clothedwithsackcloth

Designer/Client Meetings at 'Prayer and Fasting'

2011-05-07T21:48:00.001+01:00

Two days of prayer and fasting is always a busy couple of days for us freelancer's who is lucky enough to be also working as part of a church leadership team. It becomes a great place to meet with church leaders to discuss a well needed re-brands, or a fresh new website design, and we always try and cram in as many as we can!

And with another two day conference fast approaching please do get in touch if you, or you know a few church leaders who are looking about shaping or re-designing your churches visual identify online, or in print.

Check out our folio here and get in touch.

Been looking for a designer to re-brand your church or for some marketing materials?

2010-09-30T00:18:00.002+01:00

Taking a break from blogging simply to focus on my business wearedraft.co.uk. Check out our online portfolio and drop us a email if your thinking of giving your church a well needed re-brand or looking to produce some quality material materials.

View our portfolio here: http://www.wearedraft.co.uk/

Praying with Power

2010-04-25T21:52:00.005+01:00

It seems that everytime I get asked to share about what’s been happening in the students and 20s’ group at NCC we always have stories of incredible answers to prayer, and the last term has been no exception.

One thing that we decided upon right at the beginning of the year was to soak everything we do this year in prayer. We introduced our ‘144 prayer nights’ and an early morning prayer time on Thursday mornings, where we have just been crying out to God to move in countless situations, and He has been so faithful in answering our prayers.

I remember at the last week of prayer we spent a few minutes praying for one another and one of the things I mentioned to Tim Blaber (one of the NCC elders) was that I'd love to see five people get saved in our students and 20s’ group by the end of the year - thinking at the time of almost what a ridiculous thing that would be! But incredibly God has faithfully answered our prayer and last term we saw five students or 20s respond to the gospel for the first time. Praise the Lord! Maybe if we had prayed for 25 we would have got 25!

I want us to see this as a foundation, a base or simply just the beginning of what I believe God is going to do amongst us as a group and as a church. And there is no doubt in my mind that we are beginning to see direct answers to prayer, and are beginning to enjoy the fruit of hours of praying and crying out to God to break into peoples’ situations with the power of the gospel. Jesus told us that whatever we ask in His name, He will do it (John 14:14): this creates an incredible opportunity we need to continually hold onto and press into. The fact is Jesus has called each of us by name, and has ordained us to bear fruit through answered prayer (John 15:16).

Our heart as a team is to see you guys becoming even more passionate about prayer, living prayer centred lives and rejoicing when God answers.

NCC iPhone App Launch

2010-04-06T16:35:00.004+01:00

We can finally announce the release of the new NCC iPhone app which hit the iTunes App Store earlier in the week. This app is another phase in the steps we have been taking recently to improve and expand the media resources we have been releasing with New Community Church.

The app will enable iPhone users to access their audio, video and blog resources at the touch of a button anywhere in the world. The app enables anyone who already listens to, reads or views the content we are producing all the time in a way which may be easier for them to do so. All the content which gets uploaded online is now available straight through to your handheld device. So whether you’re on the move or at home you can access their content without having to be near your computer.

Since the launch of their new website the church have seen a massive increase in hits both in the Resource section, which contains weekly sermon video and audio, as well as the number of blogs they have recently introduced. With the introduction of this app we want to make it as easy as possible for people to keep up-to-date with everything that is going on in the life of the church.

We hope you enjoy your free download at the iTunes App store and let us know what you think.

For any technical help email: chris.smyth@newcommunitychurch.org.uk

I'm Gonna be a History Maker?

2010-04-01T12:17:00.007+01:00

Shameless Facebook scandals have effected massive situational public opinion over the last few years but most seem to contain an element of 'something worth fighting for.' This current facebook plee to get this 14 year old 'classic' History Maker by Delirious? to the top of the charts just seems to me a little outrageous.

Are we not making a massively embarrassing statement about the quality of modern 'christian music' and therefore the quality of everything we produce. Is this song really going to piont people to Jesus or just cringe embarrassingly at how bad this song really is? Is there not more appropriate things we could be 'positively' promoting or campaigning for that isn't going to result in increasing the public opinion that we are still playing 'musical and cultural catch-up' game? Maybe for example a song that focusing on Jesus and not what 'i'm' going to do?

Discipleship Workshop

2010-03-29T12:09:00.000+01:00

Blog from NCC Students and 20's

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” - Hebrews 10:24

One of the key aspects of being a Christian is that you never stand still. You are always looking for ways to grow, to improve, to become more like Christ. And the great thing about being part of the body of Christ is that you can find the guidance and support needed to do this from within the church itself. This is what discipleship is all about: it is about motivating each other into living lives pleasing to God, that fulfil his purpose and bring glory and honour to his name.

Yesterday’s workshop was aimed at really kick-starting this system, which has been on the hearts of the student team for a while now.

The evening opened up with an ice-breaker aimed at allowing individuals to identify their strengths and weaknesses in areas such as doctrine and theology, relationships and character. Not only is this valuable in encouraging self-assessment and self-awareness, it also helps to identify complimentary disciple/disciple partnerships i.e. we should seek to be discipled by those who are strong in the areas in which we are weak.

It was great to look at the theory and practice of discipleship. The key areas touched upon were as follows:

1. Biblical precedent: Jesus had disciples. These were 12 individuals with whom he had a close relationship, and whom he taught and encouraged in order that they might be sent out to, effectively, change the world through the Gospel message. So basically, you’re not gonna get a better advertisement for discipleship than that!

2. Discipleship is not about ‘better’ Christians helping ‘weaker’ Christians: it is about forming a relationship with somebody who will encourage you, pray with you, and to whom you will become accountable. It is so important that we spend time with people who have been Christians for longer than we have and who are more mature in their faith, to encourage, challenge and support us.

3. But all of these things come out of genuine friendship: if you do not have this dynamic, you will not capitalise on the time you spend together because you will not be as open and honest as you should be. Therefore, for both discipler and disciple, the system is not a mechanical routine, but is based on a real heart to heart relationship.

4. Discipleship is a two-way street: a discipler has to be open and honest with their disciple, and should also be discipled in turn.

5. Some discipleship relationships form naturally, others have to be actively pursued. Not all look the same: some fail and need to be reassessed, others flourish and need to be maintained: but the onus is on the disciple to pursue this relationship, as this shows a genuine desire to pursue the relationship which in turn will produce the best fruit.

As a students and twenties group, I think we have a real desire to grow daily in our spiritual lives: in our giftings, in our knowledge, in our passion and in our characters. Therefore it makes sense that we should pursue this system of discipleship, which aims to help us do just that. It was great to see people signing up at the end: I think that as these discipleship relationships begin to form, we will the effects both individually and corporately, and that discipleship will prove invaluable in strengthening the group and helping it fulfil its vision.

Students and 20s Early Morning Prayer

2010-03-06T23:15:00.002Z

I'm sure you will agree that as a student and 20s group we have seen an incredible number of prayers answered this term. God has been so good to us as we deliberately and very intentionally engaged and focused this term on both the importance and the power of prayer. Particularly in our '144 Prayer Nights' which have been dedicated to soaking everything we do in prayer. There have been a number of exciting and incredible answers to prayer from a student Alpha table, to seeing over 45 Bird college students come through our doors, to some palpable encounters with God in our times together.

Next term I'm sure will be no different, but we felt we wanted to 'up the anti' a little more by introducing a Thursday morning worship and prayer time leading into our regular Weatherspoons breakfast on Sidcup high street. These times will take place at the centre at 10am every Thursday morning with a particular focus on praying for one another and inviting the Holy Spirit to come equip and empower us to live bold and radical New Testament Christianity on our campuses and in our workplaces, and to give space for God to speak to us prophetically. Depending on the response from the number of you who are on campus, we will be organising lifts to make it as easy as possible to come along and join us. I'm sure these times will be significant for us next term. As we continue to press into God he will continue to faithfully meet with us and answer our cry.

James 5:16 ...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Recent Church Marketing

2010-03-06T23:07:00.002Z

Small collection of freelance work I have been producing for New Community Church, South East London in the form of an eflyer.

New Community Church Website Launch!

2010-01-11T16:31:00.001Z

Visit the site here: newcommunitychurch.org.uk

At last the wait is finally over and we are very pleased to be relaunching our website this weekend. Many hours over the last six months have gone into the design, production and implementation of this site which we believe really does start to take church websites to a whole new platform.

As a church, one of our key values is that we are a 'resource church.' We want to echo this quality throughout every aspect of church life, including our online materials, as much as possible. This site takes this value to an even greater capacity.

We wanted to move away from the trap of creating purely an 'information site' which is just used as a 'front window' for the church and wanted to create an interactive online resource that is both 'church member' and 'visitor' friendly. A site that is attractive and at the cutting edge of modern web design, aswell as being functional and user friendly.

As a result we have integrated a number of new features to the site which we hope you will use regularly. The first of which are a number of church blogs. These enable fresh, real time content to be added daily from different ministry areas within the church. You can subscribe to blog content via the RSS feeds and receive updates quickly and easily direct to your inbox.

Another key feature is our 'what's on' calendar. We wanted to take our events calendar to a whole new level with this highly interactive monthly display with detailed event descriptions. In the past we are well aware that the website hasn't been kept as 'up-to-date' with the key events as it should have been. This new system allows us to upload at least three months in advance and is a fantastic resource for both church members and church visitors.

The third key development and a large focus of the new design for us is the 'resource' section. At NCC we are blessed with a number of very gifted bible teachers and preachers and we wanted to really utilise this valuable resource God has given us. The 'resource' section works similarly to any modern music software such as iTunes or Spotify, with series and sermons being graphically broken down and streaming audio with the option to download or subscribe to regular podcast feeds via iTunes. We wanted to create a site that was also forward thinking and have the ability to include video as a key part of our resource section. So watch this space…

I hope this has given you a brief overview of the new site, but please keep clicking around for yourself. This space will be used to inform you of implement changes and developments to the site. We aim to be continually working and improving this site as the months continue. This new redesign is a truly fantastic resource for the whole church and the wider community.

Chris Smyth (Designer) Dan Bradley (Developer)

Our Natural Response: Sunday AM: Love:Intimacy (Part Four)

2009-11-26T09:02:00.000Z

It was only possible for the disciples to live lives as Jesus was directing when they were abiding in his love. After Christ had revealed his glory. And the reality that most of us sitting here this morning have been sitting in the same shoes of these men. We may not have seen quite the quantity of healings or numbers of demonic strongholds broken but He has revealed who he is to us and has poured out his love upon us.

Just as Dave was speaking about abiding in the vine as such a central point of everything. Everything comes from that place of abiding. Focusing on the root. We need to focus on the love of Christ and how we live our lives will be a natural response to this love. We need to soak ourselves in this love and our lives will be changed. It won't be a question of how do I take up my cross, you will without thinking be taking up your cross. This will shape every decision you make.

You may be in a place this morning where you would say to me, "but the disciples saw a lot of stuff, they had no doubt they had seen countless things happen as they personally laid hands of people. Surly its different for them? Surely they were just more convinced? Or surely they were just more excited? I can understand that response in their case." They were men who stepped out in faith. And as they stepped out they saw revelation after revelation of Christ's love and power. Why aren't we seeing that kind of break-through, or that same intensity of revelation of power in our lives today? I'd say its because we don't step out. Or if we do step out we don't step out enough. The disciples went out with one mission. To reveal the power and love of Christ by healing and casting out the demonic. What is our mission? To make money or be popular? You try and enjoy ourselves as much as possible? Just to be a good friend? Do we ever go out for a day with one mission, to reveal the power of Christ? Have we ever gone out for an hour with only that mission in mind? Well we are going to, and we are going to do it often and we will see the miraculous happen in our campuses and on our high streets. It may not happen the first time, it may not happen the second. But it will happen. You know why? Because we have that same commission as the disciples had. We have that same power and authority given to us.

If we are not careful Christianity becomes nothing more than caring about our own ‘spiritual growth’ and it becomes more and more about how we are feeling or how we are doing. This is radically different from what we see in these passages. We read nothing about the disciple’s thoughts or feelings about going, they simply went and walked straight into revelation.

Effects of Love

2 Corinthians 5 v14-15 says this:
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
You won't realize the true value and magnitude of the cross without realizing the implications and penalty of our sin. The penalty of this sin has been paid for all those who trust in him. What Jesus did on the cross frees you from the outcome of hell that we all deserve. He died that 'those might live no longer live for themselves but for him'. Not out of sorting out their lives to in a way that we may be worthy or considered holy but our life response comes as a direct response to what has already been done for us. This is the ultimate act of love. As we focus on this love, the love that Christ showed us on cross our natural response to take up our cross and deny ourselves. As a response, not a request.

Our attitude of Response
We need to people who constantly are reminding ourselves of this love. To constantly be reminding ourselves of the love shown at the cross. Constantly reminding ourselves that the price has already been paid. Jesus is not just requesting that we may live a certain way but he wants us to enjoy his love and his grace and he wants to enjoy our natural response to this love with our lives. When we come to situations at uni and at work where it just feels to difficult to make the right choice, or do the right thing. Where it is just so easy to live how others around us are living, We need to be a people to soak ourselves in the love and his power. The revelation of love power is the thing that will equip us, not our own strength. When we focus on that love, on that power then the outcome is a natural response. One that effects every part of us. 26: 41 says 'the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' Sometimes is know we want to do the right thing and the spirit is willing but our body is weak and just doesn’t want to. We want to give in to our selfish desires. The flesh is weak, it is harder to do the right thing. In these moments our actions need to be a direct response to his love for us. Not because of a request but because of a response.

Our Natural Response: Sunday AM: Love:Intimacy (Part Three)

2009-11-25T09:00:00.000Z

It’s interesting the way these two events occurred. Almost in our minds it makes more sense for the weight of this word to come before the sending out. Isn't that how we work in today’s culture. You prove yourself in this area and then you get the responsibly to go out and act. But Jesus doesn't present these two passages in that order. He sends and commissioned first. The disciples see great things; things they couldn't have even imagined were possible. There then was a confession of faith when Peter called Jesus the Christ. And only then does Jesus present this radical lifestyle into the equation. Why? Because when they saw there natural response was to do that anyway. They didn’t have to be told a way of life as they had started to live this life naturally already.

But even as I’m saying this you are sitting there thinking, "how on earth am I going to do that?" You may really want to, you may have all good intentions and maybe even a fixed plan in how to live a 'holy' lifestyle. How to run from temptation. How to force your self to do what is right.

Ask yourself this morning what is your motivation for your actions? Is it because you think that is the way you think you should live? Or is it because it’s just written in this book. Or is it because you want to appear better than most. You know guys on the basis of these things alone, and most of them are good intentions, you are never going to live the life Jesus is speaking about in these verses, you are never going to be able to totally deny yourself because you think that you should. You are never going to take up your cross daily because it tells you to in this book.

The natural response

Our issues with this verse is that so often we look at it the wrong way round. We look at it as a correction of life style or as a rulebook that we are falling radically short of, rather than a natural response to the revelation of Christ’s love he has already displayed to us. You start reading the passage in the right order suddenly you see the response and not the rulebook.

The disciples didn’t have to be told they were naturally already starting to respond to what they had seen. They were completely submerged in the revelation of Christ’s love and power. There is only one way we will be able to even get close to doing these things. And that is to completely submerge our-selves in that same love and revelation of his power. To completely submerge yourself in the Glory of Christ, in the power of Christ. To be stepping out boldly in your faith. After Jesus told the disciples to go can you imagine their first response? Can you imagine the first people they came up to in the street? Can you imagine the awkwardness of those first encounters? You can imagine the surprise on their faces when it actually worked. The first time they laid hands on someone and they were healed. The first time they spoke to a demon and it left. Can you imagine the excitement upon realizing that that encounter wasn't just a one off? That wherever they went people were being healed. And as the disciples stepped out their faith increased. And as they stepped out more and more and sheer reality of that what was continually happening around them become clearer and clearer. Jesus Christ the one they had been following around and hanging off every word he spoke, really was the Son of God and He really did have the power to cast out demons and heal the sick. It is no surprise that in later verses Peter publicly confessed that Christ is the Lord. Because he had stepped out in faith, and the glory of God was revealed through the miraculous.

