Welcome 2006!

A belated Happy New Year to you all!! 

This morning kicked off a new year back together at Parkside - bringing it on for a great 2006!

Coming into this new year and emerging from the festivities of Christmas I’ve been trying to get my soul around what life is all about and have been inspired again coming back to the simple fact that it’s Jesus Christ I’m living for.

But then I thought, am I really that truly inspired about Him?  In the clamber of life, have I taken my eyes off who He really is?  Have I become over familiar with the text of the Gospels?

I know the Apostle Paul talks about becoming like Christ, being transformed into His image and likeness…but, what is the image in my faith I’m copying?  Like tracing letters through tracing paper as a child to learn how to write; what is the ‘letter’ forms of Christ that I’m spiritually emulating and becoming?

So here’s the question…

 What is it that we’ll be copying and emulating Jesus in this year?

 What inspires us about Him?  Who is it He is that I shall be becoming like in '06?

Reading through a couple of chapters of Luke’s gospel we’re inspired by:

 -        The fact Jesus is always completely comfortable to be himself wherever he is

 -        He is free enough from peoples expectations to break out of the religious box and to allow his followers to enjoy the moment of grace they were in (Luke 5:33-35)

 -       His simple words of command saw sick people recover from distance and dead men rise!      (Luke 7:14)

 -        He was not motivated by a big self-ego, but by a genuine compassion for an individuals desperate plight. (Luke 7:13)

 -        A friend of sinners…”accused of eating and drinking with tax collectors and preeminently sinful people…” (Luke 5:30-32)

   In our 2006 faith we must not deny Jesus the POWER in His command, and the POWER of His resurrection.

 Read Hebrews 13:1-10. (Message)

  1)   Living our response…

Coming back to uncomplicated faith – remembering what it’s all about.  Simplicity of…a passionate love for God, love for one another and a love for a the lost - What has Jesus commanded us to do?

  Love God…

Mark 12:29,30 (AMP) principle command “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with all your strength”

Acts 13:47 – For so the Lord has COMMANDED us:

“I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”

In 2006 there is a call for us to be…

 -        Fruitful

  John 15:16 - Jesus wants your life to bear fruit this year? 

-     He wants you to cause some things to happen this year

-     He is excited that we will be growing well in our characters this year – becoming more like Him

-     Fruitful in answered prayer (v.16)

  -        Wild disciples

Wild in our…

Love for God and Passion for Jesus

Compassion towards people  

Forgiving of those that trespass against us  

Prayer  

Generosity  

Resolve of differences  

Acceptance of others  

Belief of what God can do  

Passion to be radical followers of Jesus  

Serving  

Love for the City

 -        Compassionate

 Compassion is Jesus core motivation – it’s the motive behind His power.

 Not empathy, but compassion  – moved by a justice and mercy that things can be different, that this is not right…

 Luke 7:13  may we be motivated by the same.

May you have a blessed and inspired year!!  Let's go for it!!