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We have a place already for meditations through bible reading, but something you read might spark off a new train of thought. Maybe God gives you insight into a circumstance that has happened to you. Perhaps someone says something and you want to write it down to expand on it a bit more.
Often, it’s from these short meditations that I have the desire to study something. I find that over a month I can link 3 or 4 of my meditations together or they can form the basis of a word to share with others.
If I’ve read a good book and want to remember some of the things, I write them down in this section, or you could have a separate section for book reviews. Sometimes you may not want to take a lot of notes from a sermon, but just a few thoughts ‑ here again, this is the section to use. Perhaps a series of references on a certain subject. Use ‑ this section however you like ‑ there’s so many different ways.
Be sure to keep each meditation or thought separate so that they are easy to find. It’s also very helpful to title each meditation:
Repentance
Acts 11:21; Acts 11:18; 2 Cor 7:10
e.g., watched Ebenezer Scrooge ‑ good example.
Importance of Speaking Straight
Not ‘maybe’ but ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
e.g., “I am sorry.” “Yes, please. I would like that.” People like to know where they are at with us.
‘Speaking the truth’ ‑ truth is definite, fact, not ‘maybe so’.
Forget & Forgive
Gen 41:50. Joseph. He learned to forget what his brothers did to him and forget his own failures. Living in regret is stupid.

Learning to Meditate
Christian meditation is a key to a successful Christian life. It is the most powerful way of taking in truth, hearing from God, understanding the scriptures and renewing our minds. Bill Gothard, who teaches ‘Basic Youth Conflicts’ in the states, recounts how through meditation and memorisation his grades at school went up from average to A grades. Interestingly enough, his grades varied in direct proportion to his faithfulness in meditation and memorisation.
As we meditate on the scriptures, they come alive to us and we receive many ways to apply the scriptures to our daily lives. Without this application, the bible is just another book and sadly this is the case for many. God can speak to us through meditation and show how scripture can be made relevent for our very own situation.
Meditation differs from study in that we are not simply looking at the interpretation. There is one interpretation, but many applications. David says, “I have more understanding than all my teachers. For Thy testimonies are my meditation.” Ps 119:99. i.e. He’s put into practise (through meditation) what he’s read and his teachers haven’t.
Through meditation we come to understand basic principles throughout the bible that we can apply to our daily lives. The scripture is full of them. Bill Gothard’s project while he was at school was memorising and meditating on a chapter of scripture a week. That may be good for you too. Where do we start?
1. Make a commitment of time
If you’re going to meditate and memorise, you must realise it takes time and effort in the form of concentration. It’s no good trying to fit meditation and memorisation into your present schedule. It’s a priority, therefore, our schedule must fit around meditation and memorisation. That may mean getting up early and going to bed a little earlier. It may mean rescheduling to have time to meditate and memorise at night. Ps 63:5‑6 says, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember Thee on my bed, I meditate on Thee in the night watches.” If we do spend time in the evening in the scriptures, it means the last thoughts entering our minds are wholesome, encouraging (even if it’s convicting) and mind renewing. These thoughts remain there and can set our mental attitudes for the following day.
So, you need to make a commitment. If you’re not used to spending time with God in prayer and in the bible daily, just start with 10 minutes. You’ll soon find that this isn’t long enough. But it’s better to set a low goal and keep it consistently, rather than be unrealistic and fail or ultimately give up completely.

2. Find a quiet place
As much as possible, make it a regular place, too, so that there isn’t a lot of things to distract you.
You may find the beat place is sitting in a comfy chair or even driving the car (if you have the verses memorised, that is).

