Geoff Snook Archives - The Lakes Church Cairns

Rule of Life

The tool we are practicing as we explore abiding with Jesus is called a Rule of Life. It’s a guide consisting of boundaries, habits and rhythms. We commit to and explore these to flourish in our discipleship to Jesus.

You can find the full guide for creating your own Rule of Life here: https://thelakes.org.au/2024/02/16/create-a-rule-of-life/

A Rule of Life is like a trellis in a vineyard – it provides a helpful structure for the vines to grow up.

Saint Benedict from the 6th Century called the Rule of Life “a framework for freedom.”

This is not a legalistic set of rules that are poor attempts to please God. This is about practice, not about performance, effort or earning. This is a way of stewarding our time, energy, and life well as worship in response to what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives.

“A rule offers creative boundaries within which God’s loving presence can be recognised and celebrated. It does not prescribe but invites, it does not force but guides, it does not threaten but warns, it does not rigidly confine but it keeps you moving in the right direction.” -Henri Nouwen

A Rule of Life is a ‘measure’; a way to measure what we take on, what we do with our time, energy and attention and of course a way to relentlessly pursue Jesus, allowing us to abide in him and follow him.

A Rule of Life can be incredibly helpful for an individual’s formation. However, they can also be powerful tools for small groups to explore. In fact, having a shared Rule of Life with others can be a game-changer.

You can find the full guide for creating your own Rule of Life here.

Group discussion guide for Sunday 18th February 2024

As part of relentlessly pursing Jesus this year, we are introducing The Transformation Trek

The Transformation Trek is an exciting journey of discovery and growth in your faith. It is a series of practices and rhythms of life that will help you explore, grow, and connect with others on this journey with Jesus. We’ll be looking at Jesus’ character and teachings, aiming for alignment of heart, mind and action with his life.

Pastor Steve Gray at Burleigh Church of Christ has been developing and practicing The Transformation Trek for years. Other churches like ours have joined in along the way and we are grateful to Steve and Burleigh for offering these resources to us. You can find out more at https://www.transformationtrek.online

As part of making time for friendship this year, we are highlighting small groups

Walking The Transformation Trek together urges us to gather in smaller groups; intimate, trusted communities, which are a crucial element of discipleship. We encourage everyone to find a small community that can help them grow in their faith and connect with others on a deeper level.

We can help you find, or form, a small group where you can share your struggles and victories, ask questions, and grow in your faith alongside others. We believe that this is where transformation can truly take hold and we can’t wait to see how God will work in and through your life as you journey with us.

Connect with us anytime at https://www.thelakes.church

The post Creating a Rule of Life (Geoff Snook) appeared first on The Lakes Church Cairns.

Our faith isn’t perfect. We haven’t achieved everything. We are still a work in progress. Rather than resting on the past or holding on to what we have, let’s put everything on the line again for Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission.
Philippians 3:13 (The Voice)

Our mission statement is still: Love people and invite them to join us in a growing relationship with Jesus. We believe God wants us to focus on the second half of the statement this year: “us, in a growing relationship with Jesus.”

Relentlessly pursue Jesus

This year we are going to lean more into a growing relationship with Jesus.

No matter how old we are, or how long we’ve walked with Jesus, he has more growth he wants for us. How can we make sure our spiritual growth really is life-long? In 2024 we’ll explore some habits, practices and rhythms of life to invest in our relationship with him.

Along the way we don’t want to lose sight of opportunities to invite others to join. We’ll be ready to welcome people with warm hospitality and to introduce them to Jesus.

Make time for friendship

This year we are going to spend more time together, building healthy relationships.

The social fabric of our church is thinner than ever before. People are isolated, lonely and disconnected, but many aren’t even aware of this, or how negatively it is affecting them. In 2024 we want to fight the trend towards loneliness by weaving ourselves together into healthy friendships and communities.

Some of the challenges in this will be creating time, lowering walls we’ve put up to people and being willing to walk with the wounded.

While some of our sermons, services and programs will help us move forward in these areas, this isn’t something ‘the church’ can do for you. Relentlessly pursuing Jesus and making time for friendship is something we all need to take seriously and take steps towards in our everyday lives.

Will you go all in this year? All in on Jesus and all in on community?

As part of relentlessly pursing Jesus, we are introducing The Transformation Trek

Are you ready to join us on an exciting journey of discovery and growth in your faith? The Transformation Trek is a series of practices and rhythms of life that will help you explore, grow, and connect with others on this journey with Jesus. We’ll be looking at Jesus’ character and teachings, aiming for alignment of heart, mind and action with his life.

