Jeannie Benger hit the spot again tonight with a challenging message on 'What Not to Wear'.
It’s all about how we look on the inside...do we wear God well? How do we reflect God to our world?
1) Don’t Wear Sympathy and Hurt
Do wear grace and compassion.
Don’t live under the constant sympathy of others
Live with people who show grace and compassion who spur us on. Sympathy doesn’t give answers. Compassion motivates us, grows us, spurs us on.
2) Don’t Wear Worry and Anxiety
Do wear faith and hope. Hope for our future. Believe God’s promises for our lives.
Don’t fear bad news. Be confident in God. Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the answer – God.
Proverbs 12:25 - Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
Surround yourself with positive, faith filled words/people. Your environment is critical – chose the right people not the ‘sympathisers’.
Philippians 4:6 - Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
God is El Shaddai – more than enough!
3) Don’t Wear a Slave Mentality
Do wear a servant mentality.
Slaves are ‘helpless victims’ without freedom.
Choose to follow, choose to serve. A ‘whatever it takes’ attitude. A Kingdom mentality for a Kingdom of excellence. God deserves the very best.
Honour others above yourself...it’s not about me.
Serve with a heart of confidence (confident in the God we serve)
Serve with a heart of strength
Serve with a heart of thankfulness
Serve with a heart of sowing (time, finance, ideas)
Serve with a heart of release (releasing others to do)
4) Don’t Wear Negativity
Do wear positivity – encourage.
Guard your words. Be gracious with others. Show grace and generosity. From the abundance of your heart the mouth speaks. What’s in your heart?
Hebrews 12:15 - Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favour of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison.
Let your words lift people and not tear them down.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
England Roar
Great win in India to tie the series. Well done Freddie and the boys. What a result with so many of our first choice players out for various reasons. Some of them must be a little worried about their places for sure!
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Handling Life’s Storms
Fantastic message in church tonight. Paul Benger spoke on ‘Handling Life’s Storms’ which was the second part of his series on Faith.
Acts 27:27-44
He shared with us a few facts about some of the characteristics of storms, in particular the recent hurricanes to hit the USA. He then contrasted this with the fact that ‘storms’ effect our lives.
We all face storms in our lives both literal (i.e. the kind that causes floods and blow our roofs off!) - to the more common ‘life storms’. Both types cause upheaval and are messy!
Sometimes though we experience ‘inconveniences’ which we react to as though they were storms.
Some of the characteristics of storms - Unexpected, unfavourable, unpleasant and unpredictable.
Storms are there to harm you - inconveniences can be doing you good. Don’t over react to them.
Storms come in seasons. In Acts 27 the storm Paul faced lasted 2 weeks!
If you are facing a storm right now remember storms come in seasons – it won’t last forever!
If it’s just an inconvenience...they’re part of the action. As Christians, rise up – have a backbone. The Spirit of God is inside of us, don’t succumb to the spirit of the age. Take a stand.
Four important responses in the midst of storms:
1) Don’t Abandon Your Trust in God
Don’t look for a reason why – trust God. Don’t focus on your smallness, focus on the greatness of God. Paul – “God has shown me, no one will die’
Don’t rely on yourself – don’t trust in human wisdom, it’s flawed. Trust God – do it His way. You’re only ‘right’ when you agree with God – it’s time to change your mind!
The storm will reveal what’s inside of us. How much hope we’ve got, how much faith we’ve got, how much joy we’ve got.
The storm doesn’t reveal stuff for God to see – the storm let’s us know what we need in our life.
2) Don’t Abandon the Ship and Crew
(Vs 30-32) – Too many people jump ship when the storm comes. God wants us to draw closer. The church to draw ranks as there is still much work to be done. The best place to be when the storm comes is in the House of God.
When the storm comes don’t project your problems on someone else...and don’t think the grass is always greener on the other side. Grass is grass!
3) Don’t Abandon Your Faith
Don’t go into crisis or panic mode. What’s inside of us? Faith?
Don’t be blasé – ‘It’s not a problem’ (They’re usually is!)
Lighten the load. It’s an act of faith. Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
Get rid of the rubbish on our lives. People often add to the load when storms come.
Eat something good. The food of faith - not negativity from negative people.
Keep doing what you need to do – don’t stop (don't give up). Keep giving, keep sowing…keep reaping.
Keep your language right. A language of hope. ‘God will do’.
4) Don’t Abandon Your Mission
They stayed with the ship...until they’d accomplished their mission. Changes happen so that we can fulfil our mission.
