Tag Archives: Obedience

Love (Part 3 of 6)

Without love, truth will not be valued. Without truth, it is difficult to know how to obey. Without obedience, it is impossible to demonstrate true love.

To understand Love, it will help to understand how it is integrally connected to Truth and to Obedience, such that you cannot separate the three. These three ideas intersect with one another at almost every point. Love, Truth, Obedience

Taking our lead from the letter of 1 John, we have looked at Perfect Love (Part 2 of this series). We turn our attention now to the relationships between Love, Truth and Obedience.

Let’s consider ‘Love’.

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Sermon – The Sceptre Comes to Judah (2 Sam 7:1-29)

2 Samuel Artwork

In the sermon King David demonstrates how to be successful as a king in Israel by obeying God fully.  He humbly and lavishly celebrates the presence of God as he brings the ark into the new capital of Israel.  Yet it is God who will bless David through his promise to build his “house” into an everlasting kingship bringing blessing to his people. David’s ensuing strength, wisdom and justice give prompt testimony to the faithfulness of God’s promises.

Read the Bible Text – 2 Samuel 7

– Dave Swan

Perfect Love (Part 2 of 6)

Love is a many splendored thing,

Love lifts us up where we belong,

All you need is love!

 

Love is just a game.

I was made for loving you baby,

You were made for loving me.

 

You’d think that people would’ve had enough of silly love songs…

So goes the lyrics of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge (2001). It is a mash-up of love songs that highlight how confusing ‘love’ can be and captures many of the different ideas that exist about that wonderful little thing called ‘Love’.

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Uncomfortable Love (Part 1 of 6)

I remember the call. Nothing seemed right about what I was being asked to do!

I was in Damascus. The gospel work there had been growing as more and more became followers of Jesus. The rumour was that Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus. This was unsettling.

Saul had led the charge against many followers of the Way. He had issued murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples and had arranged permission from the High Priest to travel around the synagogues seeking out Christians to imprison for their faith. He was a piece of work. We all knew the threat he posed.

And then the Lord called out to me in a vision:

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Opinion: Challenge & Opportunity

I was asked the question: ‘What are the major challenges, and/or ministry opportunities, facing Australian churches in 2018?”

It is far above my station to be able to speak for just the church in which I serve let alone all Australian churches! And so with that caveat, I humbly offered this opinion in answer to that question:

Christians face the continued challenge to be in the world but not of it.

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Fear of being Fake

101 5pm church update header

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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