We have just started a brand new decade. It is exciting to think of what lays ahead.

One of the great ways to learn about life is to look at the past. In fact, let’s go back to the start of the last decade. Mentally put yourself back in 1999. What a year! It was the year I graduated high school, and the year I started dating the girl I have now been married to for almost 8 years.

In December of 1999 there was a great feeling of optimism all around the world. The birth of not only a new decade was upon us, but a new Millennium. The world partied in the year 2000 all around the world. It seemed like we had reached a new horizon, that there was new hope for the world.

But it didn’t take long for this hope to be shattered. On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever. As we watch planes fly into buildings, we were brutally reminded of the condition of the world.

It was the catalyst for wars, and continued terrorist activity.

The last decade was supposed to be the decade of hope, but in retrospect many analysts labelled it the decade of fear.

Here are some key world events from the last decade:

• Sydney hosted the 2000 Olympics
• War and terrorism: 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, the Iraq War & the London bombings
• The death of an Australian icon Steve Irwin
• John Howard was replaced by Kevin Rudd
• Gladiator won the Oscar for best picture
• The best-selling artist of the decade was the American rapper Eminem, whose album sales totaled US$32.2 million
• The best-selling album of the decade was the Beatles’ compilation album
• The Death of Michael Jackson
• Usain Bolt won 100m gold at the 2008 Olympics
• Technology companies changed how we communicate: Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter & YouTube
• The iPod, iPhone and iPad were released
• Tragedy of the great Australian fires
• Global Financial crises - corporate greed exposed
• Banks closing down as thousands of people withdraw savings
• President Barack Obama elected

Although the decade gone has been described as one of fear, a new decade has dawned on us. For each of us the outcomes of this new decade will be the sum total of the principles we are building on now.

Here is the point: Most of what happened last decade was unexpected both globally and personally in our own lives. We don’t have control over most thing in life.

However, the one thing we have 100% control over is the principles we choose to live by.

Put your focus into developing the right principles in your life and actions.

Most of the time we don’t see our lives on a big enough scale to understand the significance of the decisions we make daily. All those little things add up.

Whenever you make everyday decisions based on right principles, rather than on what feels good at the time, you are feeding into your future.

Choosing to live by principle develops and constructs character!

Proverbs 11:4
A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

Principles are the laws of life. If we get our principles wrong, our entire life will be weak. Consider principles as foundational pillars: if there are inconsistencies in that foundation, the building will fall.

You can even prophesy your future by the principles you live by. So what are life principles?

1. They are fixed disciplines
2. They are absolutes
3. They are laws
4. They are predictable
5. They are timeless
6. They are Biblical
7. They work

When we talk about living to our potential, when we talk about having an eternal impact, when we talk about achieving our dreams and aspirations, when we talk about the weightier, more significant areas of life - what will get us there? It’s not just our resolutions, desires or wants - it’s PRINCIPLES.

Good principles help you make good decisions. Living by principle develops and constructs character!

Make a decision to live by principles. They will work, if you work with them

Check out this weeks podcast: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=314326368

www.lifeplace.com.au

The start of a new year is upon us. In fact, the start of a new decade.

That means you have a blank canvas in front you right now. That canvas is your life.

What kind of decade do you want to live? What seasons will you go through over the next 10 years? Marriage, retirement, children, university, business - there are any number of significant milestones we will experience.

The real question is this: How will you get where you want to go? How can you be sure to have the quality of life you desire?

This series will answer these questions by focusing on one of the most important concepts in life: principles.

The principles you build your life on determine much about your future. We will explore the most critically important principles in the following areas: Family, faith, finances, fitness, and friendships.

Come along and bring a friend. This series will change the next 10 years of your life.

We all need a vision for our finances.

Proverbs 29:18

• “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV)
• “Where there is no vision (revelation), the people are unrestrained.” (NASB)
• “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” (JND)

Proverbs describes the condition of a person without vision. It says people cast of restraint. We all know how easy it is to do that with our finances!

To get a correct Biblical vision for your finances, you first need to check your values. Most incorrect financial habits are a result of people not seeing their finances correctly. All your values put together comprise your financial philosophy in life. Now you may not of thought of this, but values are important.

