In one of our recent lecturers we looked at some statistics from a recent church life survey. Pastors were confidentially asked a number of questions on stress levels, burnout and life as Pastors. The results are very interesting.

• 1 in 4 was experiencing significant burnout and 1 in 2 said they were in borderline burnout
• 1 in 2 said they would burnout before retirement, often in the first 5-12 years of ministry
• 70% said they had lower self esteem than when they became Pastors
• 38% said they felt overwhelmed by the complexity of daily pastoral demands
• 90% said they worked more than 46 hours per week
• many experienced high levels of loneliness and low levels of intimacy in relationships

I find these figures very disappointing and they raise a number of questions for me. Is it time to rethink the Pastor’s role? Do we expect too much from a Pastor? Do we allow them to take on too much work in too many different areas?

One suggestion that a friend had a while back was instead of paying one person say $50,000 per year to be “The Pastor”, why don’t we pay five people $10,000 to undertake the various roles of a Pastor. One could preach and teach, one could do the counselor type role, one could do home visitation etc. In a sense it would be a pastoral team approach that shares the work load.

Another suggestion that fits in with the above approach is bi-vocational Pastors. The Pastor could work part time outside the church three or four days per week and then work for the church a couple of days. This would give them interaction with their local communities and give them time away from the demands of being a full time Pastor. Of course the workload would have to be shared with others.

Now these are only two suggestions, but ones that might need to be considered if we are going to help Pastors stay in the role long term. The figures above suggest that we are going to lose a lot of Pastors over the coming years and I think we need to think outside the box if we are going retain some of them.

I am planning a nice easy day at home with my wife and kids. I am a pretty simple guy so a few hugs, a card and sitting on the couch watching the footy later on will do me!

Psalm 23 (busy version)

The Lord is my Foreman, I shall not rest
He makes me mow down green pastures
He leads me to generators besides rapid waters
He wears out my soul
Even though I walk through the valley of relaxation,
I fear no chance of rest…
Surely busyness and pressure shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will run to and fro in the house of the Lord forever

Psalm 23 (from NIV)

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The description says, “Not setting my affections on ideas or plans which could be changed by God or others”

The memory verse is from Colossians 3:2, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”.

The opposite is “Resisting change”.

Years ago I probably would have said that a mature Christian was someone who went to church regularly, paid their tithe, served in some form in the church, was a good citizen, and had a good Bible knowledge.

While these things might be the marks of maturity, I don’t think they cover it all. Here’s a few reflections that I have come up with. It is just a few thoughts and not meant to be an exhaustive list.

1. Jesus - this goes without saying that a mature Christian trusts in Jesus for their salvation. They also realise that it is important to share Jesus with other people in the way they are called to do it.

2. Steady - a mature Christian realises that while life has its ups and downs, they know that God is in control. They are not like a boat being tossed on the ocean. They seemed to be anchored firmly to Christ.

3. Stewards - mature Christians realise that all they own is God’s. It is less about paying the exact tithe and more about using their assets, time and gifts to honour God and play their part in expanding His Kingdom.

4. Answers - someone who is mature realises they don’t have all the answers. They can admit they are not expert on all aspects of doctrine and what the Bible teaches on every subject.

5. Faults - a mature Christian admits they are not perfect. They realise they have their struggles and don’t try to portray they have it all together all of the time. They understand they are human and they have faults.

6. Feeding - a mature Christians is someone who knows how to feed themselves spiritually. They allow others to feed them, but ultimately they realise that it is their responsibility to keep growing.

7. Themselves - someone mature has an understanding of who they are in Christ. They have a godly confidence in themselves based on who God says they are. Because of this they are free to be themselves.

So there you have it. My reflections on Christian maturity. As I said it is not meant to be exhaustive, but just to include some of the things I have been thinking about lately.

I found it interesting to read about what was important to them and why. Here are a few things…

• they were a strict religious group of Jews that numbered 6000 at the time of Christ
• they were lay people with many were middle class business owners or merchants
• they devoted themselves to the Law - which included the Law of Moses (first five books of Old Testament) and a number of other teachings that interpreted the law for everyday living (613 in total)
• they paid special attention to being ritually pure and had a number of very strict rules for washing themselves and eating the right foods
• they also had very strict rules on tithing, the Sabbath, divorce, taking oaths and their clothing and strived very hard to make they kept them all
• they distanced themselves from others who did not follow their strict rules especially in regard to ritual purity
• for the Pharisee their religion was not a profession, it was a way of life. They were deeply committed to following all the rules so they could be “right” with God.
• they wanted to be a holy nation and they believed that if Israel could be pure for a time, then the Messiah would come.

It was interesting that they saw Jesus as a threat. This was because He taught that it was not so much as what we did on the outside that made us right with God, but our heart attitudes towards God and others.

We see in Matthew 23 that Jesus reserved some of His harshest criticism for the Pharisees. They got so caught up in keeping the Law that they forgot the things that are more important to God like being just, showing mercy and being faithful (Matthew 23:23-24).

At the heart of these few simple verses is an invitation. An invitation to come to Jesus and an invitation to live differently. Here are three things I love about this passage.

