All over red rover...

I preached last night on John 9, the man born blind. That pretty much signals the end of the whole string of things I had on this month! All my assignments are done, I just have to hand them in...my speaking engagements are all over...and youth group is over for the year! What in the world am I gonna do now?
I've got communion next week, I'll post that actually cos I'm thinking about doing something a bit different. I'll get that up in a few days. We've got 'Coffee Shop' training every night this week. Doing Youth Dimension's beach mission called Coffee Shop. Never done it before so I'm really looking forward to it.
Then from now till Christmas, all I have planned is hanging out with the kids in our youth group, planning for next year etc. I know stuff will come up but that's cool.
Righteo, it's my day off so I need to go and do something constructive...like sleeping!

The Book Brigade

Finished this book early yesterday morning at about 5am. I woke up at 4.30 with a toothache and couldn't sleep so I read...crazy. Anyway, finished this book Community 101 by Gilbert Bilezikian. Excellent book, it's a theological kind of thing on God's plan for community. Really interesting, solid teaching and concepts. New stuff to me a lot of it; stuff on women in ministry and gender roles. Nice and short, only 200 or so pages. Recommended.

In other news: finished all my assignments. Woohoo! Just have to prepare my sermon for Sunday night now. Having a planning/strategy afternoon today (Thursday) for youth ministry next year then picking up a friend from the airport at 7am Friday. Did I mention that I finally sold my Ford Laser? They're picking that up on Friday as well.

Luther...

Watched the movie Luther on the weekend starring Joseph Fiennes. It's a two hour production of Martin Luther's life from his days as a Augustinian monk to his translation of the New Testament into German. I knew a little bit about Luther, however a much healthier knowledge of history would have helped in watching this movie. They take a little bit for granted as far as people and places go. Fiennes is quite a good actor, especially his tone and voice acting. The movie was a bit too long but quite inspirational and interesting for the most part. Quite a professional production too, it hit the cinemas in Australia earlier this year. Recommended.

Meanwhile, I'm reading a great book by Gilbert Bilezikian called Community 101. More on that later. I've got to prepare my sermon for this Sunday night on John 9, the healing of the man born blind. Something along the lines of being used as a vessel of God's grace.

Big Birthday Bash

We had our last night of Youth Group for the year last night. Had a big birthday party/break up party and it went off! There were about 80-90 youth plus leaders, heaps of food and an 8m x 8m jumping castle! Had really good feedback from some of the youth saying that they loved it so that's always a good sign! Thanks to some of the Junior High boys it turned into a massive water fight towards the end, I ended up soaked through and with sauce all over my shirt from a 'sauce bomb'! But we got them back!

So that's it for youth group programs in 2005! We're winding up our school's program next week, last leaders get-together next week as well and then my classes finish the week after. I can't wait for the holidays cos I can just hang out with leaders, youth, plan for next year youth group, relax, have a blast!

Indo

You might have read a previous post about a guy named Rob. October 19. Rob and two girls from our church, Katie & Mel, left for Indonesia on Sunday night. They're away for 3 weeks on a trip to help out some medical missios somewhere in Indo. Katie & Mel are both nurses and Rob is there to help out in anyway possible. Pray for these guys, it'll be a hugely hard time but also an awesome growing time for them all.

Growth/Comfort?

When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
John 4:47-50
There's something surprising about this story. The man asks Jesus to heal his son, and Jesus shuts him down! He says to the whole crowd that they're a bunch of non-believing people who just want a miracle. He wasn't only speaking to the man here, but the man was included in the crowd. But being persistent, the official asks again. This time Jesus heals, but he doesn't do what the man asks. He doesn't go back to Capernaum and heal the boy, he makes the man walk 15 miles home in faith that the boy is healed.
Why would Jesus have done this? Why didn't he go with the man and heal on the spot like he had done before? Why did he make the man walk back? What would the man have been thinking on the way back? The Bible says that he took Jesus at his word but he would have definitely had doubts during that trip home. What if? What if my son is dead? What if Jesus didn't really heal him? I have no visual assurance. I can't get back in contact with him. I didn't even get his address or his camel rego...
Jesus wasn't really concerned with the man's comfort and ease of mind, he was concerned with the man's growth. God is totally committed to our growth. If that means hard times, being stretched out of our comfort zones then he's quite willing to do that for the sake of our personal and spiritual growth.
No disipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11

This is my life...

