Author Archives: steve.nation

An Honest Look at Life

Posted by on February 19, 2012 No comments

For all our city workers:

A man peeks up over piles of paperwork

When was the last time you had an honest look at life? Sometimes the sheer busyness of life stops us from stepping back to reflect on our lives and where they are going.

Why not join us as we step off the treadmill for a moment with three opportunities for an honest look at life.

Tuesday 6th March – “Ground hog day.”

Wednesday 7th March – “Why is there never quite enough money?”

Thursday 8th March – “The level playing field and why we’ll all be under it.”

Time: 12:30-1:15pm

Venue: Premier Room, Berkley’s on Ann, Corner of Edward and Ann St, Brisbane CBD

Speaker: Al Stewart

There is no cost for this event. Our speaker Alan Stewart will give a presentation exploring ideas the book of Ecclesiastes from the Bible. Why the book of Ecclesiastes? It is like the minority report of the Bible. It takes a long hard look at life and asks the bigger questions. There will be an opportunity for discussion and comments.

Register your interest here and we’ll send you a reminder email the week before and on the days of the series.

 

 

Redemption – Bible talks from the Book of Exodus

Posted by on February 17, 2012 No comments

This coming Sunday is the final sermon in our series on 1 Peter. I think it’s been a really helpful series – a big thanks to (our student minister) Yarran for faithfully preparing and preaching many of the sermons.

Coming up on Feb 26 is the first in our series on the Book of Exodus. We’re calling the series Redemption, because in Exodus, we meet the God who rules His people, remembers His people, rescues His people, speaks to His people, and dwells with His people.

Below are the Bible passages, title and dates. As always, it’d help you immensely if you read the Bible passages in advance.

26/2  Unfailing love (an overview of the Book of Genesis – with special focus on Genesis 12:1-9)

4/3  Slavery (Exodus 1-2)

11/3  Intervention (Exodus 2:23 – 3:22)

18/3  The call to freedom (Exodus 5:22 – 6:12)

25/3  The Passover (Exodus 12:1-41)

1/4  The Freedom Song (Exodus 15:1-21)

6/4  Good Friday

8/4  Easter Sunday

15/4  Quenching our thirst (Exodus 17:1-16)

22/4  The Ten Words (Exodus 20:1-21)

29/4  The Binding (Exodus 24:1-18)

6/5  The Dwelling Place (Exodus 25:1-9, 39:32-43, 40:24-28)

13/5  Volunteering for slavery (Exodus 32:1-35)

20/5  Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:1-41)

27/5  TBC (Exodus 33:1 – 34:8)

 

Quotes of the week

Posted by on February 17, 2012 No comments

In this week’s Community Group study, I quoted Tim Keller’s definition of ‘the fear of the Lord’. One of the guys in our group asked exactly where I got it from (my apology for not referencing it properly). It was from Keller’s “The Meaning of Marriage”. Below is the quote.

“Fear in the Bible means to be overwhelmed, to be controlled by something. To fear the LORD is to be overwhelmed with wonder before the greatness of God and His love. It means that, because of His bright holiness and magnificent love, you find Him ‘fearfully beautiful’. That is why the more we experience God’s grace and forgiveness, the more we experience a trembling awe and wonder before the greatness of all that He is and has done for us. Fearing Him means bowing before Him out of amazement at His glory and beauty. Paul speaks of Christ’s love ‘constraining’ us (2 Cor 5:14). What is it that most motivates and moves you? Is it the desire for success? The pursuit of some achievement? The need to prove yourself to you parents? The need for respect from your peers? Are you largely driven by anger against someone or some people who have wronged you?” (p.68)

Keller has a wonderful gospel-centredness that permeates everything he writes about – including marriage (these quotes are from a book on marriage). Here are some great quotes on what the Christian gospel is:

“The gospel is this: we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves that we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope… God’s saving love in Christ is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God’s mercy and grace.” (p.48)

“And what is [the] gospel? It is that you are so lost and flawed, so sinful, that Jesus had to die for you, but you are also so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for you. Now you are fully accepted and delighted in by the Father, not because you deserve it but only by free grace.” (p.55-56)

 

“The gospel is not what we think – that we amass a good record, give it to God, and then He saved us. Instead, the gospel is that Jesus Christ has amassed a perfect record and when we believe in Him, He gives it to us. he lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died in our place, so that when we believe, our sins are pardoned and we are “counted righteous in His sight”. Then we are completely accepted and loved by the only One in the universe whose opinions really count.” (p.69)

Equip them, train them, support them, and set them free…

Posted by on January 10, 2012 No comments

To prepare for our church leadership meeting tomorrow night (our Engine Room), we’re reading a book by David Platt called ‘Radical Together’. It’s an excellent book about “unleashing the people of God in the church to carry out the purposes of God in the world”.  As a pastor, one paragraph stood out to me this morning:

If you are a leader in the church, think about the individuals in your care. See their faces, hear their names, and picture their lives. Consider how God has written a different story in each of their lives, filled with varied circumstances and challenges, trials and temptations, experiences and encounters. He has sovereignly led them to the life stage and situation where they now find themselves, surrounded by people you will never meet and opportunities you will never have. And you have been called by God to serve them in the accomplishment of God’s purpose for their lives. If you’re like me, the last thing you want is to sideline them to sit during a performance while you do the work or to participate in a program you have created. Instead, you want to equip them, train them, support them, and set them free to use everything God has given them to make His glory known in ways you could never design or imagine. (page 67)

This is a good reminder of my role as your pastor. Please pray for me – to equip you, train you, support you, and set you free to love and serve the Lord Jesus at church and throughout your world. And in doing so, may we fulfill the purpose God gave us in Ephesians 4:11-16

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The end result being: 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

 

 

Why does 5:17 church exist?

