Pastor Mark comes a cropper

Pastor Mark Sherratt puts everything into it when preaching at MKCC. This past Sunday he was talking about the "Challenge of Contentment". As part of the preach he decided to give a quick illustration about "Chasing the Wind". Here is what happened next:

1 Billion

Shout out to YouVersion for helping to bring 1 billion minutes of reading the Scriptures into people’s lives!

Yesterday, February 15, we just passed 1 billion minutes of engaging with Scripture using the Bible App™. While it took 46 days instead of the 31 we had hoped for, it’s still nothing short of extraordinary. Going all the way back to the Bible App’s launch in July 2008, this period represents the most people reading the most minutes in the shortest amount of time that we’ve ever seen. It’s reason to rejoice.

Just incredible!

I very rarely read the Bible any other way now.

In God we Trust! Really?

Waited around for what seemed like an age last night to hear Pete Wilson talk at Radicalis. (The bonus was that I listened to Rick Warren whilst waiting). Pete blasted it. Here are a few quick quotes from his talk.

• Its not the Cross that is offensive its the fact that the people who follow the Cross look nothing like the man who hung on it that's offensive
• There is a God and it is NOT me. You are not in control He is. In what area of your life do you need to say this is not mine.
• There's a POWER that comes when we SURRENDER.
  
• Satan likes to tell us God can't be trusted.
  
• God is powerfully present even when we think He is apparently absent.
• Often my prayer life isn't about me getting to know God more, but it's getting more of what I think He will give me.
• Our greatest temptation is to chase after what is deceptively good… even ministry.
• You're going to be tempted to ditch your God given values in pursuit of your God given dreams.
• Our dreams, visions, your ministry etc … will make a lousy "god".
  
• Never doubt in the dark, what God has already told you in the light.
• Are you worshiping your dream, ministry, or vision over your relationship with God?
• If you allow anything to define your worth other than Christ it will grind you down.
• Are you putting your faith in God's IDENTITY or in God's ACTIVITY?
• Sometimes we think of God as a cosmic vending machine.
  
• God’s message to you: I am with you, will you choose to be with me?

Honestly is you haven't read his book Plan B get it NOW!

Sometimes I'm stupid

At the end of Jesus most famous message - The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples a short story about two builders. One stupid who chose to to build on sand, the other wise who sought out a foundation of rock.

Jesus had covered so many subjects in the last few minutes; money, heaven, prayer, relationships, forgiveness, criticism, persecution, joy, the kingdom, character, godliness, fasting. The list goes on.

He is giving his disciples an inside track for this Jesus shaped life.

So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. - Matthew 7 v 24

Reading through Jesus sermon over and over again in the last few days I realise again that too often I am more foolish than wise. I choose to listen but often fail to act.

Knowing the right thing to do but choosing not to do them is the thing that classifies me as stupid.

Often like the stupid builder we know we are foolish before anyone else does, but stubbornly we keep on being foolish till the storm comes.

How stupid is that!