Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us prepare for the coming, or “advent” of the Christ child at Christmas. (The word “advent” comes from the Latin word that means “coming.”) For hundreds of years, Christians have used an Advent … Continue reading Advent – Preparing for the Coming of Christ
The book of Proverbs has so much wisdom for our lives today. Proverbs 23:4-5. Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. 5 In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. NLT Proverbs praises hard work … Continue reading Break the Power of Greed
Two thousand years ago, the author of the book of Hebrews wrote: Hebrews 13:5-6. Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What … Continue reading In God We Trust?
Let’s be in prayer for people in the Philippines recently affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Thankfully, many groups, including World Vision, are at work in the area. Pray for safety, food and water for all families in the region, for the quick set up of evacuation centres and child friendly spaces, for those who have lost loved ones, for relief workers, … Continue reading Typhoon Haiyan
Yesterday was Remembrance Day here in Australia and we took time to remember those who have given their lives at war for our freedom. Ultimately, Jesus is the greatest hero as he gave his life willingly not only for our freedom but also for our salvation. That's why we take time regularly in church communities all … Continue reading The Lord’s Supper
During the month of November, many churches around the world set aside time to prayer for the persecuted church. Believers in countries such as Egypt, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam face violence, imprisonment and even death because of their faith in Jesus Christ. There are other places in the world such as North … Continue reading International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
We live in an age where attention deficit affects all of us. We are bombarded with information and messages, each trying to gain our interest. In the process, we tend to skim from item to item, from matter to matter, from person to person ... never really slowing down enough to go deep ... to … Continue reading Are you listening? Is it time to put the mobile phone down?
Patrick Lencioni's most recent book is The Advantage: Why Organisational Health Trumps Eveyrhting Else. He believes that all the competitive advantages that businesses have been pursuing over the years are gone - strategy, technology, finance, and marketing. No, those disciplines have not disappeared. They are all alive and well in most organisations. But as meaningful competitive … Continue reading The Advantage: Organisational Health – by Patrick Lencioni
Any church with over 50 people needs some form of small group ministry so that genuine relationships are developed and discipleship occurs. Whatever form of small group ministry you may, have is a helpful article on small group leadership by Mark Howell: Whether you use a low or high bar of small group leadership, I … Continue reading 8 Commitments for Small Group Leaders (Mark Howell)
In a culture that idolises youth, it's easy to lose the value and joy of aging. Yet, wisdom says: "The glory of young men is their strength; gray hair the splendor of the old (Proverbs 20:29)." Having turned 50 years of age not long ago, I know what it's like to start to feel your … Continue reading The Blessings of Aging
I took this picture while on a prayer retreat a few weeks back. It's hard to believe how this huge tree fell over, yet it did. It reminded me of some research work done by Jim Collins, the best-selling author of Built to Last and Good to Great. Collins is a student of companies and organisations - great ones, good … Continue reading How the Mighty Fall
To: Jesus, Son of JosephWoodcrafter’s Carpenter ShopNazareth 25922 From: Jordan Management Consultants Dear Sir: Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but … Continue reading Jesus and Leadership Selection
It’s amazing how something very small can eventually have a huge influence. Think of the tipping of a domino, the movement of a butterfly’s wings, the momentum of a snowball rolling down a hill or the spark of a small flame. Jesus understood this and told his disciples that they were like “salt and light” … Continue reading Influencer – You Can Lead!
It is interesting to note that in the Greek language there are two words for time: chronos, which refers to the ongoing forward movement of time, and kairos, which refers to opportunity, or a favorable time. Jesus’ brothers wanted to push him into prominence (see John 7:1-8). Jesus knew that there was a right 'time' (Greek kairos) for him and … Continue reading Kairos – The Time of Opportunity
Okay, so today is World Animal Day. World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. October 4 was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. … Continue reading World Animal Day (October 4th)
