Colin

If you're a praying person, pray for Colin.

Colin is a homeless guy who has been visiting me at church over the last few weeks. After some over zealous church member showed him where I live, he is now visiting us at our house - all hours. This morning I took him to the church down the road who have a fully operation ministry to the homless (we don't) called UTurn. He is hooked up with the soup kitchen today and Friday and next Wednesday is their monthly intake and interviews. Colin said would like to start a program and stay in a shelter so we will see how he goes.

This next week will be tricky. Now that we have got a bit of a relationship going with him Sam (from UTurn) suggested that we continue to help him until the intake into their program. But at the same time we need to set boundries, as you do in any relationship. This will take much wisdom and love (both tender and tough) in deciding when to do what, and when to say no.

Please keep us in mind and prayers over the next week that we can do the right thing by Colin and be the face of Jesus to him without chucking wisdom out the door.

Scott

My sunday

Let me tell you about my Sunday.

Sunday moring, Junior Youth, was HARD.
Numbers were a bit down and the kids were like zomies. Or statues. It was like swimming through concrete. We have been doing a series 'People who met Jesus' (see last post). So I kick off the last talk in the series by asking,
"What is the series we have been looking at this term?"

No response.

So to prompt them I ask,

"Was it . . . people who met Elvis?!" (I'm a funny guy, right?)

No response.

So I try a different approach. I say,

"Last week we looked at a guy from the bible who met Jesus. Let me act it out for you so you can take a guess."

I proceed to act out the man of the tombs. It's violent, noisy and scary.

"I ask them - so who was it that Jesus met last week?"

A kid sticks up his hand . . . .

"A monkey?"

It was a HARD morning.

Sunday evening, Senior Youth, was EXCITING.
We had an evangelistic bring a friend type meeting.
We had 7 new faces.
We had 60 all up.
We had a great testimony from a grade 10 girl who was interviewed by her friend.
My brother provided a top evangelistic talk.
We had dinner together.
People responded.
It was a buzz to be there.

What to make of all this?
1. Gospel work is never so bad that it can't get better.
2. Gospel work is very real and gritty and (in one sense) vulnerable to being bruised by this world (bad number, bad attitudes, laziness)
3. But in the other sense, gospel work is thrilling because it is supernatural and beyond our ability to manage (that's largely what I attribute the success of Sunday night to).
4. Despite the sunday mornings, there will always be sunday nights.
5. And I love my work.

Scott

The little big guy

I am just finishing up a tried and tested series for my Junior Youth Kids - 'People who met Jesus' or 'Meeting Jesus makes a difference'.

This Sunday we are looking at Luke 19:1-10, the mini me of the series, Zacchaeus.

Meeting Jesus made a huge difference to this guy - check out verse 8;

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Two things struck me this time around.

1. That although there were many things that Zacchaeus probably needed to change, he straight up zooms in on his relationships.

'I’m a rip-off merchant' he says to himself. 'Greed at the expense of others has been my style.'

So he gives half my money to the poor, and repays 4 times the stolen amount.

For us our relationships don’t usually revolve around money. But they may be dominated by gossip. In which case we can 'do a Zacchaeus' by stop talking behind peoples backs and start being trustworthy.

Or perhaps we are ultra cynical and biting. We can 'do a Zacchaeus' by stop cutting people down and start showing kindness.

2. Change is more than just stopping a behaviour.

In the story you don' see Zacchaeus just stop being a rip off – he STARTS being generous. Change is not just about stopping the bad but starting the good.

Don’t just stop being a gossip – START being trustworthy

Don’t just stop being a bully – START being kind

The change that we should be looking for when 'salvation comes to our house' (v9) is surely something like this.

There's a lot more to these 10 verses to be sure, but stumbling across this was a blessing.

Scott

300

Here is my movie.

'300'

It is an adaptation of a comic book that recounts the heroic but tragic battle of King Leonadis and the 300 Spartans against the entire Persian army as they were set to invade Greece.

Let the trailer move you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0QJuu1n5Vk

Granted, I think this is a boys movie.

Also, it is only basically true to history (it is an adaption from a comic book after all) and it looks as though it has a mythological slant on it as well. But from what I can tell it still looks frick'n awesome!

"Give them nothing, take from them EVERYTHING!"

Scott

This week I realised in my 7 years at St James I have never done a talk on giving.

Well, this Sunday, all that changes.

Why?

I read 2 Cor 8:8-9

"I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

Generosity is at the heart of the gospel. It was actually the spark that began the whole thing; God's generosity to us.

So we're going to ask a youth group 30km down the road who can't manage a camp of there own if they would like to come with us on our camp in March. We don't want to be generous with money but also with our fellowship and fun. I'm selling it to our kids this Sunday. You might want to pray that the unfettered generosity of God takes root in their hearts too.

Scott