3. Relax in God
In our busy, busy world we’ve lost the art of relaxation. We have so many things on our minds, pressures from all directions, problems to sort out ‑ so many calls on our time. We have to learn to give all these things to God or set them aside for the time being so that we can concentrate on the Lord. God doesn’t shout at us (usually, anyway, sometimes we do need a kick) and we need to tune into His ’still small voice’.
In ‘Celebration of Discipline’ Richard Foster shares a couple of ideas for relaxing in God. What works well for me is a simple breathing exercise. Each time we breath out, we can release something on our mind ‑ with a big sigh.
e.g.,
“Lord, I give you my anger against John.”"I surrender my anxiety over not having enough money to pay the bills.”"I release my frustration over trying to plan this weekend.”
After we’ve said each sentence prayer, breathe out deeply ‑ symbolising your giving it to the Lord completely. Then breathe in, receiving from the Lord what you need.
e.g.
“Lord, I receive your love for John.”"Lord, I receive your peace over these bills.”"Lord, I receive your patience for this weekend.”

4. Select a really meaningful passage of scripture
A passage that relates to you personally. Perhaps a chapter or a few verses on a problem you’re going through; or a passage on a principle you want to work into your life; maybe some verses on God’s character.

5. Ask yourself questions
a) How many promises are there in this passage to the one who meditates?
b) What conditions are there to receive these promises?
Other questions we can ask are the
Who, where, what, why, when, how, kind of questions. These will throw new light on the Passage and get you thinking more.

6. Personalise the scriptures and make it your prayer
Matt 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world.” In personalising this verse, it can become an objective in our lives and as we pray our hearts respond to the Lord with a desire to be lights for Him.
e.g., “I will be a greater light for You Lord in my situation. I will take every opportunity of sharing my love for You and I will not shy away from standing out in the crowd.”
e.g., “Help me to be a man who delights in Your law and meditates day and night.”

7. Memorise the scripture
If you’re memorising a few verses from a chapter, write them down on a card. Then on the reverse side, place the reference. Keep these cards in an easy to reach place at home or in the car and look at them regularly.
If you’re memorising chapters (and I encourage you to do that) it’s easier just to carry your bible around. Nardan Popov, who was imprisoned, in Russia, had memorised 37 chapters!
The key to memorising is constantly recalling.
Memorising is a real benefit to meditating because it enables us to recall the verse at any time of the day and think about it. The literal concept behind the word ‘meditate’ is that of a cow chewing its cud. Just as it brings it up what it’s eaten again and again, so we should recall what we’ve memorised over and over again so we can properly digest it.
Some good passages to memories are:
James 1 ‑ how to prepare for temptation
Matt 5‑7 ‑ how to find happiness
Heb 12 ‑ how to appreciate God’s chastening
John 15 ‑ how to grow spiritually
Col 3 ‑ how to refocus affections
1 Cor 13 ‑ how to develop genuine love
Psalms 1, 15, 34, 63, 139.
If you can manage it, a whole book memorised can be life changing. I’m very fond of Philippians, and have memorised it. The need here is making sure you recall if often, otherwise, it will be lost.
Some good verses to start you off:
Jn 10:27
Mt 5:13
Ps 91:1
Is 26: 3,4
Is 40:29‑31
Acts 1 v 8
Matthew 28 v 19‑20
1 Corinthians 10 v 31
Ephesians 3 v 20
So how do we meditate? Let’s recall!
1. Make a commitment of time.
2. Find a quiet place.
3. Relax in God.
4. Select a meaningful passage.
5. Ask yourself questions.
6. Personalise the scripture and make it a prayer.
7. Memorise.
The motive behind our meditation and memorisation must be to grow deeper in our relationship with God. There has to be an eagerness to soak ourselves in God’s Word. The truth sets us free when we really know it. That means it’s moved from our head to our heart, i.e., it’s put into practise, it’s “hid in our hearts” as Psalm 119:9‑11 says.
If you’re spending vital time with God and meditating in His Word, you’ll be able to answer these questions:
1. Has the Lord reproved you lately? If not, wait on Him.
2. How has the Lord encouraged you?
3. What new challenges has the Lord given you? Are there new goals to set?
4. What fruit of the Spirit is He asking you to work on?
5. What wrong attitudes is He giving instruction on?
6. What attribute/aspect of God’s character are you thinking about?
7. What applications of scripture involving other people has the Lord asked you to do?
8. Who has the Lord asked you to encourage?
9. Who or what has the Lord burdened you to pray for?
How has the Lord given you direction through the bible recently?

