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Luke 12:13-21

Fear Not:- Money

Money is very versatile. It can represent status, importance, power, accomplishment. It can provide security, pleasure, opportunities, freedom, medical care and almost anything we can imagine. It is little wonder that money becomes a worry magnet.

It would be a very easy mistake to think that having more money would improve your life. The reason for this can be more subtle than you think. Being so versatile money can be used to access what our heart values, needs, wants and craves. For example if I crave acceptance and fear rejection then I might use money to buy the life style that my friends are living so that I can fit in with them. Alternately I might use money to impress people to win (buy) their respect. Or I might buy food that comforts me when I feel left out, rejected or hurt.

Money is the vehicle that delivers what your heart wants. Christ says “Beware greed.” He then gives a case study in which a man has lots of money but ‘gets dead.‘ All that money is useless to him. Money can’t solve or get you what you need most which is a generosity towards God. Contentment has nothing to do with the abundance of your possessions, nor your family nor your friends. Contentment comes from being in a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

The difficulty I have is that in practice I find this hard to believe and live out practically. My heart has been saturated with the pleasures and the comfort that money can afford. Giving up money would feel like giving up my life. Christ came to help me learn this one lesson, that I have everything in Christ and I really don’t need or want for anything. I don’t have to add to Christ. When I learn this lesson I will fear not:- Money.  the Rev

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Luke 12:1-12

Fear Not

Christ says in Luke 12:22 “do not worry about your life…”. Do you think he was serious? I’m sure you would agree with me that we should not murder, lie, give into anger but worry doesn’t seem all that bad and it is so common. Who doesn’t worry? It is commonly thought that worry is something that makes us human.

Worry is fear. Worry is being anxious. The disciples were worried when they were caught in a storm. They were afraid for their lives. They were anxious about drowning. Christ said to them “Fear not… for I am with you.” Christ’s opponents were trying to accuse him, trick him, expose him so that they could reject, humiliate and discredit Christ. They attacked his ministry by accusing him using casting out demons by Satan’s power. They sought to provoke him by their many traps.

At no point did Christ’s opponents cause Christ to doubt himself or his Heavenly Father’s relationship and care of him. We see much of Christ’s care, concern, compassion and even righteous anger but never do we find Christ worrying. In all of human history Christ is the most human person, who was without sin.

The implication is that worry is sin. Paul commands us to ‘be anxious for nothing...’ Philippians 4:6. This means we have hope because Christ came to set you and I free from our sin. Christ came to set us free from our ‘worrying.’ The first step to freedom is acknowledging that worrying is a sin and it is something that needs to be replaced by a new found faith and courage in Christ.  My hope is to tackle some of our biggest fears, our fear of what people think (of us) and our fear of what people do (to us).  the Rev

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Psalm 23

2012 Survival Guide

Something I learned from Bear Grylls is that you cannot survive in the wilderness unless you let go of your life as you know it. If you want to live then you have to eat bugs and chew raw meat. Your going to sleep in a tree not in a bed, your going to spend all of your effort and time finding your way back to civilisation. There is no leisure time in the wilderness.

Bear Grylls served in the British SAS in which he learned to survive in wilderness. The best lessons learnt were in the wilderness rather than in the classroom. Survival principles need to be applied in a real life experience. There are three principles that are a key to survival. Finding food and water to sustain health and strength, having the ability to navigate to find a way to civilisation and resting at night to renew strength so as to be able to keep going.

I want to survive 2012. First I need to let go of any unrealistic expectations that I have. I live in broken world full of broken people as a broken person myself. So I need to put aside my expectations that people are here to serve my needs. There are going to be times when I’m going to be ill treated and I will ill treat people. Relationships are going to be messy and I need to learn to having a forgiving spirit and a servants heart.

Second I need training. I have Christ who is my shepherd whom I plan to follow as I navigate my way through the year. I have Christ whom I will depend on to provide for me and renew me throughout the year. I recognise that I live in a spiritual wilderness which Christ will use to teach me how I can grow in my love for him and people.  the Rev

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Luke 1:26-38

Enjoy Christmas

What I find inspiring about the first Christmas is that Mary and Joseph had nothing but each other and their new born son Jesus. Here is what I think they enjoyed on their first Christmas. The relief of safely giving birth to their first son despite the crises on not finding suitable accommodation. Nursing baby Jesus knowing that God had so far kept his promises to them and that they now had the privilege of raising Jesus as their own son.

