Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you (Jesus). Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. Good is the enemy of best. Establishing priorities is essential to life and ministry effectiveness. Not every task or project is created equal. The … Continue reading First Things First
Quite a few years ago now, we conducted a survey in our church. One of the open-ended questions was: "I wish someone would preach about ..." We collated the answers and I have enough to preach on until Jesus comes back! Actually, what surprised me the most at the time was the fact that people … Continue reading Prison Break: Finding Personal Freedom
Prison Break - Finding Personal Freedom by Mark Conner Living in our broken world creates the possibility of becoming trapped by various negative emotions and habits that can easily become like a prison around us. In this helpful book, Mark Conner shares practical principles for finding freedom from common problems such as anger, fear, worry, rejection, … Continue reading Books by Mark Conner
As Jesus was dying on the cross, he was not completely alone. There were a small group of people who loved him dearly, right there until his last breath (John 19:25-27). They demonstrated great courage just to even be there. One of them was Mary - Jesus’ mother. I am sure Mary did not always … Continue reading Jesus and His Mother
[Watch this message] It’s Mother’s Day: a century-old tradition of taking time to thank and honour our amazing mums. Mums are special people we owe so much to - in addition to our very existence! Most mums are faithful, loyal, hard-working, loving and caring people. We honour and applaud them today. Of course, Mother’s Day … Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day (2016)
Lessons from Jesus’ Temptation Yesterday, we looked at Jesus' showdown in the dessert. Today, let's glean a few lessons for our own lives from this story. 1. We are in a spiritual war. We live in a spiritual battle zone between God and Satan, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. There … Continue reading Showdown in the Desert (pt.2)
Jesus has prepared well for impacting his world through total surrender, a strong relationship with his Father and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The final aspect of his preparation is a showdown with the devil himself. Immediately after the “mountain-top” experience at his water baptism, Luke describes Jesus as “full of the Spirit”. The … Continue reading Showdown in the Desert (Pt.1)
ANZAC Day Tomorrow is ANZAC Day, a day when Australians and New Zealanders remember the beginning of World War I. This was Australia’s first major military encounter as a nation with the wider world as we joined Britain’s fight against Germany. Last year was the 100th anniversary of the ANZACs landing at the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. … Continue reading A Call to COURAGE
As a kid, I hated going to the dentist! The very smell of the dentist's office caused panic and nausea for me. Thankfully, I didn't need too many fillings growing up but I still dread the 'scale and clean' experience even as an adult. I'm so glad when it's over. We all know that flossing … Continue reading Floss Regularly
During Jesus' baptism in water, the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove (Luke 3:22). This implies a sort of “anointing” for ministry. Jesus was “filled with the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and was then “led by the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) into the wilderness where he overcame the devil and returned in the “power … Continue reading Jesus’ Empowerment by the Spirit
As Jesus was being baptised, Luke notes that he was praying or talking to his heavenly Father (Luke 3:21). Throughout his gospel, Luke makes a special emphasis on Jesus’ life of prayer – one of close relationship with his Father (Luke 6:12; 9:18, 29; 11:1; 22:41). After being baptised, the Father spoke to him Jesus and said, … Continue reading Jesus’ Relationship with His Father
In most neighbourhoods today, there is a daily pattern: a garage door opens, a car drives out, and the occupants head to work. Later that day, the car returns, the garage door opens, and the car disappears. Nancy Whitney-Reiter notes that if an alien were to visit our planet, he or she might observe: "You … Continue reading Get Outside of the Box!
At the age of 30 (Luke 3:23), Jesus began turning his attention towards his ministry to the people His Father had sent him to. Jesus’ preparation for ministry included his baptism in water (Luke 3:21-23), his relationship with his Father, the empowerment of the Spirit (Luke 4:1-2), and his defeat of the devil and his … Continue reading Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry
Luke gives us some interesting insight into Jesus' self-perception ... as a 12 year old. Luke 2:41-52. Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were … Continue reading Jesus as a Child
As the age of 19, I left America with my family to relocate back to Melbourne, Australia where I was born. I had been living in the USA for 10 years. I had friends, memories, and great opportunities for the future there. But my family was coming home and so I agreed to come with … Continue reading Time to Jump?