Pastor Steve Gray at Burleigh Church of Christ has been developing and practicing The Transformation Trek for years. Other churches like ours have joined in along the way and we are grateful to Steve and Burleigh for offering these resources to us. You can find out more at www.transformationtrek.online

We’ll introduce the first practice of The Transformation Trek on Sunday 11th February.

As part of making time for friendship, we are highlighting small groups this year

Walking The Transformation Trek together urges us to gather in smaller groups; intimate, trusted communities, which are a crucial element of discipleship. We encourage everyone to find a small community that can help them grow in their faith and connect with others on a deeper level.

We can help you find, or form, a small group where you can share your struggles and victories, ask questions, and grow in your faith alongside others. We believe that this is where transformation can truly take hold and we can’t wait to see how God will work in and through your life as you journey with us.

Group discussion guide for Vision Sunday, February 4 2024

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In the midst of life’s storms, we invite you to anchor your faith in Jesus during this series. Our four regular preachers will take a turn sharing their personal stories and the biblical anchors that keep them committed to Jesus. “Why am I still here? Why am I still a Christian? Why am I still serving the church?” If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions you’ll appreciate this series.

The post Anchored Faith (Geoff Snook) appeared first on The Lakes Church Cairns.

As we kick off the Advent series, we’ll explore the role of John the Baptist in preparing the way for Jesus. Just as John paved the path for Christ’s arrival, we’ll explore how we can prepare our hearts to receive the King. What does it mean for us to be modern-day John the Baptists, clearing away distractions and making room for the presence of Jesus in our lives?

Join us in December for a transformative journey through the Christmas story. In this four-part series we will explore the rich themes of expectation, anticipation, and fulfilment that surround the coming King. Each week we’ll uncover how meaningful Jesus’ birth still is today, and be challenged to shape our whole lives around him again.

The Bible reading plan to go along with the series is ‘Names Of Jesus For Advent’: https://www.thelakes.church/adventplan

Connect with us anytime at https://www.thelakes.church

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Philippians 4.

The Apostle Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from prison. And even thought there is a lot he could complain about, his life and letter are full of joy. Philippians is the most encouraging and joyful letter in the whole Bible. Paul ’s struggles have become his greatest teachers. He has learned to depend on the one who gives him strength. He has learned to have joy and contentment, no matter what he is facing. And, most of all, he has learnt to model his life after the example, teaching and love of Jesus Christ.

In this series we’ll learn how we can have our attitudes and entire lives transformed by Jesus. No matter what you are facing, no matter what pressure you’re under, no matter how divided your loyalties are, you’ll be encouraged, inspired and challenged to live for Christ. Join us on Sundays for this five week series and journal along as we read Philippians together.

In this series we invite you to take a ’S.O.A.P.’ journal and dig deeper into Philippians during the week. SOAP is a simple way of writing down a ‘Scripture’ that stands out to you from the passage, an ‘Observation’ of what God is saying to you from that passage, an ‘Application’ of how you can apply it today and a ‘Prayer’ asking God to help you use what you’ve learned. You can find a digital journal and group discussion questions here: https://thelakes.org.au/2023/10/06/philippians-series-2023/

Each Sunday we’ll explore something from the verses in Philippians that we will be reading and journalling about in the coming week. We’ll also hear from a different person each Sunday about their experience with the SOAP journal. We will provide printed and digital journals.

Connect with us anytime at https://www.thelakes.church

The post Joy and contentment (Laura Snook) appeared first on The Lakes Church Cairns.

Philippians 3.

The Apostle Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from prison. And even thought there is a lot he could complain about, his life and letter are full of joy. Philippians is the most encouraging and joyful letter in the whole Bible. Paul ’s struggles have become his greatest teachers. He has learned to depend on the one who gives him strength. He has learned to have joy and contentment, no matter what he is facing. And, most of all, he has learnt to model his life after the example, teaching and love of Jesus Christ.

In this series we’ll learn how we can have our attitudes and entire lives transformed by Jesus. No matter what you are facing, no matter what pressure you’re under, no matter how divided your loyalties are, you’ll be encouraged, inspired and challenged to live for Christ. Join us on Sundays for this five week series and journal along as we read Philippians together.

In this series we invite you to take a ’S.O.A.P.’ journal and dig deeper into Philippians during the week. SOAP is a simple way of writing down a ‘Scripture’ that stands out to you from the passage, an ‘Observation’ of what God is saying to you from that passage, an ‘Application’ of how you can apply it today and a ‘Prayer’ asking God to help you use what you’ve learned. You can find a digital journal and group discussion questions here: https://thelakes.org.au/2023/10/06/philippians-series-2023/

Each Sunday we’ll explore something from the verses in Philippians that we will be reading and journalling about in the coming week. We’ll also hear from a different person each Sunday about their experience with the SOAP journal. We will provide printed and digital journals.

