Derelict

Unfortunately, that’s what’s become of R512 - however, I’m hoping that it will be revived in the coming days. Isn’t it funny how when we abandon even the most trivial of things, such as this website, that it just shows as a reflection of other things in our lives that need attention? I’ve not been reading and praying as much as I should have been, and so the desire and, indeed, the inspiration for updating this has waned in the same way.

I must not, and will not, let circumstance and a so-called ‘busy’ life, get in the way of what should always be, my primary commitment.

Busy

I don’t know about you, but I find it far too easy to get too busy to even think about, or spend time with, God.  What a foolish way to live life!  How can I be too busy to spend time with the Creator - and how can I expect to become more like Him if I spend my time not with him, but with dong things to further my own ideals and desires…

It’s times like these I feel like a walking contradiction!

Trust

Sometimes it’s hard to trust - and I wish I was better at it.  This morning I received some bad news and it’s been playing on my mind all morning.  As much as I try to leave it in God’s hands, I find myself quickly snatching it back again so that I can ‘fix’ the issue myself.

How can I claim to trust Him if every time snatch things back?  Another one of the Christian life’s ongoing struggles against the natural.  But man, is the eternal reward worth it.

Relax

Well, after a hectic few days preparing the youth group to take the entire service at church on Sunday, we’ve got some time to relax!  We’re having a chill-out afternoon for the youth group at church tomorrow, and we’re just going to sit around, listen to music, eat flapjacks and play table tennis - it should be great.

Stay tuned, more thoughts coming up in the next days :)

Sermon

I’ve been working on my sermon for Sunday morning today (well, technically yesterday now)… it’s quite a strange experience, really, as it’s as much about learning more about God as it is about preparing to teach others.

The theme for the sermon is the holiness of God, and our response to that - a topic that has been very close to my heart for the past little while (and one that I hope will stay very close).  I think I’ve just about wrapped it up, now, but it has been such a learning experience - as you go to do your research and preparation, you see things in ways you’d never seen them before, and discover nuances you never knew existed… it’s wonderful.

Relationship with God

There is an ‘easy’ formula for having a relationship with God: reverence, obedience, and grace.  We have just found out how difficult obedience can be.

In order to be obedient, we have just destroyed over 60 DVDs, games and books - this included the entire Star Wars saga, games and Expanded Universe books, something that was a real test.

Whilst the initial reaction is one of frustration and even anger, it quickly becomes apparent that these are some of the very things holding us back from a closer relationship with God.  The question, when you realise this, then becomes: which is more important to me, God or material things?