A thought on life and videogames.

So, I had a bit of a revelation a few days back, after watching a documentary about the creation and distribution of Tetris (yes, I'm a big enough geek that I watch documentaries on videogames.) There was one key phrase made by one of the team who worked on it. "Tetris is a game which focuses on what you've done wrong, not what you've done right. The only thing that remains on the screen are your mistakes, which you then struggle to fix." I found this thought interesting, and how it applies to some people in the world. Instead of focusing on all the great things they've done, and how much they've achieved the focus on the mistakes they've made and their missed opportunities. This is not the way God wants us to see ourselves, in fact he sees us much more like Super Mario.

I know what you're thinking here, "Super Mario??? Dave, are you crazy??", well here's my explanation. To anyone who doesn't know Mario, he seems to be just a regular happy-go-lucky, run-of-the-mill plumber, with an awesome mo. When in fact, he's so much more than that, with the help of the player, Mario stomps on anything that stands in his way, rescues the princess, and saves the day. In a similar way, we can appear to be just regular people to the outside world, but with when we submit our actions and will to God, he can take us so much further, and higher than we ever thought possible. So get out there! And save the world, you're only one power-up away from your destiny!

An Inspiring Quote

I was just browsing the web for some wallpaper for my iMac, and I came across this:

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the one thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Reading this quote almost made me cry. It challenged me that much. Do I stand out because of my faith? Am I changing the world? Do I even believe that I can? Life is short, get inspired! Who's going to notice there's something different about you today?

Makes you think.

One for Pastor Ian...

The tradition of humour is built on the shoulders of giants...

Monty Python is IMHO, the epitome of spoof and random humour, which will last much longer than the current flash in the pan smut humour which seems to abound in current cinema. So, with no further ado...

A Compendium of 150 Monty Python sketches

No pressure, but I hope to see these in a sermon coming soon...

Reach out!

Missionary.

For me this used to conjur up images of little old people with grey hair, dressed in brown wrinkly stockings with brown knitted cardies giving a really long and incredibly boring slide show. (Crazy but in fact none of the missionaries I have ever met fitted this description - they are all awesome funky people with a fire in their belly and a passion for Jesus and the people they serve)

But lately my perspective is a little different. As you leave our church there is a sign above the door that has got my attention and started me thinking.

"You are now entering your missionfield."

Your missionfield. My missionfield. Does that mean that I am a missionary?

Now for those of you who know me, I would really hope you don't see me as the above desrciption of a missionary. (I don't have brown stockings, haven't worn a cardie since I was 12 and am reluctantly embracing the digital age.) Do you fit that description?

We are all missionaries. We are called to be salt to the world, making people thirsty for Jesus. As christians we carry something that the rest of the world needs whether it knows it or not. We don't have to go to a third world country or a diaster zone to do this. I am in no way discrediting overseas missions, just not all of us are called to serve in this way. But we are called to be missionaies in the place we find ourselves now. This may be our university, workplace, home, town or wherever.

Reaching out to those around us - it may be our family, friends, workmates, classmates, neighbours, or that random chick at the supermarket checkout. They may be broken in need of healing; lonely in need of a friend; hungry in need of a feed or lost in need of a direction. Whatever it is they are looking for, because we have Jesus, we have the answers that can satisfy them.

Matthew 28:18-20 – the great commission. Jesus basically told us to go to all the world and reach out to those around us. If you don't reach out in your world who will?

The ultimate example of a missionary is Jesus. He reached out to the misfits of society – prostitutes, murderers and thieves. (eg Woman at the well, Zaccheus in the tree, etc) Jesus quite literally was a radical – he didn’t conform to the bounds of society or focus on being seen as 'proper'. Instead he was a living example of the love of God. It says in the Bible ‘there is no greater love than to lay down ones life for another.” This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to physically die (although sometimes this can be the case) but to die to our own desires, wants, dreams or fears for the sake of another.

This could mean putting aside your own embarrassment to eat lunch with the school weirdo or instead of buying your usual latte on the way to work, put that money aside for a week and buy groceries for a hungry family.

I just want to challenge your perspective a little. Do you see yourself as a missionary? Are you reaching out to those around you, or is that up to someone else to take care of? Ask God to show you the outreach opportunities that surround and take a leap of faith and act. You never know what will happen!

(And when you do let us know what happens! We would love to hear your experiences!)

Outreach - Community Breakout...

Hey Reson8rs!
Long time, no posting!

It's been a fantastic couple of weeks for us - we've started our focus on outreach, with the Jam Nite last Saturday, and the XBox day a bit before that. Our most successful thing we've done so far is the student meals, which look like they may be becoming a regular thing...

Shannon's going to post on some of the outreach things we've done, as well as go into what it means to outreach to our community.

We'll keep you posted...

Resonate Jam Nite

More than Preserves!!!!!!

Are you musically-minded? Secretly a closet stand-up comedian? Can you bend it like Beckham and crank out groovy moves on the dance floor?
Then we want you!!!!!

This Saturday nite (13 October) Resonate are holding a Jam Nite at the Invercargill Christian Centre starting at 8pm. Incase you haven't quite clicked, it has absolutely nothing to do with preserves, strawberry or otherwise, but is all in the name of hilarity, fun and entertainment.

So if you are keen for your three minutes of fame, or hankering for a good laugh (of course its with you, not at you!) then you should check us out!
There is guaranteed good times or your money back (ahemm its free!). Cafe will also be happening, so bring along your mates for a fun & laxed nite out.

Performer registrations are from 7.30pm on the night or if you want to register super early and avoid the queues then contact Shan or Ray on 214 1344 or leave a message here and we will be in touch!

XBox Afternoon

Hey reson8rs,

Just a reminder, we have this XBox event happening tomorrow - be there or be square (it would great to see some female gamers representing their species as well - I know you're out there...).

Should be a great time. Email me for more details.

10 Keys to Servanthood

Key number 5: Servants don't seek the glory of leadership

The Church is a body (1 Cor 12:12) and not everyone can be the head or the “upfront” Leader all the time. I think that if a lot more people understood what is required to do a good job as a leader then a lot less people would seek it as fervently as they do. They maybe better suited and more efficient in a different position.

To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48).

It is much more rewarding and relaxing to be content in the place God has placed you in for this moment then to be constantly striving and anxious for some “position”.

True leadership is God given not acquired.

In the end, there is only perceived glory in leadership, you can only ever say that God worked in you and through you…which happens to be the same deal for servanthood.

