We need others

22nd November--Thought 4 the Week :

Wow, we had an awesome time on Sunday at Youth Church. It would be cool to hear how you were spoken to etc, why not comment on the website??
I was reading yesterday in Proverbs 28:13, it talks about confessing your sins, which is exactly what we did on Sunday at Youth Church. We confessed them, and asked for forgiveness. But the interesting part of the verse is that it goes onto say that we also need to give them up, leave and forsake them. It is one thing to confess them & ask God for forgiveness, but another to then stop doing what we have been that is wrong, we need each other to help us with this. On Sunday Mark Smith spoke about making a covenant with each other to help keep the fire burning, may I also encourage you to do so. Let’s not get sucked into the Kiwi way of thinking we can make it on our own, we need each other to help us walk in God’s way everyday. Let’s be REAL AUTHENTIC this week, including the way we are honest with each other and not afraid to ask for help!

Powerful Stories

15th November--Thought 4 the Week :
I watched a DVD last week of Michael Frost (pastor of Small Boat Big Sea check it out at --www.smallboatbigsea.org ) and he was talking about how powerful stories are. He made the comment that it isn't nice feelings, or lovely emotions that kept the Israelites going when times were tough, but instead it was the story of the Passover & what God had done for them, and therefore what He was going to do. And it’s the same with us. We have an awesome story of what God has done for us at the cross – the amazing sacrifice & severe pain that He went through. This is what gives us the strength to go on, and the endurance to push through. We need to be constantly telling this story and reminding ourselves and others that this is what is so important about our faith. This is the one & only central and all-important story that makes our life story worth living.
This week at Youth Church we have a chance to reflect on and celebrate this. Come ready to the hear this story again, re-told in a different way.

Our God is a great big God

8th November--Thought 4 the Week :

Last week I put the challenge out to share stories of God at work in our world. WOW! During the week, we had an awesome example of how big God is. As most of you will know, we took a proposal to the church leadership team in regards to staring a youth church. The feedback in that meeting was unanimously positive, and our YOUTH CHURCH STARTS ON NOV 20th!
I am reading through Isaiah 40-45 at the moment and its all about how big & great God is, and how small we are in comparison. I encourage you to read it, as it puts things into perspective, and all it makes you want to do is jump up & down, dance, and yell – “HOW GREAT YOU ARE GOD – YOU ROCK.”
I'm looking forward to Nov 20th, when we can turn the music up & shout that at the top of our lungs together!