Category Archives: college

Thinking about church planting

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Yesterday our team spent some time hearing about a church plant gone wrong from the minister who eventually made the decision to shut it down.

It was interesting listening to his reflections on what may have gone wrong and how it do it better but the most striking statement for me was his warning to us not to fall into the trap of thinking MTC needs more practical subjects. Practical things are best learnt as we get out there and do them. Theological study is important because it shapes our doctrine, which in turns shapes why we do what we do. We must get our doctrine right first.

Mission 2010

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It starts on Sunday.

I both love and hate it at the same time. The fact that the timetable we got last night looks strangely different to the one we got last week frustrates me. The fact that we have 3 women’s groups running simultaneously on Thursday is an interesting development. One of the biggest frustrations is that the one big women’s event has no gospel talk.

But all that aside I’m excited about lots of opportunities to tell people about Jesus. (If you don’t know him read about how he will change your life here)

It’s sure to be a busy but great week. Looking forward to sharing some stories in a week!

UPDATE: each mission team will be sharing some stories throughout the week on a blog set up especially for Moore College mission. Read about our time at Ingleburn, along with the other teams’ stories here

If you’re on twitter #MooreMission is the hash tag you want to follow for the week

The biggest surprise at Neutral Bay is the kids

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Ministry always surprises me. It goes like this – I start a new ministry, I hate it for a while, then I love. It was the same when I started a new church (although ‘hate’ is probably a little too strong here). A few weeks in and I certainly wasn’t enjoying it, and I was exhausted every Sunday. But it didn’t take long until I started to enjoy myself. It’s now a little over a year since I started and there has been lots of surprises and joys along the way but the biggest surprise, and the greatest joy, has been the kids.

I didn’t really want to do kids ministry and if I’m complete honest my attitude was something along the lines of ‘I’ll do a year with kids and that will be that’. But it wasn’t long before I started to love it. It was alway hard work and I still have a lot to learn, but at the same time it was fun and a blessing to spend time with these kids. I’m sure I have learnt as much from them as they have from me.

This current nostalgia comes because last Sunday was my last week with them and I find I’m pretty sad about it.  So I guess there’s a new option creepy its way onto the ever-growing list I like to call ‘What the heck am I going to do once college is over!”.

John Stott on sexual purity

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One of the things that I found hardest to get used to at college was chicks’ chapel. I can’t really explain why – I just found it a bit odd.

But I have grown to really love it. Because there’s not heaps of girls at college 2nd, 3rd and 4th year girls all get to preach at some point which is great. I love being taught by those I study along side of.

For the last 2 weeks Jane Tooher, who is on faculty at college, has preached a 2 part sermon from 1 Thessalonians 4 on sex and sexual purity. Towards the end of part 2 she shared a John Stott quote about sexual purity taught in the Bible and how we respond to it as single people. I thought it was so good that I would share it too.

“We too must accept this apostolic teaching, however hard it may seem, as God’s good purpose both for us and for society. We shall not become a bundle of frustrations and inhibitions if we embrace God’s standard, but only if we rebel against it. Christ’s yoke is easy, provided that we submit to it. It is possible for human sexual energy to be redirected both into affectionate relationships with friends of both sexes and into the loving service of others. Multitudes of Christian singles, both men and women, can testify to this. Alongside a natural loneliness, accompanied sometimes by acute pain, we can find joyful self-fulfilment in the self-giving service of God and other people.” (Stott, The Message of Thessalonians 84-45).

Year 3, Day 1

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Technically I’m 2 days in but it was day 1 that makes me think I’m in for quite a year. We started third year with 2 hours of Doctrine lectures and ‘Eschatology’ is the subject for this term. About half way through lecture 2, the line in my notes that blew my mind was something along the lines of

The Messiah Jesus is the eternal mediator and we shouldn’t anticipate an unmediated relationship with the Father in the new creation.

Well. That’s new – at least for me. Certainly looking forward to the rest of the year!