Our Natural Response: Sunday AM: Love:Intimacy (Part Two)

2009-11-24T09:56:00.000Z

There are some definitive parts to this verse I want to take apart in a little detail just so we can break down to the true meat of these words.
1. Let him deny himself.
What is our self?
A few years ago I used to work as a ‘artificial stone dresser’, which basically is a clever way of saying that I used to make stone in a freezing cold warehouse. My boss was a guy called Johny and to this day I still think he is probably the nicest guys I have ever met. But Johny used to have this little motto and although it sounds a little silly it really did apply to many aspects of his life: "WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT IT, AND AS MUCH OF IT AS I WANT." All he lived for was a good time, and if I’m honest he had had a good time! He was the kind of guy who a story for every occasion, and most of them involving the police in some nature. This life style choice is often called 'hedonism' and put plainly is the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole good in life. And this is what drives most people. And we are honest we probably all have touched on this in our lives. It may not be as obvious in some but for many this is the case.
Paul speaks a lot in his letters to churches in the New Testament about our nature as humans. We have this certain set nature because of the sin of Adam. That 'original sin' is in our very nature as humans. That it something that just plain and simply ‘in’ us. Paul says in Romans, 'Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.' (Romans 7:20) Paul’s point is that even if we have all good intentions, even if we do not what we want to do, it is the sin our very nature that does it. Sin is deep down within us.
Jesus is challenging how content we are with that this nature. And further still he is not only talking about denying certain lifestyle choices or certain habits we know that are wrong but he is talking about denying the control of our lives. To give control over to him. What is implied in this short four words is actually pretty massive when we try to apply this to our lives.
2. To take up your cross daily
I've heard many people speak on this passage before, using words like "we all have our burdens to bare", it may be a tough situation or a family member with an illness and you will hear people say "that's my cross I have to carry." Ever heard that? And people actually teach that! I don't believe that is at all what Jesus was talking about when he said take up cross.
There was no doubt or lack of impact in his words, he just said it bold and simply how it was. Jesus was talking about making a commitment to follow him that will lead to rejection and possibly even death. He wasn’t talking about taking any decision lightly or a decision that may affect some small part of your life at some point in the future. He was talking about a decision that would affect everything. One that would ultimately change every part of your life.
I think the sheer impact of this verse gets so washed around because of how the majority of Christians today live their lives. Without any real conviction of sin. Without any real heart for the lost or want to share their faith because the fear of rejection is far too important to them.
The very kick of this verse is that you will, without doubt be rejected. You will without doubt be an outsider to the world. And you know guys if we are not offending anyone with the gospel, if we are not having people mock us and despise us because of the message we bring we are not even getting close to taking up our cross. In fact our cross our cross is still firmly a tree the woods. Some of us can look back at times when we were taken the mic out of at school or someone called us a bible basher. And you know the reality is sometimes I think that that is the closest we have come to taking up our cross.
And if that wasn’t hard enough already Jesus says to do this daily. I don't believe we do this monthly let alone daily. You may look back to a time where were fearless. Maybe at school or sixth form you made a firm stand for what you believed and maybe you long for those times again but they feel so far away. And you what, they are so far away. In fact they may feel pretty much impossible. These things seem totally impossible for us to do. Their is no way we can find it in us to deny ourselves, and take up my cross even for one day, let alone daily. And even if we can find the want to, it just doesn't last.
The key part to this is passage it that it doesn't sit here on its own. I hasn't just randomly been thrown down on paper as a passing thought. No, it is intentionally sandwiched between the power and the revelation of God.

Our Natural Response: Sunday AM: Love:Intimacy (Part One)

2009-11-23T16:49:00.001Z

This morning I want to build on what God has been speaking to us about by sharing with you one of the simple realities why I believe we struggle to go into a deeper level of intimacy in our relationship with him. Some of us have got used to a way of life. Some have got used to a system that works for us. Some have got into to a routine, which seems to work for us. Many of us really do have the best intensions with healthy motives but underneath it all is a mindset of rules, routines and if we are honest legalistic obedience. Outwardly we do things that make us appear how we want to appear, as we would like to appear. Maybe not even as an attempt to impress or please watching others but in an effort to please God. I want to talk this morning about what I want to call “the natural response,” and the concept of ‘doing because you have to, not because you need to.

Jesus has something meaty to say in these short verses we are going to look at in Luke 9 but to understanding the true implications of these verses we really need to take a quick step back and glance briefly at the whole of the chapter. The mistake of taking this short pocket of scripture out of context changes completely how Jesus was communicating these words. All will become clear as we get into the passage.

1.Twice Jesus reveals his power and his love through the miraculous.
• Jesus sends out the 12, healing many and casting out demons everywhere they went.
• The feeding of the 5,000.

2. Peter confesses his faith.

Just as Jesus commissioned these guys into action, there is as well a commissioning for us. That same sending out as we see in Luke 9 v 1 is for us. This alone is revolutionary for some. The second we gave our lives to Christ we took a share in this same call and commissioning. We walk in the same authority and power that these guys had to cast out demons and heal the sick. We heard yesterday, those of you who were in the ‘Treasure Hunting’ seminar about sharing this authority and praying for people in the name of Jesus.

Interestingly though this piece of scripture doesn’t come all by its self-but is paired with these next few verses. And what follows is probably one easiest to ‘read over’ verse in the bible. Jesus paints a pretty hard-hitting picture of what our lives are look like.

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

church Marketing: two service station poster

2009-11-16T14:41:00.002Z

Sidcup is packed full of London commuters, waiting patiently very morning with a coffee for their train. We wanted to give them something to look at! This is the next poster in our planned station adverts. Good design and advertising is such a powerful tool in todays society, especially in the U.K where we are surrounded by a culture that has been "trained" to respond to advertising, a world that responds so vividly to anything and everything visual.

Book review: The Ultimate Treasure Hunt: Kevin Dedmon

2009-11-07T17:11:00.003Z

The concept of 'Treasure Hunting' seems to have been thrown around a lot at the moment not only in California but in a number of UK churches in Newfrontiers. And although I have had very little experience in 'going' treasure hunting I really wanted to check out what all the fuss was about. This book by Kevin Dedmon had been on my 'to read' list for sometime and over the last few days I had the chance to finally get into it.

Prior to reading this book I had only been on two 'treasure hunts' but with a strong desire to do more, particularly encouraging the student and 20s at New Community Church to be thinking about getting involved with 'hunting' on their campuses and in their workplaces I hoped this book would be helpful. My first time out our team had some very odd things on our map. We had, a bus stop, the colour pink, drink problems, the name steve and chest pain. And as we left the church building where we had received our clues we took to the streets of Wimbledon a little apprehensive about what was about to happen. But then only 20 yards away from the building someone on our team pointed out the first 'bus stop' we came to, and looking a little closer noticed a big 'pink', 'stevie' wonder poster on the side with a guy sitting there with a can of 'drink'. So as you can imagine we were all a little shocked that God had led us to our first clue in only 20 yards! After plucking up enough courage to go over and speak to him he told us he was suffering with 'chest pain!' And after explaining a little about what we were doing and that we believed that God had led us to him that evening he let us pray that God would reveal himself to him and heal him of his chest pain.

It was that simple encounter which sparked something inside of us of the truth that God was really in this and clearly using these 'treasure hunts' to guide his people to someone he wanted to reveal himself to. This book then for me was a must read and one I would defiantly recommend to anyone who may be a little apprehensive about this. The book is packed with stories of hunts and incredible miracles happening as God has led teams to people on the side of roads, in petrol stations, to peoples front doors and a number of crazy divine situations in random place to 'treasure' that he wanted to reveal himself to. These stories really do stir faith to want to see these things happen in your town and on your high-streets and in your local campuses.

Dedmon grounds all this biblically throughout the book. Pointing out time and time again where God clearly speaks into a situation, leading to an opportunity to pray for someone. Ananias being told to go to see Paul and heal him of this blindness is one he comes back to time and time again.

Pre-reading this book my only concern for that this 'supernatural evangelism' would become a set event and not something we do more as a lifestyle but Dedmon addresses this great depth at the end of this book suggesting that beginning to step out in this way when God speaks to us will become more of a lifestyle the more we are obedient to God and 'go' when he tells us to 'go'.

Notes On Baptism in the Spirit: Student Life-Groups

2009-10-29T11:14:00.002Z

I have no doubt that Jesus wants to break into these times together and pour his presence upon us by his Spirit. Lets be expectant of his presence in these times together.

From the very beginning of your Christian life, the Holy Spirit has been working in you. You are ‘born again’ by the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus promised the disciples that they would receive a dynamic power to witness for Him when the Holy Spirit came upon them. (Read Acts 1 v 4-8)

Read Acts 2 38-39

Was the promise of the Holy Spirit only for the New Testament church or is it for us today?

Why do we read incredible moves of the spirit in the book of Acts but rarely see anything like that in our lives today? Shouldn’t this be our daily experience? What is the difference between the New Testament early church and us? Has the Spirit changed? Are we just different? Are we missing out of what God wants to use us for?

Read Acts 19v 1-17.

When Paul met with ‘disciples’ at Ephesus he felt something lacking and asked a very basic question to them:

‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

He knew that there was a receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which every believer was entitled to, but not every believer had automatically. He also expected them to know whether they had been filled with the Holy Spirit or not.

Scripture to think about:

Acts 2 v 1-4
Acts 10 v 44-48
Acts 8 v 12-17
Acts 19 v 1-7

According to these accounts, is the baptism in the Spirit a definite experience? i.e. would you know if you’d had it?

These next few verses talk about things that Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would do for us:

John 14 v 26 “Helper- teach you things and bring things to your remembrance”
John 15 v 26 “Bear witness about the Father”
John 16 v 13 “Guide”
John 16 v 14 “Glorify the Father”

How to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Read John 1 v 29 and v33
Who is the one who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit?

Jesus tells us how to receive: John 7 v 37-39

Focus on this verse: particularly the thirst. If you’re not thirsty ask God why, and to make you thirsty!

These notes were largely based on 'Foundations' by John Groves.

Integrity: The Heart of Character Part Two

2009-10-05T15:06:00.001+01:00

Let me break this down a little more. Integrity is something we share as Christians. We are united in Christ’s integrity and share in this. If you preach something which has no reflection on your own lifestyle you have spoken a huge statement about the whole of Christianity. This is why, in my opinion the church in this country has an incredibly bad reputation. It is because we say one thing and do another. When we do this the bridge falls in over us and wait of anything we say or do is radically destroyed.

There is nothing worse than a lukewarm Christian. In my opinion, half preaching a gospel of hope, peace and joy and half preaching another gospel with his lifestyle, a selfish gospel of instant fun and self gratification. I know this because I have been there, for a long period in my life I was a lukewarm Christian and although God did bless me with some fruit and God did use me in a handful of situations I believe that whole heartedly I would have seen ten times of fruit if what I said was said with integrity.

But you might say to me, “Chris, what about the gifts that God has given me? My gift is evangelism surely this is what is important.”

My response to this would be, yes gifts are important, but character is more so. Gifting without strong character is dangerous and leads to trouble in the end. Character is the foundation in which these gifts, partially evangelism, are based on. We need to see integrity as being key to a solid foundation. Without that in place our gifts and often-good motives are blown around in the wind and they often crash in around us.

So how can we apply this as we go off or back to university? How do we build integrity?
Just a couple of helpful pointers I think we need to keep referring to:
1. Set limits, set boundaries in advance. Driscoll takes about not putting your self in any situation that there is even a chance of sin and you an extent this is what I’m talking about. Practically how does work: setting limits on how much you are drinking and set a realistic limit you can reach and you aren’t going to break straight away. It may be setting boundaries with girl friend or boyfriend; it may be setting gossip boundaries. It is these potentially small things that begin to built up are integrity.
2. Ask and know that you are not doing this on your own. Nothing about Christianity is about us trying to follow a rule book, its about Christ by his holy spirit working in and through us.
3. Be accountable and honest about you are doing with someone. Find someone who will regally speak into your life and let you know how you are doing.

We have to be a people of integrity if we want our words if we want to see change on our campuses and in our workplaces. And just in closing your character growth and the wait of your integrity of also key to your spiritual growth and development.

God’s Heart for this ‘Student Generation’ Part Three

2009-10-05T15:04:00.000+01:00

God has spoken so clearly to us over the summer about not limiting Him and we want to respond to that by getting out onto our campuses and in our workplaces and asking Him to move. As the year goes on we will be doing a number of what has been called ‘treasure hunts’ which are basically asking God to guide us to people he wants to heal or speak to. You know guys I’m so fed up of boring static Christianity, so many churches are made up of people who believe that the gifts of the spirit are limited to the early church and there is so much more for the church in Britain to grab hold of and break out in but on a whole its not happening because, I think of the level of what they expect. New Testament Christianity, which is what we are called to be living, is more radical, more courageous and more exciting than anything else in this world. And this is what we are all about.

So many Christians read the book of acts in light of what they look to as ‘special times’, that was for them and not for us. We are living in privileged times guys, the fact is that Jesus has won the victory at the cross, paid the price for our sin and has sent his holy spirit to empower and equip his church to bring hope, joy and power to this world. We are in those ‘special times’ right now! Anyone who knows God and is filled with his spirit is in those ‘special times’ and what we read in the bible is happening all over the globe today and I think it’s time that we got some balls and stepped out asked God to move in miraculous ways.

God loves to reveal himself, he loves to heal the sick, he loves to break in to the hurting and painful times with joy. And he does not just for the sake of the miraculous, he does so because His glory to reflected, his glory and his power is revealed. And when his glory is revealed, you can’t turn your back, you can’t not respond to him.

So many Christians have taken the supernatural out of their relationship with God, and you know what if you take the supernatural out of the bible you take God out of the bible and you get nothing but a moralistic guidebook. And that is not what I signed up for, that is not what I gave my life for, that is not what I’m living for.

My question to us as a group today is, what are we expecting this year? Who are we abiding in? Are we limiting what God wants to do because we are more caught up in a book of morals than of a supernatural God of power.

So how are we as a group going to respond to this? Well we are going to respond like this. We are going to pray. And we are going to pray. And we are going to pray. We are going to pray until we start to see things happen on our campuses and in our workplaces. And when we do start seeing things happen and we will. We are going to pray some more. Everything we do this year I want us to be soaking in prayer. In James it says:

“16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

And with this I want to close, we are made righteous by the blood of Jesus. Scripture says that our prayer is powerful and effective. So we are going to pray and we are going to see God move. I don’t have to try and convince you of the power of prayer, its right here in scripture. Our prayer is powerful and effective. Let’s put it to good use.

God’s Heart for this ‘Student Generation’ Part Two

2009-10-05T15:03:00.002+01:00

I don’t know about you but in previous years my personal relationship has been one of up’s and down, of great times walking in the spirit and of time where I just couldn’t care less. But what the error of my ways? What was I doing wrong? Well I was trying to love God myself. And it’s important to point out right at the beginning of this year that we are not walking with him by our own strength, we are not trying to love him, we are not trying to live a life that pleases him by our own power or own strength. We have the power of God living inside of us by his Holy Spirit. We need to rely on his power, upon his love, upon his spirit. When we rely on that we can do anything. In John 15 it speaks about abiding in the vine. Which I know is a passage I’m sure many of you are very familiar with, but there is a little phrase in there, which really captures this, which we so often walk straight over.

Jesus said that we are not to abide in our own love for the Jesus, but we are to abide in his love for us. He is pretty much saying, as God loves God that is how I love you. It’s that same exact love that he loves us. Jesus says you need to abide in that love. You will never sustain your own relationship with Jesus, and will not be able to walk in his power by your own love for him. Your love for him is a response to his love, a response to his majesty, a response to his power. It comes after encountering God’s love and Gods power. Jesus is saying in this passage, which is all about abiding in the vine, to abide in him you need to abide in his love. Don’t abide in our own. A fire can only be passed on from a source; we need to abide in the source, in his love, in his power. And our love for him will reflect and be a natural response.

During this series we will be focusing on living lives filled by the Holy Spirit and praying for a real release of spiritual gifts within this group. This space is a great place for stepping out and practicing these gifts for the first time and right at the beginning of the year I want to encourage you to bring prophetic words, words of knowledge, songs that God puts on your heart, tongues and interpretations. If this concept is very new to you just ask God to fill you with his spirit and pour gifts upon you. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians that we are to earnestly desire the gifts of the spirit and with in that Paul is speaking about what he refers to the ‘the greater gifts.’ And what Paul means by this is gifts that do more to build up the church, which is referring to us the gift of prophesy.

I want this space to be an evening where we are so expectant of God moving and speaking to us, pouring his presence upon us and empowering and equipping us with the gifts of his spirit. And when God does this, which he will every time we meet together, my heart is that we won’t then limit these gifts to the meeting place but we take them to our campuses, to the streets and to the local community. Mike Pillivachi said this year at Soul Survivor that ‘the meeting place is the practice place for the marketplace’ and I’d love us to catch hold of the truth and importance of that statement.

