Category: Faith & life

Building bridges and ladders

March 9, 2022

Two of the images I like to hold in my mind for undertaking any ministry tasks are bridges and ladders. It doesn’t matter if you are a Sunday School Teacher, a Pastor or a Chaplain. It helps with all of them.

The first image is that of a bridge. Bridges help us to get from one place to another. It is usually over the top of something that is hard to go through. As a minister I try to imagine building bridges to help people cross from where they are to somewhere else. If I am in a school it might be a relationship bridge from a student to a teacher so they can better understand each other. If in the church it might be a teaching bridge that helps people understand one aspect of our faith. If I am talking to a person who does not know Jesus, it might be a salvation bridge so the person can understand how much Jesus loves them and wants to be in relationship with them.

The other image is that of a ladder. In the natural ladders help us to climb higher. In a career sense people use them to climb higher and often climb over people to get what they want. Years ago I decided not to climb the ladder, but to be a ladder builder. Rather than use the ladder to climb up the career ladder, I decided to build ladders so we can all rise up together. If it is in a school I want to build ladders so the students can grow and learn. If it is in church I want to be a ladder builder so people can grow in their faith, become closer to God and become true disciples of Christ. This is always at the forefront of my mind and helps me to keep focused on the task of Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples.

Often when I am praying I am asking God to show me the bridge that will help a person to move on. Or I ask for help building the ladder that the person needs to climb higher in one area of their lives. It is two simple images, but they help me a lot.

How about you? Have you got any images that help you with you ministry tasks? Perhaps that is worth reflecting on today?

Be blessed,
Dave

What is Lent and why do we give things up?

February 28, 2022

When I first started going to church I heard about Lent but did not really know what it was. The churches I attended did not really talk about it much either.

More recently I have been attending a church that does talk about Lent and celebrates it each year. This year some of the blokes from our Men’s group “Who let the blokes out?” are giving some things up and we are doing some things to help us focus more in God.

Here is a really good description of Lent from a devotion I am doing…

“The basic purpose of Lent is to create space in the middle of life’s responsibilities to appreciate what’s always been there—God’s presence. Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Based on Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, Lent is a tool that can help you become more aware of God’s voice and His sacrificial love. Although Lent isn’t actually mentioned in the Bible, it was discussed at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD because it provided a rhythm of reflection and repentance for Christians as they entered spring—a season often associated with new beginnings.”

So what am I giving up and deciding to do? Here are my things…

I usually grab an iced coffee and maybe a snickers bar when I get fuel. I will give that up. That will be a little bit of donation money for the Lent Event that funds missions. I am going to listen to an audio book called “40 days with the Holy Spirit” by KT Kendall. It is a short audio of 5-8 minutes each day.

If you have never celebrated Lent or taken part, maybe you could try it this year? I pray that if you do, you will hear God’s voice more clearly and be reminded in a deeper way of God’s sacrificial love for you.

Blessings,
Dave

Waiting waiting waiting

February 25, 2022

I saw this image recently and it reminded me that sometimes we wait a long time for the things God has in store for us. We see that Moses, Abraham, Joseph and even Jesus waited a long time!

When I saw this I was reminded of how God first spoke to me about some things 30 years ago. I went and did some Bible college to prepare and thought it would be in a year or two. However, some things took twenty or more years to happen.

I wonder what God has spoken to you about in the past? I wonder how long you have been waiting? Know that if God has called you to something, it will come to pass. Even if it seems to be taking a while.

As the picture says above, “If God is making you wait, you’re in good company”.

Blessings,
Dave

Your valentine

February 15, 2022

I found this interesting…

St. Valentine was imprisoned beheaded & buried on 14 Feb 269 AD for helping persecuted Christians & marrying Christian couples! While in prison he prayed for his jailer’s daughter & her blindness was healed. On the day of his execution he left her a note signed, ‘Your Valentine.’