Consider the changes that we are about to face as a church. It’s all about us fulfilling our mission. What God has called us to do at this time. To see His church built in this place. A community of God’s people being drawn together. People coming to faith in Christ, prodigals being restored.
Let’s not abandon our mission!
Acts 27:27-44
He shared with us a few facts about some of the characteristics of storms, in particular the recent hurricanes to hit the USA. He then contrasted this with the fact that ‘storms’ effect our lives.
We all face storms in our lives both literal (i.e. the kind that causes floods and blow our roofs off!) - to the more common ‘life storms’. Both types cause upheaval and are messy!
Sometimes though we experience ‘inconveniences’ which we react to as though they were storms.
Some of the characteristics of storms - Unexpected, unfavourable, unpleasant and unpredictable.
Storms are there to harm you - inconveniences can be doing you good. Don’t over react to them.
Storms come in seasons. In Acts 27 the storm Paul faced lasted 2 weeks!
If you are facing a storm right now remember storms come in seasons – it won’t last forever!
If it’s just an inconvenience...they’re part of the action. As Christians, rise up – have a backbone. The Spirit of God is inside of us, don’t succumb to the spirit of the age. Take a stand.
Four important responses in the midst of storms:
1) Don’t Abandon Your Trust in God
Don’t look for a reason why – trust God. Don’t focus on your smallness, focus on the greatness of God. Paul – “God has shown me, no one will die’
Don’t rely on yourself – don’t trust in human wisdom, it’s flawed. Trust God – do it His way. You’re only ‘right’ when you agree with God – it’s time to change your mind!
The storm will reveal what’s inside of us. How much hope we’ve got, how much faith we’ve got, how much joy we’ve got.
The storm doesn’t reveal stuff for God to see – the storm let’s us know what we need in our life.
2) Don’t Abandon the Ship and Crew
(Vs 30-32) – Too many people jump ship when the storm comes. God wants us to draw closer. The church to draw ranks as there is still much work to be done. The best place to be when the storm comes is in the House of God.
When the storm comes don’t project your problems on someone else...and don’t think the grass is always greener on the other side. Grass is grass!
3) Don’t Abandon Your Faith
Don’t go into crisis or panic mode. What’s inside of us? Faith?
Don’t be blasé – ‘It’s not a problem’ (They’re usually is!)
Lighten the load. It’s an act of faith. Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
Get rid of the rubbish on our lives. People often add to the load when storms come.
Eat something good. The food of faith - not negativity from negative people.
Keep doing what you need to do – don’t stop (don't give up). Keep giving, keep sowing…keep reaping.
Keep your language right. A language of hope. ‘God will do’.
4) Don’t Abandon Your Mission
They stayed with the ship...until they’d accomplished their mission. Changes happen so that we can fulfil our mission.
Consider the changes that we are about to face as a church. It’s all about us fulfilling our mission. What God has called us to do at this time. To see His church built in this place. A community of God’s people being drawn together. People coming to faith in Christ, prodigals being restored.
Let’s not abandon our mission!
Friday, March 17, 2006
Got My Number
I've just received my number for the London Marathon:
33964
My London Marathon Blog is currently down at the moment...Blogger is having problems with some of their sites. Check it out (when you can!) and why not sponsor me?! So far I've raised over £700 for Help the Hospices.
33964
My London Marathon Blog is currently down at the moment...Blogger is having problems with some of their sites. Check it out (when you can!) and why not sponsor me?! So far I've raised over £700 for Help the Hospices.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Great Expectations
Jeannie Benger spoke an encouraging message in church last night on having great and ‘God’ expectations.
We sometimes live with low or even no expectations - for our lives, our future, our families, our jobs etc.
Expect good things to happen. What are you expecting? Have God’s expectations in your life. Raise your expectation level. Expect much and expect great things for your life.
Ephesians 3:20 – God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
God is a gentleman, he won’t force the issue.
Psalm 37:4 – Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. God will give you good things!
Desire God desires. Desire is creative not passive. Have good and God ideas. He wants us to be a creative people – He is a creative God. Don’t be passive, having a tendency not to participate (i.e. letting others take the lead). Don’t sit back – create!
Live your life with dreams and visions – knowing they can be achieved through God.
2 Corinthians 10:13 – We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you
Live within the sphere God has placed you but also know your limits.
Fulfil the potential God knows you have. Influence (for good) those within your sphere – see those around you through Gods eyes.
We don’t want people to look at our lives and say ‘we don’t want what they’ve got’ BUT ‘we do want what they’ve got!’
We’ve been given authority in heaven and on earth to fulfil His purposes for our lives. Be fruitful. Find your place, serving God. Rekindle those dreams that have dimmed.
