Narrative preaching

This Sunday I'm giving a talk on 1 Thess 2:1-16.

Its an awesome passage....have a read. One where Paul pours out his heart and explains the way in which he's ministered to the Thessalonians.

A great challenge for our motives, methods in ministry.

I'm also gonna take a risk and try to preach it narratively. From the perspective of a Thessalonian Jewish Christian who saw Paul preach firsthand.

So far, i'm finding the preparation enriching. Having to place myself in those shoes makes you pick u the details a lot more as you take on that persona and imagine what it would have been like.

I got the idea after reading this article during our PCT training and discussing it last week

BBQs and street evangelism

This past week has been full of scary, stranger, cold turkey, walk up whatever you wanna call it work in the city.

Monday and Tuesday i was helping out at the City Bible Forum BBQ held in Martin Place.

The aim was to raise the profile of the ministry and alert people to the fact we exist and there are meetings for them in the city to come along to if they want to hear what the Bible's all about. We tried to do that all in the space of the time it takes to get a sausage into your hand.

There was a variety of conversations....the most (scary) interesting one was a guy who asked us the process of getting his son baptised and who he needed to speak to so that he could enrol him into this school

He was deadly serious as well.

But having done these two days of cold contact work, it made me realise even more the necessity of it. Sure we might be freaked out by but we actually have more of a need to do it. Here's some quick thoughts:

1. It shows to people that there are still Christians out there. If all ppl read is the SMH then they're eventually gonna listen to the lie that churches are dying, there isn't anyone going to churches anymore etc etc. However, if ppl meet real, genuinue Christians (who aren't nutters or freaks, but just ordinary ppl like themselves) then it starts to work against their perceptions

2. It enables us to get in touch with society and hear what they're thinking. The thought of someone getting their son baptised just to enhance their chances of getting into a private school is preposterous to us, but it actually helps us read our culture and the thoughts and opinions out there (see book review on Confessions of a Reformission Rev

Today, more than ever, we need to re-introduce the lost art of conversations. We need to converse beyond our Christian networks and speak with, listen to what is beyond that network.

3. We are the ultimate beneficiaries of this sorta work. Almost everyone's reaction to doing walk up work is 'How effective is it? Does anyone get saved?'. Whilst there might not be thousands getting converted, it does achieve Reason 1. Who knows how God will use that seed that's been planted

But more than that, generally those who engage in this sorta stuff find it a lot easier to talk to their friends about the gospel because they've had conversations with people and engaged with them. If its hard to speak to a stranger, imagine how much easier and natural it is to speak with a friend!

Plus - it also keeps you sharp in your own understanding of the gospel as you articulate it to others. You begin to realise how much jargon you use and learn to simplify your language.

So scary yes, I agree. But essential - even more so.

You also find how much easier it becomes if there is someone with you too. Even though you might be shaking and trembling in your boots, the fact that there's someone else there with you is enormously comforting.

If you're ever looking for a partner in crime, just shout! Or else I might look to you :)

Any answers?

This past week, I was asked the following questions.....

1. Do we know why God specifically choose Abraham to give him the promise of land, offspring, blessing?

2. What is humility, and how do you practically display it/work at it?

My personal thoughts:

1. There wasn't anything particularly special about Abraham. It was God's sovereign choice to choose him and to reveal his grace to him - especially in light of the situation of him not having any children at such an old age. Maybe God intended to use such a person to show that he is really the God who's in control. That supernatural things happen only with his divine intervention.

2. Humility is something internal, its an attitude of the heart. Whilst it might be shown in putting other people ahead of yourself and being other-person centred, it ultimately comes down to how we respond in our own heart. (eg. to compliments, our attitude towards others doing 'better' than us). This is a tricky one - its difficult, in our selfish nature not to naturally be resentful, jealous or envious as opposed to praising God for the way in which he has gifted the body of Christ.

As for how you work on it......i don't know? Ask and rely on the Spirit to change you? Wait for the new creation where we'll be given new bodies and there'll be no more sin?

Any thoughts? Pls post your comments/suggestions!

Spiderman 3

You're probably thinking "What?!" Why is this even remotely relevant to my PCT program?