The danger for the servant is to be more conscious of being recognized or of possible rewards then of the job at hand. There is a great verse in the bible that states that the reward for those that seek recognition is that they will simply get what they desire…recognition…and nothing else (Matt 6:1-2).

To me humility is one of the most important virtues a Christian can have because God has grace for the humble and resists the proud (James 4:6) which to me, means that you can mess it up real bad but with humility God will turn it to success. And you can be the most successful person in the world but with pride it will turn to nothing!

Smith Wigglesworth, a man I admire, said this “the only way to get up is to get down”

What's a reson8r?

Who Are We?

[last updated 12 February 2009]

Resonate is the tertiary student/young workers (approx 18-25) ministry at the Invercargill Christian Centre. We are full of crazy, off the wall but totally cool people on fire for Jesus, wanting to serve the young adults in our city and ignite a generation for Christ.

We have a number of life groups that meet in homes & flats around our city, as well as outreaches into the S.I.T.

If you are new to Invercargill, the Christian Centre or searching to find out more about God, then we are here for YOU!!! Just leave a message and we will be in touch!

Where Are We?

The Christian Centre is located @ 165 Leet Street, Invercargill. Here's a map if you were wanting to find us:

We have a number of cell groups running each week. They are:

Ray and Shannon's
Tuesday 7.30pm
1 Lowe Street
Invercargill
Home: (03) 214 1344
Shannon: (021) 130 1177
Ray: (021) 284 6149

Hannah Robb and Kate Cochrane
Wednesday 7.30 from Tuesday 24 February 09
45 Venus Street
Invercargill
Home: (03) 216 2561
Hannah: (027) 412 8686
Kate: (027) 479 9865


Contact Us!

There are a number of ways to get a hold of us.

Email Ray
Resonate on Bebo

Phone us @ church : 03 214 4562
Youth Cell Phones:
Telecom -027 710 8274
Vodafone -021 0225 7145

Address:
165 Leet Street
P O Box 713
Invercargill
New Zealand

Ahoy, me heartys!!

Yarr, that's right me heartys, it be international talk like a pirate day... It be a proud tradition started in '95 by a couple of scurvy dogs who go by the name of Cap'n Slappy an' Ol' Chumbucket. So shiver me timbers, hoist the mainsail, and watch out for ninjas...

10 Keys to Servanthood

Key Number 4: Servants carry the vision and give a good report

To carry the vision of your leader requires more then just following it. At some point the vision has to become apart of you to the point where it doesn’t matter what the external circumstances are, you will not put the vision down.

If you were to look at the 12 people Moses sent to spy out the Promised Land you can see that only two of them actually carried the vision, the others were just following the vision until it became too hard and then their vision turned to themselves and all they could see was what they imagined they looked like in their enemies eyes (Num 13:33). Talk about perspective!!

Instead of carrying the vision of the leader the spies began to carry the vision of the enemy.

“Oh, it’ll be too hard” or “that will never work”, “we never have enough help”, “I’m not too sure”, we don’t have enough resource”, “look, I’m just stating the obvious”, are all words that come from an inverted and small vision.

The vision of the enemy always begins with an unfaithful moan

If you look at anything through the eyes of the enemy then the vision that you are carrying (that has now become apart of you) is not Godly.

In fact, the bible calls that kind of vision evil (Num 14:27-29 KJV) and what you see is what you will get.

There is nothing more damaging to the momentum of a ministry then when people begin to drop the vision

To carry the vision means that, at least in part, you actually begin to “see” (direction, end result, etc) and the best way to get to that position is to simply invest and then spread a good report, “we can do it”, “he that is in you is greater then he that is in the world”, “nothing is impossible for God”, “we can push through this”.

“We will never give up, give in or let up, because we are standing on the immoveable, unshakable, indestructible ROCK that is JESUS CHRIST.”

Let’s “go all in” I say!

Student Meal V2.0

Ninjas 4 The Dave

Here you go Dave. Just for you buddy. I hope you're happy...

Official Ninja Webpage

Ninja wear

For those of you, who don't understand. That's OK. I'm just making Dave happy. Normal services will resume shortly.

Oh, and it's talk like a pirate day on Sept 19 (oh, whoops Dave, I did it again!).

Note to self: Prayer

Ok, so the purpose of the post it notes aren't to inflame, I'm actually just wanting to open a dialogue on what you think about the topic. This week's topic is basically a query into why we seem to talk all the time when we pray (at least, I seem to sometimes...). Is it because I'm not expecting an answer from God? I don't think so... Maybe I use prayer as a voicemail message. "God's not here at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep, and he'll get back to you..."

What do you think?

From Shane

Hi.
As you may have heard by now, my dad past away 7pm Thursday night. It
was much sooner than expected as I thought I may have been able with
him but it wasn`t to be. I almost missed my flight back home and only
made the plane from Lismore to Sydney by 3 mins. God brought me home
in time to see my dad.

I spent most of Dad's last hours with him only
leaving for toilet breaks. Dad deteriorated quite rapidly on Thursday
when the whole family had finally arrived. My in-laws led Dad to
Christ just before I got to spend time with him as I had to talk with
the lawyer when he arrived. This has been an answer to prayer so
thank you to all that have been praying for this to happen as Dad died
peacefully. Even though it is sad to lose him I know that I will see
him again. The grieving process has begun and emotionally it is a
roller coaster ride as those of you who have loved ones know. I will
be home Saturday afternoon and in church Sunday but I will have to
head back up here Sunday night. My time in Invercargill is now short
as I now have to move back to Timaru to look after my Mum. I know
that God has everything under control as much as I feel that my world
has been turned upside down and hadn`t planned on coming back up here
so soon and will miss Invercargill greatly and the church family
there. The last three years have been great and the church there has
become apart of me so I write this with great saddness. I also have a
call to go back to Byron Bay to minister over there but all this is
in God's timing, so at the moment it is just one day at a time as it
is going to take awhile to get through all this.

Parting though for today:
I was regreting my past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was
speaking. "My name is I am" He paused I waited, He continued. "When
you live in the past with all its mistakes and regrets. It is hard, I
am not there my name is not I Was. When you live ion the future with
all its problems and fears. It is hard I am not there. My name is not
I Will Be. When you live in this moment. It is not hard I am here. My
name is I Am". (Helen Machicoat)
See you all soon and thanks again for your support and friendship.

God bless,
Shane

Science OR Religion vs. Science AND Religion?