Lets look at two different sets of priorities:

World’s Values for finances:

1. Get to Keep

2. Measure financial status by how much you make

3. Goal: Financial independence - enough for me to live

Word of God Values for finances:

1. Get to give

2. Measure financial status by how much you can bless

3. Goal: Financial abundance - enough to resource others

We have a choice to make - the world’s values or God’s values. The world’s values are easier in the short term, but in the long run God’s values open up new levels of capacity.

Aligning your financial priorities and giving to God means you are giving into something that will make an eternal difference. Why? Because it helps facilitate God’s plan on earth: transforming lives.

http://www.lifeplace.com.au

P Frank has just started a blog - here is one of his first posts that is relevant to us as we give our First Fruits offering:

The Kingdom of God operates on principle of supply and plenty, while the world operates on the principle of lack and limitation. We are conditioned to think in terms of lack and limitation, because we allow the world system to shape us by its attitude and influence. We begin to see lack and scarcity everywhere, and we begin to believe that there is shortage of what is needed. We are conditioned by the continuing message the world feeds us that there is never enough.

Cell phones have limited minutes and limited calling areas. Cars have limited gas and travel. Our insurance has limited coverage. Our global oil supply, water supply, and clean air supply is limited. Everything is limited and running out so we must protect what we have!

Have you been influenced by the world system’s thought? Have you begun to cling tightly to everything you have because you are afraid that things are running out?

There was a widow that had begun to live with the lack and limitation principle of the world. The national economy had fallen through the floor and she couldn’t afford to put food on the table. She scraped the last remnants from her cupboard to prepare one final meal for herself and her son. She had given up. She had no future, no provision, no hope.

Then Elijah showed up and reminded her. God doesn’t operate on the world system. He operates on the principle of supply and plenty. Elijah’s first words, “Stop being afraid.” Stop being afraid of what the news is saying. Stop listening to the voices of fear and move into the realm of faith.

Remember this - God is not limited! He never runs short! He never runs out! He is God!

This Sunday at Lifeplace we have our annual First Fruits offering.

If there was ever a time in history where people needed to have a correct view of their finances, then that time is now.

As a nation, we are over-spenders. Many people don’t know where their money goes each week, and thousands struggle with credit card debt.

God’s plan for your finances is seen in two stages. Firstly, that you be able to manage your finances diligently. Secondly, that this would position you to be a blessing to others.

Imagine having a goal of being able to help resource God’s plan on earth today - your local church.

Neh 10:35 - “We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the Lord’s Temple year after year-whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees.

First Fruits offering is where we give God an offering as a seed for the year ahead. As we give in faith, we are believing to activate a principle in the Word of God over our lives financially. What is this financial principle? It is the favour of God over our lives.

Generosity will do something for your life that no Excel spreadsheet can measure.

The challenge we set for First Fruits is to give the equivalent of one weeks salary. Of course, you give at your own discretion and at your own level, not under any compulsion.

Wouldn’t it be an awesome thing to rally together as a church in faith and generosity to see a great First Fruits offering this year.

Here’s how you can participate: Go to http://www.lifeplace.com.au/firstfruits.php to give right now.

God bless you as you step out this year!

There is more power in prayer than in all the armies of the world. Our prayers are not just idle words being spoken; they are unlike any other form of language because there is a spiritual element attached to prayer. I think if we really understood the power in our prayers then we would be praying a lot more!

Here are some keys to improve your own personal prayer life:

1. Time. Place. Method.
   Have a time. Set aside a certain point in the day that you know is your time to talk to God. Put a value on your time with God.

   Have a place. You can pray anywhere at anytime, but to develop a disciplined, regular prayer life, we should have a place where we know we can focus our mind on God.

   Have a method. It can be after the kids have gone to bed, on the way to work or going for a run. Find what method best suits you.

2. Put away distractions
   I think I am most distracted when it comes time to pray. All of a sudden I am thinking of a million other things I have to do and people to call, or what to have for lunch.

   To solve this problem I always have a pen and paper with me (or my iphone task list) and if something comes into my mind that needs to be done (and it always does) I simply write it down and then get back to praying.

   It is important that we recognize the things that will distract us and try to minimize them. Once we know what our distractions are, we can overcome them with solutions and further develop our prayer life.

3. Use the Bible as a guide
   If you are reading through Proverbs and it is talking about wisdom and right living, start praying that God will give you wisdom to help others and to live a Godly life.

