February 2012
20 posts
Why Applying Scripture Is So Tough
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:16 NLT)
Applying Scripture to our lives isn’t easy. If it were easy, more people would be doing it. Most people who read the Bible don’t really apply what they read to their lives. Why?
It’s hard work! But what makes applying God’s Word so hard? Here are three reasons...
Three Questions to Ask of Any Bible Passage
“Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.” (1 Samuel 15:22b CEV)
If you aren’t experienced in applying God’s Word to your life, you might be frustrated. How do you do it? Today I want to give you three questions you can ask of any passage that will help you apply the Bible to your life. Here are the three...
Bible Study Is Dangerous Work
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24 NIV)
Did you know studying the Bible can be dangerous? In fact, the results of Bible study could be disastrous.
Sounds strange, I know. But God intended for us to apply the Bible to our lives, not just read it.
The Bible is about transformation, not just...
The Picture-It Method of Bible Meditation
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us …” (John 1:14a NIV)
A few days ago I shared a method of Bible meditation that requires very few tools, the pronounce-it method of Bible meditation. You can do it with just a pencil or pen and a Bible.
Today’s method is equally simple. You only need a Bible, pencil, and some creativity.
The picture-it method of Bible meditation is...
You Need a Plan
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5 ESV)
Having a quiet time is like many other activities you might do in life — in at least one respect. To be successful, it helps to have a plan. The Bible says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5,...
The Right Attitude for Your Quiet Time
“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b NIV)
You can have a quiet time anywhere, but it all starts with a great attitude. God wants to know that your heart is in the right place. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward...
Finding the Right Time and Place for a Quiet Time
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 NIV)
Over the past few days we’ve been talking about your quiet times. The time you spend with God is the most important part of your day. That’s why when and where you meet him is so crucial. Consistency matters in both cases.
Meet God at the same...
The Privilege of Your Quiet Time - Rick Warren
“You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11 NLT)
I mentioned yesterday that it’s quite a privilege to have a quiet time. We get to have an audience with the king of the universe, the creator of everything.
What makes our quiet times such a privilege that we wouldn’t want to consider missing it? Here are four miraculous things that happen...
A Simple Way To Unlock The Bible - Rick Warren
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” (Colossians 3:16a NLT)
Studying the Bible in a way that changes your life doesn’t take a bunch of expensive tools. You don’t need commentaries or Bible study software. In fact, if you were stuck on a desert island with just a Bible, you could simply use the method you’ll learn about in this devotional.
Yesterday, I told you how important it was...
National Day of Prayer and Fasting
National Day of Prayer this Sunday 19th….check this link for more info…get involved if you can.
http://www.nationaldayofprayer.com.au/
Take a Chill Pill!
It can be so easy to get wound up over things and let them consume our thinking. The bible has a bit to say about this. In Matthew 6:34 we read:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own”.
So much of what we allow to consume our thoughts is out of our control and is often exaggerated beyond reality....
Hope Community
check out the new community page on our website -www.hopechurch.net.au
Hope Church & Compassion Partnership News
If you have not yet sponsored but you want to we will have more sponsorship opportunities soon! Stay tuned.
Hope Church & Compassion Partnership
Last week we launched our partnership with Compassion in Northern Thailand. Already every child that we were given at the launch has been sponsored - thats 48 children! Thank you Hope for your generous hearts!
God Wants Us To Chew On His Word - Rick Warren
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8 NIV)
I can remember hearing great sermons or in-depth Bible teaching and wondering how the teacher found all those great nuggets of truth in God’s Word. That’s why I wrote my first book 35 years ago: to...
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you...”
– James 1:22 NLT
Hope Community Launch - Week One
Yesterday we launched the first phase of Hope Community which is our overseas partnership with Compassion.
We had such a great morning with the auditorium packed to the rear doors! It was so exciting to see Hope Church come out and be a part of where we are heading as a church. Right from the start there was just a sense of togetherness and anticipation. Our time of worship was significant and...
