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7 Lessons From Paul’s Letter to Philippi

1. When we look at the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians he refers to himself and Timothy as bond-servants of Christ Jesus, verse 1. Can we legitimately use that title, ‘bond-servants of Christ Jesus’ for ourselves? How are we serving? Are we serving with joy and willingness? 2. Paul thanks God for the believers at Philippi, verse 3. Often we might pray for our church members and Christian friends but do we think to thank God for our fellow Christians as Paul did? 3. Paul prayed for the Philippians with great joy for their ‘participation in the gospel,’ verse … Continue reading →

Five Lessons from John the Baptist

The prophesied preacher prepares people for Jesus. What about you? What lessons can you learn from John the Baptist about your role in God’s plans? Let’s look at Mark 1:1-8 1. Mark begins his gospel account of Jesus by stating clearly who Jesus is the Son of God, verse 1. The gospel focuses on Jesus in the first verse, so that we who read it do not lose sight of the fact that Jesus is the focus. Jesus should also be the focus of all that we do. As you look at your life, is Jesus the focus of all … Continue reading →

Problems with Having Your Own Agenda

There is a problem with having your own agenda. Actually there are a couple. One is that your agenda and what you want to do or what to happen may not be God’s plan for you or for others. The other is just as serious and one that can be extremely hurtful and divisive. Recently there were two examples where this occurred. One was by me letting my own feelings cloud the issue and say something when deep down a little voice was telling me I should keep quiet. One of these days I might learn to listen all the … Continue reading →

Finding the Way Back

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So often we want to have our lives all mapped up out. We wish God would provide a blueprint for our lives. But God doesn’t work that way. And we shouldn’t expect him to. I don’t know about you, but I’m a shocker for misplacing things. I put them down, sometimes even in a safe place and then I can’t remember where I put them. Sometimes we can be like that in our Christian lives. We forget what we should be doing. We get off track and can’t find our way back. We have lost our way. And the sad … Continue reading →

Closed or Open Minds?

Yesterday we saw the Pharisees finding fault and criticizing Jesus and his followers. Nothing has changed. There are plenty of people today who criticize Jesus and his followers. In Luke 5:33 and 34, the Pharisees criticized Jesus because his followers did not fast as the followers of John the Baptist and their own followers did. Jesus knew a time would come when his disciples would fast and mourn, but it was not yet- not while He was with them. Jesus was intent on showing the Pharisees that he was the new and only way to God, rather than through keeping … Continue reading →

An Emotional Experience

Last week I watched the Compass program – Billy Graham Down Under. It was an emotional experience and one that brought back memories. I was a child who went forward in that Sydney crusade. Strangely enough I could not remember that much about the events. I remembered Billy Graham giving the call to commit to Jesus. My friend and I both looked at each other and got up and walked without a word. I remembered more the emotion of the time. We were two of the 57,000 people who responded. The Archbishop of Sydney who was a 15 year old … Continue reading →

What Do You Need?

In these days of economic recession, it’s time for us to take stock and think about what we really need. The other day I saw some T-shirts advertised cheap. When I went in they were sold out but they did have lots of lovely blouses at reduced prices. ‘Why don’t you buy one?’ my husband said when he saw me looking at them. ‘Because I don’t need them.’ I needed a cheap T-shirt to wear to tennis. I didn’t need pretty blouses to wear out, though I have to admit it was tempting. It’s so easy to get caught up … Continue reading →

Learning from Joshua

Joshua is one of my favorite characters in the bible, because of his unwavering trust in and obedience to God. We might ask, ‘How can this story of Joshua help us in our lives right now?’ Here are some thoughts from Joshua chapter 1. In Joshua 1:1 we see that it is after the death of Moses that God commissioned Joshua. But God had been preparing him before that. For a long time he was an assistant to Moses, learning from him, Exodus 17:9-14, 24:13, Exodus 33:11, Numbers 11:28, Numbers 27:18. In verses 1-5 God commissioned Joshua, promising land and … Continue reading →

Wisdom and Warnings from Proverbs

The book of Proverbs contains great wisdom. Here is one example. The passage is Proverbs 30:5-9. Over the next couple of days I intend to look at it verse by verse and see what truths can be gleaned from it. Proverbs 30:5 tells us ‘Every word of God is flawless.’ Sometimes people will challenge us, claiming the bible is full of contradictions and errors. This statement is invariably made by those who don’t know God’s words or are repeating what they have heard someone else say. The truth is every part of God’s Word will stand up to the closest … Continue reading →

In The Team’s Best Interests

Recently I heard of a sporting team where the selfish actions of three players cost their team the final and therefore the prize. In any team there is no room for those seeking their own glory. What is needed are those who will play for the team and put the team’s best interests above their own personal ambitions. Anyone who knows me, knows I am an avid Sydney Swans supporter. What I like is that the team is united. Everyone knows their role in the team and plays for each other and the team. ‘The culture of the club doesn’t … Continue reading →