The PASSION Blog

I have found that when we are going through a tough time we can get focussed on the current situation and not be able to look forward. It can be like being trapped in a hole and your only thoughts are how are we going to get out.

One of the things I try to do when I am talking to people going through hard times is to try and get them to raise their eyes and look upward. By this I mean looking to God and the things of heaven.

Colossians 3:1-2 can guide our thinking in hard times. It says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”.

When we actively focus our thoughts on heaven and the things above, we are able to stand back and see the bigger picture. We can see that this hard time will not last forever and that God is in control of the situation.

As Sunday is a day where many people stop, relax and meditate on God, I have included the links to some of the major church denominations on our links page.

I only started attending church in my early 20s after never really being a church goer. Over the years I have found a number of blessings from attending church.

• A place to receive positive input and encouragement
• A place to find a support network for times of need
• A place to learn about God, the Bible and my faith
• A place to serve God and the local community
• A place to find friends
• A place to pray and be prayed for
• A place to worship God
• A place to where I found the purpose for my life

If you would like to access the links to the various church groups in Australia, you can click here

Prayer is something that comes naturally to me these days. However, it hasn’t always been the case. Over the years though, I have come to develop a disciplined prayer life. Because of this discipline I have seen a real change in my life, a deepening in my relationship with God and the lives of those around me. This has been a real blessing!

At the heart of my prayer times is my prayer journal. This has probably helped me to grow in the area of prayer more than anything else. Each day I get out my A4 day to a page diary and I sit with my Bible, a devotion booklet and God. I write down what is on my mind, anything that I get from my devotional study or Bible reading and I record my prayer requests.

I have found that doing it this way works for me. I can look back over the year and see the things that are on my mind/heart and the things I have prayed for. Having my prayer requests recorded helps me to track the things I have been taking to God and I can see how He answered the various requests I have made.

Because I have been it this way for a while I can look back over the last 10 years and see what I prayed for on a given day. Seeing what I prayed for and how God has answered has been a real blessing and has grown my faith and trust in Him.

If you are someone who struggles to pray, I would encourage you to buy a diary and start a prayer journal. Like me it took a while to get into the swing of doing it, but looking back now I am so glad I did. It has changed my life and the lives of those around me.

Hello all,
I have added a new links to my weblinks today. It is to e-Sword Bible software.

I have been using this more and more lately as a part of my Bible study and preparation. I have found it to be a great resource as it allows you to download a lot of free add-ons like commentaries, Bible dictionaries, devotions and more. There is even a Pocket PC version. But the best part of all - it’s free!

Here’s the link - http://www.e-sword.net/

God Bless,

Dave

Hello all,
I wrote another short message today. It is titled, “Lessons from David in Temple Building”. It is a bit long for my blog as a post so it is on my main website.

Link to message in html

God Bless,
Dave

I’m finding the longer I have been a Christian, the more I understand and can relate to the Apostle Paul. Here is a few great verses from Philippians chapter three…

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith”. (Philippians 3:8-9 NIV)

I just love to sit and mediate on things like this. As I read it I can almost hear his words and the heart behind them. Awesome stuff!