Yesterday, a mother together with her 2 kids was on our North bus travelling to our HopeKinders JUMP! and HopeTots TIME 2 services. They are only 3 and 5 year old. We are grateful for our committed bus team and fabulous leaders who welcomed them + helped them be connected.

It feels great to know that no one is too young to come to our church.

This is done using Photoshop but we will do the real thing and telling your story at the Ripple Conference.

Sign up this weekend which is basically our last weekend.

YES WE CAN! - Philippians 4:13

Memorise and internalise this and you’ll find what a big difference these three words will make.

Don’t rely on leadership skills to lead, use the skill of ourselves immerse in the presence of God. How can we use that skill when we do not know or aren’t familiar with how it feels to be in God’s presence? To carry His presence, we need to be present in His presence. The tip of the day is to start your day being in the intensity of His presence.

I did it this morning. Woke up at 5 to fulfill a promise, run and spend quality time with the Lord. I managed to wash the car and fill up petrol in the tank too.

Oh what a feeling! Yes we lead better when all our tanks are full!

1.Love Tank

During a seminar in church, I’m reminded that everyone has a love tank that its important to fill up because…

Empty love tank = Disaster

Love received in the mind is of little value if its not felt in the heart. So knowing the love language of a person is crucial to help us ensure the type of love we show effectively fills a person’s love tank. For a while, I ponder if love is all there is to a person’s needs? If so then, how come well loved people experience meaninglessness in life? So I thought again. I think that besides the love tank, all of us has a significance tank as well.

Empty significance tank = Boredom

2.Significance Tank

This is the tank that measures how important the person feels about him/herself. Without some degree of purpose, a person loses their zeal in life. A person may know and feels that he or she is greatly loved but without their sense of significance, the person is stuck at the stage of merely existing. How do we fill a person’s significance tank? Encouraging people in their calling. Discover their area of strength and support their talents. Make them feel important by helping them discover and contribute their God given significance.

And don’t underestimate filling our own significance tank by doing what God has called us to do. That will always inspire others to do the same.

Full love tank + Full significance tank = Destruction of seismic porportion in the kingdom of darkness.

We are doing generational work and thinking Orange at this Ripple Conference . If you are parents, children workers and leaders working with children, join us and sign up this weekend.

Last Sunday, a boy tried to engage in a spiritual conversation with me. He came over to ask me if there’s any “4s” in the bible. I asked “what do you mean?” He said 4s like there’s 7s in the bible, the number of times people marched around the wall of Jericho.

Sadly I was tired and couldn’t recall any 4s so I asked why he wants to know? He told me it was a dream and he wonders if there’s any meaning to it. He was curious because he once had a dream of being in an auditorium and he really did go to that auditorium one day. He wonders if this dream means something too.

I, being more interested in his auditorium than his 4s asked about what happened in that auditorium. He said its some sort of theatre arts performance and show. I asked him if he likes theatre arts. He said yes and he likes to perform and act just like another boy in church.  I told him could it be that God is showing you a vision of what you can do for him in the future?

He smiled, nodded, uttered a soft thanks and left.

Several questions I have heard from other HopeKids asked these few weeks.

1) Why must Jesus be a man (during our family Circle Time)?
2) Why does God want us to follow his rule (after reciting his memory verse)?
3) Why did that boy kick my buttock (pointing to someone across the room)?

Now wasn’t that just amazing that kids would come to us to chat about these things.

Spotted one at the University service where I was preaching last Saturday.  The ripples are reaching the furthest place and will much more every day we persevere in the vision.

Kids need 3Fs to be connected to church…

1. Fun :

Yeah, kids need fun to be alive…. but of course so do all of us.

2. Friends :

Yeah, to have like minded short people to hang out with makes a great difference. Actually they don’t mind tall people too so every adults can be friends.

3. A freaky thick skinned teacher :

Yeah, those who will fight for spiritual rights of children and dare to care like Jesus!! By the way no one else except you can double this. There’s a particular child who just need you with your unique make up to do that job!

Don’t look elsewhere. Give them the 3Fs!

Looking at the design for the stickers we are doing for HopeKids birthday presents this year.

As I’m doing this, I’m reminded that we are one of many parts of the body of Christ with unique makeup and functions. We celebrate birthdays to highlight that every one is special. Often in the hustle of busyness we forget who we are and so unconciously blend into systems and norms that makes us sacrifice who we are.

Re-clarifying our purpose prayerfully in a regular manner if not daily makes a difference. I did that this morning where I’m reminded that …..

I’m loved and directed and my purpose is to
Work hard, pray hard,
invest in whatever makes the biggest
difference in people’s lives

* MY (H-A-P-P-Y) VALUES *

H-ave a Cup of Coffee
(Don’t Take Life Too Seriously)
A-dd Value To Life
(Maximise Quality & Time For Life)
P-ut People First
(People Before Stuff)
P-ay Now, Play Later
(Give & For What Is Better Later)
Y-ield Myself To God
(Connect to Shine For Him Everyday)