1. Jesus invites us to Himself - Jesus says, “Come to Me”. He invites everyone to come and get to know Him and spend time with Him. It is a personal invitation, but it is also to everyone. We see this in the “all who are weary”. In the preceding verse Jesus talks about the Father and the Son knowing each other intimately. Jesus is inviting us to that same kind of intimacy. The type He has with His heavenly Father.

2. Jesus Invites us to take on His yoke - In old style farming a yoke was used to join two animals together. Usually an older more experienced animal with a younger one. Together they partnered in the work. Side by side they would work, until the work was done. In this passage Jesus invites us to partner in the work He is already doing in the world. It is easy to get caught up in doing all kinds of “good” things, but Jesus invites us to be involved in His work. To put our hand to his plough. To put on His yoke.

3. Jesus invites us to learn from Him - Jesus wants to teach us a different way to live. He wants to show us the Father’s plan and how we can live it out. Jesus wants us to follow Him just He asked the first disciples to follow Him. He promises that He will be gentle and teach us from a humble heart. I don’t know about you, but that is my kind of teacher.

And what is th great promise from this invitation? Rest. Jesus promises us that we WILL find rest for our weary souls. Rest from trying to work it all out ourselves. Rest from all the striving and stress that this world throws at us. Jesus wants to give us the rest and peace that only comes from knowing Him.

If you would like to find this rest and peace that comes from knowing Jesus, please visit my “Peace with God” page here

1. The body of Christ refers to Christ’s actual physical body ie the Body of Christ was placed in the tomb after His death.
2. Body of Christ also is used when taking communion or as it is sometimes known “The Lord’s Supper”. The bread or wafer we use is to remember Christ’s death. It symbolises Christ’s body that hung on the cross.
3. The Apostle Paul uses the phrase body of Christ when talking about the church. When used this way He was talking about all people who called themselves Christians all over the world.

1. Biblical – This was the normative New Testament pattern established by Jesus and the apostles and perpetuated by the early church of the first three centuries and in subsequent renewal, reform and revival movements throughout history. (Acts 2:46, 5:42, 20:20)

2. Exponential - To reach a growing world, we need to multiply, not just add. Current house church movements worldwide are outstripping more traditional church planting and church growth efforts.

3. Effective – The most effective method of evangelism is not growing existing churches, but planting new ones. House churches are the most easily reproducible form of church, and hence, are the most obvious choice for church planting.

4. Natural – House churches become part of the local community and easily tap into relationship connections, thereby more readily taking on an indigenous flavour.

5. People-Focused – They focus on relationships and the development of people spiritually, not on executing programs or projects.

6. Efficient – They are more mobile, flexible, and adaptable than conventional churches, especially in areas characterized by persecution and poverty.

7. Equal Opportunity – Because of their small, intimate and participatory nature, all believers have the opportunity to exercise their spiritual gifts during church meetings, and not just professional clergy or key leaders.

8. Unbounded – They are not limited by church buildings. Whatever use buildings may or may not have, history shows that they are not necessary for rapid church planting movements to start; in fact, they may be a hindrance. Although church buildings are not evil by any means, nor are homes in any way magical, the practical release of time, energy and money away from building maintenance, and into evangelism and discipleship, should cause us to rethink current practices.

9. Inexpensive – They are less expensive than traditional church, because no expensive buildings, programs, or professional clergy are required.

10. Immediate – It can start now, right in your living room. There is no need to wait for a gym to be rented or for a building program to be completed to begin a new church or for a full-time pastor to be hired.

In this post I want to share some of the things loners think and feel at times. I will make some comparisons between people who need to spend more time alone than most people and those who are naturally more social.

• At the end of a hard week at work a loner might long for the solitude of their home after spending so much time with people. Someone more social might be ringing friends to arrange a group movie night, a party or to go to a club or pub.
• If a loner plays a sport they might chose something like cycling, swimming or running where they can do it alone. A social person might chose a team sport as they enjoy the team aspects and the social contact.
• If a loner does some studies they might chose to do it externally where they can really focus on the learning and reflecting on the content. A more social person do it on campus as they enjoy the relationships and discussing things with others as they learn.
• If a loner is going through a hard time or a busy situation they tend to withdraw for a while. A more social person might ring some friends and talk about things. Unlike the loner, they desire to be around people.
• If there is an extra church meeting a loner might prefer a small group or prayer meeting. A social person might want to hold a quiz night or pot luck church dinner.
• After church a loner might like to catch up with one or two people or read the church newsletter in their seat. A more social person will be off catching up with everyone and arranging outings.

I hope you can see what I am saying here. We are all wired differently and some people need more social contact than others.  Some get energised from being around people all the time, while others get very tired and drained. Some delight at the chance of going to church and social events all the time, while others need to really mentally prepare themselves to even go to church once a month!

I believe we need to accept people as they are and realise that some people might be with us for a few months and then we might not see them for a bit. Some may even only come ocassionally. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are backsliding, less committed or falling away, they might just need a rest from all the social contact. They might just need to be a “lone ranger” for a while to recover!