Just a quick link to an interview with Dr. Francis Collins, who is the director of the National Institutes of Health Human Genome Project. As you probably know, the mapping of the full human genome was probably one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the last century, and one in which we are only just beginning to reap the benefits of. In response to the question "You have said that DNA is 'God's language...', Collins replies with the following:

I believe that the universe was created by God with the specific intention of giving rise to intelligent life. Given that we observe DNA to be the information molecule of all living things, one can regard therefore it as the “Logos” that God has used to speak life into being.

It's well worth a read. Go check it out.

Starbucks or Waffle House Church?

Hey,

Just come across a cool article from Relevant Magazine entitled Starbucks or Waffle House. Original link from the Searching for Christianity blog.

I actually loved the following quote, which really sums up how our local church (as in the church we choose to go to) is TAILOR-MADE for our spiritual needs.

I know that God has no preference as long as we are concentrating on Him. We are all His children. I know that the delivery of Gospel has evolved for the upcoming generation, and I believe that's necessary.

It's still coffee. It's still fresh. It's just packaged differently.

It's OK for there to be 100 different types of churches in the world (or 1 000 or 1 000 000). Just like how there are people who have different preferences for coffee, and even some people who like chai lattes (which isn't even a coffee come to think about it...). I think we limit God sometimes in our minds by thinking that his spirit can only operate in a certain optimal environment. He CREATED the universe - that it is the optimal environment for Him to work in. Who are we to argue?

One of the main functions of the church is to be a connection point for the presence of God, just like one of the main functions of coffee is to provide an access point for caffeine (God as caffeine - surely there's a youth message in that...).

Pray for Shane

Hey Reson8rs,

I recieved this email from our friend Shane Stewart who's been over in Byron Bay completing his sound engineering course. I was a wee bit reluctant to post it on the blog, but I really feel that Shane and his family need our prayers at this time. Please pray! I've posted a copy of the email that Shane sent me below.

I just pray that in this difficult time God will be all over this situation, and that Shane's family will be covered in God's peace and love.

Hi Ray.
How are you?
Just a short note to let you know if you haven’t already heard is that I’m coming home earlier than expected as my Dad is dying of cancer. I'm heading back to Timaru on the next flight that I can get, not the best news to get while over here and have been looking forward to coming home back to Invercargill to catch up with everyone especially Cherie. Plans have now changed but I should be in church on Sunday before I head back to Timaru.

My dad is not saved and this is the sad thing for me as he only has a short time left but I know that God has everything under control, I have seen some of my relatives lose the cancer battle and I was hoping that it would not affect my immediate family and this is too close and at the moment this is one thing that I can’t handle. Dad almost lost the fight 18 months ago and now it has come up again. He died on the operating table last time and I thought that I would never see him again now it has gone full circle and I'm about to face it again.

Please pray for me that I would be able to witness to dad again and get him to change his mind before it is to late just like one of the thieves on the cross when Christ was crucified change his mind before it was too late, and also that I would stand strong at this time. I have seen to people lose family members to cancer here and I now know what they were going through before and what they are still going through now.

Better sign off now as I have only a limited time here at the cafe.

See you soon.
Shane

PS. This can be posted on webpage.

10 Keys to Servanthood

Key number 3: Servants support their leaders

There is a great example in the bible of what and how something is achieved when servants support their leaders. Read Ex 17:8-16. Aaron and Hur supported Moses and without them the battle would be lost.

Moses, the leader, had the vantage point (the vision) and could see what was going on; he was working hard to serve the entire nation but became tired.

The future of the nation depended on the support for the leader.

I often talk about the weight of leadership; it’s the leader that frets about the smallest details, it’s the leader that has invested hours of prayer and tears, and it’s the leaders mind that is focused 24/7. It is no wonder that it gets tiring!

The capacity of any leader to continue on and to continue to grow is due to his or her support.

Here’s a thought to spare for your leaders: the battle was being fought by Joshua at one level (where the physical work is done) and the leadership was being given by Moses at another, both felt the pressure of battle in different ways but when the battle is over Moses cannot afford to stop and rest like the rest of the army,

His mind is already on the next battle,

And how is he going to feed his army,

And how is he going to judge the internal affairs,

And where to from here,

And in amongst all of that he has got the in-laws coming to visit!

Back to the point; when you support your leaders, not only do you become an integral part of the ministry and its capacity but you get to share in the victory also!

Previous Servanthood Post Next Servanthood Post

Student Meal @ Friday Night Church

This friday night before church Resonate are running a FREE student meal. We are a student/young workers ministry and really hungry to make an impact in our community. So lets do our best to bless the student community by giving them a free feed to kick off the weekend.

The meal is happening from 5.30 - 7pm. If people want to come they need to contact the youth phone to book their place (we want to make sure we give them a great feed with lots of food!
So pass this onto your mates and invite them along! They are more than welcome to go to the church service after but there is no obligation to do so, and no pressure!! Should be an awesome night!

Okay so in order to make this work we need helpers!! So if you are available to help that would be awesome!! Let me or ray know asap if you are keen. we need people to help set up, cook, serve, clean up, mingle etc!!!

Have a fantastic week and don't forget to make an impact!

Shazz

10 Keys to Servanthood

Key number 2: Great servants make good leaders

Servanthood is really leadership with the right motive and heart

Leadership and servanthood are closely linked. In fact to be a leader following the biblical model you have to be willing to serve and when you serve you are actually portraying leadership. “The first shall be last and the last shall be first”.

In the end everyone serves something, it is either yourself or someone else.

It is dangerous to appoint someone who is not willing to serve in the capacity that you ask because it raises the question “are they wanting to serve the vision under your leadership or themselves and there own agenda?”

This is where sacrifice and faith come in. It is a sacrifice to put aside your own vision in order to serve someone else’s and it is faith that in serving someone else’s vision God will actually outwork the vision he has placed in you.

10 Keys to Servanthood

Intro to Servanthood

1. Jesus the servant King
2. Great servants make good leaders
3. Servants support their leaders
4. Servants carry the vision and give a good report
5. Servants don’t seek the glory of leadership
6. Servants do what it takes and love it
7. Servants don’t always need to be asked
8. Servants give more then required
9. Servants are fed while doing the work
10. Ways you can serve


Key number 1: Jesus the servant King

Jesus modeled his whole ministry on servanthood and so should we. Jesus is God and has the authority of God yet at the same time he served us to beyond the point of death.

Essentially he gave up everything in order to serve us!

Often we hear the question “are we giving our lives in order to serve God?” But the question we should ask based on the example of Jesus is this, “are we giving our lives in order to serve each other?”

