January 2024 - Mark Conner

Last year, I shared a 5-part series of messages at Bayside Church in Melbourne around the theme of THRIVE. As we entered the year, our intention wasn’t to merely SURVIVE another year, but to THRIVE. The English word ‘thrive’ means: to flourish, bloom, or prosper. It comes from an Old Norse root worth that means to grow or increase. It’s about a certain vitality and excitement, a sense of joy and enjoyment, a burst of energy, strength, and resilience for the inevitable challenges and pressures of the territory, and an increasing passion and enthusiasm.

In life, “everything belongs”. Everything is connected. This series looked at 5 vital relationships or connections within your world. Like an eco-system, each part contributes to the health and well-being of the whole and the whole contributes to each part. Each aspect has a vital part to play in our overall flourishing.

1. You and God. Each person’s spiritual journey begins with an awareness of God, which can occur early or later in life, and in a variety of different ways. Once we embrace the reality of God, knowing who this God is becomes vital. Thankfully, the God of the Universe is revealed as LOVE and we can learn to live each day as the ‘beloved’. This is a life of grace not one of performance-based acceptance. How freeing and transformational this can be! You can listen to the audio of this message now.

2. You and Your Calling. In this message, I shared some insights for discovering your life purpose, which includes a sense of identity (who you are) and contribution (what you do). Your mission is at the intersection of (1) what you are good at, (2) what you care about, and (3) the needs of the world. You can listen to the audio of this message now.

3. You and Yourself. To thrive in life, we need a healthy relationship with the person we look at in the mirror each day – ourselves. In this message, I shared about the importance of self-acceptance, how to develop personal confidence, the vital quality of integrity, and how to become a more optimistic person. You can listen to the audio of this message now.

4. You and People. Life for people of faith is about loving God and loving people. The first task is often easier than the second! After all, ‘everyone is normal until you get to know them’! In this message, I shared 7 relational principles from the life of Jesus then focused on the 3 BIG relational Cs – handling Criticism, resolving Conflict, and learning to Confront appropriately when necessary. You can listen to the audio of this message now.

5. You and Your Work. In this message, I exposed the myth of sacred/secular dualistic thinking, presented a ‘theology of work’, and shared some insights for finding meaningful work and a job to love. I finished up by acknowledging that there is more to life than work and shared a few thoughts about ‘retirement’. You can listen to the audio of this message now.

As you listen to these messages and reflect on your own life, I hope that you will THRIVE in this new year.

I wrote this in my journal 7 years ago …

Thinking about Jesus today …

He had no role within any organisation or religious system.

Yes, at times he worked ‘within’ the religious system (speaking in the synagogues, for instance) but he was not employed by it or accountable to it.

He also moved ‘outside’ of it much of the time, in a more organic and relational manner … mostly with people who did not have institutional power.

Of course, he did not avoid or ignore people of position or authority, but rather he sought to influence them with a new paradigm of thinking and a new way of doing life.

He had a standard education for any young Jewish boy but did no training within the halls of theological power.

He focused a lot of time on preparation and did so in solitude, away from the limelight or the spotlight.

Even when his ministry started he often avoided the crowds where possible and spent a lot of time alone.

He loved the crowds but wasn’t interested in building a crowd, an organisation or an institution. He focused on developing and investing in a handful of nondescript people who he thought had future potential (12 disciples primarily, with also a broader group of 70 people).

Jesus was far more interested in the irreligious than the religious people of his day, in sinners rather and saints. He spent the majority of his time with them and really didn’t enjoy the pedantic debates of the holy huddle brigade.

He spent far more time eating meals and attending parties with ordinary people than sitting in long meetings.

He was content being small, isolated and seemingly insignificant in the eyes of the wider world. He didn’t seek fame, power or popularity. In many ways, he was a reluctant leader.

Yet, his life has had a greater and longer lasting impact than anyone else who has ever lived.

I wonder why I hadn’t seen this earlier?