AZN SQUAT

Accountability groups!

Meeting: Church, Saturday, 7:30pm.

See Andrew's email!

My friend shared something with me today.

Vocation: From the Latin word for “call,” the word refers to our many callings as God’s baptized people — whatever our places and opportunities in life, we are called to serve others with love.

Tipping = generous

So how many of you have heard/said/frequently said: "We're students, we're not expected to tip."? Yes? I'm guilty too. Because I'm stingy.

But I've been listening to Pastor Mark (dude from camp) and I've just been listening to this sermon: Trial - Submission to Authority (1 Pet 2:13-17). And... he's challenging me (and now you. Aren't I evil?) to be generous. I dunno, I never used to think of tipping as being generous to the people who've just served me food. And... if the service was bad, or the food was dodgy (like seriously dodgy --> NTE, lost boys?), I grumble like you've just taken Christmas away forever. Because I'm a whinger like that.

When we go out to dinner, we pray, yeah? And from then on, everyone in the restaurant who saw us praying knows that we're Christians. What type of witness are we giving if we're stingy grumblers who don't have a good word to say about anyone?

So I feel convicted. Very convicted. I need to be more generous and give a whole lot more grace than I've been doing. When I go out, it's not my right to have perfect food and big smiley service. As Pastor Mark says: "Oh, there was hair in your food? Well, we're hair in Jesus' food!". God has forgiven us so much more than any petty thing that could go wrong in a restaurant.

Let's be Christians next time we go out. Who's up for it?

THe Devil only wanted one thing adn one thing only. He wanted all the power that God had. BUt there was one problem, he couldnt kill God!! But then came a moment when it seemed thta God made a mistake. There was a thing called Adam and another thing called Eve. Woohoo! God loved these two retards more than anything else so if only...

So the devil took advantage of their weakness and CAPUTRED them and made them his slaves. Forever in history would these so-called God-image-bearers would do so much evil and corrupt God's creation! Yes the power he was after would be soon in reach!

Wouldn't matter how many prophets or signs God would send, these humans were already so far deep in Sin to be able to claw themselves out! The Devil was so excited! Everything was going so well!

And it even seemed God paniacked. He actually came to earth as a man in some vain effort to rescue them D: ... What a fool! Wouldn't matter how many miracles and signs, the humans were his! Mwahaha! This-so-called-God didn't even stop the likes of the Pharaisees and Romans when it came to killing this Jesus! It all seemed too easy but...

At last ! God was on a cross! Beaten up, bleeding, bruised, humilated! Yes Yes YES! At last victory! God was dead!!!

But what's this... empty tomb? Maybe the deluded disclipes stole the ... WHAT?!?! WHAT IS THIS?!?! JESUS LIVES??? HES ALIVE?!?! HOW IS IT...

God was in control this whole time! Cain, Israel, Romans...he knew what was going to happen and then... How was this possible?! How could...

And now the humans were changing?!?! THey were no longer weak!! No! He couldnt take advantage of them!! How???!?! What is this Holy Spirit thing?!?! WHat is this faith thing?!?! What is this amazing grace?!?!? Who was God?!?!? What kind of God would die for this pathetic race?!?

Ripped off from Peter John Kreeft from the Case for Faith

Names

I Came across Think Baby Names =P It's interesting looking at the meaning behind names
Correct me if I'm wrong =]

George means "farmer" Greek
Daniel means "God is my Judge" Hebrew
Mark means "dedicated to Mars" Latin
Yvonne means "yew" Old German & French (hahaha love the link sorry Von!)
Dorothea means "gift of God" Greek
Jessica means "He sees" Hebrew
Emily means "rival; laborious; eager" Latin
Timothy means "God's Honor" Greek
Rebecca means "to bind" Hebrew
Aaron means "mountain of strength" Hebrew
Naomi means "pleasant" Hebrew
Sebastian means"revered" Greek
Ian means "God is gracious" Scottish
James means "He who supplants" English
Abigail means "father of exaltation" Hebrew
Johann means "God's grace" Hebrew
Andrew means "Man; Warrior" Greek
Sherman means "shear man" English
Katrina is a shorten form of Katherine which means "pure" Greek
Gigi "shorten form of Georgina which is a feminine form of George" French
Apologies to Son which I looked up Sonny which means "Son" English