My mate Anson (see previous post) wrote this in 2001. It hits home for those of us who lived the lives of missionary kids. And it's not bad for a guy who was in year 11!

"...But then the goodbyes
Always the goodbyes. The end looms near
It's easy to say that it's not the end, really
Easy for the others to say. They don't know..."

(c) 2001, Anson VanDoren. Used without permission (thanks Anson!)

Check the whole thing out here.

Now it's really time for bed...

High School Reunion!

I was just about to go to bed...but I was having a quick surf around the net. Little did I know that I was about to stumble down memory lane! I found the blogpage of my best mate in high school, Anson!! Check it out here. Then I found his parent's site with photos and stories and heaps of stuff! This is awesome, I haven't heard from these guys in ages so it's great to see what they're up to! It takes me back to my days as a missio kid in PNG!

Also found out this arvo that my dad is coming up in December so that will be cool!

Topped off the day with an amazing walk on the beach under the full moon. Fantastic!

Busy this week and next cos I'm preaching the next two Sunday nights and have a big assignment due. Preaching on John 4 this week aboutJesus' healing of the official's son. Going to talk about God being totally committed to our growth rather than our comfort. Then on John 9 next week with the man born blind. Not sure where to go with that one though! It's all very exciting!

Time for bed...

All the Pieces Fit...

A friend who read my last blog about John 1 showed me this cool verse:
"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God." Revelation 19:13
Speaking of the Rider on the White Horse. Very cool!

I'm off this morning down to Burleigh to get my car inspected before I can register it. Some government loophole for written off vehicles. Easy way for them to take $330 off me just to tell me that my car is fine apart from the hail dents! Duh! Ah well, it's all good in the long run!

'Jesus' is the Word...

I was reading John 1 this morning and I thought...how much more meaning does John 1 have when you realise that it's talking about Jesus?! It's clearly talking about Jesus but when I read it over again and chucked Jesus in whenever John was talking about him, it was so much clearer! Check it out:

"In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. Jesus was with God in the beginning. Through Jesus all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In Jesus was life and that life was the light of men. Jesus shines in the darness but the darkness has not understood.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning Jesus, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he only came as a witness to the light. The true light, Jesus, who gives light to every man was coming in the world.
Jesus was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. Jesus came to that which was his own, but his own did not recieve him. Yet to all who recieve Jesus, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Jesus became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:1-14 (Adapted from NIV)

Back to Jerusalem

I just finished Back to Jerusalem by ‘Three Chinese Church Leaders with Paul Hattaway’. What a fantastic book! I’d recommend it to anyone. Most of the book is devoted to outlining the vision the Chinese Church has for taking the Gospel ‘Back to Jerusalem’ and the testimonies of those who carry the vision. The testimonies are powerful and amazing, captivating and inspirational. The last few chapters of the book are devoted to some of the principles that the Chinese house churches hold to. They are excellent and quite challenging to those of us caught up in the typical Western church denominational mold. The book isn’t just a pay-out of Western Christians but lovingly challenges them to re-assess their values and beliefs.
Check this out:
“Millions of churches around the world, including inside China, are bound by legalism. Obeying man-made rules has become more important than taking the hand of Jesus and walking with him in the cool of the evening. The Christian life has become an endurance test, and all traces of life and joy have long since evaporated.” (p137)
“There are more than enough Christian ‘believers’ in the world today. God wants more disciples!” (p138)
If you have the opportunity, grab a copy of this book. You won’t regret it!

I know I’ve been lazy in blogging stuff here but I have plenty of good excuses! Hopefully I’ll be able to jot a few more things down soon.