Heading home tommorow after picking up some more presents for my beautiful wife and children. Having a understanding wife, who is willing to let me go for the week, and is such a competant mum really helps.

Reinhold Bonke 9.30am “How we make God visible”
Bonke spoke using various bible passages (Is 6, Mark 16, Exodus 14) on how God is made visible, despite being invisible. Obviously it is because we are to make Him visible. Bonke encouraged us to be like the disciple Peter who had to call out to Jesus, and then get out of the boat to walk on water.

Peter challenged Jesus, “can I come?”
The focus of the miracle was on the faith of Peter (despite his subsequent doubt)
In other words we are to understand that we have a responsibility to show Jesus and His power, it is through us He chooses to work.

Franklin Jentzen “”The seventh sneeze”
Have a guess where this sermon title comes from? Seriously, where in the Bible does it mention someone sneezing seven times?

Look up 2 Kings 4.32
This was the best sermons I have heard Franklin preach. Wonderful, insightful message on handling pressure and the contrast between the flesh and the spirit. He talked about how the sneeze is an involuntary expulsion of something unwanted. The boy came alive after sneezing seven times.

Franklin then went into the New Testament and then proceeded to give a wonderful overview of the difficulties, the hindrances, the early church faced. It was so interesting. Normally we hear how victorious and overcoming the early church was, but Franklin showed us how in fact there were 7 (at least) times the church was hindered.
Here are only some of the key ones….
Acts 5 Greed
Acts 6 “There arose a murmuring”
Acts 8 Fear
Acts 10 Racial predjuice

Franklin is such a passionate preacher, try to resist getting swept up into his message if you can! I could not. This was a moving and challenging message.

Bayliss Connor
Houston had his customary sore throat. (I have been coming for 6 years now, and he always gets a sore throat). Bobbie was not his fill in preacher (as she often is) but he called upon Baylis to preach.
He spoke on 2 Corinthians 6, Ps 119 and Is 54
His basic message was covered by Bruce Wilkinson in the prayer of Jabez, which Bayliss referenced and mentioned.
He called us to have a willingness to deal with manure (!), which provided perhaps a more balanced view than Wilkinson gave us.
It was a really encouraging message because he talked about the incredible difficulties his church has had in its relocation process. The council took them to court and they had incredible legal bills which were necesary because of some legal issue where the council try to take the property and do not need to give any compensation. The process of relocation was explained and was a four year process. With some churches only telling part of the story, it was great to hear the difficulties faced by this church.

One another incidental quote he gave was a beauty.
“God had a family before He had a church”
Yes, and important to remember what is most important.

Home and back to reality tommorow. Really refreshed and looking forward to preaching some of this stuff.

Franklin then

I started off today with a Gloria Jeans coffee. Its not the best coffee in the world, and not my favourite, but there is one right near our motel and grabbing one for the train ride to Accer Stadium is great on these cold Sydney mornings. With not much sleep happening, its also probably necessary.

Bill Hybels
Here is the ‘big idea from Bill.
“What cant you stand? What brings tears to your eyes, what rises up a holy discontent within your spirit” This may be the area you should minister in. ‘
Another excellent and convicting message from a man who God has been seriously dealing with in the last few years.

Frank Damazio
Frank is perhaps a lesser known speaker to some of the others, but has a comprehensive book out on leadership. He is certainly on the more charismatic side of the church, which is fine by me, and challenged us to embrace the more spiritual side of leadership.
He said that spiritual leadership requires spiritual transformation.
Every idea needs anointing, needs spiritual empowerment.
Frank spent some time towards the end in ‘ministry’ by which he means praying for Pastors. It was a great time.
In his second session he said sometimes trials remind us of how there are times we cannot do anything but increase our faith and hope in God. Sometimes the trial is severe and we need to make a choice, to be bitter, or to grow in faith.
Frank also gave a stack of indicators of únbroken’leaders, 14 in fact.
One of the main indicators of an unknown leader is that they, “use manipulation to further their own agenda”.

Reinholt Bonke spoke in the evening session and was his typical energetic, passionate and clear self. He used the parable of the talents to challenge us to be faithful over the little.
Another interesting aside, when asked by a TV reporter what he thought of women in ministry he replied, ïf I was drowing, I would not care if I was saved from death by a man or a woman”

Tiring yet inspiring day today.
I have spent a lot of time tonight in prayer and intercession for some men connected with our church. I pray God will continue to challenge me and refine me.
This has been a wonderful time of impartation, refreshment and renewal for me.
One more day to go!

Today was another great great day at Hillsong 2006 for me.

Brian Houston kicked it off with a message from Ex 18 on the need to “be one of a few”
1. Leadership is proven when we are able in the practical issues
2. Fear God, not man
3. Be able to see past the small matters, being annoyed or frustrated at people will only hinder you
4. Do not get sucked into anger about small things (Tit 3.5)

Bill Hybels 2nd session
Awesome! What a wise man. He talked about
1. Keeping the vision clear
2. Get the people engaged
3. Make your gatherings memorable
4. Pace yourself for the long haul

Charlotte Scanlon Gamblin
Charlotte is the daughter of well known Pastor Paul Scanlon from Abundant Life Fellowship
She talked about identity theft, using the story of Jacob, who became Israel. It was interesting, touching and helpful.

