This month's theme is Pursuing Through the Hard Times. Murray Walton shares his testimony of his family going through hard times and provides three basic principles that helped them and will help you get through the hard times. The points use the mnemonic 'ASH'.

Atmosphere. Change your atmosphere to an atmosphere of faith.

Speak. Speak the Word of God. Speak to the mountain in your life and move it out.

Help. Realise that you need help and ask and allow people to stand with you and support you. Help may come from unexpected quarters.

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:3

Isaiah 61:1 to 3

Mark 6:1 to 6

1 Samuel 16:1 to 13

Matthew 17:14 to 21

Genesis 2:18

2 Timothy 1:7

Hebrews 13:6

Proverbs 27:17

John 15:2

Continuing this month's theme of 'Pursuing Through Knowing The Father' this message from Pastor Jon Cathie is about the seven signs or miracles in the Gospel of John. Listen to Pastor Jon's message as he shows how Father God is revealed in each of these miracles and the aspects that can be applied to our own lives.

Jesus turning water into wine.God acts with quality and excellence.(John 1:1 to 11)

Jesus healing the noble man's sick son who was elsewhere.God speaks and it is done.(John 4:46 to 54) Declare the Word in faith.

Jesus healing the lame man at Bethesda who had his infirmity for 38 years.(John 5:1 to 9) It's not about I can't but about He can.

Jesus feeding of 5000 with five barley loaves and gathering the fragments left over filling 12 baskets.(John 6:1 to 14) Father God sees the need of the crowd and the individual.

Jesus walking on water. (John 6:15 to 21) Father God is not limited by natural law, the elements or time or space.

Jesus healing the man born blind.(John 9:1 to 7) Father God is moved by the plight of the innocent and has mastery over misfortune. It is not always for us to know why some things happen but it is always for us to trust.

Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.(John 11:1 to 44) The ultimate proof that Jesus is the Son of God. Father God has mastery over death. Death has lost its sting, the grave has been conquered and we will rise again.

Scripture:

John 2: 1 to 11

Philippians 1:6

James 1:17

John 4:46 to 54

Philippians 4:13

1 John 5:4 to 5

Genesis 12:2 to 3

3 John 1:2

Psalm 103:5

John 5:1 to 9

Ecclesiastes 3:11

John 6:1 to 14

Psalm 139

Romans 12:2

Daniel 1

John 6:15 to 21

John 9:1 to 7

John 11:1 to 44

Romans 8:11

Continuing this month's theme of 'Pursuing Through Knowing The Father' this message From Pastor Jon Cathie is 'The Father Revealed Through Jesus Christ'. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are termed synoptic gospels as they give a broad view of what happened over a period of time whereas John's Gospel is structured to present an argument that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that if we know Jesus Christ then we know the Father. Listen to Pastor Jon's message as he expands on the first of the following four points and applies each instance to our life and situation:The Gospel of John contains:

Seven revelations of Father God through Jesus' word.

Seven revelations of Father God through signs or miracles performed by Jesus.

Seven revelations of Father God through distinct actions of Jesus Christ.

Seven revelations of Father God through Jesus' commissions.

How is Father God revealed through the words of Jesus?When Moses asked God for his name in Exodus God replied 'I Am Who I Am'. The Gospel of John contains seven 'I Am' statements:

I AM the Bread of Life - John 6:35.

I Am the Light of the World - John 8:12.

Before Abraham was, I AM - John 8:58.

I Am the Good Shepherd - John 10:11.

I AM the Resurrection and the Life - John 11:25.

I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life - John 14:6.

I Am the True Vine - John 15:1.

Scripture:John 14:5 to 14Exodus 3:13 to 14John 6:35John 8:12, 58John 10:11John 11:25John 14:6Proverbs 3:5Ecclesiastes 3:11Psalm 23John 12:24 to 25Ephesians 2:8 to 9

In line with this month's theme of "Pursue Through Knowing The Father" this message from Pastor Jon Cathie is about the Father's Silence. Listen to the message to hear Pastor Jon discuss the points below.

In our journey there are times when it seems that God is silent. We tend to take the filter of our earthly experience and overlay that on God's actions and can jump to the wrong conclusions.If Father God is loving and just in all his ways and that he loves me no matter what, if that's where I start then whatever experiences in life comes my way then they will be processed and reinforced from this position of steadfast truth. The truth helps us understand our experience.

When it comes to Father God and his silence we can make some wrong assumptions:

He is disappointed with me.

He is punishing me or preparing to punish me.

God is waiting for the right time to speak.

It is common for God to be silent.

God doesn't care, he has more important things to deal with.

What are the right assumptions we can make:

God is silent when we build a wall of consistent unrepentent sin in our life.

God can be silent when we harbour unforgiveness.

God is sometimes silent because he has already spoken.

God is sometimes silent because he wants us to recognise our utter dependence on him.

God is sometimes silent because it can be a sign of the maturity of our relationship.

