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A Prayer for Pentecost Sunday
This Sunday is a significant day in the Christian calendar; it is Pentecost Sunday. Originally, Pentecost was an annual Jewish festival that occurred seven weeks after Passover. However, it became an important Christian celebration after God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the church in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection. We read about this momentous occasion in Acts 2: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
Honouring Mothers (Even When it’s Hard)
It is Mother’s Day this weekend, a day I always look forward to. My children are always so excited to give me their hand made crafts, sweet cards and personally chosen gifts. If you see me on Sunday I may be donning a pasta necklace or a pair of ‘very expensive ruby earrings’ (which probably cost them $3 at a Mother’s Day stall). Mother’s Day is very special for me, however I’m very aware that isn’t the case for everyone. As I have been preparing for Sunday’s family service, I came across the following article written by author and speaker Jen Wilkin. I think it beautifully captures that as Christians we are part of God’s family which means we all have an opportunity to show honour and love to
Jesus and the Outsider
You never know why someone walks through the door on a Sunday; some have reached a breaking point in their lives and want to ‘give this God thing a try’, others have been involved in church in the past and want to reconnect with God and his people. You just never know. One of the exciting things about this though is that every new person who connects with our community might just experience God for the first time. Don’t we all long for people to hear the gospel, respond to it and experience restoration and forgiveness? Isn’t this what we are about as God’s people? What excites me even more is that we actually have newcomers in our Sunday services every week! Every week there is someone who is
Five Things Every Child Needs
I’ve recently been re-reading a book by Reggie Joiner called ‘Think Orange: Imagine the impact when church and family collide’. In it, Reggie includes a list of five things every child needs. I found them quite thought-provoking and helpful in my role as a parent and a leader of children’s ministry. I’d like to share them with you, along with my own thoughts. It’s my hope and prayer that you, too, will be encouraged. 1.A really big God they can trust—no matter what We want our kids to grow up with a close-up view of God; a God who captures their imaginations. We as the church and their parents need to show them the wonder, mystery, and power of a God who is too big for them to define,
Responding to the Gift of Scripture
“I have hidden your word in my heart…” (Psalm 119:11) We really are so fortunate to have access to the Bible. In India, just delivering Bibles can be seen as trying to convert people to Christianity, and in several Indian states this is against the law! Not only are we fortunate because we can buy and distribute Bibles freely in our country, we are fortunate because God has provided us with the Bible in the first place. Our God is so gracious, that he has revealed himself clearly and concretely through the Scriptures. Think about that for a moment. What would life be like if we had to guess about God? I feel sorry for the countless pagan cultures who attempted this. They would try their best to link
So Loved
One of the most quoted and well-known verses from the Bible is John 3:16: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’. (NIV) I am certain that this verse was quoted, written, and spoken about last Easter weekend. In my reflection upon Easter, I have been reading a devotion plan called ‘The Reason for My Hope’, a devotion based on excerpts from Dr Billy Graham’s book ‘The Reason For My Hope: Salvation’. Dr Graham writes about a time in 1934, which was when he gave his life to Jesus at the age of 16. As I read what he wrote, about being loved by God and that, truly, all we need
Did Jesus really rise from death?
“If the resurrection of Christ is not reality, then we have no assurance that God is the living God, for death has the last word. Christian faith is incarcerated in the tomb… if Christ is indeed dead.” (George Ladd) The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation on which the Christian faith either rises or falls. In fact, the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that the resurrection is “of first importance” (v.3), and if it is not true then our faith is “useless” (v.14) and “we are of all people most to be pitied” (v.19). Strong words. But the reality is if Jesus has not been raised he was a fraud, our sins are not forgiven, justice is not coming, and our hope is baseless. So, the
Hot Cross Buns and God’s Love
One of my favourite accompaniments of the Easter season is the hot-cross bun. Perhaps you didn’t know this, but there are actually a few theories about the origin of the humble hot-cross-bun. The most popular is that in the late 12th century a monk baked spiced current buns and marked them with a cross in honour of Good Friday. The monk, Brother Thomas Rocliffe, then distributed the hot-cross-buns to the local poor on Good Friday. I love this story! And even if it is not completely accurate, it’s a wonderful illustration of showing God’s love tangibly to those who don’t know Him and those who are in need. Easter on the Lawn is an opportunity like this; to tangibly show the love of Jesus to our local community. Easter
