Friday, September 20, 2013

You don't know the cost...


"Alabaster Box"

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I'd thought I'd found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven
And that's why
I love Him so much

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Relationships: 7 golden nuggets for us men


  1. Winning an argument may harm your relationship.
  2. What you do for her is never more important than who you are to her.
     
  3. A date isn’t a marriage proposal.
  4. Digital communication should always be leading to face-to-face communication, not taking away from it.
  5. Words can be everything.
  6. Listening, not fixing, is often the best remedy to her problem.
  7. You are worthy of respect. But don’t demand it.
Via relevant magazine

Monday, September 16, 2013

Mega: It doesn't need to be a dirty word when it comes to church

Below is part of an infographic that is doing the rounds at the moment. I have no way of knowing of all the facts and figures mentioned in it are correct. Certainly it doesn't show some Pastors in the most favourable light.

But I think I will choose to focus on some great examples that seem to handle the "fame" and "fortune" in a great way.

Not only does LifeChurch.TV give their resources away for free but they invest big time in youversion and the Bible App and give it away free.


Thursday, September 12, 2013

The joy of it.....

Thank you Jesus that you have given me a ring side seat at this adventure where you continue to change lives.


Baptisms and Testimonies - 8th September 2013 from MKCCVIDS on Vimeo.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Servant Leadership


Our Senior Pastor Mark Sherratt recently shared this at a MKCC staff meeting. This priceless truth keeps on challenging me:

John 13 - Now I have done this as your leader, YOU DO IT and you will be blessed.

Building an enlarging culture / environment in our teams
  • Believe in others before they believe in you. 
    • Ask what is unique, special or wonderful about a team member. 
    • Share your observations with them and others.
    • If you believe in others and give them a positive reputation to uphold, you can help them to become better than they think they are.
  • Serve others before they serve you.
    • Helping others to reach their potential is the greatest thing you can do 
    • Make serving others a priority because of who you are and who's you are. (Reflects who you are (attitude), it Represents who's you are (Jesus) to Realign or Refocus us on how we act - style)
  • Add value to others before they add value to you.
    • People tend to move towards anyone who increases them and further away from people who devalue them. 
    • In all our dealings with team members, volunteers etc. point out their strengths encourage them and help to improvement. (How: further conversations/ reg meetings / Book recommendations, training events, learn from another leader etc) 
    • when you help people succeed and grow to another level, you go to another level yourself.

Monday, September 09, 2013

Meekness


“Blessed are the meek, for they WILL inherit the earth” — Matthew 5:5

“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto.” - A W Tozer

Image via theresurgence

Friday, September 06, 2013

Holding out for Grace


At the centre of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics - in physical laws - every action is met by an equal or an opposite one.

Its clear to me that Karma is at the very hear of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "As you reap, so you will sow"stuff.

Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff... I'd be in trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge..... It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace.

I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

Bono, U2 - 2005 interview with Michka Assayas

Thursday, September 05, 2013

Something missing?


"You have made us of yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you". - Augustine

"When is it then...which man in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable Object, that is to say, only by God Himself." - Blaise Pascal

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world" - C S Lewis

The answer never changes throughout the centuries - Jesus

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Scandal of Grace


Grace, what have you done?
Murdered for me on that cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away in your blood

Too much to make sense of it all
I know that your love breaks my fall
The scandal of grace,
you died in my place
So my soul will live

Oh to be like you
(To) Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart

Death, where is your sting?
Your power is as dead as my sin
The cross has taught me to live
In mercy, my heart now to sing

The day and it's trouble shall come
I know that your strength is enough
The scandal of grace, you died in my place
So my soul will live

Oh to be like you
(To) Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart

And it's all because of you,
Jesus It's all because of you,
Jesus It's all because of your love
And my soul will live Chorus

Oh to be like you
(To) Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you

Hillsong