Connecting to the world

Many preachers believe the purpose of preaching is to explain the Bible, or to interpret the text, or to help people understand God’s Word. But these all fall short of what it really is. Paul gives us God’s purpose of preaching in Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV): “Christ gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Jeremiah 6:16 The LORD said to his people, "Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it, and you will live in peace." But they said, "No, we will not!" When the Lord has His day of vengeance, no sinners of any age or rank or of either sex will escape. Be careful not to set your mind (life) upon the ...

"(God) has given... pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of ministry, So the body of Christ may be built up." Ephesians 4: 11-12 M inist ry is  in three directions: - 1.  To the LORD (Acts 13:3) 2.  To other BELIEVERS (Heb. 6:10) 3.  To UNBELIEVERS (Matt. 5:13) Church  structure: - The Elders, Deacons (church leaders) are the administers The People are the ministers Ministry is in three areas; 1.  To peoples PHYSICAL needs "(God says) I was hungry and you fed me, … thirsty and you gave me a drink… needed clothes and you ...

(Romans 12:12) Talking with God; Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. a. Approach prayer with the right attitude Matthew 6: Verses 5 and 6: “When you pray do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.” b. Use the model Jesus gave us. verses 7 and 8: “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that God will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him. c. Begin prayer by praising God. Our Father in heaven: May Your holy name be honoured (Matthew 6:9b) Adoration - Praising God for who He is Than...

Hebrews 10:25.  Being a committed team for God; Fellowship with believers in a small group or small church. n  Participating in God’s Family Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer. (Hebrews 10:25) Why is Fellowship so Important? 1.  I belong in God’s Family with other Believers. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to ...

                  Ephesians 4:14-15                     Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful men, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, Who is the head.  Misconceptions about Spiritual Growth Ø  Growth is automatic: "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to tea...

AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER FEATURE ARTICLE - 10 MYTHS ABOUT REDEFINING MARRIAGE by Peter Sprigg, Senior Fellow for Family Policy Studies at Family Research Council. As the battle to defend traditional marriage hots up in Australia, as Christians we need to have it very clear in our mind as to why we oppose changing the definition of marriage to exclude same-sex marriage. This article brings responds to the arguments put forward by those intent on establishing "marriage equality" and why they are false. We trust it will empower more Christians to take a stand in defence of traditional marriage, particularly in writing to our parliamentary representatives to put forward our views. Advocates of redefining "marriage" to include same-sex couples use a number of arguments that can best be described as "myths." The reality is often quite different. For example: MYTH: A "one man and one woman" definition imposes a religious d...