• Understanding "Baggage"

    Posted Tue, 02/09/2010 - 10:43 by David W Searle

    I have heard some Christians say, "I'm OK. Jesus has done everything on the Cross!" And yes, that is true-judicially. But that is not the end of the story. It is just the beginning. When you became a Christian, God provided everything for you in Jesus Christ. When you received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, His Holy Spirit immediately came into your spirit, and that is how you were born again. So your spirit is OK. No need to be worried about that. But, as I said, that is the beginning of the story.

  • Dealing with “Baggage”

    Posted Sat, 11/28/2009 - 14:28 by David W Searle

    Let's come back to the story of Simon the magician in Samaria. Acts 8 tells us that Simon had a reputation in Samaria as a sorcerer, and wowed the people with his claims to greatness. But it goes on to tell us that he believed the Gospel spoken by Philip, became a disciple of Jesus, and was baptised. What a change must have come about in his life! No longer a sorcerer, but a disciple of Jesus!

  • Disciples Multiply

    Posted Thu, 10/15/2009 - 13:26 by David W Searle

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  • The Great Commission

    Posted Sat, 09/26/2009 - 11:48 by David W Searle

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  • “I Believe In You!”

    Posted Thu, 06/18/2009 - 21:03 by David W Searle

    What incredible power there is in that little statement! It can take someone from being a zero to one who is making a positive contribution and being fulfilled in it.

  • The Power of Encouragement 2

    Posted Mon, 05/18/2009 - 21:49 by David W Searle

     Have you ever thought about the meaning of the word encourage? We often use words knowing their general meaning, or what they mean in our cultural context, but often we do not stop to think about the literal meaning of the words we use. 
    To encourage literally means to put courage in. This is how Webster’s Dictionary defines it. To give courage to; to give or increase confidence of success; to inspire with courage, spirit, or strength of mind; to embolden; to animate; to incite; to inspirit.

  • The Power of Encouragement

    Posted Fri, 04/17/2009 - 21:52 by David W Searle

     I will never forget an incident that occurred some years ago. I was hiking in the Austrian Alps with some friends, and the goal was to get to the top of one of the mountain peaks. That meant 3 ½ hours climb, including negotiating quite narrow ledges with an awesome drop over the side. I made sure I had a good hold of the chain that was the handrail fixed into the vertical rock wall!

  • Coaching A Christian

    Posted Fri, 03/27/2009 - 03:02 by David W Searle

     I have met many Christians who would go into melt-down if it was suggested that they coach a newer Christian, and excuses abound as to why that would be impossible. Some think that they would have to be perfect to do that. Well, none of us is! Others think that the task would be too overwhelming, so they run the other way. Then there are those who say that they cannot teach, and so on. But none of these excuses are really valid.

  • Bible Study Together

    Posted Mon, 03/16/2009 - 23:08 by David W Searle

     One of the great things about Christian Bible study is that there is a multiplying effect when we study the Bible together. It is not just an addition, but a multiplication. 

  • Bible Based Christian Discipleship

    Posted Tue, 03/10/2009 - 13:52 by David W Searle

    I was talking to a friend the other day who knows some young people who need to start the journey of growing more like Jesus. But, try as she might, she could not find anything that was Bible based and took the discipleship path seriously and comprehensively. I was able to introduce her to Growing Deep and Strong, as the co-author of the Series and tell her what the Series consisted of. She was really excited, because it was just what she had been looking for. I was able to tell her that all the info she required was on the website, http://www.jesuschrist.com.au/