We can Love, and believe in, and worship God all we like, but if this doesn’t translate into serving each other to the point of sacrifice then we are not reflecting Jesus and what he died for at all.

“I want to be his hands and his feet” on this earth

Intro to Servanthood

Intro to servanthood: Servanthood is faith in action

I asked a group of people the other day what they thought of when they herd the word servanthood, the majority considered that to be a servant was not much different to being a slave or do all this work that they don’t really enjoy or want to do, “servanthood is just slaves in the hood” as someone said.

The reality is that servanthood is actually the outworking of your faith.

If you believe in Jesus Christ and his Church and its appointed leaders then at some point your belief will have to have some sort of substance or evidence (faith) to it otherwise you are blindly believing and allowing yourself to float along life’s journey at the mercy of “fate”.

Christ wants us to make a definitive decision with vision (as opposed to blind faith) about following him. “With out vision the people perish” the bible says (Pro 29:18). Without vision we put ourselves at the mercy of fate and will perish and we all know who is in charge of making things perish don’t we?

So those that have fate are at the mercy of the devil and those that have faith are at the mercy of Christ who is the head of the Church, which the bible says everything revolves about (Eph 1:23 Msg).

Now we have come full circle. If you believe in Jesus and in his Church and its leaders then at some point your belief will have to have evidence to it, in other words your faith will have to have the substance of action.

This action translates to Servanthood!!

I believe that servanthood, even the menial tasks that need done, is actually the out working of my faith. I believe that in servanthood, even picking up that piece of rubbish, I’m actually advancing the Church and the Kingdom of God.

Life is beautiful but hectic...

Sorry the blog is a little light this week – but it has been a huge and encouraging ministry week. Ice cream Olympics are on tonight, so I’m massively looking forward to that. More updates during the weekend, I promise

Peru update: Earthquake - Safe N Sound.

From Lynda on 18/8/7!

Hey guys!

Dont know if you heard about the earthquake here..? It hit on Wed. night, and was a level 8 on the richter scale, Peru´s largest earthquake. Just wanted to let you know I've got out and I'm ok. The town we (my cuz and I) were in was hit, its only a few k´s from the epicentre. It gave me the scare of my life. There was no warning, the ground just started shaking and shaking, and then the power line snapped, and all the lights went out. There were a couple of girls wailing and screaming, so I just tried to calm THEM down, not having a clue what to do myself! Walls were falling down,and there were powerlines above us. All that training about going under a doorway just didnt seem so sure when the buildings are made of mud brick..! We were in a small town in a desert, surrounded by sand dunes, and we figured the safest place to go was up one of those, away from buildings and powerlines. We ended up spending the night out there, no way you´d get me to go back inside a building with all the aftershocks. I was so thankful, a group of Colombians and Ecuadorians took us under their wing, and brought out blankets, food, water and even a tent for us to cram into for the night.

I just want to praise God for His protection... We had been sitting outside at a table when it hit... and jumped up and ran out to the street. A few moments later the wall above where we were fell down and crushed the table and chairs we´d been on. arrrgghhh!!! Thankyou God for Your protection!!!!

Anyways, just so you know we finally got out of there now that the roads are passable, and are now safely in Lima. There´s so much destruction of houses here, and lots of people have lost their lives. Please pray for the Peruvians in this time.

My love to you all, I´ll be home in one week from Sunday.

Lynda xoxo

For the Weekend Warriors...

Here's a few links just to tide you over for the weekend - I'm preparing my first Sunday message - working title is "What does your door look like?" or "Doorkeepers". Prayer would be greatly appreciated.

Anyway, here's the links (some of the things I considered blogging about, but just ran out of time).

Personal DNA quiz - A fantastic and intriguing take on a personality quiz which gives you a visual summary to post on your blogs, sigs, social networks and so on. A great concept, with the link sourced from The Hourglass Blog (Michaela you are doing a fantastic job by the way). Have a look at my personal dna at the bottom of the page (no comment on my high femininity rating...).

Minesweeper - The Movie. Honestly, this is one of the funniest parodies I've seen. Funny on several levels:

• It's an excellent send up of "The Guardian"
• It makes minesweeper cool again.
• The movie website is the file path for minesweeper.

Go and have a look.

Finally, here's a serious article for those of you looking for inspiration or a challenge during the weekend:
Have you fallen for these 7 Negative attitudes?
I'd be interested in seeing a post from one of the reson8rs on this article.

Blessings, and have a great weekend. I'll post a summary of my message after the weekend (if it goes well :) ), hopefully with a podcast to follow.

Church in the future...

What is church going to look like in the future? I stumbled across an article saying that there is an Anglican minister who is currently being ordained in order to serve at a parish in Second Life. Crazy! I always thought that it would be something that us raging pentecostals would be responsible for...

The link is Let us pray in online world

Update!
Oh, ok, I did just find a couple of quite interesting churches already represented. Check out the following...

Religion in second life
ALM Cyberchurch
Living Sounds

To be honest, I'm not ready to go there just yet (as in have a completely online ministry experience), but it may just be a matter of time. In the meantime, blogging and social networking are my tools of choice for online ministry.

Leader Focus: Lyle Penisula

I thought it would be a great idea to look at some of the Christian leaders in our nation. Lyle and Debbie Penisula are the Senior Ministers @ Hawkes Bay Equipper's Church in NZ. Lyle is a passionate communicator and a gifted artist (the painting to the right should leave you in no doubt). He has a heart for seeing revival in NZ, and firmly believes that it will start with our generation's youth. Anyway, here's a self-introduction, and a post from Lyle's Bebo which illustrates his vision for revival.

Ray

---------------------------------------------

FYI: I AM a husband (Debbie's man), a father (4 boys & 1 girl), a son, a brother (2 Sisters), an uncle. And I abolutely love my aiga (family) to bits... we serve Jesus and His cause.

I AM an Artist... inspired, influenced, motivated, and gifted by the greatest artist of all the one and only Creator of the Universe, God Himself... by the way God and I are friends.

I AM a preacher called by God commissioned by Jesus and endorsed by the Holy Spirit... Yeah, I AM blessed.

I AM Samoan, I AM Palagi (Scottish) I AM a son of Aoteroa, New Zealand... However my citizenship is not of this world. I AM a child of God an ambassador of Jesus Christ... I AM on a mission from God!!!...

How about you? have you found your purpose in life? True purpose can only be found in the great I AM Jesus Christ! Common I dare you to ask Him right NOW to reveal Himself to you. What have you got to lose?

