tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27245916612776566352024-03-20T07:02:45.555+10:00Homeward BoundSteven and Steph's reflections on ministry and study...Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-88577659339133540182009-08-03T11:43:00.002+10:002009-08-03T11:58:14.669+10:00UpdateMy goodness, is that the time! Here's a short update on what's been happening:<br /><br /><ul><li>Exams and assignments were pretty tough towards the end of the semester, but Steph and I were able to make it through with His grace and achieved well :) We also learnt so much and really enjoyed our SWOT-VAC studies and exam preparation!</li><li>The 3-week holiday was jam packed with activities including preparations for workshops, days out and Steph heading down to Sydney for a week to catch up with the girls</li><li>For the past three weeks I've preached my way through the minor Prophet, Amos in preparation for giving the talks at the Brisbane Cantonese Christian Church Camp in October</li><li>RICE Brisbane has come and gone. You can find photos of the RICE Big Day Out <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129266&id=744792742&l=49a08c9afb">here</a> and photos of the RICE Rally <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129444&id=744792742&l=9acf8215b0">here</a>.</li></ul><br />Upcoming stuff:<br /><br /><ul><li>Mark Dever, author of 9 Marks of a Healthy Church, is coming to QTC to give a series of lectures. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/event.php?eid=104065162498&ref=search">Come check it out</a>!</li><li><a href="http://www.blt.org.au">Brisbane Leadership Training Plus</a> is on again, registration closes this Friday. I'll be giving a seminar on 'How to pastor the Pastor'</li><li>CIA-SALT Camp is also coming up in the September holidays; and<br /></li><li>as mentioned before, I'll be the guest speaker at the Brisbane Cantonese Christian Church Camp in October</li></ul><br />So lots happening, lots to pray for, and even more to give thanks and praise to God for!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-19109419149101438792009-05-23T12:05:00.002+10:002009-05-23T12:28:42.374+10:00QTC Missions 2009 - Atherton, QLD (lowdown!)So, here are the reasons this blog hasn't been updated in a while:<br /><br />- Assessment: essays and exams have been flowing in thick and fast since the mid-semester break. But Praise God that I seem to be getting through them relatively ok and despite failing a recent Greek Paradigm (tables) test, I'm still joyful :)<br /><br />- Illness: I personally have been trying to shake a sore throat for the better part of a fortnight now. Steph has had some pretty bad days with tiredness and colds. Many people at College are getting sick and classes are noticeably less-full than at the start of the semester. I think the relatively quick change in weather as well as longer hours/less sleep has built up. I also think that many of us have been spiritually targeted at this particular time when assessment has started to pile up. Tactically this is what I would have done as well.<br /><br />With that out of the way, here is a short summary of the activities we participated in during our short missions trip to Atherton over the break.<br /><br />The trip lasted for a week. We arrived at Cairns airport bright and early with fellow QTC'ers. Our mini reunion was short as our teams headed into three different directions soon after - one team stayed in Cairns, another team went South to Gordonvale/Babinda and our team headed off to Atherton.<br /><br />Cameron Wills is the pastor for the Presbyterian church in Atherton. I forgot that I had met him before at a number of QTC events in the past.<br /><br />The activies we were involved with included:<br /><br /><ul><li>short talks - I gave one to a nursing home and a youth talk to the teens group</li><li>doorknocking - for the first couple of days we spent our time doorknocking the local area in and around Atherton to help raise awareness of the church and its activities. Karl and I had a great experience with one particular guy who accepted 'A Fresh Start - John Chapman' from us. Please pray for him as he reads through the book.</li><li>kids club - the church holds a weekly kids club involving, primarily, non-Christian primary aged school kids from the community. It was a great time of fun and joy to meet with these kids and share with them the Gospel!</li><li>Nursing home visit - as I mentioned before we visited a nursing home where three of the guys (myself included) gave short talks. It was great to meet some of the folks there - I met a gentleman named 'Richard' who shared with me some fantastic war stories :)</li><li>Youth Group - on the Saturday night we helped with their small teens group playing games and sharing the bible with them. I gave a short talk on 'Who is the Greatest?'</li><li>Church - we also helped out with the two church services. Reading the bible, sharing our testimonies and prayer points and preaching</li></ul><br />All up it was an encouraging time away in a relativley different culture to our own. I was excited to see the work of God in a different part of the country and also grew in fellowship with other students. I was also challenged to think through what it would be like to minister in an area such as Atherton.