Scripture:

Job 30:20 and 26

Psalm 22:1 to 2

Psalm 35:22

Psalm 83:1

Romans 8:28

Hebrews 1:1 to 2

Isaiah 1:18

John 10

Zechariah 2:8

Ephesians 1:4

Jeremiah 31:3

1 Peter 5:7

Psalm 8:3 to 4

John 16:8

Judges 16:20

1 Timothy 4:2

Mark 11:25

2 Corinthians 6:14 to 16

Psalm 51:10

Job 13:15

Pastor Jon Cathie's message on Fathers Day looks at common perceptions of Father God. Some say the God of the Old Testament is different to the God of the New Testament. Scripture says that God does not change. It is our perceptions of God that change and largely because our minds can filter truth and reality into something that fits our experience. To illustrate this Jon looks at a famous actor whose off-screen life was very different from their on-screen life. Good Dad on-screen, bad Dad off-screen. Jon also looks at another famous media personality who couldn't believe in a God who was a jealous God because in their experience jealousy was wrong, so they invented their own God in their own image.Scripture says that:

God is good.

God is just and righteous.

God does not sin.

Therefore if scripture says that God is a jealous God then that jealousy must be very different to the sin of jealousy.Knowing the perfection of God's unconditional love for us, and knowing the unequalled matchless truth of who he is and can be to us, his jealousy equals provoked perfection. To choose another God is rejection of his affection and disconnection to his perfection. The key in knowing that Father God is a good father is removing our filter of earthly understanding and asking for his filter of divine revelation.How do I become a good Dad like Father God? One who is able to entwine both love and discipline together so well.

Ask for His guidance, learn from the master.

Don't shirk the responsibility of discipline.

Don't aim to be a child's friend, they need a father.

Wait a moment so your actions are proactive not reactive.

Don't be too proud to apologise if you mess up.

Scripture:

Malachi 3:6

Hebrews 13:8

Jeremiah 31

Deuteronomy 32:4

Psalm 85:10

Hebrews 12:6 and 10

Psalm 119:33, 34 and 73

Matthew 11:29

Proverbs 23:14

Visiting Pastors Michael and Valery Murphy provide a message about transcendent courage. Hearing and believing the voice of God will open a window to heaven that sees possibilities beyond or above the range of normal or physical human experience. Transcendent courage sees the future through the mist of prevailing obstacles.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 16:13

Revelation 2:8 to 10

Revelation 1:12

Revelation 2 and 3

Revelation 4:1 to 6

Joshua 1

Acts 2

Acts 4

1 Samuel 13:14

Visiting Pastor Michael Murphy provides a message about our spiritual development. We are not natural beings that are having a temporary spiritual experience, we are spirit beings that are having a temporary experience as a natural being.

Scripture:

John 7:37 to 39

Isaiah 12

John 4

Exodus 15

Revelation 3:15 to 16

Ezekiel 47:12

Revelation 22:1

Pastor Jon Cathie commences a series providing practical advice that will help your devotional jouney with God. In this message Pastor Jon provides keys to building and sustaining your prayer life into an exciting and effective part of your devotional journey with God.

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:4 to 16

1 Chronicles 16:11

Psalm 107:28 to 30

Psalm 105:18

Matthew 7:11

Romans 8:26

Ephesians 6:18

Philippians 4:6

James 5:13 to 16

1 John 1:9

1 Timothy 2:1 to 2

In line with this month's theme 'Pursue Through Devotion' Pastor Mark provides a message about how we relate to God as a bride and a lover. Is our devotion to Christ the same as it was at the beginning? Pastor Mark provides 10 signs that you might have left your first love:

You can go hours or days without having a passing thought about him.

Your worship is formal, dry and merely going through the motions.

Your private prayer and worship are almost non-existent and they are cold and dry.

You are more concerned about physical health, wellbeing and comfort than about the wellbeing and condition of your soul.

Your heart towards Christ is indifferent, not tender as it once was. Not easily moved by the Spirit's leading.

You find yourself becoming resentful about the hardships and demands of serving Christ and others.

You can talk with others about your kids, the weather or the news but struggle to talk about the Lord and spiritual matters.

You enjoy secular songs, movies and books more than songs or reading material that point you to Christ.

You have fallen back into sin habits that you put off when you were a new Christian.

Accumulating and maintaining material things consumes more time and effort on your part than seeking after and cultivating spiritual riches.

How can I get my first love back?

Remember from where you have fallen. Remember what your life was like before you came to Jesus and remember what it was like after you were saved by grace and Jesus was your first love.

Repent, we need to ask Jesus to forgive us. Here 'repent' literally means to think differently. Make Jesus the centre of your life.

Do the first works. What are the things you did at first? Revive your prayer life, bible reading and spiritual discussions.

Scripture:

Revelations 2:1 to 7

Luke 14:26

Psalm 51:12

A year ago Pastor Jon Cathie preached a message titled "The kind of giver I want to be." In this year's message on giving Pastor Jon explains ten things that he believes about giving.

 

I believe in the principle of tithing.

I believe you should bring your tithe to the church but give your tithe to the Lord.

I believe that fear will always bow down to faith.

I believe that when things get tight you give your way out of it.

God loves cheerful givers, he can't stand stingy ones. God's very nature is abundance.

I believe in special offerings over and above regular giving.

I believe its not about me asking you to give.

I believe that provision always follows vision.

I believe that you need to make a decision that if this church is your home church then get involved.

I believe the best investment is in the kingdom.

Scripture:

Malachi 3:10 to 11

2 Corinthians 9:7

Matthew 18:21 to 35

Exodus 35:21

Proverbs 29:18

1 Kings 10

Matthew 6:19 to 21