2008 May » Southern Cross Presbyterian Church

The first week for term 2 at youth group kicked off with a night called Youthsurge. Here’s some info on it all from one of the youth leaders, Nicky Pryor.

Nicky, for those that don’t know, can you please tell us what Youthsurge is?

It’s basically a combined youth groups night with other churches on the North Coast. Youthsurge is a ministry group from Sydney and they organised everything for the night: a couple of ice-breaker games, music, and a Bible talk. All we had to do was provide the youth group. The night was a great follow-up time for all the friendships that were made at the youth convention we had earlier in the year.

What did you (and all the other youth groupers) learn from God’s Word at Youthsurge?

The theme for all the “surges” this year is about temptation. It was a great reminder to me that I’m not immune to temptaion, and that high schoolers are bombarded with it at school, particularly through peer pressure. The clear message from what we looked at in 1 Corinthians was that we are all tempted but God is in control and can help us not to fall into temptation. The night was especially helpful for me as a youth leader to think more about accountability with the girls in my group – asking them regularly what sort of worldly things are being thrown at them, and how they are going at living like Jesus in times of being tempted.

I hear you went along to a training day for youth leaders on the Saturday (also run by Youthsurge), what was something helpful from that session and was there anything that came out of that we can pray about for you?

The topic for the training session was on longevity in ministry and how to balance it all with work and rest. It was good just to hear how other youth leaders are going with ministry in their church, and the sorts of things they’ve found that have worked, as well as the things that haven’t worked in teaching high schoolers about Jesus. Something I was challenged about on a personal level was not to have a conquer-all type attitude to ministry, but to know it’s God that does the work in those He puts under our care. Please pray that I would have patience, knowing that God is the one growing young people to be more like Jesus, and that I would be thankful for the opportunity to serve the girls in my small group.

Thanks Nicky! If you’re a youthie and went along to Youthsurge, post a comment and let us know what you learnt and what else you enjoyed.

I don’t know about you, but Mother’s Day is one of those annual events that tends to send me on a bit of a guilt trip. And deservedly so! I wish I was a more appreciative son. I wish I made contact more often, I wish I found it easier to say ‘I love you Mum’, or even better, to do something that says ‘I love you Mum’. And I don’t mean just once a year! In fact it would probably mean more if I did it any other day than the day designated by Hallmark cards.

Sadly, I’m not the only one who suffers from under-appreciation-of-mum syndrome. In fact it seems to be a national epidemic. I was reading in the papers this week that the federal government holds the mums of the nation in such low esteem that they think we’d be better off if they all went back to work and put their kids in child care. Apparently the first Rudd/Swan budget is going to have all sorts of financial incentives along these lines.

But Mums, it’s important that you press on. Don’t be conned! not by your unappreciative children or our unappreciative government. What you do matters! Probably even more than you know. One day your kids will grow up and realise it’s true and who knows, maybe our government will too! Until then, let me leave you with some words from our dear friend Colin:

Press on, mums in all the chaos

look to Jesus through the tears

Press on, Mums, God will guide you

through those precious tender years

And in all you do, do it for Jesus

Who won you life and free forgiveness

Yesterday, today, he is the same

All you do, do it in Jesus’ name

I love you Mum.

The 2008 North Coast Christian Convention (NCCC) is fast approaching – it’s only 3 weekends away on Saturday May 24 – Sunday May 25 at Evans Head K-12 School.

The theme for this year’s convention is “never say NO to Jesus”. David Jones (a Welshman, from Tasmania) will be speaking directly on this topic, and Steve Young (minister at Moorebank Anglican Church) will be speaking from 1 Corinthians 15.

Not only will there be excellent bible talks at the convention, but there’ll also be a men’s seminar (Steve Young), and a women’s seminar (Di Warren) on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday evening there’ll be an opportunity to be challenged about going into full-time ministry with David Jones, and Steve Morrison will be giving a concert on Saturday night.

The usual fantastic children’s & youth programs will also be running during each session, thanks to the dedicated teams from Brisbane and the North Coast.

NCCC 2008 will be an excellent weekend for the whole family to be encouraged and challenged from God’s Word. It’s also an opportunity to share with other Christians from our region and to encourage each other all the more to live as followers of Jesus.

Please register before the weekend – the cost is $37 adult, $16 high school, $7 primary, and $3 creche. You can register by completing your registration form and posting with payment to PO Box 5117 East Lismore 2480, or you can phone (02) 6621 3655 to pay with your credit card.

Hope to see you there!!

In this bible talk from Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22 by Steve Cree, we start our “Bible in 3 talks” overview with a look at the ‘bookends’ of the Bible. From Creation to New Creation we see the big picture of God’s eternal plan for this world. As we look at the start and finish of the Bible we are forced to ask: ‘what went wrong?’ and ‘how is it put right?’. These are the questions we will come back to in the next two talks: ‘Fall’ and ‘Redemption’. We will then return to our journey through 1 Corinthians, looking at chapters 5-7 through this term, as we see what it means to live as redeemed people serving Jesus awaiting eternity with him in his New Creation.

Key Verse

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he crated them.

Genesis 1:27

Bible Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:3

Outline:

1. creation
2. new creation
3. re-creation

You can play the podcast using the “Play in Pop-Up” link below the player which will allow you to visit other pages while listening.

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If you have any questions about this talk please leave a comment or email the speaker.

Hi all. It’s great to be back, especially after such a refreshing holiday. Make that ‘invigorating’. There’s something so very different to every day life in Lismore to find yourself at the ocean edge, hanging on to your tent poles in gale force winds and driving rain, wondering at what point you should let go if the tent were to become airborne. And yet, of course, never for a moment contemplating going home! As I had to explain to the family a couple of times, “it’s all part of the fun of camping”. Not sure they were convinced.

I love camping. And despite the variable weather, we had patches of sunshine each day to enjoy the beach. The pic below was taken from our tent. Not a bad view to wake up to? Apart from time with the family, what I love most about camping is how much closer you are, or feel, to the rhythm of life that God has infused into his Creation. The birds’ morning song. The tides relentlessly flowing in and out. The sun rises. The sun sets. The sun rises. The sun sets. God has woven majestic order into his creation. And despite the disruption of the Fall, that wonderful order is still evident.

But we have busy lives. Unordered lives. Random lives. We have artificial lights to trick us out of order. We have over-full schedules that defy that simplicity. Of course, order for order’s sake can be idolatry. But a rhythm of delighting in God day and night (and every moment in between), as predictably as the sun rises and sets, that’s biblical, that’s freedom, that’s a great pattern for life. That’s a great pattern for every life, for every household. Joshua spoke of a pattern of such day and night meditation on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8). Paul spoke of a pattern of such day and night prayer (2 Timothy 1:3).

This term we start our teaching series with a 3 week overview of the Bible. My prayer is not only that we’ll better understand the big picture of the Bible story, but that we’ll be motivated to read it, meditate upon it and so live within it, every day. Every day and every night. Listening to and being directed by our Creator as surely as his creation does. God is still on the job of being God day and night. Let us, as his people, listen to him, talk to him, walk with him, day and night.

Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
4Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
10They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
11By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.