Youth Revival

The vision? The vision is JESUS ? obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus. The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism. They laugh at 9-5 little prisons. They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday. They wouldn't even notice.

They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence. They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And the army is disciplined. Young people who beat their bodies into submission. Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms. The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them? Can hormones hold them back? Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them?

And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and with great barrow loads of laughter! Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside. On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.

Would they surrender their image or their popularity? They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.) Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus. Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.

Don't you hear them coming? Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon. How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.

My/Your prayer of faith invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself - the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Christian Ninjas Unite Part Deux

I've been playing with a cool comic creation tool at stripgenerator.com, and have come up with something which I believe is mildly funny :), and hopefully a little inspirational. Let me know what you think.

If anyone thinks they can do better (oh ye of little faith...), then have a crack, and I'd be happy to post it here. It does need to be Christian in content (or at least appropriate... ok semi-appropriate), and have some kind of positive message, or just be really funny. On that note, I know a great pirate joke... mind you everyone knows pirates and ninjas don't go together well. Maybe another time.

Note to self: Who do I pray to?

Missions Focus: Andrew Buxton

Hey reson8rs,

I just recieved an update from a really great friend of mine named Andrew Buxton. He's been completing missionary work in Ethiopia, and I personally find his story inspirational. I first met Andrew when he was a youth leader in Tapanui (a small town of less than 1000 people in the south of New Zealand), and we attended more than one Easter Camp together at Camp Columba. He's one of the most humble and servant hearted guys I've ever met, bar none, and I'm just blown away by the mighty way God has been able to use him simply by being available and ready to serve. Anyway, here's a copy of the email I recieved.

Hi Friends

Just wanted to let you know the change of direction that my life is taking. Near the end of the time I spent in Ethiopia this year I got talking with the people that are beginning to reestablish the work of SIM in Southern Sudan (SIM is an interdenominational Christian missions organisation, see www.sim.org for more info) and was tentatively offered me a position on the team. I have pursued this and yesterday was officially accepted as a full member of SIM and so will now be heading to the Southern Sudan as soon as I have raised the support I need.

The project is called "Rebuilding Southern Sudan: Church & Nation". A peace accord was signed for Southern Sudan in 2005 which has brought relative peace to most of the region and refugees are starting to return to their homes. SIM is working in some of the camps where the refugees are/have been staying and have been asked to come back to Sudan and help support the Sudanese people rebuild their communities. The main thrust of the work that SIM will be doing is related to health and education being done in partnership with local communities and church. A good overview of this project can be seen at http://www.sim.org/country.asp?fun=11&sid=78&slide=0&cid=62&mid=&pgid= (copy this web address and paste it into the address line in your web browser if the link doesn't work).

There are a few missionaries already in Sudan (from neigbouring African countries as well as the western world) but currently the work is being coordinated and supported from Nairobi, Kenya. SIM wants to have a base in Southern Sudan from which to do this and this is where I fit in. Myself and another guy will go into a city called Malakal to establish the facilities and relationships needed for SIM to make this a reality. This will initially involve renovating 2 houses on a compound that the church SIM partners with has. These houses will be used in the short term while we facilitate and supervise the contruction of a facility for this purpose. At the same time as the renovation and building work I will be learning Sudanese Arabic and have involvement with other ministry opportunities that I can realistically fit into my day.

Hopefully the building work in Malakal will be completed by the end of 2009. I plan on still being part of the work in Sudan after this, in what role that will be determined nearer the time. To do this I need a team of supporters that can support me through prayer, finances and friendship. If this is something that you would like to be a part of or would like to learn more about the Rebuilding Southern Sudan: Church & Nation project please contact me.

Thank you and God bless
Andrew Buxton

Mission Accomplished?

Hey guys,

Well, I dont know if my mission is ´accomplished´ but its over anyway, which is a fully unreal thought... What a week... Ive packed up, said my goodbyes, and today left Abancay on a bus to begin my 3week journey home.

I'm in Cusco, and as of today I am no longer a missionary, but just a lowly tourist for the next few weeks. My eyes hurt from crying like a baby, and Im just in a funny sorta headspace, closing that chapter of my life. I feel like I need to sit down (for like a year) and think through everything thats happened! I really need your prayers over the next few weeks, with all the travel, and Im already exhausted before I even begin..!

This is such an amazing country, with beautiful people, and is a hard place to leave. Praise God that here I am, 6 months later, still alive and well. He has been my strength and my shield and I give Him the glory.

Will keep in touch on my travels, and look forward to seeing you all oh sooo sooon!
love Lynda xoxo

Its all in the attitude

Pray without ceasing. Have you ever thought about the implications and impracticalities of this scripture? (1 Thessalonians 5:17) I mean lets be honest - does God really expect us to pray every second of the day? how does that affect our lives ? Can it actually be done?

There is actually more to that scripture than is often looked into - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 -18 says "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus." (NLT)

God is not asking us to spend every moment of our day on our knees in prayer, but He encourages us to have a prayerful attitude. This attitude affects our reactions to the stuff, good and bad, that occurs in our lives. It determines whether we will be atmosphere takers or atmosphere makers. A prayerful attitude recognises and acknowledges our need for God, our dependence on Him, and takes the focus off ourselves. It means that even in the crap times , in the darkness when we think no one cares, we can have an assurance that God is there, He cares and we can turn our focus to Him.

Over the past few months I have had an illness that had the potential to take over every part of mine and my family's lives. Everything turned to crap (am I allowed to say crap on the blog? Oops crap I did it again!) and I felt I was in a downward spiral there was no escape from.. Now I don't share this to gain your sympathy or to shock, but out of this experience ( and I still have a long way to go) I have learned a very important God perspective that keeps me going.

John 10:10 "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life in abundance." This is a scripture I have heard countless times but whenever I have considered abundant life I have looked at it from a vantage point of Gods provision - paying my bills, meeting my physical needs etc.. What I didn't consider was (and God gave me revelation of this) abundant life is more than this.

Abundance of life includes the experiences we go through and the lessons we learn. This changed me in my situation completely. I know that God is with me in my situation, and while He did not cause it, He is allowing me to go through it because the lessons I learn and the reward I gain on the other side are far greater than if I did not walk this journey.

Even though my situation sucks, knowing God is there and walking with me makes the pain easier to endure, and dare I say it, I am even thankful. Not that I am sick, but thankful that God has a plan greater than I can currently see, thankful that God is bigger than my situation and thankful for this experience because its enriching and strengthening me- as a person, as a wife and mother and as a woman walking a journey with Christ.

