Vision, vision, vision

Last night, we shared vision about where the youth and children's department of the church see the children and young people. 

How are we sharing God's vision with others for not only our own lives, but also of those who we have responsibility over. Now...I don't have any children of my own, I do intend to have, but the excitement that I have in looking to God for the vision of my future family. 

You know, we have a family already in the church and we need to be excited that as a church family we can be such a powerful force for change, good and vision.

Anyway, God is good, parents are excited, we are excited and that has to only bring positive things. 

God has a sense of humour

After a great Youth Led service on Sunday night, I came away intrigued to get stuck into God's Word more.

So while reading Tom Wright's Luke for Everyone and the first chapter of Luke, I read again after many times the account of the angel of God silencing Zacariah.

And you know what, it made me laugh so much, God really does have a sense of humour. I realised that I had forgotten that although the Bible is great at teaching and challenging us. It is also an account of parts of histories every day happenings....

Anyway, it made me smile and laugh, which is another sometimes forgotten characteristic of God....

Smile

4 Birthday Cakes!

Wow, 4 birthday cakes yesterday. 
I wonder, we celebrate birthdays every year, this one day is all about us, people cut the cake for you, they give you gifts and throw parties. 


But in Luke 9:23, Jesus tells us that whoever wants to follow Him, must take up their cross daily. But do we give Jesus the equivalent of 4 birthdays cakes every day? Do we put as much effort into our relationship with Jesus every day as we do into throwing parties? Or do we serve Jesus as much as we serve those who's birthday it is?


It was a challenging birthday yesterday, but a great one!

Is the light switched on or off?

After a very interesting week, it came to 7:04pm last night and something happened that I have started getting into the habit of. I was just about to get up and preach what I felt God was putting on my heart, however, after organising, thinking and planning the service, my mind was all over the shot. 


So I simply said, God could I have a little bit of peace please? 


Well....that was it, I felt my mind clear, my thoughts focused and my anxiety at peace. 


I spoke on Whether we really are Christians? And that we must be born again of the Spirit of God to be fully in a relationship with Jesus. Then I moved on to how once we acknowledge where we are in the process, either, never switched the light on before, or switched it on but would rather be in darkness, or actually we need to humility and strength to say I'm struggling here but I'm standing with Jesus the light. Although he may show me as messy and all the mess in my life, I'm doing what he want's standing next to the light!


http://www.sermonspice.com/product/36937/your-light

What do you really think about Christianity?

So, I've started reading a book called 'unChristian'. Absolutely brilliant book where researchers have spent three years researching people's views are about Christianity. However, the majority of those who have been asked are people who do not attend church or have little connection with the Christian faith, and they are all aged under 29. 


Now, the book is about Christianity in America, however, the basic elements and the amount that I have already likened to the UK is unreal!


The research has looked over many things, from how we 'label' people who don't go to church, to the reasons why so many people are staying well clear of the church. 


Now I'm not going to give you a book review, however, after beginning to read this book, I feel frustrated, let down and annoyed. However, I also feel challenged, motivated and fired up to help change the perception of Jesus around, not religion, but the Name and Actions of Jesus! 


Have a read, it's well worth it.....if your up for some touch reflection on your own faith and of those around you..

Back into the swing...Isaiah 64:8

After been out of the office for a week and then catching up and planning and...well it doesn't really matter, what does matter is that out of my last teaching week I have changed my outlook on several things dramatically.


There are too many to probably talk about however, I went into the week feeling like I was going to learn when to go to lunch and how to count my hours and be told that I should be open to change. Yet God removed that ignorance from me and moved in a way in my life that I was just like 'ahhh I've been an ignorant git, Jesus just mould me and rebuild be this week into who you want me to be'.


Anyway, again, I have come away a more reflective person, who is asking why more and more and really seeking God in more and more. 


I would encourage you if you read this that if you have the wall of, well God will do this, this and that and I will respond with this, this and that; then I would say to you to ask God that he would remove that mould you like a potter and clay. 


Anyway, I'm out of the loop with this, hence why it's waffle and not really making sense...

There is a hole in my shoe

Your walking along and all of a sudden you feel a stone in your shoe.

How did it get there? There is a hole...there is the answer.

So today I have a significant hole in my shoe and it is right on the seam, so every time I change gear in my car, the whole is there. When I bend my foot, it is there, the hole isn't just a hole, the whole shoe is flawed. 

