Category: Church

Read it out loud and absorb it

July 12, 2023

At my last church I Pastored the Elders understood that some weeks as a Pastor you are really busy with people, extra training, planning or prayer.

In those weeks it was okay for me to just read a passage of Scripture and share a couple of brief thoughts. At first I found this hard, but slowly I realised that while preaching is a key part of a Pastors work, sometimes the best thing I can do is just read out Scripture and let it be absorbed by the people.

This is an example of a passage I might read on those weeks…

Psalm 103:8-18 NLT
[8] The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. [9] He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. [10] He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. [11] For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. [12] He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. [13] The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. [14] For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. [15] Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. [16] The wind blows, and we are gone- as though we had never been here. [17] But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children [18] of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

Five tips for new Christians

May 19, 2023

If you are a new Christian you have made a great decision to follow Jesus! To get you started I have provided some suggestions for you to help you grow on your new journey. Below you will find some things that really helped me nearly 35 years ago when I decided to follow Jesus.

Read the Bible

The Bible will help you to learn more about God and gives you practical advice about how we should live. A good place to start is the Gospel of Luke that is found in the New Testament. This book will give you information on the life of Jesus Christ and you will be able to read about His miracles and teachings to His followers. After this you can move on to the Book of Acts. This talks about the early church and how they got started. We also have a number of two week reading plans on our Bible Readings page. If you don’t have access to a Bible, you can find an online one here at www.biblegateway.com

Start to pray

Prayer is simply communicating with God. It is a part of building our relationship with Him. Just remember to keep it simple. The Bible tells us to give thanks to God for what He has done when pray and also to ask for the things we need for ourselves and others. Before long you will see the difference prayer makes in your life and in the lives of those around you. You can check out our prayer category on our blog for some tips.

Meet with other Christians

God wants us to meet with other Christians and be a part of a caring faith community. We see in the Bible that He wants us to have a support network and a place where we can learn more about Him. We don’t recommend any church in particular, but encourage you to try a local one near you in your community. If you are in Western Australia you might like to look for a local Church of Christ , Baptist Church or an Australian Christian Church.

Do a discipleship course

Doing a discipleship course will help you to set a solid foundation for your new life in Christ. We have a free booklet you can download on our discipleship page. The booklet has 10 short studies on the Bible, prayer, church, serving God, sharing your faith and being assured of your salvation. It includes a number of Scriptures on each topic, some reflection questions, a simple prayer and some Bible memory verses.

Tell others about your new faith

Sharing your faith can be fun and rewarding. You might like to start by telling people close to you that you have accepted Jesus into your life. Telling others about your faith and decision to follow Jesus can will allow them to follow Him too. If you need some tips to help you share your faith you can visit a sermon I preached on this topic.

Best compliment?

March 26, 2023

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

For me the compliments I remember and the ones that come when I am feeling a bit flat or low in spirit. They seem to make it through and touch my heart.

A few weeks ago someone I know well and have worked with said this to me, “You have a real gift of pastoral care. Wherever I go to work where you have been, the people rave about your care and compassion”.

The person did not realise at the time, but I needed that compliment more than they knew. It was more than I knew too! When I got home I shed a few tears of thankfulness and appreciation that my work was making a difference.

As someone who has worked as a Pastor, Companion Carer and now a Chaplain, we do what we do in response to the call and gifting God has given us. But sometimes, we need encouragement from the people around us too. It builds us up and encourages us to keep serving.

So, on that day, at that time. Hearing someone say those words really touched my heart. It lifted my spirits and encouraged me to keep pressing on in my service to God by loving and serving others.

Prosper and refresh

December 7, 2022

Proverbs 11:25 NLT – The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

As the end of the year is fast approaching and many people are feeling tired and needing a break, the above verse can help. It promises us two wonderful things…

1. The generous WILL prosper

2. The refreshers WILL be refreshed

This simple verse with two great promises encourage me to press on towards God and the things He wants me to do.

Prayer

Dear God, the end of the year is nearly here and I have been doing my best to serve You each day. I pray that as I am generous and helping others that You will refresh and prosper me. Amen