God’s Heart for this ‘Student Generation’ Part One

2009-10-05T14:50:00.003+01:00

If you have been around for a while you will notice a number of changes to how things have been run this year. That is because we have had a complete change of team and just felt that we wanted to change focus a little in terms of what we want these times to be about. So therefore you will have already noticed that we are not on campus, we are here, and we are going to stay here. We are still passionate about reaching campus and seeing people saved this year but believe strongly that this meeting place is a place for equipping, commissioning and sending. This may well change and develop as God speaks and leads us. I think its important to note that we are not just trying to copy a typical British church service, we just want to create a space for worship and encountering the presence of God.

This term we will be going through a series called love: relationship, which will be looking at the importance of ‘walking in’ relationship. How can we remain passionate consistently, being filled with the spirit and gifts of the spirit. This series will not be just limited to this kind of meeting setting, it will be filtered into all that we are doing.

Love: worship is a space for you to worship Him however you please and for Him to speak to us, it’s probably the most formal of the times that’s we meet together and will take place once a month on a Sunday evening. Through out the year we are going to have a number of guest speakers who we take us through a section of our series. Tim Blaber, James Silley and Chris Taylor have already said they would love to get involved and I think it would be so beneficial to invite a good number of experienced preachers and teachers to guide us through our series.

Why are we calling it love: worship? Worship is central to everything we do. Worship is the primary reason that God called us into the assembly of the church and worship is an expression the very being of the church. Worship is not simply something we do when we get to the church and the band strikes up, but it is a lifestyle. I’d go as far as to say that every decision you make is a choice to be active in worship or be passive in worship. Everything stems out of this place of worship. And there is a number of things that happen when we worship.

1. We delight in God: God created us not only to glorify him but also to enjoy him and delight in his excellence. I want these evenings to be a space to delight in the fullness of God. David speaks in the Psalms about a ‘fullness of joy, which is found only in his presence and in his right hand are pleasures for evermore.’ I want us to walk and live in this pleasure more and more, I want us as a group to be constantly in this fullness of joy and this flood over into every aspect of our lives.

2. God delights in us: We need to understand that when we love God and praise him, we are bringing joy and delight to his heart. Lets be encouraged by that guys and realize that we don’t worship for us, its not about how we feel, its not about our situations and what we have going on in our lives, its about lifting up his name. And that brings joy to his heart.

3. We draw near to God and God draws near to us and he tends to realign our hearts and desires in line with his. We see the bigger picture.

4. God seems to pour out his spirit out upon as we worship, equipping us and empowering us.

Last Sunday evening I got home from a meeting at the church and as I walked into the house I realized that we had no electricity. Our electricity for some reason is from the dark ages and is one that requires topping up on a key. Except obliviously we never remember to check it until the inevitable happens, and everything turns off. So it’s half past nine in the evening and I know that no shops are going to be open but I walk back up towards Sidcup to check anyway. The reality being there is no way any shop is going to be open. So after a long depressing walk I get back home try the key one last time in a hope that something miraculous would happen but with no joy all I could do was light a few pathetic little Ikea candles and sit in the dark until someone came home, utterly frustrated as I knew I had a lot of things to get done for Monday morning. So sitting realizing I couldn’t do anything I felt God so clearly say to me ‘without my power, you can’t do anything.’ And he said it again and again, ‘ without my power you can’t do anything.’

And I believe that this silly story is somewhat prophetic for us as a student and 20s group with all we have planned this year. So often we try and do things in our own strength and just hope that God meets us and gives us a hand along the way. We need to be a people genuinely relaying completely on God’s power in every thing we do. And I want us to hold on to this fact as we go though this next series on walking in relationship with him.

Integrity: The Heart of Character Part One

2009-09-20T15:43:00.005+01:00

Notes from '144 Prayer Night' 18/09/09.

This year will be a year of incredible character changes and developments in your lives. Everything you do, every decision you make will play an important part in shaping your character. Each decision you make will have an effect, for good, or for bad upon your character.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

Isn’t it interesting how often we focus on our reputation rather than on our character? Reputation is instant, feedback is quick and real. Character takes time to change and develop. You can’t change your reputation with changing your character.

The one character trait that I want us to focus on and what I believe to be at the real heart of our character, and what I think God is speaking to us about is integrity.

What does the Bible have to say about integrity?

1.Integrity means treating people fairly and honestly. (Leviticus 19:35-36, Deut 25:15, Proverbs 16:11-13)

2.Integrity is giving your word and keeping it. (Exodus 8:28-32)

3.Integrity will protect you. In Psalm 25, David prays that integrity and uprightness will protect him. (Psalm 25:21, Proverbs 2:7-8, 10:9, 11:3, 13:6)

4.Integrity is more valuable than riches. (Proverbs 28:6)

5.The Lord will test and judge your integrity. (1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalm 7:8)

6.The Lord hates lies and lack of integrity. (Zechariah 8:16-17)

7.It may be difficult to maintain your integrity. (Job 2:3, 2:9, Proverbs 29:10)

8.Your character can be corrupted by bad company. (1 Corinthians 15:33)

9.Integrity will be rewarded. (1 Kings 9:4-5, Nehemiah 7:2, Psalm 41:11-12)
10. Your integrity should set an example. (Titus 2:7)

In the dictionary, the word integrity means “a firm adherence to a code of moral values, i.e., incorruptible, honor, soundness and wholeness.”

I want us to focus on these phrases, soundness and wholeness and when we think of wholeness we come of think of a physical object such as a bridge or a structure. There is a soundness and completeness about a bridge support legs. We trust in them when we cross the bridge, but even to the point where we don’t even have to think about trusting them. We are not thinking, “I do hope this bridge holds, or I do hope that I’ve put my trust in the right tunnel, one that isn’t going to collapse around me.” There is an unspoken whole and completeness about the bridge.

To be men and women of integrity we need to have unspoken wholeness and completeness about us. We can talk about how incredible the bridge is as we look at it but if we go across it and it doesn’t support us, it has no wait of importance and we would dismiss the whole bridge. It isn’t a bridge if it doesn’t hold us.

This is so similar in our lives, we can look like we have things sorted in how we speak and our lifestyles but when something crosses that bridge and the weight of the support is tested we break down.

At university you will have choice to make and everything you say and do will be weighed against your integrity. You may pluck up the courage to a to bring Jesus into the conversation and say all the right things and tick all the right evangelistical boxes but if those same people see you later that week down the SU bar after a few too many beers, anything you have said will lose it’s wait and the bridge literally crashes down around you.

But don’t read between what I am saying, not for a second am saying that God won’t use your words and seeds won’t have been sown, but I believe you have a responsibility that if you sow seeds that it is your job to make sure that you are watering them. I’d probably go as far to say it is worse to sow a seed and then trample all over it with an un Godly lifestyle than to ever sow it in the first place.

tim blaber: guard the good deposit: sunday 6th new community church, south east london (Part Two)

2009-09-10T12:15:00.000+01:00

III) How do we Guard the Good Deposit?

A) Holy Spirit
• Verse 14
• “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us”
• We are not called upon to guard the gospel purely in our own strength but we are aided by God Himself in this
• The Holy Spirit, our helper, labours with us to guard the gospel
• How does he do this? Several ways....
• Ephesians 1:13 “In Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance “
• The Holy Spirit, whispers to us, sealing in us the promises of the Gospel
• By a demonstration of Power:
1 Corinthians 2:2-5
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (THE GOSPEL). I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
• The gospel must be accompanied by a demonstration of the Spirit’s power
• The Spirit guards the integrity of the Gospel of Jesus by displays of power, by signs and wonders, by transforming lives
• The gospel that Paul preached was proclaimed with more than simply words, it came with the power of the Spirit of God
• We are unashamedly a people of Word and Spirit, for that was who Paul was, that was how he built church, that was his expectation of Timothy as he built church and that is our longing as we build here
• Oh that we would see more of the Spirit’s power among us
• Word and Spirit are not enemies as some would suggest but friends, they are biblically joined together. This amalgamation is vitally important to the heralding of the Gospel.
• If we are to Guard the good deposit, we must seek and depend upon the help of the Spirit in the process
• Without the help of the Holy Spirit my preaching, all preaching is lifeless and void of any potency

B) Abiding in The Word
• Abide in the Word of God, allow it to permeate every area of your life
In an interview, Billy Graham was asked this question: “If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently.” His answer: “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough. I wish I had studied more and preached less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should have been studying and preparing. Donald Barnhouse said that if he knew the Lord was coming in three years, he would spend two of them studying and one preaching. I’m trying to make it up”

2 Timothy 3: 16-17

“All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work”

• Guard the good deposit by abiding in it!

C) Teach it!

• In your home
• In your small group

D) Preach it

• The Word of God is a sword that is meant for conflict
• Paul in chapter 4 charges Timothy to “Preach the Word”
• We are committed to preaching the gospel, for it is truly the message of life and hope

Conclusion
• We as your elders responsible before God for guarding the gospel in this house affirm and promise, that by the help of the Holy Spirit we will continue to guard, unashamedly this beautiful treasure, the infallible and inerrant word of God
• We will teach it, preach it, and expect the power of the Spirit to accompany it’s proclamation
• We will avoid The Babble and Guard the deposit
• Will you join us in this commitment? Will you receive instruction in the gospel not primarily from podcasts and God TV but from us, who have to give an account before God on that Great Day for how we have handled his word?

Tim Blaber: Guard the Good Deposit: Sunday 6th New Community Church, South East London

2009-09-10T12:09:00.003+01:00

Notes from last Sunday's incredibly challenging sermon on by Tim Blaber on 'Guarding the Good Deposit in which we have been entrusted.'

I) What is Paul Challenging Timothy to Guard?

• Good Deposit – Beautiful treasure – complete gospel – word of God
• We guard most desperately that which is most valuable to us – we all do it – relationships/friendships – husbands guard wives and wives guard husbands EXAMPLES – parents children – few things more painful for school children then having a parent-or family member abused by other kids – my story

A) The Gospel is our most valuable gift

• How fiercely do you guard the gospel? How valuable is the gospel to you?

“I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go” (Attributed to Abraham Lincoln)

• DON’T BE ASHAMED – 1:8 “Do not be ashamed”, :12 “I am not ashamed” Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel”
• If being ashamed of the gospel were not a real issue to Christians then there would be no need for Paul to repeat this over and over...
• Or for Jesus himself to say in Luke 9:26 “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in glory”
• Are you often in a situation when you feel shame for being a Christian, where you feel shame for believing what is written here (show bible)?
• Don’t be, it is you’re greatest treasure guard it!
• You and I have been ENTRUSTED with the gospel – men and women over the centuries, knowing the value of this gospel have gladly given their lives for it – do you want to know how the apostles died?
All of the apostles were insulted by the enemies of their Master. They were called to seal their doctrines with their blood and nobly did they bear the trial.
Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia.
Mark expired at Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city.
Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece.
John was put in a caldron of boiling oil, but escaped death in a miraculous manner, and was afterward banished to Patmos.
Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward.
James, the Greater, was beheaded at Jerusalem,
James, the Less, was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple, and then beaten to death with a fuller’s club.
Bartholomew was flayed alive.
Andrew was bound to a cross, whence he preached to his persecutors until he died.
Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies.
Jude was shot to death with arrows.
Matthias was first stoned and then beheaded.
Barnabas of the Gentiles was stoned to death at Salonica.
Paul, after various tortures and persecutions, was at length beheaded at Rome by the Emperor Nero.
Such was the fate of the apostles, according to traditional statements.

• That is simply the account of the disciples commitment to guarding the gospel
• We as a church must not be ashamed of the gospel – the past 34 years the gospel has been faithfully guarded here – the past 2000 years the gospel has been faithfully guarded by the men God has entrusted with it (otherwise we wouldn’t have it today)

B) Our most powerful weapon

• The gospel, the word of God, is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6)
• A sword has one purpose – slaying – with every confession of faith – every time the gospel is made effective – the sword inflicts a fatal wound to the enemy
• In every battle, the wisest plan of defence is to take out the opposition’s deadliest weapon, we must guard the gospel, for that very reason!
• Jesus himself said, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt 10:34)

II) What are we guarding from?

• We are to guard from any and every notion and theory that stands in stark contradiction to the word of God
• That means that philosophy and experience are never to take pre-eminence over our commitment to the Gospel
• What do I mean by this?
• The values and opinion of culture and society develop and evolve with every generation. The values of today’s society are starkly different to those of society 50 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago
• Every generation claims to be more ‘enlightened’ than the previous, we have become more liberal and supposedly more intelligent and refined. Therefore the values of society today are perceived to be ‘better’ and more ‘inclusive’ then those of a latter year.
• But in reality the values of our culture have drifted further and further from what is biblical and the gospel of Jesus has been hit over and over by this
• Erroneous ‘Christian’ teaching – False gospels – Prosperity gospels – any teaching that diminishes The Trinity, deity of Christ, the sin bearing atonement, the resurrection, our justification by faith
• It may be even more subtle – it might be initially doubting a particular doctrine, or having unanswered questions about creation and it’s process, before long it’s quite feasible that you lower your guard to the gospel and it comes under attack
• What would Paul have to say about much of this “avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge” 1 Tim 6:20
• Why avoid this? “by professing it some have swerved from the faith”
• This means being very unpopular – this means we are exposed to ridicule and mockery, it means we are taking shots, but we do so gladly because in the process we are guarding the gospel
• Does it mean we’re not to think? Does it mean we’re not to be critical of our own teaching? Of course not, but for the very sake of the gospel we must think and we must be self critical, but only in guarding the fundamentals of the gospel
• You hear someone rubbishing the deity of Christ, or rubbishing the resurrection (particularly someone claiming to be a Christian), be on your guard!
• What a treasure this is, the unchanging, dependable word of God! Unless we guard the integrity of the gospel, unless we guard our conviction in fundamentals of the gospel we will swerve from the faith.
• When we expose ourselves to ‘contradictions’ and ‘babblings’ our whole faith can be affected, and sadly/tragically many fall away as a result. It has happened to some in this church and in all likelihood some of you here today are at risk of this
• Avoid the babble – guard the deposit! “O Timothy (insert you name) guard the deposit”
• The church is rendered impotent and mute unless we guard the gospel
• If we allow ourselves to be dominated by worldly values, to be dictated to by the ever evolving morals of society we will lose our saltiness and the light we required by Christ to shine will be dimmed
• This applies corporately to us as a local church and also to us as individuals
• I say it again – Avoid the babble –Guard the Gospel – You men, as you lead in your family – Guard the Gospel!
• As you go to work Guard the Gospel – At School Guard the Gospel – It is our greatest treasure and deadliest weapon, it is also vulnerable to attack

Guy miller: City Gate Church: Joseph, the prophetic voice to this generation

2009-08-16T13:48:00.003+01:00

Genesis 41

1. There is no work that is beneath your dignity.

The god we worship works, and Joseph knew that work pleased God. He was a man who clearly understood that life is God's classroom and he was only under an audience of one. There are no free loaders in the kingdom of God, if you don't work, you don't eat.

The church has to show the way to the rest of the world.

Students, is study beneath your dignity. Is flipping burgers beneath your dignity. We as Christians need to understand the dignity of work.

God wants you to be a blessing where ever you are!

2. There is no sacred/secular divide.

Joseph did not change when he went to prison. He worked for God.

Clearing up a mess at work is no less spiritual than preaching on a Sunday morning. You may be able to do more for God in a classroom than you can in a church office.

24 millions minutes of you life time you are awake. Don't waste those minutes. We are all in full time Christian work.
We are not called to be lazy, we are called to transform our offices for the glory of God.

3. Life is not fair

Life is confusing as you go through it. Remember Job, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. God meant it for good.

4. Work with zeal and knowledge.

Zeal without knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

Are you still learning? Learning is the key to growing and understanding. Passion and tallent is not enough.

Joseph was careful not displease anyone. "he shaved and cut his hair" and his attitude in every way was spot on.

Pride is like bad breath, everyone else notices it but you don't. Remember Joseph. He always understood that God was in control of everything. He lived for God's purpose and God's purpose alone.

Book Review: Is There Anybody Out There: Mez McConnell

2009-08-08T17:13:00.006+01:00

'Is There Anybody Out There' is one of those books brought by mothers for their tear-away son's in an effort to encourage them to pull up their socks and go back to church but inevitably then sits proudly all alone collecting dust on a bookshelf. Well thats my experience anyway. I never used to read, why read when the tele could do all the hard work for you? So I have to say until very recently my bookshelf was an very depressing sight. (Personal thanks to CJ Evans who has recently donated to me his entire collection of Martyn Lloyd-Jones books!)

I first met Mez when he joined the small baptist church I grew up at on the south coast as the new youth pastor, and he refers to the time working for this church while studying at Moorlands Bible College in this book. Mez was a man insistently loved by everyone and I still remember many evenings of watching footy and playing play-station with the youth group in his front room.