It starts with a neighbour coming over to borrow some tools. His neighbour opens his garage to reveal a tool collection most real blokes would die for. He then loads his neighbour up with assorted power tools and then takes a photo of him with his mobile. This is for proof that he has borrowed them.

It cracked me up the first time I saw it. Both my wife and I loved it. We loved it so much that we decided to do the same thing when we lend out books from our home library. It might mean that we actually get some of them back!

Sometimes in homeschooling you have times when the kids have just not picked up a concept or it hasn’t clicked. You try to explain it in a few different ways so they understand. When the light goes on inside them and they say I get it, it is very exciting. When they explain it back to you in their own words and show they grasped the concept, it is priceless for me.

I have had this with both of my girls this week in Maths. It is such a great feeling and something I feel priveledged to be involved with. I am thankful God has called us to homeschool our kids. It is such a blessing.

Does this news surprise me? No not really. Does this news disappoint me? Yes. Does this news destroy my faith? No way, because my faith is not in people.

When we discuss the issue of ministers falling I think there are a couple things to consider.

1. All Christians are human - Regardless if you are a minister or not, as Christians we are all frail human beings with our faults and failures. None of us are perfect and none of us can live up to the high standards we set in place. After all that is why Jesus came to die on the cross for our sin. He died because we all sin. We just can’t escape that fact and the Bible makes this clear in Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8-10.

2. We put people on a pedestal - I really belief that as Christians we place too much emphasis on peoples ministries and their public success. We often look at the impact people are making and place them on a pedestal. In reality if they are doing what God has called them to do, then they are no different to the person who faithfully does the flowers every Sunday morning for church or the person who visits someone who is sick. When we place people on a pedestal we set them up for failure. The only one who has ever walked on this earth who deserves to be put on a pedestal is Jesus!

One thing I am especially thankful for at the moment is my health. Regular readers will know I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis as a 12 year old. This changed my life dramatically. However as I have gotten older my health has steadily improved and this is no longer an issue for me.

I am so thankful that at the age of 41 I can run around at the park with my kids, I can kick a ball, play chasey, go bike riding, climb a tree and do physical work. These are things that I never thought I would be able to do. Especially when at the age of 18 my specialist doctor told me to accept that crippling pain and stiffness would probably be with me for the rest of my life.

Yes there has been a lot of hard work and discipline involved of my part in exercising and eating right, but being healthy only improved my condition so far. Most of the real work was done by God moving and working in my life as a result of prayer and out of His goodness towards me.

I am so thankful to God that at the age of 41 I can do all the things I can do, things I never dreamed of doing. I am also so thankful that I feel like I haven’t yet come to my peak physically. I don’t know when that will be, but it still feels like a few years away. Praise God.

How about you? What are you thankful for today? In what ways do you feel blessed? I think that is worth reflecting on today.

One thing I have really enjoyed is his ability to think a bit differently from most of us. He tends to (sometimes) think outside the box and as a result he brings insight in to church and community life.

Some of the posts that have made me think recently are below. You might like to check them out.

• Church membership re-imagined
• Are sermons dying?
• Keep warm and well fed
• If only one person gets saved, is it worth it?
• Priority drift and how to fix it
• How church might face the coming crisis?

The thing I like about Chuck is that he has a way of making me think and reflect on the topic of his posts. In doing this it helps me to formulate what I think on different issues.

All the way through this process the desire has been growing inside me to plant a house church and reach out to people who have never really fit into the traditional church setting. The people who are Christians, but do not have a place where they regularly meet with other people to grow and journey together.

In Perth when God first spoke to me about this idea, it made sense, but it didn’t seem to fit into the context of our neighbourhood. Because of this I put it on the back burner and prayed about it. Now we are in a smaller country town and we have met a number of Christians who don’t go to church, it is starting to come to the forefront again. It always made sense, but now it makes a lot more sense.

My heart is to provide a safe place for people to meet where they can feel comfortable and relaxed and we can journey in faith together. A place where we can pray, study the Bible, be discipled and learn how to disciple others, worship God and enjoy the fellowship that can only happen in a small group type setting.

At this stage my wife and I think we will begin house church early next year. In the meantime we are going to meet as a family once per week to pray, worship and study the Bible together. In time we know that God will prompt us to invite others along who He wants to be involved.

My first favourite Bible was a hard cover Good News Study Bible I bought when I when I was a brand new Christian. I purchased the gold leaf tabs with all the Bible names on them to make it easier to find the places. Now it is old and worn and underlined all the way through. It has served me well and in many ways feels like an old friend when I pick it up.

My current favourite Bible is my Thompson Chain New International Version. This one is great for students and it has loads of extra material in the margins and refers you to lots of other passages to help in your research. In the back it had lots of maps, book overviews, timelines and more. It is my favourite at the moment as I am full on into the books. And yes it has the gold leaf tabs on the side to help me find the books easily. One of my friends regularly comments on how I like them!

How about you? Have you got a favourite Bible? What do you like about it? Have you got several favourite Bibles? Is one like an old friend?