   If you are reading through Psalms and reading David’s praises to God, begin to praise God also. Whatever you read in the scripture, you can apply to your own life.

Remember prayer is not a passive act. Prayer is AN AGGRESSIVE, ACTIVE MINISTRY. You are putting your shoulder to the wheel and moving the forces of heaven. It is two-way communication. God wants to speak to you more than you need to talk to him.

Prayer is about our lives changing.

24/7 is here and church is open the entire week, just waiting for you to come in and seek God.

It is such a great opportunity for you to see the power of prayer at work, as we dedicate every night of a whole week to seeing God move. Things you have wanted breakthrough in for years are going to change as a result of the power of your prayers this week.

So to help you in your praying during our meetings here are a few keys:

1. Give God praise. When we pray we should give him praise and thanks - remember who He is and all of the incredible things he has done in our lives. This is our way of lifting up God in our lives and making sure He is number one and above anything else. Matthew 6:10 “May Your kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
2. Align our prayers with God’s will and not our own. 1 John 5:14 “And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.”
   Often we wonder why God doesn’t answer our prayers. Sometimes it’s because they are not in line with His will.
3. Present our needs to God. God may know everything that we need, but He still wants us to ask for things and believe that He will supply everything that we need. Matthew 21:22 ” And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
4. Repent and Forgive. Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn, that your sins may be blotted out.” Repentance is more than just saying sorry. It is feeling - a sense of regret for what we have done; but it’s also making a decision to turn away from that sin and live a different way. It’s only when we have repented of our sins that we can start to live differently and God can begin to change us.

5. Put your life in God’s hands. He will help us to live Godly lives and protect us from the traps the enemy would want to set for our lives. Allow God to be the guide of your life. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

We are believing as a church for every individual to develop momentum in their personal prayer life and find spiritual breakthrough for 2010.

Join us this week for 24/7 - there is such power when believers come together and pray as one.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Psalm 46:1

¹ God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

The best time to prepare for a storm is before it hits.

What happens this decade when a breeze starts blowing? What happens when thunderclouds start overtaking our blue sky? What happens when a full-scale cyclone hits our life?

Will we turn away from God, or will we turn towards Him?

Here is a storm survival kit we all need to have on hand:

1.     Remember God is in control

2.     Prepare in advance

3.     Build your life on strong foundations

4.     When you’ve done everything, stand

5.     Allow the storm to change you

Keep hope, God is in control. He is with us through all things.

We can rise above the clouds.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

Matthew 7:24

²⁴ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Let’s break this story down.

There are 2 houses in this story.

These houses are very similar. In fact, to the casual passerby they may appear cosmetically identical. The difference between these two houses is hidden - it is the foundation.

The 2 houses represent 2 different ways we can live.

House number 1: This represents the person who builds their life on the Bible and on good teaching. They hear the teachings of Jesus and follow them. This is a life built on solid rock.

House number 2: This is the kind of person that still knows the Bible and has heard plenty of preaching. But they lack execution and struggle to follow through in life.  This is a life built on shifting sand.

Lessons for our lives:

1. The violence of these storms will hit both houses

2. The difference is in the response of the houses

What kind of foundation are you building your life on? The best thing is to answer that now, because one day the storm will answer that for you.

Take hope - a life built on the right foundations can survive any storm!

There is a person in the Bible who is known for one thing - suffering. He is known for going through crises in life that would be unthinkable for most of us. He embodies what it means to go through storms. But the reason why he is in the Bible is not just because he suffered. It was his response to suffering. He is a lesson to us on how to have hope when our circumstances plot our demise. When suffering overcomes our mind like an ocean, or when our heart is filled with anguish, or grief, where is God and where is hope?

Job was a real man. He was an extremely wealthy man, and he was also a Godly man.

He had thousands of livestock and a large family. He loses everything and hits rock bottom. He lost his family, health, and wealth.

This is as real as it gets.

Job 14:7-9

For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease.  Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant.

I love Job 14. It gives the picture of a tree. The tree was once vibrant, green, flourishing, and bearing fruit. But through the storms of life it has been decimated. All that remains is a stump in the ground. It appears that all hope is gone. But this is not the case. Jobs says at the hint of water it will bud again.