Posted by on January 7, 2012 No comments

A month or so ago, we had our Back to the Future night: giving thanks to God for the year that had passed, and sharing how we are prayerfully planning to move forward for the years to come. Below is the vision:

We’re going to try and plaster this ‘vision’ for 5:17 church everywhere – on our newsheets, on this blog, in sermons, at our Community Groups, everywhere. Why? Because we want to be intentional about church. We want to make sure that everything we do helps God receive the glory as people grow to love and follow Jesus.

So, that’s the vision. If you’re a 5:17er, please prayerfully think through how you can help us live out this vision (how you can grow as a Christian, and how you can help others grow as Christians). And if for some reason you don’t come to 5:17 church, we’d love you to come visit us.

Finally, if you pray, then please partner with us by asking God to give us humility, wisdom, grace and love – so that we live out this vision faithfully.

Quotes of the week

Posted by on December 21, 2011 Comments Off

Here are some quotes that have really got me thinking about the majesty of Christmas, and the greatness of our God. The first is C.S. Lewis:

“Once, in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”

And one from Martin Luther:

“No other God have I but thee, born in a manger, died on a tree”

 

 

A prayer for singing Mary’s Song

Posted by on December 16, 2011 Comments Off

This Sunday, as part of our Light in the Darkness sermon series, we’ll be looking at The Great Reversal (Luke 1:46-55). The focus will be on Mary’s Song. Below is Pastor Scotty Smith praying through Mary’s Song, and reflecting on the passage for his life. It’s a fine example for us of how to pray through a Bible passage:

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation (Luke 1:46-50).

Lord Jesus, I woke up today very thankful for the gift of music, especially Christmas music. Every Advent [Christmas] hymn, carol, and chorus ignites my gratitude and fuels my hope. The story and implications of your birth make this non-dancer want to dance; this vocally-deficient singer break forth in song; this inhibited introvert to do cartwheels in the square. I praise you for giving me multiplied reasons sing, and for songwriters who capture my feelings and give me a means expressing what I long to say to you. I include your mother, Mary, in that list of great songwriters.

Though her story is unique, her song really isn’t. Indeed, I can sing her song—I must sing her song, for you’ve been mindful of my humble, broken, sinful state. You are being formed in me differently, but just as surely as you entered the world through Mary’s womb. You came to me when I wasn’t seeking you. Like Mary, I was chosen before the creation of the world—singled out to know you, worship you, serve you. I have nothing to boast in but you, Lord Jesus.

How inexhaustible is the treasury of your mercies; how bottomless is the ocean of your grace, how incomparable are the wonders of your love!

I consider myself as blessed of a man as anyone in the world or in all of history, because you’ve done great things for me, and you continue to do great things for me. Holy is your name, Lord Jesus. I have no concern for what any generation may say about me. It’s enough to know what you say about me. You tell me that I’m yours, that I’m forgiven, that I’m righteous in you, and that nothing can separate me from your love.

Jesus, help me to ponder and treasure these things… like a blind man seeing for the first time, a deaf man hearing for the first time, a starving man sitting down to an endless buffet of goodness and nourishment.

Indeed, your mercy has been extended to my generation and to me personally. Therefore, my soul glorifies you, Jesus, and my spirit rejoices in you, my God and my Savior. As the gospel goes deeper into my heart, free me from all fears except the fear of the Lord. May I hate only sin and love you with a love that is a perpetual “first love”. So very Amen, I sing, dance and pray, in your most glorious and gracious name.

 

 

Jacob’s Story

Posted by on December 15, 2011 Comments Off

I watched this video from the Resurgence a little while ago, shared about it in a sermon, and thought I’d post it here. It’s a gut wrenching, eye opening film. But I want as many others to see it as possible so that we can advocate on behalf of thousands of violently abused women and children (especially) around the world. Guys especially – please watch and spread the link!

Jacob’s Story from Unearthed on Vimeo.

Five helpful prayers

Posted by on December 15, 2011 Comments Off

In the 5:17 church vision night that we held a few weeks ago (here’s our vision), something we seriously want to grow in as a church is prayerful dependence on God. To help us as individuals and as a church to do this, I’ll (God willing) be posting some helps in the coming weeks. Here are 5 “Ds” that John Piper made part of his daily prayers. I’ve found them to be quite memorable and useful:

Whatever it takes, Lord, give me…

Delight in you as the greatest treasure of my heart. “Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Desire to know you, be with you, and seek your kingdom above all else. Again: “Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Discernment that comes from a renewed mind that I might know your will. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

Discipline to plan for what I discern as your will. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Diligence to do your will with all my heart. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Maybe you could print the 5 “Ds” and put them in your Bible, and then pray them for yourself and 5:17 church whenever you read the Bible.

Ignite Training Conference presents…

Posted by on December 14, 2011 Comments Off

Early bird registration closes this coming Sunday. Again, whether you’re a worker or a student, if you can possibly make it we’d LOVE you to come – to get trained to read and understand God’s word, to hear excellent Bible teaching, to get to know a bunch of other Christians from around Brisbane, and to ignite 2012 with a greater love for God.