KawanaLife: Messages Archive - 2016

Christmas - Two Kingdoms Collide

We're very familiar with 'kingdoms colliding' in stories and movies. Good vs evil is a theme somewhere in most of them. But it's not just good and bad, it can be other 'kingdoms' too. Like rich and poor or different ethnic backgrounds clashing. Sometimes its intellectual and emotional differences or the all time classic male and female differences. Christmas, too, is a classic case where one kingdom collides with another. Only this collision is set to change the course of history forever, for eternity.

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Christmas - A Baby Changes Everything

Parents know that having a baby changes things. The first child in particular brings a world of change. Nappies, feeding, sleeping and washing, everything is on a new timeline. So spare a thought for Mary, a teenage girl probably no older than 15. Not only is she pregnant, she's not married in a culture that severely looks down on such situations. More than that, her baby is special, the Saviour. He would not only change her world, but the world.

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Kids Service - Gifts, Gifts And More Gifts

Everyone loves gifts at Christmas time! In this special service for our kids at KawanaLife, Dony and James talk about what makes a gift special. Sometimes it's not the dollar value in a gift, it's the sentimental value. Sometimes it's both. What is value anyway? Sometimes the most precious things are those that money can't buy.

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Discipleship - John The Baptist And Jesus

There are times when a person that we lead, train, mentor etc, eventually becomes bigger and better than we are. Someone who, for whatever ever reason, will become greater than we are in some area of life. They may be more successful or more acknowledged, more revered or more popular. They may have greater insight or wisdom, have more followers, maybe even take people away from us. How do we respond to this kind of situation? Do we embrace the handing on of the batton, or do we defend and resist at all costs?

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Discipleship - Ruth & Naomi

A person with strong character will always have a huge influence in the lives of the people around them. The book of Ruth records the story of some amazing women. Naomi, although we don't know a great deal about her, clearly is a woman of great character as the women with her in desparate times show great distress at the thought of having to leave her. Ruth, herself shown to be a woman of great character, refuses to leave Naomi and infact goes on to restore her mother in-law's family line. There is so much for us to learn from these great examples.

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Discipleship - Titus: Older And Younger

Christianity is no different from any other part of life in this respect: there are people who are older than we are, and people who are younger. We can be learning and teaching, just by living lives with other people around. Titus 2 is a chapter that talks about this aspect of life. How it should work, what should we look for in 'teachers'. In a world that is focussed more and more on 'me' and 'my needs', how do we live, and learn, together?

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Discipleship - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

When we read through the Bible, it doesn't take long to realise that there are plenty of people that don't 'make the mark'. Some people are generally good, with the occoasional slip up. Others are a bit 50:50, and some are just plain ugly. So how does God respond to people who fall short? Does His response always make sense to us? What is it that matters most? And for us 'mere mortals', how can we be 'the good' and not the 'bad' or 'ugly'?

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Discipleship - Jesus And Judas

One of the best known relationships in the Bible is between Jesus and Judas, and for all the wrong reasons. We're talking about, arguably, the most famous betrayal ever. We often focus on Judas and what was going on in him, but we can easily overlook what Jesus went through - from choosing Judas as part of His twelve disciples, right through to the last time He saw Judas. So had Jesus treated Judas any differently? Had Judas treated Jesus any differently compared to the other disciples? Are we different to Judas, or essentially the same? How do we respond when we are in the position of being 'betrayed'?

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Discipleship - Paul And Peter

Even some of the brightest lights of the New Testament got it wrong from time to time. Peter is one of those guys who seems to be 'either rocks or diamonds'. He was huge in terms of the early church's foundation, yet we come across a passage where he is once again being corrected, this time by Paul. Is there anyone who enjoys being 'corrected', especially publically? It hurts, and sometimes it's not just the person being corrected who cops it. Yet mutual accountability is one of the most important aspects of Christian life - when we get it right. It isn't easy, so what's all the fuss about? Why should we bother?