Your life may feel like this. It was once a flourishing tree but is now just a stump. Well take heart and have hope - even a stump can bud again! With hope in God, new life, new green shoots, new leaves and new branches can break out all over your life.

Broken dreams, pain, disappointment, sorrow - with God you can have hope and a future. The best is ahead of you!

In Luke 8 Jesus goes for a trip on a boat. A huge storms arises, and as His disciples fear for their lives, Jesus is having a nap on the boat!

When they awake them He demonstrates a very important principle for all of us to know: Jesus has power over the storms.

Whatever, you are facing, no matter how difficult or unexpected it is, remember that God is still in control.

Luke 8:22-25

²³ As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

²⁴ The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. ²⁵ Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!

We all encounter situations over which we have no personal control. It could be a serious sickness that comes out of nowhere. Maybe a relationship is not turning out the way you thought. Perhaps you have a business deal go bad, or you are having a trial of faith.

Whatever the case may be, we all experience the storms of life. Storms are unexpected - they don’t make appointments before they arrive! But when they unleash their power, storms can do devastating damage.

Let’s look at nature for an example of storms:

A storms vicious wind and powerful rain can tear structures apart, rip roofs of houses and overturn cars.

But let’s remember that storms always end. Always.

We all love sunny days, but we will encounter storms. When a storm hits, it can test our hope. Although storms can shake the very foundation of our lives, we can still have hope in God.

Proverbs 10:25
²⁵ When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.

Here is a recent post by Pastor Rick Warren:

The Church is everywhere in the world. There are villages that have little else, but they do have a church. Rick Warren

“The Church is the most magnificent concept ever created. It has survived persistent abuse, horrifying persecution, and widespread neglect. Yet despite its faults (due to our sinfulness), it is still God’s chosen instrument of blessing and has been for 2,000 years.

The Church will last for eternity, and because it is God’s instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That’s why I believe tackling the world’s biggest problems - the giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance - can only be done through the Church.

The Church has eight distinct advantages over the efforts of business and government:

1. The Church provides for the largest participation.
Most people have no idea how many Christians there are in the world: More than 2 billion people claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. That’s one third of the world’s population! The Church has about a billion more people than the entire nation of China.

For example, about 100 million people in the United States went to church this past weekend. That’s more people than will attend sporting events in the United States throughout this year. The Church is the largest force for good in the world. Nothing else even comes close.

2. The Church provides for the widest distribution.
The Church is everywhere in the world. There are villages that have little else, but they do have a church. You could visit millions of village around the world that don’t have a school, a clinic, a hospital, a fire department, or a post office. They don’t have any businesses. But they do have a church. The Church is more widely spread - more widely distributed - than any business franchise in the world.

Consider this: The Red Cross noted that 90 percent of the meals they served to victims of Hurricane Katrina were actually cooked by Southern Baptist churches. Many churches were able to jump into action faster than the government agencies or the Red Cross. Why? The Church is literally everywhere, and Christians who could provide help to the Gulf Coast communicated with Christians in need of help so relief could be sent immediately.

3. The Church provides the longest continuation.
The Church has been around for 2,000 years. We’re not a fly-by-night operation. The Church has a track record that spans centuries: Malicious leaders have tried to destroy it, hostile groups have persecuted it, and skeptics have scoffed at it. Nevertheless, God’s Church is bigger now than ever before in history.

Why? Because it’s the Church that Jesus established, and it is indestructible. The Bible calls the Church an unshakable kingdom. In Matthew 16, Jesus says, “I will build my Church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” All the powers of hell - in other words, no hurricane, no earthquake, no tsunami, no famine, no pandemic, no army will ever conquer the Church established by Jesus Christ.

4. The Church provides the fastest expansion.
Did you know that every day 60,000 new people come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? By the end of today, thousands of new churches will be started throughout the world, and that will happen tomorrow and the next day and the next.

In one country that is closed to traditional Christian missions, more than 60,000 house churches have been started in one province by the work of lay people, no different from the people who fill your church sanctuary every weekend.

Why is fast expansion important? If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at a rapid rate, then you need a solution that will grow even more rapidly. For instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet thank God the Church is outgrowing the disease, so more and more believers can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.

If we’re going to tackle global giants like poverty, disease, or illiteracy, then we must be part of something that’s growing faster than the problem. The Church is doing just that!