This Christmas I want to enjoy Jesus within my relationships with my wife, kids and church family. I’m determined to use the lead up, the celebration and the post Christmas recovery by giving thanks to Christ for his goodness in my wife, kids and church family. I’d like to see past the details of Christmas and find my Saviour Jesus Christ in all his greatness, reigning over me and establishing his kingdom in my life.

By details I mean all the Christmas trimmings, the tree, the presents, the food, the drink, the worship service, the fellowship. These are the context in which to enjoy Christ and enjoy my family. The giving of gifts is more important than the gifts themselves. The fellowship around the table is more important than the food consumed. The love, care and joy enjoyed is not dependant on the details of Christmas but rather on the Saviour that was born on that first Christmas morning. His family had nothing to enjoy but the love God had for them and the love they had for each other. Enjoy Christmas this year by being determined to find and give Christ in all your relationships this Christmas.  the Rev

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Luke 1:26-38

Enjoy Christmas

What I find inspiring about the first Christmas is that Mary and Joseph had nothing but each other and their new born son Jesus. Here is what I think they enjoyed on their first Christmas. The relief of safely giving birth to their first son despite the crises on not finding suitable accommodation. Nursing baby Jesus knowing that God had so far kept his promises to them and that they now had the privilege of raising Jesus as their own son.

This Christmas I want to enjoy Jesus within my relationships with my wife, kids and church family. I’m determined to use the lead up, the celebration and the post Christmas recovery by giving thanks to Christ for his goodness in my wife, kids and church family. I’d like to see past the details of Christmas and find my Saviour Jesus Christ in all his greatness, reigning over me and establishing his kingdom in my life.

By details I mean all the Christmas trimmings, the tree, the presents, the food, the drink, the worship service, the fellowship. These are the context in which to enjoy Christ and enjoy my family. The giving of gifts is more important than the gifts themselves. The fellowship around the table is more important than the food consumed. The love, care and joy enjoyed is not dependant on the details of Christmas but rather on the Saviour that was born on that first Christmas morning. His family had nothing to enjoy but the love God had for them and the love they had for each other. Enjoy Christmas this year by being determined to find and give Christ in all your relationships this Christmas.  the Rev

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Luke 11:37-54

A ‘House’ of Cards

As a big brother I know what it is like to build a house of cards and have it knocked down. The slightest bump, or softest blow and the cards collapse. My life is just like a house of cards which I’ve painstakingly put together. A wife, a bunch of kids, a ministry, a home to live in, lots of good things to enjoy. So why does Jesus come along and ruin everything by giving my ‘house’ a bump which results in my life collapsing?

Have you been sometimes bewildered to find Jesus is the one who seems to be ruining your life. Why the inconsolable child? Why the bone tiredness that comes from having to jam in so much into everyday? Why the unforeseen bill that means there won’t be a family holiday this year? The answer is always because Jesus wants you (and me) to have much, much more.

I think in terms of tasks, jobs, to do list, achievements, goals, projections and planning. But Jesus wants to turn all this upside down. What better way to do this than with a wife and four kids. They are an opportunity for me to learn to look to Christ when there are ‘bumps’ that cause my ‘house’ to collapse. They are an opportunity for me to learn to love them in all their brokenness as Christ loves me with mine.

Just when I thought I had my ‘house’ built the way I wanted Christ brings my sister into my life to give me an opportunity to have my life all messed up again. Christ wants me to rebuild my ‘house’ so that includes my sister and in doing so I’ll grow in compassion, kindness, mercy and love. Christ will never let your ‘house‘ be finished because he loves you too much.  the Rev

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Luke 11:29-36

‘Light’ Glasses

For the first time in my life I’ve bought transitional lenses. When I’m outside in the sunlight they get darker and when I come inside they get lighter. Sunlight as you know can be harmful to our skin and to our eyes. I love the way my glasses work this out for me automatically. I don’t even notice them changing anymore. It’s like wearing normal glasses and sunglasses as the same time.

Australian culture has loved our sunshine and it has taken hard work and persistence to change our culture to one which is sun smart, to cover up and use sunscreen. We even encourage children to wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from long term damage from sunlight.

Jesus said “take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.” Luke 11:35. Unless someone told me that sunlight is harmful to my eyes and skin I wouldn’t take the necessary precautions. There are a lot of values, traditions, philosophies which I take for granted, like sunlight. Jesus came to warn me that some light is in reality darkness. This means I can be trusting and thinking that something is good or normal when in reality it is bad and harmful.

