

T 21

-

T 28

16-19

T 6

5-8

T 13

Acts 1-4

T 20

21-24

T 27

9-12

T 3

11-14

W 22

Matt 1-4

W 29

20-23

W 7

9-12

W 14

5-7

W 21

25-26

W 28

13-16

W 4

15-17

T 23

5-7

T 1

24-25

T 8

13-16

T 15

8-12

T 22

27-28

T 29

John 1-3

T 5

18-21

F 24

8-11

F 2

26-28

F 9

17-21

F 16

13-16

F 23

Mark1-4

F 30

4-6

F 6

Easter

S 25

Catch up

S 3

Catch up

S 10

Catch up

S 17

Catch up

S 24

Catch up

S 31

Catch up

S 7

Easter

S 26

Catch up

S 4

Catch up

S 11

Catch up

S 18

Catch up

S 25

Catch up

S 1

Catch up

S 8

Easter

Lent gospel reading challenge wk2 day 1

Matt 12-15
The pharisees plotted to kill him 12:14 for what working on a sabbath, doing a miracle or was it challenging their right to judge everyone( take away power from them)?

"If I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God has arrived among you"12:28. Not coming not one day, 2000 years into the future but now! Then he tells 6 parables of what the kingdom looks like.

If we truly believe that the Kingdom of God had begun as Jesus declared, then we had better stop acting like pharisees and start acting like disciples.

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Lent gospel challenge

Matt 8-11
Jesus was called a "glutton and a drunkard" for hanging out wth sinners why is it that so many of his followers dont follow his example?

He also said "I have come not to bring peace but a sword" not the image we think of when we think of Jesus usually is it?


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Lent gospel challenge

Today's reading Matt 5-7. The whole sermon on the mount! I don't think we read this passage as a whole often. It really does lay out how people of Gods kingdom should live. What sets us apart from those who shout Lord,Lord and Jesus says "I don't know you"?


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Lent gospel reading challenge

Today's reading Matt 1-4. Jesus called to the disciples and they followed without much apparent thought. They saw Jesus as someone worth following and followed him. What did they leave? What did they give up? What cost did they pay to follow Jesus ? Why is it that when we in the western world follow Jesus it is our decision, a considered choice and often it costs us nothing!


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Listening

How much time do we actually spend listening to God? Not rattling off a list of stuff he already knows , but just relaxing in his presence waiting to hear and then write down the things he is presenting to us?
Do we actually believe we don't have time for such a pursuit?
Eugene Peterson reminds us that in the story of Moby Dick the harpooner is not over active like rest of the crew he is relaxed, poised, and ready to strike.
If we don't spend time waiting and listening to God, in all of our rushing about we may miss our opportunity to do what we were created to do!
Listening to God is not a waste of time it is preparation for the task of ministry.
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