Here Is...Elyse Bywater!

Who are you??!!?? Elyse J. Bywater
Where do you come from?

Southern Highlands - was born at Bowral Hospital!
What are you doing with yourself at the moment?

I am working at “Wool Addiction” in Bowral most days of the week, on Sunday I work at “Mimi & Fifi”.
Stuff you like doing?
I love playing the cello, and just veging out, watching some great classic movies. Also hanging out with friends is good too. And yes I do knit, and I’m trying to learn to crochet… I suppose you can call me boring sometimes, oh well. Oh and I also love reading the Bible and learning more about our Awesome Creator!
How/Why did you become a Christian?
I grew up in a Christian household, well everyone except Dad was Christian, and that’s still the same today. So I went to Sunday School, and GFS and other groups. However I didn’t really know what being a Christian was all about, I suppose I can say I just went with the flow.

I didn’t really find out what it was about until year 8 when my sister, Fiona, was playing a CD by “The Lads” (which is a Christian band) in our room. There was this one song called “Creator” and it is about how much God loves us and how He wants to know about our life. That got me really thinking about God and what He has done for us, giving up His only Son. I started going to church every week and learnt more and more about Him. In year 9 I was confirmed, which was when I was more confident to share publicly what I believed in.

However I still didn’t understand how great God was and how much I should let Him into my life, until 2004. That was the year when it seemed my life just fell apart. Dad decided that he didn’t want to be in our family anymore. So he left. Then a couple of months later Mum was in a car accident. Those couple of months and the months after really tested my faith. I was unsure about everything, except who God was and that even though I was going through a tough time, He was never going to let me go through it alone. And so, I just let Him take over and He got me through it all.

Favourite Bible verses?
I can do everything through Him, who gives me strength!!!

Philippians 4:13

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!!! Hebrews 13:8

How are you involved at MAC at the moment?
I’m involved in various ministries in MAC. I am a youth group leader as well as a Kidsplus leader. I am also involved in one of the Sunday @ 6 bands and I do occasionally lead Sunday @ 6 service, whether I’m good at it or not, that’s another story (you are! - AP.). I also attend STRIVE, it's very good for those who want to learn more about God and other stuff about leading.

How can we pray for you?

Thank God that He is in my life; and pray that I may be able to find a great church and good friends next year when I move to Lismore for uni. Please pray also for our youth groups - that we may be able to grow in number.

Book Review: How to Read the Bible Book by Book

If you have trouble in your quiet times working out what is going on in the Bible passage you are reading, having this book with you is a great help.

It's called How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. And yes, the title makes the contents of the book very clear! It gives you a good summary of every book in the Bible - even the harder to understand parts of the Bible like Ezekiel, Revelation and even Genesis 19 that we read at church a few weekends ago!!

It's not meant to replace your Bible reading. It's a companion book to the Bible which tells you what is going on in the passage you are reading. It also tells you how the passage you are reading fits into the picture of the whole Bible's story of God's rescue plan for you.

Look inside the book here - and you can buy it here (especially during the Koorong 15% off sale which goes until this Saturday!). Thoroughly recommended!

God and You: Quiet Times

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Matthew 6:6

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.Psalm 37:7

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10


It's great to spend time with God on our own - to close the door and leave our ipods, tv shows, music, internet and other distracting stuff behind, and just be still before God. To allow ourselves time and space to hear God speaking to us in the Bible.

Maybe you are carrying some baggage into your time of being still with God. You may be distracted by study, anxiety, time, anger at God, you may even be feeling like it's a waste of time.

Well - before you read from the Bible, share these feelings with God first! Tell him everything, be honest - don't be polite to God. He knows how you are really feeling! It's very refreshing to do this! The writers in the psalms talk very honestly to God about their feelings. Read Psalms 10-13 to see this!

Having a time of stillness before God, reading his word by yourself, with the door closed, is a really important way to truly reFUEL and be refreshed in your relationship with God. Read Psalm 18 also to see how the writer felt as he reFUELed with God.

FEAST has been given 'quiet time' sheets to do over the holidays to get into the habit of being still with God. It's a great habit to get into!