Aims

To build a retreat centre providing an accepting and comfortable environment for rest and refreshment, where people are free to enjoy the setting and local area for themselves.

Rest and Refreshment

Purpose built lodges will provide accommodation for groups seeking to gain rest and refreshment. We will target various groups of people we believe the centre would especially benefit. Those using the main site will be mainly church groups particularly emphasising groups of younger people i.e. those aged between 13 and 35. Additional lodges will be built in a secluded location, these will provide rest and refreshment for those people who’s professions mean that whilst they are at home they are permanently “on call” (such as ministers and their families).

We hope to provide this rest and refreshment on a number of levels by encouraging:

Spiritual - to help them establish a sense of identity and personal worth and a set of values with which to live by and an appreciation of the wider world. This is especially important for ministers to feel valued as people outside of their jobs and adolescents and young people finding their way in life.

Emotional - to help people come to terms with emotions and feelings by satisfying the need for recognition, acceptance and being able to contribute to society. To help ministers to be able to vent frustrations and other feelings to do with their jobs and to provide counsellors to help them work through these.

Physical - to help people have a place to vent energy and become aware of their changing selves. To help ministers relax physically with, for example, a round of golf or a good swim.

Intellectual - to help people to be challenged to think and to have opportunities to work through issues important to themselves and enable them to make informed and independent decisions. To provide for ministers an opportunity to catch up on current issues.

We realise that all this cannot be achieved by one visit but we hope that the centre will start to make a positive contribution to peoples lives in these areas, which will continue to benefit them once they are back in their home environments.

How will we do this?

Cornwall is a peaceful county and by maintaining this peace with careful site planning and planting, we will bring to people an atmosphere that only Cornwall can offer.

Retreat Lodges

By providing space for people to think and be themselves away from the pressures they normally face.

By encouraging them to appreciate the environment and countryside of this area.

By enabling them to work through issues that have been troubling them.

By providing areas where they can be sociable and enjoy spending time with others in a pleasant setting.

By encouraging them to take what they have learnt back to their home environment and hopefully improve the quality of their lives.

By offering the retreat centre to local and national groups for them to come and do their own thing or to come and have a programme of events laid on for them.

Secluded Retreat Lodges

By offering the lodges to provide refreshment to ministers and their families but also to other people in difficult jobs from around the country and ensuring this space enables them to recuperate.

By giving ministers and others whose work becomes their life a space for them and their families to get away from it all.

By offering this space because there is a lack of affordable facilities for such workers.

These lodges will be built in a small copse of trees providing further space.

Place of Worship

To provide an environment for worship that allows people space to enjoy a service without restriction but to also allow services to be conducted in different environments.

Centre Hosts and Counsellors

The centre hosts will be responsible for the day to day running of the centre. This will involve on site repairs, cleaning and stocking of each lodge and if required cooking for groups.

The centre hosts will welcome visitors to the lodges, explain rules and other information. They will also hand-out welcome packs detailing local sites to visit.

The centre hosts will need to ensure an immediate response to problems.

They will be required to be available for teaching and counselling sessions particularly when groups are invited to ‘themed’ weeks.

They will be required to co-ordinate day trips and liase with appropriate people to organise such trips.

The centre hosts will be responsible for the gardens and the general upkeep of the surrounds.

They will need to manage the centre in terms of bookings and financial management.

They will be responsible for the hiring and management of staff.

It will be necessary therefore to provide the centre hosts with accommodation together with an office and adequate facilities to cater for up to 30 people.

Advantages for the local community

In developing this project we are keen to promote the values of the local community and encourage community participation.

We want to provide a facility that will advantage the local community with rooms that will enable bands to visit, performance opportunities and with provision for transport, opportunities for playgroups and other local groups.

We will use local craftsmen in the construction of the project.

We will source timber and other requirements locally.

As the centre grows we will provide jobs locally particularly as groundsmen, cleaners and cooks.

We will benefit local businesses by bringing more trade to the area.