That was probably eight years ago and although Mez often comes up in conversation with old friends I still hadn't touched his book until four hours ago. One of the advantages of spending some time back at with my folks on the south coast is (apart from the full fridge) that their is nothing to do. Nothing but a bookshelf of untouched books.

In this book Mez tells the incredible story of his life so far, his excruciating childhood and the effect that that produced. Leading to his time in prison and the journey of how he met Christ and how his life was dramatically changed thanks to a Christian guy who used to come visit him in jail. His story is one of violence, abuse, drugs and prison but it is also a story of God's calling and Mez is currently working as a missionary with Unevangelised Fields Mission (UFM) working with street kids in Brazil.

This book is one that will make you cry and make you laugh page by page but what I loved more than anything is the clear honestly of emotion and experience poured into these pages.

Book Review: Joy Unspeakable: D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones

2009-07-29T20:09:00.004+01:00

Just finished in my opinion the most helpful and gripping book I probably have ever read. "Joy Unspeakable-Power and renewal in the Holy Spirit" is a collection of LJ sermons on the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit and is defiantly a book I would recommend. The consistent theme throughout that "the church is in the state that it is today due to a nation wide quenching of the spirit" I believe is spot on for this generation and I mentality that we need to take hold of with both hands and earnestly act upon.

There were so many sections I could talk about but one that comes ot mind is a simple piont that LJ made very breifly about obedience when touching on our motivation for gifts of the spirit. Something which I think we tend to tread very carefully around sometimes:

"God deals with us in this matter, and obedience is very central. You show the depth of your desire by the extent of your obedience...If that is your consuming passion you will show it, you will do everything you can please him, and you please him by keeping his commandments. Love is not something you just feel in a service or as you are reading a book. No! Love is a great controlling passion and it always expresses itself in terms of obedience."

How true is that! This isn't legalism, this is love. We can speak of our love for Christ over and over again but our deepest desires of our hearts come out in how we live our lives in consistent obedience. Not a matter of keeping to a rule book in a hope to earn God's favor but out of passion to please the one we love.

There are so many points I could draw out but I could never do the book justice in such a small space so i'll just close with this:

LJ closes with an incredible comment about revival:

"To me, there is nothing that is more urgently important than this (revival), do you believe in revival my friend? Are you praying for revival? What are you trusting? Are you trusting in the organizing power of the church? Or are you trusting in the power of God to pour out his spirit upon us again, to revive us, to baptize us anew and afresh with his most blessed Holy Spirit? The church needs another Pentecost. Every revival is a repetition of Pentecost, and it is the greatest need of the Christian church at this present hour. Oh may God open the eyes of our understanding on this vital matter, that we may look to him and wait upon him until in his infinite mercy and compassion he once sends down from high the power of the Holy Spirit upon us."

Yes.Yes.Yes.

So get a copy and read it, you won't be disappointed.

NCC Website Relaunch Developments

2009-07-25T17:39:00.004+01:00

Here is the first sneaky peak at the video box from the home page of the new site for New Community Church, South East London.The site has been designed by myself and is currently being built by the master of code: Daniel Bradley. The site will be go live in October 09.

Book Review: Courageous Leadership: Bill Hybels

2009-07-24T18:27:00.002+01:00

Three days ago I landed in Pathos, Cyprus with an intention I had never had on holiday before, to read! The annual Smyth family holiday this year has become only myself and my sister, as my mum hasn't been well recently and couldn't fly.

On the plus side its 36 degrees and i've got, in my opinion a particularly exciting reading list. The aim was to finish up Hybels, and then get into a Philip Yancey title on Prayer (mainly because I liked the typography on the cover) and then get into a Martyn Lloyd-Jones book on the Holy Spirit, Joy Unspeakable. (Which I have taken a big chunk out of today and it's incredible, and it has already radically impressed on me the shere importance and our dependance on the Holy Spirit)

Well mission accomplished on the Hybels front. A book which took me a far while to "get into" but one now which I would defiantly recommend to anyone who has just been put into a leadership role of any kind. The book is full with countless practical advice and solutions to potential leadership problems. Hybels also refers in almost every situation to his own experience and very helpfully refers back over his entire ministry right from when Willow Creek was born.

The point that stood out most was what Hybels refers to as the "Act of Self-Leadership" and the concept of a "360-degree leadership style." He uses the illustration of a compass: North: leading upwards by influencing those in authority over you. South: leading the people under your care. East and West: leading by influences your peers which is key I feel particularly for young leaders and is probably in my experience the hardest of them all. He then introduces the act of self leadership, or rather the centre point of the compass. "By leading their own lives in tune so they can provide maximum direction for others." Hybel considers this as the "toughest leadership challenge" we can face. He says Dee Hock recommends thats 50 per cent of our time should be spent devoted to self leadership! And i'll finish with that thought because that is a lot of time but how can we expect to lead others if we can't lead ourselves?!

If this book only contained the experiences that Hybels shares with the reader, it would defiantly be worth a read. Not to mention the countless leadership theories and practical implementation sandwiched around them.

Get hold of a copy, and thanks to Marsh for lending me his: don't tell him it got a little wet.

Everything sorted for a four and a half hour flight?

2009-07-22T15:48:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I boarded my plane at Gatwick, London, heading for two weeks in Pathos, Cyprus. I had everything sorted, an aisle seat, flip flops, coffee, a Bill Hybels book on leadership, the latest Soul Survivor worship album plugged into my ears, and an ipod freshly updated with pod-cast's and sermons I was eagerly waiting to listen to.

So there I was sitting in an Easy-Jet 747, flight number EZZE12, looking painfully like the perfect stereotype of a young middle class Christian leader. I think I even had a highlighter in my bag ready to illuminate any classic Hybels leadership wisdom! In that moment I thought I had everything sorted for a "God-centered" four and a half hours, but as usual I missed a bit of the point and God challenged me in a very different way.

Over the top of my book I noticed a guy a few seats ahead turning around to talk to the women who was sitting next to me, they obviously were together but due to the lack of Easy-Jet seat allocation, had been spilt up, but were making it pretty apparent to everyone in the rear of the plane that they pretty upset about it. And It became clear to me that "I was the solution," and my seat offered the peace that, by now, the other passengers were looking for. All I had to do was offer my seat to the guy and everyone would be happy. I gave the situation another few seconds of thought and then turned Tim Hughes up a bit and turned the page.

This continued for an hour or so, until the women turned to me and asked me if I would mind moving, and of course, now I had been asked, of course I wouldn't mind. And I even joked a little that "I had thought of offering it an hour ago!" Her response then completely stopped me in my tracks. She said "Why didn't you then?" To which of course I didn't have a response other than to make a kind of awkward embarrassed face at her.

Something hit home in that moment, I was so wrapped up with my christian book, my christian worship album, my coffee and flip flops that I missed the most simple way I could have demonstrated Christ's love in such a basic way. What's the point of reading leadership books if we can't lead ourselves in very basic demonstrations of love. Maybe it's just me, but i'm sure this applies to many of us. Let's not let anything get to the point where someone turn's to us and say's "Why didn't you then," lets get in their first as Christ would have done.

New Community Church 20's Prayer Night Video

2009-07-17T18:44:00.008+01:00

Short video the team put together after last nights 20's prayer night, a night just soaked in the presence of God. Student's and 20's next "All Night of Prayer" 18th September.

Church Marketing: Podcast/Vodcast Graphics

2009-07-14T15:12:00.005+01:00

The end of July sees the new style of the online media production at NCC. Below are the images you will find in itunes for both the podcast and the soon to release vodcast edition. The vodcast will continue with the same online content the audio podcast uses but in HD video. The NCC vodcast will also include video interview Q & A's and teaching sessions. Subscribe to the new community church audio podcast here.

The images below continue this theme which run's into the ncc current events.

Highlights Video From TOAM and Mobilise: 2009

2009-07-11T16:40:00.003+01:00

This video was showed in the main session on the final day of the 2009 conference and is a great little taster of what the conference is all about.

Together On a Mission Conference, Brighton Highlights from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.

TOAM '09 Highlight video

Stories from Life Church's Park Life June 09: Southampton

2009-07-11T12:34:00.006+01:00

A few weeks ago a number of student's and 20's from London went down to Southampton to help out at Life Church's mission week: Park Life. Chris Kilby leads the church which was planted almost two years ago and see about 100 attend weekly.

Let me tell you about Pete. Pete is 25 and a gang leader in the rough part of Southampton. Pete had been banned from seeing his kids for about two years. At this current time he was living in a bail center under watch. Pete was also had a gambling addiction and last week blew over three and a half grand in one weekend. He couldn't even walk past a fruit machine without sticking a few quid in.

On the Thursday evening Pete found himself walking uncontrollably across the park over to the tent where we were having our meeting. He said he couldn't quite understand why he was walking the way he was but he just kept going. After the meeting he said it was if he had be "tricked into the tent and it was massive set up because he just felt that the whole meeting was just aimed at him."

He responded to a call for healing and got his gambling addiction prayed for. God healed him then and there and released him from any desire to gamble and as yet hasn't been in a betting shop since. He then responded to the second call that same night and gave his life to Christ, and I had the joy of praying with him as he gave his life to Christ. He then got prayer for his kids situation and that he would get a chance to see them again soon.

Pete then came back the following day and was sitting at the back when he got a phone call from his ex girlfriends sister asking him when he would like to see his kids! And it turned out that he got to see them on the following day on the Saturday. And as if that is not enough for one week he then got baptized on the Sunday in a mini pool in the park. So quite a busy few days as God really broke into this life and revealed himself to him.

Pete was later telling me of how now he can see God had looked after and watched over him through out his life. He told me about the time he was stabbed in the side and his 5 year old boy found him laying in his front room. He continued to tell me about how in the ambulance on the way to the hospital he felt a hand on his hand telling him to stay awake and everything is going to be alright. But there was no one else there apart from the nurse and his girl friend. But this hand and voice kept happening but no one could explain where it was coming from.
Its just incredible to hear stories like that, where God is just so obviously present.

Another quick story involves a 17 year old guy called Lewis. Lewis was permanently cross eyed until someone on our team prayed for him and his eyes straightened. Lewis gave his live to Christ the follow morning and got baptized the same day.

In all over 35 people responded in four days. God is moving and is revealing himself to people all over the place.

NCC Students and 20's: All night of Prayer: response video interviews

2009-07-11T09:00:00.006+01:00

As we were playing with the media teams new camera this week we thought we'd see what some of you thought of last Saturday's ncc students and 20's all night of prayer!

TOAM: Session Seven: PJ Smyth: Keep it Raw

2009-07-10T14:21:00.004+01:00

These post's are very much just in the note form in which I took at the time for the time being as I know some back at home wanted to get hold of them:

1. "R" in Raw:
Ellephants take Risks: never say you won't do something becuase their is a risk attached to it.

"Let's gamble our lives for Christ" don't be shaped by culture but be shaped by the word of God.
"Stand firm, act like a man"

We need to be comfortable with the if... We need to be taking risking.

2. "A" in raw: We have the "Authority" Acts 17:22 onwards
Cities and nations were put together to preach the gospel to.
Mathew 5:13
Who would light a lamp and then put it under a bowl. Nobody! You are not just authorized you are provoked to be visible as the church.
We must gut the media with Christ.
"Not one square foot is outside of God's kingdom."
Lord we want an authority in our hearts that comes from you.

3. The "W" in raw: Wild
God has given us a lane to run in, but you can't see round the corner. Let mission motivate this. Get behind what I'm doing.
Signs and wonders follow those who believe.
The spirit leadering is messy sometimes, it's abstract.

Wild worshipers in times of transitions.
2 Samuel 6v20

Mobilize Session Three: David Stroud: The Cross sets us Free

2009-07-10T10:50:00.000+01:00

The power of redemption: Exodus 12
There is nothing in your body that can not be or should not be redeemed. "everything will be made new."

1.Freedom from sin: 1st commandment, when you give your self to anything other god you are sinning.

It is always easier to see the idols in someone elses lice than it is to see them in your life.

Idols:
1. God of Sex - it's everywhere. Always be awear that when you give your self to this you are worshipping.
2. God of Power - to ignor powerful jobs but make sure you go to serve the one true God.
3. God of Money

4. Narcissism - self obsession, dominates the fashion industry.
5. Hedonism - life is one long party
6. Relativism - there is no right or wrong.
These piont to something good but they taken and made ultimate value they lose their joy and become worship.

7. Service to God
8. Family and friends - we try and use them to fill a hole. Worship relations and community
9. Search for a partner - it becomes the focus, an comes ou of great need.

All of these God's tell us we can't leave them. In exodus the people were in the end were asked to leave! For are free to walk freenof these god's today.

2. Freedom from punishment:
How can a loving god be a god of wrath?
God's wrath demostrates God's goodness. Read N T Wright
Unless God is wrathfull he can not e totally good.

God's wrath demostrates his salvation: we do no get the punishment due to the blood of Jesus on the cross just like in exodus with the blood of the lamb.

Evil has a person behind it: how does evil work?! The devil works hard to convince the world that he is not there. Remember he exsists but do not become fasinated by him. He will make you feel condemed and worthless.

As God came in exodus he simply came and destroyed them. Moses and the snakes.

The reason the son of god came was to destroy the devils work. 1john 3:8

The Passover meal: "I am your redemption"

The things that you think disqualify who, god says those things qualify you!u

TOAM: Session Six: Terry Virgo: Part Three: The Future of Newfrontiers

2009-07-09T16:17:00.002+01:00

What are we doing and why are we doing it?!
What is an Apostle: (sent one) Jesus the ultimite sent one.
What was their task:
1. Apostles gave identity to the church.
2. They were foundational.
3. They were not only bible writters.
Paul says "you are proof that I am an apostle" as he says to the church. He developed relationship with the church.
Paul speaks of his "area of activity" the area he has been gifted to oversee. We gave this name newfrontiers to this group of church.
Paul was not called to be a pastor he was called to be an apostle.

"We are trying to recapture biblical Christianity"

Terry begins to reflect back on what driscoll left us with last year about not growing static. "it's time for Terry to find a husband for his daughter." "we need to honour the future not only the founder." Some of this helpful, some of this not. This is not a movement that we need to replace the leader. There is an incredible number of apostles within Newfrontiers all around the world.

We very much on the move. The future is happening now. Newfrontiers is not one shere, it is a number all across the world. Bringing in one apostle to take over newfrontiers would just limit the movement and pull things back. We are approaching the end of the beginning. The principle is clear: Jesus didn't hand over to another to take over. Peter is not the pope! It was peters moment, not peters movement.

As apostles they could have chosen to go off their own way. And that could happen, and that can happen and people or free to do so. We must believe in the emergence of new apostles. You can't make apostles, it is a God given gifting. You can't make it happen, it is not a name given to the leadership of the church. We need to pray for apostles! There may be moments of unclarity ie timothey?! We don't want to squash gifts we want to release gifts.

Newfrontiers as a name can go, that's not my heart. We need to focus on world mission together and the building up and releasing of apostles. Their is a generation coming up behind, a radical generation. Prasie god for short term teams, but we need to see people being called to go to the end of the world to stay! We need to have pumping radical churches. One shere can't change the world. But collectively we can change the face of what christianity is around the globe.

Mobilise Session Two: Tom Shaw: Exposing Idols

2009-07-09T11:09:00.001+01:00

Exodus:
How do we come into a place of total freedom?! We need to break down Idols.

1. The truth about our freedom
2. The lies about idols
3. The solution of our freedom

Exodus: God brings freedom to his people in Israel.

Redemption is one of the most mind-blowing concepts of all time. Christs blood on the cross has paid for our sin and brought us back to God. Christ has secured our redemption for eternity. Our total freedom comes from Christ.

But what we need to understand is that their is lie that can lead us not to enjoy our total and complete freedom.
1. The lie is silly
2. The lie is subtle
An idol can be anything that comes between you and God. Alone they may be a good thing. An idol is anything that takes the God place.

Four key idols we seem to allow.
1. Comfort idol
Lack of stress, no responsibility, avoid suffering leads to reduced productivitiy. Biggest fear is stress and demands on you. You may hurt others around you and will lead to boredom.

2. Control idol
5 year plan for your life! Prone to perfectionism. Lead to being lonely and worry.

3. Power idol
Winning, being on top. Seen to be on top! Hyper competitive. Burdened, and biggest fear humiliation. Others around you can feel used. Problem emotion anger.

4. Approval idol
The thing that your living for is approval. Affirmation. Less independence. Biggest fear is rejection. Others around us fell smothered. Problem emotion is cowardice.

We are already free. For freedom Christ HAS (past tense) set us free. We only give our idols power. They have no power. These idols promise freedom but bring captivity.