Your Chance for Points

5 points for where this is.
20 points for who remains undefeated so far on this table.

FEAST and SENIOR HIGH Combined Social!

Social:
Ten Pin Bowling
Where:
Campbelltown City Bowling Centre, 11 Hollylea Road, Leumeah
How and When:
Saturday 30 June Going in cars - get to St Stephens by 5.45pm, all cars leave on the dot at 6.00pm

COST:
If we get 30 people or more, cost is:
KIDS - $13 for two games
ADULTS - $15
If we get less than 30 people, cost is:
KIDS - $14
ADULTS - $16

So bring $14 plus money for a fast dinner. INVITE YOUR FRIENDS and let us know before Saturday so we can arrange transport.

Food:
Bring money too for dinner - we will all stop for dinner at the fast food place across the road from the bowling centre - then straight into the bowling!

Time Expected home: Each game (we are playing 2) lasts about an hour. So we will be leaving the centre around 9.30pm. Expect to get home about 10.30pm.

Please RSVP to Andrew by Thursday 28th June on his e-mail or ring on (02) 4872 1707.

The Old Testament Easy Study Guide

The old often gives you some background to the new, doesn't it?

In September our new centre will be finished and all of our youth groups will move into it. A look at our (current!) makeshift locations for our youth groups and we see straight away the need for our new centre! It will provide a wonderful new resources for us - like a place to have cinema-standard film nights, great kitchen, lots of space for groups to study God's word and other new resources.

Well---now think of the Old and New Testaments in the Bible....if you want to get a great summary of the Old Testament and why it is there, a great read is the Book of Acts in the New Testament!

The apostles Peter and Paul, as well as others like Stephen and Philip, all show us how to interpret the Old Testament by the way they use it to talk about Jesus.

Have a look at these sample passages in your bibles and you’ll see what I’m talking about:

Acts 2: 22-36 (Peter speaks about King David and his foretelling Jesus)
Acts 3:19-26

Acts 7 (a full summary of the OT and its fulfilment in Jesus)

The Book of Acts shows us how we read the Old Testament - to see the big picture of God’s rescue plan to save us. It foretells the coming of the Messiah – Jesus Christ – and how by Jesus’ wounds ‘we will be healed’ (Isaiah 53:5).

Just as the new church centre will replace the old youth sites - Jesus is the fulfilment of the Old Testament!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Terminator meets Jesus

Something amusing - to see what would happen if the Terminator met Jesus, click here.

The Stumbling Block Principle

A big idea from last night's sermon: The Stumbling Block Principle!

As Christians we are to be people who build other people up in love with our knowledge and not cause other people to stumble in their faith!

When Paul discovered the more mature Christians at Corinth were pushing the less mature Christians (against their conscience) to eat food sacrificed to idols, Paul said this:

Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. (v13)

How does this transfer to us in the 21st century?

Well - here's a thought: by your behaviour are you building up other people in their faith in Jesus or are you making them stumble? Let's be guided by love for our brother and sister in Christ by how we behave around them!

Farewell to Our Capernwray Friends

Don't forget to make it to Sunday @ 6 this Sunday to say goodbye to Trenton, Jenny-lyn and Brittany as they leave us to return to Canada. Tony Parks will be interviewing these guys.

Andrew will be preaching on 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 - The Stumbling Block Principle, a really important feature of Christian community and relationships. Find out more about this feature of cross-centred living at Sunday @ 6 this week.

Look forward to seeing you all there.

5 points to guess the location of the picture above!

God and You: Remember and Reflect

How good at you at remembering things? How about thinking deeply and reflecting (another word for reflecting is meditating) on things - do you reflect deeply about things that happen to you?

The Bible frequently talks about remembering and reflecting. There is a clear message here for us.

• Psalm 77:12 I will reflect upon all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
• Psalm 119:15 (a personal favourite) I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
• Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

It's a message repeated over and over in the New Testament as well (Ephesians 2:12; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 10:32; Hebrews 13:7; 2 Peter 1:15; Revelation 2:5 and 3:3): remember what God has done for you.

Here's a thought. Stop what you are doing right now and take time out. Make a list of the good things God has done for you in your life. How he brought you to himself. How he has kept you close to him since then, through the ups and downs of your life. How the Spirit of God has spoken to you in your Bible reading.