We hope to enter into a partnership with such facilities as Lostwithiel Golf club, Duchy College, Eden Project and numerous other similar facilities to encourage visitors to go to them.

We will use a local architect with specialist knowledge of building timber framed and environmentally structures.

Buildings

Whilst our primary aim is to provide rest and refreshment we have a secondary aim of ensuring that each building is as environmentally friendly as possible. We wish to build encouraging maximum use of new ecological thinking. We anticipate that our requirements would be as follows:-

Five individual lodges sleeping eight people complete with lounge.

Two small lodges, each comprising 2 bedrooms each to sleep 2 - 6, a bathroom and a lounge/kitchen/diner.

Accommodation for the centre hosts.

A small intimate place of worship with appropriate ancilary services.

All buildings will be constructed to fully meet the needs of disabled users.

Construction

Detailed below is what we feel is an exciting and innovating plan that actively seeks to develop new thinking in terms of environmental and ecological ideas.

To build timber framed structures with a locally beneficial and ecological focus.

To provide local employment by using local craftsmen.

To source timber and other construction materials locally.

To build in keeping with the local environment.

To develop and manage the build to encourage maximum use of new technology and ideas in ecological thinking whilst ensuring they are visually fitting in the local environment.

To use environmentally friendly materials from sustainable sources.

To incorporate as many energy saving/recycling devices as possible (e.g. solar panels, rain water recycling).

To plant trees to create a wooded area

To create “wild areas” incorporating local varieties of plants to encourage habitation of indigenous species.

To grow hedges to heights that encourage birds affected by the trend towards severe hedge cropping, to nest.

To potentially use the buildings as “show buildings” to encourage more active participation in the environment. Similar buildings can be seen in Bristol, Wales and other sites around the country.

Profile of the Centre Hosts

The centre hosts Richard and Anna Brown both have extensive experience of working within the Christian community.

Richard has worked full-time as a Christian minister for over ten years. He has been employed as a Christian youth minister in various settings. He has also worked as a management accountant, computer programmer and as a general manager.

Anna (nee Pollard), whose father is a minister in a local church and was headmaster at Braddock School, has been involved with the development of a similar project. She has experience of retail management, catering and the holiday trade.

Finance

The “business” will run as a charity, not relying on donations but relying on sustainability as a viable service.

We will secure funding by the following means:-

Disability grants

Grants for supplying ministers rest and refreshment.

Grants for supplying accommodation to youth groups.

The sports council.

Investments such as shares and holdings.

We will also approach various charitable trusts to help in building grants.

We already have provision for some buildings and resources for yearly provision.

Summary

This scheme is an exciting and innovating scheme that will draw much positive attention to Lostwithiel, Caradon District Council and Cornwall. We hope you will look favourably on this scheme. We believe that it will be of benefit not only locally but nationally and will do much for young people and ministers who currently find themselves with increasing problems and frustrations.

Difficult to penetrate.

Incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge.

Inscrutable, mysterious, mystifying of an obscure nature.

A deep dark secret.

Anybody that loves words try this:

Anagrams

It will be right up your street!

Anagrams from our names:
Abigail Brown is la big rainbow!
Anna Louise Brown is u warble onions an..
Richard Brown is dawn choir brr

Introduction

Surviving as a Christian can be and is difficult. Being a lad can cause extra complications. However, where Jesus is, so is Holy Spirit bringing fruit, i.e. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. (Galatians 5 v 2223). The mark of a Christian will be known by his fruit. Jesus calls us to love each other and to have unity.

Unity

A good example of unity is playing in a football team. If the goal keeper decides to walk away then goals against you will be scored and likewise you need forwards to score goals. Without a team you will not win matches! We get a better example of unity from the early church in the book of Acts. They regularly met together to worship, study, pray and eat together. They shared their possessions, sold possessions so as to help the poorer members and I am sure they shared their problems with each other, there was a great sense of accountability. (Acts 2 v 4247).
Why did they have this unity and accountability, because they all had one thing in common. Their belief in Jesus Christ as God, their friend and Saviour was their source of unity. God has adopted us into his family, and if God is our Father then we are all brothers. The early church members also had a great love for each other as their love came from Jesus and his teachings.

