Faith, patience, provision and trust

Amy Womersley shared with us on Sunday 30 January 2011 how she has seen our church grow and develop over ten years.

There have been opportunities for personal growth, development and leadership.

So what is next? What about the future ahead, personally especially.

Things learnt along the way:

• FAITH: Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of the plans He has, unique and centered on our personalities, our talents, and our worlds.

• PATIENCE: God sometimes wants us to wait ON God and FOR God. Isaiah 40:28-31 reminds us He knows everything and energises us. It can be tiring, but we must wait for Him to show us what is next, to give us vision and fresh strength.

• PROVISION: Looking ahead, there is so much to be thankful for - with faith and hope. Justice and love, human rights and global poverty are words to help me move forward.

• TRUST: Knowing I have a big God encourages and prepares me for the future.


- Posted using an Apple iPad.

Location:Molan St,Ringwood,Australia

Happy Australia Day 2011

Pastor Luke Martin and Paul Gallagher shared Australia Day messages on Sunday 23 January.

Paul began talking about what attributes of Australian culture are positive and negative.

On the positive side:

• Compassion
• Generosity
• Equality

On the negative side, we need to overcome:

• Tall poppy syndrome
• Judgementalism
• Superiority

Let's embrace the good and Godly attributes that we have and not the negative ones, inspired by the true red rock of Christ in our lives.

Pastor Luke reminded us that the story of the Good Samaritan tells us about people's reactions in the face of need.

In the story told, Jesus challenged a religious expert of that time. But there was something about the Samaritan's behaviour that was different.

Why was the Samaritan different?

• STANCE: He slowed down to stop.

• SIGHT: He looked with his heart at the heart of the man in need. Everyone had looked, but the Samaritan looked with his heart.

• SELFLESSNESS: He asked himself the question, ‘What if that were me?’

So... let us love, and show His love. Let us change a life this week by seeing beyond ourselves.

Identifying who (and whose) you are

Pastor Liam Swaine shared the following message on Sunday 9 January 2011:

Jesus ministered out of who He was, and who He belonged to. Let's also think about our identity, how we live from it, not for it.

Identity comes, in its purest form, from God Himself. In fact, read 1 Samuel 10:6, where we learn how we can be changed into the person we are created to be.

That idea of identity is something we also read about in Genesis 1:26, where man was created like God. In Genesis 3, the devil tempted them to perform something to be like God. The truth was, they were already created in God's likeness. They believed the liar and empowered the lie. From that point on, sin entered the world. Jesus came to restore our identity.

So what opposes us now? That's simple - the devil comes to steal our identity, kill our hope and future, and destroy our lives. But Jesus has come to give us life to the full.

God's own Son knew who He was. We can see that in the story of our Saviour going into the wilderness. You see, Jesus needed to have a private victory in the wilderness before He had a public one. Speaking of private victories before the public ones, Moses, too, needed to be first out of his home so he could learn the ways of royalty. Public victory then followed.

Today, we who believe in Him get what Jesus deserved. Looking back, Adam went from a saint to a sinner. And now, we go from sinners to saints as Christians.

Do you know that we have what the devil wanted. He wanted to be like God and sit in heavenly places.

So, believers, you are called to go into the world so people will see the Father in us. In reality, we live in the world we are most aware of. So live from Heaven towards earth.

The story of two sons - often referred to as the Prodigal Son story - is about identity and the inheritance that flows from that. The wayward son had asked for inheritance and only got wealth. When he returned, he was given a robe for identity, a ring for authority and sandals that represented purity. When we come home to God, we receive an identity and inheritance. We often do not claim it. I'm fact, the other son was counseled that he always had those kingdom privileges.

Today is the day to claim your rightful identity. Let's extend the Kingdom of God that we own right now.

Unblocking your life

Pastor Luke Martin shared the following message on 2 January 2011:

If you take on disappointments, it can become a blockage. It's the same when you repeatedly sin and it becomes a habit. Similarly, we find blockages in the form of financial hardship or unforgiveness.

We wrongly assume those blockages are a part of our lives, that it is our lot. All we need do is speak to those blockages and they must go. Our authority does not require labour and burden to banish them.

Now is the season to tell those blockages they must go. In Mark 11:23, we read how we must merely speak to a mountain to see its removal granted.

To walk in God's favour means believing such blockages and mountains can be told to go away.

Clearing the blockages

• Speak to it. Talk to the mountain about God, saying what authority you have in Jesus' name. Tell it to be gone.

• Pray for it. Pray AND speak to the blockage. (See Mark 11:24.)

• Expect it. Be ready. James 2:12 tells us to act as if we expect freedom. Remove smaller things so that God can work out your victory.

• Act on it. Think of Peter being called out of the boat. The miracle wasn't inside the boat, but only once Peter's foot hit the water. Peter allowed himself to be encouraged and then he acted.

• Share it. There is strength in unity.

God wants you to experience and act on breakthrough.

What can you do to exercise your faith and step out into God's victory and release.