1. Suggestion - Sometimes they just need an outside opinion on an issue or needed to run something by me. Generally all they need is a suggestion of a few options they could take in a situation. Sometimes the things I suggest might not necessarily be overly spiritual, but it helps them in the decision making process and helps them to move forward.

2. Cathartic - Sometimes people who come my way just need to get things off their chest. I have found that most of us when we are going through a rough time just need to download our thoughts to someone. Most of the time their head is full and they just need to empty and in a sense “restart” their computer. Speaking to someone outside the situation can help to do this.

3. Reassurance - Sometimes the people who come to me need to just be reassured that things will be ok. In the midst of a painful time it is often hard to see when it will end and things might return to “normal”. Reassuring people that God is in control and that God is with them helps a great deal. It is also great if you have personally been through the situation and you can share how things have worked out for you.

Regardless of whether you are a trained Pastor or a counselor sometimes people just need someone to be there and listen. One or more of the above things can really make a difference to people in short term crisis and can help them to move forward in faith and in the hope that things will get better.

I was reading some comedy from the American stand up comedian Steve Wright. He is very dry in his delivery and has a bald head on top with very fluffy hair on the sides…perfect for a stand up comedian!

Anyway, he talked about how cats always land on their feet no matter how they are dropped, even if they are turned upside down first. Then he mentioned that toast always land butter side down when dropped. He said he decided to strap toast to the back of his cat to see what happened.

I mentioned this to our kids jokingly as a possible science experiment. I am thankful they realised I was joking and they laughed.

Afterwards I wondered what would have happened if they had wanted to do the experiment. I also wondered which one of our poor cats would have been chosen!

In my last job in Perth I worked in an office four days per week - Monday to Thursday. Every Thursday morning I would spring out of bed all excited as it was my last day at the office. She noticed I would bounce around the place, whistle and sing out loud and generally be very excited about things.

Often she would say you are in a good mood today and after a while we realised that it was Thursday and I was all excited about the long weekend coming up (this happened every week for me as I only worked four days). It was like Monday-itis in reverse to say the least!

Anyway, it has been 15 months since I have left that job and working Monday to Thursday. Now my days and hours are very flexible being a student, but I still spring out of bed on Thursdays and sing my way through breakfast.

For me it is a strange phenomena that just seems to happen without thinking about it. Maybe as my wife suggests I am a creature of habit…or maybe I just really like Thursdays!

What are some of your habits? Have you got special days or is one day just like the next for you? Do you find yourself doing certain things on certain days out of habit?

Yes I think at times we spend way too much time on church things. A few years ago I noted that I was doing something each night for church. Some of it was for God and some of it was for me or some for the church only. I had to really step back and pray and ask God what He wanted me to do, not what I thought I should do, or what people expected of me. Once I identified a few key things I have stuck with them and left all the other stuff behind. I did have to explain it to a few people in a way they understood. At first they didn’t, but in time they did. I feel I now have a much more balanced family, work and church life.

In the end I had to prioritise my time. My faith first (my personal relationship with God), then family, then work, then church. Some people say we shouldn’t do this or that we can’t really separate these things as they overlap. But I have found you can. Church and church stuff is vitally important, but for me it has to come down the list. A lot of the times we keep pushing on with church things, especially during the week nights, when we should take some time out to spend time with family and friends.

I firmly believe that after our personal relationship with God, our family is our biggest responsibility. Neglecting them to be busy doing church things is not what I think God intends or expects from us.

If you would like to make a comment on Rodney’s blog, you can do so here

The text says, “The spontaneous enthusiasm of my spirit when my soul is in fellowship with the Lord”.

The memory verse is from Psalms 16:11, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”.

The word it has as opposite is Self-pity.

I guess it helps to be a water loving nation that is surrounded by ocean on all sides!

What does the national anthem say again? “Our home is girt by sea”

Ezekiel was told to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel that are taking care of themselves and not the people. Ezekiel 34:1-5 are the negative examples.

• v3 - You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.
• v4 - You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick or bound up the injured.
• v5 - You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.
• v5 - You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

All in all this is a pretty bad picture of how they were taking care of the flock. They are selfish and not doing what they were meant to be doing. You can see why God has asked Ezekiel to speak out against them.

In the latter part of the chapter God says that He Himself is going to care for the people. In this He says what He is going to do. Ezekiel 34:15-31 gives us some good examples.

• v16 - I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.
• v16 - I will bind up the injured.
• v16 - I will strengthen the weak.
• v16 - I will shepherd the flock with justice.
• v22 - I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered.

In this simple picture of good and bad shepherds we see what God wants and expects from Pastors and shepherds. He wants them to care for, watch out for and strengthen the flock. And they are to do this with justice and a selfless motivation.

Up until the last few years I probably would have said that it was not possible to be a committed Christian and not go to church in some form (traditional or house church). However more recently I have met some very strong Christians who are on fire for God and are doing great things amongst their family, friends and neighbours who don’t go to church. In many ways they are like missionaries in their sphere of influence and they end up being like Pastors to without a church.