Connect with us anytime at https://www.thelakes.church

The post Press on (Geoff Snook) appeared first on The Lakes Church Cairns.

Philippians 2:1-11

The Apostle Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from prison. And even thought there is a lot he could complain about, his life and letter are full of joy. Philippians is the most encouraging and joyful letter in the whole Bible. Paul ’s struggles have become his greatest teachers. He has learned to depend on the one who gives him strength. He has learned to have joy and contentment, no matter what he is facing. And, most of all, he has learnt to model his life after the example, teaching and love of Jesus Christ.

In this series we’ll learn how we can have our attitudes and entire lives transformed by Jesus. No matter what you are facing, no matter what pressure you’re under, no matter how divided your loyalties are, you’ll be encouraged, inspired and challenged to live for Christ. Join us on Sundays for this five week series and journal along as we read Philippians together.

In this series we invite you to take a ’S.O.A.P.’ journal and dig deeper into Philippians during the week. SOAP is a simple way of writing down a ‘Scripture’ that stands out to you from the passage, an ‘Observation’ of what God is saying to you from that passage, an ‘Application’ of how you can apply it today and a ‘Prayer’ asking God to help you use what you’ve learned. You can find a digital journal and group discussion questions here: https://thelakes.org.au/2023/10/06/philippians-series-2023/

Each Sunday we’ll explore something from the verses in Philippians that we will be reading and journalling about in the coming week. We’ll also hear from a different person each Sunday about their experience with the SOAP journal. We will provide printed and digital journals.

Connect with us anytime at https://www.thelakes.church

The post Have the attitude of Christ (Geoff Snook) appeared first on The Lakes Church Cairns.

What is hell like? Is it really all that bad? Is it real at all? Do all people go to heaven? How good do I have to be to make it to heaven? If the afterlife lasts for an eternity, won’t I get bored? Discover the truth behind common myths about heaven, hell and the afterlife, and why accepting salvation means more than just being saved from an eternity in hell.

Week 2 – Heaven or hell?

What is hell like? Is it really all that bad? Is it real at all? Do all people go to heaven? How good do I have to be to make it to heaven? If the afterlife lasts for an eternity, won’t I get bored? Discover the truth behind common myths about heaven, hell and the afterlife, and why accepting salvation means more than just being saved from an eternity in hell.

Break the ice

Read

Matthew 7:13-14

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

Jesus will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

Philippians 3:19-21

They think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Saviour. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Revelation 21:1, 3-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”

Other passages to explore

Discuss

Pray

God, we believe you are good. Thank you for giving us choice. Thank you for preparing a place in heaven for us. Thank you for sending Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. Teach us to seek you and your will on earth as it is in heaven. Inspire us to love everyone we can with your practical grace and truth that promises eternal life. Help us to share the hope we have with others. Amen!

This week

The post One minute after you die – heaven or hell? (Geoff Snook) appeared first on The Lakes Church Cairns.

Is there life after death? In the first part of this series, we’ll explore the three things that happen when our life on this earth is done. The third thing might be the toughest to grasp—we’ll all face judgment, but who does the judging, and what will we be judged on? Your afterlife is dependent on the life you live now.

If you’d like to join the reading plan for the next 6 days, join us at www.thelakes.church/oneminute

Week 1 – Is there life after death?

Is there life after death? In the first part of this series, we’ll explore the three things that happen when our life on this earth is done. The third thing might be the toughest to grasp—we’ll all face judgment, but who does the judging, and what will we be judged on? Your afterlife is dependent on the life you live now.

Break the ice

Read

2 Corinthians 5:1-4, 8-10

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.

Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 

Other passages to explore

Discuss

Pray

God, thank you that this life is not the end. Thank you for making a way for us, through Jesus, to spend eternal life with you. Holy Spirit, reveal to us the ways we are living with a short-term perspective. We want to do your will here while we’re on earth. Teach us how to live with eternity in mind. Amen!

This week

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There is an exponential factor to whatever you offer God and offer to each other. 2 Corinthians 9:11, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.” You can’t control the outcome or what you receive, but this passage promises an exponential provision and supply when you live generously.

No matter what you have entrusted to God and to each other, your trust is well placed. God’s economy, the exchange rate of the Kingdom of Heaven is at work. Even as you give, God is looking to provide for you and to increase your resources.

This principle of exponential generosity and getting back according to what you give, applies to all areas of life. When you offer forgiveness it will cost you. That is expensive generosity. But Jesus said forgive and you will receive. The amount you give (and forgive) will determine the amount you get back.

You can trust God with anything give. Money, forgiveness, anything.

Are you willing to trust him? To experiment with him in being more generous?

Connect with us anytime at https://www.thelakes.church

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