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Veto Satan: Ephesians 2:1-10

To be human is to be subjected to authority... That authority has a greater spiritual influence than we do and as a result manifests itself in two persons, Jesus Christ or Satan. Who we place our authority in determines what our lives will be like, how they are shaped, what we will feel. The one certainty is that there is no in between ground, so if you're interested in some thoughts on this that are born out Ephesians 2:1-10, take a listen or a read below.

You can download the sermon audio here.

You can download the sermon manuscript here.

 

Youthstreet: Hunger For Righteousness

Friday night as D-day, where we saw 50 young people present to God what they had decided to fast over the next 6 weeks. It was so exciting to see so many of our youth recognise their need for god and then to pursue it. It will certainly be an exciting journey.

This week we spoke about Hungering for Righteousness. That to be righteous as Jesus used the word in Matthew on the sermon of the mount was to be living in the patterns that fulfil the will of God. If this occurred God then blesses, which means God becomes powerful present to and with!

If you want to listen in or be brought up to speed with where we're at then you can download the sermon audio here, or the manuscript here.

Last Week at Youthstreet: Hunger For God (the first message)

Psalm 107:9 says God satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. We want that to be our experience at Youthstreet this term. Where we are filled by God, not just in our ears but in our hearts too.

If you want to listen in or be brought up to speed with where we're at then you can download the sermon audio here, or the manuscript here.

The video mentioned in the middle of it is below:

 

 

Youthstreet Fasting FAQ's

Youthstreet, the youth Minsitry I love and look after has just, last night, commenced a 6 week fast. Below is the information and instruction we have given to our students, which might possibly be of some use to you:

Answers to questions you may have!

What is this again?

When we fast anything we deny ourselves something of value. That leaves a space and a hunger for that thing. The idea of fasting is that then within us is created some space and hunger which God can then fill.

What if I muck up?

This isn’t meant to be an opportunity for you to feel bad about yourself or beat yourself up if you muck up. You may well muck up, but I you do, recognize it, say sorry to God, and recommit yourself from that point on.

What if I need help resisting?

You’re in a life group at Youthstreet, of people who are doing the same thing as you are, so lean on them for encouragement, support and strength. You also have a leader or leaders who are fasting something as well. If you’re at that moment of weakness you can call, facebook, text, email a leader for help and encouragement.

How can I last 6 weeks?

We’ve chosen 6 weeks, 42 days, because the Bible speaks of lots of occasions where people fasted for 40 days. Our finish date is Youthstreeet on Friday 2^nd September. I know 6 weeks seems like a long time, but it’s an amazing opportunity to actually see God do some really incredible things in your life. So what an opportunity it is to learn to trust in him, and open yourself up to him.

How does prayer fit into this?

For you to grow through this time, it’s not enough to just stop doing something. That’s called ‘stopping doing something’. Fasting is when this physical activity becomes a spiritual one. The ways this might happen are varied.

• If you’re fasting something that would normally take up a lot of time, you can use that time differently. You can use some of that time to pray or read the Bible, but you can also use the time to ask God what he would have you do now instead of that which you would normally do, and then do that.
• If you’re fasting something like junk food, that isn’t so much time focused as consumption focused, then use the absence of that, when you feel it, as a reminder to pray, to ask God to fill you, to ask God to show you something you haven’t seen yet.
• If you’re fasting communication, Ie. Phone, facebook, etc, when you would normally go to use it, use that space created to communicate with God. Ask him what does he want to say to you right now, and then listen.
• If you’ve decided to tithe, or spend less money, then when you might normally come to spend money, or think about spending money, ask God the question: How can I invest in your kingdom with who I am now? What act of kindness can I do for someone else? Is what I’m spending this money on now something God would be cheering on?

 

Something from the Bible to encourage you:

Isaiah 58                    Joel 2:12                     Mat 6:16-18              Luke 4:1-13  

Acts 9:1-22                Acts 13:2                    Acts 14:23                  Psalm 107:1-9

Mat 5:6                       Prov 10:3                   Prov 13:25                 Isa 58:10

Ezek 18:7                   John 6:35                   Phil 4:11-13              James 4:7-8

 

 

Singleness in the Church Conference with Taryn Atkinson and Brenden Burgess

The Audio from the 'Singleness in the Church' Event is below:

On Sunday, we held a mini-conference called "Singleness in the Church: Telling the WHOLE Story".  We had a great turnout of people from ages 14 to 74, both single, in a relationship, and those who have become single again through death or divorce.

Brenden Burgess & Taryn Atkinson were our guest speakers, and both shared some incredibly profound and honest insights about what it means to be Christian and Single.


If you're interested in hearing the main messages from the day, you can:
     * Download the first talk by Brenden here or get it on iTunes here.
     * Download the second talk by Taryn here or get it on iTunes here.
     * Download Brenden's message that night at Southport Church of Christ here or get it on iTunes here.
     * Download Taryn's message that night at Newlife Uniting Church here.