Well here goes:

1. Spiderman 3

Tree is now going to be working full time for Crusaders which means that we unfortunately will be losing our Monday days off together. (I'm now going to try to take Sat as my day off)

It'd be great if you could pray for us as we make this transition and still find time to grow in our marriage.

That meant that last Monday was our last day off together.

So after salivating at all the yummy food at DJ's foodhall, we then went and pigged out at the Marriott Buffet for lunch (thanks dad for the discount card!)
Then, after nearly being forced to be rolled out the door we made our way over to Randwick Ritz for Spiderman 3 (go the Entertainment Book BOGOF voucher!)



The movie was long (with so many storylines running, i guess it kinda had to be), but thankfully they all came to an intersection with the ending. Overall, better than Spiderman 2 (though that wasn't hard to beat).

It was interesting though the subtle messages that were being communicated from the movie. The posters and advertising S3 has all been geared towards the tagline of 'The Greatest Battle lies within'

Without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, i thought whilst this is true from a Christian perspective (ie. our own sinfulness), the message S3 ends up conveying is quite the contrary.

Overcoming our sinfulness is not something that we have a choice in. The beauty of the gospel is that its been done for us. That which is impossible for man, is possible with God - restored relationship with our creator.

However, there is a pretty good treatment of gospel matters (unlike a majority of Hollywood moviews). Namely, the idea of marriage (the question to Peter Parker about whether he's willing to sacrifice everything for his future wife was surprising) as well as the all consuming nature of evil.

Worth watching - 3.5 out of 5 for me. For a more 'expert' review, click here

One book finished!

Frequent readers of this site would know how much i struggle to read a book, let alone a Christian one.

Well, I pretty much forced myself to write a book review for the upcoming houseparty so here's a sneak preview of it for you:

Beyond Greed by Brian Rosner

‘I’m not greedy. Why would I wanna read that?’

That was my first reaction when I heard the title of this book. My rationale went something like this – if I’m not greedy, then why would a book called Beyond Greed even be relevant for me. If it’s not a struggle, then why bother trying to overcome it and look beyond it.

But how ignorant I was.

If your reaction to hearing about this book is similar to mine, then can I suggest to you that Beyond Greed is exactly the book for you.

Rosner’s book begins with some stirring words - enough to cause each one of us to search our motives and attitudes towards money and wealth (much like what we’ll be hearing at this houseparty). He succinctly puts forward reasons for why we’re all inherently greedy and puts forward a solution.

In the end, Rosner tells us all to ‘Get a life’ – not the most encouraging and affirming of statements, but in order to find out why, you’ll just have to read the bits in between.



Have you read it? How'd you find it? It certainly gave me a wake up call....post your thoughts!

Now I'm gonna try Michael Hill's the How and Why of Love

Stay posted for a book review (hopefully by year's end!)

SMBC'd out

Last week I had the privilege of attending SMBC Preaching AND Children's Conference. Both were excellent and i'll post some thoughts and reflections shortly.

Don't you hate it when......

.....you mix colours in the wash!

A pair of off white golfing shorts, a business shirt got stained (not to mention Teresa's favourite yellow top) got stained with Teresa's denim jacket.

Brown stains but of a different variety!

(sorry no photos coz we were in panic stations!)

Anyway, upon a reflection it was a really powerful illustration of Jesus' work on the cross. Prior to Jesus, my life was stained with sinfulness. God saw them all over me. There was nothing i could to to get rid of them. No soap or napisan powerful enough to remove the stains.

But now I have been washed clean, those stains been removed and done away with because of Jesus' death on my behalf. He's the 'Great Unstainer'. I can confidently say that God no longer holds those stains against me because Jesus bore them.

But more than that, it reminded me of my role as a husband:

Ephesians 5:25:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Wow - a big wake up call to what my role as the husband is. Just as Christ has done for all of us, now i must take on that responsibility for tree.

Oh and BTW the stains came out on the clothes thanks to a bit of Napisan plus this stuff

Latest newsletter

Hey guys

I know I haven't posted on here for a while.

Here's my latest newsletter to keep you posted on what's been happening.

http://www.4shared.com/file/13466738/bdbbbd68/polystyrene_cup_-_Mar_07.html

Happy reading and feel free to drop us a line!

Cheers
Dan