<br /><br />For those who have missed them, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=105439&id=744792742&l=67d7953c8e">here are some photos</a> of our time away. Feel free to leave a comment :)Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-1914818535387860612009-04-19T09:26:00.002+10:002009-04-19T09:27:34.851+10:00Get Real! - St Lucia English Church CampHave you registered yet??<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EBBpYfHImQw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EBBpYfHImQw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Steph and I won't be able to make it being on <a href="http://stevenandstephtran.blogspot.com/2009/04/qtc-missions-2009-atherton-qld.html">College Mission</a>.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-44695701728678859462009-04-19T08:47:00.003+10:002009-04-19T08:55:41.323+10:00QTC Missions 2009 - Atherton, QLDTomorrow (Monday) morning Steph and I fly out to Cairns to join a small team from QTC on a missions trip to the Atherton Tablelands. The whole college is going on a 1 week rural mission - half the team (and the rest of the CCCB'ers/5:17church'ers) will be going to Rockhampton. The Cairns team has been further split into three - one staying in Cairns, one going to Atherton and one heading to Gordonvale/Babinda.<br /><br />For those in the habit, please pray for Steph and I whilst we're gone. In particular please pray for the following:<br /><br /><ul><li>Praise and thank God for His gospel of grace and mercy!</li><li>Pray for a fruitful time away for all the QTC teams</li><li>Pray for me (Steven) - I'm giving two talks - one to a youthrgoup (on Matthew 20:20-28, 'serving others') and a short talk to a nursing home (probably on Mark 8).</li><li>Pray for courage and fruitful discussion as we go doorknocking on Wednesday and Thursday</li><li>Pray for energy and health in our time away - I came down with a small cold last night, but feeling better this morning.</li></ul><br />Thank you! Update and plenty of photos when we get back.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-43245152455878472632009-04-05T00:33:00.003+10:002009-04-19T08:56:23.726+10:00Half-way before the half-way of 1st year at QTC!Or in other words, we've just finished Term 1 (7 weeks) at QTC and are on holidays. We've got a two week break (which will be filled with some fun, study and essay writing) before Steph and I head to Atherton for a college missions trip.<br /><br />It's been a great start to the year. We've learnt so much (I often boast that my Hebrew and Greek are far better than my Chinese) and have been challenged with much. Steph initially found the study hard going - it's a very different style of thinking that we are being confronted with and a lot of our presuppositions are being challenged. But we are growing in our love for studying God's word and are very appreciative of the prayers and guidance we receive from wonderful lecturers.<br /><br />Please pray for us during this particular time - that we would be resting, but also that we would be able to keep on top of our studies during these next two weeks. Also pray for our upcoming missions trip which will be in regional Queensland - a place utterly unfamiliar to both Steph and I. Pray that we'll be able to serve well during the week, that we are faithful in the work we do and that God would do a mighty work in and through us to the community in Atherton.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-11339625080104851762009-03-20T23:22:00.005+10:002009-03-21T11:23:16.618+10:00Sad moment for SALT tonightTonight we did our fifth study in the '10 Commandments' series in '<a href="http://www.youthworks.net/studies-2-go-youth-ministry-bible-studies.php?c=22&d=835&e=836&f=132&w=7003&r=Y">More studies to go</a>'. It was on commandment #5 - honouring our fathers and mothers. Because we're a predominantly Asian youth group I felt this particular study needed to stress that the reason we are obedient to our parents is not so that we score marks in being 'gwai' - but because it pleases God (cf <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Col+3%3A20">Colossians 3:20</a>)<br /><br />On the way home I dropped off a couple of teens. Here's a snippet of the conversation I had with them in the car ride:<br /><br /><blockquote>Me: Can I ask you a question and get an honest answer?<br /><br />Teen: Sure!<br /><br />Me: What are you afraid of most - dissappointing God or dissappointing your parents?<br /><br />Teen: ... God...?<br /><br />Me: Really...?<br /><br />Teen: ...no... my parents...</blockquote><br />Pray for the families in our church - that they would not only be counter cultural, but thoroughly Gospel centred.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-13203664246807375092009-03-17T21:10:00.003+10:002009-04-19T08:56:51.832+10:00QTC - Prayer RequestTo those friends who read this blog and are in the habit of praying...<br /><br />A number of things have happened lately at the College Steph and I are attending. A few students have had to pull out of studies for various reasons beyond their control and some other students seem to be looking more run down than usual and sickness has hit some of the first year students. Please pray for these situations and pray especially that God would bind Satan and his minions from doing further harm.<br /><br />Thank you :)Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-48427900532451356802009-03-16T10:28:00.005+10:002009-04-19T08:57:17.021+10:00OT501 - Formative Old Testament TraditionsBrilliant moment #142 in OT501 last week:<br /><br />One of my fellow students and brother did a presentation on the literary features of Judges 3:12-30 - the relatively unknown story of Ehud and his defeat of Eglon king of Moab.