Christ came to expose the light by which I live as sometimes being darkness. He is the one who can screen my values, beliefs, traditions by which I live and take out what is harmful to me and to others around me. For example we are created to work. But if I work so that I can exchange God for a feeling of success then I need Christ to expose this darkness. I need Christ to help me understand the purpose of work as being an opportunity to glorify God, enjoy God and be a servant to others. I need Christ to be my ‘light’ glasses.  the Rev

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Luke 11:29-36

Divine proofing

Whenever I write an article for the newspaper I always get someone to proof read it for me. The reason for this is that I’m all too aware that I find it hard to identify spelling, grammatical mistakes and expressions that lack clarity. One of the reasons for this is that I know what I mean because what I’m writing is in my head. Even though I read over my article it makes sense to me and mistakes are overlooked.

It is the same with my life. I’m living my life from the perspective of ‘me’ and it makes sense to me. It is easy for me to overlook flaws of character and behaviour because I’m used to being me. Christ has come to proof read my life and highlight parts of me that are sinful, harmful, unwise and unloving. Christ likes to put me in situations that expose my weaknesses to myself, my family and my Christian friends so that they can also help me identify where and how I need to grow.

Before I can be open to this painful process of having my flaws exposed and worked on I must first accept Christ’s greatness over me. If I think of myself as being great then I don’t really need Christ’s or your help. Complacency is another trap that I easily fall into. My familiarity with the stories in the Bible can tempt me to think I know enough about Christ. But the Bible is not written for me to know about God. It is written so that I know God not just as a subject in a text book but as someone I’m having a relationship with. Christ came to make it possible for me to live my life under His greatness. In this way I will undergo a process of Divine Proofing.  the Rev

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Luke 11:14-28

Hang on

The end of the year for me proves often to be the most difficult. I guess with Christmas preparations and extra events to attend I get tired and sometimes feel  like it is all getting too much. I have a tendency to get irritable, the fuse on my temper becomes very short. 

One of the lessons I’ve been learning is that sometimes the best I can do is not make a situation or relationship worse than it already is. My aim then is to keep my emotional gun in its holster despite how much I’d like to fire a few shots at someone. This is particularly hard to do in the middle of an argument or when one of my kids is misbehaving.

Loving Christ and loving my neighbour can look like me NOT giving voice to my feelings of betrayal, anger, resentment and unforgiveness. Even better is not even telling them how upset they have made me feel. This has given me space to pray, calm down and then speak with the person or my misbehaving child. It may be the next day that I’m able to have a conversation which is moving towards reconciliation rather than revenge.

Christ comforts me by knowing how I feel. He has been hurt, betrayed, let down, falsely accused and discouraged. Christ helps me by giving me the ability to keep quiet when I feel like exploding. Christ protects me by filling my heart with himself and by teaching me to both hear and obey his word. As a church family I’m hoping that we will continue to turn to Christ for the comfort, help and protection we need to hang on.  the Rev

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Luke 11:5-13

Active Prayer

I wonder whether the Lord’s Prayer ought to have been called ‘the Disciples’ Prayer.” After all Jesus taught it to the disciples so that they would learn to pray in a way that would change their relationship with God. They would go from uploading prayer requests to entering into a close relationship with God, learning to speak with him rather than ‘at’ him.

Christ came to restore my relationship with God so that I live my life as God’s steward of all he has given to me in my life. I have a family to provide for, I have work to do, I have friends to care for and I have a community in which I live and contribute to. In every part of my life I am learning to live with God. I’m changing from telling God what to give me to talking with God about my (our) life and responsibilities.

Jesus has been teaching me that when I come to my Heavenly Father in prayer I should do so with the confidence of a Son who knows his Father is willing, generous and good. God is not like someone whom I’m waking up in the middle of the night. He is never annoyed to hear from me, he never rolls his eyes at me when I come to him in need of help.

I love how God wants me to be active with him. He encourages me to ask, seek and knock by promising that he will give to me what I ask for, I will find what I’m looking for and when I knock the door will be opened for me. With God I can face my fears and overcome them with his help. With God I can rebuild relationships I’ve ruined. With God I can have victory where I’ve always failed. With God what I do leaves an eternal legacy in the people I have sought to serve in a Christlike way. With God all things are possible. With God my prayers are always active.  the Rev

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Luke 11:1-4

Yoyo Prayer

If I was a yoyo then I would pray most often and most fervently on the way down and hardly at all on the way up. Prayer is most fervent when I’m in the most need. The larger the crises the more intense and frequent is my praying. However when life seems to be working out then I pray less frequently and less intently.

