Humble Ambition – Oxymoron?

Humble Ambition! Sounds like an oxymoron, but not when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To be ambitious for the lost is demonstrated in a Christian who puts the needs of others before themselves. Paul says ‘in humility, consider others better than yourselves’ (Phil 2:3). This is not a statement of worth – it is a statement of purpose. As Christ did, the Christian can and should humble themselves in order to be a servant of others – even to the point of loss.

To be so captured by the gospel of Christ that you willingly sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others and the glory of God – is ambitious.

Let me offer five suggestions for putting this into practice at Church (thankful that so many in our Church family are shining examples of this principle)…

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The Sorting Hat Dilemma!

In J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter the new students at Hogwarts are sorted into houses by a talking ‘Sorting Hat’. Clever! If anyone has an issue, then don’t blame it on the faculty, blame it on the ‘Sorting Hat’!

On Sunday I received this anonymous question: ‘Can we please keep the same Home Group next year?’

Sure! Easy for me (Can’t believe we are already thinking about next year!). I love that you have enjoyed your Home Group so much this year that you would like more of that next year.

But before we lock that down, it may be helpful to consider some factors.

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Fear of being Fake

I fear being fake.

I have been a Christian for over 20 years now and there have been times when I have felt I have just been going through the motions. Is that wrong?

It is a horrible feeling, but as I have often said it is difficult to control feelings (although it is possible to manage feelings).

Christians are real people. We serve a real God, who really loves us and who is really disappointed when we sin. At this I am ashamed. I don’t want to sin, and I do. I want to be serious and active in my faith and yet at times I feel as if I am just taking it all for granted.

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Almost Party Time! Time to get ready.

Christmas is coming (‘Already – please, it comes around so fast’!)

Some of us will be more active than others when it comes to inviting family, friends and colleagues, but let me say that Christmas is one of the easiest times to invite people to church things – we are helped that the retail calendar has been arranged around gospel events (i.e. Christmas and Easter).

There are three intentional steps which will help in inviting someone.

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Sermon: Made Alive (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Sunday’s 9am sermon ‘Made Alive’ (Ephesians 2:1-10) by Ken Noakes is now available: http://bit.ly/1LK3g6X

‘It is to this world; dead, enslaved, condemned and ignorant that God shows his love, mercy, grace and kindness.’ – Ken Noakes

Belong or Believe?

Why is it that we belong?

There is a tension often in Christian communities – the tension of wanting more and more people to feel comfortable and welcome so that they may enjoy a sense of belonging to a body which likes to be together. Yet on the other hand, being a people who believe and respond to the Word of God – when at times that Word challenges, or confronts, or asks something of the person which is not that comfortable.

Which comes first? Belonging or Belief?

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A Thankful Thanks

It is a helpful to stop every so often and think about what God has been doing around us and for us. There is much to celebrate. Yet, I think I am often thankfully challenged! In other words, I often fail to be thankful for much.

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Question: ‘What do you think is the biggest misconception unbelievers have about Jesus?’

How would you answer ?

Humbly, I am not sure I am the one to determine what the biggest misconception may be, but let me offer this thought. I wonder if a key misconception that unbelievers have about Jesus is that he is dead!

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Standing on the safe side of Salvation!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where some obstacle gets in your way? Where your desire to get from one place to another is blocked by factors you find too hard to overcome. Normally this is not too great an issue. Just give up, or slowly find another way around the issue.

Increase the temperature. Imagine a life and death situation. A situation where the obstacle just has to be overcome because if not, you lose your life! The urgency will force you to take risks that you would not normally take.

Friends, I wonder whether we need to increase the temperature.

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Christian Marriage (Part 5)

To be a Christian is to be someone who recognizes, more sharply and clearly than our world, that the creation story is not the end.

As early as Genesis 4 we are introduced to Lamech who took more than one wife, even the great Abraham had more than one wife and also had concubines.The Old Testament accounts report polygamy but they never hold it up as an example to be imitated. By the end of Genesis we’ve seen adultery, incest, rape, homosexual rape, prostitution – quite a bit more than we really were bargaining on.

The fall has damaged all of our relationships, especially and profoundly the marriage relationship.

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