<br /><br />In verse 19 Ehud says to Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And again in verse 20 Ehud says, "I have a message from God for you." The word 'message' is the Hebrew word <span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;" >דָּבָר</span> (davar) which can also be translated as 'word' or 'thing'. So in a brilliant double entendre Ehud comes to Eglon and says, "I have a secret 'thing' for you, O king."<br /><br />Eglon is both stupid enough to believe that this is something special and naive enough to send his guards away. Ehud produces his secret 'davar' from God and Eglon <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+3%3A12-30">ends up dead</a>. Brilliant!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-81601110062137619392009-03-09T14:15:00.004+10:002009-03-09T14:39:52.898+10:00KJV only...?I'm studying various Greek paradigms and tables for an upcoming exam on either Tuesday (highy unlikely) or Wednesday (very likely). I've finally understood the concept that when you're translating Greek you're not translating a word, you're translating an idea.<br /><br />For instance, here's a translating exercise I was recently given.<br /><br />"<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">γινωσκει τὴν καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ὁ θεός</span></span>"<br /><br />Literally translated, word-for-word, the sentence would look like this:<br /><br />"he knows the heart of a man the God"<br /><br />Now obviously this makes little sense. But applying various rules of Greek grammar the sentence would now look like this:<br /><br />"God knows the heart of a man."<br /><br />This little exercise, and many more like it, have helped me not only appreciate Greek as a language but also the unenviable task of bible translation. There is a vocal minority of Christians who believe that the KJV is the only infallible Word of God - and some in this camp have suggested that all other bible translators are guilty of blasphemy (particularly in regards to a small number of apparent omissions from the KJV text that the other bible translators have 'left out').<br /><br />Having done Greek now, for a little over three weeks (and also Hebrew for the same amount of time) I've come to the conclusion that the 'KJV Only' debate is a thorough waste of energy. Let us rather be thankful for the preservation of the Greek and Hebrew testaments, thankful for their accurate transmission through the generations, thankful for the many bible translators who have helped to give us a variety of bible translations to meet the needs of our intellectually varied world, and even more thankful for people like <a href="http://www.wycliffe.org.au/html/about_us.html">Wycliffe Bible Translators</a> who seek to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to other cultures and languages.<br /><br />There is, after all, no place in scripture which reads, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you read only from the KJV..."<br /><br />Amen? :)Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-20842208750349529222009-03-08T14:33:00.005+10:002009-04-19T08:57:42.288+10:00QTC - Queensland Theological CollegeCollege has started with a bang! My apologies to the blog readers out there - there's been plenty going on and I know I neglect this particular blog the most! Here's a short update on what happened between Christmas and the start of studies:<br /><br />- BLT - we spent most of January getting ready for BLT 2009. The week was great with great talks from Grant Thorp and Gary Koo along with great fellowship from those in Sydney and in Brisbane. It was also stinking hot :P<br /><br />- 1 Week's holiday - Steph and I took a trip down to Tasmania for a week for some time out before college started. A great time of rest - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87484&id=744792742&l=4090d">photos here</a>.<br /><br />When we got back we started to get more excited about college and study. I kept a small diary of how week 1 went...and without further ado, here is a slightly condensed version of week 1 at QTC...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A regular day</span></span></span></span><br />Got in super early because the jokester (David Baily) said we needed to get in early to claim a desk in the library. Each student has their own study desk - but when we got there we noticed that the desks had already been assigned...<br />First lesson was <span style="font-style: italic;">Hebrew </span>- yikes! However Leigh Trevaskis makes the learning easy and his aim is to help us gradually move into Hebrew rather than drown. We finish the lecture at 9:30am and I'm already hungry...not good.<br />Immediately after Hebrew we have an allotted study hour - which is so beneficial and helps to consolidate what we just learnt.<br /><br />Morning tea rolls around and I find it especially encouraging that the lecturers walk through the library (where the students study) and tell us morning tea is on (and they have continued to do so since).