REEF Social

Hey REEFers

After a terrific night last night, Holiday is among us! I hope you guys brought a few friends, met a few friends, and ATE AWESOME PIZZA! Go me and Ian's Nachos Pizza and also the gooey and sweet toothed chocolate-mashmellow pizza by Christine and Olivia!! 

I hope you guys have a great holiday, and we'll see each other in REEF term 4!!!

Prayer points:

• Pray for the new comers, that they may come again to Reef
• Pray for people who had questions about Christianity, that God would fill their hearts with faith and show himself to them. 
• Pray for the holidays, for safety and that everyone wont forget about God. 
• Pray for the HSC-ers that they'll use their time wisely and not forget God during studies. 

I'll see you guys next term!

In him

SWan

End of Term 3

Hey REEF-ers 

Hope you guys had a great time at Reef last friday. Its nearly the end of term, and a lot of things had been happening this term, and i hope to keep this as short as possible. 

One thing which popped up during a chat with James (the Picnic Point Yr. 12 guy) is the importance of Christian Leadership/Ministry, Quiet time and Accountability. And here is a small recap on the three:

Christian Leadership

Christian Leadership does not just encompass Pastors, its in everything we do. In a way, we are leading someone through our actions into thinking or reacting. So in a simple outline, christian ministry is your life, how you live it.

Always delve back into the bible if you need help, a recap on 2 Tim 3 :Four things to remember, the bible is made for:

1)Teaching

2)Rebuking

3)Correcting

4)Training

If you cant remember that, just REEF it! Rebuke Encourage extol in fellowship!!

Quiet time

The importance of quiet time. What is quiet time? Why do you do quiet time? A quote from something i read a while ago:

Faith reloaded:

When I told you, by reading the Bible, doing quiet time, going to church, joining the fellowship… and etc – it has nothing to do with the faith that is mentioned in Hebrews 11:1. Which it says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” I said this to emphasis my point of argument: If you read the Bible and do all these activities as a religious duty, you are not doing it to your faith in Christ.

Remember its through Jesus that we can have quiet time. Its the same with our faith:

"It is by Grace youhave been saved, through Faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the Gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephisians 3:8-9

Accountability

Accountability is an important, this is where fellowship comes in. We cant have fellowship with only one person, hence, we cant have accountability with only one person. An example would be, having a christian bible reading buddy. Me for example, i've been able to read the bible more efficently when i got one of me friends as a bible reading buddy. We go through a book each month and have little discussions throughout to see what we've learnt and took on. 

But yeah, i urge you to have a Accountability group at Reef, if ur not already part of one. One important note: Keeping accountable is a Two Way Street. If you want to have someone to keep you accountable, i'm happy to do so :D. Feel free and talk to me anytime :D

I hope you've all grown closer to Christ in this term, and i'll see you all at the Reef Social!!! One Week and counting... or should i say .. accounting .. :P

In him

SWan

Christian Nominalism

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16

I would like to buy 3 dollars worth of God, please
Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make me love a foreigner or pick beets with a migrant.
I want ecstasy, not transformation.
I want the warmth of the womb not a new birth.
I want about a pound of the eternal in a paper sack.
I'd like to buy 3 dollars worth of God, please
How much God do you want?
You get as much or as little as you desire.

Are you a Christian? Ask yourself, why are you a Christian?

If you are a Christian, are you living your lives for Christ? Or is it just something you say but actually never think about?

Friday - Prayer Urgent

Hey Reefers

Friday is here, and i have received bad news. I've received a msg from a frien saying that Buddist extremeist burnt down 20 churches two days ago and and are planning to destroy 200 churches in Orissa today. 

The BJP also planned to kill 200 pastorsin the next 24 hours. All christians are hidign in bushes. - Pastor Steve Dubai

Please pray for Christians in India. I hope you guys can announce it at reef and pray about it. 

SWan

Arrrr  - Herre be International talk like a pirate day!

Adrian's Talk

Just a small recap, it was on 2 Timothy 1:1-14. Now this verse i've heard lots of talks on, but none on Christian Leadership.



Adrian said, Christian leadership, or actually christianity itself, is like a flame, we should fan it into a fire, a fire which is bruning with passion for Christ. The main discussion points are lost in my mind, but here are the four questiosn which i remember discussing with people:







1) How could u further your relationship with God?



Many nobrainer- sunday school answers sprouted from this one, e.g. bible reading, Qtime, praying. Yes, they're all fantastic in furthering your relationship with God, but heed this, dont turn it the other way round. What i mean by this, is that, as much as make Qtime and prayer a routine, dont highlight that qtime is a way to God.



Its only through Jesus, that we can have Qtime, and prayer. Prayer and Qtime does nothing if you dont have Jesus and God's grace in mind. like what adrian said: "if we read the bible without God, then it,.. something somehting on the lines of it being useless and futile".



2) what is holding you back? (opposition)



What is holding you back from having this fire? Life? School? Peers? Games? Lack of time? Tv? theres an endless list of materialistic things out there. Well the little little advice i have is that, nothign is greater than God, and ultimately, everything is gonna be kaputt, gone, kapische. Pray that god will help you keep these things from holding you back,






3) What is christian ministry, and how can we participate?



In our definition of Christian ministry, we've pin pointed it down to serving at church, preaching and being a leader of something. Christian ministry isnt just that! Thats only half of it!



The simple answer i can give you is: Christian Minsitry is LIFE!

Chrisitian ministry is not only serving at church, its how you live your life. We should live everyday for Christ, how do we do this? Heres a simple way, every action you undertake, ask yourself this, are you doing it for yourself or are you doing it for Christ?



4) So if you are a christian, and you dont feel this passion whats holding you back? What is the motivation needed?


Prayer points

- Pray that God will help us be Christians in everyway of living.
- Pray that God will strengthen the fire in us, fan it into a large gusto flame.
- Pray for REEF as it continues to grow.
- Pray that we get our priorities right.
- Pray that God will motivate and disipline so that we will go on the right path.

In him

SWan

Ps. Please correct me on anything.