Toam: Sessions Five: Terry Virgo: Part Two: The Present: Obedience that comes from Grace

2009-07-08T21:53:00.000+01:00

Terry starts with the extraordinary facts that 1000 churches have died on record but at the same time 1000 churches have been planted over the same period of time.

God is the devine community - A group of three in one. It is impossible to be mature Christian without community apart of the local church. A mixed community. Jesus loves the church and "we must treasure the church." Paul had the joy of opening up what church really is, after Christ revealed the church to Paul. Paul reflected the attitude of Christ in phillipians 1v4. That is the same God see's you. We most k ow something of the wonde of the church. He see's us what he has longed for. Believe for something better, a church that is flooded by God's grace. "great grace was on them all"

We need to preach that same grace, proclaim it don't just explain it! We need to preach it time and time again and celebrate grace continuely so grace just pours out. This was Pauls biggest battle, to make sure churches were free from legalism etc

If you want to find your life you need to lose it. "if it dies, it brings much fruit." Once you die to your self god can start building in you. Santification is impossible alone. God wants a church relating together.

So many of the big one liners Paul speaks are not for big theology books, they are for us to get on better with one another. "Work out you salvation with fear and tembling!"

Througth love, serve one-another. Become each-others slaves. Jesus said "I have done this as an example so go do it"

God wants obedience wrapped in faith. If obedience is not from the heart, it's just law. You can chosen to present a "I'm not aloud too" or you can chose by faith to live got and pure lives. God wants churhes full of robust people who just want to say yes to him and sometimes we just need that grace invasion to set us free.

Corporate obedience: together as local church. When we discover vital truth the whole church has to change: Calvin-the reformation
Acts 20:28 the holy spirit made you overseers: speaking on elders.

Restoring is very common in the bible. We must obey corporatly the truth but we must also be in the presence of the lord. This is fundamental to us as a movement. Just as Peter left everything and just spent time with Jesus so are we as we have been sent to holy spirit. I am goigto come amount you in the spirit. He is here! Doing church without the holy spirit isn't church and it hurts. The church is a people gathering not to remember what it was like when Jesus was here, he is back and in the midst in all his glory by the power of the holy spirit. Jacob said "this is the gateway to heaven"

God's habitation on this planet is the church. It is god's own presence atmonst us is the mark of us as Christians. As we plant churches international we are taking the presence of God into that place. You are my workmanship, I'm going to use you.

TOAM: Session Four: Stephen Van Rhyn: Phillipians

2009-07-08T16:48:00.002+01:00

Genesis 22

All the promises that God had made to Abraham rest on them having a child. Then Sarah had their son Isaac! This child represented everything they were hoping for, longing for and trusting God for.

Then God told him to take his son and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. The call to sacrifice was not new for him, he had sacrificed many things as an act of worship to God. but this didn't take the kick out of it as this child represented so much as the fulfilled promises of God. But Abraham is not called the father of faith for no reason and he obeyed the call of the lord.

Just as he was about to sacrifice his son he was stopped by the voice of the lord. This was a test that showed that he feared the God. This is one of the key faith moments in the old testament and is referred to in Hebrews 11.

This isn't so far away from the cross. Both stories involve a son. Both stories involve a carrying of wood or the cross. Both stories show the submitting of the son. Both fathers were required to do something which was unspeakably painful for them, to sacrifice their only son.

These accounts are amazingly similar but st the point of climax they couldn't be more different. Jesus was the sin bearer. Isaac was replaced.

Let us behold the extreme lengths the father went through because he so loved the world: this is love, not that we loved god, but he loves us. While we were still sinners Christ died for us!

What are the implications of that story for us as individuals and as a local church and as a family of churches together on a mission.

Philippians Chapter 1
1. Grace to you:
The grace of God defines who Paul was. Grace is the center point of his writings. Paul wants these believers in this church to know their your salvation had God at the very beginning. Paul is the ultimate testimony of predestination.
"You love him because he first loved you."
Verse 6: God finishes what he starts: bring it to completion. That isn't the day that you graduate or when you plant a church it is when Jesus Christ comes back and declares his glory. Where does your confidence lie?! It needs to lie in the gospel truth and his work of grace.

There are multiple things that you could try to find your confidence in as a leader:
1. Numbers (growth)
The call on us as leaders is to be faithful to the call of God. it is God can make things grow. This keeps us from pride and depression. The fruitfulness is in the hands of God.
2. Power of the spirit: this story of Phillipi includes a number of supernatural things but when Paul writes to the church he speaks about Jesus. Same in Ephesians. Place your confidence in Christ not in the supernatural.
"rejoice that your name is written in heaven"

Our true north as leaders is grace.

2. Grace in community:
God is after a city on a hill. The gospel creates the church. The message of grace brings the church into being. The message of grace creates a beleiving community. The church is jesus continue project. Planting churches is critical if we are to proclaim the gospel of grace.
Did you know are a saint?! Not becuase of what you have done but becuase of what Christ has done.

3. Grace to the nations: grace on the move:
What happened with Abraham and Isaac ends with the nations being blessed becuase he obeyed God.
Verse 4: I always pray with joy Becuase of your partnership.
Paul had deep relationship for the church. He cares for them eternalily. And they supported him also. A genuine partnership. This relationship was about the gospel. This relationship was key to helping the church grow in their relationship with God.

Local elders: are you in gospel partnership. If you can't put a name to a person who you are in gospel partnership. This is the big question we need to focus on, not who is going to follow on from Terry Virgo.

Mobilise: Session One: Andrew Wilson: The Cross and the Cosmos

2009-07-08T10:58:00.003+01:00

The cross of Jesus is there to rescue the whole cosmos from evil. The cross is god's answer to the problem of evil.
Jesus always replied to questions with. Question or with a story. Why are you awear of evil at all?! Why is that a problem? The bigger tiger eats the smaller tiger, surly it's the same for humans?!

Answer the question of evil with a story:
New testament writers had five stories to use in response to this questions.
1. Man made in the image of god, the more like god we are the more capacity we have to do evil or good because we were created in the image of god. When eve ate the fruit she wanted freedom and Independence but humility and happiness.

The problem of evil is not a line between us and the other. It is a line between creator and created.
The image of god needs to be stored by a relationship with Jesus and his death on a cross.
2. A tower to reach to heaven. Closed off in a safe city. "I'm alright jack"
We who were the means to fix the world, but we are not doing it. Genesis 12 god calls Abram. The problem of evil gets defined in a name way, their land becomes the new gated community. The people of god become the problem rather than the solution. Abram and his seed did not sort the problem.
3. People portrayed as victims. "save us" god responds with redemption. Evil can be outside of us and god delights in destroying it.
4. Exile: we are the problem, but even here there is hope. We were the problem not the solution but god is faithful. He will forgive us our sins.
5. About the Romans. We hate not being free, the people with the strength have the power. "Rome is in charge" Romans would have said the cross is a simple of their victory. "we Will do this to you, we are in charge"

But it also points forward to five things. The opposite will happen.

Colossians One: 15
At the cross everything was made new.
A new people not afraid to hide behind a gated community.
In him...you have become a people in him, a set apart people.
A new rescue: Jesus at the cross.
A new return from exile: sins were forgiven and Resurrection was given.
But what about the victory? 2:15 he disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. The powers were destroyed on the cross. Behold, the Romans are not in charge. The cross is a symbol that Christ has the victory.

"Christos victor" Jesus won: the cross is god's answer to the problem of evil.

Mobilize Seminar: Church Planting in the UK

2009-07-07T22:02:00.003+01:00

This seminar was very much testimony of a number of people involved in many aspects of bring involved in planting a church.
Tony Thompson and Adam James start by sharing a few key points about why we need to plant churches.

Why plant churches?
1. Bibical
2. Reach unreached communitys
3. Evidence of rate of salvations and baptizims seems to be greater in a church plant
4. Dead man shoes?! Raising up young leaders: expand leadership
5. Propheticly, god told us to do it
6. Research shows that exsisting churches and the local community can grow
"it is easier to birth new babies than to raise the dead!"
7. Often exisiting churches can reach and be effective in each generation
8. One lost sheep is worth focusing on
9. If every church building was filled we still wouldn't have enough space for the population

We are not taking the UK by strawberrys: I am not satisfied with what is happening in the UK.

"The local church has to impact everything we do" there are millions of people who don't know Jesus, and we need to get active.

"it's all about people" you need to gather people and build relationships. We need to change are perspective from the inside to the outside. Always make space in your life for new people!

Book Plug: Planting churches. Changing communitys "David Stroud"

In a church plant you get to be involved in every little aspect of church life as there is no one to do it!

TOAM: Session Two: Stef Liston: A childlike relationship with God

2009-07-07T17:20:00.003+01:00

These conferences draw two types of people, whose who dread it and can't wait for Ito end and those who love it because they think they have it sorted.

Ezekiel 34
The people lost the presence of god "you drove me from my sanctuary"

Above all else is a heart for God.

Everything you say and do will be shaping people, people will be looking at you to see what is right And wrong.

Firstly, speaking to leaders, they are not your sheep, they are gods sheep! God brought a new type of leadership, "I will lead them"

When David comes what does he teach about leadership?
Matt 18v1
Become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven.

1. God is into humility. Humility is child likeness
2. God is childlike, child likeness is a godly thing. Kids love to please dad. Kids love to follow their dad. Kids arnt complex

God has not been tainted by the sin of the world. Don't despise the children.

Why was David called to leadership?
"I've found a man after my own heart"
Make it your ambition to please god.
Psalm 23 David is a sheep! Follow your father

If the leader doesn't know how to follow he can't be a leader.
It's all about the heart.

About Charles Spurgeon: " his secret was that he was cradled in the holy spirit!"

Luke 24 the leaders need to be like the youngest

Kids are obvious to hierarchy. How to you relate to you pastor: he is your brother. That the end of the day we are all brothers.

1cor 12 firstness
1cor 4 lastness

We copy what we read: kids are great at copying

Kids ask for loads of things: it's a great principle for prayer

You don't have because you don't ask.
Hang around and live with Christ

Sing: enjoy the journey

1. Delight in simple things and simple company
2. Don't worry about other people think of you
3. Prize your relationship with god above all else
4. Brotherhood, break down intimidation
5. Be what you are
6. Slow down when need be
7. Enjoy the moment

He is building the church, we get to enjoy it!

TOAM: Session One: Bones on Jonah: God's global heart

2009-07-07T17:03:00.007+01:00

God has a global vision
What are you going to do when god speaks to you?
How will you respond? God said go Jonah said no!

Everyone has a good reason for saying no to god. "join the club" no one ever says no to god for a bad reason! All are great reasons.
V3 Jonah flees from the lord. Until god sent a great big storm: experienced sailors were worried. The lot falls to Jonah. "get rid of me and you get rid of the storm" so Jonah gets thrown overboard and is swallowed by a great fish. The same god who sent this great storm sends a great fish. Jonah thinks about the grace of god, the kind of grace that didn't give up on the leader chosen by god.

Jonah 2:8 those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

God's global heart

When Jonah gets to Nineveh he preaches the message god told him to.
"have you any right to be angry" a fathering response.
God shares his heart with Jonah. God provides a vine and then a worm to eat the vine etc he says he would be better for me to die than to live. "it sprang up over night And died over night"
"and should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there Are so many people who are spiritually clueless!"
That is what concerns Me and I wish it concerns you;

What concerns you this morning?! God has a global heart and he wants to share it with us.
Your love for an individual compares to gods love for an individual like a spec of dust to the sun.

Application and practical out working:
1. Going to where the people are
2. Local Churches need to focus on population centers
3. God speaks about a global heart for people: where ever people are!
4. We need to unlock resources: human and city
5. God cares for people

Acts chapter 18: Paul in Corinth

Paul doesn't just have a bible mindset he has a plan. Corinth was a key trading port a d had the worlds biggest shopping center. A key population center. Corinth and sexual sin go together.

Maybe god is calling you to go plant a church using your skills as a "tent maker." churches are being planted on the back of business to get into the country.

2. We are going to see breakthrough in population center sometimes it is going to take many years. God is saying to many you need to stay and see the break through.

3. Paul loved in a place with a number of legal religion and illegal religion. They wanted Christianity to be outlawed in Corinth because then it would be outlawed in the entire roman empire. Paul won a mayor victory for the gospel because he focused in the influence Of the city.

Sorry if these are a mess, I'm sending them a I make them! I'll tidy them up when I get back!

all night of prayer: ncc student's and 20's

2009-07-01T11:06:00.001+01:00

Last Saturday we as a student and 20's group met together for our first ever "All Night of Prayer" to seek God for the vision for next year and to soak everything in prayer. The heart for these prayer night's was short and simple: "If we are expecting God to move radically on our campus's next year then we need to get radical in our prayer lives!" And as a result we had an incredible night in the presence of God. I love how as we stepped out in a small radical way, seeking God to meet with us and speak to us, he just turns up and blows all expectations we had out of the window!

At our busiest time which was about half 12 we had about 23 people praying for freshers weeks, all the surrounding campus's in the local area including avery hill, birds, rose, and rave and our 20's work. We prayed for the cu's and their leaders and as we began to speak the name of Jesus over everything we are planning to do next year it was so clear that the holy spirit was meeting with us powerfully. It was also so encouraging to see some guys we haven't seen for a while and some older members of the church joining us in prayer for the whole night! My heart for these nights is that we will be joined by many from the church and that the whole church will begin to catch hold of the vision.

As the night turned into morning and the coffee continued to flow, (I think 21 pots of "kingdom coffee" in total) a number of prophetic words were shared all expressing a new season for the students and twenties at ncc. A season of boldness, of joy, of excitement and of radical and courageous faith. A number of words were shared speaking of God's favor on us as a student and 20's group and that our personal testimonies being the greatest tool each of us have to share. With that in mind I want to encourage you guys to challenge yourselves to find opportunities to share your story, knowing that we have soaked these opportunities in prayer before hand with the knowledge that God has said his favor is upon us and that he is going to use our personal testimonies in powerful ways this year. Know that you are being sent out under God's blessing!

One of the scriptures shared was from was 1 Timothy 4:12:
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

This word "example" came up a number of times over and the night and I really feel that we as a student and 20's group are entering a new session that we are the example that many will follow. Even though we are young, we are to be a group leading the church in an example of our passionate prayer lives, our hearts for holiness and purity, and a bold and courageous motivation towards sharing our faith.

And with this i'll close, as we press into God, in preparation for the new year I believe that we are going to see some incredible things happening on our local campus's when we step out and pray for the lost and the broken. And I just want to encourage all of you to get behind the next night of prayer as we continue to press into God and what he has in store for us. We will be focusing more on our 20's and our weekend away in November "love:intimacy" I'll let you know the date as soon as it is confirmed but do come expectant of meeting with God and hear ing from him.

John 14:12
Tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

church marketing: kingdom perspectives and ncc 08 review

2009-06-23T12:42:00.004+01:00

After having a long dry blogging patch just due to having so much on I thought over the next few days I'd upload some of material we have been working on at NCC. Most of our time currently is being taken up with the website relaunch in September but things are getting exciting as things start to come alive. Keep checking back for updates on the launch date.

Above is the 08 Finance review finally back from the printer. We decided to run with a simple three spot colour approach to practically keep the cost down and try something new. Below is the developed Kingdom perspectives graphics re-sized and styled for the new website launch which heavily focuses on the resource's of NCC.

church marketing: "kingdom perspectives" sermon series graphic

2009-06-03T09:45:00.003+01:00

Here is the latest sermon series graphic for our latest series at new community church. The the graphic is a vector based composition entirely. Click here to listen to the latest series at new com.

chris moyles on kingsgate community church, peterborough

2009-06-03T09:06:00.003+01:00

This defiantly is worth a listen at about an hour and ten minuets in: click here

colossians part three: refocusing on the supernatural consistent, persistent and dependable supremacy of christ:

2009-05-01T15:00:00.000+01:00

Supreme over Redemption:
Verse 21-23
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

The passage goes on to talk about Christ being supreme over redemption and that even the fact that we are in relationship with the father is nothing to do with us.

If you are a child of God here today, you are so not because of anything you have done. Anyone who thinks they have in any way earned the love of Christ needs to crush those thoughts immediately. You are pure and blameless and Christ will present you to the Father not because your good acts or deeds but because you reflect his glory. Actually the more of a screw up you are the greater Christ’s glory is reflected.

Just as a son may present a sports day trophy to his father, the father is not proud of the trophy; the father is not filled with joy and love for the trophy, but the son. It is the son, which the father is proud of. The trophy is a object of the son’s achievement.