<br /><br />Following on from this are two subjects back to back - '<span style="font-style: italic;">The Cross and Clash of Cultures</span>' where Bruce winter passionately walks us through 1st Century culture and then helps us parrallel 21st Century culture. It's such a privelege to be learning under him - although his class is a lot less structured than the next one - '<span style="font-style: italic;">Intro to the New Testament - Content and Setting of the Gospel Tradition</span>'. Wes Redgen covered basic introductions to the subject and our course outline.<br /><br />Lunch found us at one of the Emmanuel College student lunch rooms - a rickety room downstairs and tucked away. Wes joined us for lunch (and apparently does so for most lunches). Steph and I were dilligent in packing our lunch the night before :P Well... Steph was dilligent - I just got her to make double...<br /><br />Following lunch on Tuesdays we have another allotted study hour. On Wednesday the hour is devoted to a section called 'God Goes' where a guest speaker from a particular profession is invited to come and share their thoughts on life, work and ministry in their particular arena. On Thursday this slot is taken up by a Chappel service.<br /><br />Then in the afternoon I find myself in Greek and needing to switch over mentally from Hebrew (though Steph doesn't have this problem since she isn't studying Hebrew). Wes started us off slow introducing us to the alphabet and dipthongs (joined vowels). Following Greek was an alloted study hour for Greek.<br /><br />Thus ended day 1 and we were excited to get the rest of the week under our belt.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other Highlights</span></span><br /><br />- I love the alloted language study hours! I don't know of any other college in Australia which seeks to do the same (but I heard they do it in Cambridge). It's so helpful considering that I've often felt a little intimidated during language classes but the study hour has helped to consolidate what we've covered.<br /><br />- On Thursday and Friday we have our '<span style="font-style: italic;">Intro to the OT - Formative OT Traditions'</span> with Leigh Trevaskis and Keith Birchley. Over summer the college was unable to acquire another OT lecturer (they did have one confirmed, but it seems to have fallen through - and there's a new NT lecturer coming in the middle of the year). So Keith Birchley, who is also doing further studies, has taken on some of the OT lectures. And boy, if you're familiar with Keith Birchley then his lectures are that much more deeper!<br /><br />- In both 'Intro to NT' and 'Intro to OT' we have already looked at some interesting opinions of the bible. In our course we will be interacting with a lot of unhelpful material (mostly written by dead Germans...) in order to interact with their ideas and further shore up our beliefs. It's proving a challenge already - so pray for us as we're both struggling a little in understanding and following some of the arguments. That said we do see the value of reading this material.<br /><br />- There are about 35 people in 1st year studies - which makes for a relatively big class size. Please pray for us as we go through the year that we would encourage each other and build each other up outside of the class room. It's a little hard to get very good interaction in the classroom as you feel you need to say your bit or miss out - so pray that the first years can interact with each other to ensure no-one gets left too far behind.<br /><br />- Daily prayer - I've been thoroughly encouraged by the short prayers at the beginning and end of each class. Whenever we study the languages our prayers are centred on knowing God's word with a richer passion and knowledge that we may not only preach it better, but better know God Himself. And in other classes the common prayer is that the material we study not only benefit our minds, but also lead us to better obedience.<br /><br />I'm loving QTC at the moment! Please continue to pray for us as we seek to grow and learn more.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-30400285654939779952008-12-25T14:36:00.002+10:002008-12-25T14:39:02.524+10:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Christmas is here, lots of celebrating to do and much to be thankful for. This year has been a difficult one for me personally, but I thank God that He is sovereign above all and that I can always trust in his gracious leading in my life.<br /><br />More to update soon - and I might have a chance to do so after Christmas. But for now, have a Merry Christmas celebrating the incarnation of the Son to this world :) And have a safe holiday!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-14395290912817980132008-11-18T13:44:00.004+10:002008-11-18T13:59:54.089+10:00Toowong Baptist Young AdultsLast Saturday night I had the chance to head to the Toowong Baptist Young Adults service. A mix from both the English side and Chinese side were in attendance in a cosy room where everyone was seated around small tables.<br /><br />I ended up speaking from Mark 6:30-52 - the feeding of the 5000 and walking on water (I've previously blogged a summary of my points <a href="http://salteee.blogspot.com/2007/09/whats-so-special-about-feeding-5000-and.html">here</a>). The talk went well and I was quickly reminded that it is quite emotionally and physically taxing to preach. Praise God I was able to get through it and praise God for TBC's youth :)<br /><br />Next up is BCCC's English service and 1 Corinthians 10:32-11:16 - the infamous passage regarding women and head coverings! Any thoughts on what this passage could possibly mean for Christians today? :)<br /><br />P.S - my moustache/gotti has come along ok...Andrew ended up piking on me!