Christ came to break my yoyo cycle of prayer. He does this by first helping me understand that the yoyo prayer is really centred and focused on me. God is the person I expect to save me from trouble, pain and suffering. So when I’m not suffering I don’t need God so I don’t pray.

Christ also helped me understand that my yoyo prayer cycle works independently of him. God works for me, to give me what I want. There is no partnership in yoyo praying. I talk to God but not with him. Christ wants me to enter into a loving relationship which is based on love not benefits. He wants me to live my life subject to God so that everything I am and do is done in partnership and in harmony with God.

Christ helped me understand that my yoyo prayer cycle relies more on my ability than on God’s ability to provide. When I’m going down and I feel I can’t cope I turn to God for help, for his provision. But normally I’m happy thinking I can do it on my own. Christ has helped me recognise that my sense of self sufficiency is in fact an illusion. I cannot exist without God.

Christ isn’t changing my prayer life. He is changing me and my relationship with God so that I’m learning to love God more deeply which has changed they way I pray.  the Rev

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Luke 10:25-42

Simplify

I’ve really enjoyed the new born children in our Church family. Having come through four kids of my own, babies don’t scare me anymore. Life is pretty simple as a baby. Most of the time is spent sleeping, eating and crying. How did my life become so complicated and how did my relationships get so messy, painful and confusing?

I have to admit that I’ve been the most active ingredient in making my life so complicated. When I’m defining what is good and bad, right and wrong, who is my friend and who is my enemy I’m lost in the wilderness. Mostly that is because I’m basing it all on my conflict of interest, how something or someone affects ‘me.’ Circumstances and people are seen as vehicles to get me where I want to go or road blocks in my way.

Christ came to free me from living like this. He came to help me subject my life to God. This means allowing God to define who I am and what my purpose is within my current relationships and responsibilities. Christ came to teach me to depend on God for all I need to become who he wants so I can obey God. He came to help me focus my life away from myself and onto God. Christ achieves this by doing a work in my heart. He progressively changes what I want so that more and more I want to love God and love my neighbour.

Christ came to help me live with one defining principle not a millions rules and regulations. He came to propel me and motivate with me with his love. Loving God and loving my neighbour is all I need in my life, to make the best decisions and to enjoy every relationship. Love is the way to simplify your life.  the Rev

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Luke 10:17-24

Lost?

Worse than being lost is not realising you are lost. The fish in the picture is swimming across the road. If there is no water on the other side then it will no doubt die unless it can make its way back again. It was not until Christ revealed himself to me that I realised that I was lost. Like the fish I was happily swimming on the road instead of the river.

There were many times in my life that I thought there was something wrong but I always blamed my circumstances or people in my life. If I had more money, better friends, more freedom to do what I liked then my life would be better. Despite trying hard to find myself I could not escape the reality that I was lost. Christ had to actively work in my life and reveal to me that I was lost without him, that I’d been following the compass of my desires which never went in God’s direction.

Like the fish on the road Jesus had to pick me up and put me back into the river. Once swimming again he began to teach me to follow him, to take my bearings from him rather than what I wanted. Without Christ I would still be lost. Though I’m found in Christ I’m still undergoing a process of learning to not wander away from Christ. So instead of identifying myself in my abilities, friends and circumstances I’m learning to be found in Christ. No matter what is happening whether good or bad I now realise that being found means being like Jesus.

As long as I’m working towards loving God and loving my neighbour as myself then I’m found. I’m grateful that Jesus Christ rescued me so that I’m no longer lost. He has set me on his path of living for him, my family, my friends, church and community.  the Rev

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Luke 10:17-20

Overcome Fear

You may have heard the expression "facing your demons?" It means confronting your fears that you have been trying to avoid. There are a number of issues in my life and ministry that I find intimidating and at times overwhelming. The more I avoid and ignore them the bigger and more complex they become. For the 70 disciples who laboured for Christ they faced actual demons. I can barely imagine what that would have been like. I find it hard enough to help people wrestle with life long addictions, or deep hurt and heartache let alone confronting a real spiritual force that is evil.

In Luke 10:17-20 the disciples returned with joy because even the demons were subject to Christ's name. There are some cultures today that live in fear of evil spirits and go to great lengths to ward them off or to appease them. It is amazing that the disciples were able to cast out demons in Christ's name. They journeyed without fear because Christ provided and protected them. This teaches me that if Christ wants me to do something for him then he will help me. So I'm encouraged to face my demons, to confront what I fear for Christ and in Christ.

