Citywide

The Reality of the Kardashians

Stuart — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:32:19 +0000

Last Sunday I was in Coles at Eastlands and as I walked down one of the aisles I saw copies for the Kardashian’s series of DVD’s. They were all there (I think…I’m not an expert on Kardashian Kulture) under the label ‘Get a dose of reality’! I’m sorry, whilst the Kardashian’s are many things, I would not say they are an accurate portrayal of reality. However there are trends that might beg to differ.

We now live in a world where teenagers would rather be famous than smart. Over 50% of teenagers in Britain want to be famous but only 19% believed they had the talent to get there. Isn’t it scary that this is reality for some people? Colossians 3:2-3 in the NLT says: “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life and your real life is hidden with Christ”. True reality is found in Jesus Christ, not Kim Kardashian.

Pastor Maddy

Me and my Ford Forgiveness

Stuart — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:18:25 +0000

On Wednesday, I was driving through Hobart when a truck that had obviously not checked its blind spot started merging into my lane. I had to slam on my brakes so this truck didn’t clean me up. I wish I could tell you that the good Christian pastor blessed them and prayed for them and sent them off in the love of God…however things did not go down like that. I was furious; I honked the horn, I went on some intense rants and when I pulled alongside him, knowing that the glare I had prepared for him would make him combust in a ball of flames, something stopped me. He was talking to the passenger and laughing! He was completely oblivious to what had happened.

It struck me that this is what happens with us when we don’t forgive. We rage against people for the way they have hurt us. We hold onto the pain as if doing so somehow makes them suffer when the reality is that the people that hurt us may not know they have even done anything! When we realise how much Jesus has forgiven us, it should make it easier for us to forgive others. When we let go of the pain that is holding us back and trust God can heal us and is a God of justice who will make all things right, that’s when we can be set free from the prison of unforgiveness.

Pastor Maddy

Why forgiveness is good for you

Stuart — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:28:17 +0000

“Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” – Anne Lamott from Travelling Mercies.

I have heard this quote twice in the last few weeks and I have been in awe of the insight of this. When we are stuck in the prison of unforgiveness, we replay the events, words or feelings in our heads and each time we get hit again and again and again…meanwhile the people who have wronged us have no idea what has been done. As Lewis Smedes said,

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you”.

Let’s put our cards on the table; forgiveness can be hard and go against the grain of what we might want for that person. However, if we want to experience the abundant life that Jesus has told us about, then we need to know that as hard as forgiveness is, we need to practice it. It doesn’t make what was said or done okay, but it does mean that you can move forward. It means you can stop drinking the rat poison. It means that the prisoner can go free. So is there anyone that you need to forgive this morning?

Pastor Maddy

What a man will do for love

Stuart — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:59:58 +0000

Last Sunday, I went where most men fear to tread…I went to a bridal expo. It was a new, overwhelming and fascinating experience for me but one thing happened that really impacted me. There were lucky door prizes being awarded and one of my friends and I were lucky enough to be sitting near one of the winners! She stood up and tried to get the attention of the emcee but wasn’t able to. So my friend and I did what any respectable people would do…we yelled until she was noticed.

As I was reflecting on this, it got me thinking about how God wants us to speak up on behalf of people with no voice or no influence. Proverbs 31:7-8 says “speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the right of the poor and needy”. What are some ways in which you could use your voice for those who don’t have a voice?

Pastor Maddy

Dont forget to read the signs!

Stuart — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:23:03 +0000

Last week I decided to go for a bushwalk to Mt Amos at Freycinet National Park on the East Coast. I have done it heaps of times in the past so I thought nothing more of doing it again, even when I walked past the sign that said ‘Please consider your fitness level when choosing your walk’

To be honest, I looked at the sign and laughed heartily as I made my way up the track. However, half way up the mountain, my back pain (which I have struggled a bit with this year) kicked in. The combination of steep uphill granite and old walking boots without much cushion meant that every step I took caused pain to shoot up my lower back. I went as far as I could before realising that more damage would be done if I tried to continue. I walked back past the same sign I had laughed at earlier and I’m pretty sure it had a little bit of a snicker as I limped by.