From the outside you don’t actually see the things they are doing and how much they are reaching out to people and praying for them. You could actually fall into the trap of being judgmental and questioning their commitment. However, it is not until you go to their homes and spend some time with them that you actually see the impact they are making. On a few occasions I have come away very inspired.

In major cities like Perth there are hundreds of churches. If you don’t “fit” into your local church, you can usually find another one within a few kilometres. However in some country towns there are only one or two churches, if you don’t find your place, you might have to drive 50-100 kilometres. That is something most people can’t afford to do these days with petrol prices.

So is it possible to be a committed Christian without attending church? From what I have seen since living in the country, yes it is.

This morning I read through the whole book of Mark from the New Testament. It was interesting how Mark really stresses Jesus as the Son of God. He does this in a number of places - Mark 1:1, Mark 1:11, Mark 3:11, Mark 5:7, Mark 9:7 and finally Mark 15:39.

The thing that really jumped out at me in those references is that none of the disciples recognised Jesus as the Son of God. They had come to see Him as the Christ or the Messiah, not the Son of God.

The only ones who used this title for Jesus was God the Father in a voice from heaven (1:11, 9:7) and the demons as they were being caste out (3:11, 5:7). The first person to actually state that Jesus was the Son of God was the Roman Centurion in Mark 15:39. This was after Jesus had died on the cross.

I just found it interesting that those closest to Jesus did not recognise Jesus as the Son of God until much later.

One of the reasons I felt this way is because of few of our medal hopes pulled out just before the games. This includes three from track and field alone.

Another reason why I suspected this is because over the last few years many other countries have caught up to us in the swimming. In years gone by it would be USA first and then Australia second in the pool. This year it seems the French, Japanese, Korean, and the Germans have made up some ground. This was evident in the lead up due to world records being taken by those other than USA or Australia.

The third reason is because traditionally countries that have the Olympics usually perform well in the lead up Olympics, then the games they hold themselves and the one after (ie Atlanta, Sydney, Athens). The second games after the results drop away to a more normal level. The hype of having the games and then the flow on effect lasts for a time and then slowly drops away.

Time will tell exactly where Australia finishes, but I believe that if we finish in the top 10 it will be a great result. We need to remember we are a small country compared to some of the bigger nations. Back in the 1970s or 1980s if we got four gold medals we would have been ecstatic and the team would have been welcomed home as heroes.

I had tried to read it a few times but I never quite got into it. Eventually my wife picked it up and read it and told me I would really like it and put it in front of me. She knows me really well and knew it would inspire me, so I took her advise.

Now I am not a fast reader, but I read this in two short sittings as it really grabbed hold of me. I was inspired and encourage by Angus’s story of faith and commitment. I came away thinking this guy is really living the message he is preaching.

Here are a few reflections…

• I loved the way he trusted God and spoke it out. He planted potato crops in faith in the middle of a huge drought. He told everyone it was going to work and God would come through. And God did.
• I loved his commitment to preaching the Gospel. He just keeps preaching it wherever he goes. At heart he is a farmer, but he is also a preacher. He takes the Gospel wherever God tells him to go.
• I loved that he used his farm to fund his ministry. He has made a commitment to not take up offerings when he preaches. Most of the money comes out of his own pocket (which is actually God’s) to fund the crusades and events.
• I loved his unwavering commitment to his family. Every time he leaves his farm and family it almost breaks his heart, but he knows this is what he is called to do. He accepts that.
• I loved the way they farm cattle. Each time a new herd is born they share it among the workers. He takes the first, the second goes to his longest serving worker, the third goes to him, the fourth to his second longest serving worker and so on. This not only provides wealth to himself, but to his workers and their families.
• I loved that they have a large chapel on the property where they have regular services for the workers and for those who call the farm home. They also hold the Mighty Men’s conference there too.
• I loved that they have an orphanage and school on site for many of the homeless kids in their region. It is also a haven for many widows.
• I loved the way he is committed to helping men stand up and be real men by challenging and equipping them to be all they can be for Christ.

These are just a few random reflections from the book. There is a whole lot more than might speak to different people in different ways. These are just some of the ones that spoke to me. If you have a chance I would encourage you to read it.

PS. I don’t think I have ever started so many sentences with “I loved”. Hmmm I think I really enjoyed it

1. Being rescued from the penalty of sin - which means death and eternal separation from God.
2. Being in right relationship with God - both now and for all eternity.

In essence the salvation Jesus has purchased puts us in a right relationship with God.

In taking this a step further we look at the three chief ingredients for a person to be saved. They are a need, a provision and a response.

1. A Need - Each of us needs to realise that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards in the way we live our lives. We have all fallen short in some way at some time in our lives and only Jesus can save us (Romans 3:23).
2. A Provision - The Bible tells us that while the punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God, there is some good news. God has given us a gift of eternal life if we are trusting in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23)
3. A Response - Jesus has played His part in dying on the cross for us and making the way open to God. However we all need to respond personally to this offer (Revelations 3:20).

If you would like to respond to what Jesus has done and come into a personal relationship with God today. Please visit my “Peace with God” page. It is a chance to make a whole new start with God.

