Easter is a great time to be thinking about the resurrection of Jesus.  In evangelism I find I am constantly going back to the resurrection of Jesus as people ask me two questions.  The first is a historical question - “is it true?”.  The second is theological -”what does it matter?”

As Christians we need to have answers on these two questions.  Why?  Well simply because the resurrection is at the heart of our belief system.  As the apostle Paul says:

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

So where do I go to find answers to these two questions?

Public Christianity Website has a great little basket of Easter goodies that you can chew on where they investigate the historical question.

The Bible is the place to go when looking for the theological significance of Jesus resurrection.  Can I suggest that Acts 2 is a good starting place.  As Peter unpacks the resurrection we see three things:

• The resurrection asserts Jesus to be a living active King who rules todayVerse 36 - God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
  
• The resurrection shows us Jesus is King even over death.Verse 24 - But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
  
• The resurrection demands a response of repentance and faithVerse 37-38 - When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Yesterday YWAM, some crew form Hunter Bible Church and other churches in the region ran a High School Easter Seminar at Merewether High School for all kids in years 8-10.  Over the course of the day around 700 kids heard the gospel of Jesus is explained clearly and simply.

YWAM played music, a few people gave their testimonies, Josh Allen spoke the gospel from Ephesians 2, and the rest of talked to kids in small groups where we got to share the gospel again, answer their objections to Christianity, and encourage them to investigate the person of Jesus!

The message was simple….

We are dead and our only chance for life is through Jesus!

YouTube page:  The parrot is dead!

Pray that God would bring kids to ‘Inquire’ on Wednesday - a lunch time group that meets each week to further explain the Christian message to kids at Merewether High School.

Every day, I drive past a ridiculously good-looking church. It’s in a nice suburb. The gardens are beautiful with lush flowers and beautifully maintained lawns. The best feature by far is the huge, circular stained-glass window above the entryway. Man, I love that church! (see pic below)

Most days when I drive past the ridiculously good-looking church, I wonder what it must be like to go to church there. I think, “If only HBC owned that church.” Never mind that it would be really expensive and effortful to keep the grounds. Ignore the fact it is too small for each of our congregations. Forget that the mortgage would be huge because of the suburb it is located in. I easily dismiss the fact that it would be very impractical for our youth and kids ministries. I just want that church building because it’s ridiculously good-looking!

Perhaps I need to put aside my superficial ideals? Perhaps I need to learn what kind of building would be best for meeting HBC’s needs in spreading the gospel to Newcastle?

Our HBC Building Feasibility Committee has put good thought into what kind of building will meet HBC’s needs now and over the next 10 years. Next Wednesday night, after the HBC AGM, there will be a Q&A session about all things to do with the HBC building plans. I think that we (who care about where HBC is heading) should go along– it’s sure to be interesting and informative. Who knows, perhaps I’ll start looking around for other buildings that aren’t necessarily ridiculously good-looking but ridiculously purposeful for the gospel?!

The HBC AGM and Building Q&A sesh:

When: 7pm, Wednesday 31^st March, 2010

Where: 30 Warabrook Boulevard, WARABROOK (the Compassion Building)

Who: Everyone!

Spur 2010 is a conference that seeks to raise the next generation of gospel workers.  If you’re wondering about how you can best live for the gospel of Christ and take up the gospel opportunities out there this conference is for you.

Last year over 40 people from HBC went along and had a great time.  This year the conference is in May so that we can be challenged about decisions for 2011.  It’s also in Sydney so I’m looking at places we can stay for free near Parramatta.

Find out more and register online at www.mts.com.au

Let us know if you’re coming!

How do you feel when I mention walk-up evangelism or leafleting. I don’t know about you but I start to feel sick -my heart starts to beat faster, my palms become sweaty, i become nervous.  Why is that? is it because I think I have nothing useful to say or invite them to? Am I afraid of becoming like Ned Flanders. Well to help get me into the right frame of mind I go back to what the bible has to say about evanglism.

