The Ignite ministry is having a meeting to plan for the year 2008. We need fresh ideas for activities, events, talks and any other suggestions to make this a year of fellowship, fun and spiritual growth.
So if you want to be involved with the planning, please come along this Sunday (20/01/08). We are meeting after the service (11:30am) in the church house.
See you there! Looking forward to the fellowship and serving together in 2008.
At the start of a new year, you may be looking for resources for daily devotions. Apart from the popular ones that you can get from Christian bookstores, you may also want to check out some online resources below. Some of these are online versions of what's already in print.
Crosswalk has quite a good selection of devotionals that you can choose based on author, type and area. It includes classics like Streams in the Desert and Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening as well as devotions suitable for couples and women.
These are some good ones not on the Crosswalk list.
Daily Bread by Scripture Union
Our Daily Bread by RBC Ministries
Upper Room by Upper Room Ministries
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chamber
If you haven't yet read through the whole bible, you can follow this guide to read the bible in a year in the approach that you prefer: chronological, historical, old and new testament together, beginning to end or blended.
It seems there is no issue hotter than global warming at the moment. No matter where we turn, the message is loud and clear: we have made a mess of this planet and we are doomed, unless we do something about it! So these days, it's all about reducing carbon emissions and energy-saving. It is true that we should look after the earth, since it is our home. Besides, it is God's (since He made it) and we should be good stewards of it!
But how are we supposed to do that effectively? Is it enough to use energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, plant more trees, drive a Toyota Prius and plug into green energy?
Well, it's not, according to some 'people in the know'. What they suggest is that you should reduce the amount of children you plan to have to just one! Or have none at all, since children are evil carbon emitters. If you choose to have lots of kids anyway, you should pay a tax per child, to cover the cost of offsetting their carbon emissions. Better yet, maybe we should kill off a large chunk of the world's human population, so the planet can once again return to a healthy, green state.
These are no jokes! They are some people's serious suggestions, of how we can save this planet from its biggest threat... us! According to this twisted worldview, it would be just fine if we all died out, leaving the animals to enjoy this planet without us.
Read more about this madness in these two great articles:
Human-Hating Humanitarians
The Global Warming Suicide Cult
Worship Together has launched a new radio show online. This week's show features the No.1 song on the chart from a new band as well as other popular songs.
What's more interesting is to learn about the stories and songs that started the era of Modern Christian worship.
A BBQ with yummy food, great company and a relaxing environment, that's how we celebrated the end of the year.
It was a nice day, and people enjoyed catching up with one another or making new friends. Over dessert, we watched a presentation and had a bit of a discussion about the Jewish nation and traditions and how they relate to Christianity today. A good time for all, enjoying the opportunity to learn, it seems.
As the year is truly drawing to a close and Christmas only a week away, remembering what it's all about among the frenziness of parties and shopping.
It was a beautiful morning. Most people were still asleep. I was sitting outside, looking at the blue sky, the green trees and birds dancing around. In the quietness of the surroundings, I closed my eyes hearing the birds sing, quiet my heart and praised God for His great and wonderful works.
I remembered in high school once, our small group went to the University nearby. It was a beautiful and calm day. The grass was so thick and green and hardly anyone around. I don't remember who suggested this, but we were all lying on the soft grass, looking up to the blue sky and started singing 'How Great Thou Art'. As we were singing and focusing on Him, the sky seems like a big screen moving before me. Its vastness and God's majesty overtook me. It truly makes me appreciate the greatness and power of God.
How often in our busy life today do we get a chance to quiet down and appreciate the God that we love? A message that I heard 3 months ago still stick in my mind. The Pastor was speaking on Sabbath, the importance and reasons for it. We all know that God rested from his work and we were asked to do the same. But more than that, the Pastor explained, it is so that we can get connected back to God.
Lets face it, who wouldn't agree that we are surrounded by the world's ideas and views during most of our week? They are like loudspeakers at shops or advertising plastering everywhere, all competing for the attention to convince you. After some battling with the world, it really is a good idea to rest, reflect and prepare for the next round. If we can't get back to the base, where do we get the ammunition or instructions to deal with more?