In these eight epochs they noted that there were themes that seemed to be the focus of pastoral care during these time periods. In these periods four words kept on coming to the surface. They were sustaining, reconciling, guiding and healing.

When we look at these words and their general meanings it gives us a good place to start when looking at how we should approach pastoral care today.

1. Sustaining - support, uphold, nourish, maintain, comfort, ecourage.

2. Reconciling - restore, re-unite, patch up, make friends again, conciliate.

3. Guiding - counsel, advise, help, direct the course, point the way, inform.

4. Healing - cure, make well, make whole, sooth, restore good relationships, mend, alleviate.

I found this a useful lecture as I believe is important to learn from history and apply any lessons to the current situation we may face.

I also think it is useful to have four words to reflect upon when approaching the important task of pastoral care and caring for those around us.

At the start of the week Larissa prints out an A4 sheet of coloured paper with a word on it, a short sentence description from a Christian perspective and a Bible verse. Then she places it in a prominent place in our kitchen.

This weeks theme is Generosity.

The description says, “Realising that all I have belongs to God and that I need to use it for his purposes”.

The verse is 2 Corinthians 9:6. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously”.

The sheet of paper also has an opposite word on it. This weeks is stinginess.

This simple piece of paper and the verse contained helps us to think about God, memorise Scripture and to apply His principles to our daily lives. It is also a nice simple reminder to be generous in all we do this week.

In many ways the role of an intercessor is a bit like a watchman on the wall. When you pray for certain events and situations you sometimes pick things up that might be a “threat”. It is almost like you are staring into the distance trying to see what is coming. As you pray and ask for more understanding, the Holy Spirit might reveal how to pray or other things specific to that situation.

As the Holy Spirit reveals things then you respond in prayer to cover the situation. Sometimes though, you might find it is bigger than just your prayer and that you need to “sound the trumpet” to let others know. Much like the watchman it is up to the people to respond.

If you would like to read more on intercessory prayer, Joy Dawson brought out a great book a number of years ago called “Intercession: Thrilling and Fulfilling”. It is available from Koorong.com.

For me intercessory prayer takes place in two ways.

1. My prayers - These are when I chose to pray for someone or some situation that I have seen or heard about. I simply bring the case before God like a lawyer or attorney takes up the case before a judge. This may happen once only or may last a number of weeks or months. Examples of this might be someone who is sick, has a big life moment coming up or an event that is taking place in a church/community.

2. God’s prayers - These are the prayers that I feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray. Many times I have suddenly been given a desire or burden to pray for a person or situation. It usually starts by a desire to pray and spend time with God. Then as I do that, I start to get someone or a situation on my heart and I have a huge desire to pray. I just keep praying until the burden lifts. Examples of this might be when someone is sick, needing help or a major world event happens like September 11 or the Asian Tsunami.

For me intercessory prayer is the most pure form of ministry I can do. I really feel like I am partnering with God in bringing His plans to pass in this world. The thought that the God of the universe would call someone to pray and partner in His work in this world blows me away sometimes. But that is how God choses to work in this world - by partnering with open vessels who are willing to be used. Intercessory prayer is just one of those ways.

To be honest, it is not easy being a mature age student and returning back after years without “formal” study. It is very satisfying though when all your hard work pays off and the results come in. It was especially good because one of my high distinctions was in a leadership unit that I had identified previously that I needed work in. I was very happy with that!

PS. With being a huge sports fan it is going to take a lot of discipline over the next few weeks to be an external student with the Olympics on. Hopefully those good grades won’t drop

When I started I would do them every day religiously. I would try to increase the weights so I would get stronger and bigger. Every week I would weigh myself and measure my muscles proudly in front of the mirror. After about six months I was a lot more toned, but had no more weight and muscle size. Hmmm something was wrong I reasoned and I trained harder.

Then one day I read a book by a guy who said that your muscles grow when you rest and recover from the weight sessions. He suggested that I only do weights 2 or 3 times per week and get plenty of rest in between. Reluctantly I tried his suggestion. Guess what, hey presto, bigger muscles started to appear out of nowhere. It is funny that I had to learn to do less and rest more to grow and move forward. Rest in between helped me to be more effective in my weight training.

It is funny how over the years I have forgotten this lesson and how it applies to many of the things we are involved in. I have found that in church and ministry sometimes less is more too. If I am out doing church things everyday. I get tired, burnt out and I enjoy it less. I also become less effective in the ministry tasks I perform. I find if I do too much I feel jaded very easily. However, if I take on less and do only the things I feel strongly about doing and called to do, I am much more energised and I am much more effective.

How about you? Are you someone who paces yourself or are you someone who is busy doing lots of things? Are you energised by your involvements or are you tired and drained most of the time? Can you keep up all of your involvements or have you got some things you could cut back on?

Sometimes less is more in weights, in life and in ministry.

Here are a few examples of the places He met people.