God Gave Us the Bible to Transform Us
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
I was once asked what the best translation of the Bible was. My answer: When you translate it into your life....
Use Your Memory Muscle
“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” (Colossians 3:16 NLT)
The fourth way to abide in God’s Word is by remembering it. Your capacity to remember is a God-given gift. You may think you have a poor memory, but the truth is, you have...
January 2012
16 posts
Keep God's Word Close at Hand
“He should keep it with him all the time and read from it every day of his life.” (Deuteronomy 17:19a NCV)
For most of the 2,000-year history of the Church, only priests got to personally read the Bible, but now billions of us have access to it. In spite of this, many believers are more faithful to reading their daily newspaper than their Bibles.
It’s no wonder why we don’t grow. We can’t watch...
Don't Just Read — Receive God's Word
“So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.” (James 1:21 TEV)
We receive God’s Word when we listen with an open, receptive attitude and then accept it. The parable of the sower illustrates how our receptiveness determines whether or not God’s Word takes root in our lives and bears fruit....
When Making Decisions, Ask... What Does the Bible...
“If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine.” (John 8:31 NASB, 1978 edition)
In order to build your life on the Bible, it must become the authoritative standard for your life. It must become the compass you rely on for direction, the counsel you listen to for making wise decisions, and the benchmark you use for evaluating everything.
The Bible must always have the first and...
The Most Important Time of Your Day
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)
Many people say they don’t have time for a quiet time. That’s an excuse. Every person on the planet has the same 168 hours in his or her week. The question is: How do you spend the time you have?
You don’t have time for everything. No one does. You have to make time for...
God's Word: You Can't Live Without It
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NIV)
The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us like the Son of God. To become like Jesus, we must fill our lives with his Word. The Bible says, “Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” (2 Timothy 3:17 MSG).
God’s Word is unlike any other word. It is alive. Jesus said, “The words that I...
“procrastination is a bit like constipation…it stops the flow and just...”
– Josh Brett
Plenty to be excited about!
Life has it’s up and downs but because of Christ we learn what it’s to push through and overcome the lows! It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do for a job, what your interests are, who your parents were or what suburb you grew up in…..we all have a story to tell. The question is what will your story be?
The story I CHOOSE to tell is the story of God in my life. The...
Focus on Scripture, not Worries
“I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12b NIV)
The Bible repeatedly urges us to meditate on who God is, what he has done, and what he has said.
It is impossible to be God’s friend apart from knowing what he says. You can’t love God unless you know him, and you can’t know him without knowing his Word. The Bible says God “revealed himself to Samuel through...
Satan Doesn't Mind Bible Study Never Applied
Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
Receiving, reading, researching, remembering, and reflecting on the Word of God are all useless if we fail to put them into practice. We must become doers of the word (James 1:22 KJV).
I understand this is a hard step, because Satan fights it so intensely. He...
1 tag
Just a few thoughts....
Well it is Monday morning and I am in my office reflecting on the week that has been and planning for the week that is.
For Sharon and I we just had one of the quietest starts to a weekend that we can remember. Much to the frustration of our daughter we were home Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. Sunday made up for this quiet time with church Sunday morning, a friends birthday in the...
1 tag
What Do I Do With This, God?
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9 NIV)
When we confess our belief in Jesus Christ, we often assume our lives will become easier. It doesn’t help that many people with good intentions teach this as biblical truth.
Certainly Jesus taught that his yoke is easy...
Fathers - by John Bishop
FATHERS
We are a fatherless generation. So was the nation of Israel some 2500 years ago. I love the story of God, pursuing us, loving us with a consuming fire and even in our sins he wants to restore us.
Your children NEED YOU. Turn your hearts toward them. Reach out to them. Seek to understand them more than wanting them to understand you.
They want your presence more than your perfection. ...
Afraid of Making the Wrong Decision?
“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3b NIV)
Sometimes we’re afraid of making the wrong decision. And that creates stress.
But God says there is an antidote to our indecision. Psalm 23:3 tells us, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” We handle the stress of decision-making by letting God guide us.