For us as a church – God wants us to be large and influential. We’re all responsible for that vision of growth. Live the dream together – expect great things!
Live a life of faith – believing God for great things.
Hebrews 11:1 - NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]
Stay focused. You might not win every battle, but you will win the war!
We sometimes live with low or even no expectations - for our lives, our future, our families, our jobs etc.
Expect good things to happen. What are you expecting? Have God’s expectations in your life. Raise your expectation level. Expect much and expect great things for your life.
Ephesians 3:20 – God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
God is a gentleman, he won’t force the issue.
Psalm 37:4 – Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. God will give you good things!
Desire God desires. Desire is creative not passive. Have good and God ideas. He wants us to be a creative people – He is a creative God. Don’t be passive, having a tendency not to participate (i.e. letting others take the lead). Don’t sit back – create!
Live your life with dreams and visions – knowing they can be achieved through God.
2 Corinthians 10:13 – We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you
Live within the sphere God has placed you but also know your limits.
Fulfil the potential God knows you have. Influence (for good) those within your sphere – see those around you through Gods eyes.
We don’t want people to look at our lives and say ‘we don’t want what they’ve got’ BUT ‘we do want what they’ve got!’
We’ve been given authority in heaven and on earth to fulfil His purposes for our lives. Be fruitful. Find your place, serving God. Rekindle those dreams that have dimmed.
For us as a church – God wants us to be large and influential. We’re all responsible for that vision of growth. Live the dream together – expect great things!
Live a life of faith – believing God for great things.
Hebrews 11:1 - NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]
Stay focused. You might not win every battle, but you will win the war!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Quotes
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia. Charles M Schulz
Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night." Charles M Schulz
Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night." Charles M Schulz
Monday, March 06, 2006
This is the Day
Spoke last night in church...
Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it" - This is the day! (NOT - This is ‘A’ Day but this is THE Day the Lord has made!)
Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Jesus prayed…
Matthew 6:9-11 – (9) This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (10) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us today our daily bread.
Jesus prayed about the great purpose and will of God (Your Kingdom come, Your will be done) and then linked it back to today (verse 11). ‘Give us TODAY…’
There is a strong link between the eternal purpose of God and today!
WHY PEOPLE MISS THE VALUE OF TODAY
1) They Get Stuck in Yesterday’s Successes or Yesterday’s Negativity
In Psalm 77 the Psalmist dreamed of "the good old days." He looked backward and his attachment to the past limited his present. He would have done well to forget what was and focus on the what is. Looking back and dwelling in the past will limit our present.
Let me say three things about that:
(Firstly) Don't dwell on past sins and failures. Learn the lessons that failure teaches us, turn away from those sins in genuine repentance.
(Secondly) Don't dwell on "the good old days" which weren't as good as our memory tricks us into believing. Yes, have fond memories, cherish special moments of days gone by, but don't live there and forget about today!
(Thirdly) Don't rest on your laurels of past accomplishments. Some think they've done their lifetime of service for Christ and now they'll just sit back and let others do all the work. Past accomplishment should not limit present opportunities and service.
What happened in our past in some way influences our present and that can be a good thing IF we learn the lessons we ought to have learned. But it is not a good thing if we bring our former sins/failures, former joys and even former successes into the present and let them limit what we are doing right now.
Whatever you were in the there and then should not keep you from being what you can be in the here and now. Don't let your past limit your present. THIS IS A NEW DAY!
My day is not determined by what is happening around me, it is determined by WHO is living in me!
2) They Worry about Tomorrow
Matthew 6:25-35
KEY: Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well
NLT puts it like this in Luke 12:31 – "He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."
And God said this - "For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT).
If Jesus is the Lord of your present, He has taken care of your past and assures you of a glorious future. With God, the best is yet to come.
Jesus is the same yesterday, TODAY and forever!
3) They Overestimate Tomorrow
Some people anticipate and yearn for the future as "better days which are to come." But people can (through longing for tomorrow) - despise today.
Both being apprehensive about the future and longing too much for it impacts the here and now.
You cannot hope for a good tomorrow without investing in it today - the seed you sow into the soil of today will determine your harvest of tomorrow
The purposes of God are future (YES) – but must be worked out on the present TODAY.
4) They Underestimate Today
Daily discipline that you exercise determines whether you fulfill the purpose of God. Do it TODAY. Don’t wait.
Today is the day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, today is the day of salvation! (What are we waiting for?)
John 4:35 – Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest! Today the fields are ready for harvesting!
