Qoutes that have got me thinking!

These Quotes were part of a presentation by Paul Vink on being a christian "social entrepreneur"

"The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness meets the worlds deep hunger" - Frederick Buechner

This first quote gets me thinking as I'm still finding my calling, what gets me up in the morning, what gets me passionate, what makes me angry, excited, and fired up. I don't want to be scared and not use the talents that God has given me. I want to plant and sow into the lives of those around me in ways that are unique, creative and exciting.

"Though many of us are well intentioned we have invested our lives in consumerism. We have a love affair with "more" and we will never have enough. Consumerism is not simply a marketing strategy. It has become a demonic spiritual force among us, and the theological question facing us is whether the Gospel has the power to help withstand it" - Walter Brueggerman

I have to write a little more on consumerism sometime, but I'll let you take in this quote for the moment.

Aslan is on the Move

In the story of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susanne go into the world of Narnia. Narnia is not the way it should be, the country of Narnia has faced winter for hundreds of years, but they have never had Christmas, all because the country is under the power of the evil white witch. Unknown to them, these four little kids are part of the prophesised return of the lion. Word is in the trees that something is afoot in Narnia, something that the land has been aching for years for, the return of Aslan, to end the reign of the evil white witch. The animals, the wind, the trees are aching for the return of their master, to bring order to Narnia, to restore it to its glory. There is hope, Aslan is on the move!

Why do I tell this story, why am I recounting my favourite childhood story? There is a sense in me, and others that I know that God is on the move! He is waking a new generation of disciples willing to bring about something new, something fresh, something that we have not seen before. The land of New Zealand, and the world is yearning for restoration, people are crying out for God, for healing, for restoration, God is on the move, setting the captives free, bringing sight to the blind, revealing himself to the poor. He is on the move, are we ready to join!

I was extremely excited to see Matt Mansell lay out his vision for the Vineyard plant that is going ahead in Karori. Matt and the team have a real passion to reveal Christ to this community and to bring people into Gods story for the world. I have had the joy of travelling along with them for part of the journey and seen how God is planting seeds in these talented, spirit filled individuals. I am watching and waiting to see the bear that awakens. I am looking forward to seeing how God shapes and creates this community, and what impact it has on Karori and the world. What an exciting time to be in!

God is wanting to restore the lives of those who live in Karori, he wants to show people that in him there is restoration, freedom from sin, freedom to live a new life, to become all that God wants us to be. God wants us to confront the empire, the wicked witch of the world, and free the land from the grasp of sin and death and from the devil. God wants us to shine out truth and bring people back in to the hands of their creator.

Lord I pray for your church, that you will awaken its potential, that it will see that it is the Greatest hope for humanity, that you are here moving in the world, changing people, bring people back to you. Let your church be a light, let your church be a refreshing to the world, awaken your followers, awaken the sleeping bear!

Lord I pray for Matt Mansell and the passion that you have given him, fan the flames of his passions and give him the tools and the people to build your church in Karori.

Dreams... for Nathanael, for christians and for the church... and for the world...

I want a people with dreams, dreams beyond belief, radical out of the box dreams, dreams that set the world on fire, dreams of justice, dreams of joy, dreams of peace, dreams of salvation.


The Lord Is Wild and Untamaeble. Don’t put him in a box! He wants men and women with a passion, a creative vision for the world, a vision that brings out his character, challenging people, growing people, setting people free to live the way I intended. Its creative and fresh, a beautiful artwork, made of people, Its organic, responsive, dynamic and fiery. It will set the nation on fire, it will set the world on fire, nothing like this has been seen before, nothing like this has gone before.

God is calling for a wholly, holy passionate creative people doing Gods work, creating Gods work, being Gods work

We are a physical expression of incarnate Christ to a broken imprisoned world.

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God is calling us to be creative like kids again, to create things, to bring them to the father, to be willing to paint with our fingers, to be willing to paint with our hands something beautiful, something fresh, something that challenges perceptions, a painting of love to those around us. God wants us to hone our creativity, whether its in art, buisiness, science, music, when we go after our passions the fire that burns within us, we are worshiping our Lord and saviour.


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One person can change the world.
One person can have a dream and set the world on fire
God does not want us to lock our dreams or passions away, he wants a radical church, a radical people that will listen to the crys of those around it, challenge the empires of the world. A church that listens challenges and grows a passionate beast that cannot be stopped, a passionate untameable community of faith, firing up those around it, remaking the world, recreating the world.

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“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God
He existed before anything, was created and is supreme over all creation for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things that we can see
And the things we can’t see
Such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world
Everything was created through him and for him
He existed before everything else
And holds all creative together
Christ is also the head of the Church
Which is his body.
He is the beginning,
Supreme over all who rise from the dead
So he is first in everything
For God in all his fullness
Was pleased to live in Christ
And through him God reconciled everything to himself
He made peace with everything on heaven and earth
By means of Christs blood on the cross.


Christ in an affront to this world, he has called us to go against evil, injustice, violence of the world, not to sit in pews, Christ has called us to take on this worlds kingdoms and rulers – to preach against selfishness, consumerism, violence, idolatry, paganism, slavery and bondage – we are called to be shining lights to this world, we are called to bring deliverance to our neighbours, our cry is to go out into the world and proclaim the love of Christ to all.

Stir in us a holy discontent for our communities, for our friends and for our loved ones.
“Don’t put your light under a bushel” – don’t hold my love in the church – go forth into the world, multiply and be prosperous