know jesus

I site worth checking out or referring people to who have questions about who Jesus is.
www.christianityworks.com or http://www.introducingjesus.org/

goal setting

Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year? More importantly, have you kept them?
I once heard an amazing statistic about such annual goals: 91 million Americans make a New Year's resolution each year, and—here's the startling part—70 million of them break those commitments by the end of the first week. For more go to  ... http://www.injoy.com/leadershipwired/issues/7_13/default.htm

current reading

"The 21 most powerful minutes in a leader's day" - John Maxwell: A good devotional series based on leadership lessons.
"Christian Theology" - Millard Erickson: A brilliant text with it's primary strength being how it models taking the whole of the scriptures seriously.
"The Complete Works of Francis A Schaeffer" - Francis Schaeffer: If you want to learn about the how to understand the world we live in and how to understand a Christian worldview then there is no better writer than Schaeffer. This is a big series (5 volumes), but it should be on the bookshelf of everyone intending to think deeply about about the Christian worldview.
Bible book I'm currently focusing on: "Ephesians"

homosexuality: okay?

This is a very interesting article by Tony and Peggy Campolo who hold differing views. It is an article that has caused me to reflect on how and why I hold the position I do. http://www.sojo.net

21st century thinking

1. From Critique and Pick-apart to Celebrate and Pick-up; From Critical Thinking to Creative Thinking2. From Pyramid to Pancake; From Ladder to Web; From Cog-and-Wheat Machine to Organic Garden3. From Representation to Participation 4. From Institutional "Here-I-Stand" Churchianity (Maintenance) to "There-We-Go" Christianity (Mission); From Inwardly Mobile to Outwardly Mobile Ministry; Turn the Headlights On (not the dome lights)5. From Eye to Ear; From Structure to Rhythm; From Seeing to Hearing 6. From Printed Page to Screen; From Consecutive, Linear to Concurrent, Field; From Word to Image/From "In Rows" to "In the Round"7. From Control to Out-of-Control; From Program to Manifestation8. From Authority Structures to Relational Structures9. From "Does it Make Sense" to "Was it a Good Experience?"; From Information processing which Accesses through Critical Thinking to Modulating10. From Excellence to Authenticity; From Performance to Realness 11. From Theology of Giving to Theology of Receiving 12. From Hi-Fi Stereo to Surround-Sound Spirituality (The Postmodernist Always Rings Twice)13. From Planning to Preparedness and Prophesying Your Way Forward (aka Dine Out on Dreams--Backcasting)14. From Politics to (Bio-)Economics to Culture Clash15. From Church Growth to Church Health16. From Standing Committees to Moving Teams; From Independence to Interdependence (Synergy and Serendipity)17. From Denomination to Tribe; From Nation State to Mega-State (EC, NAFTA) and Micro-Tribe/From National to Uni-Global and Multi-Tribal/Pan-denominational18. From Mass to Demassed Structures (eg. From Congregational to Cellular thinking) 19. From Illustration to Animation20. From Think Big and Simple to Think Small and Complex21. From Boundary-Living to Frontier/Border Living22. From Christendom Culture (churchbroken) to Pre-Christian Mission Fields (the unchurched and overchurched)23. From Pastoral Care to Ministry Development24. From "Re" words to "De" words

great blog site

You might think that being the pastor of the largest church in Western Australia, Phil Baker might lapse into a preachy blog which mainly Christians would want to read. But no, he's writing from a Christian worldview on a range of mainly secular issues. And his blog system allows readers to post their replies. This is how evangelistic blogs should be! http://www.philbaker.net/

porn

 TEN WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY
1) Download the free software from www.x3watch.com, and make yourself accountable to a trusted friend. The one I personally use is found at www.safeeyes.com
2) Download a similar program to the above, which is endorsed by American pastor Rick Warren, from www.netaccountability.com. This program is not free, however.
3) If there are others in the house, keep the computer in a common area so that the temptation to surf alone is reduced.
4) Visit XXXchurch.com, an American site that offers advice and help, from a Christian perspective, on the temptations of the net.
5) Set boundaries. Resolve not to look at anything you think your husband or wife, for instance, would not be happy to look at with you.
6) Find out about and install filters. The big internet service providers, such as Telstra, Optus, Ozemail and Austar, plus may smaller companies, already offer filters and advice, mainly through the Internet Association's Family Friendly ISP program. Clicking on a little red ladybird at the bottom of home pages such as Telstra's www.bigpond.com brings up a page of information.
7) Instead of Hotmail, use a free email service that is known to have fewer problems such as Telstra, Yahoo! or mail.com.
8) In preference to Hotmail, contact your Internet Service Provider and negotiate the allocation of a few more email addresses.
9) Get a friend to install a program like Net Nanny on your computer and encourage them to keep the password.
10) If all else fails, ditch the Internet and email from your home computer. Rediscover the joys of the telephone and the local library.

great australian preacher

I got to sit under the preaching of Barry McMurtrie while he pastored a large growing church in Wollongong. Brilliant preacher and teacher. Check out his current sermons at http://www.crossroadschurch.com/worship/media.asp

want to be more effective?

How to work at peak effectiveness? There is I believe no better personal assessment to understand who you are and how you operate at peak effectiveness than the one found at http://www.kolbe.com.au/

ebook sites

http://www.aibi.ph/aibi/
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.msreaderbooks.com/
http://www.cewindows.net/scripts/linkman/linkmat.cgi
http://www.dotlit.com/bytitle.asp
http://www.ebookdirectory.com/
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/subjects/subjects-bible.html#rsvbrowsenew
http://linksmanager.com/bizweb2000/links2.html
http://www.agoodread.com/freebooksdirectory.html

worthy groups to support financially

Looking for a valuable ministry that you can support.
Corporately and individually our congregation supports a number of ministries that help others. Some of our favourites are AID agencies such as:
TEAR found at http://www.tear.org.au/
WORLD VISION found at http://www.worldvision.com.au/index.asp
Another ministry we actively support is HABITAT FOR HUMANITY found at http://www.habitat.org/ . We have members of our congregation on staff, on the National leadership body, and working in the field in the South Pacific.

sex

Got sexual issues - check out this important website.
Living Waters exists to equip the Body of Christ to minister to the sexually and relationally broken by encouraging theestablishment of healing ministries within the local churches. Our ministries are centred on biblical foundations of compassion, integrity and dependence on God. See http://www.livingwaters.org.au/
Another VERY VERY useful website is www.settingcaptivesfree.com

great book

The best book I have read lately is THE BREAKTHROUGH SERIES by Bruce Wilkinson. The first in the series is called "The Prayer of Jabez." It is a transforming book on walking in the blessing of God. You can get a copy at www.koorong.com.au or www.word.com.au . The other books in the series are brilliant as well.

bible reading plan

Would you like a good Bible Reading Plan. Check out http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/reading_plans/ or go to  http://fruitsofthevine.com

playboy

Life after Playboy: A great article about a Playboy model becoming a follower of Christ. http://www.christianitytoday.com/cr/2002/005/6.52.html.
If this article brings up issues of sexual addiction then perhaps its worth checking out www.settingcaptivesfree.com which has some great resources to get over sexual addiction.

cult repents

A cult becomes an accepted Christian church - read the story of how it happened.
This is the story of how the Lord changed the Worldwide Church of God from an unorthodox church on the fringes of Christianity, into an evangelical church that believes and teaches orthodox doctrines. www.wcg.org/lit/AboutUs/history.htm

spiritual life

 Thoughts on the Spiritual life. Quite interesting and challenging.

bible summary

In Genesis Jesus is the Ram at Abrahams altar. In Exodus He's the Passover Lamb. In Leviticus He's the High Priest In Numbers He's the Cloud by Day and Pillar of Fire by night. In Deuteronomy He's the City of our refuge. In Joshua He's the Scarlet Thread out Rahabs window. In Judges He is our Judge. In Ruth He is our Kinsman Redeemer. In 1st and 2nd Samuel Hes our Trusted Prophet. And in Kings and Chronicles He's our Reigning King. In Ezra He is our Faithful Scribe. In Nehemiah He's the Rebuilder of everything that is broken. And in Esther He is the Mordecai sitting faithful at the gate. In Job He's our Redeemer that ever liveth. In Psalms He is my Shepherd and I shall not want. In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes He's our Wisdom. And in the Song of Solomon He's the Beautiful Bridegroom. In Isaiah He's the Suffering Servant. In Jeremiah and Lamentations it is Jesus that is the Weeping Prophet. In Ezekiel He's the Wonderful Four-Faced Man. And in Daniel He is the Fourth Man in the midst of a fiery furnace. In Hosea He is my love that is forever faithful. In Joel He baptises us with the Holy Spirit. In Amos He's our Burden Bearer. In Obadiah Our Saviour. And in Jonah He is the Great Foreign Missionary that takes the word of God into all the world. You go on and you see in Micah He is the Messenger with beautiful feet. In Nahum He is the Avenger. In Habakkuk He is the Watchman that is ever praying for revival. In Zephaniah He is the Lord mighty to save us, In Haggai He is the Restorer for our lost heritage. In Zechariah He is our fountain And in Malachi He is the Son of Righteousness with Healing in His wings. In Matthew Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God. In Mark He is the miracle Worker. In Luke He's the Son of Man. And in John He is the Door by which everyone of us must enter. In Acts He is the shining light that appears to Saul on the road to Damascus. In Romans He is our Justifier. In 1st Corinthians our Resurrection. In 2nd Corinthians our Sin Bearer. In Galatians He redeems us from the law. In Ephesians He is our Unsearchable Riches. In Philippians He supplies our every need And in Colossians He's the fullness of the God Head Bodily. In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians He is our Soon Coming King. In 1st and 2nd Timothy He is the Mediator between God and man. In Titus He is our Blessed Hope. In Philemon He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. And in Hebrews He's the Blood of the Everlasting covenant. In James it is the Lord that heals the sick. In 1st and 2nd Peter He is the Chief Shepherd. In 1st, 2nd and 3rd John It is Jesus who has the tenderness of love. In Jude He is the Lord coming with 10,000 saints. And in Revelation, lift up your eyes, Church for your redemption draweth nigh, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

good preaching sites

Would you like to listen to some of the great preachers and teachers from around the world. You can do at http://www.lifeaudio.com/ministries/lightsource/main/index.jhtml .
One of my favourite preachers is Ravi Zacharias. ( www.rzim.org ) Check out his message "Absolute Truth in Relative Terms" at http://www.lifeaudio.com/ministries/lightsource/main/speakerInfo.jhtml?sid=194&JServSessionIdroot=mzsqzcbj91

president carter

An interesting interview with President Carter and his Christian belief. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/transcripts/carter.html

turn your brain on

For a deep considered and intellectual consideration of modern life it is hard to go part Ravi Zacharius. Check out his website at www.rzim.org . Especially check out some of his articles under the resources section of his website.

persecution

Are you interested in how the church is being persecuted around today's' world then check out www.gospelcom.net/od

spiritual exercises

If you've ever thought of trying a different form of Spiritual exercises you may find something of interest and value in the St Ignatius Spiritual Exercises found at http://www.ccel.org/i/ignatius/exercises/exercises.html

christian living

Some very interesting questions and answers about Christian living can be found at http://www.probe.org/menus/whatsnew.html. The answers are well thought out and challenging.