• At the seashore (Mark 4:1)
• At the well (John 4:6)
• On the highway (Mark 10:46)
• At the Marketplace (Matthew 20:3)
• On the mountain (Matthew 5:1)

As with my previous post about Jesus this week, we see that each time Jesus met with people, He met their deepest needs. He gave them what they needed and He did it where they were at, not just at the Temple.

This is especially interesting because at the time Jesus walked the earth, many people only spent time with people from their own people group. They did not mix with others because in many cases they thought they were unclean.

Here are a few examples of the different groups of people Jesus spent time with.

• The Sadducees (Matthew 22:23)
• The Pharisees (Matthew 12:2-6)
• The Herodinas (Matthew 22:15-22)
• The Romans (Luke 7:2)
• The Zealots (Luke 6:15)
• The Samaritans (John 4:39-42)

Combine this with Jesus spending time with other social outcasts of the day like tax collectors, prostitutes and lepers shows that Jesus was a Savior for all people. He didn’t discriminate. He just genuinely loved and cared for people, no matter who they were or what they had done.

If you don’t know Jesus personally I would encourage you to visit my “Peace with God” page right now. Jesus loves and accepts you no matter what background or nationality you are. He wants to be your Saviour today.

Many thanks for all those who prayed. It will give the farmers a better start to the season and make a huge difference to the region as a whole.

God Bless,
Dave

However there are a number of occasions recorded in the Gospels that show Jesus taking the time for one person and their needs. Here are just a few…

• Jesus with Nicodemus where Jesus explains the need to be born again (John 3:1-10)
• Jesus with the Samaritan woman by the well where they talk about living water (John 4:41-42)
• Jesus and the rich young ruler who asked about eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22)
• Jesus and the man who was born blind and then was healed by Jesus (John 9:1-12)
• Jesus and the widow whose son had died and Jesus raised to life (Luke 7:11)

Every time Jesus stopped and took the time to be with each of these people (and many more) their lives were impacted and changed dramatically.

I found it interesting that in the midst of His busy mission of “seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10), Jesus always took the time for the one person in need. I think it is a great pattern for us to follow.

In the lecture I also found a couple of interesting things that really jumped out at me.

1. Pastoral Care is the cure and care of souls - I like that as a definition as it touches on helping people get “well” again from the storms and pains of life. It also touches on a maintenance and equipping side that helps people be better prepared for the future and helps them to be all they are in Christ. I think I will keep this definition in mind as I go about the things I do.

2. Pastoral Care changes depending on the context - The care and cure of souls varies depending on the setting. Working with patients in a cancer hospice or as a hospital chaplain is dramatically different to working as a high school chaplain or a Pastor in church. While there are some common things in both places, you would have to adjust the way they are delivered and the depth of care you can give.

It is also interesting to note that in the last week, God has brought three people across my path that have needed Pastoral Care and encouragement. It seems God is building into me with the academic side and the practical side at the same time.

For those who are a bit scholarly this is know as the Deuteromonic Cycle. Or as one of the other guys called it “The Jewish Spiril”. I really liked that one better as it is much easier for me to pronounce!

Anyway, it was interesting that during the discussion a few of the guys really recognised this cycle in their own lives. They shared that at times they wanted to know God and walk closely with Him, but at other times they have just wanted to go their own way.

For me this was a great reflection. Because if we are honest, all of us at times walk closely with God and then there are other times we slip away. The key I think is to recognise the signals and put things in place that will manage the fall or slip away and perhaps prevent it.

Some of the things I have found is that I don’t have the same passion for things and I am not wanting to read my Bible, not wanting to pray with people, not wanting to share my faith with others and thinking my money and talents are my own to use as I please. When I notice any of these things happening little alarm bells ring and I come to God and pray. I also share with someone else how I am feeling and ask them to pray for me too.

I have found that by recognising the signals and having a couple of things in place it can reduce the height of the fall. Sometimes it can nip it in the bud altogether.

How about you? Do you notice any signals when you are starting to pull back from God? What do you have in place to manage the fall?

At the start of the passage in verses 1-3 we see that the Lord commends the church of the good things they are doing. He commends their labour in doing good works, for being patient, for opposing evil and exposing false teachers. All good things that deserve being commended.

Then in verse 4 of the passage changes. He says, “You no longer love me as you first did”. In this simple statement we see that the church at Ephesus had lost its first love for Jesus. They had been doing some great things, things that the church should be doing, but they had forgot the reason why we do church in the first place - Jesus.

In verse 5 Jesus offers them the challenge and the call to repent. He says, “Repent and do the things you did at first”. Jesus is calling them back to re-focus their hearts on Him and their relationship with Him.

I think as Christians we can all learn from this passage. Human nature is that we get all excited at first and then over time our enthusiasm wanes. This happens to many people when they first get married. The love and excitement is overwhelming and then in time it fades and many relationships fall apart. Today as Christians we can start off loving Jesus passionately, but in time we can get caught up in serving Him like the church as Ephesus and we can lose our first love.

How are you going? Is Jesus your first love or have other things got in the way? Is it time to come back and check in with Him today? Is it time to re-focus your love and adoration on Him and then move out into the world from there?

