Leaders Retreat this weekend

Dear Team

I am looking forward to being with you this weekend.

I am looking forward to a great time of fellowship

I am looking forward to having lots FUN

I am looking forward to hear your stories

I am looking forward to listen to you ideas

I am looking forward to hearing what God is doing in your life

I am looking forward to hearing what you are learning in ministry

I am looking forward to your vision and plans for 2010 and beyond

I am looking forward to praying and believing with you that ‘the best is yet to come and greater things are still to be done’

I am looking forward to sleeping on the Marae and enjoy the ‘Snoring Orchestra’

Ti Hei Mauri Ora!

What are you facing?

Read Psalm 37:

1. Fret Not thyself
2. Trust in the Lord
3. Delight thyself also in the Lord
4. Commit thy way unto the Lord
5. Rest in the Lord
6. Cease from:

Sunday Reflections

After a week in Australia it was time to come home. I was so looking forward to Sunday. Honestly one Sunday away from LifeChurch Manurewa is too much. It felt like I have been away from church for a whole month.

I love these people and I love what God is doing and I don’t wanna miss a Sunday.

Church is growing and its now at the point where I have to be careful saying things like ‘Welcome to LifeChurch’, or ‘Is this your first time at Church’ because one lady said to me, ‘I have been here for the last 3 weeks’.

It is so encouraging to see so many new faces particularly young people.

While we were away, Salome spoke in the first service on ‘being prepared’.
Sua Sagala preached on ‘the favour of God’. I still haven’t heard the sermon yet on CD but church have been talking about it.

Yesterday we started a new Series called ‘God Questions’. We are asking some difficult questions about God and finding answers in the Scriptures.
Yesterday I spoke about the ‘Existence of God’. Thats kinda deep and sound too theological for a lot of new christians and young people, so I titled the message OMG!.
Main thoughts:
1. God is Real
2. God is Revealed
3. God is Relational

The third service of the Sunday was at 5pm – Communion Service. I really love communion services at LifeChurch. We call it family time. A time for sharing and telling stories of what God is doing in peoples lives.
Summary from some of the stories.
1. A young man: I am learning to honour and respect people in leadership
2. A husband’s journey with wife’s breast cancer God is healing. ‘This is my story’ song was awesome. How he was so far from God.
3. A rebellious teenager changed from wagging school, drinking and smoking to being top student in class.
4. A 21 yr old was in jail for 4 years. They were not wasted years!
5. A young dad was angry all his life because of his upbringing now changed.

I was so blessed to hear these faith stories of what God is doing in people lives.

Only Jesus can turn our lives around.

Sphere of Influence

For Pastors and Christian Leaders.

I spoke about this at the ministers network yesterday.

Every leader is an influencer. (I would prefer to use the word influenza because it best describes the immediate effect on others. But would not use it because of its negative connotation – but you get the picture).
Pastors are one of the most influencial people in our society today and yet many don’t realise their potential to change communities, cities and nations.
Jesus tremendously influenced the lives of the disciples who greatly impacted the nations of the world with the gospel. Men and women of God are called to influence.
We influence our society in all levels. From grass roots level to the highest authority figure in the country. It’s easy to influence ordinary people. But most ordinary people don’t usually affect life in a big way. It is the people who are in leadership positions that influence society.

Here’s what I personally believe as a Christian Leader.

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Mayors, Members of Parliament etc… NEED US.

Whether they realize it or not, they need us.

Recently I had the opportunity to influence a key political figure in our country. I heard him spoke about something that didn’t sit right with me.

I went up to him and I said “Sir with all due respect I think you need to reconsider your decision”…..

And he did. I was so pleased and think he was happy as well.

Here is a thought that I hope will challenge you especially if you are a pastor or consider yourself a man or a woman of God with a mission to transform society.

Kings need us. Presidents need us. Prime Ministers need us. Mayors need us.

The mandate of God in our lives complete what he has entrusted to our leaders. Instead of working against them we need to work along side them.

Pharaoh needed Joseph’s wisdom. King Saul needed David to calm him down. Esther Influenced the King and he changed his mind. Daniel had a great influence on King Nebudgenezzar even though he rebelled.

As a leader, who are you influencing?

Person Stretching Me Lately

Joel Holm:

I have a read a lot of books and listened to a lot of sermons on Mission. Joel’s perspective is unique and relevant. Joel uses new concepts, a new vocab, new strategies to fulfill the 2000 year old Commission by our Lord to  make disciples. I highly recommend his book ‘Church Centred Mission’- Transforming the church to change the world.

