Check out this short video about the crucifixion of Jesus. It’s taken from the Life of Jesus documentary featuring author and historian Dr John Dickson from CPX.
If you’ve got questions about Jesus – check out your local church this weekend.
8 Sermons on Matthew 8-12
During term 1 at St Faith’s Narrabeen we hit up Matthew8-12. Quality series. In those verses Jesus is both the one to fear, but also the one who comes to show mercy and compassion to lost people. Below are links to all the sermons. Check them out:
Jesus: Before he was famous | Matt 7:28-8:27 – Kerry Nagel
Jesus: Doctor to sinners | Matthew 8:28-9:36 – Dave Miers
Jesus: Lord of the Harvest | Matt 9:35-10:23 – Ben Molyneux
Jesus: The one to fear | Matt 10:24-42 – Dave Miers
Jesus: Don’t look for another | Matt 11:1-19 – Ben Molyneux
Jesus: The way to find rest | Matt 11:20-30 – Kerry Nagel
Jesus: The Lord of Rest | Matt 11:28-12:21 – Dave Miers
Jesus: The big brother you want | Matt 12:22-50 – Ben Molyneux
If you’ve had a listen to the series (live or via mp3) I’d would love to hear how you were impacted by them. Peaceout.
No broken people allowed
1 Samuel 22:2 stood out in my readings yesterday (need a reading plan? check this): “And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.” (ESV) It’s in the context of David fleeing from Saul as he tries to kill David. I love it. All the bothered, bankrupt and bitter join David’s team. This isn’t a crack team, far from it. It’s a bunch of broken people.
I love the fact that this motley crew of fellas are ultimately formed into a pretty lean mean fighting machine under David’s leadership. I don’t want to overly allegorize, but perhaps there’s a lesson here for Christian leadership. Sometimes in Christian ministry we set the bar so high for participation on a ministry team that we only allow those who’ve got it all sorted out to be part of the action. That’s dumb.
Don’t write off the bothered. Don’t write off the bankrupt. Don’t write off the bitter.
David pulled together a killer team because “the LORD was with him”. But David is only a shadow of the reality to come in Christ. On Jesus’ team, it’s only broken people allowed. He didn’t come for the healthy, but for the sick. He’s a pretty good captain!
Next time someone doesn’t measure up to your list of requirements, perhaps you could think again.
Sharing Your Faith in a Dangerous Place
I’m so encouraged by the work of Thirteen Three. They’re the youth arm of Voice of the Martyrs Australia. (You can see some of my previous posts related to 13:3 under the ‘persecution’ tag). Brad Konemann is doing an amazing job at encouraging youth ministries to stand with and be encouraged by our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. I’m personally looking forward to working closely with Brad on some upcoming projects. More info coming soon.
In the meantime, I want to encourage any youth ministers within an achievable distance of Western Sydney or Sutherland Shire to take your group along to Thirteen Three’s two upcoming June events. I’m guessing you’re finalising your term 2 program now – so make sure you leave some room for this event!! I believe that under God it will have a profound impact on your youth community.
Thirteen Three is bringing out Pastor Victor, an international youth speaker and frontline evangelist with a dangerous, covert ministry to Muslims in Malaysia!
Are you nervous about sharing your faith?
This event is for you! Thirteen Three is helping to equip Australian youth to share their faith in their local communities. Learn from ordinary Christians who speak up for Jesus even if it means being beaten or going to jail and be BOUND WITH THEM as an everyday part of following Jesus.
Save these dates now!
Western Sydney
7PM Friday 17 June 2011
MBM Rooty Hill
20 Westminster Street
Rooty Hill NSWThe Shire
7PM Friday 24 June 2011
Menai Anglican Church
Broughton Place
Barden Ridge NSWYou don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to meet a persecuted Christian firsthand and to be challenged to live out Hebrews 13:3!
Check out the website for more details and some resources to help you promote the event.
Also, see below the jump for highlights vid from last year’s event:
The Genesis of Everything
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Sometimes I think we complicate things by focusing on the wrong things when it comes to reading the rest of Genesis 1. I don’t think the purpose of Genesis 1 is to describe the mechanics of how God created the heavens and the earth. God could have created in 6 literal 24 hour days, but I think to make that the centre of my gospel is to miss the point of Genesis 1 and the point of the gospel! I think that’s reading Genesis contrary to its historical context.
I recently read a brilliant paper by John Dickson, The Genesis of Everything: An historical account of the Bible’s opening chapter, where he deals with this very issue.
Check out the Abstract:
The paper seeks to plot a path through the controversy surrounding the Bible’s opening chapter by examining Genesis 1 in historical context. The author assumes and endorses no particular view of human origins but argues for a literal interpretation of the text, as opposed to what may be called ‘literalistic’. The former reading gives due weight to both the literary genre of Genesis 1 and the cultural milieu of the original writer, whereas the latter gives sufficient attention to neither.
Various pre-scientific interpretations of Genesis 1 are described, including those of the first century Jewish intellectual Philo and the great Christian theologian Augustine. In particular, comparisons are drawn with the Babylonian creation epic, Enuma Elish, and it is suggested that Genesis 1 is a piece of ‘subversive theology’, making significant theological points in the light of contemporaneous creation ideas. The questions raised (and answered) by the Bible’s opening chapter concern the nature of the Creator, the value of creation and the place of humanity within the creational scheme. Modern questions concerning the mechanics and chronology of creation may not be appropriately put to the ancient text.
I will wait for you
Check this amazing poem by Janette…Ikz. The Resurgence recommend it “for all single people”, but I think it’s valuable for married people too. Here it is:
Here’s 3 things I like about it:
- it’s real about the struggles single people may face
- it encourages all people (single or married) to trust in the sufficiency of Jesus
- the audience clicks/snaps instead of clapping. cool.
Simply Sing – Fresh Songs for Churches
When my friend Matt Mulready contacted me and said I should check out his new music project, I knew it would be good. But let me be honest, it’s much better than I was expecting!! Let me explain. Simply Sing is seeking “to equip God’s family with fresh songs that teach and respond to the saving work of Jesus.” Cool aim. I knew that the songs would do that. They do. The music is great, and the lyrics are really encouraging.
After I downloaded the tracks I prepared myself to listen to some basic demo’s. This is when I was blown away (not literally, I’m pretty heavy and the wind would need to be pretty strong). The tracks that they’ve produced aren’t basic demo’s. They are really tight, well produced and recorded songs. Sweet!
Simply Sing have released 5 songs with the launch of the website. For a limited time it includes a free download of See the Man. The other tracks are priced cheaper than tracks on iTunes. Win. I really enjoy the new music to the old hymn There is a Green Hill. It’s a tough call, but of the 5 tracks my favourite is At your Feet. Check out these great lyrics from verse 1 and the chorus: