we be church

On FP Impact, Two Car Accidents in One Day

FP Impact has now started and all the North FPrs have had a great first two weeks of training in the Newcastle base. Lots of practical and foundational teaching from an array of Newfrontiers leaders along side some fantastic social events including go-karting and enjoying sunny days in the north, which is is very rare indeed. We have been recording the seminars and teaching from the last two weeks and I have permission to publish them here for our friends in New Zealand doing FP, the aim is to get them up by the end of the week and you will be able to subscribe via iTunes.

During the week Mike Springer taught on Life Style Evangelism with us then got us doing some surveys with people in Newcastle. Mike highlighted the need for us to have God Stories as it builds faith the Church, so I want to share our group’s (me, Dan & Ben’s) experience doing the surveys in the heart of Northumbria University during freshers week.

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Grace in Your Face that Leads You to the Cross

Do you have a grasp on the vastness of grace that God has given you? Actually, he hasn’t just given you, he has poured it out in vast amounts. Amounts that we can’t even comprehend. God certainly is Love and this is delightfully demonstrated through his salvation plan, but sometimes as those who have chosen to follow Jesus we fail to see that even taking it for granted. It’s like passively receiving a surprise double portion ice cream sunday. God’s grace is constantly in our face but we can gaze right on through it. Man, what a loss!

Realisation of God’s grace motivates you say “Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?” 2 Samuel 7:19 This is King David’s reaction after receiving the knowledge of God’s plans for him and his descendant. The grace of God is mind blowing!

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No Longer Easter but 12 Evidences for the Resurrection of Jesus

So while everyone was blogging on the resurrection I was doing something else, enjoying a weeks holiday. But it doesn’t have to be an Easter week to consider the amazing gift of freedom that’s tied up in Jesus’ death and coming back to life. I thought I would present a list of evidence for the resurrection for those not so convinced and for those looking to present the case for Jesus being alive today. Taken from John Youngs ‘the case against Christ’

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[Sore Thumbs] The “Oh! How He Loves Us!” Edition

Every week I link to resources and sites that stand out and which are worth pointing people to, hence the name sore thumbs, “it stood out like a sore thumb”.

The love of God changes us! There is so much weight in what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:1

“If I speak in human or angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

How can you expect to be EFFECTIVE for God if you have not been EFFECTED by the LOVE that God has for YOU! I would rather make noise for a reason, both in praise to God and in sharing what he has done for us. These videos and article just stood out as great examples of that.

Song: How He Loves Us

Kim Walker singing How He Loves Us from the We Cry Out CD/DVD, available on jesusculture.org. This DVD was recorded live at a Jesus Culture Conference in Redding, CA.

Went Shopping for Doghnuts Saw People Healed

“Attention all Shoppers! God is in the building! And I just began to tell what God was doing.”

Mark Driscoll on Evangelism

“Evangelism is the natural overflow of a life lived in joy as a worshiper of God. Sadly, evangelism is often portrayed as something that Christians must do as a duty, rather than something that they get to do as a delight.”

Continuing on the Treasure Trail

It looks like the Treasure Trail Healing Stories I blogged about in my last post, “Treasure Hunting Leads to Seven Youth Heald!“, are inspired by a Book by Kevin Dedmon called “The Ultimate Treasure Hunt“. I have added it to the Library section on this website, man I really want to read it! If you want to have an advanced read before you get your mits on it can do that on the US Amazon site. Thanks to Nat Carey for pointing the book out to me.

We as Christians seem to either go jelly at the knees or “wowzer!” when we hear of stories of people getting healed today. I was suddenly struck that actually we have a whole Bible crammed with awesome stories and practical examples where people have been healed by God’s power. These are reasons enough to get out there and begin praying for people, but Jesus says something that I feel gives us total permission and freedom in the knowledge that we too can do this work and heal people in John 14:12-14. Thank you Jesus!

I know I need to stop looking at the tails where Jesus healed as a surface stories but dive deep in to the relevancy they have for us today and to not only think about it but get practical about it because they are strong exhortations to GET CRACKING for HIS KINGDOM!

Around the World: March for Jesus in Paris

March for Jesus (034) – 24May08, Paris (France)

Originally uploaded by philippe leroyer

I wonder if you can remember March for Jesus? It used to be an annual event which first started in London in 1987. When I was just a wee toddler my parents used to take me as we lived in London. I can remembering being carried on the top of my dad’s shoulders and riding in the cab of one of the truck floats he drove once. It was great fun. Singing, colours, noise and people wondering “what on earth is going on?” “who are all these people and why are they so happy?”

In 1994 the first Global March for Jesus covered every time zone and united over ten million Christians from over 170 nations. It is estimated that, by the final Global March for Jesus on 10 June 2000, over 60 million people in 180 nations had marched for Jesus.

Although the founding organisation disbanded after the 2000 march, March for Jesus continues in many countries in multiple and varied initiatives. Including France, here is a March for Jesus that happened last May in Paris.