I went to the 4.30 and 7.30 sessions.

Bill Hybels 4.30 session
Bill shattered misconceptions some may have in this talk.
It was great. He was quite prophetic and said he was worried that while many churches were growing, they were not focused on evangelism. He told three stories of how he has led people to the Lord. His neighbour, a tattooed guy and a black man who was the victim of racism. It was excellent to hear him talk about the priority of relationships, friendships and personal love in leading people to Christ. He did not mention big services, seeker friendly sundays or anything like that. He said that stuff was needed, but was secondary to Christians reaching out themself. Bill also talked about the priority of listening to the Spirit’s prompting in leading you to people who are open to God, seizing the divine opportunity.

Franklin Jentzen 7.45pm
Franklin is a very energetic and passionate preacher. He talked about the need to be balanced, and accept that we will always have Christians with different views on a whole raft of issues. He also talked about meeting with God in a covenantal relationship.
It was a very pumped up session.

SPECIAL MENTION
Must go to Darlene and Martin Smith (Delirious) who combined to do a duet of U2’s “One”. It was awesome. They did a great rendition and it was fantastic to hear U2 recognised for the passionate Christians they are.

Today was an awesome day for me.
God had some things to sort out in my spirit, a few strategically placed swift kicks.

Rick Warren kicked off the day with a rehash of the first four chapters of the “Purpose Driven Life” However I dont mean that in a disaparaging way. It was great to hear it from him, hear his heart and passion. Such simple principles, yet in their genius is found their simplicity. I think Rick has mastered the fundamantals of what it means to be a Christian in a way few before have been able to articulate. I was speaking to one of the translators (for the deaf) and they commented that he is a very clear and articulate speaker.

Next up was Brian Houston, and he spoke on being a leader of a small group of people, and the importance of every type of leader to the kingdom of God. It was a great message.

Thirdly we heard from Rick Goodwin, who also spoke in the evening. Rick was probably the most direct and convicting speaker so far. He spoke from Is 6 and said something which really resonated with me. He said, “its very easy to identify the problems, a potplant can do that. It is a lot harder to come up with solutions. So much of what we hear, particular on the internet, is problems people have with organisations, their own church etc. So what if you can identify problems, what good does that do. Value to the kingdom, and to Jesus is found in solving problems, seeing the Kingdom of Jesus grow.”
Rick talked about the value of imparting authority to your leaders, making sure they were allowed to use their own intitve, in fact demanding this of them. Not moddle coddling people, but showing them respect. He talked about the important of principle over policy. In other words do what is right, not what the constitution says.

He also spoke at night, and was good. He talked about being the salt of the earth. At the end he had arranged for us all to be handed a mc donalds salt sachet and asked us to take it, and in two or three days, spill the salt out and pray about how God wants to use us as salt in the earth. I am going to do a similar thing at Bedford.

But I am saving the best for last,

DELIRIOUS WERE AWESOME
I love this band anyway, but to hear them live was just so good.
The sense of God in the place was incredible, and I found myself crying tears of joy, conviction, peace and …… just plain joy at sensing God moving and speaking to me.

About three or four hours later, I am rejoicing at some conviction and renewed purpose God has put in my heart. He was able to speak to me, in the middle of a loud rock music concert. He spoke to my heart.

Can’t wait! This is only really day one. Praise God and thank you God I can be here.

Rick spoke from Exodus Three where Moses approached the burning bush and God asked him some key questions. Of course God knew the answers, it was for Moses’benefit.
His question was, “what do you have in your hand” The answer of course was the staff, which represented his identity, as a shepherd.

Ricks’application was that we are to accept God’s agenda for our lives, give up who we are to advance his kingdom. Rick’s definition of The Kingdom of God is wherever Jesus rules, thats where the Kingdom is.

He talked, humbly, about the social and justice work him and his wife have been involved in, particularly amongst aids sufferers.

Rick has brought a humble, credible and prophetic voice to this conference. It was a moving and personally challenging time for me.

Ps 72, Exodus 3 and 1 Cor 9

That’s right, come on down next week, while I am away…………..

Its funny how we associate the known with the unknown. (Karyn is the known, her husband is still a relatively unknown)

Hopefully when I get back the church has not fallen apart and the members have not left in a state of dislusionment. 🙂

Actually I think he and the church will really enjoy it. From what I know of Karyn’s husband he is a great communicator, biblically solid, relevant and I have it on good authority that he ‘preaches from the heart’.

Praying for Karyn’s husband and the church.

Packing suitcase, leaving tonight.

Cant wait,
should have internet access over there, will post about it right here.