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-90295026448531835012008-11-05T11:05:00.002+10:002008-11-05T11:17:02.033+10:00Movember and speaking engagements<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPQFKUyGyGJqPizuiJVL_I1bJQUH7njUkboFijb4721rKmNZjVczV6-y3Ii8nKRXdz7aSRXo5FfhgnvBiqS6HdS6Z0VB_iOv15B1hQTN0IDr7DddBmxzaJ7e1_Ram3GygtlQMTOu_AR0/s1600-h/Movemeber.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPQFKUyGyGJqPizuiJVL_I1bJQUH7njUkboFijb4721rKmNZjVczV6-y3Ii8nKRXdz7aSRXo5FfhgnvBiqS6HdS6Z0VB_iOv15B1hQTN0IDr7DddBmxzaJ7e1_Ram3GygtlQMTOu_AR0/s400/Movemeber.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973813248487442" border="0" /></a>Movember - the month formerly known as November! The Prostate Cancer Council, in response to the overwhelming success of the 'Think Pink' Breast Cancer campaign launched 'Movember' a few years ago and it has grown (pun intended) every year since. The basic idea is that guys will spend the month of November growing out their moustaches to raise awareness of men's health issues. Andrew (that good-looking guy on the right) and myself will be doing Movember this year, not so much to raise money but to certainly raise awareness. I also have the side-goal of losing a little bit of weight to return myself to a healthier Body-Mass-Index (I'm currently sitting at just under 27 - which is considered overweight...). So if you see me at church unshaven ask me how my weight loss is going :P<br /><br />On another note, the coming month of November will certainly keep me on my toes. Each weekend will be filled with various speaking engagments of some sort and I'm looking forward to the coming weeks! Here's a quick run down:<br /><br />9/11 - St Lucia English Congregation - Jeremiah 20:1-18<br />15/11 - Toowong Baptist Young Adults Service - probably Mark 8<br />16/11 - Chairing St Lucia English Congregation<br />23/11 - Brisbane Cantonese Christian Church English Service - TBA (either Mark 6 or 1 Corinthians 11)<br /><br />Please pray for my preparations for these talks as well as my health/weight-loss goals :)Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-2068808279741300122008-09-26T13:24:00.002+10:002008-09-26T13:29:49.944+10:00CIA-SALT Camp 2008So much has been happening in the past few months that things have started to drag - like this blog and our newsletter! Our apologies for the delay.<br /><br />SALT had its first combined camp this year with CIA (Christ in Action - our Coopers Plains equivalent). We headed off to Koojawaren campsite in Toowoomba (well, Highfields - 10 minutes out from Toowoomba) and heard some great talks from guest speaker Sam Mak. Smak (as he is affectionately known) shared with the teens different parts of scripture and themed his talks on 'Humility'. The talks seemed to hit their mark with 13 teens responding after the Saturday night evangelistic talk and more teens probing with questions and being convicted of the truth of the gospel :)<br /><br />Praise the Lord for all that happened on the weekend and praise the Lord that more teens came into His glorious Kingdom!<br /><br />Here's some of the photos in a slideshow set to the camp theme song 'Before The Cross'.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SG59166hJJc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SG59166hJJc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-73671488025670598172008-08-14T16:04:00.002+10:002008-08-14T16:26:45.563+10:00BLT Plus 2008Tomorrow evening begins BLT Plus 2008. I've been asked to chair a couple of the sessions and I feel quite under-prepared for my chairing! But I know that God is good and faithful and will be at work within me to help me finish my chairing (hopefully tonight).<br /><br />In the meantime, here are some prayer points that you could be praying for us this weekend.<br /><br />Praise points:<br /><ul><li>Praise God for the power of His gospel to change and transform lives. That though we were once his enemies and without mercy, we are now His chosen people and have been shown great mercy.</li><li>Praise God for another opportunity to gather in Brisbane/Qld to hear God's word faithfully and passionately taught</li><li>Praise God for the chance to grow in our understanding of how to teach and apply scripture faithfully</li></ul>Petition:<br /><ul><li>Pray for Steph and I - I've been recovering from a cold, and Steph is coming down with a cold.. Pray that God would sustain her through the busy weekend and that she would not crash too hard when we get home.</li><li>Pray for my chairing sessions - pray that I would be godly and faithful in my speech and help point people towards Christ and His glory in my leading.</li><li>Pray for the delegates there, for soft hearts to hear God's word and for encouragement in our speech and conduct towards each other.</li></ul>Thanks all!<br />Steven<br /><br />P.S - I've posted up some thoughts on the upcoming release of the ESV Study Bible over on my <a href="http://salteee.blogspot.com">Salteee blog</a>. Check it out!