Love

When Jesus was teaching in the temple courts in Jerusalem, the Sadducees and Pharisees questioned him and tried to test him. The Sadducees were mostly wealthy and influential and held prominent positions in the Jewish supreme council, as did the Pharisees. Their supreme concern was to uphold the religious laws and traditions of the Jewish faith. They were so concerned with their importance and upholding tradition that they did not show love or care for the common people. In order to justify themselves, a Pharisee tested Jesus, hoping to trip him up and asked, “What is the greatest commandment?”
Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” Mark 12 v 3031
And this second commandment is what the early church were doing, they preferred the needs of each other. And this is what will help you survive as a Christian. 1 John 4 v 1921. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must love his brother.

Being a Christian and living as a Christian is not easy. We are tempted and tested everyday, wanting more money, more possessions, swearing, hurting others with our words, jealousy, power, sex, pressure to conform with others. Surviving as a Christian is not easy, but if we are loved and accepted by each other then we can survive and grow in a closer relationship with Jesus. Love between Christian lads is unique and special, something we should strive for and hold onto. There are four aspects of love and unity that we need to think about; acceptance, intimacy, giving and encouragement.

Acceptance

We are all very different. Some are scholars, some are sporty, some are practical. We have all been brought up differently. Some are shy, some are extrovert, some are quiet, some are loud, some have a low selfconfidence, some are bigheaded. This is great because it would be a boring world if we were all the same. But because there are differences then personality clashes can happen, and we may annoy each other. But we should accept each other as Jesus accepted us. He died for all of us, not just people with nice personalities. One of the reasons for splits in unity is when we do not tolerate or accept each other. If there is someone whose actions or personality really annoys you, what do you do? Talk about them behind their back, ignore them! No pray for them asking God to love them, get alongside them and make the effort to love them.

Intimacy

Meet together regularly, in fact it is good to be in a small group which meets regularly to study the Bible and pray together, you can develop strong and close friendships. Friendships don’t usually just happen, but they need developing and by meeting regularly you can develop close friendships with people you thought you had nothing in common. Join a small or house group. In these groups you can talk and have the opportunities to share the problems you have at home, with parents, at school, perhaps bullying, perhaps girlfriend problems, or you are just down. Many people do not have places where they can go and meet and talk with people about their hassles, so use them. In a small intimate group we can talk, listen and pray for each other. We are accountable to each other.

Giving

We should be prepared to sacrifice and give our time and possessions to each other. Acts 2 v 4445. ‘All the believers were together and had everything in common, their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.’ If one of us is in need of help, with studies, or a job at home, whatever, be prepared to give up some of your time and help him out. Somebody may need to borrow a bike or shin pads, football, CD, then be prepared to loan it to that person. When we give we should not expect to receive, as Paul said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We should also give with a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9 v 7). God will reward us for our righteousness, but maybe not until we are with him in heaven. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9 v 6). Be prepared to sacrifice your time and possessions for each other. Time to talk, to have fun, to help each other with work and studies. We should be servants for each other, do not be proud but humbly serve each other, prefer each others needs. Take Jesus as your example, he came not to be served but to serve. He even humbled himself to wash his friends feet (John 13 v 5). Would you?

Encouragement

Nowadays, whether at school, college, work or the football field, people are more and more competitive and they tolerate fools less. Regularly encourage and congratulate one another. Tell somebody they played the bass, or the drums, or whatever well at wherever or thank them for a prayer they said, or a wise comment, or if somebody played a good game of soccer or lead a Bible study. Be encouragers, it makes others feel good about themselves. Phone each other or write to each other to check each other out and encourage take an interest in each other. In the letter to the Hebrews, it is written, ‘And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10 v 2425

Love for each other between lads, is not nambypamby thing but it is special and unique. Let there be love and unity within us, Jesus put a lot of emphasis on unity and prayed for the unity of the disciples (John 17). To survive as a Christian lad, we need to accept, encourage intimacy, be willing to give time and possessions, and encourage and serve each other.