God Bless,

Dave

“The best sermons are the sermons which are fullest of Christ. A sermon without Christ as its beginning, middle, and end is a mistake in conception and crime in execution. If you leave out Christ, you have left the sun our of the day and the moon our of the night. You have left the waters out of the sea and the floods out of the river. You have left the harvest out of the year, the soul out of the body, you have left the joy out of heaven. A sermon without Christ! As well talk of a loaf of bread without without flour. How can it feed the soul? It is the sort of sermon that will make the devils in hell laugh, but make the angels of God weep”.

This comes from a man that preached over 40,000 sermons in his life. It certainly reminded me what the main theme of my next message should be!

EPO is a drug that is legitimately used to help people with anemia and kidney disease. It boosts the way oxygen is used by the body. The problem is that athletes sometimes use this to boost their performance in endurance sports.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said they have been working in secret with major drug companies to develop new drugs with markers in them that will be easily detected. I believe this co-operation between WADA and the drug companies is a great step forward for all sports.

The problem I have with drugs in sport is that it is cheating. That goes without saying. But I also believe it robs people of the rightful celebration they deserve when they win. If you and I have a race and I win, I get to stand on the dais and celebrate in front of the world. If the next day I test positive for a drug and get thrown out, I have still “stolen” your rightful celebration. You may be awarded the gold medal or stage win jersey at a later stage, but I have still stolen your celebration. That moment in time can never be replaced.

It will be interesting to see how many athletes preparing for the Olympics pull out now with an “injury” because they are worried that they may now be caught by secret markers in their drugs.

There are two reasons I think I have been looking at this passage. One is because I am going to be doing a Pastoral Care unit this semester and the other is that I feel I have been prompted by God to reflect on it.

Traditionally I have been good at noticing when someone is struggling and slipping out of the fold. I generally am able to pick up on the signals and then I pray. It is then it is usually confirmed and I keep praying. I try to speak to the person at church and encourage them, but normally that is where I have left it. I have never been good at following them up during the week by giving them a call or a visit.

I have friends who are brilliant at this and I see the difference it makes to people. Many times I have seen people who are slipping away being returned to church or home groups as a result. A few simple calls or visits can make a huge difference to them long term.

I have a feeling this is one of the major areas God is going to speak to me about over the next few months. If I really get this message and take it on board I feel my ministry effectiveness will dramatically increase.

How about you? Have you got people in your life that might benefit from a call or a visit? A few calls or visits over a couple of weeks might make a huge difference long term.

At this point the story takes an amazing turn. They came to anoint the body of Jesus, but found the angels who told them had risen to life. At this great news they remembered what Jesus had told them. He said that on the third day He would rise (Luke 24:7-8).

These faithful ladies had come to care for Jesus’ body, but instead they ran to the others to tell them the great news of Jesus resurrection. In a few simple moments they changed from morning undertakers to excited preachers.

1. Darkness covered the earth - some commentators say this was a sign of God’s displeasure.

2. Temple curtain torn in two - this was a sign that the way to God is open to all people and there is no need for a priest to be an intermediate.

3. The earth shook violently - this was a major earthquake that caused major damage.

4. Graves and tombs opened - verse 52 tells us that people were raised to life and several days later they went to the holy city.

5. Fear gripped the people - verse 54 tells us that after all that had happened people were terrified.

6. The centurion confessed - a hardened roman soldier who had possibly overseen many thousands of crucifixions proclaimed his thoughts on Jesus. “Surely he was the Son of God!”

The death of Jesus was an amazing event. In His death Jesus paid the price for our sin and opened the way for us to be in relationship with the Father. I am glad He did it, but I am glad I was not there to witness it. Not only was it a gruesome event, but it was one that would has been very scary for those watching.

After looking through all the paper work I found there was a lot of work to do, but most of it looked pretty interesting. Straight away my brain started to kick into gear and I started planning out some of my assignments. That might seem strange to most people, but I am one of those strange organised people who likes to start things early.

At first glance a couple of assignments seemed quite interesting. One was reviewing a churches pastoral care program and then writing a report on how it operated and suggestions to make changes or improvements. Another was to look at a current ethical issue and show all sides of the debate and make conclusions from a Biblical perspective. Both got my brain ticking.

It will be interesting to see what happens after this semester. I am not 100% sure yet if I will continue on with more studies next year. Most of the time I think I will, but I guess it depends on what God has in store. If He opens up a position for me I might continue with my studies part time. If not the books are looking pretty good at this stage.

As with all things written on this blog, time will tell.

Some of them are more confident speaking in front of a group, some are reflecting on and overcoming areas where they have been struggling, some have a deeper Bible knowledge, some have made a commitment to Christ and others are really seeking to hear from God on a future direction. I don’t know about you, but when people are growing and pressing in to God I get really excited because I know great things are just around the corner for them.

When I see growth I really love to tell people about the growth and changes I have seen. I think that is important because often when we are churning through things we don’t see our own growth. We often just see the struggle and feel like we are spinning our wheels. When someone notices change or growth it can encourage us to keep pressing on with it.

Here’s a thought. Is there anyone in your life you can encourage about the growth and changes you have seen in their life over