By developing a prayerful attitude ( and believe me I'm a work in progress!) when things get tough I can turn to God and take the focus off myself. This a conscious decision, a choice I have to make continually, and some days the choice is far easier than others and sometimes I don't succeed at all. But thats the amazing thing about Grace - God still reaches out His hand to pick us up and set us on our feet time after time, day after day. (and thats a whole new post on its own)

Be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances - I might not succeed in this all the time, but I am going to make a go at it. I want to encourage you - embrace God no matter what your circumstances are and be enriched and amazed by what you learn and the experiences you gain.

Letting Go of Our Sins

Some days, I just feel so unholy. (I know, great first entry on the Resonate blog. :P I am sure I will soon hear from Ray if this is not theologically sound!)

And I feel far away from God. I am a Christian who has experienced enough of God to know that life without God would be meaningless for me. Yet, at times I just feel totally unworthy and that makes me pull away from Him. Read on if you can identify with this, because at times like that, I cling on to the things that I know deep down, and that helps me through. I hope it helps you too.

It is a vicious cycle - in moments of weakness I sin (judge others, gossip, act self-centred, lose patience, rage, you name it...), then I feel guilty about it and avoid God (as if He didn't already read my mind as I thought all those terrible things!), then I miss out on my quiet time with Him, then it's all a bit awkward from then on, and I gradually just drift farther and farther away from Him. And without Him, you see, I am weak. And moments of weakness become the norm.

Times like that, I think... God, if You have really forgiven me, why aren't You talking to me? Why won't You just tell me that everything's okay?

Usually, after moping for a while, I pause for long enough to hear His answer: You already know that I have forgiven you. You just haven't soaked it all up yet. You are losing sight of what you know to be true because of the guilt that you feel. I'm telling you that everything is okay - you just aren't listening. It is you that won't spare me the time of day to listen to what I have to say to you. Get over it!

Which reminds me of a story I heard in my old church in Auckland... (If you've heard a slightly different version of this elsewhere, it's because this is my version, recreated from the bits that I remember.)

There was a bunch of sinners registering for kind of an... absolution conference, where they would pay their dues for all the things they had done wrong. At the registration booth, they were given one of those stick-on name tags where they had to write not only their names, but also why they were there. After that, they went round the room introducing themselves.

"I'm John, I'm a murderer." John bowed his head in shame.

"I'm Lucy, I'm a thief." Lucy looked glad she was after John.

"Sally... an adultress." Sally could barely say the words.

And so this went on. Eventually a man without a name tag stood up and said, "My name is Jesus, I have not sinned."

"What do you mean you haven't sinned?" asked the organisers in a rage, "What is your name and what have you done? Where is your name tag? You need to register and you need to say what you've done wrong."

Jesus walked around the room and took the name tags off all the sinners there. He stuck them on His chest, one by one. And He said, "My name is Jesus, I have not sinned. Here are my name tags. My name is John. My name is Lucy. My name is Sally..."

Fundamentally, we sin and fall short of His glory. So try not to sin. But when we do, we need to get up, get right and move on. We need to see that it isn't enough just handing over our name tags to Him - we also have to stop calling ourselves names.

Sin separates us from God because He is holy. That is the whole reason for the Cross! But a sin committed, and left on its own to grow into a festering wound of guilt, really has the potential to damage our relationship with Him. Once we repent, that's it - we really have to let God deal with it - we really have to let God.

When Good Pastors go Bad :)

Here's a video of our illustrious youth pastor having a great time... Grant you are a legend!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svYIpLl89nI

Parties, LAN and Political

Hey Guys!
The Dave here again with another update on life in sunny Christchurch. At the moment, I'm sitting in The Lair AKA my pimped out gamer garage, waiting for other people to show up to our LAN party that we're having tonight. ("we" being my flatmate will and I) For those n00bs who don't know what a LAN is, I'll explain. It's when a group of geeks get together, hook their PC's up and play games for around 24 hours or so. It's great fun, and it's always good to catch up with people you haven't seen in a while. It's kind of like church, you get together to hang out, and do something, in the case of church; worship god. The really great thing that I've been realizing about God more and more lately, is you don't need to be at church, or at a cell group to access him. you can access him 24/7, much like the internet! It's so great to be able to talk to him whenever I'm worried, or just wanna say "Hey Big Fella! YOU ROCK!". The biggest thing to remember that while god is fun in "single-player mode" - by yourself, he's much more fun when shared in "multi-player mode" AKA church, cell group etc, and the best thing is this: You can share God, and not get done for piracy! LOL

In other news, I'm running in Elections for the UCSA (University of Canterbury Student Association) Executive. They're kinda like the school council for Uni. Campaign is going well, but your support in prayer would be greatly appreciated! It's time we got some God into management up here in Canterbury!

See you all in around 3 weeks!

Dave.

Update from Byron Bay 2: Shane Overboard

Hi,
How's it all going back there in Invercargill
Another week has gone and the day is getting closer to when I return home.

This week has been a busy one as my class has spent most of it at studio 301 helping out the recording of Nardo's first album. Made
a new friend this week, his name is Arun and he is from India and he is also a christian (cool). He was part of the sound team when Red
Rain was playing in India. (Its a small world after all). Temperatures are starting to climb here, yesterday we reach 26 and it
didn't drop much below 20 last night with another hot day forecast
for today with the temperature all ready into the mid 20's. I have
developed an ear infection which is not good as I need my ears for
recording and mixing songs, please pray for me in this area.
Lead the worship in church last Sunday as both song leaders were
away, (been a longtime since I last lead worship).

Last Sunday I managed to catch a bit of Hillsong TV just at the right
time, Pastor Brain Houston was preaching and his message was simply
titled "Just turn up". It quite amazing how we as humans expect God
to turn up even when we feel distant from Him but the fact of the
matter is , is that He is waiting for us to turn up. He is always
there.

When you look at David and his life, the trials and his
downfalls he always turned up and God was always waiting for him. No
matter what came his way he knew his God, even when he fell he always
turned to Him. Psalm 23 says it all, The Lord is my shepherd I shall
not want (lack for anything) This is something I'm having to learn
over here away from friend and family and that is to trust in Him
more and to spend more time with Him.

When I was back home I was
constantly busy but now I have so much spare time it can get boring
but when I heard this sermon it changed how I spend my spare time as
God has being waiting for me just to turn up and meet with Him not
the other way around. Even though I face constant battles with myself
God is there just waitng for me just to turn. So if anyone who is
reading this is having a hard time, God is waiting for you just to
turn up and talk to him, He is always there.