Christ would have me labour for him despite my fears. This means not giving up on people who have really big struggles. It means coming along side them, sitting with them in their pain, suffering, confusion, anger and betrayal. Demons are scary and they should be feared but Christ has overcome demons as the disciples found out. This means that even though there are some things that frighten me I can look to Christ who takes all my fears and overcomes them. the Rev

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Luke 10:1-16

Revived, pushed, motivated.

The other day I burned 600 calories in 45 minutes. How? Not easily… lol. Each Wednesday I attend an RPM class at my local gym. It is a group fitness class riding racing exercise bikes. Why? I often ask myself that question when we are simulating a hill climb when I could still be tucked in bed. Motivation is the real answer. If I can get myself to the class then it’s my instructor’s job to encourage, push and trick me into exercising harder than my body wants to. I find that I exercise harder in the class than I do on my own. The difference is having someone who leads, motivates and pushes me to go beyond my normal limits.

During RPM I realised that Christ has revived an awareness that I live my life within a spiritual dimension. Christ is not a part of my life as though praying is connected only to my faith; and cleaning my teeth is unrelated to my relationship with Christ. God is like the dimension of time. I cannot live outside of time; everything I do is within the dimension of time. Everything I do is connected to God. Either I’m loving him or hating him, serving or rebelling, trusting or being self-reliant. Christ pushes me to live much more in harmony with God than I’m naturally inclined. For example I tend to be selfish, inward focused, self sufficient and independent. But Christ pushes me towards loving, serving and trusting God. He pushes me to live outwardly so that I move towards people emotionally, more willing to care for people than I do for my own comfort.

So lately I’ve been asking Christ to help me become warmer towards people. This means being less indifferent and more deliberately caring. I’m trying to listen more, show much more affection for my wife and kids, giving my family more of ‘me’ than I ever have before. This isn’t natural to me so I’m grateful that Christ is leading me, pushing and motivating me to live with a much clearer awareness that my whole life is lived within the dimension of Jesus Christ. He is the one who is changing who I am; he is redefining my whole life so that I can genuinely say that I am being revived, pushed and motivated by Christ. the Rev

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Luke:9:51-56

Thrive where you are

The flower in the photo is remarkable because of where it has managed to grow. Flowers, in my mind, are delicate and fragile so I don’t expect to see them growing out of a crack in the pavement. It is hardly an ideal place for a plant to grow, let alone thrive.

No, I’m not going to say I’m a flower. But I will say that Christ is able to make me thrive in conditions which are not ideal. Like the tree in Jeremiah 17:7-8, growing in the desert, it can thrive and bear fruit because it is planted next to a river so that it has plenty of water. Christ is the river in my life that enables me to bear the Fruit of the Spirit within the context of difficult and overwhelming conditions.

The cost of being Christ’s is that I do live in the harshness of the desert where the sun is hot and there are times of drought. As Christ’s plant I must not hesitate from investing myself in producing fruit because of the heat in my life. On the contrary, Christ would have other people be encouraged, be comforted, be made wise, be strengthened by my fruit, which metaphorically, they can pick and eat. In the desert, I would expect to find a cactus with spikes; so finding a tree bearing fruit which is good to eat is surprising.

Christ wants you to thrive where you are, in your home, in your family, at work or at school, in Church and in your community. Despite the prickliness of people and the brokenness of this world, Christ would have you bear his fruit so that you can bring life to people all around you. Like the flower in the photo Christ will enable you to thrive where you are. the Rev

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Luke:9:27-36

Keep struggling

There is so much about my life that is a struggle. I struggle to get up in the morning in a way that doesn’t remind my family of a grizzly bear with a headache. Then there is struggling to love my wife in a Christ-like way, raise my kids to love Jesus, work to glorify God and prevent what I enjoy from taking over my life.

It is a comfort to me to find Jesus struggling. The disciples’ faith is lacking, they don’t understand what he is telling them despite him using short simple sentences. Then they have a fight over who is going to be the greatest disciple. It is such a mess that even Jesus struggled; “O faithless and twisted generation, how long shall I have to bear with you?” Lk 9:41.

Christ heals, explains, demonstrates and seeks to expand the disciples despite their slowness to understand. I think about the contrast it must have been coming down the mountain after speaking to Moses and Elijah to be met with such a broken, fallen bunch of desperate people. Christ continues to move towards the lost, the confused, the prideful and the elite to teach them faithfulness, to make them wise, to humble them and to encourage ministry for all who believe not just the official disciples.