And with this I want to finish. Christ sees you today as a trophy. A trophy that he will present to the father, just like in verse 22. A trophy that has reflected what he has done. A trophy that he has prepared a place for, on his heavenly shelf.

Christ is supreme over all. He is the only true consistency. In him we can put our trust and respond to in worship.

colossians part two: refocusing on the supernatural consistent, persistent and dependable supremacy of christ:

2009-05-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

Christ the sustainer:
Verse 17
17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The scripture points Christ supreme as the one who made before all things and the one who holds all things together. And what amazing verse this is. That we are held together and sustained by Christ.

Scientists say that if any one factor was to change in our universe the earth, as we know it would cease to exist. If the earth was to move off its axis by as little as a few inches the world as we know it would cease to exist. Christ is the sustainer of the universe. We have not only been created by him but we are sustained by him. That is why he has the supremacy.

How does this affect our lives?
The key is how we apply these truths to our lives, how do we fully digest the supremacy of Christ. How can we get our heads around it? Well we can’t, we will never be able to understand Christ’s supreme nature in its fullest capacity. But we can soak these truths into our lives and live lives in response to this.

Our response can only be one of adoration and worship. I love this passage so much because it constantly reminds us of our place. God is great, Christ is supreme above and beyond all things, and we are nothing. We are in complete and total dependence in him the creator and sustainer of our lives. We owe everything to him and it’s because of this that worship is simply a natural response to his supremacy and glory.

Refocusing on the supernatural consistent, persistent and dependable supremacy of Christ:

2009-05-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

Colossians Chapter 1 v15-23
Part Two of this series:

Introduction (a worldly view): On a whole we tend to shape a lot of our perception and understanding from the culture that surrounds us, and in this country we are consistently surrounded by things that we look up to, things we put hope in, things we follow and are passionate about and things we enjoy. And as a country we place these things in a position of supremacy in this land and in our minds. Let me give you a few examples.

Manchester United at this present time are supreme over the Premiership. They have been supreme over many games this season, and over the years have been supreme over the rest of the Premiership. But their supremacy, I assure you, won’t last forever. There will be a day that Tottenham we rise up and reign supreme over the league.

Gordon Brown in this current time is the prime minister of this country and in many respects has supreme authority over this countries decision-making. At his say he can deploy armies, create new laws and regulations, at this time he can practically do whatever likes with this country.

Robbie Williams in his 2000 hit song “Supreme” paints himself as being supreme over the pop world. Although many will argue he has never been supreme over anything he has sold over 55 million albums worldwide. However in many people eyes he is now seen as a-has been, a faint memory of pop culture to firmly remain in the loft cd collection.

The most famous Calvin Klein model Kate Moss was supreme over the fashion-modeling world a few years ago. There was a time where every fashion agency wanted her to indorse their products. However she then partied a little too hard and has seemed to in many respects dropped out of the high fashion world.

Everything in this world takes its place for a time. That time is inevitability limited. Names, teams and governments may have a respective time in what appears to be supreme in their area for a time but it is inevitable that that time come to an end.

Christ’s consistent supremacy:
The passage in the second half of Colossians chapter one speaks of complete contrast to this picture painted of our culture. The passage speaks of the one true supremacy which is eternal and which will never fail. It’s never ending and will never cease. It speaks of supremacy over creation, supremacy at the beginning and at the end, the supremacy of Christ.

Christ is truly supreme over all things.

Christ is the only supreme authority.

Christ is the only true consistency in this world.

the supremacy of christ over language barriers

2009-04-28T17:04:00.004+01:00

Last week I had the privilege of spending a week in the city of Brasov "Romania" together with an incredible team from the U.K. I always find traveling anywhere for the first time an exciting experience, especially when you just don't know what to expect.

Romania is a country of massive contrast. The divide between the rich and the poor in huge and poverty is extreme in many areas over the country. We were staying with a Newfrontiers church in Brasov called "Christian Centre Brasov." The leaders took us to a number of different outreach projects throughout the week that the church were doing for the community from a street kid's centre to men's football outreach. (I'd like to say we beat them, but I can't)

We also spent some time in the gypsy villages which surround the city and this for myself and many on the team was probably the most moving experience of my life and something I know we will remember for years to come. The people we met literally had nothing. Many of the kids came into a small evening church service in the village with no shoes on and wearing clothes that had never been washed or changed for months. It's not until we see with our own eyes how the majority of world lives that we realize just how much we have in the western world. Just as I type this into my laptop I am sitting in a warm comfy room, sipping freshly ground starbucks coffee and considering what to choose for tea tonight from stacks of selection in our fridge. We just have so much and that's just the start.

I was a little unsure of how the evening service was going to go, especially as I had been asked to preach with a translator beside me so was clearly well aware of the language barrier we were facing. How were we going to worship together? How were we going to communicate at all? How were we going to relate or pray for one another? All these thing were going through my head. But then it all made sense.

Just as Florence (the pastor of the church) opened in prayer, all just came together. Of course we didn't know what he was saying, but we didn't have to. We entered into the presence of God and suddenly in that, we were united by the gospel. We each worshipped in our own language, but we were together as one, worshipping the one true God who is so much bigger than the limitations of language.

How often do we focus so much on the small pictures of our lives, our church, our worship band, our way of doing things. That we fail to realize that God is doing something all over the globe. We are apart of something so big, it breaks through culture and it break through language. We need to focus on the big picture so we can attempt to grasp the true supremacy of christ over all things.

Colossians: 1v5-6 Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing.

justified thinking on the doctrine of salvation (part four)

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

Fifth point of Calvinism: Perseverance of the Saints: I believe that salvation is entirely the work of the Lord, and that man has absolutely nothing to do with the process. The saints will persevere because God will see to it that He will finish the work He has begun.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6 KJV

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.
Ephesians 1:11

That's it, all five points in four short posts.

justified thinking on the doctrine of salvation (part three)

2009-04-19T13:00:00.000+01:00

Piont one of Calvinism: Total Depravity. I believe that man is in absolute bondage to sin and Satan, unable to exercise his own will to trust in Jesus Christ without the help of God. It is because of this that I cannot lose my salvation because it was not mine to choose in the first place.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:18

Second point of Calvinism: Unconditional Election: I believe that foreknowledge is based upon the plan and purpose of God, and that election is not based upon the decision of man, but the "free will" of the Creator alone. Nothing I can do can or will change the free will of the Father over my life.

For it is by grace that you have been saved, though faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

Third point of Calvinism: Limited Atonement: I believe that Jesus Christ died to save those who were given to Him by the Father in eternity past. In their view, all for whom Jesus died for (the elect) will be saved, and all for who He did not die for will be lost.

Forth point of Calvinism: Irresistible Grace: I believe that the God possesses irresistible grace that cannot be obstructed. They taught that the free will of man is so far removed from salvation, that the elect are regenerated (made spiritually alive) by God even before expressing faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. If a totally depraved person wasn't made alive by the Holy Spirit, such a calling of God would be impossible. I cannot run from God’s grace on my life.

Fifth point continued "part four"

justified thinking on the doctrine of salvation (part two)

2009-04-18T10:00:00.000+01:00

Continued from part one:

John Calvin lived from 1509 to 1564 and was in regards to many scholars opinions was one of the greatest bible teachers of all time outside of the authors of scripture. Calvin taught what is known as double predestination and single-handed salvation (God reaching out and choosing us). Jacob Arminius lived from 1560 to 1609. He initially held the single-handed salvation position of salvation but later embraced a two handed position of salvation (us and God or in other words God looked down the corridor of the future, saw who would chose them and so therefore chose them). The differences between the two were put together as the five points of Calvinism and five points of Arminianism. It is worth pointing out that the five points of calvinism "tulip" was a direct response to the five points of arminianism and so therefore are direct opposites of the statements made. As I haven’t got time to go all of these in much detail I have put them in a list below.

The "Five Points of Arminianism:"

1. Free Will
2. Conditional Election
3. Universal Atonement
4. Obstructable Grace
5. Falling From Grace

Those in the reformed tradition who disagreed with the teachings of Arminius chose the word "TULIP" as an acrostic to summarize the "Five Points of Calvinism:"

1. "T" = Total Depravity
2. "U" = Unconditional Election
3. "L" = Limited Atonement
4. "I" = Irresistible Grace
5. "P" = Perseverance of the Saints

Both sides would agree on the “big issues” of our faith but greatly differ on this debate about our salvation. I would take the Calvin position, which takes out any opinion that we can do anything “for” or to "earn" our salvation (single-handed salvation).

Continued in "Part Three"

justified thinking on the doctrine of salvation

2009-04-17T19:56:00.004+01:00

Firstly the word of God tells us that our salvation is a free gift:

For it is by grace that you have been saved, though faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

This free gift is not dependant or any good deeds or anything we can do. Its not a gift we deserve by doing good acts. Therefore if we don’t deserve it in the first space, we can’t do anything to then un-deserve it. We also don’t keep our salvation because we try our hardest to walk faithfully with God. We persevere with God but it's only because God preserves with us.

Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are. John 17v 11b ASV

This was one of Jesus’ many prayers to the Father, which demonstrates this point. It is the Father who keeps us and preserves with us. Because of this I know that for the rest of my life I will be a Christian. It’s not something I have to worry about because I know that the Father will keep me. But most of all I know this because my salvation had nothing really to do with my choice and if I didn’t choose my salvation then I have no way of “un-choosing” it. Ephesians 1 v4 says this:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (New International Version)

By the grace of God for some reason I will never understand he chose me to be a follower of him and to have eternal life. He has not allowed me to receive that what my sin deserves. He has chosen to not allow my will to choose death but his will has chosen for me life. He has grabbed me from what I deserve which is nothing but death. This is the doctrine of election or predestination.

This brings me on to another huge debate among many today. Calvinism vs Arminianism. See tomorrow's post.

church marketing: reigate and redhill community church

2009-04-17T19:30:00.003+01:00

Here's a small extract of work for reigate and redhill community church for as part of their promotional material for their new evening service launch. You can access their website here to find out more details about the church and their services.

A few mixed media technique involved in this concept. The initial raw textures from card and paint. Photography: RRCC.

Click here to see more work or visit inchdesigns.co.uk

the ESV song by john piper

2009-04-13T14:11:00.008+01:00

Sometimes it's amazing what you come up with to fill your time when you know you've got study to do. I think a very small number of people will find this hilarious and I apologize to the rest of you! Enjoy a two minute study break and have a smile.

church marketing: illustrating the book of revelations in a contemporary manner

2009-04-11T09:48:00.008+01:00

For a design exhibition in brick lane called free-range I was involved in last july, I decided to attempt to illustrate the book of revelations in an contemporary style for display in a public gallery. Each chapter was illustrated in a way like never before. I drew examples, materials and techniques from world famous illustrators like david foldvari and tim marrs and applied these techniques to the book of illustrations. You can see more of the project in a flash presentation here. One piece of this project, the extract from revelation 22:20 also went up in Euston underground station for a art exhibition organization called art-below. For a photo follow this link and search for the artist profile Chris Smyth.

The piece below is an extract from the book of illustrations.

Revelation 5:11
"Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriad's of myriads and thousands of thousands"

You can see more of the project in a flash presentation here.

theistic evolution or a literalistic interpretation? young/old earth?

2009-04-10T13:19:00.009+01:00

On the back of a week of theology training in Bracknell, surrounded by nothing but industrial estates and sandwich shops, I'm left questioning my literal interpretation of Genesis one, which I had come to accept over the years. Possibly as I found it the easiest way to really digest the content in this early passage. Understanding how to depict between the different types of literacy genres in Scriptures in paramount to understanding but not always easy to do. Biblical exegesis and thought out contextulisation is so important in our breaking down of passages and applying them to our lives.

Genesis one is one of these chapters that is so hard to really get to grips with and I think we will always grapple with and throughout the years change our opinions on. Reading this passage in a literal manner always helped me to be very clear cut with my understanding but is there holes with a young world theory? Can the days be literal 24-hour periods if the idea of a morning and evening isn't created until day four? Can the flood explain the form and fossil's of the earth? Is it wrong to not completely dismiss parts of Darwin's theory? Is there something in his theories. Can science help us understand this scripture if we don't take it so literally.

Calvin's thoughts on this from his commentary on Genesis are interesting.

"The first day . Here the error of those is manifestly refuted, who maintain that the world was made in a moment. For it is too violent a cavil to contend that Moses distributes the work which God perfected at once into six days, for the mere purpose of conveying instruction. Let us rather conclude that God himself took the space of six days, for the purpose of accommodating his works to the capacity of men."

Where I stand at the moment is that there seems to be floors in each theory. Theistic evolution may contradict a literalistic interpretation of Genesis one, but is there a massive shift to narrative as the passage in Genesis continues. If we questions the literacy genre in chapter one, can be accept that adam and eve are also literal or does the poetry descriptive form continue. There is a sense of literacy genre shift as the passage continues but there are elements of the same, particularly in the description of the garden.

Not questions I like to ask or find easy to ask as I feel much more at ease feeling that I have grappled with something and have come to a conclusion rather than still looking for clarity. I know many say it just doesn't matter, or it isn't important but sometimes I find it hard to take that.

Share your thoughts.

what does it mean that the church is the fulfillment of Israel? part two

2009-04-07T11:00:00.000+01:00

Jesus was baptized at the age of thirty. Jesus' baptism reflected Israel's baptism through the Red Sea as the people lead by Moses passed through the parted waters before reaching the Promised Land. Through is symbol of baptism, the old Israel died and a new Israel was born, just as through Jesus' ministry an old covenantal order died, and a new and final covenantal order emerged.

Just as Israel underwent trails in the wilderness for forty years, starving and their promised inheritance, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness and was tested to see if he would disobey his father by eating. Israel failed the test by not trusting that God would provide, Jesus in contrast was obedient to his father by not giving into temptation to eat or to take what Satan called “his inheritance.”

Jesus is also the fulfillment of David when he was King over Israel.

“I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Psalm 89:36 (ESV)”
Jesus was a descendant of David through being born of Joseph is still ruling from David’s throne.
Jesus is also the fulfillment of Jonah. Jonah refused to preach to the Gentiles when God commanded him to, and as a result ended up in a big fish “dead” for three days before being spat out upon the land. In contrast, Jesus was obedient. Preaching and demonstrating God's grace, love, and salvation. Extending his message to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Jesus died, and after three days, he was resurrected, conquering death once for all.

Therefore Jesus came to fulfill all that Israel got wrong in their disobedience of God. It is only though Christ that the church can be the fulfillment of Israel. The centrality of Christ in the church today is the only way that we, the church, can be the fulfillment of Israel.

what does it mean that the church is the fulfillment of Israel? part one

2009-04-07T06:54:00.003+01:00

If a church doesn’t hold Christ as the centre, the foundation, the cornerstone of everything that they believe in the church cannot be the fulfillment of Israel. The fulfillment of Israel comes only comes through Christ, this is the only way that we can claim that the church today is the fulfillment of Israel, Christ the center of the church. This essay explores this statement by looking at the life of Jesus in contrast with Israel.

Christ need’s to be central to everything we hold as the church today. Christ is the foundation of the church. It is only through Christ that we see the fulfillment of Israel. Rather than focus on the church as a whole, if the church hold’s Christ at the centre then the church does fulfill Israel because Christ fulfills Israel.

To start at the beginning Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Adam. Jesus is the new eschatological Adam. Adam plunged the world into sin when tempted in the Garden of Eden with Eve. Jesus was similarly tempted but yet refused to eat when God had forbidden Him to. Christ’s triumph over this temptation is more connected than we often think to the restoration of Eden.

"For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19

It is thought the obedience of Christ, even to death on a cross, the world could be redeemed from sin and death.

Throughout Jesus’ life we see time and time again that he is the fulfillment of Israel. Jesus relives the history of Israel but only in the way that Israel should have lived it by listening but not obeying God’s commandments.

"Continued Part two"

living by faith in future grace: john piper

2009-04-01T08:51:00.003+01:00

The teachings of John Piper always captivate our thinking processes. The way he breaks down large concepts which are hard to digest in their full capacity very systematically, piece by piece, developing and expanding on the last, I find so helpful to my own study and understand. This book seems like no exception.

I came across Piper's book "The purifying power of living by faith in Future Grace" a number of years ago but only picked it up to read yesterday evening, and even after only the first chapter it's beginning to shape,inspire and develop my thoughts on the grace of God. I'd planned to the read the book and maybe blog on a sum up of its entirety but with the first chapter so jam packed full of truth and insight I think i'll be posting in response to most chapters!

Piper explores the idea that so often we fall into what he call's "the debtor's ethic". The idea that in this culture when someone does something for us, like invites us over for a meal, subsequently we feel like we are indebted to do something for them in a way of "returning the favor".

