Summerleas Church Member Blogs
These items come from blogs that are contributed to by members of Summerleas Christian Church and its partners. Feel free to subscribe at the bottom of this page to receive the latest updates.
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on Marty and Jess's blog
Well we finally have some clean air back into our lungs! Well that was once we got over the cold shock! :)
We have just come back from a very brief trip back to Tassie!! Sadly we didn’t really get to catch up with people well – but we had lots of fun with their children :)
On coming back to Sydney, we were hit with a few realities...
Firstly... we are now pretty much in the middle of second semester… deep into assessments and the content of our classes. So for example... this week I’m preaching from Ephesians 3 to the other women in my class, and we are both working on essay based on one of Paul’s letters.
Secondly... spring (which really feels like summer) is here! :)
Thirdly... We do really miss our Tassie family & friends. Going there was so great cause it felt so natural - which just makes us realise how much we miss you all!
But... now we are warm! :)
We have just come back from a very brief trip back to Tassie!! Sadly we didn’t really get to catch up with people well – but we had lots of fun with their children :)
On coming back to Sydney, we were hit with a few realities...
Firstly... we are now pretty much in the middle of second semester… deep into assessments and the content of our classes. So for example... this week I’m preaching from Ephesians 3 to the other women in my class, and we are both working on essay based on one of Paul’s letters.
Secondly... spring (which really feels like summer) is here! :)
Thirdly... We do really miss our Tassie family & friends. Going there was so great cause it felt so natural - which just makes us realise how much we miss you all!
But... now we are warm! :)
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on Marty and Jess's blog
Well it seems that the Bible College Dilemma (see last post) has caused my brain to explode :)
So, thought I would just leave you with a interesting quote I heard this week:
"The contemporary church seems more concerned with relevance than with purity"
So, thought I would just leave you with a interesting quote I heard this week:
"The contemporary church seems more concerned with relevance than with purity"
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on Marty and Jess's blog
When learning from the Bible every day how much of it can you really take in? So, not just learn & know it, but really take it in & apply it to your life?
We have 10 different subjects this semester. This means each week we hear 10 lectures on different aspects of ministry & the Bible. Then we hear 3-4 sermons a week! So within a few days you could go from discussing the accuracy & authority of the Bible, to looking at the whole book of Job! Its not light stuff! It’s stuff that demands reading, thinking, & meditating upon.
Don’t get me wrong – I love studying the Bible, & learning all the things that we are. I feel so privileged to be able to do this! But how do you do it properly? How do you not allow the learning to just become knowledge & therefore leave out the heart?
We have 10 different subjects this semester. This means each week we hear 10 lectures on different aspects of ministry & the Bible. Then we hear 3-4 sermons a week! So within a few days you could go from discussing the accuracy & authority of the Bible, to looking at the whole book of Job! Its not light stuff! It’s stuff that demands reading, thinking, & meditating upon.
Don’t get me wrong – I love studying the Bible, & learning all the things that we are. I feel so privileged to be able to do this! But how do you do it properly? How do you not allow the learning to just become knowledge & therefore leave out the heart?
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on Marty and Jess's blog
Well we are back from holidays and straight back into the daily grind of college.
From fishing, surfing, grazing, watching the sunrises & sunsets, to huge amounts of washing, lectures, and the constant reminder of assignments due not to far into the future...
It’s amazing how quickly life can change!
We have had a really nice restful holiday catching up with family & friends from Tassie, & also got a chance to explore more of this great country. But now, we are really excited about getting more deeply into Gods word & learning heaps of new things this semester.
From fishing, surfing, grazing, watching the sunrises & sunsets, to huge amounts of washing, lectures, and the constant reminder of assignments due not to far into the future...
It’s amazing how quickly life can change!
We have had a really nice restful holiday catching up with family & friends from Tassie, & also got a chance to explore more of this great country. But now, we are really excited about getting more deeply into Gods word & learning heaps of new things this semester.
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on Marty and Jess's blog
We are finally out of the vacuum and back into the real world!!
Back to socializing and talking to people… showing family the sites of Sydney… Watching TV & relaxing!
Take today for example... we got up early, caught a train to the city, met Mel & Kochie, then had breakfast at the Lindt Cafe! :)
It’s a very nice feeling!
Back to socializing and talking to people… showing family the sites of Sydney… Watching TV & relaxing!
Take today for example... we got up early, caught a train to the city, met Mel & Kochie, then had breakfast at the Lindt Cafe! :)
It’s a very nice feeling!
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on In View Blog
One of the factors that Vision 10o leaders need to constantly address and check is the subtle power of denominational competitiveness.
As a movement Vision 100, because of it's clear values, has been, by God’s grace, reasonably successful in resisting denominational competitiveness and replacing it with gospel generosity towards each other. We have achieved this by joining together through the Vision 100 organisation as follows:(1) Sharing resources – preaching, training, Ministry Challenge and other conferences, ideas(2) Raising and disseminating funds through Vision 100 Resources(3) One joint church plant – Cornerstone (now a Presbyterian work)(4) Supporting the University work (AFES & FOCUS) across all participating denominations(5) Vision 100 leadership and prayer meetings
At present we have several churches from two denominations (Presbyterian and Christian Reformed) and two independent churches (Crowded House in Spreyton and the...