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Discipleship - Paul And Barnabas

Gentle Jesus meek and mild, the old man in the sky flinging lightning bolts, the God who parted the sea, the God who gave His Son. There are a lot of different pictures in the world of God's power. Paul talks a lot about God's power in his letters, and we see that power at work in and through him as we read the book of Acts. What is God's power? How does it work? What does it look like? Is it for us? Once again we look at these two amazing New Testament men to get insight into God's power.

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Discipleship - Barnabas And Paul

We know of so much about Paul from the Bible, a lot of the New Testament is based around Paul and his activities. Barnabas, however, gets comparitively little time and space. Yet we may not have most of the New Testament if it wasn't for him. He was known as an encourager, and took Paul under his wing in Paul's early days. What does it take to be an encourager, and how do those things known as 'Love Languages' fit into the picture?

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Discipleship - Paul And Timothy

Paul is one of the central people to the New Testament. Timothy was one of Paul's closest friends, to the point where Paul calls him a brother. Paul's journey is an amazing transformation from persecuter to protector of the faith. He must have been an incredible man to be around and learn from. To experience the dynamic leadership of a giant of the faith must have been life changing. Timothy spent a lot of time with Paul, so what can we learn from their relationship?

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Father's Day

We all have fathers. They have all failed and hurt us in one way or another. The Bible has many verses that say something about fathers and fatherhood. But perhaps the most important comes from a passage that we may not connect with this subject. It's from a prayer, a very special prayer, and it starts off with "Our Father...". Jesus knew well what it meant to have an imperfect human father. He also knew what a perfect Heavenly Father is like, and He wanted us to know that the perfect Heavenly Father is there for us too, especially when our human dads miss the mark.

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Discipleship - Moses And Aaron

Moses is a well known Biblical character, famous for the amazing ways God used him to bring about the release of the Israelite nation from Egyptian captivity. He wasn't alone though. By Moses' side was his brother Aaron, the articulate one. God provided what Moses needed, and had asked Him for, in order to make a greater impact. Neither of these men were perfect, both angered God with mistakes that they made. Yet together, they saw God move in ways that are still famous today, and that changed the course of a nation forever. Are we willing to working together with the people God puts around us, for a greater impact?

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Discipleship - Jesus And The Three

500, 12 and 3. What is the significance of these numbers? They represent the different number of people in the various groups that Jesus taught on a regular basis. The most familiar group is Jesus' 12 disciples. 12 people that the Bible records Jesus choosing specifically - to be the people he taught more closely and also share His life more intimately with. And then there were the 3. From within the group of His 12 disciples, Jesus chose 3 to experience things the other 9 wouldn't. Why? What was the result?

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Discipleship - Paul And Onesimus

People let other people down all the time. Whether it's accidental or purposeful, the sting of being let down can be hard to forget. Trusting a person that has failed us in the past can be equally difficult. In the book of Philemon, Paul writes to a good friend who has been let down badly by someone who Paul has come to recognise as a changed man. He pleads with his friend Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, asking that he be given another chance; telling of how Onesimus is different. What can we learn from this short, but insightful letter and from Paul standing alongside a friend with a battered reputation?

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Discipleship - Jesus And The Disciples

It's hard to find a perfect example to learn from. Infact, apart from Jesus, there aren't any perfect examples. So what do we do with the imperfect examples that we are given - or are for others. The story of David's journey to becoming king of Israel is a prime example of seeing a bad example and being a better person. David too wasn't perfect, and paid a heavy price for his failure, but the difference between the two men is stark. What can we learn from them?

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Discipleship - Jesus And The Disciples

For the first part of the year we looked at 'God's Story, Our Story' and how we can see God at work in our lives and in the stories we have. Now we move into the next stage and look at what we do when we have a story. Discipleship was a key part of Jesus' ministry, and can be seen at different stages and in different ways throughout the Bible. So lets start this next phase with the Master, Jesus, and His disciples.

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What Did Jesus Say About Money?

Money is one of the biggest influences in life today. Whether it's having plenty or not having enough, it's never far from our minds. Money is also a regular theme in the Bible. So what did Jesus have to say about money? And equally, what didn't He say about it?