A Story

There was a man who had been a very enthusiastic Christian, but he was now finding it hard to survive as a Christian, he was less enthusiastic about his faith. Therefore he went to visit a wise old friend. They sat in front of the coal fire, and the man opened his heart. He told the wise old man he had lost enthusiasm for loving others, his enthusiasm to be a Christian, his enthusiasm for loving God, he had lost his enthusiasm for reading the Bible and for prayer. The wise old man didn’t say anything but he took two tongs and took a red glowing coal out of the fire and put it on the cold hearth, slowly it lost its glow and was getting cold and turning black.

So silently he picked it up again with the tongs and put it back in the fire and the coal started to glow again.

How should men act today? What image should blokes have? “Growing‑up male today.”
Girl power takes the trousers off men and leaves them naked!
Joke ‑ What’s the difference for men between the toilet and Match of the Day? Men never miss Match of the Day!

Ladism (Do anything you want to do).

Society is heating the temperature up for blokes. Christians tend to be thermometers (reflect the temperature) for society, when we should be thermostats (change the temperature).
In our society, we have two main idols:‑
Pleasure. We live in a feelings dominated society. We need to get as much pleasure in life as possible! When you live on feelings though, what are you left with when the feelings have gone. People are addicted to feelings and pleasure.
Image. It is all about the surface. What you look like! Buy into it ‑ the way we get pleasure is by having a certain image. The Christian response should be, “I don’t love you for what you look like, it’s who you are!” We should not accept the image the media are trying to sell us ‑ we own our own image. We shouldn’t allow them to sell our image back to us. The reason we do allow the media to control our image is because we want acceptance, we want to be loved. As blokes though, we tend to be afraid of commitment. We are afraid of letting people close. We try to compare ourselves to others and then find ourselves rejected.

Where is God in all this?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God ‑ this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is ‑ his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12 v 1 & 2
My image does not belong to the world, it belongs to God. God made a beautiful creation, but it is only humans out of all creation that were made in God’s image. Don’t be a surface person.
Who you are, should be the same in the dark! Take God’s image and live for Him. Perform to an audience of one! Freedom cost Jesus and it will cost us. Live for reality.

How should we act as a bloke?

Men are encouraged to see themselves in distinct roles separate to women. However, these roles are normally at the expense of women.
We know more about prodigal fathers than prodigal sons ‑ so where are our male role models today?
The dominance men are encouraged to have over women is normally at the expense of our relationships. Pornography is a doomed search without love. It causes men to think that women are there as objects for men’s pleasure. How does this make a women feel? Being thought of as a man’s toy. Sexism (treating people differently because of their sex), undermines the fabric of who we are.
We need to re‑find our roles as blokes. We are being conditioned into how we should act.

What does God think?

Males and females are both made in the image of God. God lives in relationship and so we image God when we are in relationship ‑ not just girlfriend/wife, but relationships between men and men and men and women.
The name Eve means helper. The word used is only used in describing one other person in the Bible ‑ the Holy Spirit.
Sexism happened because of the fall. The created relationship before the fall was equality.
Sexism is sin and the church should create relationships pre‑fall. There are physical differences between men and women. Generally, blokes are physically stronger (but not when it comes to pain!). But the only real biological differences are that females can have children and breast feed.

How can we empower women in the church?

1 Corinthians 12‑14. God gives gifts to all people for the sake of the church. If women are not allowed to exercise these gifts, it is at the expense of the church.

Where do we start?

We are not in the state we should be. As blokes we have blown it. There is a massive pain in society especially around blokes and we feel a need to express it. Jesus cries from the Cross for our pain and broken‑ness. Jesus Christ was a fulfilled man ‑ let’s make him our role model.
Don’t feel guilty as a bloke ‑ be affirmed by God as a man. Be a man after God’s own heart.

