The Soccer World Cup literally kicks off again in a couple of months. Everyone’s talking about it. People will travel from all around the globe to be in Qatar for this special occasion. They will paint their faces, beat their drums, sing and chant, yell and scream – all to share in the joy and sorrow of their respective teams.

For one moment the spotlight of the world will be focused on the passion and glory unfolding on the sporting field. We’ll never forget this. It’s a time for immortals.

I remember the 2006 World Cup final and the brilliant goal scored by…. Well actually, I don’t remember. I don’t even know which teams played or who won, let alone who scored. Sure, some of us remember, but for most the moment is gone - forgotten. The sporting circus has moved on, as it always does, from one ‘unforgettable’ event to another.

I love sport and the World Cup is terrific, but I honestly believe that the activities we engage in as we meet in our little church in Pennant Hills are of far greater significance than anything happening on the sporting fields of Qatar. We meet to praise and honour the Living God. This has eternal significance. It’s a time for immortals. Don’t forget where your true significance lies.

But we must never take God out of the equation. Because of God’s promise the Christian waits with hope for a new heaven and a new earth. The Lord says, ‘Behold, I make all things new’ (Rev 21:5). Paul tells us, ‘If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ (2 Cor 5:17).

We have new life now and the expectation of a better world to come. Remember our hope captured so well by the following poem; 

METAMORPHOSIS

Man struggles in a chrysalis, as does a moth in its cocoon;
And man nor moth fulfils God's plan until he bursts forth from his
tomb.

The battle must indeed take place; the Creator has it planned.
That LIFE must wrestle thus with death and break the captor's bands.

But when the struggle is complete and the darkness yields to light,
Emerging from that chrysalis: an exquisite, awesome sight.

A new creation God has wrought; the bondage is no more;
Cocoons of darkness are forgot as wings are flexed to soar.

Taken from The Barnabas Chronicles, www.kcmi.cc

And so I'm reminded of those verses I've heard so many times before. They rattle through my brain like some oft-repeated mantra. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…(Gal 5:22). Sound familiar?

How dreadful to let such words rattle through the brain, never making contact, never touching the heart. When read slowly and reflectively these words should challenge us at the very core. There is still much room for growth, still so much room for growth.

Take the fourth virtue, patience. It’s not that I twitch whilst standing in a bank line or that I keep running red lights. No, my problem is far deeper. I find it hard to wait on God. I want everything today. I often don’t think with eternity in mind. Patience, for me, ends up being an outworking of faith. I know God can be trusted. Will I live in that knowledge? Will I be patient when things aren’t going just as I would like them to?

Patience is also a great blessing to others. Paul Goodman writes, ‘Patience is drawing on underlying forces; it is powerfully positive, though to a natural view it looks like just sitting it out. How would I persist against positive eroding forces if I were not drawing on invisible forces? And patience has a positive tonic effect on others; because of the presence of the patient person, they revive and go on, as if he were the gyroscope of the ship providing a stable ground. But the patient person himself does not enjoy it.

 Be patient. Trust God. Bless others. Bear fruit.

What did we think? Well there was no doubt about it; the French must be crazy. Not only did their water taste awful, but we couldn’t understand why anyone would pay money for a bottle of water.

My how times have changed. Today every corner shop, supermarket, and take away food outlet in Australia sells bottled water. How could we live without it?

Jesus offers us living water. He said, ‘Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’ (John 4:13-14). Jesus says his water is purer and more satisfying than anything we can imagine. Maybe we should bottle gospel water, put a fancy label on it and sell it off to whoever we can.

Sounds like a good idea, but it’s impossible. Sell the gift of life and it spoils. Jesus offers living water for free; an endless spring always available, without cost. We just need to come to him and ask for his free gift – life without end.

So I’ve been weeding. And it’s been tough going. At first glance this plant appears to be little more than a network of leaves. All I have to do is follow the leaves to the roots and pull them out. Easy! Well… It wasn’t long before I discovered that the network of leaves above the ground is nothing compared to the complex root system below the ground. My troublesome plant obviously expends far more energy setting roots deep into the soil than it does producing leaves to cover the ground and soak up sunlight. It may not grow rapidly, but it grows steadily and purposefully and is very difficult to dislodge.  

Every living organism - whether a plant, church, or an individual Christian - should expect to grow. And the little plant in my front garden provides a great model for the sort of growth we need to pursue. Jesus said to his disciples ‘the one who has no root lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away (Matt 13:21). How different this is to the one who has set their roots deep into the bedrock of God’s Word and the truth of the gospel of Jesus.

Such a person will be able to stand through every trial and keep on growing.

Learn to help your child, youth or teenager identify their strengths, cope with challenges confidently, especially continuing uncertainty from the Covid pandemic and foster optimism in their life. Lyn brings humour and real life stories to the night.

Watch the talk below.

The first of these chats was with Jerry Turek.

In week 2, we heard from the Bryan and Judy Dillon.

In week 3, we heard from the Lorraine.

Week 4, we heard from the Isa.

Week 5, over to Ed.

PennoBaps' COVID Safe plan

Sunday morning service runs at 10am with attendance limited to 194 people under new guidelines. Registration is required to attend this service. 

PennoBaps' COVID Safe plan

PennoBaps will commence single Sunday morning service at 10am with attendance limited to 100 people. Registration is required to attend this service. The first service will be on August 2nd, 2020. 

A dear relative of mine would always end every phone call with the words, “Keep looking up!”  She was an amazing Christian woman, with an amazing focus in life!  In my youth, her “sign off” was nothing more than a quirky phrase.  But as my own faith developed, I came to know very quickly that it is only as we focus on the Lord in every circumstance of our lives and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Him that we have the best help of all.

In the midst of every uncertainty, the only thing we can do is to “keep looking up!”

God’s call to us is simple --- focus!   He calls us to keep our eyes on Christ. He calls us to avoid looking at what everyone else is doing, being, and saying – and to instead see Him.

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God!” (Hebrews 12:2 The Message)

When we keep looking up, we won’t miss out on what God has for us.  

Our focus on God means we receive His goodness, His peace and His love; all that He has in store for us as believers, because we are not side-tracked.

Keep looking up!!!