Write down the times people have said they have been praying for you. And the times other Christians have encouraged you to keep going and shown you love over the years. How about the times it was clear God obviously intervened in your life at some point.

Add to the list the good things that have happened at MAC in the last 12 months. And the good things that God has done in the lives of those around you lately. If you've finished your list, just reflect on it for a while.

When we feel low and troubled, unloved, or persecuted - as the psalmists often did - we can take their advice: remember and reflect upon the goodness of our God to us.

Reading the Bible

How is your Bible reading going? See below for how important it is to read the Bible regularly.

If you're having trouble getting into a 'reading rhythm' you can follow a Bible reading plan. I use one as a helpful guideline to my Bible reading.

Click here for a reading plan written by Don Carson. With this plan you can read the whole Bible in two years. Have a go and let someone else know how you are doing!

Here Is...Jess Lowe!

1) Tell us a bit about yourself!
Been coming to MAC since I was born, 18 years ago. Positions I currently occupy include: arts/education student, friend, girlfriend, Godmother, sister, daughter, cousin, niece, grand-daughter, taxi service provider, and among other things, I also dabble in a bit of hospitality work.

2) A favourite hobby or passion?
I love a good conversation. And laughing.... so I guess you could say I’m passionate about people (maybe why I’m training to be a secondary school teacher..?) I also enjoy music (listening to and playing), playing hockey when I get the chance, and cooking.

3) The dumbest thing you have done so far?
When I was ten years old I asked my mother whether I was a ‘bottle blonde’ or a ‘natural blonde’............Yes, I am a natural blonde. Other than that (which I like to class as inexperience), selecting economics to study at university as a major. Hmmm.

4) How did you become a Christian?
I have been brought up in a Christian family – always gone to church, scripture, Sunday School, Youth group etc. So it’s always been in me, but I can’t really define a moment when I took it on as my own relationship with God. I suppose that through high school I became more active within church (other than just participating), and my faith has seemed to grow more each time I think about it.. but I’ve always been a child of God!!

5) Favourite Bible verse?
They change regularly, but at the moment: Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Also fruit of the spirit stuff in Galatians 5:22; and 2 Timothy 2:11-13.

6) How can we thank God/pray for you at the moment?
Thank God for sending his Son to die for our sins. Thank God for the opportunities he provides for us all – we are all very, very blessed. Pray that I will always put Him first and for clear recall and concentration during the university exam period (also for the other uni students in the church: Fairlie, Mandy, James, Josh, Jodie, Alicia, Clint and Andrew)

Do You Own a Bible?

If you don't, here are some we recommend (click each one to see how to buy it!):

For everyone!: NIV Bible; NIV Study Bible - if you want to go deeper in your Bible reading and get some answers to your questions about a passage (or you can just ask them in your Bible study group!).

If you are 15-18: NIV Bible; NIV Quest Study Bible (see sample here) - has answers to difficult questions and gives info on places and customs that help you to understand the context of the bible passage you are reading.

If you are 10-13: NIV Bible; Teen Study Bible (see sample of it here) - the same as QUEST except for younger teens!

If you have kids who are 6-10: NIRV Adventure Bible; Kids Quest Study Bible - I use the Adventure Bible with my kids - great!

The Bible has been described as 'the most precious possession this world affords...reverence for God means reverence for what is in the Bible; serving God means obeying the Bible'.

The Bible is very important! We learn about God - his awesomeness, his love for his people, his rescue plan for us - through its words. God himself speaks to us through the Bible's words, as the Holy Spirit makes them touch our hearts and minds.

2 Timothy 3:16 says:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.

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Welcome!

Welcome to FUEL!

We hope this will be a refuge where you can be 'refueled' and refreshed for living as followers of Jesus. Here's what to expect:

HERE IS: Interviews with people from Sunday @ 6 and elsewhere
I THINK: Opinions on what's going on around the place
GOD AND YOU: A weekly reflection on God's word
QUESTION US: Your chance to ask any question you want about God, sermons, being a Christian in everyday life, or anything at all!
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