I didn’t listen to the sign; I marched right on forward without even thinking about my back and it cost me in the long run. Jesus said in Luke 14 that we need to count the cost of being his disciple. It will mean sacrifice, hardship, opposition and if we power on without thinking about the coast, then we never know what could make us turn back. Are we prepared to follow Jesus wherever he leads? Because he is worth following!

how do you celebrate?

Stuart — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:37:02 +0000

On Tuesday 27^th March, Imogen and I got engaged (about time according to some people). I get so excited thinking about the day that it happened; the build up of the hours leading up to the question and the feeling of getting down on the one knee and asking ‘the question’ that would inevitably change the lives of two people of equal levels of devastating attractiveness. But as we have had conversations about the day and making the preparations for our wedding day, things for me have started to get more exciting as we live in the reality of us being engaged.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the fact that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. This is a day that should fill us with excitement, passion and a sense of awe as we live in the reality of what the resurrection of Jesus Christ means for us today. How are you going to celebrate?

Pastor Maddy

all in gods time

Stuart — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:59:45 +0000

My sister is not a Christian and I remember in 2004 when she was talking to someone and the subject of God came up and she said these exact words: “Maddy knows never to talk to me about God because I will never ever care and have no interest in the whole God thing”. It is never nice to hear those words, especially when it is someone you love dearly. I went away to Bible college the next year and got involved in a prayer triplet. In essence, it is where you meet with two other Christians for the purpose of praying for your family and friends who don’t know God.

After 6 months praying for my sister with other Christians, she asked me when I was back on holidays why I ‘bought into’ Christianity and what was it all about. She also asked me what God is and now, 8 years later she now associates a Christian with ‘someone who wants to help the community’. Prayer is powerful and we need to trust that when we pray, big things happen. They might not happen in our time (8 years!!!) but they do happen! As we launch Reach 1, who are two people that you could pray with in order to connect with a person who doesn’t know God? Who is the person you will connect with?

love your skin…and your friends

Stuart — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:37:44 +0000

I remember a long time ago not being able to sleep and deciding to watch some TV, only to find that it was an infomercial on Proactiv skin care products. As I watched, I was amazed to hear ‘real’ and completely voluntary and free testimony (forgive my cynicism) from Jessica Simpson who talked about the difference Proactiv has made in her life and how she shared with all her friends the radical difference it had made in her life.

It has always stuck with me that Jessica Simpson would share with all her friends about the ‘magical nature’ of a skin care product and yet I got nervous about sharing with my friends about the difference Jesus has made in my life. It can be so easy to share with our friends a funny Youtube video that made us laugh, recommend a good restaurant or talk about the awesome new show on TV but sharing the good news of Jesus Christ can seem more intense. Let’s support and encourage each other in sharing the story of Jesus and connecting with unchurched people to build relationships, because as Billy Graham said, “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened’.

Pastor Maddy

love can change the world

Stuart — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:49:21 +0000

“The most important one (commandment),” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31

My thinking is that these words spoken by Jesus are some of the most powerful words ever spoken on this planet. Could you imagine what this world would look like if we took these words to heart and lived them out in the spheres that we live in? What if our first instinct when we are hurt is not to defend or lash out but to forgive? What kind of example would we set for the world we live in? I am convinced that all of our world’s conflicts would be worked out if we actually believed and lived out these words every day. What could you do this week to make this world a more loving place? Who is someone that you could show love to this week?

Pastor Maddy

feeling a little deflated?

Stuart — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:31:10 +0000

I was driving around last week when something was brought to my attention. The air pressure in my tyre was a little low (I have had rotten luck with tyres over the last few months). As I was inflating the tyre, I noticed that there was a screw firmly embedded in the tyre that was causing a slow leak of air.

I was thinking about this and I realised that sometimes we can experience something that causes a slow leak out of us. Certain relationships, situations, tasks crop up and then we can feel deflated and flat through these experiences. We can leak passion, love, hope, joy…all the good stuff that should make being a follower of Jesus attractive to the world around us. So take some time to find out what deflates you and more importantly, what fills you up with excitement and passion! And remember the words of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Pastor Maddy