baptism of fire - matthew 3

John the Baptist declares that God is making a superhighway straight to save his people:

"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

So what do you do when God comes to town? Two things: repent v2 and bear fruit that shows that you have repented v8. Don't bank on your denomination, your cultural heritage, career or the fact that you're good to your mum. Rather repent and show the world that you have made way for the Lord in your life.

birth of the king - matthew 1, 2

It's the same ol' story year in year out - a baby is born, Bethlehem is the town, there's Mary and Joseph and some wise men coming to visit. It's the Christmas story and it gets retold every year. But in the opening chapters of his gospel Matthew is not just retelling a cute nativity scene but heralds the arrival of God's Son, Messiah, Saviour and King. As such, it's a story that shouldn't be reserved just for the 25th of December. Rather this is good news all year round.

thy kingdom come - matthew 1-7

welcome to the space to place your questions and comments about the Matthew 1-7 studies. These can range from the background to the Gospel eg audience, structure etc to a question in the study being clarified. More than happy to help. So feel free to leave a comment and we'll get back to you asap.

the frutiful life - john 15:1-17

I never really tried hard in high school and as such I received one comment on my report cards more than any other. They frequently said "Costa is coasting..." What it showed was that I wasn't trying, I wasn't putting in any effort and as a result I was getting average scores, just coasting my way through high school. If only I could have my time over again...

In John 15 Jesus compels us to bear fruit as we follow him. To not coast but to put real effort in following him. So how do you live the fruitful Christian life? It's by doing the basics...

1. remain in Jesus 15v5
   
2. read 15v3, 7
   
3. pray 15v7, 16

It sounds simple but it requires great effort - getting to Home Group, setting aside time to read your Bible and pray, not letting other things crowd these basics out. As we make these choices we will bear fruit for God desires to see this in our lives 15v7, 16.

So this year leave the coasting Christian life behind. It's time for your faith to bear fruit.