Don’t let idleness deceive you. For while you give him today, he steals tomorrow from you. - A. F. Forester
Five keys to getting the most out of Today...
1) Live with Purpose
God has a purpose for your life. Created to worship…love Him (with all our hearts, soul, mind, strength) - My life is here by divine design to fulfill God’s great purpose.
2) Live with Focus
Focus causes you to do the things that are important. Life decisions require focus. Time is limited therefore focus is required. Focus on the things of God…the life He wants us to live for Him.
3) Choose to Take Risks
God has called us to live a life of faith, not mediocrity. ‘Have a go!’ – Be passionate about TODAY!
4) Make every Second Count
Your ‘perspective’ will cause you to value or devalue your time. Our perspective shapes of life…governs our priorities. Get God’s perspective on you life.
5) Live in Preparation
Be prepared so that you are ready when the call of God comes.
David (speaking to that GIANT)…1 Samuel 17:46 – This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
Be ready to take your opportunity when it comes.
Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it" - This is the day! (NOT - This is ‘A’ Day but this is THE Day the Lord has made!)
Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Jesus prayed…
Matthew 6:9-11 – (9) This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (10) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us today our daily bread.
Jesus prayed about the great purpose and will of God (Your Kingdom come, Your will be done) and then linked it back to today (verse 11). ‘Give us TODAY…’
There is a strong link between the eternal purpose of God and today!
WHY PEOPLE MISS THE VALUE OF TODAY
1) They Get Stuck in Yesterday’s Successes or Yesterday’s Negativity
In Psalm 77 the Psalmist dreamed of "the good old days." He looked backward and his attachment to the past limited his present. He would have done well to forget what was and focus on the what is. Looking back and dwelling in the past will limit our present.
Let me say three things about that:
(Firstly) Don't dwell on past sins and failures. Learn the lessons that failure teaches us, turn away from those sins in genuine repentance.
(Secondly) Don't dwell on "the good old days" which weren't as good as our memory tricks us into believing. Yes, have fond memories, cherish special moments of days gone by, but don't live there and forget about today!
(Thirdly) Don't rest on your laurels of past accomplishments. Some think they've done their lifetime of service for Christ and now they'll just sit back and let others do all the work. Past accomplishment should not limit present opportunities and service.
What happened in our past in some way influences our present and that can be a good thing IF we learn the lessons we ought to have learned. But it is not a good thing if we bring our former sins/failures, former joys and even former successes into the present and let them limit what we are doing right now.
Whatever you were in the there and then should not keep you from being what you can be in the here and now. Don't let your past limit your present. THIS IS A NEW DAY!
My day is not determined by what is happening around me, it is determined by WHO is living in me!
2) They Worry about Tomorrow
Matthew 6:25-35
KEY: Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well
NLT puts it like this in Luke 12:31 – "He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."
And God said this - "For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT).
If Jesus is the Lord of your present, He has taken care of your past and assures you of a glorious future. With God, the best is yet to come.
Jesus is the same yesterday, TODAY and forever!
3) They Overestimate Tomorrow
Some people anticipate and yearn for the future as "better days which are to come." But people can (through longing for tomorrow) - despise today.
Both being apprehensive about the future and longing too much for it impacts the here and now.
You cannot hope for a good tomorrow without investing in it today - the seed you sow into the soil of today will determine your harvest of tomorrow
The purposes of God are future (YES) – but must be worked out on the present TODAY.
4) They Underestimate Today
Daily discipline that you exercise determines whether you fulfill the purpose of God. Do it TODAY. Don’t wait.
Today is the day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, today is the day of salvation! (What are we waiting for?)
John 4:35 – Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest! Today the fields are ready for harvesting!
Don’t let idleness deceive you. For while you give him today, he steals tomorrow from you. - A. F. Forester
Five keys to getting the most out of Today...
1) Live with Purpose
God has a purpose for your life. Created to worship…love Him (with all our hearts, soul, mind, strength) - My life is here by divine design to fulfill God’s great purpose.
2) Live with Focus
Focus causes you to do the things that are important. Life decisions require focus. Time is limited therefore focus is required. Focus on the things of God…the life He wants us to live for Him.
3) Choose to Take Risks
God has called us to live a life of faith, not mediocrity. ‘Have a go!’ – Be passionate about TODAY!
4) Make every Second Count
Your ‘perspective’ will cause you to value or devalue your time. Our perspective shapes of life…governs our priorities. Get God’s perspective on you life.
5) Live in Preparation
Be prepared so that you are ready when the call of God comes.
David (speaking to that GIANT)…1 Samuel 17:46 – This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
Be ready to take your opportunity when it comes.
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