I thought having a Hebrew Name would Rock !
So I selected some cool looking ones in my opinion ;)

Barack means "Lightening; Blessing" Hebrew, Swahili, African Origin
Evan means "Rock" Hebrew, "God's grace" Scottish, "Young Worrier" Celtic, "Good Messenger" Greek (I particularly like the meaning behind this name )
Ethan means "Firmness, long-lived"
Gideon means "Powerful warrior; feller of trees" (I love this name)
Issachar means "his reward will come"
Jesse means "the Lord exists"
Obadiah means "servant of God"
Raphael means "healing God"
Reuel means "friend of God"
Samuel means "God heard; requested of God; God's Heart; God's name"
Shachar means "dawn; sunrise"
Shai means "gift"
Tobias means "God is good"
Tor means "Thunder; turtle-dove"
Uriah means "my light is Jehovah" (I think this one is second to Gideon)
Yaar means "forest"
Yakar means "precious"
Yusuf means "the Lord increases"
Zebediah means "gift of Jehovah"

Be a tram!

So we were at Crossroads on Sunday night and the MC shared an illustration with us:

Some of us are like cars and going to church is like going to a petrol station. We rock up, get our spiritual fill and it lasts us a week before we get back to church again.

But trams, they don't need petrol because they're always connected to the power source. Be like a tram instead! Don't let church be the only thing that fills you spiritually - be connected to God by His Word, by prayer and through fellowship with brothers and sisters!

BE A

All we could do was pray

All We Could Do Was Pray

There's barely any mention of praying or God in this article but it reminded me that

The Modern March

hellooooo!! :D
just thought i'd share with ya all a really sweet song i've recently become slightly obsessed with! It's called The Modern March by Run Kid Run, and the lyrics and song is amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv-NfPmqKVM

I give You my life, won't You take me?

For I was nothing before You found me

I will use my voice to sing out

With all that I am, with all that I have

How many times will I deny You?
Still Your love won't let me go
How many times will I deny You?
Still Your love won't let me go

hope you enjoy! :) doesn't it just make you wanna sing?

More Than A Carpenter

Who Would Die For a Lie?

I thought this was interesting as I read it =]

It's taken from the Book More than a Carpenter by Josh & Sean McDowell

Pg.89 "Our Knowledge of Christianity is based on testimony . ..
Pg. 90 Were the oral testimonies about Jesus trustworthy? ...
I can trust the apostles' testimony because eleven of those men died martyrs' deaths because they stood solid for two truths:
Christ's deity
& His Resurrection.

These men were tortured and flogged, and most finally suffered death by some of the cruelest methods then known:

1.Peter, originally called Simon, was crucified.
2.Andrew was crucified.
3.James, son of Zebedee, was killed by the sword.
4.John, son of Zebedee, died a natural death.
5.Philip was crucified.
6.Bartholomew was crucified.
7.Thomas was killed by a spear.
8.Matthew was killed by the sword.
9.James, son of Alphaeus, was crucified
10.Thaddaeus was killed by arrows.
11.Simon, the zealot, was crucified.

Read. Matt 10:2-4

He Continues

"The perspective I often hear is, "Well, these men died for a lie. Many people have done that. So what does it prove? . ..
...What was the case with the disciples? If the Resurrection had not happened, obviously the disciples would have known it. . . .
Therefore they not only would have died for a lie---Here's the catch--but they would have know it was a lie.
It would be hard to find a group of men anywhere in history who would die for a lie if they knew it was a lie.

http://www.theworldgame.com.au/germany/ze-roberto-born-again-275172


lol u guys may have no idea who he is but i thought it was encouraging to see even a pro footballer can find time to form a bible study group within his team and be public about his faith. ^^

For George:

This is Abbey Road. It's a place and an album by a small band called The Beatles.

Dont worry seb... I'll get her bak for u :D

Happy New Year! Seb has this greeting from Hong Kong for us:

Seb says: i bought a nice jacket today
dot says: That's.. good.
Seb says: lol say something like "ooo is it a nice jacket?"!!!!
dot says: You already said it was a nice jacket...
Seb says: crap
Seb says: i bought a jacket today&