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-77307738444415527002008-07-31T14:22:00.007+10:002008-07-31T14:39:16.439+10:00New Wheel (covers)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieudc2YeBVnKViHIFMASpNr2mEUCpUScpanUrA9NgZzBWrAcWZ2cmjDwmsHludHuJrv5n1_wvbKjJTMkYlZgot9Dlc0CTPwcSFhYm_zs9m_Y63js6PLcWL82kv84YS7wAqlhbbd1jiYZw/s1600-h/IMG_0765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieudc2YeBVnKViHIFMASpNr2mEUCpUScpanUrA9NgZzBWrAcWZ2cmjDwmsHludHuJrv5n1_wvbKjJTMkYlZgot9Dlc0CTPwcSFhYm_zs9m_Y63js6PLcWL82kv84YS7wAqlhbbd1jiYZw/s200/IMG_0765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229031027392617666" border="0" /></a>It seems like <a href="http://quop.blogspot.com/2008/07/whiter-shade-of-headlight.html">quop</a> is not the only one having to replace some things on his car. On my drive to Grunt (the St Lucia men's ministry) I lost one of the wheel covers (specifically the front driver's side). I remember being in stop-start traffic along Coronation Drive when all of a sudden I heard this crunching sound - like somebody rear-ended someone else. It sounded so close to my car that I actually wound the window <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzLeav-E-BTdABd9WEgpyfMGGuNlqHiDECSoLwrGVD69-Oc4VJ_KIMyNhKLY9rH_0XeZRDVJUYKJrZSPm7YRPNlPaS6c9quDJC3NzmiQd22ycmsvnfEVo6O3TlLjrcx6MNK0QCi8nuJc/s1600-h/IMG_0769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzLeav-E-BTdABd9WEgpyfMGGuNlqHiDECSoLwrGVD69-Oc4VJ_KIMyNhKLY9rH_0XeZRDVJUYKJrZSPm7YRPNlPaS6c9quDJC3NzmiQd22ycmsvnfEVo6O3TlLjrcx6MNK0QCi8nuJc/s200/IMG_0769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229031742984904562" border="0" /></a>down to pop my head out and do a quick visual inspection along my side. There appeared to be nothing wrong until I parked at St Lucia and realised what had happened.<br /><br />So this afternoon I went to Super Cheap Auto and bought 4 replacement covers. You can see the difference in aesthetics in the comparison below.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxZwJ7ILNz_e-vPTQtUPzs6lc2l-tjDKgM6iObVydIjXWahoO2teOV1851kDrgAybA4CsdNhfO9JNIb8RiWSSWwzCW-QfK4Nn4eGi_T48iCTom3Hn2z-LDOFpkX86FYgdKdj5QMTosys/s1600-h/IMG_0770.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxZwJ7ILNz_e-vPTQtUPzs6lc2l-tjDKgM6iObVydIjXWahoO2teOV1851kDrgAybA4CsdNhfO9JNIb8RiWSSWwzCW-QfK4Nn4eGi_T48iCTom3Hn2z-LDOFpkX86FYgdKdj5QMTosys/s200/IMG_0770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229032274854115986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wleLdNCvNj5hDwP48eUIz1krDO6ZCcohjEpuTOkCFhuk-O_Plq6KHuq7-GAknkqnG1LKeH-En5ie5R-Ck-_1cbK909jWxoJemYnCeouAe1s294D_3Mvpv71S95Z2EFJKg_L1kh4yKWE/s1600-h/IMG_0767.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wleLdNCvNj5hDwP48eUIz1krDO6ZCcohjEpuTOkCFhuk-O_Plq6KHuq7-GAknkqnG1LKeH-En5ie5R-Ck-_1cbK909jWxoJemYnCeouAe1s294D_3Mvpv71S95Z2EFJKg_L1kh4yKWE/s200/IMG_0767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229032272457669570" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />So if you see our car on Sunday and it looks slightly different to what you remember, it's because we've gotten new car wheel covers :)Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-79750696429756591862008-07-29T11:58:00.005+10:002008-07-29T12:29:03.838+10:00SALT Library!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfhb2NcR5pRezifY5zQcyUTqXiW0C_o5Zel3nnp04W4ME5M_UVeyKirZs-Sa0vd3mdJ8oxyitAnfK4pqQt1PoZvYSxmudVeFoE7XdWh9eS_MKgi1dWokc-zWA0fQXtpVaVF4k08zggVk/s1600-h/SALT+Library+%28big%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfhb2NcR5pRezifY5zQcyUTqXiW0C_o5Zel3nnp04W4ME5M_UVeyKirZs-Sa0vd3mdJ8oxyitAnfK4pqQt1PoZvYSxmudVeFoE7XdWh9eS_MKgi1dWokc-zWA0fQXtpVaVF4k08zggVk/s400/SALT+Library+%28big%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228250404719600818" border="0" /></a>Last week we kicked off SALT's library! With a relatively generous church budget allocated to SALT this year we have been steadily raiding Koorong and Word bookstores during their sales to stock up on various books. Here's a list of <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> of what you may find in our reading list:<br /><ul><li>the <a href="http://www.zgraphicnovels.com/series/mangaBible.php">Manga Bible</a> (Genesis & Exodus) - this has proved very popular with <span style="font-style: italic;">both</span> the guys and girls!</li><li>The <a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=0310242193">Case for Christ</a>/<a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=031024739X">Faith</a>/<a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=0310263743">Creator</a> youth & student editions by <a href="http://www.leestrobel.com/">Lee Strobel</a></li><li><a href="http://shop3.gospelcom.net/epages/rzim.storefront/488e7e5e00a84f99271d45579e7b06c7/Product/View/YBK9">Jesus Among Other Gods</a> youth edition by <a href="http://www.rzim.org">Ravi Zacharias</a></li><li><a href="http://johndickson.org/books">A Hell of a Life/Hanging In There/Sneaking Suspicion</a> - great books for teens by <a href="http://johndickson.org/">John Dickson</a></li><li><a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=0842345523">More than a Carpenter</a>/<a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=1850786909">Beyond Belief to Convictions</a> - excellent apologetic's books by <a href="http://www.josh.org">Josh McDowell</a></li><li><a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=1590521358">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> by <a href="http://joshharris.com/">Joshua Harris</a></li><li>and a great little series of 'The Little <a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=1577944593">Black</a>/<a href="http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=1577947924">Pink</a> Book' on various issues for teens</li></ul>Pray with us that we'll continue to build up the library with solid resources and pray that the teens would find encouragement, growth and conviction of the truth of Christianity/Jesus through these resources!