5. The Church provides the highest motivation.
Why do any of us do what we do in ministry? It’s not to make money, not to make a name for ourselves and not for duty to our nation. We do it out of love. Jesus stated it as the Great Commandment: “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” We wouldn’t do the hard work required to tackle these global giants for money, for fame, or for anything else. It just wouldn’t be worth it; we’d quit before the end.

We’re motivated to keep at the hard work of ministry because we love God, and our love for God compels us to love other people. It is love that never gives up; it is love that keeps moving forward despite the appearance of impossible odds; and it is love that outlasts any problem.

6. The Church provides the strongest authorization.
God authorized the Church to take on global giants, such as spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance. With God’s authorization, the outcome is guaranteed to be successful.

When you know that God has authorized you to do something, you don’t worry about failure because God doesn’t sponsor flops. If God says we’re going to do it, it’s going to happen. It is inevitable. In fact, the Bible teaches that God will give us his power to complete the task. This is God’s way - ordinary people empowered by his Spirit.

7. The Church provides the simplest administration.
The Church is organized in such a way that we can network faster and with less bureaucracy than most governmental agencies or even well-meaning charities. For instance, the organizational structure at Saddleback, which is based on the New Testament model, holds that every member is a minister. Each person in our church family is encouraged to use his or her own S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences) to do what God has called him or her to do. There is no bureaucracy or hierarchy. There isn’t a single committee, and the process doesn’t require a long list of approvals.

The old wineskin of command and control won’t work well in the 21st century. The organization of the future is the “network.” And there’s no better worldwide network than the Church, where every member is a minister and empowered to do what God wants done.

Consider it this way - tens of millions of Christians in millions of small groups that are part of churches around the world can take on the global giants with no other authority than that given from Jesus Christ. In other words, we have God’s permission and we have God’s command to do it. There is no need to seek permission from anyone else.

8. The Church provides for God’s conclusion.
Since we believe the Bible is God’s Word, we already know the end of history. Jesus said in Matthew 24: “The good news about God’s Kingdom will be preached in all the world to every nation, and then the end will come.” It is inevitable and unavoidable.

When you consider these eight advantages, think about the exponential explosion of ministry when millions upon millions of small groups in millions upon millions of churches organize in such a way that each person can do their part in attacking the five global giants.

What do you think could happen if God’s people prayed against these global giants, prepared for action against these giants, and then moved through faith to tackle these giants?

We may look at these problems and think, “These are too big! How could we possibly solve them?”

But with God, nothing is impossible - and if we all work together as his Church, we’ll see these giants falls just as Goliath fell when faced with David’s obedience to God.

Pastor, it is a great privilege and an awesome responsibility to lead a local church. God wouldn’t have placed you where you are if he didn’t believe you could handle the task before you. You play a vital role in tackling these global giants. It is my privilege to co-labor with you.”

Christmas is the perfect time to talk about hope in Jesus.

Christmas is the special time in the year.

• It is a time for family,
• a time for a holiday for many people,
• a time for BBQs on the beach,
• cricket test matches on channel 9,
• hot summer nights,
• boxing day sales,
• presents,
• Christmas trees,
• lights,
• family traditions,
• carols.

Of course, at the heart of Christmas is something much more meaningful, and something that has significance for everyone of our lives.

It is the time we remember the birth of our savior, Jesus.

The reason why the birth of this baby was so special was because it was not just the birth of a child. It was the birth of many things:

• For humanity it was the birth of hope.
• It was the birth of something so significant that it split time in two. And 2000 years later. In a post modern, the world still presses pause on the business of life to remember the birth of Jesus.

Here’s what is a really important reminder. The birth of Jesus was not just an important historical fact, or something for the world at large to remember, it has major implications to your life personally:

• For you, a second chance entered the world.
• For you, grace entered the world.
• For you, salvation entered the world.
• For you, hope entered the world.

The message of Jesus is important for you as an individual. It gives all of us hope.

Matthew 12:21 (NLT)

²¹ And his name will be the hope

of all the world.”

The Bible says hope is actually not a value, a principle, a feeling. Hope is a person.

The source of hope is knowing that there is a God that is in control. A God that loves us.

Merry Christmas to all my blog readers and friends who connect online. Have a great Christmas season!