Calvin on repentance

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My love/hate relationship with Calvin continues. Here’s some more of the stuff I love –

Accordingly, we must strive toward repentance itself, devote ourselves to it throughout life, and pursue it to the very end if we would abide in Christ. For he came to call sinners, but it was to repentance [cf. Matt 9.13]. He was sent to bless the unworthy, but in order that every one may turn from his wickedness [Acts 3:26; cf. ch 5:31]. Scripture is full of such testimonies. For this reason, when God offers forgiveness of sins, he usually requires repentance of us in turn, implying that his mercy ought to be a cause for men to repent.

*  *  *  *  *

Therefore, I think he has profited greatly who has learned to be very much displeased with himself, not so as to stick fast in this mire and progress no farther, but rather to hasten to God and yearn for him in order that, having been grafted into the life and death of Christ, he may give attention to continual repentance. Truly, they who are held by a real loathing of sin cannot do otherwise. For no one ever hates sin unless he has previously been seized with a love of righteousness.

New people

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Today was the first day of Greek Weeks for the new first year students at college. It was also the first day of official duties of the Orientation Committee. And it was exhausting.

I love people and I love new people but its a lot in one day (about 130 new students today) and I’m quite tired right now.

But as much as its exhausting for me I’m sure it’s even worse for the students who have just started college. It’s a blessing to have them at college and so I hope you will join with me in praying for them, especially over these first 3 weeks. Here are some suggested prayer points to get you started –

  • For energy as they move through this people intensive time
  • Easy conversations
  • For those who are particularly anxious about Greek – that anxiety will ease and Greek will come easier than expected
  • For married students – that they would quickly work out how to manage study and time with family
  • For spouses & kids – that we will welcome them into the college community, especially during the house party this weekend
  • For single students – that living in community would be a blessing, not a burden
  • For part-time students (approx. 30) – that they would feel included in the year group relationships

Why I love Calvin…

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I’ll be honest – most of the time I have very little idea what he is on about. But now and then I’ll find 2 or 3 sentences of pure gold!

From the other side we see that God, while not ceasing to love his children, is wondrously angry towards them; not because he is disposed of himself to hate them, but because he would frighten them by the feeling of his wrath in order to humble their fleshly pride, shake off their sluggishness, and arouse them to repentance. Therefore, at the same time they conceive him to be at once angry and merciful toward them, or toward their sins. For they unfeignedly pray that his wrath be averted, while with tranquil confidence they nevertheless flee to him for refuge.

Life after exams…

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Right now I am sitting in the lounge room of my folks house, with my 2 nephews (10 & 6) watching Sponge-Bob Square Pants. Well really they are watching and I am typing this.

After being locked up in a room for 3 weeks studying up to 11 hours a day, I am starting to feel like a normal person again. I have nothing much planned for the next few weeks other than a bunch of socialising.

Something I do like to do in my holidays is to read. Of course I have a couple of hundred pages of Calvin to read before college goes back next year, plus some summer Greek translation. But it is nice to have time to read something just because I want to. Here is a pile of books I’m hoping to get through before Christmas.

I have also added When I don’t desire God: How to fight for Joy by John Piper to the pile. I’m also looking for a cheap copy of Did I kiss marriage Goodbye? by Carolyn McCulley, but they may have to wait until after Christmas.

I’m trying to decide which book to start with. I have read half of Death by Love, which is good but not great so I think it can wait until the end (sorry Pastor Mark!). I’ve also started Shades of Sheol, which I am really enjoying even though I’m only in chapter 2. Having said that I promised someone I would read The Blue Parakeet so I will probably try an knock that over before reading any more of the others.

In fact I may go and start that now.

I heart holidays *big smiley face*

 

Exam number 1

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OT theology. Here are the questions I answered…

To what extent is the nation of Israel the embodiement of hope helf out in the Pentateuch?

Discuss the use and significance of ‘type scenes’ in the books of the Former Prophets. Illustrate your answer with specific exampls.     (I was particularly thankful for this question :) )

Discuss the theological significance of the signs in the books of Isaiah.