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God's Story, Our Story - Who's Your Neighbour?

One of the better known parables of Jesus is the story of the Good Samaritan, but the significance of what Jesus was saying, to the person He was saying it to, can easily be overlooked by us today. This was a confronting and difficult message to the person who had asked Jesus "who is my neighbour?". Put into today's culture, is the story any less significant? Is it any less difficult?

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God's Story, Our Story - Hidden Treasure / Precious Pearl

Two separate stories about valuable items, from Matthew 13, form the background to this message. These valuables were worth searching for, or doing whatever was necessary to get hold of. They are also used by Jesus as a way of describing the Kingdom of God. Normally we would think that valuable items such as these should be kept - as securely as possible. But is there something so valuable, so precious, that it should be given away to as many people as possible? The video (which we had to cut out) that is talked about can be found by searching for 'Penn Jillette Bible video' in your search engine.

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God's Story, Our Story - Two Men Went To Pray

Appearances can be deceiving. On the outside everything can appear to be as it should be. Possibly even what we would like to be ourselves. Yet, even though the appearance seems so right to us, it can actually be very wrong - deceiving. These days we are bombarded from many different places with messages telling us that we can, and should, be relying on ourselves. So where does self-reliance fit into the scheme of things?

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God's Story, Our Story - Two Houses

When you buy a house, you want to know it's in good shape. One of the most important things to consider is the foundation. No-one wants a house that's sliding down a hill or sinking into the ground! Jesus used the illustration of houses to talk about people; in particular, how they are affected by life's 'storms'. What is it that we rely on in difficult circumstances and how solid is that 'foundation'?

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God's Story, Our Story - Pentecost

When the Holy Spirit arrived in a small room in Jerusalem around 2,000 years ago, people weren't quite sure what to make of it. Some said the disciples were drunk when they came out of the room speaking in all sorts of tongues or languages. They weren't drunk, and at the end of the day many people came to faith. The Holy Spirit is a vital part of Christian life, but how does He work? What should we look for? Is He scary?

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God's Story, Our Story - Mother's Day

How does God know what a mother needs? Does He care? From Luke 7:11-17, Pastor Dony takes a look at how Jesus met a mother in her time of greatest need. Not only did He meet her need, He did in a way that was very much against what would have been acceptable for a Jewish Rabbi of the day. Her dire circumstance was more important to Jesus than His own standing or situation. In this unique story of compassion, we see God's heart for mothers. We get an insight into His concern for a parent who is staring at a tunnel with no end, or light, to be seen.

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God's Story, Our Story - Prodigal

From Luke 15:11-32 we read a story that is reasonably well known, it's often referred to as 'The Prodigal Son'. As we look at the story, and what the people of the day would have been thinking, perhaps the better title would be 'The Prodigal Father'? This is a story that was told in a way that would have amazed the people of Jesus' day and it's message is just as amazing for us!

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God's Story, Our Story - Lost

Have you ever lost something, something you really didn't want to lose, something special? Can you put yourself in that place? There's that feeling you get when you first realise you may not get that precious thing back again. Can you keep yourself together and re-trace your steps, or do you give way to the wave of panic that swamps you? What about the feeling you get when you find what's been missing! The wave of panic turns into a wave of joy and relief. What about if you were that something special that's lost...?

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God's Story, Our Story - The Good Shepherd

It's hard for us to understand these days, but in Jesus' day they all knew exactly what He was talking about. Sheep listening to a shepherd's voice, and not to a stranger's. If we can put ourselves in the shoes of the people listening to Jesus, His story has a huge impact on our daily lives. The question is, are we listening to Him?

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God's Story, Our Story - Go!

Go! One word, a lifetime of action. God's Story in us is nothing if it is not shared. Jesus tells all His followers to go and make disciples, so what does it mean? How do we do it? What does it look like? Is it hard? Such an important command for such an important reason - it's time to go!