You can also find Taryn's book, Bus Stops and Bicycles: A Handbook for Single Ladies, here.
And the book that Brenden co-authored, PS I'm Single, here.

 

Veto Comparison - Taryn Atkinson

12two was blessed this week to welcome author of "Bus Stops and Bicycles: A Handbook for single ladies", Taryn Atkinson to come and speak. Taryn also spoke at a conference we held during the day as we thought about and talked about the issue of singleness in the church.

The talk below is Taryn responding to the neccessity that we Vito Camparison in our lives. We'll post the other talks from the conference very shortly.

You can download the sermon audio here.

The intro video before she spoke was:

 

Ephesians 2:1-10 'Whose Authority?'

We've been walking through the book of Ephesians, for a couple of weeks now, as we explore Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus. In Ephesians 2:1-10, a single sentence in the original Greek, we see Paul address the concept of authority as he beckons us to submit not to Satan's authority but to Christ's. Have a listen in to grasp the importance of what Paul is saying. 

You can download the sermon audio here.

You can download the sermon manuscript here: here.

Here is the video that introduces the sermon:   

GUILT: Gift or Curse?

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of guilt is? I've always just assumed that it's use was to stop us doing destructive things, which in part is true. Recent pondering however has lead me to a deeper realisation, which I'd like to share with you now.

I think guilt is the warning flag we need to pay attention to. It s the sign that the direction we're going in is out of sync with something else that is also within us. It doesn't always mean that the direction we're travelling in is bad, but it does mean we should pay attention. An example might be of a young adult wanting to leave home but feeling guilty about moving away from their parents. This of course is not bad, but does leave one with an 'out of sync' feeling. Having said this, let's not forget the feeling of guilt that is associated with doing something wrong, which is also very true for those of us who are humans.

We live in sync with our values, principles, philosophies, thoughts regarding the world, which if you are a Christian should be constantly working toward alignment with Christ. Therefore doing something that is outside of your principles, values, etc. or what might feel outside of alignment to Christ, or what seems out of alignment with those who you have relied upon to determine your value base, often carries with it a sense of guilt and shame. I've stepped out of sync with what I or others desire my life to align with, and I feel guilty.

If this is the case, guilt then is a gift that God gives us to use, to help us stay in sync with him and what and who we want to be, as well as empowering us to test the influences of others. So when I feel guilty the best place for me to turn is toward God, to check my motives, direction, heart, situation, and in light of this check, I should then move forward in accordance with what God says. Another name for this is repentance! To change or check and reevaluate the direction I'm heading in, in light of Christ. This is why guilt is a gift.

Guilt however can be a curse. As humans we make mistakes, feel guilty and can reset our course, but sometimes we feel so guilty that we hold onto that feeling even after we've changed direction. We go throughout the process of repentance, but do it gripping hold of guilt, which becomes a constant shadow. What's interesting is that if guilt is a gift from God, then once we have gone to God and changed direction, God forgets our mistake, shortcoming or muck up, because guilt has done its job. But we do not forget!

My question is: What right do we have to hold onto something that God has completely forgotten? If, when you search yourself, you discover guilt bubbling away over: that past sin that you have repented from; that mistake you still hold onto but since have corrected; that dilemma you had to decide over and feel bad about even though you felt God say yes, then it's time to let it go. Identify it, name it, go to God with it and clarify your steps of repentance (that have been made or perhaps need to be made), know that those steps were taken, and instead of turning back to the mistake, turn to the cross, where Jesus enabled our sin and mistakes, guilt and shame to be swallowed up by the victory and triumph of grace, given to us by the surrendering of his life. It is this power, the power of he resurrection which we are called to carry, not the weight of our stale guilt.

Veto: Look For The Beauty

Romans 12:2 beckons us not to conform to the patterns of this world, whilst Genesis 1 & 2 reveals what God's pattern is, and that if we follow his pattern we will come to know what is good pleasing and perfect will are. To discover God's pattern we need to start looking for the beauty.

You can download the sermon audio here.

Veto: No One Stands Alone

 A veto, Latin for "I forbid", it is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action. 

The United Nations Security Council  has the "power of veto" refers to the veto power wielded solely by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States), enabling them to prevent the adoption of any "substantive" draft Council resolution, regardless of the level of international support for the draft.

Basically they are charged with the responsibility of oversight and with that responsibility comes the power of veto. If something is happening which they feel is not right, good or best for a situation they have the power to stop it. They have Veto.

This series is about recognising that everyone has the power of Veto to say no to things that derail us in life. To beginning this journey we are looking at what it means to Veto Consumer Church and ensure that NO ONE STANDS ALONE

You can download the sermon audio here:.

You can download the sermon transcript  here:

and below is the intro video.