Sex and Sexuality

God made your sexual organs. We have been designed by God to be sexual. Blokes are different to women (in terms of attraction). Blokes tend to be stimulated by sight and physical things.
This is not necessarily bad, God made sex to be expressed in marriage. Sex does not make sexuality. You can be a sexual being but not sexually active. The perfect example is Jesus.
Sex is best within a relationship. Men and women are the only creatures that God made to have sex face to face.
Sexuality belongs to God. The world steals our sexuality and then tries to sell it back to us. Sex is worshipped instead of God.
Lies told by the world:‑
1. Love = Sex
2. Sex = Sexuality
3. Sex is just a physical act
4. You can have sex without emotional ties (this leaves us emotionally numb but sexually aroused).
5. To be a normal fulfilled bloke, you must have sex.
Sex is like ‑ two pieces of cardboard super‑glued together. When you try to tear them apart, one side (or both) will get torn.

Where is God in this?

God does not meet us when we are sorted, he meets us in our broken‑ness. Go to God.
Sexuality is our most broken part of our society. God can make us clean and forgive us. Jesus will meet us where we feel we have blown it. Jesus in Revelation says, “Behold, I make all things new.”
We must choose to go God’s way. Christianity is not about what you do ‑ Christian’s behave this way because they are Christian’s. Choose purity. The fruit of righteousness is joy, peace and life. We should not conform to the standards of this world but be transformed. God has given us so much. The temptation is to give it all up for instant gratification.

Choose Purity

Personal and private life. 2 Corinthians 10 v 5. Make every thought captive. You can’t stop the sexual thoughts going on, but you can stop them making a home in your life. Don’t play on lustful thoughts. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Philippians 4 v 8. Exercise control.
External life in groups. Choose purity with your eyes. Don’t take a second look. Be careful where your gaze goes. Girls know you’re doing it. Beware of how your actions are coming over to girls. Beware of what you’re doing. Touch to a woman is far more evocative. The Kingdom of God is the kingdom of right relationships. “The biggest killer in these days is loneliness.”
Mother Teresa. “Celibacy without community is impossible.” St Augustine.
Intimate relationships. How can we most please God? Romans 12 v 1. Compare yourself to God’s standards, not the worlds:‑
If you’ve got a girlfriend, talk to her about physical things. Don’t be selfish. Talk about it with other males. Get into minimal damage relationships. Sometimes we want to run sexually before we can walk. What would you be really happy with another bloke doing to the person you are marrying.
Bikini rule ‑ don’t touch anything covered by a bikini. Don’t spend hours kissing. Think, pray, talk.

We live ONCE ‑ there is no rehearsal.

Colin Piper

1. Love God.

Philippians 2 v “Even if I am poured out…

2. Love the young people.

3. Be real - be yourself. Be exactly that.

4. Believe in the young people that you’re working with.

5. Stand with the young people when they are in it.

6. Have a laugh with the young people. (Create memories).

7. Cry with the young people.

8. Share the triumphs with the young people.

9. Confronting the pains.

10. Have (big) dreams for the young people.

11. Let the young people live their own lives. Let them go.

This seminar is all about personal involvement and I am expecting folks to input very heavily! No answer can be wrong - I am expecting your own personal reflections! I am applying the term discipleship in living in close quarters with your disciples. they will get to know all your feelings, faults, happiness, etc….

Be Prepared

Aim is to help the delegates ‘become’ and to help them get in touch with any feelings, prejudices they might have about a variety of issues. Role play four possible scenarios. The room will be split into four groups or more if necessary:-

Sex - You are invited to attempt to talk one person into having sex outside of marriage. How would you advise a teenage girl/boy when friends are encouraging her/him to have sex?

Drugs - You are encouraged to attempt to get someone to smoke or to take some drug. What is the current ‘trendy’ drug? How do you advise? What information do you know about drugs? What information do you need?

Family - You are to split into a family unit and ‘discuss’ the latest school report of your children. What issues can you think of that are relevant to families? Do you support parents or young people? Does this mean conflict with parents?

Peer - Two people will be removed from the group and directions will be given about what to do next! In what ways are peers positive or negative? How would you respond to the bullying issue?