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-68570722357068957942008-07-25T23:14:00.003+10:002008-07-25T23:18:03.205+10:00My love/non-love relationship with SALTI wonder if it's natural for me to feel a sense of dread week in and week out in the lead-up to SALT (SAint Lucia Teens). I'm not sure it should be.<br /><br />Tonight was a great reminder of how buzzing and exciting youth ministry can be. I led one of the teens through the prayer of repentance! How small minded I am, how inadequate is my love for the teens that I minister to, and how great is the awesomeness of God!<br /><br />Pray with me that this young teen would grow into a much more godly man than I am.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-84082671301750481262008-07-05T23:22:00.003+10:002008-07-05T23:30:54.214+10:00YF Camp reflectionsLast weekend we held our annual YF Camp. Tonight was the related 'YF Camp Reflections' in which everyone who went to camp got together one last time to share what they had reflected upon during the week after camp.<br /><br />Lots of people turned up tonight which was incredibly encouraging. Plenty of the first timers as well. I led a largish group through the reflections and was able to share my own thoughts.<br /><br />This year's camp wasn't the greatest one. Previous camps have had a better feel and better fellowship, however the lessons I learnt this weekend were quite profound compared with previous years.<br /><br />Our guest speaker's talks from the book of Jonah were excellent. I learnt more about the technique of preaching from listening in, but the greatest thing I was reminded of last weekend was to remember that God is always bigger than the box we put Him in.<br /><br />Now, this should come as no surprise really. However I realised that I have put God in a box. It's a box with the labels of 'theology' and 'got this figured out' plastered all over it. And I honestly believe it to be a very big box as well. But the surprising message of which I have been mulling over the past few days has been that even though I believe my box is very big, God is still much bigger than that. His ways are far beyond my ability to fully comprehend and I'm thankful that He condescends to my level and communicates His will to me through His word. I have so much to learn and so much more to be thankful for that I must continue to ponder and be in awe of God's greatness.<br /><br />What a privilege it is to have God reveal Himself in His Son. I pray that I'll be able to encourage you (and vice versa) to keep pondering the vastness and depth of God's greatness.Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-30005200801831390402008-07-04T11:48:00.004+10:002008-07-04T12:07:55.102+10:00YF Camp 2008Small man, big fish, even BIGGER God!<br /><br />This is probably the furthest campsite we've been to for YF Camp - I'd have to do a whereis comparison between the Somerset site and this years site at Lennox Heads. Both were roughly a 2 hour drive, but this year's drive felt longer.<br /><br />Anyway, it was another good weekend of great talks and fellowship. The campsite was good, skit night was as brilliant as ever, and the talks were spot on. The fellowship this year felt a little disjointed, but that seems to happen every so often.<br /><br />For those of you who missed out, here's some of the fun. Turn up your speakers ;)<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y8SIBspXSic&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y8SIBspXSic&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-44248356903458479312008-06-26T09:56:00.002+10:002008-06-26T10:22:24.198+10:00YF CampTomorrow we'll be heading off to YF Camp. I think this is now my 7th one (7th for Steph as well!).<br /><br />Each had their own highlights.<br /><br />'02 - Pete Ko/Sergio, the book of Genesis, baptised on the beach, Steve Irwin appearing in 3 different group skits<br />'03 - Eugene Hor, various gospel talks, leading a bible study for the first time, Dai Gor Gor (Asian Big Brother), the Oh's cooking for us, the big challenge to enter full-time paid ministry<br />'04 - Gary Koo, the gospel according to John, massive bible study groups, fire alarms (!), leaving early because the PA thought I had TB(!), the first time Derek Zoolander made an appearance on Skit Night...<br />'05 - Pete Ko, fantastic talks on the topic of 'Love', fantastic camp site, Derek Zoolander makes his final appearance on Skit Night<br />'06 - Bill Colyer, talks on the 'Last Days', Ronnie with a face full of flour and looking very Geisha-ish, Helen's inspiring testimony, me doing a very bad impersonation of Tom Cruise...<br />'07 - Michael Kwan, talks on various 'Parables', very challenging discussions during bible study, the best camp site ever (pity we can't use it again), gorgeous sunset photography opportunities, Ivan and Stella in an impressive display of Bollywood finesse...<br /><br />This year Steph and I have an opportunity to lead the 'beginners/non-Christian' group. The challenge before is bigger than I sometimes care to reflect upon, but praise God that He is bigger than the challenge. Our preparations this week have been good, but I get the feeling that we're looking forward to Monday night when it's all over with.