God bless,
Shane

Intelligent design?

Makes you think doesn't it?

Superchristian away!

Hey reson8rs,

Michaela over at The Hourglass Blog has recently posted a great article on being a "Superchristian", after reading Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis, which I think is just fantastic, and has the potential to be really freeing for us. Go Rob Bell, and go Michaela! Go and check it out.

Oh, and just for your entertainment, go and find out what superhero you are. I'm spiderman BTW - I'm intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Which superhero are you?

Numbering our days...

Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days, so that we may bring a heart of wisdom. -MKJV

As I was writing this post, I sat down just for a minute (which turned into and hour), and remembered exactly why I was writing this post in the first place.

A lot of the students at school are starting to get stressed as they prepare for exams (or at least think about it...). One of the main time management strategies they employ is to leave it until the last possible moment, then cram. Similarly, in the school holidays, often I sprint around, furiously trying to cram all the relaxation, coffee, and recreation into a two week space in order to make up for the rest of the term.

I've been thinking about the passage in Psalms which tells us to "number our days". Actually, I'm feeling pretty convicted about it (in the biblical sense of the word). I think about some of the biggest time wasters in my life. At the moment, these seem to be the net (surprise surprise), procrastinating in general (the I'll just have a break for five minutes moments), and indecision (What do I feel like doing? What do I want to do?). Also, there's some low importance, high priority tasks which seem to take up a lot of my time.

Who would I be if I was more organised?

What would God use me for?

Did God wire me this way for a reason?

I actually think that the excuse "I'm too busy" doesn't really apply when it comes to the really important things. Why does it seem sometimes that the important stuff always is put on the backburner in order to complete the everyday, menial tasks which we procrastinate over anyway? Lol, is it just me who has had the thought "I'm too busy to pray today?"

Don't get me wrong. As a society, we are probably busier than any that has come before. My argument though is that if it's self-induced, surely there's something we can do about it.

We're only here for a short time. I think it's time I start reclaiming some of the time in my day, and using it to glorify God.

If you're reading this and going "Ok, I'm with you Ray, but what do I do now?", the answer is "I'm not really sure." Sorry! But I think it's going to be something that God's going to journey me through in the coming months.

Any suggestions?

Anyways, here's a couple of links to get you started :)
How to have a 36 hour day
And on a lighter note (I love the instant shirt removal and egg peel most by the way...):
www.waitless.org
Waitless also has a time management calculator, to see where you are spending your time. It's shocking to think I can add weeks to my life, just by dressing more quickly...

Update from Peru: 2 Weeks to go!

Hey guys! Wow, I can hardly believe I only have just over 2 weeks left here in this city. I leave Abancay on August 9, to do touristy stuff like Macchu Picchu with my cuz Michelle who´s gona meet me in Cusco. (That is, if we can get into Maccu Picchu. Dont know if it made it to the news over there, but the same week it made it to 7 Wonders of the World, massive strikes and protests prevented anyone from getting into Macchu Picchu, and stranded thousands of people in Cusco for a week. And today schools have finally opened again after 3weeks of strikes. Welcome to life in Peru!!)

I wanna encourage you with a couple of testimonies. I´ve had such awesome God stuff happen these past few weeks. Ive been getting to know more of the young women in my barrio (neighbourhood), and God has blown me away with the doors He´s opened into their lives. The 16yr old girl next door has been coming to youth group every friday for 3 weeks now, and is (hopefully) gona start going to cell group this week... the woman down the road that I regularly pop in to see asked me to stop just ´calling past´ and instead come back to talk and explain the book of John to her... and a couple of young women down the road want to learn English from me - by singing worship songs! Its just so encouraging to see that the harvest really is ready.

I would love your prayers for the next 2 weeks, that these women would be challenged to make decisions, and that they would be followed up after I leave. And that I would finish well, and do my best for these girls, and not get distracted :)Pray also for me as my wee heart is just not getting used to saying goodbye - no matter how many times Ive had to do it!! Help me to leave well, and to settle back in when I get home.

Looking forward to seeing y´all, and hearing what´s been happening in your life these past 6 months. Im hanging out to get to a good cafe... so coffee catch ups will be a definite!!!!

Love, Lynda

Update from Byron Bay: Shane Overboard

Hi Ray,

How's it all going?

Slowly settling in over here, the weather has been great, most
mornings I'm down at he beach as where I'm staying is only 3 min's
walk and your on the white sands. Class has been fairly cruisey this
week as we only have a couple of hours every day but Thursday so the
rest of the time is free.

I have found a church to attend, its small and I feel that's where God
wants me to be. I have been asked to help
out on the worship team already which has blown me away but that's
cool. I have spent sometime with Pastor Sydney and his wife Narrida
last Sunday and this week the church is having a BBQ to celebrate all
the birthdays for this week (I'm lucky as I have had my birthday on
Monday). My class mate got wind of my birthday and decided it was a
good reason to have a party (this also blew me away as it was
something I didn't expect), it was a good night, only two of us
stayed sober LOL. Its quite an experience hanging out with those that
like doing drugs and drinking and I have had some good discussions
about being a Christian, hopefully it will have an impact on those
around me.

I do spend allot of time by myself but when I can I try
and connect with those in my new home church and at night attend the
prayer meetings. Tomorrow I'm hang out with Rebecca, I have no idea
of what we are going to do but I'm looking forward to being with
another Christian during the day just for the company. I miss home
heaps but I know God has me in the right place and he everything
under control.

Better go. Catch up with you later.
Say hi to everyone for me as I know Cherie won't be able to this week
as she is in Christchurch with some friends for the rugby, Go All
Blacks.

God Bless and have a fantastic week in Him
Shane

Newsboys - I am free...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9o-ncexbQo

I did finally watch this - brilliant!

The Grandfather, the Godfather, and the Sergeant...

Hey reson8rs,

Well, what a fantastic service tonight! Pastor Sharon Wright from Ulladulla (did I spell that right?) and Pastor Ian (no relation) just led an awesome time of working in the prophetic. Worship just seems to be going from strength to strength (the young 'uns rock btw). Just a little known fact which to me shows God's sense of humour. In the prophetic, we now have a grandfather (Pastor Ian has been talking about grandkids for a while now...), The Godfather, and the Sergeant (this was a phenomenal word for you by the way Grant). Surely there's a message in that somewhere for somebody?