You may be thinking, “But I’ve tried this!” You...
“God calls you into bigger stories than you would write for yourself.”
– Andy Stanley
“What’s God told you to do that you’ve not done? Sometimes that’s the missing...”
– David Crank
“Cast out wrong thoughts! You don’t have to think whatever falls in to your...”
– Joyce Meyer
December 2011
13 posts
Lead a Legacy
In Paul’s first letter to his young pastor friend, Timothy, he says “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
Paul tells Timothy to set an example. The word ‘example’ is translated ‘pattern’. In other words, be proactive, initiate different patterns...
Becoming Like Jesus in 2012
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.’” (Luke 15:22 NIV)
In the story of the prodigal, we identify with the younger brother, seeing ourselves as prodigals returning to God.
Some of us even identify with the older brother, realizing we’ve sinfully harboured resentment when God shows grace to others who,...
2012: A Gift of Time from God
“But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.” (Romans 13:11 MSG)
We manage time; we waste time. We spend time; we save time. We wish the time would come; we wish the time would pass. We see time fly; we feel time drag. We watch clocks and carry calendars, creating...
2012: Focus on What God Can Do Through You - Jon...
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity …” (Hebrews 6:1a NIV)
Although God does the heavy lifting in our transformation to Christ-likeness, we still bear the responsibility to keep discipline part of discipleship.
Therefore, we no longer run aimlessly; we have the sizeable objective of becoming just like Jesus. And so, as the...
Christmas Thought
Well it’s 4:44pm on Friday 23rd December and I have made my last visit to the shops before Christmas Day. It’s normally at this time that I start thinking about everything that’s coming up and hope that I have got it all covered.
I love Christmas on so many levels - a time of giving and receiving gifts, getting together with family and friends to enjoy some yummy food and the...
Christmas: God Loves Us
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)
God loves you so much that he sent Jesus on a mission of love with a message of love. Christmas is a yearly reminder that God loves you. The Bible says God is love. It doesn’t say God has love; it says God is love. Love is his nature; God...
1 tag
STOP. LOOK. AND LISTEN. By Mary Graham
In this busy world with clutter and clatter in almost every nook and cranny of our lives, it’s tempting to stay in a constant state of fast-forward. As much as I love the ever-present availability of modern technology … as much as I’d feel lost and alone without connectivity … I often need a reminder to pause and pay attention.
Fortunately, God has surrounded me with...
Seek Out the Lost
“Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.” (Romans 12:16 CEV)
In The Message paraphrase, 2 Corinthians 5:20b is rendered: “Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” That’s the message we’re to take to the world, yet often we limit our influence by seeking and maintaining friendships...
Christmas Celebration
This Sunday December 18th is our Christmas Celebration gathering. The giving tree is set up and on Sunday we will be brining in gifts for those in our community who are in most need this Christmas. Our celebration service will have carols, kids performance, Christmas drama and then is followed by a picnic across the road in the South Parklands. We have a giant bouncy castle coming in, face...
1 tag
RAHAB partnering with Hope Church
RAHAB is an ministry to those that feel trapped in the sex industry. Rahab’s vision is to restore, inspire and assist those trapped in prostitution to discover their God given identity and find fulfilment through life.
Hope Church has recently partnered with Rahab in Adelaide by providing our facility as a place for the Rahab Team to pray before heading out onto the Adelaide streets.
We...
“You will never grow a close relationship with God by just attending church once...”
– Rick Warren - Purpose Driven Life
“Because God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than the...”
– Rick Warren - Day 11 of Purpose Driven Life
“The key to friendship with God is not changing what you do but changing your...”
– Brother Lawrence - humble cook in a French Monastery - 17th Century
November 2011
5 posts
Love is an action
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:18 NLT)
If you really love someone, then you show it by how you act toward that person.
Love is more than attraction and more than arousal. It’s also more than sentimentality, like so many of today’s songs suggest. By this standard, is love dead when the emotion is gone? No — not at...