1. Pray because God is the one who saves. Ephesians 1

2. Be loving, gentle and respectful.1 Peter 3:15

3. God has predestined people from the beginning of time. Ephesians 1

4. The gospel is good news. Romans 10:15

5. The gospel should compel us to preach 1 Corinthians 9:16

For the times that I have gone out and done door knocking or leafleting, I have been nervous and anxious before but have always come back feeling encouraged and I would recommend it to anyone to give it a go.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

These are the words that are repeated in Psalm 42 and 43. It’s saying something that’s so different to how our world thinks that we might just miss it. It’s saying that when I feel like my life’s falling apart and nothing going right, the best thing I can do is praise God. The writer looks forward to going to the Jewish Temple and there being able to praise God, that’s what he hopes for; it’s what he looks forward to. More than that… it’s what he knows will help settle his “downcast soul”.

That’s a very different thing than we’d expect isn’t it… for most people in the midst of their life falling apart, we’d think they need to be reminded that God will “work things out for their good”. But the Psalmist doesn’t say that. He says that best thing for your soul is to reflect on your great, saving, awesome God… and praise him.

I hope you take the opportunity to do that today in prayer, and at church on Sunday.

photo credit: suburbanbloke

About 35 men from HBC went away to weekend 3 of Katoomba Mens Convention (March 5-6).  The topic was ‘Men of Service- Love Relationships and Family.  Basically it was fantastic!

John Dickson spoke from Philippians and showed how an understanding of the first readers’ original context makes it clear the gospel demanded a lot from them. 

Gary Millar from Ireland preached on Song of Songs.  He’s a brave man and didn’t shirk away from anything!  We learnt heaps about how to read the book so it made sense.  There was also lots of great challenges to think about sex rightly and relate in a godly way to our wives (for those who have them).

I would certainly recommend for men to buy the talks (especially Gary’s) from the kcc website.  To wives - it would make a great gift!

The fellowship on the bus, at McDonalds and at the Youth Hostel was also a highlight.  I’m looking forward to next year - hope you are too.

You may have heard on the TV recently that Clean Up Australia Day was on today.  So a few of us from HBC met this morning down at Merewether Beach.  We put on the sun cream, were given our rubbish bags and gloves for the morning and went on our way.  The registered site at Merewether was run by the ‘Trees in Newcastle’ group who did a great job to set up the site for anyone from the public to just come along and help clean up.

It was a great morning had by all, we collected some rubbish and tidied up the beach, whilst enjoying each other company. It is practical activities like these which will help to connect HBC with the community, if you can think of other ways in which HBC can get involved in the community then please raise it with one of the pastors or trainee’s.

Mike and Katie Taylor have sent through their latest news from Tanzania.

It’s interesting to hear some of the challenges of finding a new church - when you’re dealing with a new country, culture and language!

Click here to go to the page where you can download their March newsletter.

Is there a ‘Mens Ministry’ at HBC?  Why have there been less events than in previous years?

As the Maturity Pastor I thought I’d take a moment to answer these questions.

Yes, there is a Men’s Ministry at HBC.  The staff, elders and growth group leaders are committed to seeing men at HBC grow in their knowledge of God, love for others and active Christian service.

How do we hope this will happen?  Well, primarily through relevant biblical preaching and Bible study at Growth Groups during the week.  This is why I see that a large part of my (and our) ministry to men is to encourage them to come to church and to join a Growth Group.  I hope to train enough leaders so that every man at church can get to a group of some kind.  Within groups (whether men’s groups or otherwise) I hope the men will pray together, hang out together, and grow together.

But what about events?  It’s true that special events for men can help with Christian growth and fellowship.  There have been a few less events lately.  This is partly because the calendar has been quickly filled with other really important stuff and frankly, myself and many of the senior guys have been flat out!  This year, the events in the calendar are Katoomba Mens Convention (March 5-6), Hunter Mens Convention (Sept 4) and a Wednesday evening event on August 4th about ‘How to read the Bible with your wife’.  I’m hoping to produce some blogs on this soon.

Would you like to do more with Men’s Ministry?  Why not agree with the men in your group to read a book like ‘the Disciplines of a Godly Man’ by Kent Hughes.  Or ask a staff member or older man to come and speak with the men in your group about an aspect of Christian manhood.  Or go camping together!

The city of Newcastle needs thousands of godly men to share the gospel and live the gospel- I’d love for HBC to play a role in this.

photo credit: One lucky guy