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God's Story, Our Story - Thomas And Peter

Thomas and Peter were normal people. They got some things right, but they made plenty of mistakes. History may even remember them more for the mistakes than what they got right! Yet, through the amazing words of Jesus, they were comforted, forgiven, and set free from the mental anguish and condemnation, and went on to make amazing commitments for what they believed in. Jesus' words make all the difference in people's lives - what is He saying to you?

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God's Story, Our Story - Stay Filled With God's Spirit

Mathew 24 is a chapter that has been debated for thousands of years. In this message, we look at a parable that is confronting, even scary. Yet at it's heart it is quite simple. What does can an ancient story about 10 young ladies teach us today? Plenty.

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God's Story, Our Story - Everyone Is Invited

There are some parables in The Bible that sound plain unfair. Matthew 22 starts out with one of those parables. A lot of it doesn't seem to make sense, and it all revolves around a king inviting people to his son's wedding. If we dig into it though, we find that in many ways, it makes a lot of sense, and a lot of what this story talks about applies to us. Not all of Jesus' stories were easy to hear, but they were all important for us to understand God's kingdom and our place in it.

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God's Story, Our Story - Better Late Than Never

In Matthew, Jesus tells a story that would have shocked many who were listening to Him. In this parable, Jesus described workers getting paid the same amount of money regardless of whether they worked all day long, or for just an hour. It seems unfair, and the workers in the story said the same. Jesus is coming from a different angle though, and what He is talking about applies to every one of us. How does God's generosity impact us and those we love? Why is there always hope, no matter how late in the day it is?

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God's Story, Our Story - Be Discerning, But God Is The Judge

Stories were always an important part of Jesus' ministry. Why did He use them? How did He use them to filter those who really wanted to know from those who were happy to listen, but didn't want to engage? Could the same technique help us to do the same? Can telling a story make it that much easier to have a converstaion about God and Jesus, and remove a lot of the guess work?

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God's Story, Our Story - Good Intentions Don't Cut It With God

The third message in this series is by David Ellaby. David looks at our intentions, and where they get us. How do we get from a good intention to share our story, to the place where we take action and do what we intend? It's not always easy, and a little preparation can go a long way.

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God's Story, Our Story - What is your treasure?

In this second message in the journey of discovering how our story and God's story fit together, James looks at another passage familiar to most Christians. This time He asks the question, 'what is your treasure?, and how does that compare with what Jesus describes as being treasure worth striving for?

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God's Story, Our Story - What Type Of Soil Are We?

This week we start a series that will cover the next 6 months. It's a journey of discovering how our story and God's story fit together and are, infact, part of eachother. In this message, James starts the series with a question from a passage familiar to most Christians. The question is, what kind of soil are we?

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What Is Community?

At the start of every year, we have a special Sunday where we take time to consider what we believe God is saying to us for the year as a whole; what our direction is for the year. Phil Smith is a local pastor doing great things in the community, but not the traditional way. As we as KawanaLife consider what our next step is, Phil brings the challenge of 'What is community?' and where does it exist?

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Why - This Is Why

In January we are embarking on a series that looks at some of those "why?" questions, the answers to which can sometimes seem harder to put our fingers on than we think. Today it's the answer, the reason why we do what we do.

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Why - Read The Bible Or Pray?

In January we are embarking on a series that looks at some of those "why?" questions, the answers to which can sometimes seem harder to put our fingers on than we think. Today it's 'Read The Bible?' & 'Why Pray?'. Christians aren't the only ones who ask these questions, or who need to know the answers.

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Why - Tithe Or Invite People To Church?

In January we are embarking on a series that looks at some of those "why?" questions, the answers to which can sometimes seem harder to put our fingers on than we think. Today it's 'Why Tithe?' & 'Why Invite People To Church?'. Sometimes we don't like, or even want to know, the answers to questions. Sometimes we need to know the answers to those questions the most.

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Why - Go To Church?

In January we are embarking on a series that looks at some of those "why?" questions, the answers to which can sometimes seem harder to put our fingers on than we think. Today it's 'Why go to church?', a question that many non-church folk ask.

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