Friday, July 27, 2007

Mars Hill


I've been listening a lot to Mars Hill teaching lately and I'm finding it awesome and inspirational. I have this mp3 transmitter and can transmit a teaching mp3 into the factory from the office. So while I'm stacking (it's too noisy when making them) Timbercrete bricks I'm listening to Rob Bell or someone else at Mars Hill.
The focus on biblical teaching, church not being just Sunday but people, focus on serving local and global, mentoring instead of just programming, methods of ministry that have resonated in my heart for years all come through this place and I'm loving it.
At the moment the series is 'God is Green' you can find it here. Seeing as Timbercrete is green and we as a family are trying to live and build green, to know that God is the greenest of all means we need to listen to him about that. As followers of God and His son Jesus, the green greenies, I pray that we can follow, live and lead a greener life.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Broken Hill and General Footy

At the start of the month Brod's and I traveled to Broken Hill for a couple of games of footy. Brody made it into the U13's South Adelaide Dev Squad which was a huge feat as he's a year younger than he should be so that's been cool. The team played the first game straight off the bus against the best from around the Broken Hill area. The boys had been on the bus for 6 hrs so to lose by only a couple of goals wasn't bad. The next game 2 days later was much better, the boys put in a very hard effort and came away with a good win. It was a great trip, good to get to know a few people and I helped out as a runner which was cool but I discovered I'm very unfit, aerobically anyway!
Coaching this year has been a blast. This will be the last year of coaching the 4/5's as next year Brody and most of the team will be 6/7's, so I'll probably coach them. I have to say that coaching footy is awesome! Being around people in this footy community is great. I have some close friends there now after coaching for the last couple of years and I would say that there are who some who are more like Jesus than some of those I have known in the past that have claimed to be.
As far as results go, the boys haven't lost a game, as a matter of fact they haven't won by less than about 9-10 goals, some by about 20. This is fun but in many ways they're getting a bit cocky and could do with some good competition, reality will hit next year I think / hope.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Switchfoot in Paradise?


Ok, I'm a bit miffed.
I heard a rumour from a pretty good source that Switchfoot were at one time invited to the Oz gospel Music Festival in Toowoomba and they turned the organisers down due to the fact that Switchfoot had said they don't do 'Christian Events'. Now I fully support this to the hilt. I would rather see Christians impacting our world in the world than saying they're a Christian and never leaving the comfort of the church pew. So I was pretty pumped to hear that Switchfoot wanted to have more of an outside impact than in. Now . . . I was pretty excited to hear that Switchfoot were coming here to Oz, then I read off the website that they are only playing at Youth Alive venues in a youth alive package, one of them here at Paradise Church - not happy.
Now lets just say Switchfoot are struggling for mainstream airplay on radio, which I think they are, is playing at these venues going to do them any favours? I don't think so. Who will also go to these venues and what will they be hit with when they're there? Will there be an alter call, a love offering?? What is this about, Switchfoot and their kingdom impact or Youth Alive and drawing a crowd? Is Switchfoot changing their tack, are they just interested in the $ more than the influence, if so then 'American Dream' is just a song with no meaning?
I'll be trying to get there coz I like their music so much, but I'm confused and not happy, wishing they were at a better venue.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

My answer to my year 12 english teacher

I think it was 1987, sitting in Yr 12 English and after receiving a result (probably a bad one)Ms Matthews asked me this question. 'Why are you in this class? What are you going to do after school anyway? The real question was - what are you doing in my class? You're obviously not going to use anything from yr 12 English, what are you going to do that could ever need English!
So now - my answer to Ms Matthews wherever she may be:

Well after school I'm going to become a carpenter and I'm going to have to write some assignments for trade school. I'm also going to need to write essays for my advanced building certificate. After a few years in the trade I think I might try and get a theological degree which will require me to know how to write 2000-3000 word essays with specific guidelines so that the lecturers know what I'm talking about and to meet protocol. After I finish my degree I'm going to become a pastor in a church and I'll be writing messages for public speaking every week and sometimes twice a week. After about seven years of that I think I'll start my own business and have to answer emails, write invoices, fax's, marketing strategies, financial reports etc etc and then I think I'll do some more building study just because I love English soooo much. During that I think I'll blog a little. :)

So Ms Matthews that's why I'm in this class.

Just an encouragement to all of you - You may not know why you're doing what your doing, but God does. You may get people saying to you 'why are you doing this or that? That's ridiculous!' My encouragement is to keep your eyes fixed on the goal and push on. What you're doing now may not make sense but in years to come you may be able to look back and realise that what seemed stupid at the time God had a purpose for.