The Pastor puts it well, people are bored, looking for things that are different and extraordinary because they lost touch with God and can only see the things around them. But when we are connected with God, the source of our being, we see, hear, think, speak and act with a purpose. We can find the extraordinary out of the ordinary.
You would have seen either the preview or TV ads promoting this movie, which is opening on Boxing Day. On the surface it looks very similar to movies like Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. But The Golden Compass could be quite dangerous, especially since it's being blatantly marketed at impressionable young children.
The movie is based on the first book (The Golden Compass) from the His Dark Materials trilogy, written for children by outspoken atheist Philip Pullman. The books are strongly against Christianity and especially the God of the Bible. At the end of the trilogy, the main character and her companions kill God (the tyrant) and decide for themselves how to live.
There are some good Christian reviews/articles about this movie and the trilogy. Listed here are just some that you may find helpful.
'Golden Compass' movie opening to controversy
FIRST-PERSON: The sweet deception of 'Compass'
The Golden Compass -- A Briefing for Concerned Christians
Some songs including those from Third Day's first Christmas album now playing at Worship Together:
Born In Bethlehem - Third Day
Lord You Are Good - The Foundry
O Come All Ye Faithful - Third Day
Contagious - The Foundry
Jesus Light Of The World- Third Day
Pour Out Your Spirit - The Foundry
Holy Spirit - The Foundry
You can also download Born in Bethlehem's mp3 for free on their site.
I've been doing a bit of reading on Hilter and the Holocaust after a recent visit to Terezin, a ghetto and concentration camp in Czekoslovakia. The more I read about Hilter and the Nazis, the more I couldn't get over not only the cruelty, but the extent of their destruction and disregard for human lives. But at the same time, it doesn't cease to amaze me how one man could have such impact in the world. All because of his ideology, passion, focus and determination to fulfill his mission. In the same way, I wonder how much God can use and do through us to impact the lives of many if we have the same passion and determination that Hilter exhibits. Of course, in this case to fulfill God's plan.
In one of the documentaries that I watched, a German civilian asked a SS officer how he could do that (meaning killing the Jews). His reply was "We are Fuhrer's faithful servant. For Fuhrer, we will do even more terrible things". Put it in the Christian context, can we say we are God's faithful servant and do things that we find difficult because God asks us to and because of our love for Him?
The latest streaming worship music at http://www.worshiptogether.com/multimedia/index.aspx
Oh The Glory Of It All - David Crowder band
O For A Thousand Tongues - David Crowder band
Now Is The Time - Delirious
O Praise Him - David Crowder band
For Your Glory - Matt Maher
The year's gone so fast - Christmas is only weeks away! Ignite will meet for the last time this year for a BBQ on Sunday, November 25th. Don't miss this chance to hang out before the break!
The recent visit from Rabbi Greg has stirred up interest in our Jewish connection, and prompted lots of questions about how Christians should understand and relate to Israel. When we meet we'll have a chance to discuss these things together, and watch a slideshow of photographs showing Jewish persecutation under Hitler's Nazi regime. It promises to be a thought-provoking discussion!
We'd love to see you there before we break for Christmas! Here's the details:
What: BBQ Lunch
When: Sunday 25th Nov, 12pm
Where: The church house (Gold Coast Christian Family)
Cost: $7 (including lunch and drinks)
We've heard that phrase many times before! And we've all experienced it ourselves. It's official: men and women are different. And that's because God made us so! Because of sin and the effects of the Fall, instead of our differences always being complimentary, they can become a source of tension and frustration! Sometimes it seems like we're speaking a different language, as though we're both from totally different planets!
But God has given us His Word to show us how to live together in harmony, despite our differences. Next time we get together, someone from the Carearm ministry will be sharing with us some biblical principles and insights for relationships, whether friendship, courting or marriage. So come along! Here are the details:
What: Talk on Relationships
When: Sunday 28th Oct, 12pm
Where: The church house (Gold Coast Christian Family)
Cost: $7 (including lunch and drinks)
