….here are some thoughts from this weeks message.

“We have the bible and that is almost perhaps a theological or intellectual framework for how we understand God.
Then we have an emotional reaction or understanding of God, and that is fuelled by such words as Father, Creator, Judge, Lord, Master…Jesus.
Perhaps we think about how we have been treated by our father, by our mother, by teachers, by authority figures in our lives…and we apply the emotions and how we feel about those people to God.
That is, at some points at least, not accurate to God. particularly if what we read in the Bible, its different to how we feel about God.
So the question for me is that all of us are meant to have a personal relationship with God. We should be able to explain the reason for the hope that lies within us…we should be able to explain to someone how we feel about God….. how we relate to God!
Can you do that?
Could you explain to someone what your relationship with God is like?
Is it a distant father son relationship…where you can never talk about something real?
Is it a teacher student relationship where God tells you when recess and lunch is? And for the rest of the time you have to sit there and listen?
What is God like to you?

I went to this conference last year. A great time for blokes to get together, have a laugh, be inspired and have some much needed time out.
Encourage you to get down there and invite a mate.

This is one of the best pieces of advertising around at the moment…

The feeling this ad gives you is of escape, mateship, fun…outdoors, adventure.

I particularly like the scene of the older guy with the rain pouring down on his face. Stirs such a sense in you of wanting to be there..in that moment.

The Dockers have had such a good start to the year.

Depleted with injuries during the pre-season, and with no expectations to do well, the first part of the year was very good. If not for some errant kicking against Geelong, Fremantle could be without loss, and entrenched in the top four.

Unfortunately we met our ‘bogey’ side this week….Richmond. For whatever reason, even when doing really well, and the Tigers not…they seem to match up well on the Dockers. And so it proved this week.

The disappointing part of the loss was the fact that for the first three quarters, the Dockers looked like taking a commanding lead. But we never capatilised on that. And to the Tigers credit, they kept coming. And when it mattered, they seemed to take their energy levels up a cog.

The way Freo capitulated towards the end of the fourth quarter was the most disappointing aspect of the game.

Christians should be known for what they are for, not what they are against. Love, compassion, care for the poor.

Unfortunately people like Jim Wallace give us a bad name.

This morning he put out this tweet,

“Jim Wallace: Just hope that as we remember Servicemen and women today we remember the Australia they fought for – wasn’t gay marriage and Islamic!”

This is more than unfortunate on many levels.

Jim Wallace is the public face of the ‘Australian Christian Lobby”. Reading through the twitter stream exploding at the moment, it is obvious that secular Australians think this person represents Christianity.

How would Jesus react to the Homosexual and the Islam?

My hunch is that He would react in the same way as He did to the prostitute, the woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan. These people were marginalized, discriminated against and unfairly treated in that society at that time.

Interestingly enough Jesus was called a ‘lover of sinners’. He was roundly criticized for accepting those the rest of society, at that time mainstream religious society, rejected.He went to their houses, he ate and drunk with them, he accepted them!

But who does Jesus reserve his harshest criticism for, going so far as to publicly call them ‘white washed walls, hypocrites’ and other such culturally offensive terms. He calls the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day these things. Because they were the ones oppressing the people, and instead of showing them love, showing them rejection.

Now I need to be frank, as a Christian I don’t believe that living a homosexual lifestyle is Gods best plan, but it is someones choice. God has standards, but it is our choice what we do with God. He gives us a choice, so should we Christians. We should not legislate morality.

I hope that I demonstrate love to all people. We are all made in God’s image, and are loved by God. We all deserve the right to live our lives as we decide. I don’t say that, God does. Ultimately I believe God will make us responsible for how we live our lives. I wont. And it is not my role to judge. Unfortunately that is what Jim Wallace is doing, and in the process alienating the very people he should be caring for and loving.

Love to see you there.

A casual, but moving time as we remember Jesus. Your family is welcome, good music, media, spoken word and inspiration.

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Seriously good this young fella.