I was blessed to finally meet Joel on Monday. (Thanks Phil). I came away after the meeting challenged, and stretched in my thinking in making the paradigm shift.

Some thoughts:

• It is not we don’t know but what we do know that hinders us.
• Church focus more on worship rather than discipleship. The great commission is making disciples not awesome worship services
• Have a thy Kingdom come perspective in the church.
• Vocation / Career is a missionfield. Every disciple of Jesus is a missionary.
• Every skill was needed in Rebuilding the Jerusalem walls – not just the pastors.
• Principle: Receive a prophet – receive a prophets reward. Receive business person, receive a musician, etc…….
• Typically 1% of the congregation is involved in mission. 99% see themselves as supporters of the 1%. The BIG question for me as a pastor is how can I get the 99% to believe that their calling is the same as the 1% and motivate them to be missional in their Kingdom vocation.
• Use Kingdom Initiators not just ministry leaders
• Ask the right questions and you will get the right answers
• Think:
  • Strategic
  • Spiritual
  • Worship
  • Relational
• Speak new Language:
  • Steward of Influence,
  • Conscious competent,
  • Kingdom Initiator,
  • Ordination of all nations,
  • Kingdom cross pollination,
  • Kingdom ministers,

Sunday Reflections

• Wore a suit to Church yesterday. Shocked a lot of new people that I do have a tie. Someone said I look good in it and makes me look slimmer. I like it when people are honest!!
• A great atmosphere of worship.
• Pancakes for Morning tea – a real hit!
• My daughter invited her friend from school for the first time and she gave her life to Jesus. How cool is that!!
• Conclusion of the Supernatural Series:
• Spoke about Exposing Works of Darkness – Occult
• A day of admission, denouncing, renouncing, confessing, repenting, liberation, deliverance, forgiveness, surrendering, in JESUS Name!
• It’s an awesome sight to see when people encounter Jesus.
• I saw several new people gave their lives to Jesus yesterday.
• Next Sunday Speakers: 9:00am Service – Salome Mitchell 11:00am Service Sua Sagala
• My wife and I will be ministering in Kingston Brisbane this coming weekend
• Coming Up:
• 21 Oct – Cultural Night Tsunami Relief Fundraiser – 5:00pm Randwick Park Primary
• Drug and Alcohol Workshop – 22 Oct – Hobill
• 24 Oct – Operation Clean Up Randwick! – 7:30am Meet at Randwick Park Reserve
• 31 Oct – Prayer Walk – Randwick Park 7:30am Meet at Alfriston College
• Ladies Pamper Day
• $2 Christmas
• New Series – The God Questions!!

Do you have enemies?

Here’s a great verse to help you pray for your enemies

Psalm 35:13 “But as for me when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into my own bosom”

Praying for people you do not like, or people who hate you is not the most inspirational thing to do – I must admit. But there is great benefit in doing so.

David is saying here that his prayers did not benefit his enemies due to their sin and rebelliousness toward God. Yet God rewarded him for his prayers and for showing mercy and grace toward them in their time of trouble. (“my prayer returned into my own bosom”)

David fasted and prayed for his enemies. He showed compassion toward them.
In vs 14, He treated his enemy as friend. He returned good for evil, as he would to his own brother or mother. What a great heart!

Jesus said ‘turn the other cheek’ . In Matthew 5:44 he said: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. He not only taught it, he lived it.

On the cross he prayed “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do“

I gotta pray more of these type prayers!!

Samoa Tsunami 2009 – In Loving Memory#

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10 Promises

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 34. One of the promises of God in Ps 34 is that his angel will camp round about them that fear him (vs7). I used this verse in my sermon on Sunday. I want to share with you the rest of the promises of God for those who fear him in this Psalm.

10 Promises in Ps 34.
1. The angel of the camps and delivers them that fear Him. v7
2. There is no want in them that fear Him. v9
3. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. v10
4. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. His ears are open to their cry. v10,15,17
5. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil. v 16
6. The righteous cry and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. v17
7. The Lord is near to those who are of a broken heart. v18
8. He saves such as be of a contrite spirit. v18
9. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all. v19
10. The Lord redeems the soul of his servants and none of them that trust him shall perish. v21

Blessings!

Lole Usoalii Arise Tu i Luga

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