Launching Momentum - God is not absent minded

How do you go finding your keys?


I rarely lose mine, mainly because I always put them in the same place. 
Have you ever asked God where they are?
 Of course God would have no problem finding them because He never forgets and is perfect in knowledge.

Don't you wish you could misplace your sin like you misplace your keys?


How is it we struggle to find the things we really need (keys) but can't lose sight of the things we don't want to see (our sins)?

There is a difference between forgetting and not remembering. 
God can't forget, He just chooses not to remember.

Hebrews 10:17 - "Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more." 

God doesn't bring it up because it has been dealt with at the cross. 
He actively chooses not to remember our sin once we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. Your sins are dealt with once you surrender your life to Jesus.

You don't have to try and forget your mistakes and sins, you have to work on not remembering them!

God can't forget where you have placed your keys and He won't remember your sin, in Christ.

God is NOT absent minded!

Just be thankful!

Romans 12:3-8

 (³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.)

Encouragement is something I realised I needed so much in my life whenever I’m dealing with stress and hard times. People seem to value encouragement a lot more than you think. Being a ‘thinker’ I always tend to keep my thoughts internal until I process enough to be ready to share ‘out loud’, which is probably why I’m not a natural public speaker but more of a ‘developer’ by shaping/moulding thoughts until I know what I what to say/do. This makes life hard sometimes because although life gets busy with multiple things going on, I have to deal with each situation one at a time – which helps me tick things off the list but can sometimes be a very slow process. God wants me to be encouraged, and one of my 'goals' this year is to be more thankful for the life he has given me. In my head I need to tell myself the right words in order for me to speak the right words.

Dear Jade:

Be encouraged! What you are doing matters. God has you where you are right now doing the work that you are doing for a reason. You are placed where God has you for a purpose. Whether you are thriving or barely making it, know that God has placed you where he has placed you. God has great things He wants to do in and through you.

What you do matters.

Where you are matters.

Be thankful for the opportunity you have to be serving the church that you do.

Be thankful for the community of people that God has entrusted to your care.

Be thankful for what you’ve been given and for what you have (and for what God has for you in the future).

Be thankful for the chance to spend your life in service to others and in service to God.

Be thankful for the grace of God letting you serve and do what you do (despite yourself and your sin)

Be thankful that you can be a part of God’s awesome work in the life of the local church.

Be thankful and know that we are all so thankful for the work you do.

possible blog relaunch? - "Stretch out your hand to him"

Passage of scripture: Luke 6:6-10

Whenever I read these stories, all that comes to mind is pretty much Jesus asking the person to reach out to them, and in doing so – Jesus brings the answer. 

Why is it that sometimes the hardest thing to do is to simply ASK??

We’re defiantly all in need of God, and when I see people reaching out to him – it’s showing that they know they are not perfect and are unable to understand/comprehend everything life brings, which eventually they are believing that by surrender/faith/obedience God is willing to help us out whatever they are going through because sometimes the hardest thing to do is to ask for what you want  

Jesus hands the same invitation to us today, which is to reach out to him (stretch out your hand to him). I believe that God will bring us answers by speaking to us individually and corporately as long as we stretch our hands to him. 

more posts to come!

Summer is Calling

Well it's still summer here in New Zealand and we're soaking it all in!


Yesterday we had our first ever Beach Volleyball Tournament kicked off and the atmosphere was buzzing :D Here are a few snippets of week 1!

I remember back in december when we were trying to figure out how to make a promo for this event...and I had spent a good couple weeks trying to brainstorm...but in the end I think I was thinking too hard haha :p and then the idea of how 'Summer is Calling' rang a few bells :)

2011 is looking great :)

Ahhh it's been a while since my last post (sorry!!)

Well, Quick update - this year I'll be studying full time at bible college and will be working freelance here & there. Also will be looking to see if I can organize some sort of overseas trip possibly in the 2nd half of 2011 :)

What's been real exciting is that our church is moving venue this sunday, into the heart of the bays area! :)

I can't wait for what God has in-store for us this year!
I'll try to chuck more of my work on the blog too :)


-Jade 

Above Average

What does it mean to be 'above average'??

Average is often used negatively but in many ways it is simply a definition of location.

If average is just where most people are, then I guess it's easy to identify where you are for a bench mark. Also, above average could be used as a location of being above where most people are positioned (as some sort of statistic).

2 Cor 8:7

'But just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.'

To be above average is to excel, but is it possible to be above average in everything?

This made me think about the world we live in and how destructive things are/can be, Much of our society you could say would lack grace towards one another and criticism is at an all time high. 

But, if we rewind back and think about the smaller community of people we do life with and ask one question: What are most people like?

If most people in my neighbourhood don't wave and say hi, then for me to wave and say hi is - above average.

If most people in our work places are constantly talking negatively about other peers, then I think its relatively easy for us to be above average.

This made me realize that there would be hundreds of daily situations that give us the opportunity to be more than most people choose to live....and this would be for no other reason than to allow God to use us to influence others for His glory. 

How we relate and respond to people around us is critical to God's story in their lives.

To excel in everything is simply the choice to live a life above average.

"It is our Responsibility to work on our Response Ability."

Spirit Led Conversations

• Are all conversations spirit led conversations?
• If someone is a Christian does that mean that everything they say is led by the Spirit?
• What if you don't actually hear the word "Jesus" in my conversation - does this mean its not spirit led?
• Is it possible that spirit led conversations can be about any topic as long as there is evidence or a trace of God's nature in the conversation?

Romans 8:5

'Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.'