"This impulse is not what gratitude was designed to produce. God meant gratitude to be a spontaneous expression of pleasure in the gift and the good will of another. He did not mean for it to be an impulse return on favors. If gratitude is twisted into a sense of debt, it gives birth to the debtors ethic- and the effect is to nullify grace... Gratitude was created by God to echo grace." (p.32)

We are not attempting to somehow make it up to God for what he has done for, in a sense, repaying the favor by living lives of holiness and purity but actually, our response in receiving this unmerited grace on our lives simply magnifies the grace of God and doesn't magnify our response.

We transfer gratitude into faith in God's future grace for us as we cherish the pleasures of past grace, this should always incline us to trust in the promises of future grace.

And that's only the start of it. What a book.

church marketing: typography

2009-03-31T14:20:00.004+01:00

A strong typographical understanding is always the make or break in church media. How many times have you been given a flyer on the way out of a meeting which consists of nothing but seven different typefaces al screaming at you!? The simple connection between image and type is so important and can ne missed so easily, limiting the impact in which our marketing can achieve.

I came across a very helpful article in Collide magazine which points out a number of the very important typographic outlines and well worth forwarding on to your communications staff. Collide magazine is a fantastic resource for anyone looking into effective and impacting church marketing. View article

I also had a very strange request to post my workspace-"I think its a designer thing!" so here we go. I use a combination of a 15" Mac Book Pro and a 24" imac, both with adobe creative suite 4.

reaching a community through a community: technological advances and cultural relevance

2009-03-26T08:45:00.005Z

This was only to be a short post this morning before getting into an essay but judging by the outcome of the title-who knows how long it could it. This is a follow up article to a short piece called "white heart lane: one giant small group" which I wrote for prodigal magazine this week. The article speaks of a hunger for community within a community. A hunger to be apart of something and how this should effect how we reach out to the community.

This week we created a New Community Church twitter account, mainly because it seems that everyone is on it at the moment, and how easy it is to quickly update the church with information, news, suggested blogs and articles to read and prayer requests. It is a fantastic tool for reaching the church community and much more. Follow NewCom on twitter.

It seems that unlike ever before we can communicate is so many different means. Other technological advances such as facebook, you tube and itunes give us as a church an opportunity to impact millions of people over the world. Thanks to itunes we are not only preaching to the limitations of a church building but we can send out our sermons via podcasts and vodcasts across the world. It's not even a "one-time" preach anymore, our sermons can stay in a online archive for the next hundred years. In effect we can preach the same sermon to someone we have never met, in a country we have never been to, years after we ever preached. Facebook is helping church bridge gaps between young people and the church. We can now communicate with large numbers of people all at the same time with a touch of a button. Gone are the days of mass church member mail outs costing hundreds of pounds. You tube has opened up the opportunity for our sermons to be watched by millions of people all over the world.

We need to continue to drench the internet with christ, using these resources to help build up the local churches and to continually proclaim the name of christ. We need to continue to step up and into these media processes not only in an attempt to become culturally relevant but just to make the most out of these fantastic resources. When ever these new things come out: twitter for example, we need to be quick to embrace it, learn it, and use it for the kingdom. We have got such an opportunity to reach a culture in a way very familiar to them while standing firm in christ.

It's all about the advancement of the kingdom. Setting the media communities alight with the gospel which gets twittered and you tubed around the world!

Sign up to follow New Community Church on Twitter

church marketing: an eyewitness account "the book of mark" sermon series graphic

2009-03-25T09:00:00.002Z

The next sermon series graphic in the series is an image I created for a sermon series we did at New Community Church on the book of Mark, called " An eyewitness account: Jesus and People."

The design became a canvas print in my final year show and an image in a series of contemporary illustrations I did of the book of Revelations.

In an attempt to again shamelessly promote my freelance work, here's a quote I recently found online by Ellie Altomare from the directoryofillustration.com about a section of my portfolio to give you an idea of my mixed media technique and style which I apply to a great deal of my work.

"“Chris is an incredible illustrator, evoking emotion with layers of paint combining drawing and collage with a keen sense of design. The use of black and primary colours has a great emotional impact. His images tell stories of depth of life.” Ellie Altomare-DirectoryofIllustration.com

Would love to hear your feeback, or drop me a comment if anyone has any work going.
inchdesigns.co.uk

church marketing: "ephesians: our identity in christ" sermon series graphic

2009-03-24T10:45:00.004Z

Over the next few days I thought i'd have a break from the writing as I'm currently working on an article for prodigal magazine.com, so I thought i'd post some of the graphic content we have been creating at New Community Church, south east London. As are current series rapidally draws to a close here is the last sevens weeks graphic. Listen to the series podcasts by Dave Holden and Tim Blaber here. The real print was a6 and printed on 200gsm mirror card. All our sermon graphics will appear again in september with the re:launch of our website. stay tuned.

See more work a inchdesigns.co.uk

church marketing: beer mat to london underground advert to design exhibition in brick lane

2009-03-23T10:19:00.021Z

In an attempt to shamelessly promote myself as a freelance designer specializing in church marekting I thought I would start to post regularly some of my work, not only from my degree but work commissioned throughout the year.

One of the canvas's in the image below started as a promotional beer mat idea for a student outreach mission but quickly became one of the main pieces for my end of year design show. My final year project was an attempt to illustrate the book of revelations in an contemporary style and you can see more of the project here. This piece also went up in Euston underground station funded by revelation church in north london with a art exhibition organization called art-below. For a photo follow this link and search for my artist profile.

See more of my work at inchdesigns.co.uk

white heart lane: "one giant small group"

2009-03-21T07:16:00.006Z

Traveling across London is always a joyous occasion. Hundreds of fed up, commuters trying to get to or home from work. No-one smiles in London, no-one. Until of course they have something to be apart of.

It's not hard to spot other spurs fans (for any americans, a north london "soccer" team!) on the way to a game, in fact you can spot them a mile off. And not only because they are vandalizing something, but because the fans wear the kit. Sometimes (and I would never suggest doing this) the whole kit. I once saw someone sitting watching a game wearing his football boots. Weird. Maybe he thought he'd get a game?

So when you finally sit down for the first time at the lane, after seeing countless spurs shirts, flags and scarfs traveling it seems, with you, right across London, streams of white and blue cover the entire stadium. And what a sight it is. There is such a feeling of unity and community which everyone wants to be apart of. And those around that aren't apart of that wish they'd bought that cheap scarf from that dodgy tent store on the way to the ground.

My point being, everyone wants to be apart of something. Everyone loves being apart of a community. They just might not use that wording. We need to remember this as we hit our communities with the gospel. Why are we so unexpectant of the gospel changing lives in our communities. How often do we hear the phrases, "they could never be a christian" or "she would never come to church," we make decisions for people before even giving them a chance to come along.

We so often take for granted that we are apart of the most amazing community. The Kingdom of God. Many of us have grown up in church families and have become used to always surrounded by people, we have many close friends, and always have someone to turn to for advice in hard times. The trouble is, we get so caught up in being in community and enjoying its value that we forget how much the world wants to feel this kind of community as well. So lets stop writing people off before they get through the doors, in-fact let's not even let it get that far, let's take the community to them. Let's take it through their doors.

By the way just in case you were wondering: tottenham 4-0 middlesbrough! and Keano netted for the first time since his return. bonus.

post redemptive thinking on limited/unlimited atonement part one

2009-03-20T07:12:00.006Z

My reading this week has been in the book of 1 John. Never before have I honestly valued this book as much as I do now. But I came across a verse this morning which reminded me a conversation I was having with my house mates yesterday evening over dinner. Limited or unlimited atonement? (Just the kind of conversation to have while trying out the new local curry shop!)

"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2

I have always had a very clear cut limited atonement (or definite atonement) view: It just doesn't really make sense in my mind any other way than this. For a calvinist believing in the doctrine of election, doctrines like this all seem to sort into place.

But verses like the one above do seem to crop up all over the bible. It was then when my house mate tactfully snuck into the bath room before me this morning that I took the chance to look this a little and came across the concept of Amyraldism or "four-point calvinism. Moses Amyraut basically could accept the majority of Calvin's writings but not the concept of limited atonement. Amyraldism holds that God has provided Christ's atonement for all.

Driscoll would say limited atonement "with a big footnote." I believe that every man knows some form of grace (we must do in order to be alive!) but God's "saving" grace was poured out over a few. Is that limited atonement, one with a footnote?!

This whole concept (argument) I find fascinating so I will keep extending my posting thoughts on this along the way but would love to hear from some of you "real" theologians as i'm only a designer who bought an esv!

the next phase in "new community" marketing

2009-03-19T09:00:00.016Z

Last month saw new community approach new a direction of church marketing in our community. Sidcup is packed full of London commuters, waiting patiently very morning with a coffee for their train. We wanted to give them something to look at! This is only phrase one of our planned station adverts but now we have a foot in the door we can start get more radical! Good design and advertising is such a powerful tool in todays society, especially in the U.K where we are surrounded by a culture that has been "trained" to respond to advertising, a world that responds so vividly to anything and everything visual. I believe as church in sidcup we aren't homing in on this enough, and this is the first ad in our series of taking advantage of a world that responds to bold, high impact marketing.

exploring why time magazine names "new calvinism" as their third best idea

2009-03-18T14:45:00.000Z

According to time magazines article on "10 ideas Changing the World Right Now" the idea of "The New Calvinism" is at number three! Right in-between "Recycling the Suburbs" at number two and "Reinstating The Interstate" at number four!

"John Calvin's 16th century reply to medieval Catholicism's buy-your-way-out-of-purgatory excesses is Evangelicalism's latest success story, complete with an utterly sovereign and micromanaging deity, sinful and puny humanity, and the combination's logical consequence, predestination: the belief that before time's dawn, God decided whom he would save (or not), unaffected by any subsequent human action or decision." Time Magazine

But where has this concept of "the new calvinism" come from? Calvinism seems to have progressed and developed into an attitude of seeking to change and redeem todays western culture with the push firmly remaining on truth, not an attempt to fit into a culture but to effect a culture.

So what's the difference and why?

1. Old Calvinism was fundamental or liberal and separated from culture. New Calvinism is missional and seeks to create and redeem culture.

Holding the firm truths of calvinism but obtaining an missional attitude, seeking to effect a culture is much more of a focus than ever before. Tim Keller would tell us to float those A-doctrines on those B-Doctrines, we need to float the gospel in a way that makes culture question why it exists the way it does.

2. Old Calvinism fled from the cities. New Calvinism is flooding into cities.

John Calvin's 16th century reply to medieval Catholicism's buy-your-way-out-of-purgatory was a radical decision to put it bluntly. He was forced to flee the city to keep his life. We are blessed in living in the Reformation days of christianity, we need to take it back into the cities.

3. Old Calvinism was cessationistic and fearful of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. New Calvinism is continuationist and joyful in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

(What a massive topic- will post on that sometime soon!)

4. Old Calvinism was fearful and suspicious of other Christians and burned bridges. New Calvinism loves all Christians and builds bridges between them.

I think that even recent concepts such as the internet provides us quickly with as much information about a group of people that one requires. This would break down so many fears that early Christians may of had about one another. When the focus was placed maybe on a different doctrine disunity would strike very quickly. Is it now that we can see slightly more of the bigger picture? Although its not "the" reason i'm sure in some way it makes a huge difference. One that we so often take for granted.

What you do guys think, their is heaps of content here to get into, a lot of which seems to be totally out of my league as i'm only a church gap year student with minimal theological training so would be very interested in hearing some views of some of you.

The big questing is though, is it really changing the world? Does it earn the big top three?!

reflecting the perfection of christ in correct doctrine and moral purity

2009-03-17T21:42:00.004Z

Rarely this year have I had an evening not filled with something or the other. As a design graduate i'm funding my year working as a volunteer for a church in south east london, with my client work. So after spending all day in front of my computer screen in the office, I find myself sitting on my sofa in front of my laptop, occasionally getting up only to grind a fresh batch of my housemates not so secret coffee beans!

But tonight was one of those long awaited nights. One of the beauties of working in design is that clients often take days to give you feedback, freeing you up start or complete other jobs. But tonight while they were all discussing there ascetically pleasing pdf's, I got a night off! And after catching up with some season two-prison break I found myself reading some truth. And what truth it was.

I love how some passages in Scripture seem to just grab hold of you: 1 John 5-9 was one of those passages.

"5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." ESV

How important is it that we reflect the perfect character and the light of Christ at all times! But how often do we try and tuck our sin under the carpet?! If we are walking in darkness our fellowship with Christ is nothing but I lie. And how can we expect to be effective in our relational evangelism if the people we know and love the most, see us reflecting a life very different from the one we try to seek very opportunity to proclaim before them day after day?!

We need to live our lives soaked in the correct Biblical truths so that we may shine bright like Christ. We need to strive to live pure lives to protect our integrity as Christians. We are free from all our sin by the gracious cleansing of all unrighteousness, our response needs to be nothing but to mirror Christ's perfect example.

Is it to bold to say that when we sin, its not only our name we are scorning, but the name of Christ. (Sounds abit like a Piper quote!)

eye’s wide shut: re-focusing on the CENTRALITY and SUPREMACY of the Son of God, Christ Jesus.

2009-03-04T15:34:00.004Z

The following is a basic outline of a "practice" preaching series we are doing as apart of New Community Church SE London. Below is the outline I went for in title form-would be interesting to get some feedback from any "much more experienced leaders" who has preached on this passage many times to see how you would or have in the past addressed this passage.

Colossians Chapter 1 v1-14
Part One

The Colossians had a foot in the door. In fact, they had more than that. They had taken off their boots and were sat in front of the fire warming their toes. That was their problem. Once your comfortable you leave yourselves open to all kinds of distractions. The occasional distraction is one thing, but you won’t notice anything when your eyes are wide shut.

The Colossians had started right but had been distracted by false teaching which took the emphasis off the importance of Christ being central to the gospel. In the first half of chapter one Paul brings to raise key issues tactfully and subtly. He doesn’t run in kicking and screaming, he simply passes them back their boots, helps them out of their chair and points them towards the washing up.

Verse 1-2
Authority Focus (The Greeting): We listen to authority: it was so important for Paul to firmly stamp his authority as part of his greeting so early on in his letter.

1. Paul’s authority by the will of God
2. To the saints… (Whom is Paul addressing)
3. Paul prays grace and peace over the church.

Verse 3-4
Faith Focus (Paul give the thanks to God for their faith) – On the surface this sounds like Paul is praising the people and thanking God for them, but Paul is again very subtly thanking God (the giver of faith) for their clear faith that has been given to you from him.

Verse 5
Truth Focus: Defines the truth: the word is the truth- in contrast to the false teaching they are receiving. Paul wants to open their eyes to see what is truth

Verse 6
Worldwide Focus (Reassurance and the Big Picture): Opening the curtains by showing them how far the gospel has spread through out the world.

Verse 7-8
Personal Focus (Looking at the individual):

Verse 9-11
Growth Focus (Paul turns up the heat): Paul brings these examples of growth in prayer.

Paul questions their expectancy. Almost by setting the bar at a level they could never reach on their own. It symbolizes their utter reliance on the grace of God. Paul prays that they would not be moulded to the conventional moral pattern of the community; nor that they would make their own capabilities the standard of their relationship with God, but rather that they may aim to walk worthy of the Lord himself. They must be nothing less than holiness and purity. Further still in their strivings towards this high goal they should rise above mere desire to succeed because of the satisfaction this brings. They must rather have a God-centered motive, and live entirely with the view to please him.

the doctrine of at-one-ment- the purpose, fulfillment and accomplishment of the cross:(from the simplicity and complexity of the gospel emerge series)

2009-03-03T11:14:00.006Z

John has asked me to post the content from my preach on the doctrine of at-one-ment - the purpose, fulfillment and accomplishment of the cross:(from the simplicity and complexity of the gospel emerge series) this sunday which we didn't have time to cover, for those of you who want to look a little deeper into the topic. I was going to just post my notes but I have decided to post some of the sources as I'm sure they will do far more justice to the topic than I ever could do!
So here's some light reading for you:

http://www.the-highway.com/articleJuly02.html

Hasn't Calvin just got such an amazing way with words...

"This is our acquittal: the guilt that held us liable for punishment has been transferred to the head of the Son of God (Is. 53:12). We must, above all, remember this substitution, lest we tremble and remain anxious throughout life — as if God’s righteous vengeance, which the Son of God has taken upon himself, still hung over us. By his obedience, however, Christ truly acquired and merited grace for us with his Father. Many passages of Scripture surely and firmly attest this. I take it to be a commonplace that if Christ made satisfaction for our sins, if he paid the penalty owed by us, if he appeased God by his obedience — in short, if as a righteous man he suffered for unrighteous men — then he acquired salvation for us by his righteousness, which is tantamount to deserving it."