Anyway, what am I going on about, a shoe!?

Well, when we have a hole in our lives, in our spiritual lives or general everyday lives, what can fill it if it cuts directly on the seam? 

We should be constantly allowing God to not only build us up and encourage us, but when there is a problem, is there first thing you do when a hole appears is to try and fix it yourself? 

Rather instead, we should be filling ourselves with God and His Holy Spirit, otherwise the seams will destroy the whole shoe = Us!!

Would God say Yes or No to AV....or does it really matter?

My view, not God's because you cannot decide the nature of God. 

So in the end, I can only vote as a Christian in the hope that in some way, Christian values will be shown throughout the country.

I must admit, I'm not a boffin on the subject and would welcome your opinion on this....

Have a blessed day

Facebook is bad....Discuss

So after the last couple of days and the increase of 400% in my blog's views I have decided one thing. 


Challenging thoughts are the way to go!


Anyway, so my observation from yesterday is one of curiosity. I was at a boxercise class (I know, me exercise, where did that come from?) and basically you do it in pairs. Well you can do it on your own but it's more difficult and less practical. So, I was on my own, and there was another person there, and I basically said, look, I'm on my own, so are you, lets not make this any more difficult. 


Well, the value of going round with someone was great and helped in the class, but that's not my point. My point is this, and you can agree or disagree with me.


We have lost the value of face to face conversation. Now I am not saying social networking is wrong and it has no value, but focussing on a relationship level of communication and discussion. Social networking has destroyed the value of face to face or even a phone call. The concept of feeling more comfortable in your own home, behind a screen and either, building up a friendship, arguing, discussing or even trying to get hitched is in my opinion ruining the basic idea of human emotion and discussion that we are made to have through communicating


The person yesterday at my class on the way round the various exercises was intrigued as to how I had just walked up to them and struck up a conversation and that it was refreshing to see someone not care what other people think and just open up a dialogue.


So there you go....I would welcome your opinions because I do believe that this big generation from older children all the way up to pensioners of discussing every aspect on our lives on a screen is destroying part of what God had designed for us. He didn't create us in our image to look at a 15 inch LCD HD screen.....


P.S - Before you comment saying that I am using the internet and social networking to post this and write this. The idea of my blog is to share my daily reflections of life, faith, work and deed with whoever may choose to read whether i have 0 hits or 10,000 hits. I will still post my blog.

'Forgiveness is free'...True or False?

After my blog yesterday and the increase in views, most likely because it was slightly more controversial I've decided to continue on a similar note...

Anyway, after reading the comments made and reflecting on other people's opinion, it was interesting to see such a wide spread of views on one man. 

Yet I wonder....was there such a wide spread of views when Jesus was killed, a man who did no wrong yet paid a great price for us. I wonder if I posted yesterdays post with a different explanation and background into my personal viewpoint about Jesus, would it get the same response. 

Anyway....The title I've put is to really follow up and conclude from yesterdays post and ask, from any view point, religious or not, is forgiveness free?

From a variety of angles....

Is it free from someone like me who really just has an opinion on the subject and no direct connection?

Is it free from a relative of someone murdered in terror attacks within the last 10 years?

Is it free from the person who killed Osama Bin Laden?

I'll tell you who it is free from, the one person who suffered far greater than Osama Bin Laden or any other....

 Jesus Christ!

I can't help think...

So, Osama Bin Laden is dead. When I saw the news on my phone, I rushed out of bed and put the TV on. 


Was it really true? This man who had eluded the best intelligence officers in the world for 10 years had finally been caught out. 


When September 11th took place. I remember it vividly, I was watching my little brothers swimming lesson and it was on the TV and I remember rushing backwards and forwards telling my Mum who was watching the little brother swim, what was going on. Ever since then, I've had a keen interest in the situation surrounding that day, Osama Bin Laden and what this man was all about. 


And when I turned on the TV the first thing I see, is people celebrating the death of this man. Now, I am not saying what he planned and carried out was not horrific, wrong and mass murder. However, he was created by God, he was loved by God and God sent His son down to die for everybody, including Osama Bin Laden. So if you do read this, whether from a non-Christian view point, a Christian view point, or of any other faith. I would say this to you,


That man was born and had a mother and a father who would have loved him.


He had brothers and sisters,


And he was a child of God who went down the path leading away from Jesus like many people do, that led to sin, death and many other things.....