Why did Jesus die on the cross on Good Friday at Easter? Jesus died to take the punishment for our sin – my sin and your sin.

I would encourage you to visit our “Finding Salvation” page to read more about God’s love for you and His desire to be a part of your life.

God wants to give you a fresh start and a new beginning, please take a few moments to explore this here.

God Bless,

Dave

I watched another great movie with my wife and kids the last few days. It is called Courageous. Last night I watched it with my wife. Tonight we watched it with the kids too.

It is about being a true man of God, about living God’s way and being the best husband, father and man you can be.

One part that really impacted me was the resolution the men made. Here is a copy of the words…

THE RESOLUTION

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honour her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I WILL train them to honour authority and live responsibly.

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honour God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfil this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15

The Bible tells us in numerous places that Jesus was full of compassion. Psalm 103:8 tells us that “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love”.

As I dwelt on this compassion I came to realise that compassion needs to have action attached to it. It can’t just be a noun or describing word, it needs to be a verb or a doing word.

As I looked through Scripture I found four ways in which Jesus showed compassion to those He came in contact with. Here they are…

1. He became people’s teacher – Mark 6:35 says, “When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started teaching them many things”.

2. He fed people – In Mark 8:2 Jesus said, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don’t have anything to eat.” He then multiplied the fishes and the loaves.

3. He raised people to life – In Luke 7:13-15 we see that Jesus had compassion on a widow who had just lost her only son. He walked up to the young man, raised Him to life and gave him back to his mother.

4. He healed the sick – Matthew 14:14 says, “When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick”.

Jesus had compassion in all of these examples. His compassion was not just in thought, but in deed. He was moved to action.

It is my hope and prayer that I will not only have Jesus’ compassion in my life, but it will be a compassion that moves me to action.

God Bless,

Dave

I watched a message by Joyce Meyer today. She was talking about how God uses the unwise, imperfect and the lowly things of this world so His glory can be shown in them.

To illustrate this she brought out two large pots on to the stage. One was in perfect condition and one was a cracked version. She then turned on lights that were inside each pot.

The one that was imperfect and cracked allowed the light to shine through the cracked outer shell. The one that was pristine and in perfect condition kept all its light inside.

It was a great illustration to demonstrate why God uses imperfect people. His light and power and glory can be shown through them.

If you feel less than perfect today, take comfort in knowing that God can use you to do mighty things.

God Bless,

Dave

I watched Jim Stynesfuneral today. I found it very inspirational and an apt commemoration of a life well lived.

I really enjoyed the stories from family and friends who knew him best. Most of us knew him from a distance as a footballer and someone who helped people during and after his footy career.

It seems Jim Stynes seemed to get that life was not just about him. He lived outwardly and loved and cared for the people around him. This is what inspired me most about his life.

I loved the story his younger brother told about when they were young and went on a family holiday to a caravan park. He said Jim arranged a soccer tournament and everyone in the park joined in. He seemed to have a gift to bring people together.

I was also inspired by his ability to inspire, challenge and help people to get out of their comfort zones. Knowing that he left Ireland at 18 to come and play AFL footy in a strange country helped you believe his message. He had lived it.

I also think the messages and prayers in the funeral service were really good. It was a good balance of honouring his life while including the hope that is found in Christ.

If you are not sure who Jim Stynes is you can found out more at the Reach Fountation that Jim started to help young people get a good start in life. You can also find out more at website.

God Bless,

Dave

I watched a really good movie last night with my kids. It is called Facing the Giants. Here is a snippet of what it is about…

“An action-packed drama about a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach. Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation.

When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field. When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their greatest test of strength and courage. What transpires is a dynamic story of the fight between faith and fear.”

I would highly recommend this movie. It is full of faith and courage and I found it inspirational.

God Bless,

Dave

I was reading Psalm 6:1-10 this morning. In it I noticed some interesting points about the way David prayed in the midst of turmoil.

1. David prayed for mercy – In verse 2 David asks God to be merciful to him. He says he is faint, his bones are in agony, his soul is in anguish and he asks for mercy.

2. David prayed for deliverance - In verses 4-5 David asks for deliverance because of God’s unfailing love. He asked God to bring relief because of His love for David.

3. David prayed with honesty – In verses 6-7  he tells God exactly how he feels. He says he is worn out from groaning and all night he floods his bed with tears. He poured out his heart.

4. David prayed with faith – David finishes this Psalm with faith and the knowledge that God has heard his prayers. He knew God had heard and accepted his prayers. He knew He would act.

I love the way David prayed with honesty. He told God how he was feeling. He didn’t pretend. He didn’t try to put a good spin on it. He said it how it was to him.

Then in faith he trusted God had heard him and he knew that as a loving God that He would act in a righteous and loving way towards him.

David trusted God and he prayed with honesty and faith. It is a great example for us to follow today.

God Bless,

Dave