AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND,
THAT SUSTAINS A SOUL LIKE ME.
I ONCE WAS WEAK, BUT NOW I’M STRONG,
THROUGH CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME.

The grace of God comes to us in two instalments; first we are saved by grace (Amazing Grace Part 1) at conversion, and then we are sustained by grace (Amazing Grace Part 2) for the remainder of our lives.

Interestingly it is possible to be saved by grace and yet not sustained by grace. That is why some Christians can be thriving while others are just surviving; or why some Christians rely on their own strength to serve God while others are supernaturally empowered …

CHRISTIAN ATHEIST : Is a person who believes in God but lives as though God doesn’t exist or is largely irrelevant to the every day business of living.
The term CHRISTIAN ATHEIST is a figure of speech called an oxymoron in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. Other examples of oxymorons that perhaps you have used are:

• It was PRETTY UGLY
• If you want my UNBIASED OPINION
• My response was a DEFINITE MAYBE
• The numbers were GROWING SMALLER
• I had to take the ONLY CHOICE

• The SILENCE was DEAFENING
• I was CLEARLY CONFUSED
• Why don’t you ACT NATURALLY
• It was a GENUINE IMITATION
• She took the LARGER HALF

I was most interested to learn from a family in my church about their recent holiday in another state. Even more so when they had taken the time to visit a very well known church in that state. I asked them what was it that impressed them most about the church and what could we learn from them.

Their reply surprised me. It was the carpark attendants that impacted them and would even prompt them to return to the church again. They told of how the carpark attendants:

• warmly greeted them.
• helped direct them to a convenient section set aside for newcomers.
• escorted them to the church foyer, whilst holding

(33) “TO MINISTER OR TO MANIPULATE”
There came a time when I was awakened to the fact that my life of service as a pastor was being subtly motivated by my need for appreciation from those that I served. For example, following the preaching of a sermon I would feel valued and appreciated when the feedback was warm and encouraging. Then I read Larry Crabb’s book The Marriage Builder and I learned that in marriage, as in all of life, I had two options in the way I was motivated to serve. First, I can serve by way of manipulating people to respond in a way that will meet my …