Grandfather, Godfather, Sergeant. All are positions of authority. All are generational. All are positions of respect, and provide vision and direction for whoever operates under their authority. To me, that just carries a significance which is beyond the natural.

Anyway - I'm excited. Church just seems to be buzzing - worship is off the charts (anyone else loving I am Free?), and the sense of God's presence is real. I'm excited about what God's doing, and just to think of what he has in store for us and our city is mind blowing. Bless you guys, and watch this space.

Ray

BTW, has anyone else noticed that people are having babies and getting engaged all over the show? (not in that order, just in case you were wondering). If that's not a sign that we're in a season of growth, I'm not sure what is.

I am Free

Well guys this is my first blog and i am a high school dropout so ray no proofreading - it will only make you cry.
Well what a night last night was being the 20th? we had an awesome fire cracker of speaker by the name of Sharon Wright from Ulladalla and she brought an awsome presense of the holy spirit with her.
but in particular i wanna talk about the worship. I dont get much chances to join the youth band but man they go off. We had Sam worship leading doing a stellar job and backed by Cattie and Laura who by the way have all mangaed to find the art form of crumping lol (Grant must have showed them.)
The main highlight for me and i am sure for alot of the fallas and fallases who were there last nite was singing the song i am free, what a great song. it talks about through you (being Jesus) the dead will rise, the blind will see, all hearts will praise. because through jesus coming down to earth and dieing on the cross, maiking the ultimate sacrifice for us, we are free we are free to dance we are free to run we are free live for him. and thats the great thing you know that healing power that sees people healed and set free, God uses through you and I. So I wanna encourage you guys really take a hold of this song because we are free free to go to the ends of the earth for a greater cause than our selves. WE ARE FREE

Someone should do this for youth leaders...

http://Random.cellfish.com/multimedia/110451

Someone needs to do this for youth leaders. I've recently heard the statistic that the average ministry life for youth leaders and youth pastors is now around 7-9 months (crazy eh?). That must mean that Grant is an absolute legend. Tell him the next time you see him.

Grace!!

Hey guys!
Thought now that Im actually a guest blogger, that I should write/blog to yalls!!
So yeah, here I go!
One thing I have been thinking a fair bit about recently, is God's grace. Honestly, it seems like I've been surrounded by grace in name form (my full name Joanna, means grace, I have a friend Grace, and I know several people with the middle name Grace!). A part from that its just been a real thinking point, that its by God's grace that I can study in Dunedin, and by God's grace I'm in an awesome hall, and by God's grace that I have awesome friends........I could keep going on but Im sure you get the point. Our God is soooo gracious. He is God, and He does judge, but first He offers us grace, in all its fullness, to all who will take it and accept Him.
It's just so awesome it blows my mind.
Blessings!
Jo

: )

Get Smart, - The Insider's View

Hey Guys / Girls!

It was so awesome to see so many of you at Get Smart this year!!! It was so amazing seeing so many young people worshiping God, and dedicating themselves to his work in our nation! I was volunteering throughout the entire conference, so I thought I'd give you a bit of what I saw from the "inside".

One of the biggest impacts for me during Get Smart didn't actually come from the speakers, it came from the volunteers willing to serve God and further his kingdom, there were people who had been there from day one, and lots of noobs (aka me) there, from a HUGE variety of churches across Christchurch, and we came an unified under one banner with one goal. Many of us worked 14+ hour days every day of conference, but the faithful servant attitude never faltered. This team were inspirational to me as they served, so much so that even when I came into the building feeling absolutely whacked, I fed off the enthusiasm to serve that everyone else had to the point where some nights after getting home, I couldn't sleep for at least an hour! The team was committed to serving with all they had, and despite our weariness on Friday night, the smiles were so much broader knowing that just pointing someone in the right direction, answering questions where needed, and just smiling had no doubt made someone's day, and brought them a little closer to Christ.

I can't begin to try an explain how compelled, and blessed I felt while serving at Get Smart, or how I feel at any church event or service I help out in. I've quite often been in a place where I can't give financially, but I can always give of myself to the lord, and when I do so, I give my all. God blesses me so much for that.

I want to encourage you all to pursue a servant heart before the lord, even just doing the dishes in the cafe after church, or smiling at someone when they come in the door on a Friday or Sunday can make a huge impact in the kingdom. You don't have to be in the spotlight to be available, do what you are good at, to the best of your ability, and the blessing will come, I guarantee it.

Bless you guys so much!

Dave out.

Four gifts as Christians we should be able to give...

Hey guys,

Sorry for the infrequency of posts, but I'm currently rocking it out at Get Smart: Worship 07 in Christchurch. It's one of the largest youth conferences in New Zealand, and definitely one of the most challenging.

It's just been a phenomenal time so far, with some of the greatest Christian communicators in the world, including Pastor Phil Pringle from C3 Church in Australia, and Jurgen Matthesius, currently hailing from San Diego.

Here is a hastily scrawled summary from Andrew Kubala, one of the speakers, and founder of the Get Smart conferences.

Andrew Kubala - Four gifts as Christians we should be able to give...

Andy as always was passionate in his presentation, and he presented four gifts that as Christians we should be able and willing to give.

Matthew 17:24

We can only give what we have to give away...

1. Resource
- See Mark 12:41
- It doesn't really matter the amount in which we give, but rather the attitude with which we bring our resources.
- Worship is also a resource to give. In order to honour God, worship is simply encountering God and giving our best.

2. Gift of the Holy Spirit
- See Acts 1:8
- The Holy Spirit gives us the power to be useful to God
- It can be seriously under-utilised.
- We need to make sure we are involving God in our decisions. By doing so, we are asking him to get involved.
- We can spend our whole lives doing life without the right tools (Andy used the example of using a knife to tighten a screw, all to save 30 seconds to go and get a screwdriver).

3. Gift of Time
- Psalm 90:12
- What we spend our time doing shows what we value.
- Eternal things need to be lifted up, and before worldly things.
- We have an opportunity to serve and use our time mightily for God.

4. Gift of Salvation
- John 3:16
- So often as Christians, we actually deny people the opportunity to recieve this gift.

In all of these, we are only able to give as we have recieved.

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So, yeah, there has been some really useful and challenging messages. I'll add some more with some of my own thoughts once I've processed it.

If there's something there you don't agree with or have a different opinion about, then great! Let's start a dialogue. Otherwise, eat the meat and spit out the bones :).

I love challenging messages, and I think the preachers I've always got the most out of are the ones I completely disagreed with. It meant that I was able to test the boundaries of my own beliefs and opinions. I look forward to hearing what you think.