www.mightymensconference.org.au

Looking forward to this one…we are going need a bigger tent in 2010!
Koorong Leaflets coming out in October.

I am sure you will all cope…. 🙂

Today at communion I spoke on money.
It was tough. TV Evangelists seem to have no problem speaking about it…but I do.
I wish sometimes we just were millionaires and could just focus on ministry and people, but I live in the real world…and our church, with its growth, is in need of finances. This coming months we are hosting the Artisan Markets, Jazz at the Wood, continuing Toddler Jam…and a host of stuff that blesses our community.

Reality is, without staff and resources we could not do what we do….so today I reminded our church about that, it was not easy.

Then I spoke on Revelation, particularly difficult passage being chapter 19. But this felt a lot easier, although the subject matter, Jesus as He is presented, can be confronting….
“As we flip over to Revelation 19 we are going to be confronted by an image, a story of Jesus that may offend our sensibilities…it may confront your image of Jesus, of who you think He is….
Up till this point we have seen Jesus as Creator, we have seen Him reaching out in love and reconcilitiation with Adam and Eve.
We have seen Him at His baptism, proclaimed God as the Spirit comes down upon Him, as the Father declares Him his son….
We have heard about Stephens vision of Jesus in Heaven.
We know Jesus went to the cross and suffered an awful horrific death at the hands of the Roman soliders…truly horrific and violent death.
Yet through it all Jesus has been reaching out to human beings, coming as a servant, coming in love, coming with reconciliation in mind.

Here in revelation 19 we have what is essentially an ‘awful’ picture of Jesus. That’s the truth…awful in the correct sense of the word. Awe inspiring. Jesus is presented as coming as a judge to the world. There is a time when Jesus says enough! The brutality, the violence, the awfulness of this world, and what people do to each other….must stop.”

“Jesus taught profound truth in simple ways.We do the opposite. Many “deep” teachers are actually just muddy!It’s arrogance” (Rick Warren)

I follow lots of people on Twitter and Facebook.
Many of them are pastors, teachers, theologions.
Often they post stuff. Seriously, I have been to Theological College, I have been to Bible College, all up I have done about 7 and a half years of study.
Yet when I read some of their comments, its like…what planet are you on?

If you cant explain something in simple language, then you are being dumb.
Seriously, sometimes I think people use large words and concepts because they are lazy!
Its actually harder to make a deep concept simple, than what it is to cloud it in ‘impressive’ language. I am not impressed by you choice of big words!
Make it so people can understand what you are saying! What you are saying is probably helpful….if people could understand it.

It is almost upon us, the last Saturday in September….
It sure does not feel like it weather wise.

This Saturday the BIL (Brother in Laws) will be gathering at the Edwards house for our customary day of drinking, meat snacks, chips and cheering for the underdog.

This year I think the Saints will be our preference. It is a rare game where we will all be going for the same team. While one BIL has seen the light, the other is still stuck cheering for the West Coast Criminals.

We will have silly bets on who will kick the first goal, who will win the Norm Smith medal…and drag up as many silly cliches as we can for the game. The most favourite being, “the next goal will decide it’.

I don’t know what it feels like to have a team in the GF, the closest I got was the Dockers preliminary final in 2006. Our time will come, and when it does, I wont be watching it on TV….thats for sure!

This is really good.

They are a funny old day for a pastor.
Many people don’t realise the emotional and spiritual toll that Sunday can take on Pastors.
That is not a whinge, plenty of people have demanding jobs.

But Mondays for me, lately at least, have become a real ‘blah’ day.
Normally they are my wife and my date day….which is just superb. Two kids at school, most people at work, some precious time together. But Melinda’s schedhule with assignments and womens conference has meant that has not happened, so I am left with the day to myself.

I don’t really like that on Mondays, cause part of me wants to go to work, and another part tells me I should take the day off.
I either go to work, or I stay at home or whatever, and end up doing some work at home….