Two books that might also be of interest:

Cross Words: The Biblical Doctrine of Atonement by Paul Wells

The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel The Main Thing by CJ Mahaney

I'm so excited about emerge moving onto campus and really having much more of a "missional" focus and was great seeing so many of you on sunday night. Have a great week.
Chris

are fluorescent orange boards enough or do we have a responsibility to be more culturally relevant with our advertising?

2009-02-28T10:24:00.000Z

I just came across mark driscoll's death by love site as part of the "RE:LIT and THE RESURGENCE" resources. I am always so impressed with the media directions and visual styles the designers at resurgence come up with and this page is a truly fantastic resource. Being a recent design grad in london myself I love, and truly understand the importance of good strong typography and powerful illustration to impact people where they are at and this just works so well.

From a design point of view the americans have always had a slight upper hand over us Brits. But why is this? Maybe its because they are given more freedom in their work by the elders or whoever is commissioning the project? Maybe they are not so worried about offending people as we are with direct and challenging advertising? Maybe in this country we don't see advertising within a church context as an important thing? I want to argue that we are missing the boat.

Good design and advertising is such a powerful tool in todays society, especially in the U.K where we are surrounded by a culture that has been "trained" to respond to advertising, a world that responds so vividly to anything and everything visual. I believe in this country we as church aren't homing in on this enough. I think we need to take a step up with the way we advertise. Maybe we need to be bolder, more direct, more impacting, harder hitting-we need to communicate to a culture the way they are used to being addressed, we need to break down as many as these church-culture divides and get people in the building! (and i'm not just saying this because I need some work!)

I wonder what would happen in this country if we took a few radical "unexpected" steps in how we approach church marketing, especially in the time of the crunch! who knows. Would love to hear what others of you think on this kind of thing, i'm not a budget holder but I know where I would spend it if I was!

And do check out driscoll's online resource death by love, i'm sure you will agree its massive step in the right direction. I've posted the related video below.

death by love online resources: driscoll

2009-02-27T22:00:00.001Z

Read related blog above:

living green or saved and clean?

2009-02-27T07:28:00.005Z

I had a great conversation last night until the early hours of the morning with my housemates about as christians how much should we care about the planet? How much time should we spend thinking about our "carbon footprint" and what does being a "good steward" really mean?

For me, if i'm honest was a conversation that didn't sit right, and i'm sure many of you can relate to situations or things in your owns lives like this. For me I do defiantly agree with the fact that, yes we need to more responsible for taking care of the planet and making small steps towards "doing our little bit." But for me, (and this may only be because I have a lot to work on!) their are so many other things I want to work on and develop in my relationship with God that this kind of thing is, to be honest quite low down the list. But what came out of my our conversation was an almost shock at my view on this subject. The argument was that as christians we should be doing so so much more. Everything we do we should push to "save the planet" in one way of the other. But where does it end, where would you draw the line?

You start by sitting in the dark and recycling your baked bean cans and then before you know you are campaigning on the side of the street trying to encourage people not to pollute the world by driving to work!-And i'm sure claim some kind of basic christ moral reasoning for it. where do you draw the line?

My point is that we can get consumed over this kind of thing very easily as christians, and for some reason its not simply being a good steward anymore. It becomes legalistic and some what idealistic. And almost becomes a self righteous act of behavior not as Jesus centered as maybe we wanted ourselves to be in the first place. How much would we really grow if we spent that time in God's word or on streets. If we approached either of those things with the same energy and passion i'm sure we would see huge things happen.

God is sovereignly in control of this world, it is he who holds it together.

Be interested in hearing the thoughts of others.

the calvin song!

2009-02-25T22:46:00.002Z

Your going to love this!

that keller fella!

2009-02-25T19:22:00.006Z

What a great day today at Westminster Chapel! I havn't got long now to go into all the points I got out of today as my life group should be turning up any second but the one thing I found so helpful today was what Tim shared on A and B doctrines. I love it when concepts seem so simple when looking at them in a different way. The concept of sharing certain doctrines that some cultures struggle with (b-doctrines) along side with a combination of ones that seem to be more acceptable to a particular culture (a-doctrines) seems so obvious to us now but so often we struggle to connect and relate the word because we simply can't find the right way in! Right, my front room is now full of students waiting for pancakes for I most feed them but would be interested to hear what others thought of the day if you were there as well, and when I get some more time i'll break down some more my highlighted points from today's teaching.

audience of one

2008-12-04T11:31:00.004Z

I don't know about you but I can be someone who takes peoples comments and criticisms quite personally and sometimes I can let them effect me much more than they should. We seem to carry this burden that everyone should be nice and encouraging to one each other (even if we are not) and I seem to have to please everyone I come into contact with. I'm sure if you can relate to what I'm saying you can resinate with this burden which we create for ourselves.

How refreshing is it to know that actually in this life we only really have an audience of one! We only have one person to please and thats our Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 (New International Version)

2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

step by step mission

2008-12-03T11:56:00.006Z

An issue recently that has affected me in quite a negative way is the way we sometimes visualize mission in our minds. Knowing and believing that I had to be "missional" seemed to have been planted in me from a young age, but could that have effected how my minds eye envisions the concept of mission?

I like to think I'm a radical Christian (sometimes?) I have all these dreams and hopes of seeing the lost saved, the broken healed and set free and preaching to thousands to people on Sidcup high street! And then of course very quickly revival will break out across London!

Well that’s all well and hope having a hope and dream but they are the things that seem to stop me "getting active" in the first place. We have almost set our sights to high and what seems so unreachable by our own strength. So what do we do? Nothing. If we can't reach the big goal we don't seem to bother.

We need to change how we visualize mission in our mind. When a runner visualizes a marathon before a race, he doesn't focus on the 26 miles, he will focus on each next step, one at a time.

It's exactly the same on mission. That way the goal is far more reachable and in response to that we find ourselves far more motivated to completing each small task.

I was chatting to a friend of mine recently who I greatly admire and who has helped me a great deal over the last few month while I have been working for the church, I was talking about how I didn't think I was actively involved in any mission. One thing about working for a church is that all your time naturally is taken up in the church office! This was getting me down and over time was really effecting my motivation for mission. But then actually when I started talking about the life week by week it became more and more apparent that I was coming into contact with a great number of people who I was helping in there walk with Christ or there were clear opportunities for me to do so. All of a sudden mission started to make much more sense to me because "it was something I could do!"

But I am not saying that the "big dream mission" is wrong and I would never limit what God can and will do! The big dream is can become very negative if it begins to stop anything happening at all.

do you fear god?

2008-10-20T09:57:00.007+01:00

26 " Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30 For we know the one who said,

“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”

He also said,

“The Lord will judge his own people.”

31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10

Why is it this kind of passage is so shocking to us? We spend so much time painting God as how we want to see him. A big loving hand watching over us and helping us when we fall. "It's okay, God still loves me, he's love after-all!" How often do we paint the picture in our hearts that we are covered by the grace of god through the blood shed of Christ Jesus so its okay for us to continue to take the piss out of the cross and deliberately continue sinning.

Our God hates sin.

We need to reflect this thinking in everything we do and we need to fear God! There there is no doubt from this passage that we should fear God. I believe that if we took this application into every part of our daily lives our lives would be radically changed. Everything we would do would be different. Our priorities would drastically change. Our lives would reflect that of Christ more and more. We need to hold this kind of scripture in our hearts.

being generation of radical acts

2008-10-12T18:11:00.006+01:00

As a church we have been studying the book of Acts, which i'm sure over the years i've looked at many times before but something has really hit home over the last few sundays. The faith of the disciples and the expectancy they have is so different from our generations. We seem to settle for so much less. In the bible Jesus says that we WILLl see greater things than this in our days!" and I want to be apart of this! I want to see these miracles and see Jesus break through in the lives of people on the street! I want to be prayerfully acting upon words of knowledge and expecting God to turn up and heal the sick!

What is so amazing is that we can see these amazing things happen in our life times because it is a promise of our God! A God who never breaks his promises! But we have to be a radical people with a radical passion and trust in him! Lets step up and claim these truths in the name of Jesus.

breaking through... disunity among unity

2008-08-29T18:50:00.005+01:00

Its been so long since i've posted on here I can barely work out how to type! This summer has been crazy. In the last four weeks I think I have slept in a real bed about four times and I don't really want to anymore! It seems that God really moves in people's lives when they sleep on the floor! This summer i've been involved in a number of different festivals, conferences and kids camps all over the country. Its been an amazing blessing to see God move in so many lives from so many different backgrounds and churches. One thing that I love about these summer events and camps is that everyone comes to serve or to camp are from different churches. And instantly as we all know we can jump into disunity among unity! Its so easy to jump on our horse's and get bitter about whose theology is tighter and whose church is bigger and to an extent this is something I know a lot of us struggle with. Our pride comes into it. Sometimes we can get so carried away with correcting someone's Biblical understandings we fail to notice how God's moving in their lives and in their church. I'm not saying its not important to be theologically accurate in everything but sometimes we can put this on such a pedestal that we can't see further than it. One thing I can take out of the summer is that God is moving guys. All over the place. He wants to meet with people and have relationship with them. And he doesn't wait until we understand all the bibles doctrines completely. He meets with us now. In all our mess!

evangelism: outing or lifestyle

2008-04-25T12:59:00.006+01:00

Over the Easter break I had the privilege of visiting a new church in Bournemouth. The service was quite similar to most and without wanting to sound too negative the word brought that morning was, in my opinion 'very nearly' theologically correct. But the reason why I'm telling you this was what happening afterwards. As I was leaving to get home in time for mothers roast beef, I noticed a number of young people had made an even quicker exit than I did! And I thought I was going some! And the second I walked out the door I was greeted with a cloud of smoke "special smoke, got me?" and lets just says a lot of language you wouldn't normally expect to hear outside a church! But this bits my point. My response to this instantly and I'm not sure I would have been alone in this, was "what on earth are these guys doing here? this is church?! What's going on! And yea as you can imagine, felt very convicted while tucking into my roasted spuds afterwards.

It was amazing that those guys were in church that morning, I'm not sure if it was there first time or they had been going for a while but the fact that they were there listening to the word of God that sunday was truly amazing. Thats what the church is all about. A community open to welcome in the lost and the broken. Thats what Jesus is all about, he would have been outside talking to and spending time with those guys, not inside having a nice after service cup of tea. I felt awful as those thoughts crept into my mind as I quickly walked past them, eyes fixed on the ground trying to steer clear of any invite to any conversation.

But isn't this how we all view evangelism sometimes? Its like its fine when we have set aside an evening to give out flyers on campus, we simply put on our "evangelist socks" and hey presto, we become fantastic godly people, where for as long as we are wearing these magic holy socks, all we care about is sharing the gospel to whomever God gracefully brings towards us! We then get all excited about how God is working on campus, we take off our socks and go to sleep. The socks go into the wash, are folded and put back into the drawer until the next event in two months time.

Okay enough about socks. You get the point. But isn't this true in so many of our lives including my own. We are always so negative about our own belief of our abilities and fail to really understand evangelism as Paul speaks of the Bible. If we truly know Gods grace in our lives through the power of the cross then we have a personal story of the gospel and our relationship with him to tell the world about. Lets get passionate like we are called to be, how can we look to the cross on a sunday morning and be so expectant of God's past, present and future Grace and then keep it to ourselves, or at least until the next planned evangelism event!

If we stopped using the "word" evangelism, maybe it would begin to become more something that is grown from within us and something our hearts can simply not control. Evangelism is a lifestyle not an outing.

holy kiss or high five?

2008-03-14T09:39:00.008Z

Last night a group of students and 20's from my local church went out for a curry. It was amazing just to see a massive group of Christians take over the curry shop! Anyway, I had a conversation with a good friend of mine (you know who you are) about how we as Christians greet each other. Now, I hate the whole "High Five" thing. Sorry all you keen happy slappers! But to me, there is something very limited and British about it. (Plus I always miss and look like a fool). I've been spending some time recently with another friend of mine and we always make a conscious decision to greet each other with a hug. And guys I love it, and it says such a lot.

"Chris my buddy, you are my brother and I love you. In a minute when I ask you about how you are and how your weeks been, I really do care and I’m not just asking for the sake of it!'

Here's what the Bible says:

Romans 16:16
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

1 Corinthians 16:20
All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

2 Corinthians 13:12
Greet one another with a holy kiss.

1 Thessalonians 5:26
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

Okay guys, firstly I’m not suggesting we all start kissing each other in some kind of church of Corinth nightmare! I think for starters, in the culture in which we live right now, that probably isn’t the most appropriate way to greet one another. In context of today's society I guess the "High Five" is our modern interpretation of a this Holy embrace.

But what I’m challenging here is our ATTITUDE in which we greet one another.

I wonder how the disciples greeted one another. I wonder if they ever high fived. (Probably when Jesus turned the water into wine!). I think they would have been a people who embraced each other as brothers in Christ, who cared and looked out for each other and this would have been reflected but how they greeted one another. When people see us out and about as a group of Christians, are we portrayed as a people who love their brothers and sisters? A people who are united in Christ.

Ponder.

the character of faith

2008-03-06T22:56:00.008Z

This last few weeks God has really been challenging me by the life of Paul and in particular his character. Paul was a man who was completely transformed by the powerful grace of God in an incredible revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul, or Saul as he was known before this transformation was a man who dedicated his life to the religious law. Paul’s character was completely and radically changed. Paul dropped focusing on the religious law, and focused on entering into a relationship. His character was broken and faith filled the hole. God then built Paul’s character, his attitude and his life on top of the foundation of his relationship with him. This got me thinking about how highly we sometimes view our character as Christians and how we THEN try to relate this to our faith.

Do we attempt to build our faith around our lives and our character, or do we submit all to him and let our faith and relationship with Christ BE OUR CHARACTER.

grace, get me out of here!

2008-03-03T23:36:00.012Z

My experience of the concept of "time" I’m sure is similar to most. It just seems to go. Not that I’m a particularly busy guy. (Those of you who know me will I’m sure squeeze a little giggle of understanding at my curry filled student life I have been enjoying for the last couple of years). The present just seems to fall into the past as soon as I decide what to do with the present. And the future just seems so far away to even start thinking about. I'm sure if you look hard enough there probably is some irony tucked in there somewhere.

This leads me on onto what I wanted to share today. What are we using our time for? As Christians we should be hungry for Christ and ongoing ever exploring relationship with him. And if that’s not our heart then in my opinion, something’s going wrong somewhere. So why do we let so much time turn so quickly into the past without using it to any spiritual value? My walk with the big guy until recently I can be honest enough to admit has always been one with big ups and down. There were times where I can remember being so excited about the Kingdom that I thought my heart of was going to explode and others when I was more excited about watching the leaves being blown down the street.

But why does this seem to happen in so many Christians lives? And why are we as a community almost content with this? Heres where I stand on this right now:

"If we can see this happening in our lives, we don't truly know Christ and don't have relationship with him."

The bible is clear. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12. Pretty big stuff.

We should always be looking at our lives and questioning our attitudes. This is a big deal. If you believe all the nice stuff like heaven, then you better quickly start believing in hell. You can't have one and not the other. So if the bible tells us to continually work out and consider our salvation. I hear you say "But I’m a Christian, I know I’m going to heaven."

And I would agree that if you truly gave your life to Jesus asked him to forgive your sin and live in a two-way relationship with him then by the grace of god you are saved. But now. Look at your life. Are you living a life of worship, purity and in awe of Christ? Do you look at each new day as an opportunity to get closer to god and build on your relationship with him. Can we be sure at any moment that if Jesus was to return at that very second he would be pleased with what you were up to.

Lets not be (and i'll use the textbook phase "luke-warm" because its biblical) Christians guys. Because lets face it, what is that! If we truly understand the glory of what jesus did on the cross then how can we do any less than devote every second of our lives to him.

When Jesus spoke to the woman who was caught sleeping with a man other than her husband, he said "now go, and sin NO more." Okay guys, notice he didn’t say, “now go, and try your best not to sin but don't worry if you do because in about a years time I’m going to die on a cross and then rise again so therefore your covered by grace anyway!" Get the point?!

But before I get loads of angry replies screaming grace at me. I know guys. The beauty of the grace is amazing. And I thank God for his grace on my life everyday.

But i guess what I’m questioning here is, where are our hearts? Are we living lives that glorify and worship the almighty God, longing everyday to be a day of getting to know him more intimately. Or do we simply take advantage of this gift of grace? Do we use grace as a get out clause? In my opinion if this is the case then we are massively failing to understand the glory of God.