Feed back on how the groups felt doing the above and then debrief to deal with any tensions or hurts that might still be felt.

We will now role play some of the world’s worst approaches to discipleship and then work out a strategy to deal with them. You will be encouraged to make the most irrelevant, uncreative and abysmal approaches as possible! (Let’s try to get it out of your system!)

Know your feelings around certain issues. I can only offer advice and I hope that that is what we have achieved today. It is up to you to start to think about these and other subjects and reflect on them so that when they arise you are prepared!

When advising people on these issues…. DON’T PREACH. Use phrases like, “I have found that….”

Dress People

How do people identify - one of the first identity responses is… dress. Let’s look at dress. We will split male and female and ask groups to ‘dress’ stick figures (both groups will dress figures of different gender and different types.

Ask yourself:-

What clothes will they wear?

What magazines/papers/books will they read?

What music will they listen to?

What TV will they watch?

What will their families look like?

What education would they have or had?

What jobs will they do?

Where will they live?

What Motivates You?

This part will help you look at your own understanding of what evangelism and relationship building means in the context of discipleship. When you disciple you can have a motivation to win souls and disciple… or can you? What tensions exist in evangelism and loving unconditionally?

Great Command

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Matthew 22 v 37-39

Great Commission

“Therefore go and make disciples of all cultures, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28 v 19

In small groups discuss the differences between these verses. Is there a tension between loving unconditionally and yet wanting to convert? What do you do when someone says they no longer want to be a Christian? How long do you disciple?

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” Habbakuk 2 v 2

There is nothing wrong with planning and being directional about

Hi there!

My name’s James and I’m a fisherman by trade. I want to tell you a bit about Jesus because I’ve been going around with him these last three years and recently there’s been loads of rumours flying about so I want to put the record straight. Jesus has become quite famous lately, but that’s jumping the gun. Let’s start at the beginning.

I first got to know Jesus when he borrowed our boat (I’ve got a brother John, who’s my partner in our fishing business), three years back so he could preach to people on the lake shore. He was a really powerful speaker - the people hung on his every word. Then, afterwards, he got us to go out on the lake and let down our nets. We told him it was a waste of time ‘cos we’d fished all night and caught nothing. Still we did what he said and blow me if we didn’t catch so many fish that the boat nearly sank under the weight! Anyway, from that moment I knew he was someone special and that what he said was worth listening to, so I accepted his invitation to follow him and become one of his disciples. We had some great adventures together, which I haven’t got time to go into now, but even though everything he said made sense we were always getting into bother with the priests and teachers of the law. I expect you know the outcome - they had him crucified. Can you imagine how we felt? When all’s said and done, he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

The most amazing thing of all was that, before that happened, Jesus had told us he would be killed but that he would come back to life again three days later. At times we forgot this promise but it came true - after three days he rose again! He’s been travelling around and teaching - just like the old days. I can hardly believe it! The sad thing is, though, that he’s saying he must leave again. He’s asked us to go with him to the Mount of Olives tomorrow and I’ve got this strange feeling that it might be the last time we see him. If only he would stay…

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Time for myself… Why is it that I find it so hard to take time for myself? Time to be, rather than to do. Time to think, to talk to God, and most of all to be spent in his presence while he talks to me. You know how it is Lord! There is always so much to be fitted in. People to be seen… work to be done… obligations to fulfil? It is so difficult to distinguish between the urgent and the important. And often what is urgent elbows its way to the forefront of my day and the important gets trampled in a rush.

Slow me down, Lord. Teach me the ways of creating islands of stillness, in which I can absorb the beauty of everyday things: clouds, trees, a snatch of music. Prompt me to open up my heart to you in a moment of thankfulness. Impress upon my mind that there is more to life than packing every moment with activity, and help me to fence in some part of my day with quietness. And please talk to me and help me to listen, so that I take your peace rather than my confusion back with me into the hurly-burly of a drifting world.

To go up alone into the mountain and come back as an ambassador in the world, has ever been the method of humanity’s best friends.