<br /><br />For your prayer considerations:<br /><ul><li>Praise God for another YF Camp again - for the opportunities get away with our brothers and sisters to hear God's word taught faithfully and to encourage each other to respond obediently</li><li>Praise God that preparations have gone relativley well so far, and pray that Steph and I will be trusting in God's sovereignty throughout the camp</li><li>Pray for Steph who will be leading on her own this year, for confidence in God, for confidence that scripture is sufficient, and that she would not be anxious in the time she leads</li><li>Pray for myself that I will also place my trust in God and not in myself as I lead</li><li>Pray for the non-Christians in our groups, that they will be impacted by the talks and the bible studies, and that the Spirit would be at work powerfully in them to bring about conviction of sin, repentance and new life in Christ</li><li>Pray for the patience of the non-Christians friends who bring them, that they would not be dissappointed at a seeming lack of fruit from camp, but trust in God's timing and sovereignty over their friends lives</li></ul>Now, to finish packing...Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-73301348413285304022008-04-29T23:55:00.004+10:002008-04-30T00:01:55.768+10:00Back and somewhat refreshed :)It was important for the two of us to get away for a week and a bit. Over this past year we've been learning to guard our time off and seek to creatively rest from the work of ministry. This hasn't been easy, but we're beginning to get the hang of it at last!<br /><br />Getting away also helps. Mt Tambourine was a great couple of days away. We spent a good deal of out time with a great book, a fireplace, and a warm cup of tea. And we ended up going for a horse riding experience - which you'll have to ask us in person for more details!<br /><br />Last Sunday we returned from the Hunter Valley in NSW. We hired a car and braved the pretty rough roads (with potholes the size of small dams) to enjoy some of the valley's finest wines and celebrate the wedding union of Steph's cousin. You can see some of the <a href="http://steeejei.multiply.com/photos/album/5/Ashley_and_Christabels_Wedding">wedding photos here</a>.<br /><br />Now we're back to work and getting back into things. RICE is upon us very soon, so keep praying for that as the first event - the RICE Big Day Out - is happening this Saturday!<br /><br />P.S - our newsletter is overdue, we know! So keep an eye out for that soon!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-90019471398022310152008-04-21T00:17:00.002+10:002008-04-21T00:21:00.051+10:00We'll be right back :)Steph and I are heading away for a week for a much needed break. We'll be spending a couple of nights in Mt Tambourine reflecting on our 2 years of marriage together - praying with each other and deepening our relationship further.<br /><br />Then we'll be heading down to the Hunter Valley for Steph's cousin's wedding. We'll be back soon (and hopefully there will be plenty of photos to share!)Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-22062303127594613392008-03-19T10:33:00.002+10:002008-03-19T10:40:40.625+10:00Sapporo short-term mission blog up and running :)The absence of blogs here and at <a href="http://salteee.blogspot.com">Salteee</a> are not a reflection on my busyness this time! Instead I've been working on getting another blog (yes...I know!) up and running to share more of our recent short-term missions trip to Sapporo.<br /><br />So without further delay I present to you my '<a href="http://fmzero2007.blogspot.com/">Sapporo Short Term Mission (Dec 2007)</a>' blog.<br /><br />On this particular blog you will find:<br /><ul><li>Unseen photos from the trip</li><li>My daily journal entries with thoughts and reflections on our activities and the people we met</li></ul>Drop by and leave a comment or two :)<br />StevenSteeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724591661277656635.post-87541819446612300852008-03-19T09:34:00.001+10:002008-03-19T09:35:40.125+10:00Most embarrasing moments whilst chairing!I recently read a blog competition requesting submissions for the most embarrassing moments of leading Sunday services. Some of the entries were pretty funny and as I reflected there have been a few moments I’m not overly proud of either:<br /><ul><li>Once time I was chairing for Pastor Mun and as he finished I got up and thanked him for his message. I then attempted to summarise his message in a sentence or two to lead into the final song of response. I said something like, “Thanks Pastor for your message this morning. As Pastor has reminded us… umm… what did you say again Pastor?” I totally zoned out and forgot what he had just preached on!</li><li>One time I gave the guitar intro for ‘No Other Name’. I started much too quickly but didn’t realise and also stuffed up the chord progression. To add further insult to injury it was a relatively new song and nobody sang :P It wasn’t my best musical moment.</li><li>This one time, not whilst leading but whilst a musician, I was asked to do an intro for ‘How Deep The Father’s Love’ – my guitar had suffered greatly under the heat that morning and all of a sudden I was *incredibly* out of tune. Not only that but the pianist had not communicated to me earlier that he intended to play the song in a lower key – so I had an out of tune intro in the wrong key!</li></ul>Thankfully things have been a lot smoother!Steeejeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08374871517921014993noreply@blogger.com0