As a movement Vision 100, because of it's clear values, has been, by God’s grace, reasonably successful in resisting denominational competitiveness and replacing it with gospel generosity towards each other. We have achieved this by joining together through the Vision 100 organisation as follows:(1) Sharing resources – preaching, training, Ministry Challenge and other conferences, ideas(2) Raising and disseminating funds through Vision 100 Resources(3) One joint church plant – Cornerstone (now a Presbyterian work)(4) Supporting the University work (AFES & FOCUS) across all participating denominations(5) Vision 100 leadership and prayer meetings
At present we have several churches from two denominations (Presbyterian and Christian Reformed) and two independent churches (Crowded House in Spreyton and the...
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on Marty and Jess's blog
So we are in StuVac at the moment. But what exactly is StuVac?
Is it study vacation? That is a bit of an oxymoron don’t you think!?! Since when has studying been associated with a vacation? Well some students seem to be taking the vacation part very seriously :)
Maybe it means study vacuum? This sounds a little bit more like me. I get up, study all day, & rest at night. This means that I am totally unable to talk to people, & am very vague (yes - even more than normal!), cause all I have been doing is reading & studying.
So, it’s definitely more like a study vacuum for me - even with only 1 day down!
Is it study vacation? That is a bit of an oxymoron don’t you think!?! Since when has studying been associated with a vacation? Well some students seem to be taking the vacation part very seriously :)
Maybe it means study vacuum? This sounds a little bit more like me. I get up, study all day, & rest at night. This means that I am totally unable to talk to people, & am very vague (yes - even more than normal!), cause all I have been doing is reading & studying.
So, it’s definitely more like a study vacuum for me - even with only 1 day down!
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on In View Blog
Only a living, responsive faith in Christ, persistent pleading prayer, a preparedness to sacrifice comfort, and a humble dependence on the grace of God will lead to the break-throughs necessary for genuine Kingdom growth.
In order for Vision 100 to be like this the leadership needs to be stretched to address the following areas as previously noted: 1. The lack of praying together2. The subtle power of denominational competitiveness3. A growing independence in the network4. The lack of a ‘Pauline team’ Biblical model of leadership5. The limited flexibility in function and pay of existing and new leaders6. The loss of urgency for one to one discipleship of all members
I'll address each one of these over the coming weeks.
The lack of praying together
Prayer is not some sort of ‘magic.’ It is essentially a vital expression of our relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son...
In order for Vision 100 to be like this the leadership needs to be stretched to address the following areas as previously noted: 1. The lack of praying together2. The subtle power of denominational competitiveness3. A growing independence in the network4. The lack of a ‘Pauline team’ Biblical model of leadership5. The limited flexibility in function and pay of existing and new leaders6. The loss of urgency for one to one discipleship of all members
I'll address each one of these over the coming weeks.
The lack of praying together
Prayer is not some sort of ‘magic.’ It is essentially a vital expression of our relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son...
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on Marty and Jess's blog
At the moment Marty and I are immersing ourselves within the Old Testament. I am full of disbelief over the Israelites lack of trust in Numbers, but then elated by the great story of Joshua. Marty is continually expressing anger over how stupid Moses is in Exodus, and well, 2 Samuel hasn’t quite eventuated yet! We both have to write 1000 words on an Old Testament book, describing what’s in it and its major themes.
Once you get over the nitty gritties of the assignment, it is actually a really good one. For at the end of this week, hopefully we will both be able to tell people, in one sentence, the significance of the books we have chosen and what they are all about – hopefully!
It would be great if at the end of these two years, we would be able to do that for every book of the Bible!
Maybe there is some worth in preaching a series through the whole Bible - 1 sermon on each book of the Bible, simply explaining what’s in it and why its there?!?
Once you get over the nitty gritties of the assignment, it is actually a really good one. For at the end of this week, hopefully we will both be able to tell people, in one sentence, the significance of the books we have chosen and what they are all about – hopefully!
It would be great if at the end of these two years, we would be able to do that for every book of the Bible!
Maybe there is some worth in preaching a series through the whole Bible - 1 sermon on each book of the Bible, simply explaining what’s in it and why its there?!?
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on CRC Women's Ministry Blog
Think about the latest mag you are reading, open up and you'll find many a picture of a beautiful woman. That picture is a lie. Not only is there computer re-touching, there's digital altering of the picture so that they can now take a model and make a composite (made up of separate parts) woman. So models themselves don't even look like their picture. Their "perfect" beauty is an illusion, it's unattainable. And yet many of us are consumed with trying to "achieve" that look.
Why?
The lie we are believing is that beautiful is better, that physical beauty will bring satisfaction and recognition. If you are beautiful you will be happy and successful. You will be popular. You will receive lasting intimacy and true love. You will be important and significant.
The truth?
Even if it exists, physical beauty is temporal and fleeting. (Proverbs 31:30)
The beauty that matters most to God is that of our inner spirit and character (I Samuel 16:...
Why?
The lie we are believing is that beautiful is better, that physical beauty will bring satisfaction and recognition. If you are beautiful you will be happy and successful. You will be popular. You will receive lasting intimacy and true love. You will be important and significant.
The truth?
Even if it exists, physical beauty is temporal and fleeting. (Proverbs 31:30)
The beauty that matters most to God is that of our inner spirit and character (I Samuel 16:...