This means that I can ask Christ to forgive me my faithlessness, dumbness, pride and elitism, confident that Christ will forgive me and help me to grow. There is more. Amazingly Christ wants me to help other people grow in faith, wisdom, humility and encouragement. This means I need to keep struggling. the Rev      

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Luke:9:51-56

Growing Up

The largest oak tree started as a seed which, once planted, needs the right care to grow as a seedling. Then it needs to be protected from being eaten or trampled. It may need staking until it has established a root system so that it can’t be blown over. In time it will grow large enough to withstand the strongest winds and the driest weather.

Christ was determined to go to Jerusalem where he knew he would suffer, be rejected, betrayed, killed and rise again from the dead. He did this so that he could plant himself into our hearts and grow our lives into a large oak tree.

His determination meant that he gave up what we think is an ordinary life. He left his family, friends and home behind to fulfil God’s calling. He endured the disciples’ slowness to understand what he was trying to achieve. He endured opposition from the religious leaders who hated him and organised his death on the cross.

When I consider Christ I see him as the greatest oak tree. His character is immovably powerful, compassionate and wise. These are the qualities that Christ wants to grow in me so that I can serve him by loving my family in a Christlike way. This has meant I’ve given up what I like for their benefit. Computer games have been replaced with spending time with my wife and kids. Christ has challenged me to get to know them better so that I can love them more richly. I’m becoming more a shepherd to my family and less a drill sergeant. Growing up to be an oak tree has been difficult and slow. I’m grateful that Christ will never stop helping me to grow up. the Rev

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Luke:9:27-36

Choosing to suffer

Most of the time, my thinking is geared to avoiding suffering. I work hard at making my life comfortable and, if I can, enjoyable. Recreational activities are good while working is bad. Spending time with people I like is better than engaging with people who are difficult to get along with.

I find it easy to forget that Jesus didn’t have to come into the world; he didn’t have to suffer and die. When he prayed his appearance changed; his clothes shone like lightning and we find him speaking with Moses and Elijah. We catch a glimpse of the Jesus in his heavenly form and realise that rejection, suffering and death are what Christ willingly chose for himself. It was no accident of history or politics that nailed Christ to the cross.

As his disciple Christ commands me to work at changing what I want so that I’m willing to suffer for his sake. I must actively change my worldly values into Christ’s heavenly agenda. Comfort, ease, pleasure, success and popularity are not kingdom priorities. Instead we are taught to give, to serve and to live with the same mind as Christ; having a humility even to the point of being willing to die on the cross.

My goal is to love my wife more than she loves me. My goal is to owe everyone a debt of love. This will change the way I talk to people, the way I treat people, the way I relate to people. Now I’m going to look for opportunities to pray for and to practically help people I meet everyday. Christ assures me that as I lose my life I will in fact save it.

When I’m tempted to shrink back from giving and serving I remind myself that my Master is Jesus Christ whose face and clothes shine like lightning. It is him that I follow when like him I choose to suffer. the Rev   

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Luke:9:18-27

Losing to Win

At Supa Club the kids were horrified when they realised that Adam and Eve effectively rejected God, choosing to live separately from him according to their own wisdom and desires. One girl said that it was “mean” of them to do that to God. They were able to see the connection with humanity’s abuse of the environment and the meanness by which we treat each other with the decision made in the garden. When mum dishes out ice-cream that explains why I want the bowl with the most in it. So the choice Adam and Eve made in the garden is repeated everyday in our own lives. After we prayed we played a game. Guess what? Most kids cheated so that they could win the game.

In an ideal world, if they had been able to hold on to my lesson from Gen 1-3, they would have sacrificed their chance to help someone else win and they would have enjoyed doing that. However, that goes so much against our nature. We have been deceived into thinking that autonomy, being self-sufficient and focused on ‘me’ is where true happiness lies.

Christ came to set us free from our desire to win, to come first, to save our lives from unhappiness or discomfort. Jesus teaches that a person who loses his life will save it. Some people make the mistake of thinking that Jesus is the genie in the lamp who will make their wishes come true. In reality, Christ has come to change what you wish for.

Christ wants to change me so that I will desire to love Him and to love others. The more I love God and love people the more I will enjoy life. There are no limits to how much I can give, serve, help, bless and pray for someone. In Christ I am learning to put in practice the attitude of losing to win. the Rev